I have watched amazed as others bungy jump from bridges and towers, but I have never jumped off myself. I could tell you that it was the wisdom of years or just the fact that I don't need that sort of excitement or accomplishment, but fear is the honest reason. But I don't feel bad at being afraid - just rather happy at being alive.

Noah was warned by God of things coming on the earth that had never been seen or experienced before. Noah was moved with fear to build an ark that saved his family and was declared righteous because of his faith. Obviously then faith is not the absence of this type of fear. Nor does this type of fear preclude faith. Faith is doing what God says to do even though we may be afraid. Here both fear and faith, served God’s purpose. 

But what is this fear that Noah had?  This was not a faithless terror but a natural fear no doubt taught by his mother and experience.  I mean who wants to drown?  Unlike Phobos which is the usual word used for the fear that believers shouldn't accept, Eulabeomai, means having caution or reverence toward a circumstance or person. Noah was moved with caution and reverence toward who God is and what God had said was coming, so he obeyed. The only other place this word is used is in Acts 23 when the commander feared that Paul would be pulled apart by the mob. So, the commander became concerned and cautious about the developing situation and acted in order to keep Paul physically safe.  Some of Noah’s caution, was no doubt a fear of him and his family drowning and that is normal and also God given. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, based on revelation. The fear of fire or drowning is natural wisdom based on physics and demonic wisdom it's based on lack of divine revelation and selfish ambition.

It has been said that courage is feeling the fear and doing it anyway.  That is true if we are talking about fear (phobia) of witnessing or praying for someone in the gym or trying to build a destroyer size boat with an adze. Feeling the fear and doing it anyway would be foolish if you're talking about the natural fear (eulabeomia) of leaping from a cruise ship into the sea or trying out an experimental bird suit from a great height.

Friends, God wants us to be moved with a godly fear. To have caution and give weight to the days that are coming upon us, and keep building an ark for the saving of our household. Wisdom begins when we fear the Lord. That wisdom and fear of God then informs and moderates our natural fears and enables us to not be moved by the fear of man or the intimidation of the enemy. Fear God, love the brotherhood and don’t jump.

Many years ago, two prostitutes came with a dispute before king Solomon. Both women lived in the same house and gave birth to a baby about the same time. One woman’s child died so she stole the other women’s baby in the night. When the true mother woke her baby was gone and a dead baby had been placed in her arms. She knew she had stolen from and lied to, so they both came to Israel’s wisest king to settle the dispute. After each woman had presented her case to the King of why the child was hers, the king said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other!” The real mother spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were aroused. She said, “My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don’t kill him!” But the other woman said, “Neither one of us will have him! Let them cut him in two!” The king responded, “Give the first woman the living child; don’t kill him. She is the mother.” (1 Kings 3: 25-27)

Today there is a dispute over the ownership and the safety of the children of the world. Vaccines for our children, are being offered by some and opposed by others. Both sides say they are right and both sides say they want to keep young people safe. Both sides of the arguments are linked below.

As the UN and the CDC progressively lowers the age at which children are to be given the synthetic shot, (from 30 years old, then 16 years, then 5 years old, to now experimenting on new-borns), they tell us it is safe for all. However, on the other side there is a growing number the world’s top medical scientists who are not engaged by the UN or national governments and are warning of the consequences of taking the shot, for any person, but particularly young people. They cite a growing number of vaccinated 30-year-olds who have resulting heart inflammation, which can cause irreversible damage. They state that because the shot is experimental and long-term studies have not been completed, it should never be given to people younger than 30, due to the unknown long-term side effects on their neurology, fertility and their future children. Early in the rollout, WHO scientists assured the world that the spike will never get into the blood, but they were plainly wrong. It now seems that rather than staying at the injection site, the spike proteins travel to every part of the body including reproductive organs. The serious ramification of this is explained in one of the links below.

So, in this battle of opposing voices, for the young people and the children of the world, who do we believe and do children even need the shot? Statistics show that people below 30 years old and certainly children, are not at risk from the virus. They don't need a shot to be safe and they don’t need to be “vaccinated” for old peoples sakes either, as the shot doesn’t fully stop transmission.

