Thoughts & News

“Pray at all times in the Spirit.”
Ephesians 6:18. Read Ephesians 6:10-19

Those words in Ephesians 6:18 can immediately make us ask, How do I do that?

But Scripture begins somewhere else in 6:10

“Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”

Before we are told how to stand, we are told where the strength to stand comes from.

His strength. His might.

The battle is beyond what we see, and the strength required is beyond what we possess.

So prayer cannot simply be my assessment of circumstances brought before God: Change this. Remove that. Give me this outcome.

What if I cannot see the whole battle?

What if I do not even know what should be prayed?

Romans 8 tells us plainly: “we do not know what to pray for as we should.”

But the Spirit helps our weakness.

Perhaps that begins to open Ephesians 6:18:

Praying in the Spirit is not trying to persuade God to accomplish what is on my mind, but depending upon the Spirit to bring my praying increasingly into agreement with what is on God’s mind.

This is not passivity.

Ephesians says: stand, take up, pray, watch, persevere.

It is dependent participation.

Remain

Jesus said:

“Remain in Me… for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Then:

“If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask…” John 15:7

Notice the movement.

Remain.
His words remain.
Ask.

Prayer arises within fellowship.

We remain because we cannot see, understand, pray or stand independently of Him.

The branch does not manufacture life.

The Vine supplies.

And Psalm 37 takes us deeper:

“Delight yourself in the LORD.”

Before the desires comes delight.

Fellowship does not merely change what we ask.

Fellowship transforms the heart from which the asking comes.

As we remain, we know Him.

As we know Him, we delight in Him.

As we delight in Him, our desires increasingly come under His Word and His will.

As desire is shaped in fellowship, asking is shaped too.

This is not a formula.

It is relationship.

Not Performance, but Dependence

“Pray at all times” can sound like an impossible demand for continuous religious activity.

But perhaps we have missed its heart.

“Pray at all times in the Spirit” is not a summons to continuous religious performance. It is a summons to continuous dependence upon God, expressed through prayer in fellowship with Him.

Prayer is not merely something we do in His presence.

Prayer flows from living in His presence.

Through the Son.

In the Spirit.

To the Father.

And that fellowship does not turn inward and stop with us.

Ephesians continues:

“with all perseverance and every request for all the saints.”

Prayer in the Spirit is not merely an inward spiritual experience.

The Spirit turns us toward the concerns of God, and God’s concern includes His people.

We are not standing alone.

Our brothers and sisters need His strength too.

So dependence becomes fellowship, fellowship bears love, and love expresses itself in intercession.

The Pursuit

There is another danger.

We could understand all this correctly and turn it into a new technique:

Here are five things to do so that you can pray in the Spirit.

But that would contradict the journey.

Even transformation must not become the pursuit.

Second Corinthians 3:18 tells us that as we behold the glory of the Lord, we are transformed into His image by the Spirit.

We behold.

He transforms.

Transformation is consequence.

Christ is central.

The branch does not stare at its fruit.

It remains in the Vine.

Christ is the pursuit.

Everything else is fruit.

The Treasure

Jesus said:

“where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

And perhaps here we reach the heart of it all.

God Himself is the Treasure.

Not merely answered prayer.

Not spiritual strength.

Not discernment.

Not even transformation.

Him.

If He is our Treasure, our hearts are drawn toward Him.

We commune with Him.

Delight in Him.

Depend upon Him.

Pray in fellowship with Him.

Then Psalm 139 opens a beautiful window in verse 18:

“When I awake, I am still with You.”

I sleep.

I awake.

And I am still with You.

Not awakening first to religious duty.

Not awakening to technique.

Awakening in the consciousness of fellowship with God.

The heart awakens to its Treasure.

Face to Face

But we do not yet see Him face to face.

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.” 
1 Corinthians 13:12-13

Now we live by faith.

Now we hope.

Now we love the One we cannot yet see face to face.

Faith trusts Him.

Hope looks toward Him.

Love delights in Him.

And one day:

The Treasure we have loved by faith and hoped for is before us, face to face.

