Journalling and the Holy Spirit

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Photo by Carolyn V on Unsplash

Journalling and the Holy Spirit

For years, I have been preaching about hearing the Holy Spirit. It seems very straight forward to me that God gives us the Holy Spirit in order to guide, direct and teach us, but often we fail to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.

People are often afraid to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit out of fear that they will get it wrong. We fear being the person who delivers a false prophecy (which is not the same as being a false prophet) or messing up a word of knowledge. Some fear being led by an evil spirit rather than the Holy Spirit.

In John 10:27 we read “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” The New Testament teaches over and over that we are meant to hear the voice of God, Yet many christians do not.

Many years ago I learned the power of journalling as a means of strategically listening to the “still small voice” of the Holy Spirit. Journalling does three things for us:

  1. It slows down our hyperactive inner voices, so that we can listen to the Voice
  2. It focuses our attention
  3. It separates the act of listening from the act of testing

Journalling slows down our hyperactive inner voices


We live in a crazy age of hyper information. We are always being bombarded with data from our phones, computers, televisions, bill boards etc. The data comes in so fast that our brains cannot process it properly.

I read once that in the seventeenth century the average person would absorb in their whole lives the amount of information in a daily metropolitan newspaper. In the last decade this has accelerated out of control, so that people now have trouble sleeping, high blood pressure and other symptoms of information overload.

The Holy Spirit is wanting to talk to us, but there is so much happening in our brains that we can’t hear Him.


Journalling focuses our attention
By choosing to tune out all the other voices and focusing on the voice of the Holy Spirit we put the Holy Spirit at the front of our thinking. We make a choice to focus on the Holy Spirit in order to write down what we believe the Spirit is saying to us. It is like taking notes in a sermon or class, or even in a TV program- the very act of writing down what we are hearing closes out other thoughts.

Journalling separates the act of testing from the act of listening.
One big fear that many christians have is that they might be listening to the devil or their own thoughts rather than God’s thoughts. So, for fear of being deceived, they avoid listening to God altogether.

We are told to “test the spirits” (1 John 4:1) and test every prophecy, holding onto what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

When we journal we write down what we believe that God is saying, and then we test it. We measure it against Scripture; we see if it makes sense; we test if it is consistent with our knowledge of ourselves or other people. We can even give our writing to a trusted friend, and ask “Does this sound like God to you, or am I just making it up?”

How to Journal

  1. Find a comfortable, quiet space where you know you won’t be interrupted. Have your Bible, your journal and a pen ready. You may need a notebook also.
  2. Quieten your heart. Many of us live in a state of high stress. We are always thinking either about the things we just did, or the things we need to do when we finish up here. Part of releasing the stress is to steady our breathing so that our whole body is released from the fight or flight reaction.

One of my favourite activities is the Jesus Prayer. The prayer is very simple:
Jesus Christ
Son of God
Have mercy on me
A sinner.


As you say each line, breathe in or out
Breathing in: Jesus Christ
Breathing out: Son of God
Breathing in: Have mercy on me
Breathing out: A sinner


Repeat this several times until you are breathing slowly and your body is resting.

  1. Open your journal, start a new page and write the date. Ask God a specific question, for example, How can I represent you in this conflict at work? Now listen and write down the thoughts that come into your mind, that sound like they are not your own thoughts. Don’t over-analyse, just get the thoughts onto paper.

By getting your thoughts onto paper, I don’t mean just words. Sometimes I use mind maps; other people who are more visual sketch, or even paint, their thoughts.

  1. You may find your mind is going back to other topics. If this is the case, write them down in the other notebook. Usually it is our anxieties and worries about things that need to be done that get in the way of hearing the Holy Spirit. If you write these things down it is a promise to yourself that they will not get forgotten. If the thoughts persist, tell yourself you have written them down and you will get to them.
  2. At the end of the process, read what you have written. Now is the time to ask questions like:
    Is this God or me?
    Does this agree with the teaching of the Bible?
    Would Jesus say this?
  3. Spend time asking for wisdom and grace to discern what God would have you do next.

Like anything, this will seem difficult at first. If you persevere and make journalling a part of our spiritual discipline you will grow in your walk with the Lord. You will learn to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, and not just when you are intentionally listening.

Reflection on Exodus 5:1-22

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Scripture

“Is that so?” retorted Pharaoh. “And who is the Lord? Why should I listen to him, and let Israel go? I don;t know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.”

Observation

Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh, asking him to let the people go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord. Pharaoh refuses, saying he does not know who the Lord is.

Far from letting the people go, Pharaoh orders the oppression of the Hebrews to increase. From now on they are to find their own straw to make bricks with.

