“Come and see…………”
Revelation 6:3-4

In our last devotion we considered the danger of deception presented to the Church and the world by the Rider of the White Horse. By this deception he rides out to conquer the hearts and minds of people that he may subjugate them and make them slaves of the powers of darkness. These days are certainly upon us and they will only become more dangerous as time goes by. Our only protection is to stay close to Jesus.
John is then invited to witness another horse going out into the world. This horse is equally terrifying as he goes out across the world to bring destruction. So, once again John is invited to “come and see….”

The Fiery Red Horse (Revelation 6:3-4)
This is a horse that goes forth to slay millions across the earth! The rider has a great sword and by the use of it fiery red blood begins to run everywhere. Most certainly the last decade has seen millions die at the hands of radical Islam and now our sensibilities have been literally traumatized by the images of people being beheaded in the Middle East. Even five year old little girls have been slaughtered in this manner and sadly there is more to come.

We were a long time ago warned about these things but a deceptive view of the end-time has held many Christians captive to the idea that they will not suffer anything like this. This deception is now unravelling as Christians, and indeed others, are being crucified and butchered every day. They have gone resolutely to their deaths believing that Jesus’ death has freed them from death’s pangs; and it has. These are brave Martyrs who, like the early Christians, have overcome the wicked one because “they loved not their lives unto death.”
Some three decades ago God’s servant, David Wilkerson, warned the world that a terrifying persecution of Christians is coming. He wrote the message from the Spirit of God down and published it in a book called, “The Vision”. I well remember reading it and I also remember hearing the scoffers who attacked him and accused him of being negative and of inducing fear into the Body of Christ. They were wrong and David Wilkerson was right and has now been proved to be a true prophet. Sadly, I fear that things will get worse and even in the West more and more pressure will come against Christians to abandon their belief that Jesus is the only way of salvation. Already, the Bible is being removed from the public domain and some have called for it to be banned because it forbids perverted lifestyles that have been sanctioned by society.

Yes, we live in shocking times and God is handing the world over to what sin really can do. In His common grace He has hitherto exercised a restraining power over humankind’s behavior but now, as He warned us in the first chapter of Romans, He has given the world over to what it desires and the results are frightening. Blood is running in the streets, “come and see……”, and then what will you do? Our only response should be to love Jesus more and share with the world His saving Gospel.

Malcolm Hedding.

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

Come and see……..”
Revelation 6:5-6

The breaking of the sixth seal results in a black horse riding out to judge the earth. The rider has a pair of scales by which the nations are judged. It reminds one of the Prophet Daniel who gave meaning to an inscription that appeared on the wall as the decadent and blasphemous king of Babylon reveled with his court and guests. His kingdom was evaluated on God’s scales and found wanting. Consequently judgment arrived and the Babylonians were defeated by the Media-Persians.

The Black Horse of Judgement (Revelation 6: 5-6)
The God of the Bible is weighing nations today, even those that are civilized by human standards but if they are godless, irreverent and entirely secular they will be judged and overthrown by peoples who are savage and barbaric. This is a sober warning indeed and it’s one that Habakkuk had to learn as he stood watch by prayer over Israel. The nation was civilized and blessed by human standards but it had rejected the things that had made it great and was now in sin and rebellion against God. God weighed it, found it wanting and sent progressive judgments to correct it; but to no avail. The Babylonian barbarians would come and destroy it! Habakkuk could not believe it and even voiced his dismay to God. One cannot help but think that this is what is happening today. Indeed for a brief period the Nazis brought judgment to Europe and beyond but in the end they were overthrown but at great price. Judgment is knocking at the door of great nations again and we should all tremble, not because of the impending judgment, but because of sin, blasphemy and wickedness that is delighted in and approved of by these nations that were once Christian and proud of it. While there is still time an urgent message of repentance should be preached in every church across the land. Who will come and see and do something?