Faith has done its work.

Hope has reached fulfilment.

Love remains.

All through Ephesians 6 we were told to stand.

Stand in His strength.

Stand in His armour.

Stand in the evil day.

But standing is not the destination.

In this age, in His strength, we stand.

An age is coming when the struggle is over and the Treasure is before us.

Then the posture changes.

In this age, in His strength, we stand.
In the age to come, in His presence, we fall.

Not in defeat.

In worship.

“Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” 
Revelation 7:12, NASB 2020

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The heart of the matter is where our heart is. Is it resting in Christ?

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved…” 
Colossians 3:12 • Read Colossians 3:12–17

Before we lead we belong

Leadership can fill our minds with what we have achieved, what remains unfinished and what others expect. In the middle of it all, we can lose sight of the One we follow.

Paul begins in 3:12… chosen of God, holy and beloved.

Before responsibility comes belonging. Before we are leaders, we are His.

Our role is entrusted to us. Our identity is received from God in Christ. This is not a call to try harder to become better leaders. It is an invitation to keep following our Leader together.

What are we becoming. Our doing must flow from being and becoming in Christ.

His concern is not merely what we have accomplished or are accomplishing, but what we are becoming as we follow Him.

Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness and love are not techniques. They are Christlike character.

Paul speaks of one another and one body. This character becomes visible in our shared life: how we listen, bear with weakness and forgive. What is our leadership revealing about where our hearts rest?

Christ remains the Leader

His peace rules | His Word dwells | His name governs

We have responsibility, but He has authority. We may lead His people, but they remain His people.

We never grow beyond needing His Word or depending on His care. Before we lead, we follow. As we lead, we follow. While we lead others, we keep following Him.

Look again at His heart

Yet the searching question about our hearts should lead us to Jesus, rather than leave us absorbed in ourselves.

If you are tired, frustrated or carrying a burden others cannot see, pause. Listen to the Leader Himself:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

A good leader follows the Leader.

Hear the tenderness of His invitation. He calls us to Himself, to take His yoke and learn from Him.

He is “gentle and humble in heart” Matthew 11:29.

Christ is the focus. Everything else is consequence.

Look at Him before measuring yourself again. Bring Him the unfinished work, the difficult conversation and the fear of letting people down. Let His Word speak into the place where your heart has become anxious or self-reliant.

In His presence, ask:

Lord Jesus, is my heart yielded to You?

Lord Jesus, draw my heart back to You.

Where service has become function without fellowship, restore my delight in You. Where I have carried what belongs to You, teach me to trust Your care.

Let Your peace rule, Your Word dwell and Your love shape our life together. As I lead others, keep me following You.

You lead. We follow.

Amen.

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When the news seems to end hope, Jesus still has a word to speak.

“Do not be afraid, only believe.” 
Mark 5:36 • Read Mark 5:21–43

The father who needs Jesus

Jairus falls at Jesus’ feet. His little daughter is dying. His position as a synagogue official cannot save her. He pleads for Jesus to come, lay His hands on her, and restore her to health and life.

Luke adds that she is his only daughter. Jesus goes with him. A large crowd follows, pressing close as they make their way towards the house.

Then another sufferer approaches. A woman has endured bleeding for twelve years, as long as the girl has lived.

Treatment has exhausted her resources and left her worse. She has heard about Jesus. She believes that even touching His clothing will be enough.

The daughter who receives peace

Her body is healed, but Jesus has more to say to her.

She touches His garment, and immediately the bleeding stops. Jesus turns to find the person who touched Him. She comes fearing and trembling and tells Him the whole truth.

He calls her Daughter, affirms her faith, and sends her in peace. She receives personal assurance from the One whose power has restored her.

While Jesus is going to one man’s daughter, He gives this suffering woman His full attention. His authority carries tender care.

The news that seems to end hope

While Jesus is still speaking, messengers arrive. Jairus’ daughter has died. Why trouble the Teacher any further?

Their words assume that death has placed her beyond His help. Jesus immediately tells Jairus not to fear, but to believe.

