Years ago there lived a king of fabulous wealth.  When Alexander the Great conquered Persia, he found 1200 tonnes of gold bullion and 270 tonnes of gold coins and that was only a fraction of what the wealth that belonged to King Xerxes.  He had incredible banquets lasting for weeks at which trained peacocks would walk up and down the tables carrying the best of wine which could be drunk from golden cups. One day after his wife had dishonoured him publicly he begins to look for a new wife.  The search began throughout his kingdom and out of 1400 other young girls a woman named Esther was chosen to be the Queen of the whole world. She was a Jewish peasant girl and only the scripture reveals why she was so delightful to the king and how we too can delight our Heavenly King. Esther was lovely and beautiful.  Beautiful means she was stunning to look at but lovely means something quite different. It’s talking about who she was on the inside.   She was lovable; full of gentle kindness and grace. But before she came to see the king she was prepared by the chamberlain to smell like the King.  The King was not used to dating girls off the farm and so for twelve months before she was ready to encounter the King she bathed in perfumed oil and milk. In India in the old days, the bride to be of the maharajahs would clothe themselves with a big tent-like dress. They then would light a smouldering perfumed candle under the dress and stand still until the incense-filled every pore of her body with the fragrance. It was fitting that Esther smell the same as her king and as we approach our King Jesus the fragrance he is used to and delights in, is the fragrance of the Holy anointing oil. When we have visited the Fragonard perfume factory in Grasse, France, we learned that perfume was first used by men to hide the smell that God on them from being tanners of leather. They would rub it on themselves before they went home.  In the Old Testament, the priests were to make a holy anointing oil to cover the smell of man’s flesh.   Exodus 37:29, Leviticus 1.19.

Friends, as His royal priests and lovers today, it is the fragrant oil of the Holy Spirit filling “every pore” of our life that covers the fragrance of man’s flesh and makes us compatible and attractive to Jesus. 

The people had been to the edge of the Promised Land before but they had failed to enter in. Now they were back and Joshua their new leader, was to bring them into something new. They faced new challenges and new strongholds at Jericho.  Every year of our lives must have its challenges. We will meet situations that we have never met before. If we don’t, we aren’t possessing new territory but are just going in circles and repeating what we did yesterday in the wilderness.

Joshua didn’t recognise the Man in front of Him. (Joshua 5:13). He had never seen God appear like this before. God came to Joshua in a way he had never known before because he was going into a situation he had never faced before. God has a revelation for every new situation. The disciples already know He could make bread to feed 5000 people but that didn’t help Peter step out on the water from the boat. This is a new situation; they needed to see Jesus walk on water. Every time the disciples were challenged by a situation they had not been in before, they needed to know God in a new way. We never get to know God as the “Rock higher than I” until you’re in water up to your neck.

Joshua was entering into a new situation and that meant he needed to meet God in a new way. If our future is going to be new, then what we need from God will be new and how you need God to appear to you will be new too. What Joshua knew of God to this point wasn’t enough, for his next fight. The revelation it took to get to the Jordan is not sufficient to get into Jericho!.

Friends, if we don’t see and meet the Man in front of us, we will repeat last year. What we understand of God yesterday is not enough for today. More of Gods inheritance for us, is really just more of God. We need to see the Man in front of us. He’s not behind us or to the side of us, nor is he a long way off, He is in front of us. Lift up your eyes and see Him. Can you see Him this morning? He has instructions for your next battle.

 When people start getting on my nerves, I know it’s time to go back to the throne of grace. When I’m getting uptight and stressed, I know I’m running on my own resources. When we need something that we don’t have, it is time for Grace.  Grace is our Fathers gift to us, to make up the difference between our weaknesses and Christ’s completeness.

Delilah gave Samson the most expensive haircut in history.  His strength was removed from his heart before his hair was removed from his head. Grace is not found in the presence of "Delilah" but in His presence.  The Holy Spirits grace and power does not leave us but His influence stops flowing when we stop drawing from Him.  Paul knew that the only way to overcome abounding sin is abounding grace. “Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Rom 5:20).   And he knew that the only way to overcome abounding troubles was also abounding grace.  “ And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9  

You do not have to be a strong vessel so long as you have a strong treasure inside you.  The Greek word "sufficient" was a word used to describe a person who had unlimited treasure and financial resources.  Imagine having a credit card with no limit which somebody else would pay off. That is how sufficient and abundant His Grace is.  You truly can master the moment because you cannot exhaust Gods resources for you. It will keep flowing from the throne to everyone that comes boldly to receive.  Every day when you face a moment where you don't have enough in yourself, you still have the Master’s card.   Whether we need to overcome sin or overcome in our troubles, it is time for Grace and Grace is a person.