In New Zealand we are ready give the shot to 12 to15-year-olds and eyeing the 11 year olds. In the tests, how many 12-year-olds have had time to grow up, be married and produce children, to see if there are any long-term effects? None. How amazing that Med safe has apparently become omniscient and omnipotent, guaranteeing the safety of all in their future!

As we decide who to believe, perhaps Solomon’s wisdom is instructive. He found out which woman wanted the child’s long-term welfare in spite of any personal cost, versus the one who sought to gain personally yet showed disregard for the child?

In our current global drama, it appears to me that the people showing the greatest concern for the children and paying the greatest price are the courageous scientists who have nothing to gain by opposing the WHO narrative but who are slandered and renounced by the servant media and fact checkers. The people who show less concern for the children but who will gain personally both financially and through medical control of the world’s population, are the global powers and the makers of the vaccine.

To be honest both sides sound convincing and both have their research qualifications to back it up. Only only time will prove which side is right but I think caution is wisdom while the jury is out on the long-term effects.

As a preacher I thought hard about this post because some may think I'm meddling in politics (like telling people to vote for a capitalist or socialist society) but this is not politics; this is Christianity 101. I think Jesus said, “Love your neighbour as yourself,” and while the unknown risks remains, part of loving a neighbour might be suggesting to neighbours to at least investigate both sides before you hand yourself or your children over to the medical authorities. Our government requires us to give informed consent, so we are responsible to research this thoroughly. (Consent presumably means accepting of any subsequent injury.) Because the scientific and chemistry jargon is difficult to understand; because long term tests have not been completed and because most of the opposing views are censored, it is technically impossible for people to be "fully informed" before agreeing to the shot.

Let us all ask for wisdom from above and may the Great King keep the welfare of the world's children in the hands of Him who cares the most.

1. https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciab465/6279075

2. https://voicesforfreedom.co.nz/new-study-shows-potential-for-serious-harm/

3. https://omny.fm/shows/on-point-with-alex-pierson/new-peer-reviewed-study-on-covid-19-vaccines-sugge?fbclid=IwAR2RMoNKhyluGuTgNwvDh2vLUDMYtoh0HCzD1iHkfAojZ_yrjA8_HylGudQ#description

4. https://www.bitchute.com/video/PaJqTVve8hso/

5. https://thebl.com/opinion/autopsy-of-vaccinated-patient-shows-spike-protein-in-his-organs-as-possible-cause-of-death.html

6. https://thebl.com/us-news/heart-inflammation-in-adolescents-following-covid-19-vaccines-cdc-calls-emergency-meeting.html

7. https://www.bitchute.com/video/ilWq4miJA5U/

8. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.121.318902

9. https://www.teaomaori.news/whole-truth-prescription-drugs-flu-jabs-and-covid-19-vaccine

10. https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/COVID-19/safety-report-11.asp

11. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2021/05/coronavirus-covid-19-uses-spikes-to-damage-blood-vessels-study-finds-sparking-new-vaccine-conspiracy-theories.html

The tribes of Israel had been immature in the wilderness. God did it all for them but in the Promised Land they had to grow up. (Joshua 5:10 -12).No more manna; they had to plant their own gardens, till their land and draw their own water. They had to take responsibility. We are responsible for the condition of our life and heart. If our soul is negative, we are responsible. If we are bound up in poverty thinking we are responsible. We cannot blame our father, our wife or husband or the government. You and I are responsible and accountable for our own condition and debts. Mature people who souls are prospering, take responsibility for their lives. Till they do they will be stuck for ever. While their life is someone else fault, they are stuck thinking they can never change till that other person changes.

 God wants us to grow up. Children may need someone to care for them, but mature people can not only look after the selves but others as well.  Derek Prince said, “Maturity is measured by how much of others weaknesses’ you can bear.”  If you can’t read your own bible, pray you own prayers, spend time with God and encourage yourself in the Lord when you are down, you’re still living in the wilderness.

