World Gone Mad? Learn to Be Still …

2020 and 2021 were hard years to get through for everyone. We cetainly had our challenges. I got cancer but survived, thanks to the doctors, nurses and all the people who prayed for me. I survived but our business didn’t. It wasn’t because of my illness, it was ruined by the harmful and UNecessary actions of the NZ government.

We couldn’t afford to live near Auckland and we had to move from our region back to our old hometown. So now I’m back where I lived 17 years ago and I’ve now got a job as a cleaner.

It’s not the most glamorous job but I work at it like I’m working for the Lord, and the people I work with are good people. I go to some beautiful places in the town I have moved to.

This is one of my stops.

Virginia Lake, Wanganui

Our government is busy with Agenda 2030 and our society is being transformed to comply with the UN dictates. What can I do when they are busy destroying the foundations of my country?

I stop. I look at the view. I listen to God breathe. I zoom in and ask God what he wants me to see. I often get a Bible verse. That’s my way of coping. It’s good for my mental health.

Can you see what I saw in the peace and stillness?

There’s a song by the Eagles, ‘Learn to be still.’ I like the song, but am mindful that we need to follow the right God home. We need to be still and remember that God is who He says He is, and He will be exalted among the nations, He will be exalted in the earth. He is the one who will “build back better.”

What happened when Jesus rose from the dead …

Weeping broke the early morning silence.  It was the first day of the week.  While the world woke up, an uncomprehending woman cried her heart out beside a tomb. 

It was a world stricken with death.  It came to them all, sooner or later.  But this was a day unlike any other.  Resurrected feet trod the earth.

“Woman, why are you crying? Who do you seek?” the King asked, approaching her.

Standing at the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene didn’t recognise him.  With the light and the tears blinding her eyes, she cried “They’ve taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they’ve laid him. If you have taken him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

“Mary,” the King said.

“Teacher!” she cried in recognition, turning to him.

The risen Lord had been in the belly of the earth for three days and nights, even preaching to those who’d perished in the flood of Noah.  Now, he had returned from death.  (1 Peter 3:19)

He said, “Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God.” (John 20)

Obeying him, Mary, Joanna and Mary the mother of James went and told the disciples the Lord had risen, but they were not believed.

Ascending to his Kingdom, the King was greeted with songs, shouts, and cries of joy.  Walking across the sapphire pavement, the resurrected Son of God approached the throne of his Father, the keys of Death and Hell in his hands. The gates of Hell had not prevailed against him.

All of Heaven rejoiced.  The eyes of the creatures hailed their creator as the angels formed a rank of honour.  All bowed down as he passed.

A throne awaited him.

But first, before mounting the stairs to take his place at the right hand of the Father, the Son of God presented himself as the first of the harvest.

Looking ahead to the harvest of mankind that awaited, the angels sang for joy. The creatures added their voice, “Hail to the First-fruits of the earth.”

All of Heaven rose to their feet as the Father rose from his throne, accepting the sinless offering of the earth.

The Son of Man would serve as the High Priest of the New Covenant in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.

The sanctuary built by Moses was a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. (Hebrews 8)

The only man-made thing in this place were the scars on the King’s body.

Now all of Heaven would await the arrival of the Church of the Firstborn.

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. Colossians 1:18

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This story is taken from Mark 16 and Luke 24.

Seeking an open minded reader

Recently I attended a party in a beautiful spot near Leigh, a fishing village further up the coast.  While we were all mingling and enjoying the view, I was asked about my book.  “What’s it about?”

Er, um.  “It’s about a journey through two worlds – the outside world, and a hidden, inner world called “The Kingdom.”  The main character, the King, is Jesus.”

I study my listeners face as I try to explain my counter-cultural book.  I’m relieved to see she hasn’t shown any antagonism at His name.  I never know what kind of reaction I’m going to get.

“Are you religious?” she asks.

That’s a tricky question.  To me, religion is a lot of man-made rules and structures in man’s attempt to reach God, which doesn’t interest me. Jesus is different.  He is God’s attempt to reach man.  Jesus said “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”  With Jesus there are only two rules – to love God with all our heart and all our soul and all our strength and with all our mind, and love others as we love ourselves.  I believe and try to live by those rules.

“I am a believer” I answer.

“Where is your book sold?” she asked.

“Right now, as an eBook on Amazon.  It’s a bit hard to market the book because Jesus lacks credibility in the world’s eyes.  And my book doesn’t fit in a niche.”

How can I promote the King in a world full of disinformation and lies?

It’s a shame because I know Him from experience, but it’s MY experience.  How can I convince people He is real?  Or of His worth?  Or talk about all the proof there is for Him?  I can’t offer any of that unless I have permission to.  And a party is not the place.

“I’ll check it out” she said.

I am surprised.  I think people can be more open-minded than I give them credit or.

Nicola was one such reader.  She wrote “I didn’t expect God to play such a huge role in the book or for there to be quite as many bible quotes, I am ashamed to admit if I had read the info sent to me better I wouldn’t have read the book. That being said I am grateful if misread my info as I would have missed out on a truly original book.”

Willing to overcome her bias and consider new ideas; she kept reading and found she liked my main character; “I really liked that God was a real character in this story and I think he would be very happy at the way he was portrayed, we saw things from Joanna’s view and also from God’s.

Lucifer was also portrayed, his voice at least. I liked the way that Lucifer was portrayed, not as his cloven, evil personal as he usually is, in fact I found him quite funny the way he heckles, scoffs and laughs, all the while whispering in Joanna’s ear how God doesn’t love her, how she doesn’t deserve his love. His role is to put doubt in people’s minds, convince them they are not good enough, not liked etc… etc… I found him more believable than the fire and brimstone totally evil role he usually plays, in this I found him more real his turning people from God by deceit.

God on the other hand is constantly assuring Joanna and others of his love for them, that he has always loved them and always will, and his sadness at those who turn their backs on him. I felt he was a very human God who had all of our good points amplified and more, with none of our bad.”

So I am seeking open-minded readers for “The Kingdom, Here Be Dragons, Here Be Dreams.”  Come and read a one of a kind book where God actually replies and converses with the characters. At some points you can even see the story from His perspective. This story is written with a different mind.

Can we understand something of the mind of God?  I hope you will read and decide for yourself.