Jairus now faces two voices: the report that closes hope and the Lord who calls him to trust. Jesus’ word comes before the outcome.

The Lord who speaks life

At the house, Jesus takes the girl’s hand and commands her to rise. Immediately she gets up and walks. He then asks that she be given food.

The One who commands the storm and delivers the oppressed also rules over sickness and death. His care reaches even the small and ordinary.

Romans 4:18–21 illuminates this trust. Abraham believed in hope against hope, convinced that God could fulfil His promise despite circumstances that seemed to rule it out.

Hope rests in the One who speaks and can fulfil His word.

These miracles reveal Jesus’ authority. They do not promise immediate healing in every illness.

Look again at Jesus.

His life-giving authority extends over sickness and death.

Our risen Lord promises to raise His people to life (John 6:40). Our final hope rests securely in Him.

What fear are you carrying before Him today?

Trust Jesus, even when circumstances appear to extinguish hope.

Bring Him your helplessness. Hear His word in Scripture. Let His revealed character shape your prayer when you cannot see what comes next.

Then share what this passage reveals, so another person may find encouragement in Him.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, help me trust You.

You are the Lord of life, and Your care is tender.

By Your Spirit, steady my heart when the news is frightening. Help me hear Your word and rest my hope in You. Give me courage to make Your goodness known. Amen.

The voice once heard crying among tombs now proclaims Jesus.

“Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” 
Mark 5:19 • Read Mark 4:35–5:20

The Lord whom darkness cannot resist

After Jesus calms the storm, the disciples ask who He is. Across the sea, Mark continues to reveal the answer. The One whom wind and waves obey also commands the forces of darkness.

A man lives among tombs, crying out night and day and cutting himself with stones. No one can subdue him. He breaks chains, yet remains captive.

The spirits recognise Jesus, but resist His intervention. Their name reveals the extent of the oppression: they are many.

Their multitude cannot overrule Him. They must plead for permission. Luke adds their fear of the abyss; Matthew records their anticipation of judgment.

The mercy that restores

Jesus reveals God’s sovereign authority and restoring mercy.

Before the people sits the man, clothed and in his right mind. Luke places him at Jesus’ feet. His dignity is visible again. The scene of torment has become a scene of peace.

Jesus calls this mercy. His compassion has acted where human strength could not deliver.

The man does not earn this deliverance through a response Mark records beforehand. Mercy comes first. His own response becomes visible after restoration.

The presence we welcome or resist

The people become afraid and ask Jesus to leave. The restored man begs to be with Him. Later hearers are amazed.

These responses are different. Recognition, fear and amazement can accompany an encounter with Jesus without becoming trusting obedience.

But let us look beyond their responses to the Lord before them. His authority and mercy belong together. The One who commands the spirits is the One who restores their captive.

Sent to make His mercy known

The man wants to accompany Jesus. Jesus sends him home to tell his people what the Lord has done and how He has shown mercy.

His desire is good, but Jesus’ word directs its expression. He goes and proclaims throughout the Decapolis what Jesus has done.

Jesus names the Lord’s mercy; the man names Jesus. His proclamation makes known the One who restored him.

The application is already in Jesus’ command.

Although the people ask Jesus to leave, He leaves a witness among them.

Look again at Jesus.

Behold His authority and His merciful heart.

The man’s restored life draws our eyes to Him. His testimony carries that revelation to others.

What will we do with the mercy we have received?

Proclaim what Jesus has done and how He has shown mercy.

Begin with the people around you. Speak truthfully of Him. Sharing this passage may help someone else behold His glory.

Let worship find expression in speech, action and adoration, shaped by His word.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, direct my response. I worship You, the Lord of all authority and the God of all mercy. By Your Spirit, make my heart willing to obey. Help me tell what You have done and how You have shown mercy. May others see Your glory through my testimony. Amen.

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The branch doesn’t stare at the fruit. It remains in the Vine.

It began with a worship song.

The plea was beautiful:

“Draw me closer.”
“Pull me deeper.”

Yet a question arose.