When the people protest, Pharaoh tells them they are just being lazy. The Hebrew leaders relay the order to the people, and they condemn Moses and Aaron for bringing this extra hardship upon them.

Application

Pharaoh was quite cynical about the God of Israel, the Lord. He claimed that he did not know who the Lord was, and therefore would not let the people go to offer sacrifices.

During the world- wide lock downs and restrictions of the Covid pandemic, it has been interesting to see the attitudes of politicians to various groups in different places. While rulers everywhere claim to be led purely by “science”, the actual rules imposed often seem to be arbitrary. Often churches have been considered expendable.

While not using the words attributed to Pharaoh here, the political class seemed to have the same attitude. “I don’t know the Lord. No, I will not let your people go.”

So pubs, restaurants, casinos and Black Lives Matter protests are considered less dangerous than churches. Perhaps this is true, in a prophetic sense.

As the Bible story unfolds, the Lord does set His people free, but Pharaoh and the Egyptians suffer greatly for opposing the Lord.

Prayer

Lord, I pray for freedom for your people in every nation where christians are persecuted. Lord set your people free. Amen.

The Wallabies: winless, but woke

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From The Good Sauce

The Wallabies: winless, but woke

by James Macpherson | 23 Oct, 2020 | Opinion

HAVING gotten rid of their star black player, the Australian rugby team is set to take a knee at the start of their next game in support of Black Lives Matter.

The Australian Rugby Union chased Israel Folau out of the sport and eventually out of the country for his supposedly outdated minority views.

Now, with Folau out of the way, the woke Wallabies plan to signal their support for minorities.

Confused?

That’s because you’re thinking. To enjoy performative virtue you must be woke enough to feel, but never conscious enough to think.

Senior Wallaby Dane Haylett-Petty revealed this week that the team will consider taking a knee during the national anthem before the third Bledisloe Cup Test against the All Blacks on October 31.

“We’ve got a very diverse group and we see that as a big strength of ours,” he said.

Not strength enough to tolerate diverse views though, or Folau would still be playing for Australia rather than running around for the Catalans Dragons in France.

But again, you’re over thinking things. And that’s no way to enjoy politically correct sport.

Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan said the Wallabies would be wearing their new Indigenous-designed jersey for the October 31 game.

“We’re very proud of our Aboriginal and Indigenous heritage, and we’re going to promote it proudly,” the proud chairman said with pride.

Except that no player of Indigenous heritage has been picked in the squad. He said,

“I think it shows that we’ve got to open more player pathways for indigenous rugby players, but what it also says is that we’re very committed to an inclusive culture.”

So there are no indigenous players included in the squad but the non-indigenous players will wear jumpers featuring indigenous squiggles to prove rugby has an inclusive culture.

It makes complete sense, provided you don’t think about it.

The Wallabies also made a big deal about the fact that new coach Dave Rennie has been encouraging players to embrace different cultures, even teaching them to sing Fijian and Tongan songs.

If this news makes you wonder how much better the Wallabies would be at singing Tongan ditties had they not punted their star Tongan player for expressing views commonly held in Tonga, stop it. You can’t square a circle any more than the Wallabies can beat New Zealand.

And there is no point wondering why, if our footballers are going to sing, they don’t instead learn the words to the Australian national anthem so that they can actually sing it before games rather than pretend.

Of course, the winless but very woke Wallabies could ditch all the virtue signalling and focus on winning rugby games.

But that thought doesn’t seem to have occurred to them for a long time now.

Fight fake news! The Good Sauce is bringing balance to the corporate media echo chamber. We are the first conservative source of videos and podcasts by so many independent voices from Australia. Our articles transparently distinguish between opinions and briefings: honest news without “progressive” agendas or euphemisms. Would you like to help us grow and produce more conservative new media? Become a Good Sauce supporter today and also enjoy extended interviews & bonus content.

James Macpherson is a sought after international speaker with a background in journalism at the Courier Mail and Daily Telegraph. He previously pastored a significant church in Australia and South Africa. James’ weekly Good Sauce podcast comes out every Tuesday. He also writes regularly for The Spectator.

Reflection on Exodus 4:18-31

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Scripture

Then the people of Israel were convinced that the Lord had sent Moses and Aaron. When they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshipped.

Observation

Moses leaves Jethro, his father-in-law. He takes his wife and sons and heads for Egypt.

Along the way, the Lord confronts Moses. Zipporah, his wife, circumcises their son. Aaron meets up with them along the way, and they travel to Egypt together.

When they call the elders together to tell them all that the Lord has said, Moses also performs the miraculous signs. The people believe and they worship the Lord.

