I have many strange habits. One of those habits is when I go to a new restaurant, I am willing to try different things on the menu but once I find something that I like, I will always order that particular dish any time that I go to that particular restaurant.

My wife on the other hand seems to like to try something new every time we go anywhere, whether that is food or drink, which totally blows my mind.

I like to think to myself that I don’t try new things because I’m trying to be wise and responsible with my finances and not waste money by trying something that I might not like. However, the truth be told, I’m probably not being wise, but rather I’m worried about the ‘what if’.

 

What if I don’t like the taste?

What if it’s not as good as what I could have had?

What if I order something that I don’t like and then have to sit there and watch my wife eat something delicious that I really wanted and instead I’m stuck with this experimental goop?

 

 

What if?

I think we often allow the ‘what if’ into our lives. We say to ourselves that it is wisdom to listen to the ‘what if’ when in reality we are allowing fear to dictate our decision.

 

What if I’m rejected?

What if this doesn’t work?

What if I get hurt or sick?

What if that giant problem destroys everything?

 

God wants us not to be governed by the ‘what if’ but rather the
‘no matter what’.

 

• No matter what, God can use it for our good and his glory.
• No matter what, God is faithful and working, even when I don’t see it.
• No matter what, God will never leave you nor forsake you.
• No matter what, God will use everything for our good
• No matter what God is our healer and our provider.
• No matter what, God can slay every giant.

 

No matter what.

 

Paul says to Timothy, ‘for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind’. (2 Timothy 1:7) God calls us to make decisions by faith and trust him. God is calling us to live a life of boldness and courage, trusting God ‘no matter what’!

The “five senses” associated with the human body allow us to experience and interact with the world around us. Sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch work by sending signals from specialised receptor cells to the brain, which interprets them. Typically, we only learn to really appreciate this aspect of God’s wonderful creation when we begin to realise that we are steadily losing the ability to fully use these five senses at full capacity.

 

In more recent years, due no doubt to ageing or perhaps sustaining the odd concussion, both my smell and taste senses have diminished markedly. It doesn’t present too great a challenge other than missing the pleasure of smelling and fully appreciating the taste of Carol’s freshly cooked sausage rolls. I also miss the smell of a garden, particularly freshly mown grass. Add to the fact that as we age, most of us encounter the issue that we are prone to hear less clearly, particularly with competing voices in a crowded room. And who of us over the age of 50 years require glasses to read our bibles in the morning? That just leaves “touch” somewhat untouched or unaffected at this time in my life. The other four senses continue a steady decline, which is irreversible by nature. Most times we become aware of the increased failure of our senses as we increase in age, but it is possible that we can go on merrily in life, blissfully unaware of the inevitable decline and consequent lessening performance of our five senses. We all, at some stage “drift” from experiencing maximum performance from our 5 senses, to something increasingly less.

 

It's a bit like boat fishing for whiting. Anchored in a sandy hole, catching fish with great regularity, then suddenly realising everything has gone quiet. The hooks are snagged in weeds and everything has changed. You might need to wake up to the fact that the anchor has shifted and the boat has drifted off your fishing hot-spot. To remedy the situation, simply pull up the anchor and go back and find the sandy hole. We become acutely aware that we are “drifting” when we “sense” that next to nothing is happening.

 

Most of the seven Churches in the Book of Revelation were doing just that…. “drifting”. God interrupted their spiritual drifting, as He will ours, speaking clearly about what is needed to address the condition. Most often, we only come to acknowledge this “drifting” from God and His word, when indeed nothing much is happening in the church or in our personal lives. How many of us are aware that we worship a “happening God”?

 

This reality of “drifting” was, for the seven Churches and is for us, a serious but reversible condition. God’s instruction is to repent, turn back, and with an obedient heart, respond in your spirit. But our most urgent need is to attune our spiritual senses to both see and hear. God declares to each Church in the book of Revelation and each believer today – “to those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches”. (Rev 3:22) The implication is that we might have eyes and ears but they may be lacking in sensitivity due to drifting.

 

We may be unawares but God is not. He will always speak to our true condition. Whether we hear what he says and respond accordingly is entirely up to us. If our need is great, God will speak to us many times, the same message, with mercy, patience and a Father’s love.

 

To the Church of Laodicea (Rev 3:21) Gods says, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come in.” No more drifting when Jesus is present in the house, but we need our spiritual senses awakened like never before.

Never again. It was safer just to stay in hiding.

 

But that was fifty days ago now. Now they had seen Him, spoken with Him, eaten with Him. Then seen Him taken up into the sky, engulfed in clouds, and now… now that inexplicable joy from Him had been dancing mischievously inside their hearts.

