Infusion Ministries - Ireland

08/09/2022

Please pray for the Royal Family and for the United Kingdom as we collectively mourn the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Her quiet, dignified passing is reflective of Her service for over 70 years. May God grant us the gift of faith as a nation, and turn us to the One who was an influence on Her life of servitude and faithfulness.

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” Rev 14v17

AJB

17/04/2022

11/04/2022

"AND THEIR VOICES BEGAN TO PREVAIL.”

Luke 23v18-25 (NASB)

"But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas!” (He was one who had been thrown into prison for a revolt that took place in the city, and for murder.)

But Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, but they kept on crying out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!”

And he said to them a third time, “Why, what has this man done wrong? I have found in His case no grounds for a sentence of death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” But they were insistent, with loud voices, demanding that He be crucified.

And their voices began to prevail.

And so Pilate decided to have their demand carried out.
And he released the man for whom they were asking, who had been thrown into prison for a revolt and murder; but he handed Jesus over to their will."

The events in Jerusalem of that dark Friday as recorded here in Luke’s gospel were driven by behavioural irregularity. Two chapters previously, we read about Jesus’ triumphal arrival into Jerusalem. Crowds of people flocked to shout “Hosanna!” to the Messiah as He rides into the city on a young c**t. Palm leaves and cloaks were strewn across the roadway in adoration of the One they believed would set them free from occupation and subjection of the Romans. But they didn’t understand His Message or His Mission.
In Jesus’ oration at the Synagogue in Nazareth (Luke4), He reads a scroll containing the words of Isaiah the prophet:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favourable year of the Lord.”

Jesus was the fulfilment of these words. HE was anointed by His Father to bring good news, to heal the sick and to set captives free.
But it was not freedom from political/social captivity. It was captivity from sin and death! He came to open the eyes of our hearts to our true condition before God and to give us a way out!
Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord!
HOSANNA!!

But it became apparent to the Jews at Jerusalem that this Jesus was not about to topple the Roman Governor, let alone Caesar. He wasn’t going to execute a coup attempt.
Instead the Jewish leaders felt threatened by this “teacher” and rejected His claim to be the Messiah. They wanted rid of Him but they wanted the authorities to do it for them to deflect their culpability. Instead, the Romans were manipulated into to dealing Him.
A frenzy ensued. A set-up, whereby Jesus , not the freedom fighter they expected, was replaced, as part of a bizarre custom, by the sort of fellow that better represented the insurrection that the Jews wanted. Despite Pilate’s efforts to declare Jesus innocent, their voices began to prevail.

The same voices that hailed Jesus arrival were now shouting Crucify Him, Crucify Him!!

There is an old saying, “the squeaky wheel gets the oil”. The loudest and most distracting and irritating noises need to be removed. The inconvenient message needs to be diminished and silenced. The message that calls for repentance and a turning back to God needs to be eliminated as it doesn’t fit the agenda of an “informed” and “enlightened” age.
What voices prevail in our lives today? What messages don’t suit the world's agenda and make us uncomfortable, even as believers? What messages and narratives are from God and what are from Man? It’s arguably becoming harder to tell these days, isn’t it?
The message of Salvation is marginalised, declared fake, irrelevant and offensive. Virtues, as taught by Jesus are cancelled, and declared as troublesome. The preaching of the Gospel is now considered "hate speech". Just like it was here in Luke’s Gospel, with deadly intent. But let’s not be put-off telling it! The Good News is the same and just as powerful as it was on that dark Friday.
And that leads me to another thought - what message are we putting out there? And with what voice are we speaking? Condemning? Judgemental? Aggressive? Divisive? Fearful? Are these aligned with the fruits of the Spirit? (Galatians 5v22-23)
As we reflect this week on the events of leading up to “Good Friday”, as we observe the prevailing voices both here in this text and in the present time, let us consider the One who said the least on that day - Jesus Himself.
“Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before it’s shearers, So He did not open His mouth.” Isaiah 53v7

Dear Lord, as we reflect on your sacrificial death and the circumstances around it, may we pause and examine ourselves. Lord, reveal our irregular behaviour and may our beliefs that shape that behaviour be challenged and reset in accordance with Your Word. Thank you afresh for the Cross, for what you achieved on my behalf with great pain and sorrow. For enduring the separation from the Father so that we can be reconciled to Him. We thank you that you prevailed! You rose again and you reign. May our prevailing voices shout in unison, and with conviction: Hosanna in the Highest! AMEN!