This horse is further more interesting because the judgment it brings is firstly financial in that inflation begins to ravage the world and thus basic foods like wheat and barley become out of reach as it will take a day’s wages to buy them. The judgment is however limited and so the oil and wine is not harmed in this way. Very basic necessities by which to live are excluded. I believe that this rider has gone out into the world as we have already seen a major financial meltdown and believe me there is more to come. The book of a Revelation is written to believers in Jesus and consequently we have been forewarned and we must respond appropriately by serving God with all our hearts and all our devotion. He will help us, as He helped Habakkuk, but we must seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness if we are going to overcome.

The Greek of this passage actually calls the scales “Balances” meaning that our nations are being balanced against righteousness and could be found wanting. The warning is clear; financial judgment will just be the beginning and if the “balances” are not corrected dark things of great judgment will befall them. I fear that there will be no correction and darker things will overtake us. It must be remembered that this passage is part of the Revelation of Jesus thus reminding us that He must be our focus and joy. Ultimately the world with its lusts will pass away but we look for a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. Come and see…………

Malcolm Hedding

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

“….to Him be glory in the church by Christ
Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.
Amen.”  Ephesians 3:14-21

Paul concludes the theological section of his epistle to the Ephesians with a prayerful eulogy that gives recognition to the wonder and glory of the Body of Christ; and that gives glory to the three persons of the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He thus, by so doing reminds us of:

1.    A glorious family. V14-15
Paul speaks of the people of God as “family in heaven and on earth.” Death is just a doorway to the next part of the family! The same thought is conveyed in the book of Hebrews where we are told that we have come to the “heavenly Mt. Zion” where God’s family dwells with Him.  We are in vital union with this family by the Holy Spirit, Who dwells there and in us! (Hebrews 12:22-24)
Christianity is therefore a “family thing” and not an “individual thing”. It is not   “you and Jesus’ but “us and Jesus!” Moreover, in the same chapter of the book of Hebrews the writer states that we are surrounded by a glorious “cloud of witnesses” that is now in heaven watching us on the “field of play” on earth. (Hebrews 12:1-2) I wonder what they think of us as they watch us running our race with faith and endurance. In addition the Bible states that, as believers, we can sing in our natural tongue and in the “tongues of angels!” (1Corinthians 13:1) This is why, sometimes when we worship together in the Spirit, the Angels join us as we begin to sing in their language. The family in heaven truly blends with us in worship!

2.    A glorious power. V16
Paul desires that God’s resources, which are great, be brought to bear upon the hearts of His children so that, in every way they are undergirded by His might or power. This is the dynamic of God’s Holy Spirit “clothing us” with power. (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8) You must know this power in your life and therefore ask for it. However, to receive this Holy Spirit power you must be willing to obey Jesus in everything (Acts 5:320, you must thirst for it (John 7:37) and you must be willing to go into the world with the message of Christ. This is why to be filled with the Spirit means to be influenced by the Spirit; just as the trees and crops bend as the wind blows upon them. (Ephesians 5:18)

3.    A glorious Savior. V17-19
Jesus desires nothing more than to stamp His great love upon our hearts. This is a love that can be experienced but not exhausted. It is at once knowable and unknowable. This means that it overwhelms us in depth, width and height; meaning that it can never be fully utilized, it can never run out and it can never be fully comprehended. We should all be enveloped with Jesus’ love and know it! In short immerse yourself in Christ and His well being, by His great love, will flood your life.

4.    A glorious walk. V20-21
God, by Jesus Christ, can do more for you than you can ask or imagine. You have to ask in faith and therefore believe this. (James 1:6) This means that you have to make room for God in your life and in turn He will make incredible room for you and do, on your behalf, more than you could ever think or imagine. However, you will note from the text that “God’s doing in you” will be according to the power that “works in us!” You must know that you do not need some special break-through since Jesus; two thousand years ago purchased all the break-through that you will ever need. All you need is to appropriate fully what He has done for you. This you can do at anytime. By this amazing provision God receives glory in the Church now and forever more, Amen.

Please pray the following prayer with me:

Dear Father in Heaven, what a joy to be a part of your great family; in heaven and in earth. This is a glorious family because it is purchased by your Son’s blood and therefore washed clean from all filth and unrighteousness. We give you glory in the Church today and thus we praise and magnify your great name. May we be strengthened by the power of your Holy Spirit and filled with the amazing, knowable but unknowable, love of Christ. We rejoice in You, love You and thank You for dwelling amongst us in Jesus lovely name. Amen.