 

Now… they would not hide. Could not hide. Jesus had told them not to leave Jerusalem, and when your best friend comes back from the dead and tells you something, you listen! Their joy was pushing up like fresh, new, relentless grass between the limestone slabs in a path of fear and uncertainty. Their place for prayer and worship was the temple. So for ten days, they had continuously, obediently attended there, and no one had bothered them yet. They gathered in one of the many meeting areas and often managed to steal a quiet corner to themselves. But the place was getting busier and busier. Pilgrims were gathering for Shavuot, bringing their gifts and sacrifices for the Feast of Weeks.

 

With the muffled hustle and bustle outside at Solomon’s Porch, Peter looked around at the group. Twenty or so close around him, but maybe a hundred more believers who had been following them. “Shall we sing a hymn?” he said quietly.

Andrew and several others nodded in agreement.

“Which one shall we sing?” asked John.

With a playful smile, Peter looked at Matthias. “You’re the newbie; you choose a hymn.”

“Yes, let Matthias choose,” said James kindly.

Matthias smiled, his eyes wandering across the different faces in the room, looking at him. “Er… how about the Psalm, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever…”

The rest of the company joined in, “Let Israel say: ‘His love endures forever.’ Let the house of Aaron say: ‘His love endures forever…’”

The lovely full sound that rose from that temple meeting room made the disciples realise how many had begun following them. There was at least a little comfort in numbers. Their hearts swelled all the more, as though Jesus Himself was right there with them again.

Peter’s heart stirred when they reached the line, ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone…’

Now it makes so much sense, he thought to himself. When Jesus spoke of the vineyard owner… and his son! Boy, did I completely miss at the time that Jesus was that Son!

 

The song continued, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. The Lord is…

BBBBBBRRRRRRRRHHHHH…..

A deep, thunderous rumbling that they felt vibrate through their bodies put a stop to their singing. The assembled group glanced around at each other with wide eyes. Was it thunder? An earthquake?

Matthew began worriedly, “What was…”

WWWHHHHHHOOOOOOOSSSHH!

He was interrupted by the sudden sound of a violent wind. In reaction, Mary Magdalene and some of the other women grasped onto their head scarfs to keep them from flying across the room. The sound was roaring in their ears, it filled the whole space, but in a mere moment, they all realised there was no wind; but a gentle breeze that seemed to come from straight above them, instead of through the window where you would expect a breeze to come from. Peter’s tangle of dark hair was tussled and it swished around his ears. But it wasn’t the only thing that was swishing.

 

“What’s that?” exclaimed Thomas, flinching in alarm. He was pointing to the top of Peter’s head. “Do you see that?” he asked the others. “Or is it just me?”

“What’s that on your head?” Peter said to him in reply.

“It’s on both of you,” said Philip calmly, but wide-eyed.

“It was like flame,” said one of the women. “I saw it up above us, and then it split like… like…”

“Tongues,” said Mary Magdalene. “Like… lapping tongues…”

“There is one on you too,” Jesus’ mother said to Mary.

“And you.”

“All of us,” said Andrew. “Are we on fire?”

Peter felt that swelling of his heart again, but it was stronger and warmer than ever before. He laughed, “I think we are!”

“But it’s not burning us,” said Matthew.

“Is this normal?” asked Matthias.

They heard a murmuring of voices rising up from their congregation. A quiet, unintelligible chatter began among them.

“This is it,” Mary, Jesus’ mother whispered, with a glow in her eyes. “This is what He promised. What we’ve all been waiting for.”

“The Helper,” said John, who was beside her. “The Holy Spirit.”

“Well I certainly feel a… a power,” said Simon, who used to be a zealot. “From within. Just like He said.”

“I feel like something is stirring inside,” said Thaddaeus. “Like a burning sensation, but not… painful, it’s… joyful – but that’s not even enough to describe it!”

“I know – I feel the same!” said James, and many others agreed too.

Then Peter and Andrew and John, out of the excitement that was flooding their hearts, opened their mouths and their voices joined the indecipherable chatter.

“What is everybody saying?” asked Matthew. “I don’t understand it.”

“Neither do I!” laughed Andrew. “But it feels good! You try!”

Matthew opened his mouth and he started speaking in a language that nobody there could understand. They all began speaking in different languages, voices overlapping, mingled together. The flames resting over their heads were dancing and skipping.

There was a joyful laughter rising up, and sniffs and snivels as tears rolled down cheeks.

In between spirit utterances, James laughed again, “This is a wonderful gift. No wonder Jesus said He had to leave.”

“We didn’t want Him to leave,” said John, “But little did we know there was something greater He had in mind for us.”

“Something greater than Jesus?” said Bartholemew.

“No, I mean… closer. Something closer. This is Him, His Spirit inside us. It’s like He’s here. Closer than… closer than the breath of our speech. Closer even than a heartbeat!”