Application

After years of slavery and misery, the Hebrew people finally hear some good news. God is going to rescue them.

It must have been easy to believe that the Lord had abandoned His people and even forgotten about them. But Moses comes along with the message that the Lord has not forgotten them.

When we are feeling discouraged in life, how wonderful it is to remember that God has seen our misery.

This is not just a doctrinal statement. Yes, we know that God sees everything about our lives. Nothing is hidden from Him. More importantly, the Lord sees our misery and has compassion.

God does not just see our suffering- He experiences it and feels it as we do. How awesome is that!

God sees and feels our disappointment, our grief, our suffering, and our failing. He is not looking for things to smite us for, but He looks for reasons to show compassion, and He walks through our difficulties with us.

Prayer

Lord, I thank you that you see my misery, and you turn it into joy. You walk with me in the tough times and turn them into victories of your grace. Thank you. Amen.

Reflection on Exodus 4:1-17

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Scripture

Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”

Observation

Moses asks the Lord, “What if they don’t believe me?” The Lord tells Moses to throw down his staff, and it turns into a snake. When he catches it by the tail it is restored to a staff. Then the Lord tells Moses to put his hand inside his cloak, and it is covered with skin disease. He puts his hand back in, and it is restored.

The Lord tells Moses that if the people don’t believe Moses’ words, they will believe these signs.

Moses then claims he is not very good with words, but the Lord says that He is the one who makes a man’s mouth and who decides whether he should speak. He appoints Moses’ brother, Aaron, to be Moses’ spokesman.

Application

Moses is having a conversation with the Lord who is speaking to him from a bush that burns without being consumed. Yet Moses is reluctant to go as the messenger of this powerful God.

The same Lord calls us to go to our friends and neighbours with the wonderful message that Jesus saves. Yet we have the same objections that Moses had- they will not believe me, they will think I am crazy.

To these objections the Lord says that He designed our mouths and can direct us to speak. It is His problem whether people listen or not.

The Lord gives each of us a message to take to a person or a group of people, perhaps even a whole nation. Whether it is the gospel message, a prophecy or a word of encouragement, we must trust God to speak through us, and leave the results to Him.

Prayer

Lord please give me courage and confidence in you so that I can share your message of salvation to the people I see each day. Amen.

Where Legalised Euthanasia Leads

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In the middle of a pandemic and footy grand final fever the Queensland Premier announced, just two weeks out from an election, that if re-elected she will move to legalise euthanasia/ assisted suicide/ death camps. It doesn’t matter what you call it, it all ends up in tyranny of the powerful over those deemed “expendable.”

If you have a vote in the Queensland election, read this carefully before you vote.

 

From caldronpool.com

 

The Netherlands Pushes for Children to be Euthanised by Doctors · Caldron Pool


 
Children between the ages of 1 and 12 could soon be euthanized by doctors in the Netherlands, Health Minister Hugo de Jonge told Parliament last Tuesday.

Children between the ages of 1 and 12 could soon be euthanized by doctors in the Netherlands, Health Minister Hugo de Jonge told Parliament last Tuesday.

De Jonge said the new policy would see around five to ten terminally ill children legally executed every year.

According to the NL Times, doctors are presently only permitted to “give palliative care, like sedation, or withhold nutrition over an extended period of time until the patient dies.”

Doctors, who have been calling for more regulation, say there is a “grey area” between normal palliative care and active life termination.

The Health Minister said his proposal will protect the interests of children and will afford more transparency to the “grey area.”

The Netherlands became the first country to legalize euthanasia in 2002. Since then, the country has seen an increase in those requesting death by assisted suicide.

Cases include a man who was killed by doctors because he was an alcoholic; a 45-year-old woman, and a woman in her 20s, who had traumatic childhood memories; a 54-year-old woman who had a pathological fear of germs; and a 34-year-old mother who was chronically depressed.

It was also reported that a doctor in the Netherlands “euthanised” an elderly woman against her will.

In the first-ever case of its kind, Dutch authorities accused the doctor of performing euthanasia on an unwilling patient after a regional review board found the doctor had “overstepped the mark” by euthanising a 74-year old woman whose final will was “unclear and contradictory.”

However, a court in The Hague ruled that it is not necessary to obtain confirmation of the request when a patient is no longer able to express his or her wishes. The judges also noted that the doctor did well not to ask the patient herself if she wanted to die as it might have caused “agitation.”

In her final moments, the elderly woman reportedly struggled with hospital staff and attempted to prevent the doctor from giving her the lethal injection.