The song was addressed to the Holy Spirit, but I could not remember hearing the name of Jesus.

That did not immediately make the song wrong.

But it made me stop.

Closer to whom?
Deeper into what?

Let the Word Govern

Music can move us deeply.

Words, melody, repetition and atmosphere can awaken powerful emotions. Emotion is not wrong. Scripture itself is filled with joy, sorrow, longing and wonder.

But being moved is not proof that something is true.

Our emotions can respond to truth, but they cannot determine truth.

So we went to the Word.

Jesus said of the Holy Spirit:

“He will glorify Me...”
John 16:14

The direction became clearer.

The Spirit does not compete with Jesus for our gaze.

He glorifies Jesus.

“Draw me closer” now had direction.

But what about deeper?

What Does Scripture Call Deep?

Paul prays that believers would be strengthened through His Spirit in the inner person, so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith.

Then he speaks of comprehending:

“the width and length and height and depth...”
Ephesians 3:18

Depth into what?

The love of Christ.

Biblical depth is not simply greater spiritual intensity.

The Holy Spirit takes us deeper into Christ.

When Experience Becomes the Pursuit

There can be a subtle shift from:

“I want Christ”

to:

“I want the feeling Christian experiences give me.”

Then we begin asking:

Was I moved?
Did I feel God’s presence?
Did I receive something?

Those questions may arise from genuine hunger.

But experience can quietly become what we consume.

And depth becomes confused with intensity.

Emotion may accompany truth. It may beautifully respond to truth.

We may behold Christ and weep.

We may behold Christ and rejoice.

But we may also trust, obey and remain in Him when we feel very little at all.

Christ has not become less true because our emotions are quiet.

Our assurance rests upon what He has spoken.

Even Good Things Are Not the Destination

Transformation.

Obedience.

Surrender.

Holiness.

Fruitfulness.

Spiritual depth.

Even discernment.

All are important.

But none is the destination.

Jesus said:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life...”
 John 14:6

Truth ultimately brings us to a Person.

Jesus.

And suddenly we had arrived again at the Vine.

Don’t Stare at the Fruit

Jesus said:

“Remain in Me, and I in you.”
 John 15:4

And something became wonderfully simple.

The branch doesn’t stare at the fruit.
The branch remains in the Vine.

Transformation is fruit.

Obedience is fruit.

Surrender is fruit.

Love is fruit.

Even our emotions can be fruit.

But none of them is the Vine.

Jesus is.

The Vine produces.

The branch abides.

And the Father receives the glory.

The Pursuit and the Fruit

We began with:

“Draw me closer.
Pull me deeper.”

The Word asked:

Closer to whom?
Deeper into what?

The Holy Spirit directed our gaze to the Son.

And in the Son, we saw the Father.

We followed the question through the Word, and the Word led us back to Jesus.

Christ is the pursuit.
Everything else is the fruit.

The journey didn’t terminate in discernment, doctrine, emotion, worship methodology, transformation, or even fruit.

It terminated in the Vine.

And there we remain.

Soli Deo Gloria

Prayer

Father, thank You for giving us Your Son and Your Spirit.

Holy Spirit, thank You for directing our gaze to Jesus and glorifying Him.

Jesus, thank You for revealing the Father.

Keep our gaze upon Christ. Teach us to remain in Him, trusting Your Word rather than making our experiences the measure of truth. May the fruit come from remaining in the Vine, and may all the glory return to You.

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Mark 4:35–41

Evening had come. Jesus said to His disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side.”

Then came the storm. A fierce gale. Waves breaking over the boat. Water filling it.

And Jesus?

He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.

The disciples woke Him: “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Their fear was real. The storm was real. The danger was real.

But fear was beginning to interpret Jesus. His silence became indifference. His apparent inactivity became lack of care.

Fear can do that: Misinterpret.

It can move from interpreting our circumstances to misinterpreting the character of God.

Yet the silence of God should not be interpreted as the indifference of God.

Visibility is not the measure of God’s activity.

Jesus had not left the boat. He had not stopped caring.

He stood and spoke: “Hush, be still!”