AJB
(Edited and reposted from 2021)

04/04/2021

I KNOW YOU ARE LOOKING FOR JESUS

Matthew 28v1-10

Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb.
And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it.
And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
The guards shook from fear of him and became like dead men.
And the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.
He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.
And go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”
And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to report to His disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Rejoice!” And they came up and took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go, bring word to My brothers to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

The appearance of angels in the Gospels always heralds, and is associated with a significant cosmic event: The annunciation by Gabriel to Mary of the Saviour’s conception, the appearance of the angelic choir to the Shepherds outside Bethlehem to announce His birth, and here, once again at the Garden Tomb, angels deliver the news of His Resurrection.

Angels are God’s messengers - they are not deity, they are not sovereign and they are not to be worshipped. They are however, formidable, hence the fear experienced by those guarding the tomb. How many times have we read the words “do not be afraid” spoken by them.

They are evidently physically strong. The movement of the stone at the tomb was no mean feat for an individual. Indeed it would have taken a number of strong men to have placed it there in the first place.

There are a number of accounts recorded in the Gospels of this episode. From these accounts we can determine that there were a number of angels, and that “the women” would have made numerous journeys to the garden tomb. But this particular visit was very different and dramatic. The stone had been removed and the tomb where the Saviour was laid was empty.

It required an angel to explain what had happened so that there was no doubt, no hint of human involvement and no room for human conjecture or conspiracy theory.

For me the striking thought around this event is that the stone wasn’t rolled away to let the risen Lord out. It was to let His followers in!!

“Come see the place where He was lying.”

As we celebrate this Resurrection morning may we reflect on the thought that we do not have to scramble to experience the Risen Lord. We do not have to search long and hard to find Him and receive forgiveness for our sins.

Our access to Him is unimpeded, without obstacle and carries no visceral fear for anyone.

Why don’t you come afresh to Him this day. Receive Him and all that He promises. HE IS RISEN!

AJB

03/04/2021

THE GAP BETWEEN FRIDAY AND SUNDAY

Luke 23v48-49

“And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, after watching what had happened, began to return home, beating their chests.
And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things.” (NASB)

The period from those last breaths on Friday afternoon until what we now call Easter Sunday morning is an interesting passage of time. Jesus has been taken down from the cross and buried in a borrowed grave. The Disciples have run for cover. Peter has no doubt internalised all that has happened - very bitterly. Judas, well. The Marys - broken, distraught but possibly more together than ever given their desire to tend to Jesus’ body.

The Jews are on their way home “beating their chests” but their leadership are holding on to some fears - notably the one that leads them to urge the Romans to seal the Tomb with a giant stone.

For the Romans, it’s probably just another day of rule and control in occupied Jerusalem.

When Christ died with the words, “it is finished”, the family, friends and followers of our Saviour were disorientated and plunged into a profound melee of emotions and emptiness. Some might say - trauma.

A great personal tragedy had befallen them. The Miracle Man with whom they had served, walked, argued, laughed and dined was gone. Betrayed and taken-out by their kinsmen.

They now faced the prospect of a return to mundane life as fishermen, lowly servants of an occupied state, simple men and women with no hope, and memories of empty promises and grand statements from this great teacher who was about to be placed in a heavily guarded tomb.

This man who literally promised them the Earth, eternal riches, who declared Himself the Way, the Truth and the Life had been removed from them. The fiery light He brought to their souls had been extinguished. They forgot everything He told them.

For them it was the darkest, loneliest, scariest 24 hours imaginable.

I wonder have you ever felt the Lord’s absence. Are your experiences at odds with what you have been taught about Jesus? Have they left you empty, disappointed - traumatised? Has the light that once burned brightly in all aspects of your life been extinguished?