Friend, we are not made for wilderness living. Some believers make a career out of being wilderness believers, spending their whole life on crutches instead of getting healthy. But healthy people take responsibility for themselves and even for others.

It had been a good year. “Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass” (Joshua 21:45). Israel had inherited the land, but it had required warfare and conflict. God was faithful to His promise, but He asked for their involvement. . They had to do some fighting too. They had to face many battles but that is what enabled their success.

In life we face troubles, trials, temptations difficulties and may be even some afflictions, but it's still a great life. A year overseen by the Father. We only get the trials that we need. We only get the temptations that God knows we can handle. And we only get responsibilities God knows we can be faithful in.  Our times are never filtered from trouble, but they are filtered by the Father. It is not a good year when everything goes well and there's no challenges or difficulties to face. To grow in faith there has to be a challenge. To grow at love there has to be people difficult to love. To grow in generosity, there has to be needs presented that we can respond to. We become faithful when remain diligent in our responsibilities without supervision nor encouragement. What makes for a good year is when we face challenges and overcome them; when we fall but rise up again and when we have grown closer to our spouse or friend, because of a trial we faced together.  It has been a good year when we lived for a great cause, when our hearts were stretched, and we cried out to know God more. When we had to give something up in sacrifice. A great year is about knowing Him and growing up. It’s about leaving the place you were. It’s about being a wayfarer; it's about passing through the wilderness and arriving at our promised land in Christ.

Friend, I trust this has been a great year and journey for you. Stay on your pilgrimage to ward Him, find the blessing in your valleys; You will enter more of your inheritance and He will crown your year with His goodness, and His mercy.

The people of Israel had been at the base of My Sinai for almost a year. They were gathering material for the tabernacle for the moment they could begin to offer worship to God. The first instance of worship in the Bible was an animal slaughtered and sacrificed upon an altar. (Genesis 4.4). There was no music, no choir and no shouts of praise, just shaky blood-stained hands, and a carcass dead on an altar.  The worshipper was saying to God, “I offer this as a substitute for myself.”

The Hebrew word for sacrifice is “Holo” (from where we get the word Holocaust) and literally means slaughter; something that has been killed and offered to God.  A sacrifice couldn’t be used for anything but had to be consumed in the crackling fire.  Moses’ tabernacle contained some horrible sights; blood, knives, searing meat, smoke and cattle standing around to be killed, but later on King David changed all that.  David about 400 years later realised God would rather have the whole heart of a living man offered to Him (a living sacrifice) than the lifeless carcass of a bull or a goat. (Psalms 51:15-16).  As we worship, we place ourselves “upon the altar” as a willing offering to God; it is the sacrificing of our lives to the one who is worthy (Romans 12.1).  It is not necessarily musical in anyway.  Unlike praise you can’t see or hear worship. Worship is an attitude toward God, in the heart and spirit of a person.

We can come to church, sing, and shout praise to God but if there is no complete surrender, we haven’t worshipped. Only God can see worship and it is our worship that ratifies our praise.

The giants and the desert brought out what was lurking in their hearts. The people found fault with Moses and God himself.  It is amazing that there are people who think they can teach God something. (Numbers 14:4-9). They complained about their present circumstances and they complained about their future challenges.  The two men who didn’t complain should have gone in but were hindered by the rest for another forty years. (sobering) The point is that your attitude will keep you in the same circumstance you are complaining about, and until our attitude glorifies God, we may not be delivered.

It is not suffering that glorifies God, (anyone can suffer) but suffering with a right attitude does glorify God.  We do not look for suffering as it will come any way. Jesus suffered gloriously without complaint and with trust. God is looking for us to demonstrate our trust in Him. Our ability to trust is shown by our stability in character.  Some people are positive one day, but the next, they are negative, critical, cynical, and flaky.

Know that God is in charge and He has not changed His good plans and purpose for your life since last week or last year.  Let’s match His faithfulness with some of our own.

