| These Psalms from 120 to 134 would be said or | | | | Words can come easily. |
| sung as people ascended the slopes of Jerusalem | | | | These men and women had seen God at work. |
| and I have subtitled the first four in the series as | | | | We only have to look at the detail in verses 6 |
| "Seeing God in things present", "Where to get | | | | and 7. |
| answers", "Recognising proper goals", "Learning to | | | | We can speak about being bold and courageous |
| wait" - and now, as I write about Psalm 124, | | | | and strong, but then something can happen and |
| "Translating Doctrine into Experience". | | | | we are either invisible or silent, or sometimes |
| The writer of these Psalms understood what | | | | both. |
| leadership was all about. There is a developing | | | | Ezekiel was told to write down some words of |
| progression here as we mature step by step. | | | | the prophecy, and then God told him to eat the |
| It is never enough just to have a doctrine and a | | | | scroll. |
| belief and a theology. It has to become a practical | | | | What we preach or speak or testify to is |
| experience so that we can serve the community | | | | significant, and then God can make us experience |
| and those around us, wherever they are. As I | | | | something of that within a few days, sometimes, |
| write this piece, I am preparing to return to | | | | even with a few hours. |
| Kenya once again, where I will be serving and | | | | The Psalmist is speaking about escaping. We have |
| speaking and teaching out in the slums and back | | | | escaped from our sins and out of that snare. |
| to the jungle areas too. Doing that is never easy. | | | | Jesus Christ came enabling us to do this, and this |
| These believers had believed that Almighty God | | | | truth has to be translated into experience. |
| was on their side and after 70 years of Exile in | | | | We have to put into practice what we believe in |
| Babylon they were now experiencing that the | | | | our hearts. And, it is often when we look back, |
| Lord God was on their side. | | | | we can see His hand so clearly, and we can say, |
| What they had believed was now part of their | | | | "Ah, that is what You were doing then!" |
| spiritual experience. | | | | These folks knew that if God had not been on |
| There comes that point where it is not enough | | | | our side, it would have been all over, because we |
| just to believe in Jesus. It is not sufficiently | | | | could never have done it ourselves. We would |
| satisfying to have a theoretical faith in Jesus | | | | have been easily swallowed up by our enemies, |
| Christ. It has to become a concrete experience. | | | | devoured, chewed up and spat out. Concerned |
| Many people would like to have a testimony | | | | leaders are able to teach this. |
| without a test. Normally, you can tell quite quickly | | | | When you have gone through a rough patch it is |
| whether testimonies are real or just words. | | | | then you can see what has really been happening |
| We can speak about Jesus, and faith, and healing, | | | | in your circumstances, and that will deepen your |
| and gifts of the Holy Spirit, easily or lightly, | | | | level of leadership. |
| without having experienced certain things. | | | | |