For Jesus’ followers it was one day of racing emotions, pain and loss. But for many of us, life’s challenges and losses have ripped a huge chasm in our expectations that exists for weeks, months, years even. What pain and anguish fills the space between your Friday and your Sunday?

Our Enemy wants to keep you in a strange no-mans-land. He wants to generate as much disappointment, cynicism, lack of trust, that he can muster. He wants to squeeze every drop of hope, enthusiasm, joy and life out of your weary souls. He presents every powerful truth ever uttered by Jesus Christ as clanging metal, to the point that His very name is a source of anger, bitterness and life-long resentment. He will attempt to re-ignite a flame in your life with less wholesome activities. He will offer all sorts of alternatives to fill your void. Don’t let him!

Let’s back-up a bit. What was JESUS doing between Friday and Sunday?

Remember what happened when Jesus died. There was an earthquake and the Veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27v51). Something profoundly powerful had happened in both the natural and heavenly realms. There was now access to the Father! God was more reachable than ever before! Religious ritual and burdensome observance of laws had been superceded by a new Way. Christ had reconciled a broken world to God. Grace and Mercy were available in abundance - a never ending supply! The penalty for sin had been paid!

Jesus’ followers, broken and distraught, were closer to God than they realised. He is doing a work in you and for you. He has not abandoned you!

Jesus was securing our eternal future and that is how we must think!

It doesn’t dawn on His followers (pun intended) until Sunday morning what has happened. But we don’t have to wait for Christ’s promises of eternal life until our resurrection. We can enjoy that now!

02/04/2021

“And their voices began to prevail”

Luke23v18-25

But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas!” (He was one who had been thrown into prison for a revolt that took place in the city, and for murder.)
But Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, but they kept on crying out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!”
And he said to them a third time, “Why, what has this man done wrong? I have found in His case no grounds for a sentence of death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him.” But they were insistent, with loud voices, demanding that He be crucified.
And their voices began to prevail.
And so Pilate decided to have their demand carried out.
And he released the man for whom they were asking, who had been thrown into prison for a revolt and murder; but he handed Jesus over to their will. (NASB)

The events in Jerusalem of that dark Friday as recorded here in Luke’s gospel were driven by behavioural irregularity. Two chapters previously, we read about Jesus’ triumphal arrival into Jerusalem. Crowds of people flocked to shout “Hosanna!” to the Messiah as He rides into the city on a young c**t. Palm leaves and cloaks were strewn across the roadway in adoration of the One they believed would set them free from occupation and subjection of the Romans. But they didn’t understand His Message or His Mission.

In Jesus’ oration at the Synagogue in Nazareth (Luke4), He reads a scroll containing the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favourable year of the Lord.”

Jesus was the fulfilment of these words. HE was anointed by His Father to bring good news, to heal the sick and to set captives free.

But it was not freedom from political/social captivity. It was captivity from sin and death! He came to open the eyes of our hearts to our true condition before God and to give us a way out!

Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord!
HOSANNA!!

But it became apparent to the Jews at Jerusalem that this Jesus was not about to topple the Roman Governor, let alone Caesar. He wasn’t going to execute a coup attempt.

Instead the Jewish leaders felt threatened by this “teacher” and rejected His claim to be the Messiah. They wanted rid of Him but they wanted someone else to do it for them to take the heat off themselves - the Romans were “strongly encouraged” to deal with Him.

A frenzy ensued. A set-up, whereby Jesus , not the freedom fighter they expected, was replaced, as part of a bizarre custom, by the sort of fellow that better represented the insurrection that the Jews wanted. Despite Pilate’s efforts to declare Jesus innocent, their voices began to prevail.

The same voices that hailed Jesus arrival were now shouting Crucify Him, Crucify Him!!

There is an old saying, “the squeaky wheel gets the oil”. The loudest and most distracting and irritating noises need to be removed. The inconvenient message needs to be diminished and silenced. The message that calls for repentance and a turning back to God needs to be eliminated as it doesn’t fit the agenda of an “informed” and “enlightened” age.

What voices prevail in our lives today? What messages don’t suit our agenda and make us uncomfortable, even as believers? What messages and narratives are from God and what are from Man? It’s arguably becoming harder to tell these days, isn’t it?