Malcolm Hedding

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

” Come and see………….”
Revelation 6:7-8

Over the last three weeks we have examined the significance and importance of three End a Time Riders. These “Riders” go out into the world as instruments of God’s judgment because of blasphemy, sin, rebellion and rejection of His love for them in Christ. This judgment involves deception, war, famine and financial failure. Matthew twenty-four gives us an almost identical picture as Jesus spoke of these things in His Olivet Discourse. We should heed these things and respond appropriately, which for Jesus, meant being filled with the Spirit and ready and waiting for His coming. This is the abiding message of His parable of the Ten Virgins. We, knowing these things must not become foolish virgins!

Our devotional for this week examines:
The Pale Horse of Death. ( Revelation 6:7-8) As with the previous horses and their riders John is invited to “come and see.” What he sees is a “shadowy horse” with a rider who in every way is a “grim reaper.” The horse and its rider mediates death to the world on a scale that is horrifying to say the least. A quarter of humanity dies in the wake of its journey through the earth! That is, one and a half billion people and they die at the hands of war, famine, disease and wild beasts. This reality brings into focus the awful condition of the human race and the issue of death. That is, what is it and how is it defeated? The truth is:

1. Death is the consequences of rebellion against God. (Romans 6:23 )

2. Death is not annihilation but eternal separation from God. (2 Thessalonians 1:9-10)

3. Death is not the end of the matter but just the beginning. We are eternal beings and death means being cut off from God our creator for all eternity. (1 John 5:12)

4. Death should not be a human condition as the abode of death, called hell in the scriptures, was prepared for the Devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41)

5. Death is followed by judgment and therefore it is vital that every human being face this issue squarely before their physical demise. (Hebrews 9:27)

6. Death has been defeated by what Jesus did for each one of us on the cross. That is, His death for our sins on the cross has purchased forgiveness and reconciliation to God our Father for all the world; but what He did for us has to be personally appropriated by repentance and faith. (John 3:16; Acts 2:22-40; Romans 5:1)

7. Death has no power over the true believer in and follower of Christ; it has been defeated! It may claim our physical bodies at the end of our days, however that end may be, but we will reclaim our bodies in the resurrection when Jesus comes again and then we shall forever be with the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:50-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

The sad truth is that the vast majority of the human race will reject God’s love in Jesus and thereby fall under the sword, in this way and that, of the rider of the Pale Horse. Jesus put it this way, many will travel the broad road to destruction and few will find the narrow road to life. (Matthew 7:13) Not because the narrow road is hidden but because it requires humility, repentance and the call to own Jesus as one’s Lord and Savior to travel by it. For many, too many, this is a price in life too high to pay; consequently the “grim reaper” will harvest them! Come and see…………..

Malcolm Hedding.

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

Luke 8:22-25

The passage in Luke referred to above records the story of Jesus, obviously very tired, crossing the Sea of Galilee in a small fishing boat with His Disciples. Soon after they set out a storm comes up with a lashing wind that threatens the safety of the boat. Jesus is fast asleep and it’s not too long before the boat begins to take on water. Quite obviously, since the Disciples were seasoned fisherman and knew these conditions well, this must have been a serious storm as the Disciples, fearing that the possibility of sinking was not a remote reality, begin to panic. They therefore awaken Jesus and cry out, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”

Consequently Jesus then rises and calms the storm and then rebukes the Disciples by saying, ” Where is your faith?” The response of His Disciples is, “Who can this be?” It strikes me that we have an important lesson here that we all need to learn. Life is filled with many challenges and we have to face them appropriately as Christ followers. So, we should know:

1. That we all have a unique destination.
The Disciples were going from one side of the lake to the other. We are doing the same. Indeed to be in the will of God is the most important thing in your life. This gives your life meaning and significance and this is life’s big and important issue. Are you living in the perfect will of God for your life.

2. That we must have Jesus with us in the “boat”.
Living in close fellowship with Christ is our chief joy. There is no joy greater joy than this and our boat may well be something else but the lesson remains the same; we travel with Jesus and do everything possible to have a clean and vital relationship with Him. Holy living attracts a Holy Savior! In short, being saved is one thing but living in true fellowship with Christ is another.