It was a surprise to all. Nobody knew she had the jar with her. If anyone had noticed they would never have guessed what she was going to do.   Most never even noticed the girl until she broke the alabaster box.  But then everybody knew.  The whole house was filled with the fragrance, and everybody knew what had been inside the box, it could not be hidden. That is the power of the broken vessel! And we have all seen it happen.

Some people share and they are polished, clear and contained. We are impressed by their gift but we know little of their life. But others admit to being nervous, they tell a story of pain and share their struggles.  Somehow, their honesty opens everyone’s hearts. We won’t remember their giftedness but we’ll never forget the feeling of awe as the grace and fragrance of Jesus filled the room.  Actually, it happens every time someone steps out and take a risk for Christ.  Maybe an initial attempt at prophesying or a song. Perhaps it was going over to pray for a new neighbour, or stopping to help someone in trouble when you’re busy. It's breaking your vessel and releasing the fragrance.  And they notice!

Paul said it like this “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.    W e are ..  always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.   2Co 4:7 -10.   Paraphrased:  " The powerful life of Jesus within me will affect and bless lives if I choose to let my vessel be broken."

Friend, we can stay self-contained. You don't have to risk being broken and no one will ever know what or "who" is inside.  But it is only when our vessel is broken, that the fragrance of Christ is fully released.  Breaking the vessel simply means that by taking a risk, we no longer hinder or impair the expression of the Life that is within us. Go ahead and make their day.

In the middle ages, many sons of noblemen were apprenticed to knights. They learned to be knights by wielding weapons and fighting in armour until they were successful in war and were able to guard the house (castle). They became sons of the house through warfare.

Spiritual sons know they are part of an army and they know who their enemy is. Sons understand that, when Jesus defeated the devil, He did it in their name. Jesus never came to earth to prove He was greater than the devil – He’s always been that! He came here to defeat him as a human being on our behalf.  The devil was a strong man who could only keep his goods until a stronger one came upon him. That stronger one is Jesus and His Church!  The enemy is still our foe but now in the presence of the enemy, Jesus provides victory.

King David said “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil;” (Psalm 23:5) There are some things God only puts on the table for us in the presence of our enemies. In other words, most of the times we receive something fresh from God are in the midst of a battle.  In an environment where we need nothing, we receive little. The Christian life is a life of being in need. We should get used to it! We need Jesus every day to live as a Christian. We can’t heal the sick or forgive constantly without Jesus; we can’t cast out devils or defeat our enemies each day, except through Him.

Jesus said to one of the churches in Revelation, “…you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. (Revelation 3:17) They had everything they wanted but nothing they truly needed. If we know our true need, God will be our garment, our life, and the anointing we need to see clearly. Sometimes our greatest challenge is to know what we truly need. Like this ancient church group, sometimes we need an enemy to fight!

Friend, to increase in authority there has to be an increase in the challenges we face. God works on the basis that His provision for us is not just sufficient but is more than sufficient for our need and the things we face. If our enemies are a two on the scale, then His grace can be a four. If our troubles are a five, then the strength and more than sufficient anointing that He gives us, will be a seven plus.

As the Pharisees waited for Jesus' answer of judgment on the adulterous women, Jesus stooped over and wrote with his finger on the ground.“This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground”( John 8:6-8). He did so to separate the sinner from those that would condemn her and to deliver the sinner into freedom. He stilled the voice of her accuser and provided mercy that had the power to change her.The Pharisees brought the women to the right person but for the wrong reason. They brought her to Jesus for judgement for sin, instead of help for her sins. There is nothing wrong with the law in its ability to condemn us but it can’t help us live up to its standard. The law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. The purpose of the law was not meant to bring death to people but death to sin. The purpose of the law is life and righteousness. In His life, Jesus fulfilled the law not destroyed it and through His love, forgiveness and empowering grace, Jesus can fulfill the law in us.The only one without sin, cast no stones but instead said: “Go and sin no more.” Grace doesn't free us to continue sinning but it tells us what type of life, is now possible. Grace releases empowering gratitude and life-changing self-worth and value.

Friend, the best thing that happened to the woman and to us, was that we are caught by the law and brought to Jesus and His powerful grace.