Friend, possessing the Spirit of grace was so important for believers that Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem till they got it.  Don't leave home without Him!

Summer is coming and already some of the family have been to the beach.  But it has to be a hot day or the water has to be warm before I'll go in the water. I'll go in ankle-deep if it’s cold, up to my knees to help the grandchildren swim but to go past my waist and swim is another thing.  The Bible is full of journeys and progressions and in one, Ezekiel is taken on a four-part journey down a river for over 4000 cubits. It seems that swimming in the river is the ultimate goal.  After the first 1000 cubits, he takes Ezekiel through waters up to his ankles.  " And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles' (Eze 47:3)  This pictures the first stage of the walk the Lord invites us on.  First, He touches our ankles and the way we walk is changed.   When the river of the Holy Spirit began to flow at Pentecost, the first miracle was the healing of a man's ankles.  A man who had been born lame and who had never walked in his life was healed.  (Acts 3:1-16) This pictures of all of us crippled by sin and walking in darkness.  But when the Water of life that flowed from Jesus side touched our ankles, it changed the way we walked. We walked out of the darkness into the light.  The water set us on our feet and gave us a message for the rest of the crippled world. It makes every Christian a missionary and everyone else a mission-field.

But then the man took Ezekiel further. " Again the man measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees" (Eze 47:4).   In this journey towards the fourth measure, the water is to next touch our knees. When Jesus came as King to the earth, people wanted His gifts of healing, deliverance and even his fish sandwiches but in the end, most didn't want Him to rule over them. He made them stand but they couldn't kneel.  Today, some people have had their ankles healed but their knees are still stiff.  So He leads us beside the still waters of lordship, which we can choose to enter. "Lord, You decide what I do with my early mornings and my evenings and may your river touch my knees.   Sometimes our church singing is way ahead of our reality. We sing "break my heart for what breaks yours" but is our heart any more broken and has our request for His heart, actually changed the time and way we pray.

Friend, are we following the Man on His journey down the river? Has the water reached our knees? Is our prayer life getting stronger?  Six months ago my wife broke her kneecap and although she is recovering, her knee-joint is still weak from lack of use.  May our knees not be feeble from lack of bending.

Jesus was invited by a Pharisee to eat with him.  Jesus never turned down an invitation to dinner, but he knew it was going to be awkward. During dinner, a “Woman in the city who was a sinner brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil and stood at His feet behind Him weeping, and she began to wash His feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil”(Luke 7:38).  

She was beautiful and so good at her trade she had become wealthy. She didn’t worship men, but some men worshiped her. She knew there would be haters, but she came from her house determined to give her devotion to Jesus. She pushed through the negative atmosphere and poured out her precious ointment upon His feet. She was used to receiving expensive gifts from men but now she was bringing all that she had, to one very special man. A man who did not want to pay for her body for an hour but wanted to redeem her soul forever. 

She stroked Jesus feet with her hair and the Pharisee was disgusted. Jesus broke into his thoughts by asking Simon, “Who would love more: someone forgiven a lot or someone who has been forgiven a little?” Simon gets the answer right but not the point. He had not been a good host toward his guest. The custom of the day demanded that guest’s feet be washed, that they are given a welcome kiss and some oil be provided to refresh their heads. Neither Simon nor the woman treated Jesus as an ordinary person. What Jesus should have received from Simon (normal hospitality) he received from the women (extravagant devotion). She decided that what people thought of her, would not keep her back from worship. She was not there for the others or herself: she was there for Jesus. She did not know a lot: she knew more about bedrooms than the Bible, but it’s not a correct doctrine that touches Jesus but a correct heart.

She models for us, how to have an encounter with Jesus: she took responsibility to be the hostess. She located Him in the room, stands at His feet and shows him constant attention. She welcomed Him and poured on Him the fragrance and kisses of devotion. She honoured him by bringing a premeditated gift from her house. She determined ahead of time, to bring her best.  

Friends, we too can have an encounter with Jesus. He is very sociable; He will come into your heart if you ask Him and into your house if you invite Him. But like the woman, we want an encounter with Jesus not to receive something from Him but so we can give something to Him.  

As Jesus walked slowly through the town, he was interrupted by a desperate man. “A leper came and worshipped him saying if you are willing you can make me clean.  Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed”. Mat 8:3.

What a great outcome. What a great lesson. He came to worship; he came focused and determined. It was premeditated devotion. He didn’t need music, silence or solitude but only an opportunity to cry out “You can make me clean.”