3. That we must have true faith.
Jesus asked them, “Where is your faith?” Good question! We have so much crazy teaching about faith in the church today that this question requires a fresh answer. Obviously, though Jesus was sleeping, His presence was their security. Because He was with them they should have kept their eyes on Him and not on the storm. As you go on your way, on your God given journey, you will encounter challenges that will appear to overwhelm you. Part of true faith is to be confident about the fact that Jesus is indeed with you. To use the words of Paul, “If God be with us who can be against us?”

The second aspect to true faith is to know who Jesus is. If we do not know who He is we will panic like the Disciples and believe that all is lost. Many Christians do this because they have no faith only because they have no certain idea about the greatness of Jesus. He is the One that has power over creation and therefore He is all powerful and is well able to handle your challenge. Faith is rooted in knowing that Jesus is God and we can only feed our minds and hearts on this truth if we “wash” ourselves in the word of God. The Bible states that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of a God.” We buckle and panic under pressure because we have not had our hearts and souls anchored in truth. Truth is the soil out of which the flower of faith grows. If we do not have a high view of Jesus we will end up like the Disciples shouting, “Master, Master, we are perishing” and asking, “Who is this?”

So then, in the final analysis there is no mystery to exercising true faith; it amounts to trust in a Person and your estimation of that Person will determine how you will cross your Sea of Galilee. May your journey, though filled with storms, be victorious!

Malcolm Hedding.

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the heaven,
and the powers of the heaven will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of
Man will appear in heaven, and the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they
will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet,
and they will gather together His elect from the four winds from one end
of heaven to the other.”
Matthew 24:29-31

A casual reading of Matthew 24/25 reveals some very interesting information about the Second Coming of Jesus. Jesus, responding to a question from His disciples about the destruction of the Temple and the signs of His coming, impresses upon His hearers to be ready. (Matthew 24:44) This readiness is not based on imminence in the sense that He could come at anytime but actually on signs that herald His soon coming. When these signs begin to manifest the believer must recognize that he or she is in the season of His return. I believe that this season is now upon us and that this is verified by a number of unique “sign fulfillments.” Even so my experience is that believers get distracted and “drift”, as the writer of the book of Hebrews puts it (Hebrews 2:1), and thereby corrupt their readiness. Our carnal natures are like counter weights constantly seeking to draw us away from Christ. Every believe has this challenge and must meet it with determination and faith. (Galatians 5:16-17)

So then, in reading these “second coming passages” we learn the following:

1.    That Jesus nowhere speaks about a secret rapture.

He does of course speak about a rapture but not one that is “triggered” by a silent and secret coming. Jesus’ coming is dramatic, glorious, and full of light and majesty. The whole world will see Him coming on the clouds of heaven with great glory and power. (Matthew 24:29-31)  He then commissions His mighty angels, with a trumpet blast, to gather His elect from the four corners of the earth. If there is a secret rapture seven years before, He does not so much as even hint at it even though He is speaking to His disciples who are the very founders of the Church. So then, if such a secret rapture did exist Jesus fails to inform His followers of it and, in reality, does not answer their initial question about the signs of His coming.

2.    That Jesus calls upon us to be ready
As we have noted this readiness is not linked to anytime imminence but to definite signs which include war, rumors of war, huge earthquakes, famines, diseases, persecution and apostasy. This apostasy or falling away will no doubt be provoked by persecution. The western church is weak spiritually because it says, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing.” (Revelation 3:17) Jesus says, “You are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”  The great signs heralding Jesus’ soon coming are the restoration of Israel, the world-wide proclamation of the Gospel and the rise of Antichrist. Jesus speaking to His church says, “When you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand…………..” (Matthew 24:15) The warning in this regard, in terms of Antichrist, is clearly related to the events of A.D 70 but the passage itself goes beyond this to the end of the age in that in the same passage and context Jesus says, “…..there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21) and then He says, “For as the lightning comes from the east to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24:27) Paul also linked the abomination of desolation or coming of Antichrist to the visible second coming of Jesus. (2Thessalonians 2:1-5) Christians clearly know the season of Jesus’ return but they do not know the day or hour. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2)(Matthew 24:36) Knowing the season, because we discern the “signs of the times” (Matthew 16:1-3), requires that we live spiritual lives that are alert and waiting for our Lord; even more so because “for the elect sake those days will be shortened.” (Matthew 24:22) Once again, my experience is that knowing these things does not necessarily induce a spiritual awakening in God’s people! Jesus knew this as well and that’s why He linked the parable of the wise and foolish virgins to His great Olivet Discourse. (Matthew 25:1-13) We have been warned!