The message of Salvation is marginalised, declared fake, irrelevant and offensive. Just like it was here in Luke’s Gospel, with deadly intent. But let’s not be put-off telling it! The Good News is the same and just as powerful as it was on that dark Friday.

And that leads me to another thought - what message are we putting out there? And with what voice are we speaking? Condemning? Judgemental? Aggressive? Divisive? Fearful? Are these aligned with the fruits of the Spirit? (Galatians 5v22-23)

As we reflect today on the events of what has become “Good Friday”, as we observe the prevailing voices, let us consider the One who said the least on that day - Jesus Himself.

“Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before it’s shearers, So He did not open His mouth.” Isaiah 53v7

Dear Lord, as we reflect on your sacrificial death and the circumstances around it, may we pause and examine ourselves. Lord, reveal our irregular behaviour and may our beliefs that shape that behaviour be challenged and reset in accordance with Your Word. Thank you afresh for the Cross, for what you achieved on my behalf with great pain and sorrow. For enduring the separation from the Father so that we can be reconciled to Him. We thank you that you prevailed! You rose again and you reign. Hosanna in the Highest! AMEN!

AJB

27/01/2021

Something is coming soon ... 🤔

14/12/2020

”I am the Way the Truth and the Life”. John 14v6

Roman-occupied Israel - a society beaten down once again after centuries of repeated occupation, and loss of civil freedom.

They yearned for a saviour, a leader who would rise-up and overthrow civil repression, crippling taxation and, not for the first time, the narcissistic rule of a powerful and relentless oppressor.

So when the Angels appeared to the lowly shepherds at Bethlehem, the City of David, how would anyone possibly believe that they would herald the arrival of the very Saviour they longed for.

Surely the Messiah would be a warrior, an irrepressible and unstoppable military figurehead rich in resources and formidable influence.

No, instead He came as a helpless baby, needing the love and compassion of humble, socially insignificant Jewish parents, and His purpose was not to liberate an occupied state, at least not as the Jews thought.

He was God Himself in the form of vulnerable humanity, becoming flesh, to grow up as one of us. To live the reality of a primitive upbringing in an occupied territory. He would experience fierce opposition and the dark facets of human behaviour, including the self-serving piety of the religious establishment and the passive yet complicit nature of a puppet government. He would later suffer at their hands and carry the sins of the world upon His shoulders on a cross. And He would defeat Death by rising up, emptying His own tomb by His own power.

His mission wasn’t to liberate Israel from the Romans - His mission more profound and spectacular than that!

He bridged the gulf between a loving God who cannot look upon sin, and a rebellious humanity intent on relentlessly pursuing it.

To do that, He had to come quietly, as prophesied and as planned from the beginning, to be born in the City of David. He would be birthed by a young, humble ordinary girl, raised as a carpenter in Nazareth. Later, He would select the unlikeliest of characters to teach them a message of repentance and told them that He himself would become the blood sacrifice they had been observing for generations. And that they would be Apostles - establishing the Church. And all of this perfectly planned and perfectly executed.

And yet, this world is still intent on pursuing a manufactured and contrived salvation that requires our input, our efforts and is based upon our own merits.

When you think of the infant in a manger, do we see a quaint, uplifting and whimsical story or do we think of God incarnate declaring I am the Way, the Truth and The life?!

As we close-off a difficult and troublesome year, may we refocus on God’s amazing plan - its simplicity and its life-giving power!

AJB

12/11/2020

11/11/2020

It has been wonderful to join with the Infusion Ministry team in Knoxville TN via zoom this afternoon - Day 1 of the 3 Day EPIC Summit where attendees are exploring the important truths of our Identity, Authority and Freedom in Christ.

03/11/2020

A useful explanation of where we find our identity by Paul Tripp.

For “Minstry” you can read any other pursuit that you are engaged in to define your identity. Work, hobbies, sport, parenting, etc, etc. These are all things we DO but they don’t have to label who we ARE. We are a new creature in Christ. He gives us our identity in this world - first and foremost. AJB