The increasing crowd outside were beginning to hem in on them. They hadn’t even realised that they’d attracted so much attention until they heard:

“What’s happening here?”

Someone said in amazement, “Aren’t these people Galileans?”

“Yes. Yes I think so…”

“Yes!” someone else said, who lived locally.  “I recognise those two brothers! They used to be fishermen in Capernaum.”

“Then how is it that they are speaking in our native language?”

“Are they?” said the local, astonished. “What is your native language?”

“Parthian,” the man replied.

“Some are speaking my language,” said someone else. “I am from Egypt.”

“No, I hear Greek,” yet another person said. “I’m from Pontus. How can they know all our languages?”

Another man approached the pressing crowd and asked, “Who are these people I hear speaking Libyan?”

“What?” exclaimed the man from Parthia. “Libyan too?”

“What are they saying?” asked the local Judean man.

“They are declaring the wonders of God!”

“In our own languages! How can this be?”

“What does this mean?”

Someone else passed by and put his two shekels in, “It means they’re drunk!” He laughed. “Look at them! A bunch of drunks!”

“How can drinking too much wine give you the ability to know a completely foreign language?” one of them retorted back to the man.

 

“Can you hear them out there?” said Andrew to his brother and the others around him.

“We’ve drawn a crowd,” said Simon. “This could be bad.”

“No,” said Peter, pushing off the floor with his hands. “No, they need to know.”

“Are you sure?” Andrew asked his brother, standing up with him.

“Yes I’m sure,” he replied, looking not only at Andrew, but all the others as well. “This is it. This is what Jesus told us to wait for and now it’s happened.” He raised the volume of his voice a little so that all the followers who were gathered there could hear him. “Our Messiah has given us His Holy Spirit. That means He’s saying that we are ready. He’s saying the time is now.”

Everyone was standing now, feeling joyful, feeling ready, feeling empowered. But it was the twelve disciples who moved outside to the portico beside and behind Peter.

 

The crowd was innumerable. Tingles shot through the disciples as they were faced with hundreds of people. Perhaps even thousands – all assembled, restless and curious along Solomon’s Porch at Gate Beautiful. But Peter did not feel nervous. He felt confident and assured. It was like the way he used to feel when he came to shore after a successful night of work with a boatload of fish. A bold and secure sense that you’re in the right place, in the right job. Only this was so much more magnificent.

 

The Cornerstone was on His heart… Will they reject me like they did Jesus?

 

I am your Helper, he heard the Spirit say within him. I have prepared the way.

 

Peter stood forward on the top step of the temple entrance. The crowd quietened. He felt John beside him give him a hearty pat on the shoulder.

 

“Fellow Jews!” Peter called. The crowd hushed. Who would have thought so many people could be so quiet. “Fellow Jews and all who live in Jerusalem and who have come to visit for the Feast! Let me explain what’s going on here. And listen carefully to what I say…”

 

                                                                    

Holy Spirit, fall afresh on us today. Fill us with Your presence, power, and purpose. Replace our fear with boldness, our weakness with strength, and our confusion with clarity. Use us for Your glory, just as You did on that historic day of Pentecost. Amen.

In the cool of the morning, at break of day,

A woman wept where her Saviour lay.

The tomb stood empty, the stone rolled wide,

While sorrow clouded her tear-filled eyes.

 

She heard a voice whisper, soft and near,

“Why do you weep? Why are you here?”

She turned, uncertain, no longer alone

And saw in the garden a man unknown.

 

She mistook Him first for a gardener there,

Hands rough with toil, earth-stained with care.

Yet what greater truth could ever be told?

The Gardener of souls, tending His fold.

 

 

With voice familiar, He called her name,

And light burst forth like dawn’s first flame.

No longer a tomb, but a garden bright,

New life had sprung from death’s dark night.

 

And still He walks where hearts lay cold,

Breaking the ground, restoring the soul.

His hands, though pierced, are strong and true,

He tends the earth — He tends you.

 

                                                                    

 

 

Heavenly Father, who planted Eden in the midst of the wilderness, tend my soul this Easter season. As new growth and life burst forth from the cold, sleeping earth in springtime, I ask that you bring forth new life in me. Clear away the sticks and leaves that clutter my heart and bring forth newness and freshness in me. 

As Christ emerges from the grave, I entrust myself to the wisdom of the Great Gardener. Uproot what doesn’t belong, fertilize what is weak and prune what is good, that it may flourish and become increasingly abundant.

Holy Spirit, who breathes life into mud, restore my soul. Fill the air with your presence that with every breath I may be filled with your power, comfort and love. 

God, Strengthen and sustain me each day and give me the wisdom to live wholly dependent on You. 

Amen.