3.    That Jesus wants us to be feeding His sheep
In this remarkable passage about His second coming He says, “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?” (Matthew 24:45) We should watch and pray but we should also throw ourselves into the work of God by caring for those who belong to His household. Being ready for His coming does not mean that we become inactive and neglect the well being of God’s household; the local church. This type of interest in the second coming of Jesus is distorted and evil (Jesus’ own words) Matthew 24:48) Indeed those who dedicate themselves to feeding His household are called blessed and will receive a great reward when He comes. (Matthew 24:47) We should think on these things!

Malcolm Hedding

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual
hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:12

Every part of our world, seen and unseen is engulfed in conflict. Much of this conflict is indeed unseen but nevertheless very real as it rages in the heavenly sphere.  Paul writes that our warfare is not against flesh and blood but against unseen and mighty spiritual beings. This is not to say that the “flesh and blood” part of it are mere victims and not responsible for their actions. No, it means that the powers they co-operate with are unseen and evil. They are and remain entirely responsible for this and will in the end be judged with these unseen powers if they do not repent! (Matthew 25:41) The truth is; you cannot change the facts on the ground until you change the facts in the spiritual world and this can only be done by much prayer, intercession and waiting on God. Daniel is the great example of this.

The conflict we engage in is:

1.    That which has to do with truth
This is the great issue facing the church today and according to scripture will be the issue that will entice God Himself to send a “great delusion” upon those who do not love it. (2Thessalonians 2:9-12) We should all tremble at this notion and this is precisely why we should “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12) Doctrinal purity is important and the modern habit of desiring a feeling based Christianity rather than a word based one is dangerous and delusional. The final cul-de-sac to which this leads one is the idea, as was recently heard expressed by a major Christian leader, that even worship is not about God but us!!! Fuzzy feel-good-Christianity is weak, useless to God and self centered. (Philippians 3:17-18) Jesus said that only truth will set you free! (John 8:31-32)

2.    That which has to do with our carnal natures
Paul reminds us in his letters to the Romans and the churches of Galatia that a very real battle rages within us. (Galatians 5:16-17) Our carnal natures, so hardened by sin, resist the Spirit of God that has come to live in us when we accepted Jesus into our lives. This is a very real battle, in fact so intense that the good we know to do we cannot execute and the evil we know to be wrong we do. (Romans 7:15-21) Every Christian has this struggle and he or she must overcome since sin is “crouching at the door” to bring them down in defeat. The good news is that we have received everything we need “for life and godliness in Christ” (2Peter 1:3) and thus we must learn to surrender to the Spirit of God by “washing” our lives with the Word of God, prayer, fellowship and an attitude of obedience. (Acts 2:42; Romans 6:12, 16) We must do the will of God to be saved (Matthew 7:21) and we must be led by the Spirit to prove that we are the children of God. (Romans 8:14) Jesus said, “He that endures to the end will be saved” and only those who overcome will inherit eternal life. (Romans 6:22) This conflict you must win!

3.    That which has to do with Israel
The importance of Israel lies in the fact that she is God’s birthing people. (Romans 3:1-2; 9:1-5 Revelation 12:1-2) In other words the means by which God brings His redemptive purpose into the world. Salvation is of the Jews. (John 4:22) Central to this conflict is the question as to whether Israel’s modern day restoration enjoys any biblical credentials or is it just an accident of history. In violation of the clear teaching scripture, much of the modern day church does believe that Israel’s restoration is just a coincidence with no biblical importance. We beg to differ but this is a huge battle that is raging within every church grouping and denomination. At the bottom of this debate is a theology called Replacement Theology. Its fruit is bad, its theological theory violates the context of scripture and it ultimately accuses God of lying by reversing His clear and solemn undertakings sealed in the Abrahamic Covenant! Those who embrace it, and many great and well known preachers do, end up discrediting Israel, delegitimizing Israel and playing into the hands of those who seek to dismantle Israel. Having nothing to do with it!