Sometimes we think that worship is not as vocal as praise. Praise is never quiet; praise is always expressive. Worship may make no sound but all worship makes a statement. Every worshipper is saying something. The leper worshipped Jesus saying make me clean - not make the famous, rich or even employed but make me clean and he was met with mercy and a miracle.  He never said please forgive me, or understand me or even please help me, but please cleanse me and it touched the heart of Jesus.  It touched Him because that is repentance and repentance is worship.  We can ask for forgiveness or help and still not intend to give up our sin and be clean. This leper spoke his worship but even silent worship has a voice. The voice that moved the heart and hand of Jesus, said '“wash me clean”. “Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed” (Matthew 8:3).

Friends, if purity is the desire of our hearts, we will encounter Jesus consistently. We don’t have to wait for the worship moment but only come in faith to the feet of Him, whose whole purpose is to cleanse us. If you cry out to be clean, He will touch you immediately.  

Adam and Eve walked slowly around the garden, enjoying the light that seemed to shine from everything in the garden. Fabulous animals followed them without fear.  Despite all that vied for their attention, they wanted to be in that special place when the fascinating Creator appeared to them again. No distraction could dim the great attraction of their God. He was indescribably wise, and His love felt like magnet on their soul. Although they had walked together many times before, they couldn’t wait to see His face again. 

Covid 19, may be demonic, but God will use the enemies plans to work for His glory and His Churches good. The tinsel and bustle of earth has begun to grow a little dimmer and stranger, and the beauty of
Jesus a lot brighter.  Attractions have closed and distractions are now in perspective. Peace that once came from trusting in the things of earth, is being exchanged for peace from the One who is in heaven.  And His face draws closer.

Solomon was quite the romantic and had noticed the doves, high up in the craggy rocks around his home. The courting doves lived their lives in secret. Inspired, Solomon says to his absent bride. “O my dove, in the
clefts of the rock, In the secret places of the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your face is lovely.”( Son 2:14)
Our “Greater than Solomon” also wants to see our face and hear our voice in the secret place and in that place has promised to meet us. We might all pray and give but what is done and prayed in secret, He sees and hears and enjoys the most. (Matthew 5).  

Psalm 91.1 has been quoted many times. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty”. But let’s not just quote verse one but do verse two “I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Let’s each make Him our refuge and secret place. We say: You are my LORD, You are my refuge, You are the one I’m trusting in.

Friends, our God is not just transcendent (bigger than the universes), but He is immanent (with us on earth), So lets make our lockdown garden or room, our secret place. Let’s see His face and meet with Him there.  Not because the virus is coming but because He is coming. Not because corona is spreading, but because His kingdom and the gospel is spreading.Millions will come to Christ. There is no corona curtain.

Our King is not only immanent, but also resident. As He dwells within our spirits, let’s make the secret place of our heart a throne for the King.  Let’s meet our “lockdown Lover” and Father there and let Him see your face and hear your voice each day.  

In the leafy home of Eden, God provided abundant food for Adam and Eve; a table for them in the presence of their enemies.  But Satan convinced them not to restrict themselves to the Lords table, but to eat from things forbidden.   The serpent was only allowed in the garden, to strengthen Adams resolve and faith in God, by testing him.  We have an enemy – it’s a fact we need to get used to.  Our enemies are not given to defeat us but to strengthen us. We are not praying about how can we escape them but how we can overcome them?

Sometimes God is able to do His best work, in our worst times. When we’re in trouble we pray the most. We usually build increasing intimacy with God, in times of difficulty. So having no enemies, may be a “curse” more than a blessing” Even people that oppose us can help us grow.   God wants our confidence in Him to grow and even get to the place where we can see maybe some of our “enemies” as friends.  Judas brought soldiers to take Jesus to the cross and Peter sought to keep Jesus from the cross. Jesus called Judas His friend and He called Peter the devil, because only Judas was helping Jesus get to His destiny.

While Adam and Eve looked elsewhere for food,  David was confident His Shepherd still had food for him in the presence of his enemies!  “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over” ( Psalms 23:5).  The word “prepared” has a military meaning, to set provisions, in readiness for battle.  Faith and intimate fellowship with God had filled his heart with confidence.

You are at war but God has prepared His table long before the enemy of your soul showed up and everything you need to win is on the table. We have to feast before the battle!  God has provided for your delight and sustenance Jesus’s power and grace. It is laid out on the table of fellowship with God.  This is the way God does it. We don’t fight the battle then enjoy the celebration.  God says to savour and enjoy the victory feast that He has prepared and then join the battle.

Friend, don’t enter your daily fight, skinny in the Spirit – go full and strong.  Too many saints turn up to the battle hopeful but famished.  Most of our struggles in life, are not because the enemies are too big, but because our time at the table is too small.