The wind died down. A great storm became a great calm.

Jesus did not pray for someone else to still the sea. He spoke—and creation obeyed.

The Psalms declare that the LORD stills the roaring seas. (Psalms 65:7). Hebrews tells us that the Son “upholds all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). Colossians tells us that “in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17)

Now the disciples were seeing something of that reality before their eyes.

The One sleeping in their boat was the One creation obeyed.

Jesus then asked:

“Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Perhaps our instinct is to hear this simply as: I need more faith.

But Christian faith is not a resource we manufacture, stockpile, and then deploy against fear.

Faith has an object.

Jesus.

The disciples had called Him “Teacher.”

But after the storm became calm, they became more afraid:

“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

The storm was not ultimately the climax of the story.

Jesus was.

And perhaps that is where our gaze must remain.

When we cannot understand the storm, look at Jesus.

When His activity is not visible, look at Jesus.

When fear whispers, “Does He care?” look at Jesus.

When we are tempted to measure the strength of our faith, look again at Jesus.

Hebrews says that we do not yet see all things subjected to Him..

“But we do see Him… namely, Jesus.” Hebrews 2:

Faith is not looking at faith.

Faith is looking at Jesus.

The Creator.

The Sustainer.

The One who upholds all things by the word of His power.

The One whom the wind and sea obey.

So perhaps the question is not first:

How strong is my faith?

But:

Who is my faith in?

Look at Jesus.

Listen to Jesus.

Trust Jesus.

Prayer

O Lord, when the waters are calm and when the storms come,
help me not to sway, doubt, or fear.
Remind me that You are near.
Help me to call upon You,
believing and trusting in You, Jesus.
Amen.

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A searching window into the wonder of being called His own. 

The Jesus, Scripture reveals and the family He calls His own.

People follow, but understanding does not necessarily follow.

“For whoever does the will of God, this is My brother, and sister, and mother.”
Mark 3:35 • Read Mark 3:7–35

Amid the demands

People come from far and wide. Jesus asks for a boat to be ready because of the crush. Later, the crowd leaves no opportunity even for a meal.

Yet amid these demands, Jesus deliberately pursues His purpose. He appoints the Twelve to be with Him and to be sent out.

Being with Him comes before serving Him.

His growing fame does not mean that those around Him understand who He is.

Amid the claims

Many speak about Jesus, but we need to hear Jesus Himself.

The unclean spirits recognise Him, yet remain opposed to Him. His own people think He has lost His senses. The scribes attribute His power to Satan.

Jesus silences the spirits and exposes the false accusation. He teaches what is true, revealing His authority over the enemy.

Our claims must also be tested by Scripture. Calling something “my truth” cannot make it true. Even sincere conviction needs correction by His word.

The question comes home

Paul warns of another Jesus, a different spirit and a different gospel (2 Corinthians 11:3–4). We can retain His name while reshaping His identity.

We may welcome a Jesus who comforts us while resisting His call to repent, forgive or surrender.

Q. Am I yielding to the Jesus Scripture reveals, or shaping a version of Jesus who agrees with me?

The tenderness of kinship

Jesus identifies His family by their response to God’s will. Belonging bears a family likeness, expressed in obedience.

Hebrews 2:10–18 opens the gracious depth of that relationship. He shares our humanity, suffers for us and makes His people holy.

The Jesus who searches our hearts is unashamed to call His people brothers and sisters.

We obey because we belong. His likeness becomes visible as we yield.

Prayer

Father, thank You for revealing Yourself in Jesus. Forgive me for shaping Him around my preferences. By Your Spirit, open my understanding and make my heart willing. Beautiful Jesus, teach me to receive Your truth, trust Your kindness and obey Your word. Thank You for calling me Your own. Let Your family likeness grow in me. Soli Deo Gloria. Amen.

Quote

“They obey because they belong; His likeness becomes visible as they yield.”

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Under His Lordship, in His Likeness, in His service, serving others

Before asking what you do for Christ, remember whose you are.

“Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus…”
Philippians 1:1  Read Philippians 1:1; 2:3–11

Belonging gives identity

Paul begins with whose he is. He belongs to Christ.

The word translated “bond-servants” is douloi, from doulos. It carries the reality of belonging to a master, not simply performing acts of service.

Before usefulness, ministry or recognition, there is this settled reality:

I belong to Christ.

We can become so occupied with what others expect that we measure our lives by their approval. Paul’s opening words bring us back to the One whose we are.

Belonging recognises Lordship

If I belong to Christ, He is Lord. My will, ambitions and direction come beneath His authority.

Is there an area I still treat as my own? A decision I keep beyond His reach? Belonging invites me to yield it to Him.

Belonging shapes likeness

But pause before turning this into another demand upon yourself. Look at the Lord to whom you belong.

“…He emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant…”

Philippians 2:7

His Lord took the form of a bond-servant.

The One who possesses all authority humbled Himself. He took the servant’s place and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.

Paul calls us to have the attitude of Christ Jesus. His humility gives shape to our obedience. We learn what service looks like by looking at Him.

Belonging gives direction

His likeness turns us outward, towards the interests of others. Yet Christ remains Lord of our service.

We do not serve others because they are our lords. We serve others because Jesus is our Lord.

Today, there may be an unnoticed kindness to offer, a preference to surrender or someone to listen to. We serve from belonging, with our eyes on Him.

Look again at Jesus.

See the Lord who took the servant’s place. See His humility, His obedience and His love. Hear His Word, and let His heart shape yours.

Under His Lordship,
in His likeness,
in His service,
serving others.

Lord Jesus, I belong to You. Where am I still holding back? Bring every part of my life under Your Lordship.

Shape me into Your likeness. Free me from serving for recognition. Let my care for others flow from the joy of belonging to You.

Teach me to look at You, follow You and gladly take the servant’s place. You are Lord. Amen.

What a Lord to belong to!

You can be near the things of God while resisting the Lord of them.

“After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart…”
Mark 3:5 • Read Mark 3:1–6

See the Lord of the Sabbath

Before looking at anyone else, look at Jesus. In Mark 2:27–28, He has just declared that the Sabbath was made for man and that He is Lord even of the Sabbath.

Now He enters the synagogue. A man with a withered hand is there. So are people watching for a reason to accuse Him.

Right place. Right Scriptures. Right day. Right commandment. Yet they resist the Lord standing before them.

These gifts are good. The danger is holding them while our hearts refuse the One who gave them.

Looking without beholding

They see an opportunity to accuse.
Jesus sees a man to restore.

He brings the man forward. A person with a real need stands before them, not merely the subject of a religious dispute.

Jesus asks whether the Sabbath is for doing good or harm, saving life or killing. They remain silent.

Their eyes are on Jesus, but their hearts resist Him. We too can study His words while defending ourselves against what He says.

Righteous anger grieves

Jesus is angry at their hardness, and grieved by it. His anger does not spring from wounded pride. He takes no pleasure in their failure.

The suffering man does not move them to mercy. Yet their hardness moves Jesus to grief.

His holiness is not cold. Even His anger reveals the beauty of His heart. Beholding Him should change both what we oppose and how we respond to those who resist Him.

Hardness or yieldedness

Jesus tells the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He responds, and his hand is restored.

The man yields to His word. The watchers hold their position. Jesus restores life; they go out and plot His death.

Their concern for a commandment has become detached from submission to its Lord. The One they resist is the very One who restores.

Outward conformity to God’s command is not necessarily inward submission to God.

But we should not finish by staring at the Pharisees.

Look again at Jesus.

See the Lord of the Sabbath.

See what He sees.
See what moves His heart.
See His desire to restore.
See His righteous anger.
See His grief over hardened hearts.
See His authority.
Hear His word.

And then, standing before Him:

Lord, is my heart yielded to You?

We are here to see Jesus.

To see His glory.
To bring Him glory.
To please Him.
To become a people after His own heart.

And the soul settles when everything returns to its rightful order:

Jesus is Lord.

His Word is heard.
My heart yields.