4.    That which has to do with political Islam
The world is at war with political Islam that seeks to establish a global Caliphate by sweeping away the democracies of the West and by destroying Israel. This will be an intense and bruising conflict wherein multiple thousands will die; millions already have. This, to put it mildly, is a raging storm, and much of the Church and the free nations of the West are oblivious to it or; are hoping that it will just somehow go away. It will not! Israel is facing a huge conflict because, once again, unseen powers of wickedness are seeking to frustrate God’s plan to bring Jesus back to the Mount of Olives. (Psalm 2:1-9) This plan requires Israel’s restoration, survival and spiritual recovery to be implemented and thus, from a demonic perspective, Israel must be exterminated and the instrument these powers have chosen to use is the brutality of political Islam.  A brutality we now see in the so called Islamic State. The Bible has warned of this, a long time ago, but now it is upon us! (Psalm 83; Ezekiel 39:1-7)

This is a huge and intense battle and the Bible clearly teaches that in the end all nations, by demonic seduction, will come against Israel.  (Revelation 16:12-16)To stand with her will thus be costly and it will mean that we will all have to change our names to Antipas; meaning “Against Everything.”(Revelation 2:13) May Jesus help us to be faithful!

Malcolm Hedding

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

“Now in the morning, having risen a long while
before daylight, He went out and departed to a
solitary place; and there He prayed.”
Mark 1:35

There is no doubt that Christians need to return to a contemplative life of simplicity and devotion to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:3) The call of the Spirit of God is always one to quiet meditation and worship, free from the distractions of this world. Scripture mirrors this in what I call the “desert experience.” Most of God’s servants withdrew to a lonely place and there in the quiet solitude free from the noises of the world they communed with God and heard His voice. Jesus followed this example!

We need to cultivate this in our lives and our desert can be anywhere where we find solitude, quiet and freedom from the demands of our daily responsibilities. We cannot and must not neglect this part of walking with Jesus. Even our churches, with their numerous activities and dynamic worship music, can prevent us from really hearing the voice of God in our lives. The contemplative place will restore this and lead to surprising and new adventures with Jesus. This place is one of:

1. Reflection
This means really listening to our hearts and conscience. (2 Timothy 1:3) We need to hear the Spirit of God tell us the truth about ourselves. He does this, not to condemn us but to move us forward in the pursuit of holiness, which is Christ’s character. Indeed, if we are really honest with ourselves this truth about ourselves will shout at us in the lonely place.

2. Meditative
We need to quietly read God’s word so that we can really think about it and “chew the cud” as it were. (1 Timothy 4:15)  The Bible must be implanted in our hearts (James 1:21) and for this to happen we must receive a regular diet of it. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

3. Repentance
To embrace the ways of God means to change our minds about the ways in our lives that contradict His. This changing of the mind is what repentance is all about. The lonely place, where there are no distractions, can be very intimidating as generally we hide our evil ways in the business of our lives. To be in a quiet place enables all sorts of issues to bubble up from within us and so Jesus can speak to us. Most people cannot cope with silence but if we embrace it we shall hear the still small voice of God reaching out to us. The only way, invariably, to respond to this voice is to repent. Repentance is a wonderful thing as it lays hold of the cross of Jesus and by it finds cleansing, favour and joy. Only the lonely place will bring these blessings to our lives. Those then who have not been trained by it have forfeited a great blessing.

4. Worship
True worship very often has nothing to do with noise or music. Worship is the response of the heart to the self revelation of God. (Psalm 113:1-3) It is something brought to us by the Holy Spirit and it is therefore really supernatural. God is worshipped because He is holy, majestic and all loving. There is nothing selfish about God and so He is worthy to be praised and adored. We are His creatures and so we worship Him with no thought or desire to get anything in return because He alone is worthy. We need a desert, quiet place or lonely place to find these truths afresh in our hearts. Blessed is the person who walks this road!