Euthanasia in the Netherlands is getting so out of hand that 200 Dutch doctors took out an advertisement in a major newspaper, which stated: “[Assisted suicide] for someone who cannot confirm he wants to die? No, we will not do that. Our moral reluctance to end the life of a defenceless man is too great.”

Read the rest of this article here

Ephesians 3:17

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Here is my commentary on Ephesians 3:17. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 3:17

“… So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in faith…”

Paul is continuing his prayer for the Ephesians (and for us).

The previous verse was a prayer that they receive power through the Spirit of God. He finishes that sentence now.

The prayer to receive this power is directed to the result that ”Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”

Some theologians disapprove of “asking Jesus into your heart.” Jesus is in heaven so it does not make sense, they claim. Buy here Paul is explicitly stating that Christ does live in our hearts.

To state the obvious, this is not a reference to our physical hearts. There is not a Christ – shaped hole in our heart that Jesus slots into when we pray the sinner’s prayer.

The heart is often used as a synonym for the soul, which is the seat of our character, will, and emotions. Paul is praying that Christ will come and fill our souls.

That raises the question of what it means to have Christ in our hearts or souls. To me, it means that we give over that part of our being, our internal life to him. In other words, we are no longer self-directed, but Christ – directed. We are no longer living a marred, sinful life, but one which is clean and sinless. We don’t do what we want to do, but what Christ wants us to do.

The prayer is that Christ dwells in our hearts. He makes the place his habitation, his home, and is not just a visitor .

This means that we allow the Holy Spirit to direct us. We daily invite the Lord to be present in our hearts in everything, and seek to hand over our desires and plans to him.

This is a lifelong process that should not end this side of Heaven.

Some people seem contend to have Christ steer their lives at home and church, but work is a different matter where the customs and rules of the business world dominate.

Other people allow Him in sporadically. They might have a spiritual experience at a camp or conference, and they know that Christ is with them for a few weeks. But then it is back to the old ways until the next “high.”

Christ wants to dwell in our hearts – to stay there every day.

When Christ is dwelling in our hearts, then we can be rooted and grounded in love.

The word for love here is agape, the totally selfless and unfailing love that God has for us. With Christ dwelling in our hearts, the very embodiment of agape love, then we can know that we are loved unconditionally.

God’s agape love, transforms a person’s life. Many of us suffer feelings of shame, rejection, unworthiness, and so on. We have been hurt, bullied, or abandoned. But God’s love heals the traumas of living in a sin-filled world.

We need to be rooted and established in God’s love. Love, to be effective, needs to be constant. God’s love is constant, but our ability to believe and receive it is not.

To be rooted in God’s love means that we grow deep emotional and spiritual roots in him. Paul describes this as “by faith.” In other words, we taste the love of God and by faith we learn to live in it.

Trees that only grow shallow roots are vulnerable to being blown over in storms or dying of dehydration in droughts. Only trees that push their roots deep into the soil will live a full and long life.

We must push our roots deep into the love of God so that, even when God seems to be absent, we trust in his provision, persistence, and protection.

Key points in this verse

  • Christ wants to dwell in our hearts, that is to make His home there
  • We need to learn to be Christ- directed rather than self-directed
  • We need to put deep spiritual and emotional roots into God’s love
  • God’s love heals us of the hurts that come from living in a sin-filled world

Reflection on Exodus 3:1-22

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Scripture

There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire form the middle of a bush. Though the bush was engulfed by flames, it did not burn up. “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself.

Observation

One day, while tending his father-in-law’s sheep, the Lord appears to Moses in a burning bush. The Lord identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The Lord tells Moses that He is about to set His people free and so Moses is to go to Pharaoh and demand that he let them go. When Moses objects, the Lord says that He will be with him.

Moses then asks the Lord what name will he tell the people is the name of the God who has sent him? The Lord says “Tell them ‘I Am has sent you.’”

The Lord warns Moses that, although the elders of Israel will receive him, Pharaoh will resist until, through a series of miracles, the Lord will strike the Egyptians.

Application

This must have been an awesome sight for Moses to see- a bush that burned without being consumed. It was unusual enough for Moses to stop what he was doing and listen to the voice of the Lord.

One reason that we don’t hear the voice of the Lord is that we don’t make space for that. We live in a noisy world, surrounded by electronically generated voices clamouring for our attention. We live in an “always on” world,

To hear God, we have to silence the other voices. We need to turn our phones, computers and TVs off then learn to turn our anxious brain off as well. Then, as we focus on God, we can start to hear the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit.

It takes time, effort and conscious decision, but we need to do it to connect to the true God, the source of our life.

Prayer

Come Holy Spirit and speak to me in the stillness. Be the burning bush for me today. Amen.