In my view the rediscovery of communing with God is an urgent matter. Our Christian lives can become so cluttered with noise and activity which in many respects is “un-commanded work” or things that Jesus never told us to do; no matter how good and commendable. Jesus wants time with you and He wants you to slow down and hear His voice. (John 10:27) What will it take for you to get to this place? He brought this truth home to the Laodicean Church when He reminded them that in fact He was pushed to the side by their business and was therefore on the outside looking in! (Revelation 3:20)

Malcolm Hedding.

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides
in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me
you can do nothing.”
John 15:5

John 15 constitutes a reminder of the fact that our life, well being, fruitfulness and joy as Christians comes from abiding in Christ. Christ is and should be everything to us and we should do all that we can to grow and strengthen our relationship with Him. This is the obligation of every faithful follower of Jesus. Apart from a living relationship with Him we can do nothing; and nothing means nothing! We can do religious things and even those that appear to be Christian but if they do not emanate from Him and by Him these will mean nothing and sadly many so called followers of Jesus are achieving just this; nothing. So, it behooves us to take a closer look at this well known passage of the Gospel of John.

1.    We learn something about God our Father (15:1-2)
Here in this first verse of the chapter we are told that the Father is “vinedresser.” This is a beautiful term and it rightly designates the love that God our Father has for His people. We like branches of a vine are subjected to His “dressing”; meaning that He cares for us and ultimately desires to beautify and improve us. He will thus prune us or cut as back in order that new growth may come forth and with it fruitfulness. This may be strange, difficult and unexpected but we must all be subject to it because it is for our good.

I have great Rose bushes in my garden but in the Spring I have to almost decimate them as I cut them back and prepare them for the summer months. Some casual observer may even think that I have done irreparable damage to the Rose bush by the pruning process but, sure enough, in the summer the tree brings forth new life and flowers that are truly a joy to behold. So it is with us; we must be trained by the pruning process so that we can truly shine for Christ.

2.    We learn something about ourselves (15:3-5)
Our calling is to maintain a living relationship with Jesus. This means essentially having His word built into our lives. Jesus says that we are branches of a vine in which He is the trunk of the tree imparting life, blessing, fruitfulness and joy to our lives. We keep our lives clean and open to His life by living in His word. The word of God expresses all that God in Christ wants us to be and we must have it built into our lives. (James 1:21) His life alone, made real to us by the Holy Spirit as we feast upon His word, transforms us into His image. The truth is, dead leaves fall off a vine because the sap coming from its trunk pushes them off. So we, as we abide in Christ, will find that His life will push the ungodly habits and actions of our lives away from us in a way that we will want it so. Blessed are a people who go through this experience. As a consequence we will bear much fruit and glorify God, who called us by Christ to Himself.

3.    We learn something about the fear of God (15:6)
Christians bearing no fruit are displeasing to God and, if they persist in their lawlessness, will be severed from the vine and cast away. Jesus reminds us in Matthew seven that, “It is not those who say Lord, Lord that will inherit the kingdom of God,” but those who will do the will of His Father. We are secure in Christ and nothing outside of us can sever us from Him but we ourselves have to want to follow Him and serve Him. Only those who endure to the end will be saved and so this “threat’ is real and should engender the fear of God in us; meaning that indeed we work out our salvation “with fear and trembling.” Indeed the modern church is lacking in both!

4.    We learn something about prayer (15:7-8)
This is a remarkable passage because it tells us that if we ask anything of God He will do it for us. So, too often it is quoted out of context and thus leading people to believe that because they are Christ followers they have been given a “blank cheque.” This is not true as the context reveals something quite different in that if we have a living relationship with God we will begin to understand His ways and boundaries and we will thus instinctively know what He permits and what is “off limits.” Our prayer lives must therefore be governed by our knowledge of Him and not by our carnal desires. When we know His boundaries we can begin to operate as He wants us to and consequently we bear much fruit and this glorifies God.

These then are our spiritual obligations and we must meet them all day and every day. Abide in the vine!

Malcolm Hedding

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries