Light, Life, & Fear

The world is so small these days!

Not in actuality or even reality, but when you think about how things used to get done, and how fast they are accomplished today, it does seem smaller.

The circumference of the world is approximately 24,901 miles, which even for the hardiest of walkers who walked an average speed of 4 kilometers an hour, would take them 8,313 and 20 minutes, or approximately 346.4 days. There is going for a walk after a large meal, and then there is going for a walk!

The area of the earth is approximately 510.1 million km², or roughly 78,780,287,785.117 (78 thousand, 780 million, 287 thousand, 785 football pitches) UK-sized football pitches. That is a lot of home and away matches to play.

So, when I say that the world is small, what I mean is that about 100 years ago, it too nearly one full calendar month for a letter to get from England to Australia. It boarded a plane on 12 November 1919, and was delivered 10 December 1919, (https://www.postalmuseum.org/collections/airmail/ – accessed 28 April 2024).

Recently, that time can be cut from 28 days (twenty-eight), to as little as 7-10 days (seven – ten), (https://www.quora.com/If-letters-from-England-are-posted-now-and-addressed-correctly-how-long-will-it-take-for-them-to-arrive-in-Australia – accessed 28 April 2024).

So, what does all of this have to do with light, life, and fear?

‘The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?’ (Psalm 27:1 NIV).

In the Psalms, it says that God is our stronghold, and our salvation, but do we really believe that?

In life there are physically stronger people and there are physically weaker people; there are popular people with lots of friends, and there are less popular people with fewer friends for various reasons.

There have always been people that have been bullied. The Israelite nation was bullied by the Egyptians when they grew numerous (Exodus 1:9-13).

There are also some that are stronger and want to assert themselves above others and think that they can and should intimidate those who are physically weaker or less popular, or even when they think they can make someone’s life harder and theirs easier/better (Daniel 3:8-30).

Being less popular does not mean that you are less than others, it sometimes means that you do not get involved with things that do not concern you. That can be a plus as you do not want the distraction that groups and the ensuing gossip can bring.

Gossip is a fast-growing pass-time it seems. Go on any social-media and there are pages and pages of information about people and no way to verify the veracity of the information being written. And when this happens in a workplace, school, or any other arena that we find ourselves, if we are not or do not participate, then this could lead to the next round of gossip being about us.

So, what do we do?

Can we do anything?

Well, if we feel that there are people who are trying to make our lives difficult, we need to try to rise above the situation. That is not always as easy as it seems. I went through a phase in my early teens where information was passed around about a situation that I was supposedly involved in, and it got quite ugly.

The situation passed, but it took many months for life to return to a semblance of normality.

If we are struggling, then there is really only one place to go.

‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you peace’ (Matthew 11:28 NIV).

Peace may well not solve our situation that we are facing, but let me tell you, it will certainly calm your spirit as you rest in the love of Jesus.

‘Be still, and know that I am God’ (Psalm 46:10 ESV).

‘Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything’ (Psalm 46:10 MSG).

Ultimately, what the Bible is telling us is to rest in the love of God, that God is there for us, to listen to us.

‘Let me give you some good advice; I’m looking you in the eye and giving it to you straight:’ (Psalm 32:8 MSG).

We need Jesus in all situations, and none more that when we are struggling. The Bible does not offer us an easy life, it does not say, ’Turn to Jesus and everything will be peachy’ what is does say is;

‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must dent themselves and take up their cross and follow me’ (Matthew 16:24 NIV).

So, no rainbows and unicorns there, everyone would fully understand the meaning of the cross as a punishment, so no-one would be expecting an easy life.

But, the Bible says multiple times, in various ways not to be afraid (Genesis 15:1, & 21:17, & 35:17, Exodus 14:13, & 20:20, Numbers 14:9, Joshua 10:25, & 11:6, 1 Samuel 4:20, II Kings 6:16, & 19:16, Psalm 3:6, & 4:8, &16:7) and many, many more (https://millyjonesblog.wordpress.com/2013/01/17/365-do-not-be-afraid-verses/ – accessed 28 April 2024).

So, we are not promised an easy life, if life were easy, would we grow?

But we are promised that we will never have to face anything on our own.

‘So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you’ (Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT). In other words, you will not be on your own.

‘This is my command – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go’ (Joshua 1:9 NLT). Or in other words, God is with us wherever we are.

‘fear not for I am with you: do not be dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand’ (Isaiah 41:10 ESV). Or in easier terms, I will be with you in all that you go through.

 And even Jesus promised that we would never be without him.

‘And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age’(Matthew 28:20 NLT).

So, what can we do when faced with bullying or being gossiped about?

Ask for strength from God to rise above the situation, ask for strength to ignore the harsh words of others. Act in a way that shames the words of others as they see Jesus shining through your life.

It may not be easy, but inside of each of us that ask, is the same strength that was in Jesus, we just need to discover it.

So, whatever the world throws at us, we can overcome it.

‘Though my father and mother (work colleague, supposed friend, co-worker, person in the deli/pub/café, whoever, wherever) forsake me, the LORD will receive me’ (Psalm 27:10 NIV – additions mine).

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won’t grow weary

You’re the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

Strength Will Rise (Everlasting God)

Brenton Brown

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=2nRC4tmj-4M

Lord, never leave us and help us in all situations, give us strength and courage to lean on you, and to learn from you. Help us to be the people that you know we can be.

Amen

Ohana means family

عائِلَة – gezin – rodina – семья

How you decide to pronounce, or say it, family, despite our differences in thought, style, ideology etc, family is generally something that is foisted upon us, we do not choose them.

I have recently been in touch with a family member that I have not spoken to for over 20 years. It is not that we had a disagreement, or a family feud or anything like that, it just happened.

But we met up towards the end of last year through another family member at a party, since then we have chatted through social media, and recently we have visited them and gotten to know them a little, along with their family, so now our wider family has grown by five members.

My immediate family has also grown in the last year, with the addition of a granddaughter, and because of how families work these days, we have also gained an additional four grandchildren, the half-siblings of our granddaughter.

Families can be really complicated at times, they can test the powers of your patience and will, they can try your love for them against the want to run away from everything, but ultimately, they are what they are, family. The=y may not be our blood relatives with how modern families work, but they are still related in some way to us.

As children grow older and meet people, the family grows, and if they are blessed enough to want and have children then it grows again.

Love them or hate them, there is no getting away from them.

For most of us, and I include myself here, I am very happy with my ever growing and expanding family, but that does not always go the same for everyone.

Family does not actually have to have any blood bond in it to work. When you look at foreign gangs such as the Mafia, the Yakuza, or the Bratva (Russian Mafia) are a family based upon their organised criminal intent, not necessarily related by blood, but by oaths of obedience and silence, and they protect each other when needed.

So, what has my family got to do with the Bratva, or the Mafia, and in that case any of you reading this, except that it may seem nice that we have recently met new members?

Well, we can learn a lot from families.

If we look at the first family mentioned in the Bible, we learn that they had an amazing life living with God, until they decided that they knew better and ate the apple that they were told not to eat, the result, banishment along with pain and suffering.

We were never meant to suffer and struggle like we do, we were designed to live in harmony with our loving God, but humans tend to think they know better.

When things are tough, do you immediately turn to God and ask, nay plead for his intervention an help, falling to your knees with hands clasped and looking up towards the heavens?

I know that I tent to say, “right this is going completely wrong, I need to do this or that and then of that does not work I need to try another thing and maybe ask so-and-so for some help”.

Jesus taught his disciples to not worry about the mundane things in life, and to seek the kingdom of God above all else.

‘But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’ (Matthew 6:33 NIV).

‘And whatever you ask for in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith’ (Matthew 21:22 ESV).

So if life is giving you lemons, then ask God how to make lemonade. There is no need to struggle on you own, ask in faith for the help of he who threw the starts into space.

When you are in a dark place, ask for help from he who spoke the light into being (Genesis 1:3).

But you may ask, how do I belong to the family of the one who created all things? How in reality, is Jesus my family?

Generally, your parents would never let you come to any harm, they would protect you, and if they needed to go somewhere, they would ensure that someone would take over their responsibility for that period; whether another family member or a trusted ‘sitter’, there would be someone responsible for you and your welfare.

God said to Moses, about him, and the nation of Israel.

‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest’ (Exodus 31:44 ESV).

Moses also reminded the nation of Israel that God would always be with them, just prior to their crossing the river Jordan and entering the promised land.

‘for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you , nor forsake you’ (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV).

Moses also said the exact same thing to Joshua shortly after his statement to the nation of Israel (Deuteronomy 31:68NIV).

So, if we were not part of the family, why would Jesus always be with us?

How many people do you know that are actually in your family that are always with you, even if you are married, most people are not always with you.

Towards the end of his letter, Paul also reminds the Hebrew Christians about the statement that God made to the nation of Israel. He says that they should try to live good lives that are God-centered and that they should be content with what they have, and.

‘be content with what you have, because God has said, ”Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you”’ (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).

So, we know that we are part of Jesus’ family because he loves us so much that he has promised to never leave us, and always be there when we call.

‘Jesus asked, “who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed at his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother”’. (Matthew12:48-50 NLT).

Be content with what you have.

Family is important, even when they make us want to scream.

In the words of Stitch.

“Ohana means family’ (Lilo and Stitch – 2002 – Walt Disney Pictures)

And the Hawaiian, family is not only blood related, it is the extended family, and the intentional or chosen family that we surround ourselves with.

We cannot choose our blood family, but as we grow and mature and join groups in our lives, some of these will become like family, we will look to them, trust them and love them just like we do (or should do) our blood family.

Look to Jesus and extend your family.

I just wanna speak the name of Jesus
Over every heart and every mind
‘Cause I know there is peace within Your presence
I speak Jesus

I just wanna speak the name of Jesus
‘Til every dark addiction starts to break
Declaring there is hope and there is freedom
I speak Jesus

‘Cause Your name is power
Your name is healing
Your name is life
Break every stronghold
Shine through the shadows
Burn like a fire

I just wanna speak the name of Jesus
Over fear and all anxiety
To every soul held captive by depression
I speak Jesus

Shout Jesus from the mountains
Jesus in the streets
Jesus in the darkness over every enemy
Jesus for my family
I speak the holy name
Jesus,

I Speak Jesus

Jesse Reeves / Dustin Smith / Abby Benton / Carlene Prince / Raina Pratt

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=SKTcWOQLM9Y

Lord, let me see everyone that I know as part of my extended family, help me to love them and protect them and lead them into your wonderful presence.

Amen

What is in a name?

Do you know why you have the name that you have?

Did your parents disagree, or even argue over what you were going to be called.

I know that my parents disagreed over what we were to be called. Me, my brother and two sisters each have to forenames, but weirdly, the boy were called by their first given name, and both the girls were called by their second given name, so much so, that my youngest daughter did not even know for many years that my sister had any other name.

My name is Robert and comes from Germanic descent and means “bright fame”.

All my children were named after Biblical characters, my two daughters name mean, “princess”, and “captivating beauty”, whilst my son’s name means “beloved”.

Names do not always equate to character, and for me bright fame may be stretching it a little.

In the Old Testament, when people named places, they sometimes called them something specific such as when God tested Abraham. Abraham and his wife Sarah had waited years to have a child, and now that they did, God tested Abraham and asked him to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:1-19). Abraham trusted in his God and so did as commanded. How many of us today would be willing to even give up our televisions if commanded, and here Abraham was willing to give one of his dearest possessions. Of course, God staid his hand and provided a ram for the sacrifice, one that had been caught in a bush.

For this reason, Abraham named the place specifically.

‘And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day’ (Genesis 22:14 KJV).

Jehovah-jireh means the Lord our provider because the Lord God provided for Abraham, and what he provided was an alternate sacrifice.

When Gideon was raised as a Judge for Israel, at one moment, he realised, ‘Alas, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face’ (Judges 6:24 NIV). Because of this he thought that God would surely strike him down, but God said, ‘Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die’ (Judges 6:23 NIV).

Because of God sparing his life, Gideon built an altar to the Lord.

‘Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovah-shalom:’ (Judges 6:24 KJV).

Jehovah-shalom means The Lord our peace, or the Lord is peace.

God has many names, but when reading certain translations and hearing people speak, Jehovah (dʒɪˈhəʊvə) is a really common name that most people will know of, it means:

‘Another name for God; an approximation of the holiest name of God in Hebrew (the name was held so sacred that it was never written or spoken, and scholars are not sure exactly how it should be pronounced). It means “I am that I am,” or “I am the one who is.” In the incident of the burning bush in the Book of Exodus, God, speaking out of the bush, tells Moses that this is his name.’ (https://www.dictionary.com/browse/jehovah – Acessed 6 April 2024).

When Jesus speaks about God, he refers to him as ‘Father’ or ‘Abba’.

When praying in the Garden of Gethsemane just before he was arrested, Jesus called out:

‘”Abba, Father”, he said, “everything is possible for you.”’ (Mark 14:36 NIV).

We are part of that family when we decide to follow and trust Jesus, we become his brothers and sisters:

‘Jesus asked, “who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed at his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother”’. (Matthew12:48-50 NLT).

So, as we begin to disciple with Jesus, we become family.

Being a disciple does not necessarily mean that you believe Jesus, but that you are seeking knowledge. The Bible says that at one point, many of Jesus’ disciples left him because they found his teaching to be hard:

‘On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “Tis is hard teaching. Who can accept it?” … …  … From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.’ (John 6:60 & 66 NIV).

These are the people that he spoke about in the parable of the Sower; those are the seeds that fall on rocky ground or are choked by weeds (Matthew 13).

So, who is God to you?

Is he your refuge?

Is he your redeemer?

To me, God is a father who holds my hand when I am scared, and also my ‘Warrior’, who loves me dearly.

‘The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.’ (Zephaniah 3:17).

As I sit here writing these words, in the background God is speaking to me through the words of worship songs that are playing in the background thanks to the radio station ‘Premiere Praise’.

‘O come to the alter, the Father’s arms are open wide., forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ’ (Elevation Worship – 2016).

Words of wisdom, words of affirmation, words of love from the mighty warrior who loves me, and indeed all of us!

Remember when someone asks how much Jesus loved you, he loved you enough that he thought YOU were worth dying for!

So, when people ask you about your faith, do not be timid. Jesus was not timid about the cross.

It is not easy sometimes to speak to people that we do not know, I sometimes say that I do not like talking to people, but it is more that I feel compromised, as if I am shedding something that protects me, baring my soul and everything that I am, and it scare me a little, well actually, it terrifies me.

But Peter was correct when he said:

‘Don’t give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick.’ (1 Peter 3:15-16 MSG).

Let God be your warrior and give you the strength that you need to share Him with others that you meet.

_{Drawn by K Taylor}

Are you hurting and broken within?
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin?
Jesus is calling
Have you come to the end of yourself?
Do you thirst for a drink from the well?
Jesus is calling

O come to the altar
The Father’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ

Leave behind your regrets and mistakes
Come today, there’s no reason to wait
Jesus is calling
Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy
From the ashes, a new life is born
Jesus is calling

O come to the altar
The Father’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ

Oh, what a Savior
Isn’t He wonderful?
Sing hallelujah, Christ is risen
Bow down before Him
For He is Lord of all
Sing hallelujah, Christ is risen

O come to the altar
The Father’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ

O Come to The Altar

Wade Joyce, Christopher Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=4zBC3SKOP_o

Lord protect me when I am scared, help me to share your love and grace and strength with others.

Amen

Spring into the new!

If you had just awoken from a deep sleep, one that had lasted for a long time such as a hibernation, you may have woken, looked around, squinted at the brightness of the day, and smiled. You may have thought “Wow, it is Spring!”.

‘Sun is shining, the weather is sweet, yeah’ (Bob Marley – Soul Revolution Part II [album] 1971 – Maroon-Upsetter).

Bob Marley sure did have a way with words at times, and the first line of that song certainly captured my first thought when I looked out of the window this morning.

Well, it is actually spring. The spring season started on 21^st March; we are a full 9 days into the season.

This is the season, along with Summer, Autumn, and Winter, that brings lots of rain here in the United Kingdom.

But Spring also brings so much more. It brings new life.

The Bible says that when we join with Jesus, we are new.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV).

Just as each year in spring new flowers grow, so when we live in Christ, we too are new.

Now flowers sometimes grow from existing bulbs that were previously planted, such as roses, and sometimes, we need to plant new seeds.

We do not actually become a whole new person in actuality, we are like the rose bush that flowers each year, we exist now, but when we allow Christ into our heart, we change and shine anew with the love of Christ in us.

When Jesus was presented at the temple by his parents, Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and said;

‘For my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.’ (Luke 2:30-32 NIV).

Each of us has a choice to make. Each of us has free will to make or not make the choice to follow Jesus. Each of us can turn from him, as many do, and ‘go it alone’.

Even as Christians there are those that try to solve all their issues by themselves, me included. That does not make us bad people, it just makes us human. Even Paul struggled with this problem.

‘For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good that I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing’ (Romans 7:18-19 NIV).

That does not mean that we should just give up and let our sinful human nature take over.

Being a Christian is all about change, choice.

‘The he said to them all: “whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me”’ (Luke 9:23 NIV).

Life is full of choices and if we make the right choices, then we also progress. Staying still is stagnating, we need progression.

I have recently started to teach in a limited way, some people to play guitar, and initially we are looking at chord progression, that is moving from one chord to another in a positive way that allows for the music to flow and the song to continue. When I started to learn this, it was by no way a simple procedure, and required many hours of dedicated practice.

I was once told that practice makes perfect, but how long does this take, I played a trumpet for over 41 years and practiced regularly and even after that length of time, I was no-where near perfect.

But again, being a Christian is not to be likened to a sprint, it is an ultra-marathon. A life-long pursuit towards perfection that we can never attain.

‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witness, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run the race marked out for us. Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith’ (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV).

We are not forced to follow Jesus, we can choose not to, the same way we can choose not to have insurance on our car. The choice may be a bad one if we caught by the police and end up being very costly.

But if we choose to follow the world and not Jesus, in the end, that too will be very costly. Those who follow will be allowed to live with him, but those who do not, well, they will not need a thick woolly jumper or winter coat where they are going.

‘But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, the liars, they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death.’ (Revelation 21:8 NIV).

The choice seems simple. Simply put, we were designed to love God, but we still must make that choice, God will never force us to choose him, but the Bible does tell us that Jesus wants to come into our life, he is waiting for us to open the door into our hearts where he will reside.

‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me‘ (Revelation 3:20 ESV).

In 1984, Wham released a song ‘Wake me up before you go go!’ (Wham – released 14 May 1984 – Make it Big [album] – Epic). When they performed the song, they were seen to be wearing over-sized T-shirts with the words ‘Choose Life’ emblazoned on them.

The words may have added nothing to the song, but everyone remembers them for some reason. When you speak to people, many of them know the stories of the Bible, although I have said before, they are not so much stories as historical documentation.

But, people know them or have heard them. But they stop at hearing them. The Bible says in multiple books about people hearing but not understanding. It is our job as Christians, as spreaders of the Gospel, of hearers and doers of Gods word, of people who make that daily choice to follow Jesus, or as the disciples of Rabbis used to say. To walk in the dust of the Rabbi.

It is out earthly task to live out Jesus. We should shine in the darkness of the world. We need to be the tip of the shining spear launched into the dark world. As we walk into the darkness, we should light it up with the love of Jesus that shines so easily from us because we know, love and live Him that gave it all for us.

Indeed, ‘Sun is shining, the weather is sweet, yeah’ (Bob Marley – Soul Revolution Part II [album] 1971 – Maroon-Upsetter). Let us live as though each and every day is going to be the last one that we have.

Tomorrow is not guaranteed, today is a gift, that is why it is called the present.

In the Bible group that I go to, we end with prayer, and sometimes someone will say they have nothing to pray for. I have often said that, but we all always have something to pray for; even if it is only to say thank you for another day, thank you for another chance to serve, thank you that my family love me or that I have family to love.

Whatever we do, however we do it, let do it with the attitude that we have when we wake up on a lovely Spring or Summer morning when the sun is shining.

Each day is a new day from God.

Each day is a gift from God.

Each day is a new chance to serve God.

Each day is a new choice for us to love God.

Each day is a choice.

‘Choose Life’

They assemble with grace, in a place;

To worship their King, so they bring,

Their body and soul

Not in a room with a view, not even a pew,

Yet they sing and they praise, the roof to raise,

To their King they sing.

As they do their part, with all their heart,

Humble they are, and they come from near and far.

To seek their King.

To see His face and experience grace,

They worship and pray most every day,

They assemble in that place.

Lord help me to look at each gift you give me and honour you with it. The gift of each day is more that I deserve Lord. Help me to grateful for what I have and what I get. May I always strive to run as you would have me do.

Amen.

HE HAS RISEN!

For the last week or so, we have been celebrating the life of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, or to be more specific, the death, and subsequent resurrection of Jesus.

Well, for those who believe in the Bible and Jesus, we have been celebrating.

‘He has risen, He has risen, He has risen, Jesus is alive’ (Gerald Coates, Noel Richards, & Tricia Richards – 1993).

The words state categorically, what most Christians believe, although I did hear a disturbing statement on the radio last week that said, over 20% of Christians believe that the resurrection was and is a myth!

Christmas though, seems to get all the attention, loads of adverts, lots of colour, celebrities advertising stuff etc. Yes, it is great to celebrate the birth of our Saviour and friend, but that is not all there is to it, but with no Easter celebration, there would be nothing for us at all.

If Jesus had not died, then all the prophecies in the Old Testament, would have gone un-fulfilled, and then what?

If Jesus had not risen, then where would the Gospel be, and then the church would not have started, and then what would there be?

After Peter’s denial of Christ, that would have ended it all (Matthew 26:69-75, Mark 14:66-72, Luke 22:54-62, and John 18:15-18, & 25-27).

All the disciples fled and left Jesus when he was arrested, and Jesus was left alone (Mark 14:50 NIV). Without the resurrection, that would have been it, end of story!

Jesus would have lived, spoken to many people, helped many more people, been a little outrageous in his behaviour for the day, been betrayed by an alleged friend, been left by everyone he knew, been denied by his mate, and then, end of story!

But!

That was not the end, and Paul tells us about it, and it is this story no, it is not a story, it is a I think, a ‘historical account’ that puts it all into focus.

‘After that he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.’ (1 Corinthians 15:6 NIV).

So, after Jesus had appeared to his disciples a few times, he appeared to over 500 people. So many hundreds of people saw Jesus after he had been crucified and resurrected, and that would be in today’s world, a verifiable fact, Paul is basically saying, ‘If you do not believe me, then there are about 500 other guys that you can go and check this information with’.

Peter though, always seems to be a bit of a hot head when I read through the Gospels, this is only my opinion though; especially when he told Jesus that he would not let him die when he predicted his death (Matthew 16:21-23), or that he would die rather than deny him (Mark 14:29 NIV), then he cut off an ear from one of the guys that came to arrest Jesus (John 18:10).

But ultimately Peter also went away from his friend that he has spent almost 3 years with, not physically though, but he did deny him, just as predicted (Matthew 26:69-75).

And yet, when everything had happened, Jesus was still willing to accept him as he was, faults and all.

‘For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 NIV).

All of us have a past, and some of us may still live there from time to time, because we forget, or even sometimes feel comfortable in our sin, but we ALL have something that we wish we had not done or said, or even ‘not done’!

Jesus does not care about that stuff. Well he cares, but he would never bring anything up about it; it is the past, it belongs to and in the past, and does not, should not, and if you want it, it will not define your future.

Sometimes even knowing that, it is still hard.

But Jesus, takes this to the nth degree.

Pete, the one who says lots of stuff, seemingly without thought at times. A man just like most of us are at different times of our lives. Yet even he who denied ever knowing Jesus, still had a future with Jesus!

‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ (John 21:15 NIV).

You can put your own name there, and these could be your material possessions, your big fancy car, your large house, your salary, or any other number of things that we sometimes put before Jesus in our lives.

Not one, but three times, he asks him if he loves Jesus, and three times he answers in the affirmative. ‘Yes, I love you, even though I walked away from you, even though I am scared, even though…. And the list could go on and on.

With us, we are less likely to suffer crucifixion, or abuse for knowing and loving Jesus and telling people about it, but it is still scary sometimes.

Some of Jesus’ last words to Peter are, ‘Follow me’ (John 21:19 NIV).

What are we prepared to do to follow Jesus?

All to Jesus I surrender,

All to Him I freely give.

I will ever love and trust Him,

In His presence daily live.

I Surrender All – Justin Wheeler Van De Venter – 1896

He arose from the grave,

my life he did save.

All I have I owe to Him,

Even before I knew & loved Him,

He loved me and wanted me for his own.

Jesus thank you for saving me

Thank you for loving me

Help me to be the person that you know I can be.

Freedom – I/You can have it!

‘Freedom!’ According to the film Braveheart, these were allegedly the last words or William Wallace played by Mel Gibson, as he was tortured prior to being killed (Braveheart – Paramount Pictures – 1995). But what freedom did Wallace want? Wallace and all of Scotland, wanted freedom from the oppression of the English.

Freedom is potentially something that we all want.

Teenagers want freedom from ‘nagging parents’ or schoolwork, and to be able to do whatever they want. As young adults, some want the freedom to be able to drink alcohol, go wherever they want. As grown adults, some want high-paying jobs, or job security, or a fancy car and large house. The elderly sometimes wish for freedom from loneliness, pain, or the suffering of illness. Some people now especially, want freedom from debt due to rising costs of living. But we all want freedom from something, or even something for free.

The thought of complete freedom is alluring, but nothing is completely free.

‘There is no such thing as a free lunch’ (Milton Friedman).

That statement does not literally mean that there is no free lunch, it is simply stating that at some point along the chain, somebody has got to pay for the food being consumed.

Many years back, and even more recently, some public houses used to put out free dishes of food, sausages or nuts etc. Generally, these foods had a high salt content resulting in the fact that the person eating the ‘free food’ would normally be buying more drink to satiate the thirst cause by the salt. Hence, the food was not free, as the extra drink consumed, more than paid for the food.

But still, we like the idea of free, or freedom.

The Bible says;

‘Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom’ (2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV).

That is not to say that anything that we want is free, or anything we do is free from consequences.

Hillsong sing a song, and the lyrics say;

‘I have freedom, I have freedom

Thank You Jesus, I am free

No more chains on me now in Christ I live

Thank You Jesus I am free

Freedom – 2021 – Joshua Grimmett and Reuben Morgan

To us as Christians, the freedom that we should seek, is the freedom spoken of in the song. The freedom that comes from knowing the Risen Saviour Jesus Christ. The freedom that comes from knowing that we will spend eternity with Jesus once our mortal shells expire.

This freedom is worth shouting about, and it is entirely free.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV).

‘For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been set free from sin’ (Romans 6 :6-7 NIV).

‘It is for freedom that Christ has set us free’ (Galatians 5:1 NIV).

We look at freedom and free, not as the world looks at it, with all the materialism, but as followers of Jesus.

‘Do not conform to the pattern of the world’ (Romans 12:2 NIV).

This week at church, we remembered our triumphant King entering Jerusalem on a donkey. It was brought to my attention that only royalty rode, and so as Jesus came in riding, the symbology was there. It was as if he was saying, ‘Hi, here I am your King.’

People did not understand what was happening, although there was much shouting and praising (John 12:12-16).

Jesus came and died for us, to give us something so valuable, that not even all the treasure in the world could buy it, and it is free to you and to me. We all need this valuable thing, no one can get into heaven without it.

Wow, you may be saying, give me some of this treasure, just as the Samaritan woman answered Jesus when he talked to her about living water, she recognised that there was something different about Jesus, and she wanted the gift that he was offering.

‘Sir, give me this water so that I won’t go thirsty and have to come here to keep drawing water’ (John 4:15 NIV).

So take hold of this free gift that we are celebrating at this time of the year. Grab hold of it, never let it go. Tell all your friends about the gift, encourage them to look for it and ask for it.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV italics and underline mine).

This is worth shouting about.

No more chains on me now in Christ I live

Thank You Jesus I am free

Freedom – 2021 – J Grimmett, R Morgan

Thank you Jesus.

New!

It is a few years since I have posted on here, and much has happened, and not all of it is or was good.

There is nothing new really about the blog, but maybe something new in me. There is someone in my church who has always advocated for my spiritual growth. They know that they are persistent, and equally, they have offered to stop. But, sometimes, you just cannot see the wood for the trees, so I told the person to carry on, for that very reason, they may be the words that God is trying to get through my thick skull, and I cannot, or do not want to, hear them.

I think that occasionally, you think you know what you should be doing, but that may not always be the correct path. When I joined our church, I intentionally spent the first year doing nothing but joining a men’s Bible group.

I spent time looking to God, listening to God, and waiting.

Every time that I have been asked to do something for the growth of the church or group, I always feel that it is not for me. It sounds odd, but I dislike joining groups, as there may be work that is way out of my comfort zone. It is at times like these, that I challenge God to prove that this is what he wants me to do. He generally always answers in the positive, but I challenge anyway, just as Gideon did (Judges 6:36-38).

That is not to say that every little thing has to be scrutinized, inspected, checked over, referred to the scriptures, verified, approval sought from a mentor etc., but the big decisions that can and will affect your life and others around you, I always challenge.

As an introvert, standing in front of a group of people and leading anything, is terrifying to me. Joining a worship group, I could not think of anything I would rather not do, and then add to that leading worship, definitely not for me, but, as you may guess, God had another point of view, so now that is a reality.

I am not saying all of this to sound like I am doing a huge amount in the church, or for God’s Kingdom, but I do what I do, and actually, I now enjoy it, still get terrified at the time, but I now that this is what I supposed to be doing.

The words say;

In the crushing
In the pressing
You are making new wine

Brooke Ligetwood/Hillsong – 2017

I do not feel crushed, quite the opposite. After I walked away from God, leaving the church and everything far behind me, and before I made the journey back to church, and the only place that I had ever felt ‘at home‘ life really did crush me. It pressed in from all sides. It harassed me, it showed me things that helped me make bad decisions, it took me towards the easy path, and I took it!

I did not think during this season of my life, I just did, and did a lot of it. Although life felt good, it was in actuality, leading me on a path of destruction. A path, at when I saw the end, I thought there was no return. A path of lies, deceit, destruction, and failure.

It was not my failure that bothered me upon my return to church, what really bothered and hurt me, was my failure in the eyes of God.

Then I read the Psalms, and looked anew upon myself.

‘Blessed are ALL who take refuge in him’ (Psalm 2:12 NIV – itallics and bold – mine).

‘In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you’ (Psalm 5:3 NIV).

‘You make known to me the path of life’ (Psalm 16:11 NIV).

It was not that I had gone on a rampage denouncing God, but I had made a choice. At the time I did not reckon on the consequences, as I thought, what could happen to me?

All choices in life have to be dealt with, both good and bad. If we choose to thieve from somebody, then there will be a reckoning with the police and the judicial system. If we lie to people, then ultimately, unless we have an impeccable memory, we will get found out, and then who will ever believe anything that we say, it is like ‘crying wolf‘.

None of this is written to make me sound better than anyone else, I know my limitations.

But, there is and will always be, for each and everyone of us, a person like the one who knows me, will constantly pray for you/me, help you/me when not at your best, will encourage you/me to try harder, be better, be the man or woman that they know God can see.

This is not new, it is just a better version trying to get out, a better version trying to do what God wants, a better version, just, trying.

So I yield to You into Your careful hand
When I trust You I don’t need to understand

Make me Your vessel
Make me an offering
Make me whatever You want me to be
I came here with nothing
But all You have given me
Jesus bring new wine out of me

Brooke Ligertwood/ Hillsong – 2017

I think that now is a time for something NEW!

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‘I’ve heard a thousand stories of what they think You’re like’
(Good, Good Father – T. Brown, P. Barrett – 2016)

 

 

When I was younger, many years ago, I remember that I had to do many things alone; it was not that I did not have any friends or siblings, but some things I wanted to do with my father but he was not there.

As youngsters, we crave our father’s attention, but mine had gone. This was through no fault of his, for he had died at a young age, but this still left a rather large hole in my life.

My mother was still around, but a teenager trying to ‘gel’ with his mother just did not work, and I became an angry kid, and felt that the pressure of growing up had now been forced upon me.

Fast forward many years and I too became a father to three amazing kids, not amazing because they did or do anything, but amazing because all life is God given, and therefore amazing.

Equally, I did just the thing that my father had done to me, but this time it was worse because it was a choice I made.

I have no delusions about my score out of 10 for being a father, I failed big time. There were mitigating factors in my leaving, but leave I did, and by leaving, failed my children! I did still speak to them and visit them regularly but I was not ‘there’.

When look back to my childhood, and my parenthood, one thing sticks out, neither my father nor me as a father, were or are perfect. That is a sobering thought.

I remember a few years ago, visiting a local church that was having a men’s night, and the watched a film called ‘Courageous‘ (2011 – Affirm Films, Provident Films, Sherwood Pictures).

I left that night with the words of Stephen Amell’s character ‘Oliver Queen’  ringing in my ears when his character would say to some ‘bad guy’ ‘You have failed this city’ (Arrow 2010-2020 – The CW). I realised how much I had failed my children.

It is not all doom and gloom though, my relationship with my children is good, but it could always be better. I may not be a perfect father, but I am available to my children through modern technology, wherever and whenever they need me.

As I got older, and started to look at The Bible, I soon realised that even though I had felt alone as a child, I was not;

‘because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you”. So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper” ‘ (Hebrews 13:5-6 NIV).

We are not alone, even when we do feel alone, God is with us. And even better than that, we read in the Psalms;

‘I will proclaim the LORD’S decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father” ‘ (Psalm 2::7 NIV).

I was thrilled when I read that!

Even though I have no earthly dad, God is my heavenly Father, a father that will surpass all earthly fathers, even if they tried 100% all the time, at some point they would get it wrong, God never will. God does not make mistakes.

God chose me, before anything was done, before he even spoke creation into being, I was loved and chosen by God;

‘And he chose us to be his very own, joining us to himself even before he laid the foundation of the universe’ (Ephesians 1:4 TPT).

And when he had chosen us and then spoke creation into being, he took choosing us, one step further;

‘then God said, “Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness” ‘ (Genesis 1:26 ESV).

And while we were being formed in God’s image;

‘My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body’ (Psalm 139:15-16 NIV).

Just look at how special we are, chosen before anything happened, and then we were formed by God in His image.

Take a minute and drink that in.

We are intimately known by God!

Earthly fathers are great, they will probably love you, play games with you, help with homework, until it gets too difficult; and generally they will try their best in all things (well, most will). Most will try to be there for important occasions, or when you need them most, but at times, life and work will get in the way of these things.

But, your heavenly father is perfect, he will always be available, 24-7, and there will never be a time when God is not available to you; you can talk to him any time, and any place. God will never promise you something and renege on it;

‘so shall my word be that goes out of my mouth; it shall not return to me empty’ (Isaiah 55:11 ESV).

If God says something, then that is what will be. It may not be when we want it, but it will be at some point.

So to all those out there that are feeling sad, lonely, unloved, depressed and alone, I say, turn to God and let him be the perfect Father to you, he loves you already, all he wants is for you to turn to him and call out to him, then he will answer just as he did to the Psalmist;

‘ “You are my son (daughter); today I have become your father” ‘ (Psalm 2:7 NIV – addition mine).

 

Oh, I’ve heard a thousand stories of what they think You’re like
But I’ve heard the tender whisper of love in the dead of night
And You tell me that You’re pleased and that I’m never alone

 Oh, and I’ve seen many searching for answers far and wide
But I know we’re all searching for answers only You provide
‘Cause You know just what we need before we say a word

 You’re a good, good Father
It’s who You are, it’s who You are, it’s who You are
And I’m loved by You
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am

Because You are perfect in all of Your ways
You are perfect in all of Your ways
You are perfect in all of Your ways to us

Oh, it’s love so undeniable, I, I can hardly speak
Peace so unexplainable, I, I can hardly think
As You call me deeper still
As You call me deeper still
As You call me deeper still into love, love, love

 

Good Good Father

Tony Brown, Pat Barrett

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ak0OoFBw3c

 

Father we thank you for everything that we have because we know that all we have comes from you. We especially thank you for being the perfect Father even though we do not deserve this. Everyone has not experienced the love and security of a good earthly father, but we know that when we turn to you, you are always there for us, guiding and teaching, and loving us, even when we fail. Lord we love you.

Amen

Life or Death?

‘I will follow Him’

(N Gimbel, A Altman,J Plante, M Pourcel, P Mauriant)

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Do you ever feel like your life is running in a loop?

Do you ever get that feeling of ‘déjà vu’? You know, the feeling that you have already done something similar in your life, or that exact same thing you are going through in the present?

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary describes this as;

‘the illusion of remembering scenes and events when experienced for the first time’, or, ‘a feeling that one has seen or heard something before’, or even, ‘something overly or unpleasantly familiar’. (Merriam-Webster online dictionary – https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/d%C3%A9j%C3%A0%20vu – accessed 01/08/21).

There are many films that deal with this subject; the main ones that I recall are ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ (aka. ‘Live, Die, Repeat’ – Warner Bros. 2014 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edge_of_Tomorrow – accessed 01/08/21) and ‘Groundhog Day’ (Columbia Pictures – 1993 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day_(film) – accessed 01/08/21).

The scenarios of both films are similar, the lead character has to break the time loop that they find themselves in, and they happen upon realising this when they recognise that they are repeating every day, and everything in that day, over and over again.

When I was younger, I made mistakes, and some real good ones. When I did, occasionally I had to be punished; but once I had been punished, I did not need telling that if I did the same thing again, then the punishment would be just the same or worse.

I now have no-one to punish me if I make stupid mistakes, unless they turn out to be illegal mistakes, and then there is someone who would punish me, so I avoid those types of mistakes like the plague!

But I still make silly mistakes.

The difference with me now, is that I have given my life over to Jesus, but, I still find myself making these silly mistakes. I am stuck in my own loop of mistake, repent, okay, mistake, repent okay.

The Bible says that once we turn to Jesus we are different;

‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV).

And the reason that I can turn to Christ in the first place is also an undeserved reason;

‘For God so loved the world that his sent his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 NIV).

‘While we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son’ (Romans 5:10 NIV).

You see, God did not send Jesus because the human race deserved the ultimate sacrifice so that we could have a relationship with God, no; but;

‘You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly’ (Romans 5:6 NIV).

So, I can turn to Jesus and trust him to love me unconditionally and also remember what Jesus told his followers;

‘Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’ (John 8:12 NIV).

This path is by no means easy; it means a complete life overhaul!

Every so often, when you own and drive a car, you service it; and when you read the service book (I am sad and read mine) you realise that there are different levels of service, from routine, to major.

When you run to Jesus and start to follow him, you initially need a major Spiritual service. You need to tune your life into the Creator of the cosmos. You need to start to take tuition from the major life handbook ‘The Bible’ and you need to start to hang-around with other like-minded people.

If you do this, as I have, then making the same mistakes will slowly change from regularly making them, to occasionally making them, to ‘I hope’ not making them!

If we choose not to follow Jesus, and keep making the mistakes that we do in our life, it will not end well;

‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23 NIV – emphasis mine).

But, we have changed! This does not mean that life now will be easy, and there will be no temptations for us to deal with, even Paul struggled;

‘For I do not do the good that I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing’ (Romans 7:19 NIV).

When he says that he does evil, he probably does not mean steal or murder, but it is easy to lose our focus and get caught up with worldly things, which is why he also said;

‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’ (Romans 12:2 NIV).

So we have a choice to make, a daily and sometimes hourly choice, and that choice is to make a choice. What would Jesus do in this situation? There are no easy solutions to this dilemma, but we should check each decision against what the Bible tells us to do, which, again is not always easy.

But we do have a choice to make. Do we want to live in our old sinful lives, or do we want to have that grace that Jesus offers to those who decide to follow him?

Well, all I can say is the same as Joshua said to the nation of Israel;

‘As for me and my household, we will serve [worship, praise, adore, learn from, love, teach about, follow] the LORD’ (Joshua 24:15 NIV – additions mine).

‘For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace’ (Romans 6:14 NIV).

Turn to Jesus and get some of that amazing grace!

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Who breaks the power of sin and darkness?
Whose love is mighty and so much stronger?
The King of glory, the King above all kings
Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder?
And leaves us breathless in awe and wonder?
The King of glory, the King above all kings

Who brings our chaos back into order?
Who makes the orphans a son and daughter?
The King of glory, the King of glory
Who rules the nations with truth and justice
Shines like the sun in all of its brilliance
The King of glory, the King above all kings

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy, worthy, worthy

This is amazing grace
This is unfailing love
That You would take my place
That You would bear my cross

You laid down Your life
That I would be set free
Oh, Jesus, I sing for
All that You’ve done for me

All that You’ve done for me

This Is Amazing Grace

J. Farro, P. Wickham, J. Riddle

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Father we thank you for sending your Son to this sinful unworthy world. Lord we recognise the fact that we really need your Son to help us to live better lives. Lord, help us to be better than we were yesterday, and not to get stuck in places that we do not want to be. Be with us always as you have promised. Lord we love you.

Amen

Follow, Trust – leave the boat!

‘I will follow Him’
(N Gimbel, A Altman,J Plante, M Pourcel, P Mauriant)

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I bet for many people, the last 18 months or so has been difficult in one way or another. The COVID 19 pandemic has decimated the way that we live.

Things we thought of as everyday things, such as going shopping with friends, or going to the cinema, and visiting friends and family, all stopped or were severely limited.

This has caused many people to start to suffer with anxiety now, at the prospect of being able to do the things we took for granted.

But now the government has started to lift restrictions, even though some shops and places we visit may still ask us to wear face coverings in certain circumstances, will life return to normal?

Normal is a subjective word.

Normal for the past 18 months has been limited visitations to people; normal has been wearing a face covering in all indoor situations; normal has been very far from our ‘old normal’.

Some things though do not change!

The past 18 months, I have struggled with not being able to physically go to a place of worship and share fellowship with other Christians. I have struggled with not being able to sing worship with other believers. I have struggled and have felt a distance opening up between myself and God, and I know that it is me that is moving.

Whatever the situation, whether there is a global pandemic, whether there are wars raging, or whether you have lost someone close to you, and that, unfortunately is quite likely with the deaths associated with the pandemic. Whatever is happening in your life, there is one thing that you need to know and cling to like a drowning person clings to a piece of wood!

God loves us! The prophet Daniel prayed saying;

‘LORD, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments’ (Daniel 9:4 NIV).

We should know that we are loved, the Bible screams love at us constantly, in fact the whole story revolves around love, in fact, the reason Jesus came is due to love, the love that God felt for us his people (John 3:16).

When we feel alone, it is not God who has abandoned us; it is down to us straying.

When you are training a puppy, you would not let it off the lead the very first time you take it outside, you would maybe let it have a longer lead, but keep it under control until it obeys you and comes back to you whenever you call it. So, as you learn to be godly by surrounding yourself with other like-minded people, and with God’s word, or as Paul calls it;

‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God’  (Ephesians 6:17 NIV).

As we do this, we learn how to behave as Jesus did, and how to grow to be like him. Once you know this and do this, it is generally easier to then be alone without other Christians, but if this being alone gets too extended as I felt it did with me, and then we may drift and require placing back on the correct path, a little reorienting back onto the true course. Have you ever wondered why there is always someone monitoring their course on a large ship, a few degrees of is enough over a long distance to make a massive difference in the position of where they should be. We have our guide, who is just waiting for us to call to them;

‘I hear the LORD saying, “I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway of your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide” ‘ (Psalm 32:8 TPT).

So the past 18 months have been hard, and it is only recently that I have felt my life returning to an even keel, where I have felt happier and closer to God.

But like I said earlier, when we feel that there is a void between ourselves and God, unfortunately it is us who has moved, God will ever leave us;

‘I will never leave you alone, never! And I will not loosen my grip on your life!’ (Hebrews 13:5 TPT).

Just like the drowning man will cling to anything that floats, when we feel our life moving away from God, we need to cling to him, Just as Peter did when he left the boat to join Jesus on the water (Matthew 15:28-31). But, sometimes in life, we have to be courageous; sometimes we need to leave the safety of ‘the boat‘ to actually live in the light and love of Jesus, and to show this to the people around us who we meet in our general everyday life

Life generally gets in the way at times, and staying focussed on God when money is short, or you are unwell can be difficult, but focussing on God is what we should be doing first and foremost above everything else.

There is no one else in the world that can help you as much as God, trust in him always and above all else;

LORD, it is so much better to trust in you to save me that to put my confidence in someone else.’ (Psalm 118:8 TPT).

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When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Oh, Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

And ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

 Trust and Obey

Don Moen

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Father we thank you that we can come to you whenever we are in trouble and you will help us. Helps us to trust you and constantly look to you in all situations, that we may fully know you and follow you closely all the days of our lives.

Amen

God wants you to ‘believe, trust, obey = faith’

‘When I am afraid, I put my trust in you’ (Psalm 56:3 NIV)

When we are young, we rely heavily on our parents and guardians for almost all of our needs, if not all of them.

When they say “Do not do that, you will hurt yourself” we generally believe them, for why should they lie to us?

When they say that we need to go to school to get an education, again we believe them. Even more so now with the scarcity of jobs and the amount of people applying, with some jobs attracting 250 or more applicants, and only 1 job being available (https://zety.com/blog/hr-statistics#:~:text=Resume%20Statistics,-Here’s%20what%20recruiters&text=Nation%20Report%202016)-,On%20average%2C%20each%20corporate%20job%20offer%20attracts%20250%20resumes.,one%20will%20get%20the%20job. – accessed 09/05/2021).

As we get older, we start to think rationally for ourselves, and start to make our own choices. The choices of our parents or guardians will still affect these, as we have learnt from them and learnt what and how they think, so some of our thinking follows those lies of thought, unless we rebel against all that we have known.

So, the older we get, the more independent we become, and as we gather friends around us, they also change the way that we make decisions, again based on their upbringing and input into our life.

So when we are looking at our parents and guardians, and the decisions that they made for us, and the things that they told us, and we realise that they were correct and nothing they did was intentioned to hurt us, why do some of us still decide not to look to our heavenly Father and trust what he says is right for us.

But it is not just about what God says that we should believe, we should also believe that he will do what he says, for whatever God says is true!

‘my word that goes out of my mouth: It will not return empty to me’ (Isaiah 55:11 NIV).

So if we believe that what God says will happen, then all the good things that are written within the pages of the Bible are there for us;

‘For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope’ (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV).

So, God has a plan for each and every one of us, those who follow what God wants of us, and for those who do not follow God. We are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) so inevitably, God wants what is best for us.

God wants the best for us because we are his sons and daughters;

‘You are my son (daughter); today I have become you father’ (Psalm 1:7 NIV – addition mine).

We belong in his family, and what family leader does not want the best for their off-spring?

‘Which of you fathers [or mothers], if your son [or daughter] asks for a fish will give him [or her] a snake instead? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’ (Luke 11:11 & 13 NIV – additions mine).

So, as an earthly parent or guardian, we are sinful people who do bad things;

‘for we all have sinned and are in need of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 TPT).

But, even so, we know how to look after our chares and give them good things to help nurture them and help them grow up healthy.

But, God being so much more, and so much better than us, not capable of sinning or doing evil, not capable of anything bad, how much more will he help us and guide us to maturity of both mind and body?

We just have to believe him and trust him and follow him; if we do this then ultimately we will be living with him;

‘My Father’s house has many dwelling places… because I go to prepare a place for you. And when everything is ready, I will come back and take you to myself so that you will be where I am. (John 14:2-3 TPT).

So, we should really trust God, for if we do, when our earthly life is over, then we will be living with him eternally. And whilst we are on this earth, he is with us wherever we go and whatever we do, although we may have no earthly companions to help us or be with us during our troubles, God is always there no matter what;

‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid’ (Hebrews 13:6 NIV).

But even more important in my opinion is the fact that we never have to ‘go-it-alone’;

‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).

We need God, and not only in the bad times; and we also need him in the good times, guiding us and restoring us, giving us his peace and his light and righteousness.

‘Taste and see that the LORD is good’ (Psalm 24:8 NIV).

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When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Oh, Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

And ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

 

Trust and Obey

Don Moen

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Father we thank you that we can come to you whenever we are in trouble and you will help us. Helps us to trust you and believe the words that are written in The Bible, help us to live them out and show others your light and love and great mercy, and tell them that it is freely available to all who seek you and trust and obey you.

Amen

A life self-centred or with Jesus at the centre?

‘And everything revolves around you’

(Jesus at the Centre – I. Houghton, M. Massey, A. Rannery, A. A. Ranney)

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What is at the centre of your life?

What is the one thing that you really enjoy doing, the thing that you spend your free time pursuing?

Many of my friends love to watch football; they can reel-off player’s names and clubs that they have played for; they can reel-off match statistics until you think they are never going to stop. They will know who is playing who, when they last met, what the score was and even who scored! For them, football is one of the most important things in their life.

I do not follow football, I will watch some international games, but I am no fan.

For me, it has always been about music. When I was a child, I remember some evenings listening to a record with my parent and siblings, or listening to the charts on the radio as they counted down to number 1.

When I was in my junior school we learnt to play the recorder like many children do or did, and when I went to secondary school, I started to learn to play the trumpet, and later after I had left secondary school, I learnt the flute and bugle, and then recently, the guitar.

As I grew up and left school and started to work, I also started to attend church, in my late teens. At this point in my life music played a really large part, as I was playing in a brass band and on weekends, we either played concerts or played in contests.

In the words of a well-known song; ‘music was my first love’ (John Miles 2008).

But The Bible actually tells us that first and foremost, we should not be seeking what we want and what makes us feel better, we should be seeking Jesus and his kingdom;

‘So above all, constantly chase the realm of God’s kingdom and the righteousness that proceeds from him’ (Matthew 6:33 TPT).

When I started to attend church, various people commented on my gift for music, but it was not until I was about 50, that someone in a church service made a comment about wasting gifts.

I belonged to a church where I assisted a number of other in leading communal singing. My life there was not happy, and I felt that I was not looking to God during the services, but at my watch and wondering ‘when will this end?’

I was in a state that I could not listen to or for God I was on my own, and yet I knew that the Bible told me not to be that way;

‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight’ (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV).

I recognised that and decided that something needed to change, and the change had to come from me! I could not worship God if I was looking at my watch and waiting to go home, and not looking at the cross and what Jesus had done for me.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 NIV).

We moved churches, and settled in a new one.

I decided that I was going to do nothing at the church other than worship the Risen Lord, to look to him for guidance and all my daily needs.

This all went well until the day that a friend mentioned about wasting gifts. They basically said that if you have a gift and you are not using it to worship God or show others God’s amazing love, then you were squandering the gift, and worse, because God gives us so much more than we deserve, it is almost like being given an present by a friend and saying, ‘But I don’t want this!’

That took me back all the way to my teens to when I heard similar phrases and comments from people but had rejected them thinking that I knew what was best for my life as I was leading my life.

Now as a more mature person (unless you ask the wife) I looked at the person and realised that God was speaking directly to me through them, he was saying;

‘I have given you this great gift with which you can really bless others, and I do not see or hear you using it, why not?’

I could not answer this, and decided to change the status quo, I needed to honour God with the gift that he had given me;

‘Glorify God with all your wealth [or gifts] honouring him with your very best, with every increase that come to you’ (Proverbs 3:9 TPT – addition mine).

I now help in the worship team, and assist the worship leaders in any way that I can.

I have always liked music, but now can really help make a difference and help to lead others, through song, to the Risen Lord.

So again I ask, what is at the centre of your life?

For me that is still easy, music, and it always will be, but now it is so much more. When I am at home, I sing worship to my King, and when I am at church, I help to lead others to Jesus, I help to hear what an amazing God we serve.

So, what is at the centre of your life?

For me, it is Jesus!

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Jesus at the centre of it all
Jesus at the centre of it all
From beginning to the end
It will always be, it’s always been You, Jesus,
Jesus

Nothing else matters
Nothing in this world will do
Jesus You’re the centre
And everything revolves around You,
Jesus, You

Jesus be the centre of my life
Jesus be the centre of my life
From beginning to the end
It will always be, it’s always been You, Jesus
Oh, Jesus

From my heart to the Heavens
Jesus be the centre
It’s all about You
Yes it’s all about You

Jesus at the centre of the church
Jesus at the centre of the church
And every knee will bow,
Every tongue confess You

Jesus at the Centre

I. Houghton, M. Massey, A. Rannery, A. A. Ranney

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Father we thank you that you created this world for us to live in. Lord we know that we fail you in so many ways, Lord help us to loo to you, to put you at the centre of our live. Help us to live out the words of the song and be able to say the Jesus you are truly at the centre of our lives. Lord we love you Lord.

Amen

Reality or eternity which do you prefer??

‘None are known to be good, till they have opportunity to be bad’ (Benjamin Whichcote – 1609 – 1683)

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Reality TV! But is it really real?

Reality TV has been about in one form or another since television began to broadcast. People watching people, and when you speak to lots of people, they say that they really enjoy it.

Whether it is real or scripted, that is the question, but shows such as ‘Candid Camera’ (1948 – 2014) where viewers watched and laughed at pranks played on the unsuspecting, or shows such as ‘Game for a laugh’ (1981 – 1985), ‘MasterChef’ (1990 – 2001 & 2005 – present), ‘Big Brother’ (2000 – 2018), or ‘Temptation Island’ (2001 – 2003). Shows like these and numerous others have entertained viewers for years.

Some shows may not be ‘your cup of tea’ but shows only remain live if the ratings are good.

But shows that put people under the spotlight, like ‘Temptation Island’ and ‘Big Brother’, do they really portray the real person, or do the contestants play-up and to the ‘hidden’ cameras.

If you see people taking photographs of their partners or children, and they tell them that they are doing this, may will stop and pose for the picture, is that real? When photographs are taken unsuspectingly, surely we would get a better more natural picture?

But again, some shows put people together for extended periods of time, and there are added stresses of being away from friends, family, spouses, and sometimes these are seen in the show where people make bad decisions, and millions of people see these mistakes.

Temptation is always just around the corner;

‘Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour’ (1 Peter 5:8 TPT).

So, whatever we are doing, the devil is always lurking nearby, ready to tempt us, just as Jesus was tempted (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13).

We are told that we should always focus on Jesus;

‘But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness’ (Matthew 6:33 NIV).

We should look to Jesus and him alone for what we should do and how we should live.

We should live in this world and be alight that shines out for others to see. We cannot be of the world and let all the things of the world cloud out what is important in life, Jesus!

‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’ (Romans 12:2 NIV).

We should live in this world, but not let the ‘worldly ways’ distract us from the important task of letting people we come into contact with, know about the love, grace and mercy of Jesus, and how choosing to follow him can save their lives.

How do we do that?

Well we live in this world, but do not let our hearts be swayed by what the world offers, because that is not eternal, Jesus is!

‘How could you worship two gods at the same time? You will have to hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t worship the true God while enslaved to the god of money!’ (Matthew 6:24 TPT).

So, be part of the world, but have your heart firmly set with Jesus;

‘Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires’ (Romans 8:5 NIV).

So remember to live in the world with all that will tempt you away from the cross, but each and every day, decide to say “no” to the world and follow Jesus. Live a life of example to all the people around you. Worship only God and not the worldly things that some people have.

Focus on what is eternally important, and that is Jesus and the hope that he gives us.

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I believe in the Son
I believe in the risen One
I believe, I overcome
By the power of His blood

I was dead in the grave
I was covered in sin and shame
I heard mercy call my name
He rolled the stone away

Because He lives (He lives)
I can face tomorrow
Because He lives (He lives)
Every fear is gone
I know (I know) He holds (He holds) my life (my life)
My future in His hands

Amen, Amen
I’m alive, I’m alive because He lives
Amen (Amen), Amen (Amen)
Let my song join the one that never ends

Because He lives
Because He lives

Because He Lives (Amen)

J. Ingram, C. Tomlin, M. Maher, D. Carson, W. J. Gaither, E. M. Cash, G. L. Gaither

Father we thank you that you sent your Son to this world to redeem us from our lives of sin and darkness and to give us another chance at life. Help us to resist temptation when it comes our way and turn and run to you. Help us to resist evil and to live lives that are truly worthy of the sacrifice that your Son made. Lord we love you Lord.

Amen

The Cross!

‘From the cross God declares, “I love you” ’ (Billy Graham)

I have recently been watching a show of television that was recommended to me. There are many shows that people recommend due to one point or another, many are reality television shows that I have absolutely no interest in. The one that I have decided to watch though is a post-apocalyptic drama that is set on a train that is in constant motion.

The show is Netflix’s Snowpiercer (Netflix – 17 May 2020).

In season 2, there is an episode that visits a ‘tea room’ on the train. The tea room is a place where people of differing religions can visit and contemplate life etc. There is also a tea-cup on a stand at the end of the room, and the ‘pastor’ running the room said that although each person may have differing spiritual views, but, from wherever they sit, stand or kneel in the room, they can all see the cup, and from whatever angle or viewpoint they see the cup, it is still the same cup (Netflix – Snowpiercer – season 2, episode 2 – ‘Smoulder to Life’ – first aired 1 February 2021).

That got me thinking!

The cross is the symbol of modern Christianity, and has been for many years, but what do other people see when they look at it?

When people look at the cross, what do they see; do they see a symbol of gruesome punishment, torture and death? Do they see anything past the timber post and cross-piece? Do they see a future? Do they see you, the people that they know to be Christians?

When I was younger, I never considered the cross at all. I never went to church, and when I did, it was for, as my Uncle used to say, hatches, matches and dispatches, or births, marriages and funerals.

Many people these days do not attend a church regularly, and even when they do attend a church, it is general only for Christmas services or some other special service. So, what do they see when they look at the cross?

When I see the cross, I see a symbol of my redemption, of love, hope and peace.

I am far from a perfect person, but know that one day I will be taken to heaven where I will be a new person. I know that even though I am a sinner and do things that are wrong, Jesus died for me, because;

‘While we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8 NIV).

When we talk about sin, many people will say that they do not sin, and that they are good people, and there are many good people that do not attend church, but everyone has sinned or done wrong at some point in their life, even if they do not want to admit it;

‘for we have all sinned and are in need of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 TPT).

I also know that when I decided to turn from my wrong-doings and follow Jesus that I was changed from within, I still look the same, but Jesus changed my heart;

‘Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he (or she) has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold everything is fresh and new’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 TPT – addition mine).

That does not mean that I will no longer do anything that I should not, for all of us are human;

‘For in my inner being I delight in God’s law’ (Romans 7:22 NIV).

‘I am a mystery to myself, for I want to do what is right, but end up doing what my moral instincts condemn’ (Romans 7:15 TPT).

When you decide to follow Jesus, you are changed, but the world and its sinful ways is still there. You have to decide each and every day that you are going to follow Jesus;

‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me’ (Luke 9:23 NIV).

So each and every day, we must make a difference in our life, we must make a choice, and that choice is to follow Jesus. It may not be a popular choice with some people, because things draw our focus, they try to make us concerned with other things, material things, and things of this world. We need to be in this world, but not of it;

‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’ (Romans 12:2 NIV).

We need to look at the cross, as the citizens aboard ‘Snowpiercer’ look at their tea-cup that is on the stand, and we need to see it as it is.

The cross is where Jesus said “I love you” then, like a child when they spread their arm to show you something is big, Jesus stretched out his arms to show you how much he loved you, and then he died for you and me.

But we can have hope, because Jesus also said;

’And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’ (Matthew 28:20 NIV).

We know that it did not end with Jesus on the cross. My cross is empty, because Jesus rose and went to heaven to wait for us.

Make the choice today to follow Jesus, choose life!

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I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

Tho’ none go with me, I still will follow,
Tho’ none go with me I still will follow,
Tho’ none go with me, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry till I see Jesus,
My cross I’ll carry till I see Jesus;
No turning back, No turning back.

The world behind me, the cross before me,
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

I have Decided to Follow Jesus

Traditional / Leslie B. Tucker

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Father we thank you that you sent your Son to this world to redeem us from our lives of sin and darkness and to give us another chance at life. Thank you for your love and grace, and most of all, we thank you for Jesus. We love you Lord.

Amen

You will seek and find me when you seek me with all your heart – Jeremiah 29:13

‘He is not here’ (Matthew 28:6 NIV)

In all the madness that had transpired, and all the sadness at what the disciples did not understand had happened, this time now, was the fulfilment of what had to happen.

The disciples saw their mentor and Messiah, crucified and they did not fully understand what was happening.

Numerous times, Jesus predicted that he would die (Mark 8:31, Mark 9:31, Mark 10:33-34) yet even after this, they did not understand, and if we had been there, we would probably not have understood either.

Peter even tried to tell Jesus that he would not let him be killed;

‘Peter took him aside to correct him privately. He reprimanded Jesus over and over, saying to him, “God forbid, Master! Spare yourself. You must never let this happen to you!” ‘ (Matthew 16:22 TPT).

Jesus was quite definite in his response, that Peter did not understand the bigger picture;

‘You are a stumbling block to me, you do not have in mind the concerns of God’ (Matthew 16:23 NIV).

Even now, when I think about what Jesus did for us, for me, I am constantly amazed and awed into submission to the God who would freely give everything that he was, to come to this world and take my sins onto himself, just to give me a second chance of living a life worthy of an everlasting hope in the future.

Wow!

Even though Jesus told them explicitly that he would rise again;

‘he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life’ (Matthew 16:21 NIV).

‘and after three days rise again’ (Mark 8:31 NIV).

‘and after three days he will rise’ (Mark 9:31 NIV).

‘Three days later he will rise’ (Mark 10:34).

They either did not fully understand, or were not prepared to let him go. Either way would not work for the redemption of mankind. Jesus needed to, had to die for us.

Sometimes Jesus used similes, such as when he referred to Jonah as a sign;

‘For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation’ (Luke 11:30 NIV).

Either way, what happened all those years ago, had to happen to save everyone in the world. Jesus was the perfect unblemished lamb, the only perfect lamb that was ever, and will ever be.

In this modern society, with all its draws, enticing us away from Jesus, we need to be careful on what and where we focus our lives. Money, belongings, power, these may seem nice at the time, but they are worldly and will fade over time, and then what will we have?

Jesus is the only thing that we can have that is eternal.

Turn to Jesus, trust him with your life, foe he is worthy. He alone is worthy of our trust, our complete love, or total devotion, and of all we have and will have!

Jesus paid the debt he did not owe, because we could not pay the debt we owed.

‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!’ (Luke 24:5-6 NIV).

There is only one thing left to remind us of, and it is something that we may have to tell ourselves in the times when we struggle; we may have to tell our friends when their lives seem to be falling apart, we may also wish someone to tell us that simple truth when we struggle with life and all the pressures that can come;

HE IS RISEN!

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He has risen, he has risen,
He has risen Jesus is alive.

When the life flowed from his body,
Seemed like Jesus’ mission failed;
But his sacrifice accomplished,
Victory over sin and hell.

In the grave God did not leave him,
For his body to decay;
Raised to life, the great awakening,
Satan’s power he overcame.

If there were no resurrection,
We ourselves could not be raised;
But the Son of God is living,
So our hope is not in vain.

When the Lord rides out of heaven,
Mighty angels at his side;
They will sound the final trumpet,
From the grave we shall arise.

He has given life immortal,
We shall see him face to face;
Through eternity we’ll praise him,
Christ the champion of our faith.

He Has Risen

G. Coates, N. Richards, T. Richards

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Father we thank you that you sent your Son to this world to redeem us from our lives of sin and darkness. Thank you for your love and grace, and most of all, we thank you for Jesus. We love you Lord.

Amen

O Come to the Altar

‘O come to the alter’ (Elevation Worship February 2017)

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It has now been over 12 months that we have had restrictions due to COVID 19.

Family has become a hard thing to actually live out, especially when you cannot go to see them, hug them, laugh with them, and be with them to support them whenever they need it.

Even going out to enjoy the natural world around us has had restrictions set.

For some, even work was a no-no. My wife has been going stir crazy staying at home day after day. She only had a few weeks in the middle of last year where she could go to work.

Some people moan almost daily about going to work, either they do not like the job, or their boss works them really hard, but take that work away from them, and they soon want to go back.

 Church became very difficult to organise. I know ministers who spent days and days setting up sets and working out what to do to both keep people interested in church, and get the message of the Gospel out.

But some things do not change. God never changes!

‘He will never leave you’ Moses told Joshua (Deuteronomy 30:8).

So throughout the pandemic, when total chaos seemed to reign, when friends and loved-ones died, when we were furloughed from work and alone, when we felt the depression of not knowing what was happening; in those times and all the similar times that we may face later in life, we are and will not ever be alone.

I used to find this statement embarrassing, the fact that God is with me when I am sinning and doing things that hurt him, but, I now relax into it, as I know that I am never truly alone.

Do not have a job at present? Lean into God and ask him for help;

‘When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD; he brought me into a spacious place’ (Psalm 118:5 NIV).

‘In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he answered me’ (Psalm 120:1 RSV).

‘In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears’ (Psalm 18:6 ESV).

There is much that we can learn from the Psalmists. In times of trouble they did not ‘go it alone’, they turned to an immovable rock, God, they called out to God and he heard and answered them.

We should learn to do the same because at times there will be no-one around, we will be alone, but only physically, spiritually we are never alone;

‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).

We need to trust what we read in The Bible, it helps us, teaches us, and guides us, and if God has said that we will always have him with us, we need to trust that.

Jesus said the same thing to the disciples;

‘And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’ (Matthew 28:20 NIV).

SO in all the mess and chaos of the last year have we truly leant on God? I know that I have failed at this many times, when I thought it was all a mess and could not find direction in my life. Going it alone never works well for me, I don’t know why I do it. Well it is because we are human, ever since the time of The Fall (Genesis 3) humans have listened to bad advice, done things that we should not.

But maybe now it is time to make a resolution to follow Jesus again, or turn from your own path and follow the person who can really help us.

Listen, you can hear if you try, Jesus is calling;

‘O come to the alter’ (Elevation Worship February 2017).

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Are you hurting and broken within?
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin?
Jesus is calling
Have you come to the end of yourself
Do you thirst for a drink from the well?
Jesus is calling

O come to the altar
The Father’s arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ

Leave behind your regrets and mistakes
Come today there’s no reason to wait
Jesus is calling
Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy
From the ashes a new life is born
Jesus is calling (Oh, oh)

Saviour, What a Saviour

Oh, what a Saviour
Isn’t He wonderful?
Sing Hallelujah, Christ is risen
Bow down before Him
For He is Lord of all
Sing Hallelujah, Christ is risen

Bear your cross as you wait for the crown
Tell the world of the treasure you found

Elevation Worship

W. Joye / M. Brock / C. Brown / S. Furtick

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Father we thank you that you are always here for us, that no matter what we have done, no matter how many times we turn from you, you always welcome us back with open arms. We are sorry for the times that we fail you and ask that you forgive us our sins. You are the best thing for us, for you are truly are a good, good Father. Lord we love you.

Amen

Christ came for us!

‘Christ the everlasting Lord’ (Noel – E. Cash / M. Redman / C. Tomlin)

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It’s nice at Christmastime to visit friends and family to spend time with them, and to swap gifts, but this last Christmas was different, we were not allowed to mix as in previous years. We had to visit people, and drop  their presents whilst ‘socially-distanced’, and basically spend time only with our immediate family.

Even so, for our family, this did not diminish from the event, and we swapped gifts, opened them, and enjoyed them.

But Christmas is not only about giving gifts to people we love or close friends. Equally it is not about eating as much food, sweets, chocolates etc. as we can; and it is not about drinking too much alcohol, either.

Each, in their own way, if moderated is enjoyable, but none are the real reason of the holiday.

The holiday is a time when we as Christians, can remember the birth of the most important person ever to have lived (in my opinion).

Jesus, who came to the earth for us; Jesus came for each and every one of us. For those that believe and follow his teachings, and also for those who do not believe or follow his teachings;

‘For this is how much God loved the world – he gave his one and only unique Son as a gift’ (John 3:16 TPT).

So, Jesus came for everyone, not just the ones who were looking to God and trying to live godly lives, he came for the murderers, the thieves, the liars etc. he came for all people.

And he came for one specific purpose, the purpose of our redemption;

‘that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 NIV).

So our choice is simple, believe in Jesus and decide to follow his teachings, or live as we want to.

The former way, the way of following Jesus, leads to eternal life, the other way of living does not;

‘so that those who truly believe in him will not perish but be given eternal life’ (John 3:16 TPT).

If we choose to follow Jesus, then we will ultimately have eternal life, a life that will be spent with Jesus;

‘My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?’ (John 14:2 NIV).

Following Jesus has a benefit for us; we know that we will have a room in his Father’s house;

‘I go to prepare a place for you to rest. And when everything is ready, I will come back and take you to myself so that you will be where I am’ (John 14:2-3 TPT).

So, ultimately, Jesus will come back for us, and take us to his heavenly home.

In the meantime, we are not left alone to muddle through life, for we can rely on the words of scripture to guide us;

‘All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work’ (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV).

So, we can use the words of God to help us in our time of need, we can talk to God through prayer and ask for guidance, and (when allowed) we can gather with like-minded people to study, worship and praise together.

Christmas is a great time of year, but the greatest thing for Christians at Christmas, is remembering that the greatest gift we could ever get, has already been given, the gift of Jesus.

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Love incarnate, love divine
Star and angels gave the sign
Bow to babe on bended knee
The Saviour of humanity
Unto us a Child is born
He shall reign forevermore

Son of God and Son of man
There before the world began
Born to suffer, born to save
Born to raise us from the grave
Christ the everlasting Lord
He shall reign forevermore

Noel, Noel
Come and see what God has done
Noel, Noel
The story of amazing love!
The light of the world, given for us
Noel, Noel

Noel

E. M. Cash / M. J. Redman / C. D. Tomlin

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Lord thank you for sending Jesus, the perfect gift that we could ever want. Lord we thank you at this time for Jesus and the redemption that we can have by choosing to follow his teachings. Lord, help us never to forget the ultimate sacrifice that was made by your Son for each and every one of us.

Amen

‘We make a life by what we give’ (Winston S. Churchill)

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What is it that you are most looking forward to this Christmas?

Is there some special present that you have asked your loved ones for?

What is it that most people ask for at Christmas?

When we are you it will generally be toys, or games machines.

But in these days of ‘hi-tech’ fast moving, where software is in a cloud somewhere, where films are digital and you do not actually have something that says ‘this is my film’, in 2019 the most asked for present for children, was still, a book (https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/50805922 – accessed 20/12/2020).

What would this years most asked for present be, probably an end to COVID 19, I bet that would be high on many peoples wish list, so if you are listening Santa!!!

But Christmas is not all about receiving gifts, is it?

Christmas is a time, a special time where we remember the birth of Jesus.

Jesus, who is the greatest gift that mankind could ever hope for. He is a gift that we do not deserve, a gift that we could never have hoped for, and a gift so freely given to and for us.

So at all times, but especially at Christmas time, we should;

‘Praise God for his astonishing gift, which is far too great for words’ (2 Corinthians 9:15 TPT).

And the reason that God sent this gift to us is because we are people who are prone to err, we get stuff wrong, we go our own way, we choose to follow us, in other words, we sin, all of us, not just some of us, we all sin;

‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 2:23 NIV).

So because we are all sinners, God in his infinite wisdom decided that he was going to do something. God wants us all to have the chance and choice of being in his family, and for this reason, Jesus came;

‘For this is how much God loved the world – he gave his one and only, unique Son as a gift’ (John 3:16 TPT).

So as a gift for each and every person on this world, who is living, and who will ever live, God sent Jesus for us, but why did Jesus come?

‘So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life’ (Romans 3:23 TPT).

So, whilst you are looking forward to sitting down to a sumptuous Christmas dinner, or marvelling at the expensive present you got for Christmas, either a fancy watch, or some new clothes, or whatever it is you are going to do, remember that the greatest gift that you will ever need to get, has already been given, to everybody, so that no-one will feel left out.

Jesus, Jesus came to this earth to die for your sins, for my sins. Jesus died for us all.

‘You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly’ (Romans 5:6 NIV).

Christ died for you and me, and for all the people yet to come, he did it once, for all;

‘The death he died, he died to sin once for all’ (Romans 6:10 NIV – emphasis mine).

Jesus is our friend, and chose to die for us, because he loved and still loves us;

‘Greater love has no one than this; to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command’ (John 15:13 NIV).

So, what is the gift that you want this Christmas?

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Christmastime is finally here
It’s such a special time of year
We celebrate the day of Jesus’ birth
And though we had too much to gain
To send Your Son would cause You pain
Knowing He would suffer on the earth

The cost was inconceivable
Your pain unbelievable
To think You’d give Your Son to set us free
This gift is indescribable
Your love so incredible
A greater gift no one will ever see
And You gave it to me

What could make You let Him go
What could make You love is so
A love so deep a love we could not earn
You gave a gift above the rest
You gave Your first You gave Your best
Only wanting love in return

You didn’t have to do it but You wanted to
The gift was ours if only we’d believe
You gave us hope You gave us grace
You gave eternal life
It’s the greatest gift we ever will receive

Perfect Gift

Julie Morrow

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Father, we thank you for sending Jesus to this world, to give us the chance and choice of following you and being part of your family. Lord we thank you for loving us even when we do not even think about you and go our own way. Lord you are amazing, and we love you and want you to be a greater part of our life. Lord, you gave us the most amazing gift we could ever wish for, help us to show this gift to others that we meet.

Amen

Love, love, love (The Beatles)

‘Love came down at Christmas‘ (C Rosetti)

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When you think of the word ‘love’, what does it mean to you?

Do you think of parents/guardians, your spouse or partner, or do you think of childhood friends, or maybe you think about other things, such as how much you love your car or the new ring someone just got you.

Love comes in many different forms. The way that we love our partners will be different from the way that we love our wider family, or our friends.

In the Greek language there are four different words for the term ‘love’ that are used in the Bible;

Storge (storgē, Greek: στοργή),

Philia (philía, Greek: φιλία),

Eros (erōs, Greek: ἔρως), and

Charity (agápē, Greek: ἀγάπη) 

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Loves – accessed 22/12/18).

The love that we want is agápē.

Agápē is the love that God has for us; it is unconditional, and it is un-ending, moreover it is eternal and life-giving; it is a redeeming love that says ‘no-matter-what’!

This is the way that God loves the world and us; he loves it so much that no matter what, he will never stop loving, and that is the reason;

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son’ (John 3:16 NIV).

And God sent Jesus even though we are constantly failing him;

‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 ESV – emphasis mine).

Yet even through our failing, God loved and still loves us, and even though we may fail God time after time, he will never fail us; and that is why Jesus came.

‘When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time’ (Romans 5:6 NLT).

God’s timing, unlike ours, is perfect, and that is why Jesus came to this earth, because mankind need help;

‘while we were yet weak’ (Romans 5:6 RV1885).

We are in the time of Advent, and ‘Jesus is the reason for the season’ (Jesus is the reason for the season – G. Nicholson & M. Chapman).

Jesus is the only reason that we celebrate at all, if he had not come to the earth and died for each and every one of us, where would we be now and what would life look like?

But we can rest assured that he did come, and he came for you and me;

‘the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost’ (Luke 19;10 NIV).

Jesus came to seek out and save the lost; to save you; to save me, even though we did and do not deserve it, Jesus came to offer salvation to the ‘who-so-ever’;

‘that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 NIV – emphasis mine).

While he was on earth, during his ministry, he taught about many things, but the main thread that ran and still runs throughout his teaching as we read and study The Bible, is love, and he lived that love out in his daily life.

How would the world look today, if Christians lived the same way as Jesus did, if they lived out the love professed within the Gospel? This is something that we should try to do, for Jesus said;

‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another’ (John 13:34 NIV).

We should cherish each and every day for the gift that it is; we should feel blessed that we have another day to try to be like Jesus, another day where we can live in the love of Jesus, and try to show his love to others;

‘See what great love the Father has lavished on us’ (1 John 3:1 NIV).

Paul told the Roman Christians that they should not conform to the world, that they should set themselves apart from it, love and follow God, and not the world (Romans 12:1-2), if we follow the world then we are doomed, but if we follow Jesus we will have life and love, for Jesus is love (agápē), and;

‘Love never fails’ (1 Corinthians 13: NIV).

We need to remember that love never fails because it comes from God, and God loves us, no matter what we have done;

‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 ESV – emphasis mine).

Jesus came for us, the lost, the marginalised, the lonely; people that many do not want to see, let alone interact with;

‘the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost’ (Luke 19:10 NIV).

God has said, that he will never leave us, that we will never truly be alone (Hebrews 13:5 NIV). He will always look after us; it says so in The Bible, so it is true.

“To love is nothing. To be loved is something. But to love and be loved, that’s everything.” (T. Tolis)

So we should be grateful that with God’s unfailing love for us, we have everything.

“And remember, as it was written, to love another person is to see the face of God.” (Les Miserables).

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Yes Lord, I love you,
Because you loved me first.
You showed us the way
To live a life of peace.
You guide us and help us,
To live as you did.
Lord I’ll love you all my days
And praise your name.

Yes Lord, I love you,
You came to take my sin.
To die on the cross,
To suffer pain and loss.
To make me free, and
Give my life a hope,
Lord I’ll praise you all my days,
And show your love.

Yes Lord I love you,
You came to die for me.
You showed me a way I,
Could live a better life.
You spread your arms in love, and
You died for me.
Then you rose again to give
Eternal hope.

Lord you show us love and mercy,
Yes you are the way,
The truth and light, so I’ll follow you
And glorify your name,
Because I love you.

Yes Lord I love you,
You came to save my life.
You came from heaven,
Born as a baby boy.
You lived and you served, to
Make a way for us,
To spend all of eternity
With you.

R. Phillis

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Father we thank you for the love that came down that first Christmas. Help us to live our lives with that love ever present in our hearts and minds that others may see it and so see your Son Jesus. May all the people we meet this season, see your Son in our life, making a difference, so that they will know, Jesus is the reason for the season.

Amen

Live a life of PEACE – not a life of pieces

‘Who proclaim peace’ (Isaiah 52:7 NIV)

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Meditation and mindfulness are big things presently, with apps that promise to reduce your stress and help you have a better life; to help you stress less, and to reduce the pressure that you have in your life.

There are shops with rows and rows of shelves with books that promise to show you how to live a life with little or no stress, or books that say once you have read them you will understand how to live a calm, worry-free life.

These days, you can buy books, or get apps, or listen to music that promise to ‘soothe the soul’, release your stress, and generally make you feel better about yourself.

You can spend money ‘hand-over-fist’ to try to feel better this way, and you may actually end up feeling better, but how much will you spend to reach this point?

When you are weary with life, and burdened down with the problems of this world, sometimes it feels as though there is no way forward. Small problems become potential catastrophes, and your brain can feel as though it is under attack.

AARRGGGHHH! What can we do, where can we turn?

There is something that you can do to help you feel better, and it will cost you nothing! All it will take is a decision to want to change how you live;

‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened’ (Matthew 11:28 NIV – emphasis mine).

Jesus says that when life takes over, and everything seems to be getting out of control, there is a way to relieve that pressure, a way to de-stress your life, and that way, is;

‘Then come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis’ (Matthew 11:28 TPT).

So if we want a stress free life, Jesus is the answer, take all of your problems and put them at Jesus’ feet, and he promises that he will refresh our lives if we trust him and give our problems to him;

‘Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I am humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me’ (Matthew 11:29 TPT).

So for a stress-free life, a life full of peace, Jesus is the answer.

That is not to say that there will never be anything that you are concerned with; you may struggle financially, or you may lose your job; worry is something that most people have throughout their life, but you can still have peace, for Jesus promised to give us that peace;

‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you’ (John 14:27 NIV).

Even the Psalmist David knew of the Lord’s peace;

‘Now, because of you, Lord, I will lie down in peace’ (Psalm 4:8 TPT).

So throughout the Bible, the constant theme is of our Lord giving us peace into our life.

Even when the nations of Israel were rebelling against God, he offered them a chance for regaining peace in their lives;

‘Or else let them come to me for refuge; let them make peace with me’ (Isaiah 27:5 NIV).

If we have sinned against God, and we all sin (Romans 3:23), there is always a path back to God, a way for us to recover.

‘I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security’ (Jeremiah 33:6 NIV).

So, we know that our lives are not perfect as they were initially meant to be, for at the beginning, God created a perfect world that he was very happy with;

‘God saw all that he had made, and it was very good’ (Genesis 1:31 NIV).

Since the world was created, sin entered that world, and it stopped working as it was meant to be (the fall – Genesis 3), that is why there is trouble and strife, and why we have stress and problems in our life.

But, we have a choice; that is how sin entered the world, because we were given a choice, live as God wanted us to, in harmony with the Creator, or make our own decisions and live how we want to, that is not in harmony with God and how the world was created.

A friend of mine knew someone when he was younger, who always had the same answer to whatever problem anyone had in life;

‘Jesus is the answer’ they would say.

That may sound very simplistic, but ultimately, it is correct.

Jesus is the answer if we want a life of peace, a life where we put all of our problems at his feet and try not to worry about them.

Trying not to worry about the issues we face, is sometimes very hard, and Jesus never promised a life without problems, but we have a choice, worry about them or give them away;

‘That is why I tell you to never be worried about your life, for all that you need will be provided’ (Matthew 6:25 TPT).

I have recently been reading the book ‘Unleashed – The Acts Church Today’. In it, Gavin Calver goes to a community in East Sussex called the ‘Bruderhof’ (https://www.bruderhof.com/en/where-we-are/united-kingdom/darvell?gclid=CjwKCAiAiML-BRAAEiwAuWVggn72ySD7mICj7ZG3VxDLwNADNL6hheJY_fXAbGUykTps1LvU5YeZPRoCNIEQAvD_BwE – accessed 09/12/2020)  , and they are a radical Christian community that actually live the life as described in the book of Acts, they share everything, even vehicles are community owned, they sell their possessions and give the money to the community, (Unleashed – The Acts Church Today – Gavin & Anne Calver – Inter-Varsity Press – p47).

They truly are living in the peace of our Lord, true living examples of how to live in the peace of Jesus, in the way of Jesus.

We may all want that peace, but how much are we truly prepared to give or give-up, in order to have that peace. Obviously selling most of what we have, this may seem a little too far, but that is how the church started.

Sometimes we have to think how much we want to live like Jesus;

‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head’ (Matthew 8:20 NIV).

Are we trying to live like Jesus, with all of his teaching and his peace, or are we living a life of ‘us’.

What do we want in our life, chaos or peace? Me I choose Jesus’ peace;

‘as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord’ (Joshua 24:15 NIV).

I will try, but maybe not always succeed, to live in the Peace of Jesus, and I will also try, and sometime fail, to live like Jesus.

As the T-shirt said that WHAM wore for the 1984 single ‘Wake me up before you go go’ I am going to ‘Choose life’, choose the life of Jesus, with all that come with it, including ‘PEACE’.

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Behold the star of Bethlehem
The Word of God has become flesh
Unto us a child is born
The Saviour of this broken world

Oh, hear the angel voices
Sing come let us adore Him
Peace has come
For our King is with us

Fully God and fully man
He comes for all with open hands
He rules with love on David’s throne
All praise belongs to Christ alone

Oh, hear the angel voices
Sing come let us adore Him
Peace has come
For our King is with us

Holy, holy, holy
Jesus we adore Thee
Peace has come
For our King is with us

Oh, come let us adore Him
Oh, come let us adore Him
Oh, come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

Oh, hear the angel voices
Sing come let us adore Him
Peace has come
For our King is with us
Peace has come
For our King is with us

Peace Has Come

Ben Fielding / Benjamin Hastings / Seth Simmons

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Father, we thank you for sending Jesus to this world, to give us the show us how to live a life in harmony with you, and to have a life with your peace available to us. Lord we often turn away and try things on our own, even though we know that we should not, and that it will not go well. Lord, help us to rely fully on you for all things, in all areas of our life.

Amen

‘What can I give’ (In the Bleak Midwinter – Christina Rossetti [words] & Gustav Holst [music])

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Do you like to own the newest clothes as they come into fashion?

Do you like to have the biggest car or house out of the group of men you know?

Do you always get the latest tech devices that are available?

You may like all of the above items, but do you really need them?

Now, there is nothing wrong with having expensive items, or a big house, or the latest ‘I-phone’, but I suppose what I am thinking about is where our heart is during all of this.

‘For your heart will always pursue what you value as your treasure’ (Matthew 6:21 TPT – also Luke 12:34).

So, what we value, and what we put our effort into, whatever we work at the hardest, that is what we value the most.

So, if you have an expensive car, are you cleaning it every weekend, making sure it sparkles for everyone to see? And this is fine to do, because if you have a nice car, you want to keep it that way, but, do you spend more time with the car on the weekend than you spend with The Risen Saviour?

It is difficult sometimes, to weigh-up how we spend our time, and to make sure that we are not neglecting something important.

Many years ago, I was a fireman, and missed many of my children’s birthday parties. Did I feel guilty? The answer is yes, but equally, I knew that each time I missed something important like that I was going to something equally important, where lives could possibly be saved. I am not suggesting that what I value as important is the most important thing for everyone.

Each person has to decide what is most important to them.

When you meet people that are in addiction, most of us will only ever see the addiction, we will miss the most important part of the scenario, the person!

‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger ad you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me’ (Matthew 25:35-36 NIV).

We see people living rough on the streets, but we assume that someone else is dealing with it, and then they go cold and hungry. What does it take to go to the local shop and buy a sandwich and a cup of tea? It may cost the price of a few beers, or a gallon of fuel for the car, but to the person who needs it, it could make all the difference.

If you help someone in need, what you are really saying, is that you see their need and do not want them to suffer.

There is an old African Zulu greeting, ‘Sawubona’ (https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/glen-pearson/africa-famine_b_922063.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMDK1gYovCpHUpTxTfcZdu9HOKSP28RQK5kMQlm1AUHrCAHK4aIH48u65wDvOEuH58XqjCS3xMGj2faCj94WvPAov4op4vzgEUk8WvLXkXDQD-57WgzZFrjnqxAY3fl0IefX2gI9yqP5TQfpwlt7M0ww1gsmsydlRAhjxcOX8Yu7 – accessed 29/11/2020).

What the greeting means, is, ‘I see you’, but it also means so much more.

It says that I see your personality, your humanity, your dignity and respect.

If we all greeted each other this way, how would the world change?

If we see someone in need and we go to them and say ‘Sawubona’ and mean it, struggling would probably reduce, people  living rough, may still live rough but would possibly be cared for more than previously.

If we all looked to God and said ‘Sawubona God’, would not our spiritual lives explode with a new vitality? Would we not start to view each day, and every situation in a different light; in a light of, ‘What can I do today to expand the kingdom of God, how can I help those in need today?’

We as a world need to change how we deal with each other.

The Wright brother’s first plane flew in mid-December 1903 and it only went about 120 feet before coming to land, and the time taken to fly this distance was 12 seconds, (https://www.avjobs.com/history/index.asp – accessed 29/11/2020).

24 years later in May 1927, Charles Lindbergh flew non-stop from New York to Paris (https://www.avjobs.com/history/index.asp – accessed 29/11/2020), and 50 years later in October 1967, we were achieving speeds that were not even thought about when the Wright brothers made their first monumental flight, speeds in excess of 5000 miles an hour (https://migflug.com/jetflights/the-10-fastest-aircraft-in-the-world/#:~:text=Number%201%3A%20North%20American%20X,%E2%80%9CPete%E2%80%9D%20Knight. – accessed 29/11/2020).

What a leap, what a change in the world, and how much smaller the world had just become.

In less than 100 years we went from flying 120 feet, to travelling at speeds greater than 6 times the speed of sound and enormously long distances.

That is amazing!

But, to achieve that, hundreds if not thousands of people worked tirelessly for years and years to get us to that point.

Now, if all the Christian around the world worked as tirelessly to make suffering and strife a thing of the past, what do you think the world would look like in 100 years?

No not everyone will have money to give to help the poor or the needy, but it is not only money that they need. Some people do not know how to budget, so giving them money alone would not help, they need time. Time is something that some people have but not others, and some have much time spare and some of us only have a small amount of time to give.

What should you and I give?

We have, each of us, been given such an amazing gift, that we should want to share it with the world.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 NIV).

Everyone that has chosen to follow in the steps of Jesus has received a remarkable gift, a gift that we do not deserve, but a gift that is so freely given.

We have each been given a second chance, and in my case this number is much higher. So what do we do with this chance?

‘Yet what can I give Him,
Give my heart’
(In the Bleak Midwinter – Christina Rossetti [words] & Gustav Holst [music]).

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In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, whom cherubim
Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk
And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore.

Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air,
But only His mother
In her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.

What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.

In the Bleak Midwinter

Christina Rossetti [words] & Gustav Holst [music])

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Father, we thank you for sending Jesus to this world, a world of chaos and strife. Help each one of us to really see the people where we are, and to help those in need in any way we can. Lord we love you, help us to love those around us..

Amen

Live in pieces or in PEACE!

‘Let us forgive each other – only then can we live in peace’ (Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy)

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Has anyone ever really hurt you, in such a way as your immediate response was, “I will never forgive you for that!”?

Throughout life, people will let you down, they will say things about you that may not be true, and they may spread rumours about you.

People are weak; we are human people, and prone to failure.

When I was young, I thought that this was the way it should be.

As I grew older, equally, I had people hurt me, and I also hurt them back and incidentally others, sometimes by accident, and at other times, it was deliberate and thought out, a way to hurt someone for hurting me.

When I was around 19 years of age, I had promised my cousin that I would take her to church once I had a car, as I had recently passed my driving test. My thought was, drop her off and get away from there as fast as possible, as church was nothing I was interested in.

That did not work out so well for me then, but now, as a more mature person, I can see that it did work out just right.

It changed my mind about wanting to hurt others for the hurt they caused me, as I could see that the people there did not think that way, perhaps it was wrong to get revenge.

Do not get me wrong, the people were not saints, and there were differences of opinion, and sometimes these caused issues that needed to be sorted out, but, I was surrounded by humans, not machines.

People have free will, and with free will comes dissention because we do not all think that same way.

So, if someone hurts you, should you hurt them back?

To use an old saying;

‘Two wrongs don’t make one right (attributed to Benjamin Rush – 1783 – https://www.bookbrowse.com/expressions/detail/index.cfm/expression_number/579/two-wrongs-dont-make-a-right#:~:text=The%20first%20known%20citation%20in,won’t%20right%20a%20wrong. – accessed 22/11/2020).

So, hurting someone just because they hurt you is possibly not the answer.

The Bible says;

‘But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye’ (Exodus 21:24 NIV).

But, equally;

‘An eye for an eye and tooth for tooth would lead to a world of the blind and toothless’ (attributed to M. K. Gandhi – https://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/12/27/eye-for-eye-blind/ – accessed 22/11/2020).

So, if person A hits person B, and person B retaliates, then person A may do the same, and so on; but, person A may also choose to involve person C, and person B involves person D etc., and so it escalates, and soon there could be wars raging. Is this the society we want to live in?

So, what should we do when someone hurts us?

We should forgive them!

That may be hard to do, especially if they have hurt us a lot.

But the Bible is clear on the matter;

‘And when you pray, makes sure you forgive the faults of others so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you’ (Matthew 6:14 TPT – emphasis mine).

So if people hurt us, for whatever reason, we should, as a Christian, forgive them. That does not mean that we forget the hurt, because then we may not have learnt from it and may succumb to it again; we remember so that the situation may not hurt us next time it arises.

But, if we choose not to forgive, then we are no better than the person hurting us, and also;

‘But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done’ (Matthew 6:15 GNB).

Ah! That is where it gets a little harder, we know that we sin, and do stuff that God does not like;

‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 NIV – emphasis mine).

It is not only the people hurting us that are sinning, there may be little things in our life that we have done; maybe we have gossiped in the office, or not quite told the truth on our tax return (LIED), there may be many things that we have done, some we may not even realise, even the Old Testament dealt with this issue (Numbers 15:22-24) but;

‘So, if you are about offer our gift to God at the altar and there you remember that your brother (or sister, friend colleague etc.) has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God’ (Matthew 5;23 GNB – addition mine).

Wow, how difficult (and so much better) would it be to live in a world like that, I know that at times I do not.

Equally, your gift does not have to be a physical gift, you could have the gift of singing and be in a choir, or you could have other musical gifts and play in a musical worship group, or you could even be a leader and be in charge something important in the church; so if you are not right with someone, and subsequently God, then whatever you do with your gift is tainted.

So, again I say, forgive;

‘How many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times’ (Matthew 18:21-22 NIV).

But in Luke it says that if someone hurts you and comes back and apologises each time, then you should forgive them (Luke 17:3-4).

So, forgive, forgive and forgive again.

Maybe not an easy life, but who knows what your witness of forgiving may stir in people around you, who know, that may be just exactly what the people around you need to see, just as queen Esther, she when she was in her position when Haman wanted to kill all the Jews (Esther 3), she was there;

‘For such a time as this’ (Esther 4:14 NIV).

But also remember;

‘To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you’ (Lewis B. Smedes).

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How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss –
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life –
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart –
His wounds have paid my ransom

How Deep the Father’s Love

Stuart Townsend

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Father, we thank you for forgiving us for all the wrong that we do, and we thank you for sending Jesus to show us the way to live a better life. Help us to constantly turn to your word to learn what it means to live a Christian life, Lord we love you.

Amen

Brokenness can be repaired, by the potter!

‘The hands of the potter’ (Casting Crowns)

Have you ever had something that you really like, and broken it somehow.

I remember as a child being round my friend’s house and messing around, my friend suddenly sat down in a small wooden chair, which collapsed under him. I remember his mother coming in and saying, “What have you done that was a gift from … (I cannot remember)”. My friend’s immediate reaction was to say that when he got older, he would become a carpenter and repair it.

I have not thought of that day until now, and it was over 40 years ago now.

Things break, and in today’s society, many things are not made to be repaired. We live I a ‘throw-away’ society. We buy shoes that are cheaper to buy than repair older ones; we buy televisions that are so expensive to repair it is cheaper to buy a new one. And worst of all, when a relationship fails to work properly, we give up on that too.

Things break, cups, dishes, people!

When something is broken, many now deem it useless, and instantly discard it!

What would the world look like today, if when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and broke his trust (Genesis 3) he had just thrown them away and never bothered with them, we would now love in a very different world.

But God did not give up on mankind; they were broken, but fixable!

But what can we do when we feel broke, when the weight of the world is pressing down on us, when every turn we make is a wrong turn, when nothing works?

A friend of mine at Bible study the other night said that he knew s person a few years ago that always said ‘Jesus is the answer’ to whatever the problem was, even if he said he had a flat tyre on his car.

But yes, Jesus is the answer to brokenness.

’The LORD is near to the broken hearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit’ (Psalm 34:18NIV).

So when the world overwhelms us, where should we be?

‘He [God] heals the wounds of every shattered heart’ (Psalm 147:3 TPT – addition mine).

So when we feel that everything is failing in and around us, when we feel that we just simply cannot go on, when we do not know where to go, who to trust and what to do, then we should turn to God!

‘I waited and waited and waited some more, patiently, knowing God would come through for me. Then, at last, he bent down and listened to my cry’ (Psalm 40:1 TPT).

God is always there, and always just a whisper away from us, all we need to do is call out to him.

Whatever the situation, and whatever is happening around you;

‘Put your hope in God’ (Psalm 43:5 NIV).

Trouble and strife may surround us! Debtors may be knocking at your door, your family may have dis-owned you, you may have just lost your job and be struggling financially, but;

‘God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble’ (Psalm 46:1 NIV).

Sometimes in all the hubbub of life, when chaos surrounds you, when you can hear nothing in the din of life that surrounds you, you just need to centre your thoughts on God.

‘Surrender your anxiety! Be silent and stop your striving and you will see that I am God’ (Psalm 36:10 TPT).

In other words, sometimes all we need to do is be still;

‘Be still and know that I am God’ (Psalm 46:10 NIV).

In our brokenness, God will take us and make something even more beautiful, even stronger. Even king David was not above reproach, as when he committed adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11).

The difference is that when David was confronted, he admitted and cried out to God;

‘Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love… wash me, and I will be whiter than snow… renew a steadfast spirit within me’ (Psalm 51:1, 7 & 10 NIV).

When we are broken, we need to go back to the potter;

‘But you are our father, LORD. We are like clay, and you are like the potter. You created us’ (Isaiah 64:8 GNB).

God created us, mankind;

‘Let us make mankind in our image’ (Genesis 1:26 NIV).

God does not make a mistake; he is too clever for that, so the fact that we are designed in his image shows us that we are valuable. God created us to love us, and for us to love him.

Even though we broke his trust in The Garden of Eden, he still sent his son Jesus to die for our sins, and make atonement for us on the cross.

Jesus died to atone for our sins, paying the debt he did not owe, so that we can be AT ONE with God!

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I still remember when I heard You call me by name
I’d follow You anywhere, knew I could trust You in anything
But now sorrow beats down on me, waiting for You to come through
I’m all alone with my questions, I’m dry and cracked open
And I thirst for You

My world is spinning, my life seems so out of control
Nailed, scarred hands tell the story of love that will never let go of me
Through the sunshine or rain, I know where my hope is found
What You started in me, I know You will complete from the inside out

My world is breaking me, Your love is shaping me
And now the enemy is afraid of what You’re making me
When my world is breaking me, Your love is shaping me
And now the enemy is afraid of what You’re making me
My world is breaking me, Your love is shaping me
And now the enemy is afraid of what You’re making me

And as I fall apart
Come flood this desert heart
Fall like the rain, Living Water
And I know Your way is best
Lord, help me find my rest
And I’ll be the clay
In the Hands of the Potter

And I’ll be the clay
In the Hands of the Potter

In the Hands of the Potter

Casting Crowns

Mark Hall / Jonathan Smith

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Father, we thank you for creating us and giving us life. Lord we know we are not perfect and let you down, but we are thankful that in our brokenness we can turn to you and cry out, and that you will hear us and comfort us like a loving father does his children. Lord help us to show your amazing mercy and grace to people that we meet.

Amen

Choose your gift wisely

‘Today is a gift’ (Bil Keane)

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Isn’t it great to get something new?

Not necessarily brand new, because Ebay, Amazon Market Place, Shpok, Facebook selling etc. items move around quite readily.

I myself am not unaccustomed to buying something that catches my eye, so, it may not be ‘brand-new-out-of-the-box’, but it is new to you or me, and sometime that is all that matters.

Sometimes, you even know that you are going to get something, or that someone you know, is going to be getting you a gift. The anticipation can be huge;

What will it be? Will I like it?

A multitude of questions can run through your mind, but if the person getting you the gift really knows you, then you can generally say that you will like it.

Everyone likes to receive a gift every now and then, and equally, it is nice to give gifts.

When we were dating, my wife used to buy me little gifts quite regularly, nothing extravagant, just little things that said, “I was thinking of you today”, that lovely to receive something when you are not expecting it, and she still does it now.

So, you may be wondering why I am talking about people giving and receiving gifts.

Well, no matter who you are, or what colour your skin is, no matter where you live and who your parents were, no matter what you have done, and it really does not matter what, everyone is entitled to a free gift that is amazingly life-changing.

No, it is not a million pounds, although that may be nice for some people, this gift is worth way more than that.

The gift I am talking about, well it can literally change your life forever; it may not get you out of debt, it may not make you the funniest person in a room, it may not even guarantee you a job, but it will guarantee you life.

So, what is this gift?

Where can you get it?

The answer is Jesus. Jesus is the gift that we can all have if we so choose.

God sent Jesus to this earth to live and show people a different way to live, and then he showed us how to care for each other and love each other, and he showed us how much he cared (John 3:16), because;

‘At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly’ (Romans 5:6 NIV).

What that means, is that when the world was ignoring God and not listening to Jesus, he still loved us, and loved us with such a passion that he was prepared to take all the suffering that we deserved, and place it upon his shoulders;

‘While we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 4:8 NIV).

Jesus paid the debt that he did not owe, because we owed a debt that we could not pay.

So Jesus came to earth to die for you and me so that our sins can be forgiven by the blood of the ultimate sacrifice;

‘What happy fulfilment is ahead for those whose rebellion has been forgiven and whose sins are covered by blood. What happy progress comes to them when they hear the Lord speak over them, “I will never hold your sins against you!” Now think about it’ (Romans 47-9 TPT).

So when we never even gave Jesus a thought, he died for us; whilst we were doing the wrong things, Jesus died for us; when we cheated people, lied to people, stole from people, or whatever we did, Jesus died for us, all the same.

‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 NIV).

That, is an amazing thing!

Whilst I was a really bad person and not someone that you would want to associate with, living a life in the dirt and grime of sin, Jesus still loved me with a passion that is hard to understand at times, and he still died for me.

I changed, I turned to Jesus and said sorry, I asked for forgiveness and his help, and he said to me;

‘I will never leave you alone, never!’ (Hebrews 13:5 TPT).

After every bad thing that I had done, after all the lies I had lived, Jesus pulled me out of my dirty pit, from the blackness of my sin, and into his glorious light.

What he did for me, he can do for anyone. Jesus offers all of us his amazing grace, a grace that says “I love you” an grace that says “I have always loved you” a grace that “I will help you to overcome… … Trust me”.

‘For God so loved the world’ (John 3:16 – emphasis mine).

Let Jesus love you properly, choose to be in a relationship with him and get the gift of eternal life. You may not end up in your dream house or job, but you get something worth much much more, you get life!

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All these pieces
Broken and scattered
In mercy gathered
Mended and whole
Empty handed
But not forsaken
I’ve been set free
I’ve been set free

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost
But now I am found
Was blind but now I see

Oh I can see You now
Oh I can see the love in Your eyes
Laying Yourself down
Raising up the broken to life

You take our failure
You take our weakness
You set Your treasure
In jars of clay
So take this heart, Lord
I’ll be Your vessel
The world to see Your life in me

Broken Vessel (Amazing Grace)

Joel Houston, Jonas Myrin

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Father, we thank you for your amazing grace that you offer so freely to all that choose to acknowledge you and follow you son Jesus. Thank you for sending Jesus to die for us, even though we did not deserve it. Guide us and help us to live the way that Jesus lived, and to love the way that Jesus loved. Lord you are worthy of all our praise and worship, and so much more.

Amen

‘Change in the making’ (Change In The Making – J. Pardo, A. Rogers, J. Simmons)

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Change is good, isn’t it?

Well I suppose it depends upon what, who or where is changing!

If water stays in one point, and there is no movement within the body of water, then it stagnates, so a lovely river would become something not very nice to see or be near, so change is that aspect is good.

The change caused by losing a job for whatever reason, would generally always be bad.

When a child is born, they are normally small and cute, but, they grow and change, or else the life of a parent would be non-stop, and they would probably only ever have one child; but grow they do, grow and change.

As they grow, what the need also changes. When they are a baby, they depend upon their parents for everything, to give them food, when they need their clothes changing, for encouragement to learn to move or walk etc.

When they are older and start school, other people come into the picture and encourage and teach them things that parents may not know or be able to do.

The child’s thinking evolves, and the way they act also changes;

‘When I was a child, I spoke about childish matters, for I saw things like a child and reasoned like a child. But the day came when I matured, and I set aside my childish ways’ (1 Corinthians 13:11 TPT).

As we get older we make our own decisions, based upon what we have learnt. We decide what is best for us, but even then, those decisions can be influenced by people around us, especially our parents. Deciding whether to follow their thinking, or their life patterns can be one of life’s major decisions in our lives.

Should we go to college or university, should I get an apprenticeship, or start my own business, should I follow the crowd, or should I do what I feel is right!

There are big decisions to make throughout life, involving lots of thought and probably discussions with friends, and maybe even family.

What should I do?

Paul reminds us that we should not necessarily follow the ‘in crowd’;

‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world’ (Romans 12:2 NIV).

Do not follow the mob, do not do something just because someone else has, it may not be the right thing to do.

When there are problems in the world, sometimes the world hits back, there are riots in places. We do not have to riot along with everyone else, that is not right.

But how do we know what is right or wrong?

Well most people can look to their family. Some people will follow their education and because of that, know what the right thing is that they should do;

‘as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD’ (Joshua 24:15 NIV).

I would like to think that the statement that Joshua made is the one I can live by. Do not get me wrong, I have made some monumentally stupid decisions in my life, but the underlying factor in them is that God has always been with me, even when I was not with him.

‘Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways’ (Psalm 25:8 NIV).

And we are all sinners;

‘for we all have sinned and are in need of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 TPT).

God is always with us whether we trust him or not, and he has promised to never leave us (Hebrews 13:5). When I was at my lowest after I had turned away from God, when I had nowhere to turn, Jesus met me and forgave me, even when I could not forgive myself.

When we become a Christian, however we become one, whether from our early life or coming out of the darkest of dark times, Jesus is always with us and waiting for us to turn to him, trust huim, and learn from him.

The Bible is full of knowledge, truth and teaching;

‘I hear the LORD saying, “I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide” ‘ (Psalm 32:8 TPT).

DO you in your heart know that you need to change, have you changed to follow Jesus but still have the old ways of life chasing after you, tempting to turn back.

Turn to God again, trust him and learn from the wisdom contained within scripture, and as Joshua and his family declared, say;

‘as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD’ (Joshua 24:15 NIV).

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There’s a better version of me
That I can’t quite see
But things are gonna change
Right now I’m a total mess and
Right now I’m completely incomplete
But things are gonna change
‘Cause you’re not through with me yet

This is a redemption’s story
With every step that I’m taking
Every day, you’re chipping away
What I don’t need
This is me under construction
This is my pride being broken
And every day I’m closer to who I’m meant to be
I’m a change in the making

Wish I could live more patiently
Wish I could give a little more of me
Without stopping to think twice
Wish I had faith like a little child
Wish I could walk a single mile
Without tripping on my own feet
‘Cause you’re not through with me yet

From the dawn of history
You make new and you redeem
From a broken world to a broken heart
You finish what you start in everything

Like a river rolls into the sea
We’re not who we’re going to be
But things are going to change

I’m living a redemption’s story
With every step that I’m taking
Every day, you’re chipping away
What I don’t need
This is me under construction
This is my pride being broken
And every day I’m closer to who I’m meant to be
I’m a change in the making

I’m a change in the making
I’m not who I’m going to be
I’m moving closer to your glory

Change In The Making (Stories #2)

Jeff Pardo / Alli Rogers / Jenny Simmons

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Father, we thank you for your amazing love that changes us from who we were to who you know that we can be. Lord we thank you for your grace that saves us and your love that sustains us. Lord give us courage to tell others about you, that they may see you for who you are and change and love you also. Lord we love you.

Amen

Is seeing believing?

‘He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind’ (Luke 4:18 GNB)

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I went for an eye test today, and that in itself is a wonderful thing, that you can have someone look at your eyes and check them, and they can tell you how good your sight is, and then, with small bits of glass surrounded by metal or plastic, correct your vision so that everything will be crisp and clear for you.

But even more amazing, is the fact that they can take a photograph of the back of your eye and see how healthy it is!

But, even with our corrected vision, how much do we really see?

Do we see the homeless people that are so prevalent these days, or do we see people that are scrounging and do not want to work or actually live in today’s society?

Do we see the tragedy of conflict around the world, or do we see people fighting and just trying to take more and more from their country?

Jesus taught us how to see, and he taught us how God sees us.

The prodigal son, or the lost son as it is sometimes referred to, shows us how God loves us and sees us, and even waits for us to come back to him, even when we have done wrong, (Luke 16:11-32).

The son leaves his father, just as we humans are prone to walk away from God, but the fantastic image Jesus gives us is the one of the Father God waiting for us to return to him; of the loving father anxiously waiting for the return of his son, and the rejoicing when he does return.

’I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents’ (Luke 15:10 NIV).

So, when one of us sinners decides that God’s way is best, and in my humble opinion it is, heaven rejoices, and that is a party I would love to see.

We all sin, and the people that say they do not sin, are sinning as they speak;

‘For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 ESV – emphasis mine).

No-one is above reproach, we are weak sinful people who desperately need the loving mercy and amazing grace that is so freely offered by Jesus.

‘But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.’ (Romans 5:15 NLT).

The parable of the lost sheep also shows us how important we are, and that God wants us to be part of his flock, his family of believers. God has a reckless love for us that we sometimes find hard to comprehend. I know I sometimes look at my life and all of the many mistakes I have made, and some of the have been stupendous errors of judgement, and marvel at the fact that Jesus still wants me to be part of his family, and that he loves me, that really is amazing!

In the word of the song;

‘There’s no shadow you won’t light up, mountain you won’t climb up, coming after me’ (Reckless Love – 2018 – C. Ashby, C. Culver, R. Jackson).

Even the prophets were shown visions;

‘Son of man, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I (God) will show you’ (Ezekiel 40:4 – addition mine).

God wants us to see what he has for each of us. We need to look at what he is teaching us, and the way that we see, is by reading and studying the ‘God inspired words’ of The Bible.

Sometimes, the phrase open your eyes, has nothing to do with actually opening our eyes, it is more to do with seeing a situation rather than looking around and not actually seeing what is happening.

We may look around us, but how often we do not ‘see’ something because we do not want to.

‘The Somebody Else’s Problem field is much simpler and more effective, and what’s more can be run for over a hundred years on a single torch battery. This is because it relies on people’s natural disposition not to see anything that they don’t want to, weren’t expecting, or can’t explain’ (Douglas Adams – Life, the Universe and Everything – Pan Books – 1982).

We have a tendency to ‘tune-out’ things that make us uncomfortable, so the homeless person who we may not like to see, becomes something we do not see.

As a Christian though, the things we do not like to see, or things that make us uncomfortable, are exactly the things that we should see, and take action against.

I am not by any stretch of the imagination saying that this is easy, it is far from easy, but it is what Jesus did, and we, as Christians should be trying to emulate, or copy what Jesus did.

‘A new command I give you: Love one another’ (John 13:34 NIV).

Very hard to do!

Some people we do not like, and some, to use the words of a film, we;

‘Loathe entirely’ (How the Grinch Stole Christmas – Universal Pictures – 2000).

But we are called to love, and even pray for those who hurt us;

‘But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’ (Matthew 5:44 NIV).

So we should not hate or ignore or not see things that we do not like! No-one ever said being a Christian was going to be easy, we are actually called to take up our crosses;

‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me’ (Luke 9:23 NIV).

So following Jesus is a life of sacrifice, a life of seeing the things that we would rather not see, a life of helping those that we may not want to interact with, a life of serving those we would rather ignore, it is a life of loving the unlovable.

Many years ago, my youngest daughter was at a meal with the family, and she was told that we had swede.

“Urgh, I don’t like swede” she said, but she had never actually tried it, and when she did try some, she realised that she did like the vegetable.

Some people look at Christianity and Christians and find them bizarre. “Why would you put your life in the hands of someone you cannot see” they sometime say, or “I cannot believe in something I cannot see”.

I sometimes reply that they believe in gravity, yet cannot see it, or they believe in oxygen and equally cannot see it.

But, as Christians we do believe.

We believe that God loves us (John 3:16), we believe God ants the best for us (Jeremiah 29:11) and we believe that God can teach us what we need to know (Psalm 32:8).

But if you are reading this and do not know Jesus, all I can say is, try looking for the answers you seek within The Bible;

‘Taste and see that the LORD is good’ (Psalm 34:8 NIV).

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Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so, so kind to me

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah

When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
But You have been so, so kind to me

There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me

Reckless Love

Cory Ashby, Caleb Culver, Ran Jackson

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Father, we thank you for your amazing love, that you love us even when we do not know or love you. Lord show us the things that we really need to see, the situations that we need to delve into so that we may show your love to the dark world that we live in. Lord we desperately need you in our live, and so does the rest of the world, may we each get the chance to make a difference in another’s life, that we may share and show your love to those we meet.

Amen

No Luck, FAITH!

‘Have faith in the LORD your God’ (2 Chronicles 20:20 NIV)

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Do you remember the days when you used to go out to town on a Saturday morning and buy your favourite chart single, on a seven inch vinyl record?

Then they went to tapes and CD’s, and it was just not the same any more, there was always something about listening to vinyl that you do not get with the crisp sound of a CD.

I remember one of the first CD’s I got was an album entitled ‘Faith’ by the artist George Michael (October 1987 – Columbia Records).

I enjoyed the album, but the words that stuck with me are;

‘Cause I gotta have faith’ (George Michael – Faith – October 1987).

What struck me first was the fact that I had never before heard a mainstream artist sing about faith, even if it was not really about a spiritual faith.

Secular songs are good to listen to at times, as the rhythm can be uplifting, and even some of the lyrics can remind us about spiritual truths. Just as George said ‘I [you] gotta have faith’.

Chrissie Hynde helped to write a song called ‘I’ll stand by you’ (Warner Bros – July 1994). The title itself is a reminder of both Deuteronomy and Hebrews, where Moses reminds the nation of Israel how God will help them, and Paul reminds the Hebrew Christians about what God has promised;

‘The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you’ (Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV).

‘I will never leave you alone, never! And I will not loosen my grip on your life’ (Hebrews 13:5 TPT).

But it is more than that; we know that as humans we are weak, and we are all prone to failure;

‘For there is no distinction; since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 RSV – emphasis mine).

The song (I’ll stand by you) continues to echo the verses from Deuteronomy and Hebrews some more;

‘Nothing you could confess could make me love you less, I’ll stand by you. Let me come along, ‘cause even if you’re wrong I’ll stand by you’ (C Hynde, T Kelly, B. Seinberg – July 1994).

Jesus tells us in the pages of The Bible that we are loved, and worthy and that there is nothing that we can do that will cause God to stop loving us, and we are loved so much that Jesus came to die for us (John 3:16), so, ‘even if you’re [I am] wrong, I’ll stand by you’ (Hynde, Kelly & Steinberg).

Powerful stuff!

We know that we will fail, but we also know that we are not the only people ever to have not lived up to our potential in Christ.

‘For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate’ (Romans 7:15 RSV).

Paul struggled with failure, and so does everyone, but, take heart, for God is always available to us when we fall;

‘Time after time. If you fall, I will catch you, I’ll be waiting. Time after time. It you’re lost, you can look and you will find me, time after time’ (Cyndi Lauper, Rob Hyman – Epic – June 1983).

The words very much reflect Jesus. When we fall, he is waiting for us to come to repentance, whenever, time after time after time.

If we are lost, then we need to look to and for Jesus, just as the prodigal son went back to his father, (Luke 15:11-32), we can also return to our Heavenly Father any time, time after time.

And when we seek properly with all of our heart, we know we will succeed;

‘You will seek me and find me when you seek with all your heart’ (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV).

Kanye West hit it right on the button, when he recorded ‘Jesus Walks’ (K. West, C. Smith, M. Ben-Ari & C. Lundy – Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam – May 2004).

‘The way Kathie Lee needed Regis, that’s the way I need Jesus’ (Kanye West – Jesus Walk – 2004).

But there is one important thing that we need to consider above all these lyrics, and that is the point of our salvation, we cannot save ourselves;

‘apart from me you can do nothing’ (John 15:5 NIV).

Jesus told people around him that without him, they were powerless and could not achieve anything, just as Kanye West says;

‘I [we] need Jesus’ (Jesus Walks – 2004).

And as the singer Jewel intimated in her song, if we do not have Jesus;

‘Who will save you soul after all the lies that you told’ (Who will save your soul – Jewel Kilcher – Atlantic – 1994).

Well, we can answer that question, it is Jesus who will save our soul, and he paid the debt we could never pay, over two thousand years ago, by hanging on the cross in our place.

So, right back to the first song, all we have to do;

‘Cause you gotta have faith’ (Faith – George Michael – October 1987 – Columbia Records).

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By faith we see the hand of God
In the light of creation’s grand design
In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness
Who walk by faith and not by sight

By faith our fathers roamed the earth
With the power of His promise in their hearts
Of a holy city built by God’s own hand
A place where peace and justice reign

We will stand as children of the promise
We will fix our eyes on Him, our soul’s reward
Till the race is finished and the work is done
We’ll Walk by faith and not by sight

By faith the prophets saw a day
When the longed for Messiah would appear
With the power to break the chains of sin and death
And rise triumphant form the grave

By faith the church was called to go
In the power of the Spirit to the lost
To deliver captives and to preach good news
In every corner of the earth

By faith this mountain shall be moved
And the power of the gospel shall prevail
For we know in Christ all things are possible
For all who call upon His name

By Faith

Keith Getty, Krystyn Getty, Stuart Townsend

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Father, we thank you for all the times when we fail and you are there for us. We thank you for your unfailing love for us. We thank you for your continuing mercy, and we thank you for your Son Jesus who died for us. Help us to be worthy of the sacrifice, by sharing your love with all of those that we meet daily.

Amen

Prodigal

‘He never gives up on me’ (The Code – https://www.codelife.org/ – accessed 27/09/2020)

When you were younger did you ever do anything deliberately, just to see what would happen?

Did you test boundaries, push the limits, not to make you a better person, but to see what you could get away with?

I did, and frequently, well, every time when I think about it, it went horribly wrong.

When we get older, we are classed as more mature, well some people are, and so the thought process should be different, but is it?

At work, people arrive late with flimsy excuses when all they really wanted was an extra five minutes sleep that made them late, or they want to leave early and come up with equally silly reasons for doing so. These people are also testing the boundaries of what they can get away with.

So for some people, nothing changes, only time passes.

I have had people at work test boundaries, and I have given ultimatums, either do what you should, and what we say, or when I catch you, I will send you home without pay, and, where money is involved, the testing suddenly stops.

But why are we like that? Why do we constantly press against our situations, and why do we try to do things that deep down, we know that we should not?

‘Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one does what is right and never sins’ (Ecclesiastes 7:20 NIV).

The Bible says that we are sinful and are never without sin.

‘For we all have sinned and are in need of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 TPT).

Our heart may be the thing that guides us according to The Bible;

‘A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart’ (Luke 6:45 NIV).

We have a choice in everything that we do, and the choice is to be countercultural, live in the world, but be ‘of Jesus’, work, live, and love like Jesus did when he walked this earth;

‘Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you’ (Romans 12:2 TPT).

There is a story in the Bible, where a son acts so outrageously and leaves the family, only to return when he realises that he made a mistake. Now he really tested the boundaries of his families love.

 But, just as his father accepted him wholeheartedly on his return, so Jesus will accept us if we have strayed from him.

That is a truth we all need to hear, know and remember.

There is nothing you can do in this world, that will cause God to love you any less that he does now, equally, there is also nothing that you can ever do that will cause God to love you any more than he does now.

Read the passage above again.

Is that not something that you read and go, “Wow” when you do?

I am constantly amazed at how much God loves me, especially when I consider all the wrongs that I have done in my life, all the people that have hurt, all the times I have turned from God, yet he still says “Welcome back, I have missed you”.

That is how much God loves us, so much that he sent his only Son to die in our place, (John 3:16). Jesus died paying a debt that he did not owe, because God knew that we owed a debt that we could not pay.

We all struggle with sin, and do not let anyone tell you differently, no matter who you are, you will struggle. Thoughts, word, actions will come to mind, and you will have a choice with what to do with them, do you act on them and sin, or do you this time reject them?

Sometimes, you will reject them and win the battle, but sometimes you will act on them and be pushed back.

We are all on a spiritual journey, we are at war with the devil who wants nothing more than for us to lose a battle and turn from the war and give in. You may lose one day and the next, and the next, but, as for Jesus to give you his strength every day, and suddenly you will see that there are more days when you are winning than those you are losing, but never forget whose strength we are using;

‘apart from me you can do nothing’ (John 15:5 NIV).

We need Jesus, we need to follow Jesus.

There is a boo I read a while ago, and it is aimed at men, and helping them to follow Jesus.

Remember we are at war with sin, and it says;

‘If there is something you are still doing that you know deep down you need to stop doing but you are making excuses, reaffirm that Jesus is your captain and submit to His lead’ (Code – C. Beech, A Drake & I Manifold – Monarch Books – 2016).

The book is aimed at helping men get to know Jesus better, and to follow him in the war against sin and the devil, but the code works for all (https://www.codelife.org/ – accessed 27/09/2020).

The most important thing that we need to remember is that we need Jesus, he is our leader and example of how we could and should live our lives. We owe Jesus everything, if we never get another thing from him, he has already done enough for us right now this minute, even if this minute is the time when you decide to live for him.

We need to unashamedly live for Jesus, to put other’s needs first, to treat all people with respect and love, and to protect the marginalised, and also protect the world that God gave us.

But, most importantly, if and when we fail to live up to these standards, then, we will get up and start again, and never, never give up, because, God will never give up on us!

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Joyful joyful we adore You, God of glory, Lord of love
Hearts unfold like flowers before You, opening to the sun above
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness, drive the dark of doubt away
Giver of Eternal gladness fill us with the light of day (cause)

You are the One who saves, You are the One who saves
You are the One who’s hands lift us from the grave
You are the light of life, the everlasting day
You are the One who takes all our sins away

You are giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed
Fountain of the joy of living, ocean depths of happy rest
Jesus you are our rescue, Jesus you are our rescue
I give you everything I am

Joyful (the One Who Saves) (Our God is Near #2)

Adapted from Hymn to Joy from Ludwig van Beethovens 9th Symphony (adapted by Edward Hodges, 1824, verses Henry J. van Dyke, 1907)

Brenton Brown/Jason Ingram

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Father, we thank you for all the times when you see us fail and you help to pick us up. Lord thank you for your unfailing love and mercy, for the times when we can call to you for your help, for your strength, for you love. Lord you give us everything that we need, help us to claim that, to live with that at the centre of our lives. Lord help us to shine your light out into the world. Lord we love you.

Amen

Take my life and let it be

‘It’s all about you’ (Tommy Fletcher – [McFly] – 2005)

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The song says, “It’s all about you”.

But is it???

Is it all about us, or is there something more?

Before I decided to follow Jesus, it was definitely all about me; money, buying what I wanted and when I wanted it, drinking, etc. Nothing else really mattered.

The world is generally a selfish place!

People want a big house, so they go and get the biggest mortgage they can, then in addition to that, they also want a flashy car, so they borrow more and extend their mortgage. Then they also want expensive holidays, so the credit card comes out, and they rack-up the charges.

It’s all, me, me, me!

I want, I have to have! I need!

These are all expressions I have heard, and sometimes used myself.

But we do not need all these things!

Do not get me wrong, if you can afford these things and still have a life with purpose then there is nothing wrong, but, worldly things, materialism, take our focus from where it should be, on Jesus.

It is easy to let our gaze wander over the nice things that others have, but Paul reminds us;

‘Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world’ (Romans 12:2 GNB).

Yes it is nice to have what we want sometimes, but we, as followers of Jesus, we should look to the eternal.

Jesus said;

‘My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?’ (John 14:2 NIV).

What Jesus did not say, is that we can take all of our possessions with us.

Why would we need possessions when we get to heaven?

What he did tell us was to watch what we worship;

‘You shall have no other gods before me’ (Exodus 20:3 NIV).

That means that we need to keep our focus where it belongs, on Jesus.

If we have expensive houses or cars and jewellery, these can quickly replace what we should be worshipping. Life can become all about getting the money to pay for the latest gadget, or the fastest car, or the biggest house out of all our friends.

We all need to remember that;

‘where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’ (Matthew 6:21 NIV).

In other words, if you want new or expensive things more than you want to spend time with God, then you are worshipping the wrong thing!

If we are honest, we have all done that at some point in our lives.

I spent many years worshipping anything but God, and it took my life collapsing for me to realise how far my focus had shifted.

If you take a photograph and you manually focus the image, if the focus is in the wrong place, you may be able to know what was photographed, but it will not be a pleasant picture to have on your wall. If the focus is placed correctly and is sharp, then the picture is clear, and hanging it on the wall will make the room look nice.

If our lives are not focussed on Jesus, we will limp along going from one fad to another, from one place to another, and probably not achieve much for God.

But, if our life is focussed on Jesus, then we can live our life as he planned it;

‘I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for’ (Jeremiah 29:11 GNB).

So, focussing our lives where it matters, Jesus, will bring about the life we truly hope for, a life of purpose.

We will understand what we are truly here for;

‘It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for’ (Ephesians 1:11 Message).

And we know that when we trust in Jesus, that he will help us to fulfil our life’s purpose;

‘I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide’ (Psalm 32:8 TPT).

We constantly need to evaluate our lives, checking our focus, is it correct, is it on the right thing, and is our life’s picture a clear one, pointing to what is good?

Focus on Jesus, live a life of purpose.

Live a purpose driven life!

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Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands and let the move
At the impulse of your love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for thee.

Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only for my King;
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from thee.

Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use
Every power as thou shalt choose.

Take my will and make it thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is thine own
It shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At thy feet it’s treasure-store;
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for thee.

Francis Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)

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Father, we thank you that you give our lives purpose, without which we would simply exist. Lord, help us to discover our purpose, and give us the courage to live that purpose out for you. Lord also help us to help others to know you and trust you the way we do. Lord we love you.

Amen

Great, Amazing, Good Father!

‘You’re a good good Father’ (Chris Tomlin – 2016).

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When someone hurts you, how quick are you to forgive them?

Can you forgive them?

Do you want to forgive them when they hurt you?

Sometimes, forgiving someone when they have hurt you is the last thing that you want to do.

I have heard people say, “when hell freezes over”, meaning never, but, as Christians, that is exactly what we are called to do.

People who live by the ‘flesh’, in other words, people who do not know the love, grace and mercy of our Loving Lord Jesus, may not want to forgive, and may never truly forgive someone who hurts them, but we are called to be different;

‘offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God’ Paul says; ‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world’ he continues (Romans 12:1 & 2 NIV).

What Paul is saying, is that we who have chosen to follow Jesus, should be different from the people who do not, or choose not to.

We need to live in this world, but not be of this world. Our focus is and should be different. Many people who do not follow Jesus may worship, money or status etc. we should worship God, and because of that, follow what he says within the page of The Bible.

So when someone hurts us, our first thoughts may be to lash out irrationally back at the same person, but Jesus, when asked by Peter, tells us to do something that is counter intuitive;

‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, “I tell you not seven times, but seventy-seven times”’ (Matthew 18:21-22 NIV).

And in another place Jesus said;

‘If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in one day, and each time he comes to you saying, “I repent”, you must forgive him’ (Luke 14:3-4 GNB).

That makes it much more difficult.

So basically, if someone hurts you each and every day, multiple times, but then after they says sorry and asks for your forgiveness, then we, in line with the teaching of The Bible, must forgive him each and every time.

That could be very difficult.

But, Jesus has done that for each and every one of us.

Some of you may say “I do not sin that often” but when I look at my life and all the times that I fail Jesus, by doing my own thing, or going my own way, or trying to cope on my own and failing even more, then I can realise that forgiving someone who hurts me multiple times a day, is a small drop in the ocean of love and forgiveness.

For us, as humans, we can forgive, and sometimes even mean it. For God, when we come to him with a repentant heart and ask for forgiveness, then we truly receive it.

God does not hold a grudge, he is incapable of doing so, and he loves us too much to do that to us. He loves us so much that he is always by our side. When we say that we cannot feel the presence of God, it is because there is something on our side, blocking it, some sin that we have done and not asked forgiveness for.

As David did, so should we call out to God for his help and forgiveness in refocusing our lives and putting Jesus back in the centre;

‘O God, hear my prayer. Listen to my heart’s cry. For no matter where I am, even when I am far from home, I will cry out to you for a Father’s help. When I am feeble and overwhelmed by life, guide me into your glory, where I am safe and sheltered. Lord, you are a paradise of protection to me. (Psalm 61:1-2 TPT).

David knew where to focus his mind, we also need to find that focus so that we too can say;

‘Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love’ (Psalm 51:1 NIV).

God is there waiting for us to call to him, but do not wait until you are sinking, when all around you has fallen apart, when you are at your lowest, and life feels like a massive uphill struggle.

I have been there, and it is not a pretty place to be, lost and alone, or so I felt. The feeling of being unloved; the feeling of being unwanted, being isolated, and the feeling that you could not get any lower even if you tried; truly being in a pit of murky depression.

Wherever you are you can call to God because he has said;

‘Never will I leave you’ (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).

When we turn to God, and repent he will be there. But take heart, it is not only you who struggles, we all do, even the apostles struggled. Paul said;

‘I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do- this I keep on doing’ (Romans 7;18-19 NIV).

So do not beat yourself up about struggling and not accomplishing what you set out to do, turn to God who will forgive you, he will;

‘blot out our [my] transgressions. Wash away our [my] iniquity and cleanse me from my sin’ (Psalm 51:1-2 NIV – change mine).

When we come to God with a humble heart and are truly repent about what we are struggling with, and what we have failed to do, then he will blot them out, just as we should, God will forgive us our sins.

We should take time to refocus our life on what or who is important, the place or person you spend the most time with is the thing that you love most.

Perhaps we all need to cry out to God for help, Just as David did!

God is good, all the time!

He is our Father and wants nothing but the best for each and every on us.

All the time, God is good!

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I’ve heard a thousand stories of what they think you’re like
But I’ve heard the tender whispers of love in the dead of night
And you tell me that you’re pleased
And that I’m never alone

You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am

I’ve seen many searching for answers far and wide
But I know we’re all searching
For answers only you provide
‘Cause you know just what we need
Before we say a word

Because you are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways to us

Good Good Father

Chris Tomlin

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Father, we thank you that you are good to us, and even though we do not deserve it you are still always good. Lord guide us with your great wisdom, help us to be better people, help us to be like your Son Jesus. Lord we so want other people who do not know you, to hear about you and refocus their lives as we have ours. Lord you are so good to us, help us to show that to all that we meet daily.

Amen

20 Second is all it takes!

‘all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage’
(Benjamin Mee – We bought a Zoo – 2011 – 20^th Century Fox).

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Do you wake some mornings, lie there in bed and think “Here we go again”?

In the sci-fi action movie, Edge of Tomorrow (Warner Bros. Pictures – 2014), Tom Cruise has to save mankind from an alien race that is invading, but he keeps on getting killed. Once he is killed, he wakes up at the start, and has to work out how not to get killed and finally save mankind.

The film is reminiscent of the comedy, Groundhog Day (Columbia Pictures – 1993), but darker in its premise, as in Groundhog Day the star Bill Murray only has to save himself and change his outlook on life.

Sometimes it can feel as though we are going over the same things day in, and day out, that we are stuck in a rut and cannot get out of it.

When we feel that we are stuck in a rut, we need to look at what is happening, for God did not say “Follow me and do the same thing every day without change, until you die”, he said;

‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me’ (Luke 9:23 NIV).

So every day we must choose to follow Jesus. It is not a one-time choice of deciding to follow Jesus on a Monday and for the rest of the week do as I please, no, every day we have to choose to follow Jesus. We choose to trust him, we choose to talk to him, and we choose to study his words.

Life is a choice!

In all of what we do, we are not alone; Jesus is with us always as when he gave the disciples the ’Great Commission’ to go and make disciples of people everywhere they went, he finished by saying;

‘And I will be with you always, to the end of the age’ (Matthew 28:20 GNB).

So we make the choice to follow Jesus, and we may have made it many years ago, or recently, we may have made it with many others at a large gathering of believers, or at a festival of praise and worship, but now we are back home in our ever-day job and life, it seems just a little bit harder, and we feel less inclined to do some of the things that we should because we sometimes feel that we are all there is.

Many people will have times like these when we feel alone, I have them frequently, but we have to stand on the promises of The Bible, claim them and hold fast to them;

‘I will never leave you alone, never! And I will not loosen my grip on your life’ (Hebrews 13:5 The Passion Translation).

If we claim this promise that is written in The Bible, if we stand on this promise and believe with all our heart that everything written within its pages is true, and remember;

‘Every Scripture has been inspired by the Holy Spirit, the breath of God’ (2 Timothy 3:17 TPT).

Then we should also remember that elsewhere in The Bible it also says this;

‘my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty’ (Isaiah 55:11 NIV).

We need to remember that if God says something in the pages of The Bible, then it is true, and even though the day may seem the same as the previous one, God will give us challenges.

When we walk down the street, there may be someone who needs help, or there may be someone that we look at who seems to be struggling. It may be at work when someone says that they are getting a divorce, or they are struggling financially.

Whatever happens, it may be for just that reason that you are there, with your faith in God and the words of The Bible.

The Jewish people were about to undergo genocide, when Queen Esther had a chance to potentially save them, but she could have chosen to keep quiet, but her uncle gave her sage advice;

‘Yet who knows – maybe it was for such a time like this that you were made [queen]!’ (Esther 4:14 GNB).

So, you finally made the decision to follow God, and now you have someone struggling right in front of you. This is not your normal average day, God has put someone in your life that needs Jesus like you and I do, but maybe they do not know it yet.

My wife likes the film ‘We Bought a Zoo’(20^th Century Fox – 2011). In it the father tells the son;

‘You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it’ (Benjamin Mee – We bought a Zoo).

Now, I am not saying that every time you are insanely brave to talk about Jesus or the words of scripture, that something good will come of it, I have had times where people just scoff, but you have done your job, as the sower of the ‘word of God’ you have planted a seed.

Who knows what will happen to the seed planted, who will water it, will it be on rocky soil or will it find good soil, as the sower of the seed (Matthew 13:1-23), your job is to plant and let others tend, unless later in time, you also get the chance to tend your seed.

But every day, if you trust and let him, God will give you something to do for the kingdom. Days come and days go, but we should look for the good that we can do.

We are the light of Jesus and we need to take him everywhere that we go in this world. That way, no day should be like ‘Groundhog Day’.

Treat each day like the gift it is;

‘Today is a gift, that is why it is called the present’ (Bil Keane).

Take your gift each and every different day and use it for the kingdom of God.

Be insanely brave each day for twenty seconds, and spend that time pushing the boundaries of God’s kingdom, that each day it gets bigger and bigger.

Twenty seconds!

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This is the moment
This is why I’m living
To face the giants with You
It’s now or never
And though my heart is racing
I’ll leave my armour with You
Your love makes us stronger
And Your love sees us through

Only the brave will go where You go
Into the fire but never alone
We know You’ll always carry us home
Only the brave will go where You go

It’s all or nothing
These scars will tell a story
Of how our power broke through
In every battle
Our God is never shaken
Our hope will always be You
Your love makes us stronger
And Your love sees us through
Your love is forever
I’m Yours, I’m with You

We’re gonna go where You go

Only The Brave (Pocketful of Faith #2)

Nick Herbert, Martin Smith, Tim Hughes

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Father God, thank you for saving us when we turn to you. Lord we thank you for your amazing grace in our lives. Help us to be brave to show your love and kindness, your grace and mercy to all the people in our lives. Lord help us to have these amazing, insanely brave times where we can share you with people around us.

Amen

Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe !

‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life’ (Matthew 6:25 NIV)

Do you sometimes sit there in the quiet of the day or evening, and ponder your worth?

Do you think about what you have, or do not have?

How much you have in the bank, how much you earn, whether you own your own house, what type of car you drive, and whether you have the latest gadgets?

Now, I am not saying that having these things is bad, on the contrary, there is nothing wrong with having lots of money and things, it is what we do with them, and whether they rule us, that is the factor I am thinking about.

When my wife and I go out, I like her to not keep looking at the phone, or checking ‘Facebook’, or ‘Tweeting’ where we are and what we are doing, I like her to be paying that attention to me, and equally, I pay her all of my attention.

But, what is important, whether we have lots of things, or we have little, is where our focus is.

Paul reminded the Roman Christians where their focus should be;

‘Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly’ (Romans 12:2 GNB).

So the materialistic, “I want it now”, or “I must have it because ‘so-and-so has it’ should not be what drives us.

Jesus should be what drives us, and wanting that inward change that will give us a new outward perspective, a Godly perspective.

But before Paul said do not let the world turn your focus from God; he said that, he said something far more important;

‘in view of God’s mercy, [to] offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship’ (Romans 12:1 NIV).

So, what Paul is saying, is that the way we live, what we do, say, and think etc. should be defining our life. The fact that we love and follow Jesus should emanate from our life and bodies, as Jesus said;

‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have love you, so you must love one another’ (John 13:34 NIV).

So we are to love each and all of God’s people, and especially, those that do not know or follow Jesus; we should love them just as Jesus would have, completely, utterly, with abandon, without hesitation.

With Christians, that will be somewhat easier, but there will still be some Christians that we struggle to like, let alone love. With people who do not follow Jesus, well that is even harder sometimes.

But, Jesus continues to explain why we should love each and every person’

‘If you love one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples’ (John 13:35 GNB – emphasis mine).

So how we live should be a testament to what we have received from God.

We have received mercy for our past sins once we have told them to Jesus and asked for his forgiveness, it is and will never be deserved or earned. Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sin.

Jesus paid the debt he did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay.

Jesus died on the cross for me, and for that I am thankful each and every day;

‘You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly’ (Romans 5:6 NIV).

Jesus did not die because he wanted to, he even asked his Father to find another way;

‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me’ (Matthew 26:39 NIV).

Jesus knew the pain and anguish that he was going to suffer, and was not looking forward to it.

Who in their right mind would choose to be crucified, it was and still is a horrific way to die!

But, he did what he had to;

‘Yet not what I want, but what you want’ (Matthew 26:39 GNB – emphasis mine).

Even though Jesus was without sin, and even after the devil had tempted him when he was at his weakest, after fating for forty days and nights (Luke 4:1-13), he chose to die for us.

I can only say one thing to that, “WOW”.

When I look at my life and all of the rubbish and baggage that it contains, and Jesus chose to die for me, man that nearly brings me to tears each and every time I think of it.

But back to what we each have, and how we consider our worth.

We are made in the image of God;

‘Let us make mankind in our image’ (Genesis 1:26 NIV).

God chose to make us, and not only that, whilst we were in our mother’s womb, he even knew us there;

‘Your eyes saw my unformed body’ (Palm 139:16 NIV).

So, God chose to make us and knew us before we were born, and more than that, he will never leave us, so we will never be alone;

‘I will never leave you; I will never abandon you’ (Hebrews 13:5 – GNB – emphasis mine).

We were created on purpose, and for a purpose, even if we do not know what that is at this time;

‘For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord’ (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).

So, God made us in his image (wow), he knew us before we were born (wow) he has a plan for our lives that will bring him glory (wow) and he is always with us (wow).

How much are we worth???

We are worth so much more than trinkets, so much more than gadgets, money big cars and houses etc.

We are children of the living God, how much more worth do you need?

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You unravel me
With a melody
You surround me with a song
Of deliverance
From my enemies
‘Til all my fears are gone

I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God

From my mother’s womb
You have chosen me
Love has called my name
I’ve been born again
Into a family
Your blood flows through my veins

I am surrounded
By the arms of the Father
I am surrounded
By songs of deliverance
We’ve been liberated
From our bondage
We’re the sons and the daughters
Let us sing our freedom

No Longer Slaves

Jonathan Heiser, Brian Johnson, Joel Case

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Father God, thank you for Jesus, thank you that he was obedient to you so that we can be covered in your great mercy, and that we can receive your unprecedented, undeserved amazing grace. Lord we know that we do not deserve this wonderful gift, but we thank you constantly that you chose to give it to each and every-one that asks. Lord we love you wholeheartedly for this amazing gift that is freely given to all who choose to ask for it.

Amen

Cross over & away – or – cross to go to the Cross

‘The cross is not a mere event in history; it’s a way of life’ (John Piper)

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Many years ago, I used to watch a programme on TV based upon a show I had watched as a child, it was all about a space station (Star Trek Deep Space 9 – 1993 – 1999) and on the station there was a race of beings called the Ferengi; they were all about money and what they could get, and they had a saying;

‘Free advice is seldom cheap’ (Star Trek Deep Space 9 – season 2 episode 7 – Rules of Acquisition).

Now, wouldn’t we all like something for nothing?

In the past I have heard people say that they got something from a shop with a ‘five-fingered discount’ in other words, they stole it, something for nothing.

In Hinduism and Buddhism, there is something called ‘karma’ which states that a person’s past will decide their future. Many people also think that what goes around comes around;

‘You know, nasty little fellows such as yourself always get their comeuppance’ (Evelyn [Rachel Weisz] – The Mummy 1999 – Universal).

As a Christian, we do not believe that what we do dictates who we become, but we do believe that we all have a second chance.

Our Great God is all about second chances, and that is the reason that Jonah was told to go to Nineveh, (Jonah 1:1) in fact that is also the reason that Jesus came to earth.

‘For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 GNB).

Our past does make us who we are, because we are the sum of all of our experiences, both good and bad; but our past does not, and should not dictate our future.

Everyone struggles with something. I myself struggle with past sins that drag at me often, and it can be a great challenge to overcome these pulls against the flow.

One thing that we need to remember when others around us may be cheating the system to get what they can, is that we who have decided and chosen to follow Jesus, should be different.

We do not have to be different in a ‘holier than thou’ attitude, but people should be able to detect a difference in how we act, and by what we say or do not say.

We are a spear of light that is penetrating a dark world around us, and the light we carry is Jesus.

‘Therefore I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy……… Do not conform to the pattern of this world’ (Romans 12:1 & 2 NIV).

We do not and should not have an attitude of ‘we are so much better than you’ but we should have an ‘attitude of gratitude’.

I work around a lot of ex-offenders, and in conversations with them, I constantly say, “another day, a different way, I could be you, and you could be me”.

We all walk a path through life, some of us choose the wider path, and sometimes it is with complete knowledge that the path we are on is destructive.

‘Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it’ (Matthew 7:13 NIV).

But however we come to where we are, we should not judge others, only look to ourselves for what we have done, and to God for forgiveness.

Choosing to be a Christian is not taking the easy path, the one where there are no temptations; Jesus even tells us this;

‘Anyone who wants to come with me must forget self, take up their cross every day, and follow me’ (Luke 9:23 GNB).

Life is not all rainbows and unicorns, we struggle, even Paul struggled with what he should do and what he should not do (Romans 7:18-24).

But we are who we were made to be. We were made on purpose, and we were made for a purpose.

‘But by God’s grace I am what I am, and the grace he gave me was not without effect’ (1 Corinthians 15:10 GNB – emphasis mine).

We cannot do anything to earn God’s grace, or else I would still be wallowing in the mud and dirt of my many sins.

We can do nothing to earn it, and God knows this, that is why it is a free gift, and, this is the only free gift you will ever have that there is no cost attached to it.

If we choose to follow the teachings of Jesus and do what God wants us to do, then the changes we are to make will not feel like anything out of the ordinary, in fact we should want to make them, so there is no cost for the mercy and grace we receive, in fact there are only a few things that we will need to do;

‘To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’ (Micah 6:8 NIV).

Turn to Jesus, and be the person that our God knows we are.

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Spirit of the living God
Fall fresh on me
Spirit of the living God
Fall fresh on me
Melt me, mould me, fill me, use me
Spirit of the living God
Fall fresh on me

Spirit of the Living God

Daniel Iverson

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Father God, we thank you that you are indeed the God of second chances, second, third, fourth even, many are the chances that you have given me. Help me to be like minded with others, so that I may forgive them for how people hurt me, and that I may be able to love them like you loved me before I chose to follow you. Lord you are the Great God of love, help me to love like you do.

Amen

Past, Present or Future, Where to live??

‘When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be’ (Lao Tzu)

How often do you remember the past?

I sometimes find myself thinking back, but for me that is a good thing although sometimes it can affect my mood negatively, for I think back to periods of loss within the family.

Retrospective thinking can be good when we use it to grow, to learn from the past.

In the past, we learn lessons by making mistakes, but we must not dwell on or in the past, but use it to fuel our future growth.

We should not live in the past, only learn from it; we learn from the past, and with that learning we prepare for the future, but we should always live in the present.

I read something many years ago, and it summed up this sentiment quite well;

‘Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that is why it is called the present’ (Bil Keane).

Some people have difficulty in letting go of the past, myself included. There have been times, days and weeks, where I could just not understand or comprehend that fact that Jesus forgave what I had done, that he forgave me and discarded the sin I had committed into the deepest pit there is;

‘you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl our iniquities into the depths of the ocean’ (Micah 7:19 NIV).

For a long time, I could just not understand how Jesus could forgive me, when I did not forgive myself. I had changed and turned from my sin, but could not get past it, it was like a 100 foot wall in front of me that stretched to the horizon each way and was way too tall to overcome.

Jesus eventually showed me how to get past this behemoth of an obstacle, his grace and love got me past it.

‘Then I finally admitted to you all my sins, refusing to hide them any longer. I said “My life-giving God, I will openly acknowledge my evil actions” And you forgave me!’ (Psalm 32:5 The Passion Translation).

I met Jesus in the depths of my sin and failings, and he told me that he loved me, and what was more, he showed me the path out into his glory, and now there are words that fly round my head every time that I slip back and think as I used to;

‘I want to tell you what the Lord has done,
What the Lord has done for me;
He lifted me from the miry clay;
O what a happy day’
Sidney Edward Cox (1887-1975)

I still have times where the past drags at me, but as the Lord said to the nation of Israel;

‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing’ (Isaiah 43:18 NIV).

The new thing that God was doing in me, was changing me, changing my heart, changing my focus from my sin towards him, “Focus on me” he was saying, just as Paul had reminded the Roman Christians, Jesus was saying to me;

‘Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think’ (Romans 12:2 Passion Translation).

What a tough call it was, and it still is, I fall back very easily some days, and others I barely scrape by with a small win. But each and every day I do win, it becomes that little bit easier and I get a little closer to my friend Jesus.

Every time I fall or slip on the narrow path that I am walking, once I have asked for forgiveness for whatever sin I have committed, I remember the words of God;

‘For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more’ (Jeremiah 31:34 NIV & Hebrews 8:12).

That does not give me or anyone the right to sin and fail God deliberately, I want to change and be more like Jesus, as should we all if we choose to follow the ‘Light of the World’.

But, when we have sinned and asked for forgiveness;

‘Blessed is those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin’ (Romans 4:7 ESV).

We are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and anybody who thinks they are is deluding themselves, there has only ever been one perfect man, and he died for you and me, he loved us so much that he spread his arms wide and let himself be nailed to a cross. Jesus paid the debt he did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay.

Let Jesus show you the way and change your life, just as he changed and continues to change me now;

‘Not that I have already obtained all of this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me’ (Philippians 3:12 NIV).

I know my failings, but Jesus forgives and forgets them even when I cannot, but;

‘Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say rejoice’ (Israel Hougthon & Aaron Lindsey).

Rejoice in the fact that God has got this, whatever the situation is, follow him, talk to him, and finally but foremost in all things, trust him who created everything, even you.

God is too good not to love what he created and too clever to make a mistake, you and I were created on purpose and for a purpose.

‘For I know the plans I have for you declares the LORD’ (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).

And if he has created us, which he did;

‘You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside, and my intricate outside, and wove them together in my mother’s womb’ (Psalm 139:13 The Passion Translation).

So, God knows us intimately, and we were created for a purpose, a plan that God has for each and every one of us, we just have to learn that plan by asking him.

And if he has a plan for us, then he will always be with us;

‘I will never leave you alone, never! And I will not loosen my grip on your life’ (Hebrews 13:5 The Passion Translation).

So we are never alone, and God made us, and he gave us a plan, all we need now in understanding and knowledge, God has that for us too;

‘I hear the LORD saying, “I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide” (Psalm 32:8 The Passion Translation).

And whenever we struggle even knowing all the facts and trusting in God, we should remember how powerful and loving our God is, so loving that he sent Jesus to die in our place (John 3:16), but he also rejoices in us and with us, he knows our pain and our rejoicing, for he is always here with us, remember;

‘The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing´ (Zephaniah 3:17 – emphasis mine).

What else is there to say, except;

“Thank you Jesus”.

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Though the tears may fall
My song will rise
My song will rise to You
Though my heart may fail
My song will rise, my song will rise to You
While there’s breath in my lungs
I will praise You, Lord
In the dead of night, I’ll lift my eyes
I’ll lift my eyes to You
Though the waters rise, I’ll lift my eyes
I’ll lift my eyes to You
While there’s hope in this heart
I will praise You, Lord

The joy of the Lord is my strength!
The joy of the Lord is my strength!
In the darkness I’ll dance
in the shadows I’ll sing
The joy of the Lord is my strength!

When I cannot see You with my eyes
Let faith arise to You
When I cannot feel Your hand in mine
Let faith arise to You
God of mercy and love
I will praise You, Lord
How You shine with glory, Lord of light
I feel alive with You
In Your presence now I come alive
I am alive with You
There is strength when I say
I will praise You, Lord

When sorrow comes my way
You are the shield around me
Always, You remain
My courage in the fight
I hear You call my name
Jesus, I am coming
Walking on the waves
Reaching for Your light!

Joy of the Lord

Rend Collective & Ed Cash

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Lord, thank you that even in our worst times, you can still see the person created in your image. Lord we ask that you may give us eyes like that so we may always see all people truly as they are, sons and daughters of The Living God. Lord we want people who do not know you, to get to know and love you as we do, and for that we need to see them as you do. Lord please give us strength and wisdom to see them as you do.

Amen

Worry and repeat, or trust Jesus!

‘Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere’ (Erma Bobeck)

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When I was a teenager and a young adult, I remember that I was constantly worrying. Did I have enough fuel to get where I was going, as the gauge in my car was not working? Did I do enough at work to earn what as necessary for the home and family?

Worry, worry, worry!

And what did it get me?

Angst and sleepless nights, that was all.

Even when I became a Christian it did not stop, I had anxiety issues, and could not shake them.

One night I could not handle it anymore, and I went to see my minister. As soon as I entered his house, I broke down, and blurted out all my problems; he and his wife sat me down, and in the good old English fashion, got me a cup of tea.

Tea I thought, my life is falling apart and you offer me tea!

But, just as when someone is having a panic attack you ask them questions to distract them and get them talking and breathing normally (hopefully), the offer of tea was to divert my attention from my melt-down.

They asked questions and listened to my answers.

Then they pointed me to a passage in the Bible, in the gospel of Matthew;

‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life’ (Matthew 6:25 NIV).

That may seem a little simple to some of you, but that resonated with me, and has been pivotal in everything since.

As the words of the hymn state;

‘I have decided to follow Jesus’ (attr. To S. Sundar Singh – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_Decided_to_Follow_Jesus#:~:text=An%20alternative%20tradition%20attributes%20the,region%20where%20the%20text%20originated. – accessed 17/07/20)

We are called to follow Jesus, and he did not worry, he faced every challenge square-on.

After forty days in the wilderness, the devil came to tempt Jesus, but, when he was tempted, did he worry? He did not fret, because Jesus decided that the best answer to temptation is to quote scripture;

‘It is written: ”Man shall not live on bread alone”’ (Matthew 4:4 NIV, and also further quotes in 4:7 and 4:10).

When he was about to be arrested, whilst praying he asked God his Father to take the suffering away from him, but he did not want to disobey his Father;

‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt’ (Matthew 26:39 RSV – emphasis mine).

So even when the whole world seemed to be turning upside down, and going against him, Jesus trusted his dad.

It is said that worry will only get you grey hair, wrinkles, or an ulcer.

But, not worrying frees you up to become all that God wants you to be.

There is a plan for all of us, if we just trust Jesus;

‘I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for’ (Jeremiah 29:11 GNB).

If we trust God, he will not let us down, the plan is there for everyone, even those who choose not to believe or follow Jesus, there is still a plan for their lives.

This is not like getting a piece of furniture from Ikea, with no instructions to follow. We have a book filled with instructions on how to live within and in community with everyone else.

The Bible is our handbook, filled with instruction and teaching, we just have to read and absorb the content!

And we are not alone in all of this, because Jesus is always with us;

‘I will never leave you; I will never abandon you’ (Hebrews 13:5 GNB).

So we do not have to do this alone. There will be times, and I have had many of these moments, when God seems distant, and, or I cannot hear the words of Jesus, it is as if I was in a soundproof room alone, but even then we have our church community to rely on, to spur us into action, to help us and pray for us, to pick us up when we fall.

Christians should never ever be truly alone.

But, when we open the handbook we have, and most of us carry can it with us all the time, for it is also digital, and in aps to put on our smart-phones, we find teaching that can help us;

‘I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way’ (Psalm 32:8 Passion Translation).

If we are prepared to study our handbook, and we should want to do this, then we can learn many things about what God wants for us, for he is not a distant God;

‘My frame was not hidden from you… when I was woven together. Your eyes saw my unformed body’ (Psalm 139:15 & 16 NIV).

So, the words of a song originally sung by the Troggs (October 1967 – written by Reg Presley) and covered by Wet, wet, wet, (Four Weddings and a Funeral – Rank Film Distributers – 1994) spring to mind;

‘Love is all around us’

And that is exactly how it is, love is all around us, because God is everywhere, and God is love, so literally, we are surrounded by the love of God.

I read something once, I do not know how true it is, but it said that the Bible in one way or other, says, ‘do not fear’ 365 times.

If it is true, and I like to think it is, there has to be a reason that there are 365 day in a year, and the Bible says do not worry 365 times.

In the words of Jesus;

‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry… But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness’ (Matthew 6:25 & 33 NIV).

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I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus
No turning back, no turning back!

The world behind me, the cross before me
The world behind me, the cross before me
The world behind me, the cross before me
No turning back, no turning back!

Though none go with me, still I will follow
Though none go with me, still I will follow
Though none go with me, still I will follow
No turning back, no turning back!

Oh take the whole world but give me Jesus
Oh take the whole world but give me Jesus
Oh take the whole world but give me Jesus
No turning back, no turning back!

We have decided to follow Jesus
We have decided to follow Jesus
We have decided to follow Jesus
No turning back, no turning back!

I Have Decided To Follow Jesus

Attr. To S. Sundar Singh (1888 – 1971)

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Lord, thank you that Jesus came to show us how to live. Lord we really need you in our lives to teach us what we should do. Lord help us to study your word The Bible and absorb your teachings so that our life can be fuller and freer in our love. Lord we live you.

Amen

Prayer gently lifts us – Hal Beckett

‘Lord, save me [Peter]’ (Matthew 14:30 NIV)

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It may be a cry for mercy, or a plea for help, or even a simple word of praise.

Sometimes it may be all that we can say.

Sometimes we can say nothing at all, and we just do not know what to say;

‘but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans’ (Romans 8:26 NIV).

Jesus, when he was asked for some guidance, taught his disciples how to pray;

‘When you pray, say’ (Luke 11:2 RSV).

He then proceeded to give us what we now call ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ (Matthew 6:9-13).

We should also remember that how we ‘come to prayer’ also has a bearing on the outcome of the prayers.

If we come to God as though we have never done anything nothing wrong, then we will be praying from a false view-point, but if we humble ourselves, then that helps with our human nature.

‘The Pharisee…. “God, I thank you that I am not like other people”… the tax collector… “God, have mercy on me, a sinner”… those who humble themselves will be exalted’ (Luke 18:10, 11, 13 & 14 NIV).

In his book on prayer, (How to Pray – 2019), Pete Greig gives lots of sound advice on prayer, and well worth a read. The book is based around a simple acronym to help us with our prayer life, Pause, Rejoice, Ask, and Yield, or say Yes. (P.R.A.Y.).

When we pray, we need to firstly pause and acknowledge that God is all-powerful, the Creator of the universe, and the Giver-of-Life.

‘Great is our LORD, and abundant in power’(Psalm 147:5 RSV).

‘Is anything too hard for the LORD’ (Genesis 18:14 RSV).

We should rejoice that God is God, rejoice that he saves and continues to do so.

‘You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly’ (Romans 5:6 NIV).

‘if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 RSV).

Once we have done this, then we should feel God’s presence and be able to ask him for what we need or want. These may not be things for us, such as “God I want a new car” or “God I need a bigger house”, it could be for forgiveness for hurting someone or someone hurting us; it could be that a friend or family member needs to know who God is, or to be reminded of God’s power, but it is a time to ask of God.

‘give us today our daily bread’ (Matthew 6:11 NIV).

‘give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread’ (Proverbs 30:8 NIV).

We should then be willing to ‘yield’ or say ‘yes’ to what God wants of us.

Prayer does not need to be complicated.

Prayer is not all about us.

‘I have to show up, shut up, and look up’ (Pete Greig – How to Pray – pp132).

Prayer should not be all about us. We live in a fallen world, and we should want the entire world to come to know the One True God!

Prayer is talking to God, and being a Christian is deciding that we want a relationship with the God who created the universe and saved us by sending his Son to die in our place (John 3:16), so prayer then becomes more and more important.

‘To fail to pray, then, is not to merely break some religious rule – it is a failure to treat God as God’ (Timothy Keller – Prayer – 2014 – pp26).

‘As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray’ (1 Samuel 12:23 NIV).

There will be times when you feel that you cannot pray, or times when you just can’t find the right words.

I have had these times, and when this happens, I just say;

“Lord, I don’t know what to say, or how to say it, but you know my heart”

I also remember the Bible verse that says the Spirit will help me to pray;

‘but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans’ (Romans 8:26 NIV).

God does not want us to pray just when thing are difficult, or when finances are bad, or when we need an intervention for some reason. God wants us to talk to him whenever, to thank him for the birth of a new day, to thank him for all the gifts we are blessed with. We should be able to talk to God as if we are talking to one of our friends, for he is our friend.

‘Sometimes God listens to our casual conversations and receives them as prayers’ (Pete Greig – How to Pray – 2019 – pp141).

Talk to God, tell him how your day is going, and if you are struggling, then ask him for help, and ask him to guide you through the situation.

God knows us intimately, and even know what we are going to say;

‘Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely’ (Psalm 139:4 NIV).

Yes, God knows everything, but he still wants us to share that information with him, that is relational.

‘[God] also remembers every prayer that we pray’ (Pete Greig – How to Pray – 2019 – pp197 – addition mine).

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Prayer gently lifts me, to highest Heaven,
From earth’s confusion to Jesus’ breast;
My sin and weakness, my doubt and sorrow,
Are lost forever in sweetest rest.

Prayer Gently Lifts Me

Hal Beckett (1888 – 1971)

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Lord, I thank you that I can come to you to talk whenever I want to, and also whenever I need to. Lord you are always there for me, so help us to be there for others when they need support in times of trial. Lord we need you in our live always, help us to be more mindful of you every day.

Amen

Father of the year or Father of the universe

‘You’re a good good father’ (Chris Tomlin – 2015)

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Today for some will be very difficult, a day that honours fathers.

I met a man a few years ago, and we exchanged stories about our early life, he had grown up with a very abusive father, both verbal and physical abuse was suffered on a regular basis during his early childhood, and even right up to the time when he was old enough to leave home, and he left as quickly as he could.

I talked about my father, and the fact that he had died when I was fourteen, and it was the first day back at school when this happened, I included how it made me feel, and altered my outlook on life, and I continued up to the point where I too left home and got my own flat.

“I don’t know how you coped” he said, “I don’t think I could have coped very well without a father”.

“But you suffered for years with abuse” I replied.

“I don’t think I could have managed without my dad though” he said.

Different people have different ways when coping with things.

We as human fathers are not perfect, we are broken, just as is the world we live in, ever since the fall (Genesis 3), and so things in the world do not work as they were originall intended to by God. We all make mistakes;

‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 NIV).

At some point we will all have done things that are not right, we will have lied, maybe stolen, gossiped about someone etc. This is all ‘sin’, so we all do it, whether intentionally or not, and it is a constant battle not to do things like this;

‘For I know that nothing good dwells within me. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do’ (Romans 7:18 & 19 RSV).

But even though we fail God and sin, and do things that we know we should not, and do not do the things that we know we should, there is still hope;

‘Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish will give him a snake’ (Luke 11:11 NIV).

So even though we are by nature sinful people, we love our children and will try to do the best for them.

The man suffering abuse thought his dad was trying to make him stronger to enable him to face the woes of the world.

My dad equally tried to prepare me for the world, but by different means.

When Jesus came to the earth, he did so because of God’s outrageous love for us. Even though we fail God and sin, even though we may turn away from God as the early Israelite nation did time and time again, Jesus came because God loves us so much;

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 RSV).

So because of God’s great love for us, his children, Jesus came to die for us. God, our Father wants us to be able to have a direct relationship with him, and so Jesus died for the sins of us all;

‘You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly’ (Romans 5:6 NIV).

So God the Father wanted us to be part of his family so much, that he sent Jesus, his only Son to make atonement for our sin, to die in our place.

Jesus paid the debt he did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay

Trust that God wants what is best for you.

Turn to him and ask him to forgive all the bad that you have done.

Ask him to show you how to live a better life.

Love him with all that you have and he will say;

‘You are my son (or daughter); today I have become your father’ (Psalm 2:7 – addition mine).

Let God be the good father that you may never have known; let him be the replacement father for the one that left you alone, or let him be an extra dad to the one that you may still have, either way, call him Father.

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I’ve heard a thousand stories of what they think you’re like
But I’ve heard the tender whispers of love in the dead of night
And you tell me that you’re pleased
And that I’m never alone

You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am

I’ve seen many searching for answers far and wide
But I know we’re all searching
For answers only you provide
‘Cause you know just what we need
Before we say a word

Because you are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways to us

You are…

Good Good Father

Chris Tomlin

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Father, thank you so much that you are always there for us, that we can turn to you for comfort, for guidance, that we can call out and you will hear us. There are so many of us that have need of you in our life, to show us how to  live, how to interact with others, Lord come along-side us in our need and show us your love, that we may reflect this in our lives.

Amen

Walk with me on the water!

‘You call me out upon the waters’ (Hillsong – Oceans (where feet may fail) – 2013)

Are there times in your life when people have done things against you, or said some things that they really should not? When these things happen, do your friends then reflect on what has happened or hat has been said, and then apologise to you?

Are there also times in your life, when you have acted like that, and have you been the one apologising?

Do we always apologise when we have said or done something, that as a Christian we should not?

I know that I have not.

We are not alone, not that this statement makes everything okay, nor does it mean that we do not have to worry, for even Paul struggled with these things;

‘For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do’ (Romans 7:19 NIV).

It is sometime difficult to be the better person, or the person with good morals, and taking the higher ground can single you out and set you apart from the people around you in your life; and it can occasionally make life more difficult for you.

But Jesus did not say that following him and being a Christian was going to be easy, in fact he said the direct opposite;

‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me’ (Luke 9:23 NIV – emphasis mine).

That does not necessarily mean that we have to literally carry a cross about all the time, but when Jesus was alive, following him could have meant that the disciples could be arrested and killed, so following Jesus was potentially dangerous.

In some countries today, such as China and Korea, and many Muslim countries, being a Christian is dangerous, people have to meet in secret for fear of arrest and imprisonment.

Recently, I heard an amazing story of one such woman, she was imprisoned and beaten for her faith, yet through it all she did not deny her Saviour. When the literal rain storms came, she and her friends would go outside in the prison grounds, and raise their own storm of worship, and they did this so that the guards could not hear them singing praises to God, the remainder of their time in prison was spent whispering prayers and encouragement to each other.

To then hear this woman sing Amazing Grace, knowing a little of what she had been through was massively inspiring to say the least.

How many of us actually suffer for our faith?

We may lose a few friends, but if the friends we lose cannot accept the changes in our lives, they would only be a stumbling block to us.

We are privileged to live in a society that is generally tolerant to faith, a society that does not make it illegal to own and read a bible, a society that does not try to stop us meeting in large numbers and worshipping our God.

We can even meet in public places and share our views on the Bible and God with others.

In the town where I live, we usually have a large gathering on the Friday before Easter Sunday, and we walk around the town holding signs up declaring the love of God, then we all meet in the town square for an open-air service, where we sing our praise to God, read from the Bible and share, all through loud speakers so that all can hear, not only those attending, but even people who are just walking through the town.

What a privilege we have to be able to share with others.

But it is not only a privilege, but a duty;

‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations’ (Matthew 28:19 NIV).

As we are able to share our faith with others openly, we can actually perform what Jesus commanded us to do; we can share the light of Jesus with those who we meet in our everyday lives.

But there will be those who say “I cannot do that” or “Well what would I say” or even, “I cannot do that all by myself”.

Well, we could take another believer with us, but even without someone else, we are never truly alone;

‘And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’ (Matthew 28:20 NIV).

And remembering that we are never alone is so important, that Paul reminded the Hebrew Christians of the fact;

‘God has said “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you”‘ (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).

So, even if we talk to non-Christians about Jesus, and we are on our own, we are not alone.

Some of us may not know what verses to quote, or may not be able to recall verses at the drop of a hat, but even this is nothing to worry about, for when speaking to the disciples, Jesus assured them that if they were arrested and brought before leaders, then the words to speak would be given to them;

‘do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you’ (Matthew10:20 NIV).

We need to trust that God will guide our conversation for the glory of his kingdom.

Ultimately, God will equip us for the tasks that he has for us.

There is a plan for each of us (Jeremiah 29:11).

God will instruct us so that we can share his glory (Psalm 32:8)

We are not alone, ever (Hebrews 13:5).

Trust God!

We live in a society that at present does not supress Christianity, or those who freely profess their faith, there is no penalty for doing so. Take the chance, trust God. Just a s Peter trusted God when he got out of the boat, go to that place and let Jesus guide you.

Peter walked on the water (Matthew 14:29-30) he sank, but that was when he too his eye off Jesus.

We need to trust Jesus with all our hearts, and let him guide ou in places where our feet may fail us.

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep my faith will stand

I will call upon Your Name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You’ve never failed and You won’t start now

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Saviour

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)

Joel Houston, Matt Crocker, Salomon Lighthelm

Father, thank you so much that you are always there for us, that you guide us and teach us, giving us knowledge that enables us the share the light and love of your Son. Give us strength and courage to enable us to share you with those who do not yet know you.

Amen

I knew I needed to be NEW!

‘for the LORD your God is with you’ (Joshua 1:9 RSV)

 

Do we believe that God is with us always?

Some people reading this may not even believe in God or Jesus, but those of us who respond to God or Jesus will know without a doubt that he is always with us;

‘It is the LORD who goes before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you or forsake you’ (Deuteronomy 31:8 RSV – emphasis mine).

At the time of the death of Moses, just before Israel crossed the river Jordan, Joshua began to lead the Israelite nation; knowing that he was not going to cross the river, Moses had passed the leadership of the nation to Joshua.

Joshua was encouraged  and  given assurance that he would not be on his own when leading the nation, for God spoke to him, (Joshua 1:2 – 10).

‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go’ (Joshua 1:9 NIV – emphasis mine).

This was such an important message for the people to hear, that many years later, Paul, the writer of the book of Hebrews, reminded the people of the message;

‘because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” ’ (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).

So we can take solace from the words written there, that whatever situation we find ourselves in, we are never truly alone.

Now this knowledge fills me will praise and gladness for my Father God, when I think back to what I used to be like, it fills me with shame and regret at what I used to be like.

Many years ago, I found myself in a situation where my marriage failed, and many of the people I knew quickly disappeared from my daily life. My life changed in an instant, my normality became a desolate space. I no longer had the ability to engage with the very people I had spent the previous number of years calling friends.

We may all got through situations that are seemingly very bad, some may be of our own doing, and some may be because of circumstances out of our own control, but whatever situation we are in, as we read in the Bible, we are never truly alone.

‘NEVER WILL I LEAVE YOU’ (Hebrews 13:5 NIV – emphasis mine).

I my time of being on my own, I found these words to be a great comfort to me.

When situations arise, and you find yourself excluded from certain areas of a former life, or you realise that you have been rejected from certain groups that you used to take part in, then it may feel as a little part of you dies, but take heart there is more to life than your past.

What we need to ask ourselves is;

“Who was I living my life for?”

“Who was most important in my life?”

Were you living solely for you own enjoyment, did you acknowledge God at all in your life, did God even come into your thoughts, or maybe just consider what was most important to you, what did all your energy go towards?

For me, the answer was simple, I lived for me and thought of no one else but me, but, life does not end there, and when you find yourself on you own, there is a place to go, you still have choices to make.

Your past does not necessarily characterize you, and whatever you may have done; your circumstances do not define your future!

So, how do we get from our past, point A, to our new future, point B?

Whenever you are planning a journey, you usually consult a map book or atlas, or you used to. Today, you look on your smart phone for your map application, or, if like me and are a little lazy, you just say;

‘Okay Google, navigate to (wherever you want to go)’

Google will then offer you several routes, and also give the amount of time that you can expect to be on the journey.

Well, if you are coming from a point of exiting out of an old life style, and wanting to come into a new life, maybe a realisation that there is something missing in your life, then there is an easy way.

Some people can go through life without a care for the world; they can fill their life with ‘things’, cars, houses, expensive holiday etc.; material things that they consider important, and tings that will bring them happiness.

Material possessions will not bring us happiness, they may do momentarily, you get a new television and it is great, but after a short time, it is just another possession and you want more again. Paul said so to the Roman Christians;

‘Do not be conformed to this world’ (Romans 12:2 RSV).

We do not really need material possessions, they serve a purpose in our lives, new televisions let us watch documentaries, or keep us informed about local and world events, but they are not more important that life itself.

We all have something missing from our lives.

When God created the universe, (Genesis 1) and Adam and Eve lived in The Garden of Eden, they lived in harmony with God, tending the Garden for him (Genesis 2:15). But life did not stay that way, as, when they were tempted, they gave in to temptation (Genesis 3), and so they were expelled for The Garden of Eden.

The fall caused mankind to be missing something now, and that was a close relationship with their Creator (Genesis 1:26). We now have a God shaped hole in us that only God can fill, and we each need to come to that realisation in our own way, it cannot be forced upon us.

Jesus came to the earth because God loves mankind so much that he wanted us to have a chance to build the bridge, and come back into a right relationship with him.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son’ (John 3:16 NIV – emphasis mine).

So whatever you or I have done in the past, whatever pit we find ourselves in, there is a way out, and the way is Jesus!

‘Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me” ’ (John 14:6 RSV).

All through our life, God has been, is  and always will be with us, and he knows all that we do, nothing is hidden from him, when we steal, when we lust after people we are not married to, or when we tell a lie;

‘You perceive my thoughts from afar… … Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely’ (Psalm 139:2 & 4 NIV).

Whatever we do that is wrong, whatever sin we do, God knows it as we do it;

‘Before I’d ever seen the light of day, the number of days you planned for me were already recorded in your book’ (Psalm 139:16 Passion Translation).

So whatever we do, God knows, wherever we are, God knows; there is nothing that any of us can do that God will not know about, but we can change who we are, by turning to the very same God, and asking for his forgiveness, just as the prodigal son, who took half his father’s wealth and squandered it asked his father to forgive him (and he did) (Luke 15:11 – 31).

We cannot do any of this on our own, or in our own strength;

‘I am the sprouting vine and you’re my branches. As you live in union with me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you – but when you live separated from me you are powerless’ (John 15:5 Passion Translation)

There is nothing that any of us can do that will make our Creator God love us more that he already does, equally, there is nothing that we can do, no sin  that is so great that God will love us any less.

When we turn to God, repent of anything and everything that we have done wrong and ask for his forgiveness, it can and will all change;

‘Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 Passion Translation).

What amazing grace!

 

So here it is, my alabaster heart
I’m keeping nothing back from who You are
No hidden treasure veiled by key or lock
You’re a lifetime worth of worship
And that’s only just the start

Here it is, my every waking day
The minutes, hours, the years of endless praise
For You’re worthy far beyond all I could say
There’s a lifetime worth of worship
In the nuance of Your names

So let it rise like incense
My whole life a fragrance
Every ounce here broken at Your feet
Every breath an offering
My heart cries these lungs sing
Over You, my worthy King of kings

There it is, Your alabaster cross
Giving all You are for all I’m not
I can’t believe that’s the kind of King You are
How could I not bring a lifetime worth of worship to You God

All my love
All my love
All my love
You can have it all

Alabaster Heart

Kalley Heiligenthal

Father, thank you so much that you deem us worthy to be with us always. I am sorry for the times when I hurt you by my action, or by my inaction’s. Help me to rely more upon your strength, and stop trying to do it all on my own, because it never works. Lord I need you, O how I need you, be with me always.

Amen

Even Jesus was tempted!

‘I need thee every hour’ (Annie Sherwood Hawks, Robert Lowry)

Have you ever walked along a beach, and spent any time looking at the surrounding rocks there?

I love being at the beach, listening to the waves as they break along the shore, or watching the surf as it makes its way towards the shore, I find it incredibly peaceful.

Equally, I know the power of the sea, the strength that the water has, and anyone who has swam in the sea will know the power that the surge has when it pulls you away from the direction that you want to go.

When I walk along the sea-shore, I also look at the rocks, looking at the way that the waves have pounded them, ravaged them constantly, incessantly cascading onto them over and over, day by day smashing into the rock, slowly wearing away little pieces of the rock until they form the patterns that we see.

The power of the sea I think is also similar to the power that temptation can have over us.

Some days, to resist temptation can be very easy, it is as easy as saying “No, not today satan”, but other days, it seems as if every time we turn around to walk away from our temptation, it has run in front of us, everywhere we look, there it is, taunting us, challenging us to fail, and many time we may, but we are not alone in this;

‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 NIV – emphasis mine).

That is not to say that we can use this Bible verse as an excuse, we cannot keep going to God and saying;

“Yes, but you know that we all sin and get it wrong, but I am sorry”

Again, it may be tempting to say that, but that is not what we should be saying, we should be repenting and asking for strength to change.

We alone are not tempted, even Jesus was tempted, but the difference is that Jesus did not sin, he did not give in, and we need to learn to be different. We need to learn to ‘unlearn’ our sinful behaviour.

In life, we will fail at times, and that is okay, but we also need to learn to change, and we cannot do that on our own, Jesus said;

‘apart from me you can do nothing’ (John 14:5 NIV).

In our times of temptation, we need to turn to Jesus, call out for his help in dealing with the situation. God never gives us more that we can handle, we just have to recognise that;

‘God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear’ (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV).

So whenever we are tempted, God knows what we are going through, and we need to stand on the promise written I the Bible that says we will not be tempted beyond our capabilities, if we trust Jesus; but there is more than that. We have to trust God, turn to him and ask him for help, or we may yet still fail;

‘but with the temptation [God] will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it’ (1 Corinthians 10:13 RSV – addition mine).

So when we are tempted, God will provide for us a means of escaping it. Many times I have been in this situation and failed to find the way out that God has for me, failed to call out to him and escape, but, each time that we go through this, we learn what not to do.

We need to learn what trigger us to be in a situation that triggers our temptations, and then try not to be in those situations.

If being alone triggers us, then at times when we feel tempted, go and find some company, go and find people to pray for you in that time.

‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation’ (Luke 22:40 RSV).

Satan is a cunning adversary, and he is always looking at ways to lure us away from the kingdom of God. He knows that we are weak, and he knows that some people are easily led, so we should always be on our guard;

‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour’ (1 Peter 5:8 NIV).

So we are likely to come under attack at any moment, and it is more likely that you will come under attack after you have had a good experience of God’s power or grace.

Following my baptism, I had a terrible week, where every day, and sometimes every hour, it felt like I was on trial for my life.

I was watching ‘Dr Who’ last night, and one of the characters said to another, “Gird your loins”, and the reply was “how do I do that?”

To ‘gird one’s loins’ means to prepare for something, to strengthen yourself, and we can strengthen ourselves best by immersing ourselves in the Word of God, the Bible says;

‘put on the full armour of God’ (Ephesians 6:11 NIV).

So when we feel tempted, we, just like the Psalmist did, can call out to God;

‘Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer’ (Psalm 61:1 NIV).

‘Save me, O God, by your name’ (Psalm 54:1 NIV).

But we can also go to God at times of failure, and lament our sin to him, and ask him to be lenient towards us for we are remorseful for what we have done;

‘Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions… … Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me’ (Psalm 51:1 & 10 NIV).

Then we can wait on God and learn anew what he wants for us.

Trust God, he will never let you down;

‘Taste and see that the LORD is good’ (Psalm 34:8 NIV).

 

What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer
O what peace we often forfeit
O what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer

Have we trials and temptations
Is there trouble anywhere
We should never be discouraged
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer

Are we weak and heavy laden
Cumbered with a load of care
Precious Saviour still our refuge
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Do thy friends despise forsake thee
Take it to the Lord in prayer
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee
Thou wilt find a solace there

Blessed Saviour Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever Lord be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer
Soon in glory bright unclouded
There will be no need for prayer
Rapture praise and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there

What A Friend We Have In Jesus

C.C. Converse, J. M. Scriven

 

Father, we thank you that you love us so much, that even in the depths of our sin, we can call to you and you will hear us. Help us to not fall into temptation, and deliver us from evil Lord. We turn to you for strength in resisting the temptations of this world Lord, guide us and strengthen us so that we can live godly lives and serve you.

Amen

Kintsugi – by God I am restored!

‘I once was lost, but now am found’ (Amazing Grace – John Newton – 1725 – 1807)

Do you think about your life much or do you just live one day at a time?

If and when you think about yourself, do you consider all aspects of your life, your family, your friends, your work etc., and if you do, how do they stack-up against what you thought or dreamed of?

Is your life on track for your dreams, do you have your ideal spouse and family, are you living in your dream house or do you drive your dream car, is the work that you do your ideal job, or is it all failing in some way that you cannot seem to control?

Sadly, nothing is perfect in this world!

The world was perfect once, just as God wanted it and he was pleased with what he had created;

‘God saw all that he had made, and it was good’ (Genesis 1:31 NIV).

Unfortunately, this did not last long, for the serpent spoke to Eve and tempted both Adam and Eve;

‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God’ (Genesis 3:5 NIV).

Because of the craftiness of the serpent, Adam and Eve became disobedient to God, and they were banished from the perfect splendour of the Garden of Eden, to struggle outside of the garden, and to live their life apart from God;

‘So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden’ (Genesis 3:23 NIV).

So we do not live in a perfect world, and we that live in this world are also far from perfect;

‘everyone has sinned as I far away from God’s saving presence’ (Romans 3:23 GNB).

God created a perfect world in which all of creation could have lived, Adam and Eve (humanity) broke the world, and because of that breaking, it does not now work as the Creator intended, there is sin, pain and death in the world.

Both the world and us as us as the residents of the created world, are broken!

What can we do then, how do we change this?

We need restoration to God and Jesus.

We need to repent of our sins, be healed by God’s mercy and receive the Holy Spirit which will help to transform our lives.

I do not say this simply, it may not be an easy fix for most of us, sin clings to us and tries to drag us down constantly, or it reminds us of what we have done in the past, and the shame and guilt of our past cling to us and blur our godly vision.

The Japanese have a tradition or philosophy of not wasting anything that can be repaired, and they say that nothing is ever truly broken (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/326qTYw26156P9k92v8zr3C/broken-a-pot-copy-the-japanese-and-fix-it-with-gold – accessed 17/05/2020).

I have recently read a book about being broken and seeking restoration, and Wikipedia also seems to agree with the book, that Kintsugi (金継ぎ – golden joinery) may have originated with the Japanese shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (足利 義政 1436 – 1490) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/326qTYw26156P9k92v8zr3C/broken-a-pot-copy-the-japanese-and-fix-it-with-gold – accessed 17/05/2020)

The thought behind Kintsugi is that it shows the history of an item that has gone through its process, and  that once repaired and restored it can be even more beautiful that the original.

Even in our brokenness, God can and will use you and me for his purposes if we let him.

There may be people struggling with exactly the same problems that you have been facing, and they do not know what to do or where to turn.

Kintsugi uses a specific sap from a tree that has to be a certain age before the sap can be removed to make the lacquer glue (Restoring the Fallen – Mark & Cherith Stibbe – pp 106-107), and then either gold or silver is added so that the repairs are evident, and this can make the item that has been repaired even more beautiful than it was originally.

In our repaired state, the gold of God’s mercy and love shine out for others to see. We live in a broken, dark world, and the way that God has healed us, shines out and shouts out God’s love for everyone.

We may still not be completely comfortable with our past, and every so often it can creep up on us and remind us of what we have done, but it is in  those instances, that we have to say, yes, but God loves me so much, that Jesus did something amazing for me;

‘at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly’ (Romans 5:6 NIV – emphasis mine).

What a powerful thing to remember, it is nothing that we have done that has healed us, but, in our brokenness we knew that the only thing that could make a difference in our lives, was the saving grace of God;

‘For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 GNB).

So we take our brokenness to the God of mercy, we repent of our past sins and ask for forgiveness, and when we do, an incredible change happens; God forgive us.

When we think of forgiveness, we can recall the wonderful words written in 1772, by John Newton, sailor, slave trader, family man and later clergyman, when he wrote about the saving grace of God;

‘Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but no am found, was blind, but now I see’ (Amazing Grace – John Newton – 1725 – 1807).

So, when we feel broken, when we have done something to another person, or another person has done something to us, remember that it does not have to be the end of the story, but the start of a new chapter in the story, ask God to heal you, let the Kintsugi master repair your life, let the gold of God’s love pour into your heart and body, and heal the cracks that life has put there.

Let God mould you into something even more beautiful than you were before, let the gold of God’s grace fill your broken heart, mind and body. Lean into God, let him have all your pain, sorrow and hurt, for Jesus says;

‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28 NIV – emphasis mine).

Turn to God, let the Creator God, the Kintsugi Master repair your life and make you even more beautiful!

 

Outrageous love, You poured outrageous love on me
Outrageous love, You gave Your life for all to see
Poured Your love on me

The cross stands tall, showing Your great love
A sacrifice, so pure, paid for me, so undeserved
Love, a mighty ocean, flowing over me
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, love has set me free

Redeemed and forgiven, I am healed and restored
That I would gain such grace, so amazed, I stand in awe
Now You’re risen, resurrected, seated high on heaven’s throne
Christ the hope of this world, Your love has set us free

His love is overflowing, the sound of heaven pouring
Rivers of living water, love overflow, love overflows

Outrageous Love

Noel Robinson

 

Father, we thank you that you love us so much, that even in our brokenness we can turn to you and ask for forgiveness of healing, and that you will forgive  our sins, and cleanse us of our past. Lord you are the master restorer, and you show us lobe like no other. Lord help us in our broken state to fully turn to you and trust you for all things.

Amen

Take 2!

‘I’m coming back to the start’ (God’s Great Dance Floor – Chris Tomlin, Martin Smith, Nick Herbert – 2013)

Are you following Jesus, or have you yet to make the decision to follow Jesus?

There is a song where the words say that Christ is enough for all that we need, and it continues;

‘I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back’ (Christ is Enough – Jonas Myrin & Reuben Morgan [Hillsong Live] 2012).

The lyrics say ‘no turning back’ but we are human, and prone to failure;

‘since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 RSV – emphasis mine).

At various times, we may find ourselves foolishly returning to our old habits, our old way of life.

The writer of Proverbs says;

‘As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly’ (Proverbs 26:11 NIV).

Apparently, dogs do actually eat vomit, as gross as that may sound to you and me, and it is a completely normal action for them, yuk! (https://wisconsinpetcare.com/dogs-eat-vomit-katelyn-schutz-cpdt/ – accessed 10/05/2020).

But just as a dog will, to us grossly return and eat their own vomit, we, as humans, persistently return to our old ways of sin, and hurting God. As the proverb says, old habits are really hard to break.

I myself, walked away from the church for a number of years, I turned my back on everything that I had leaned and knew about Jesus and what he had done for me, I wanted none of it. I did not go back to my old habits, I invented new ones that would help in my destruction.

So how well did that strategy work out for me you may ask? Not well is the answer.

It was exceedingly bad. I had made a monumental mistake, and I persisted in this mistake for nearly a decade. It ended really badly.

But, once I had hit the bottom of my self-dug pit, I realised what I need to do, and where I should be.

It was a place that was comfortable, welcoming, and loving, and it was a place I needed to be.

That place where I had felt most at home, most loved and most accepted, had been the church.

I returned, and was immediately welcomed; it felt very uncomfortable initially, due to my extremely low feeling of self-worth, but the people there continued to love me and try to build me up.

Over time, I left the pit, with much love from the people at the church and much love and strength from Jesus. I could not have done this alone, as God had reminded me time and time again; I knew that I needed Jesus to help me live again;

‘apart from me you can do nothing’ (John 15:5 NIV).

The Psalmist knew what God could do for him, and so did I;

‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go’ (Psalm 32:8 NIV).

It was not that I had denied God, or said that there was no God, it was just that I had decided that I knew best what my life should look like, was I not the person living it?

Coming back to Jesus was not easy, but the response was definitely just like the return of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).

When I returned, Jesus was waiting for me, and told me that it was never him that had walked away from the relationship. He showed me;

‘Never will I leave you’ (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).

Jesus had always been there with me, waiting for me to turn back to him repent, and ask for forgiveness, and he reminded me how much he loved me;

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 – emphasis mine).

I can see the nudges that he was giving me throughout my time away from him, little reminders that he was there and that I should return to him, but I ignored them.

So, what is the purpose of this blog?

I hope that someone who is struggling may read this and realise that there is someone who loves them with a deep love that will never stop.

That there is someone who loves them enough that they will do anything to help you realise that, and will do anything to try to show this love;

‘For go so loved the world’ (John 3:16 NIV – emphasis mine).

In place of the words ‘the world’ you can insert your name, your family, whatever you want, because God loves everyone and Jesus showed us this by dying on the cross;

‘Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’ (John 15:13 NIV).

How do we know for sure that Jesus loves us?

‘at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly’ (Romans 5:6 NIV).

And if we ever need to recall this fact, there is a little song that reminds us of it;

‘Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so’ (Jesus Loves Me – Anna B Warner – 1860).

If you have yet to decide to follow Christ, I can tell you that you will be in for an amazing journey. If you are following Jesus and finding it difficult, then remember you are never really alone in this world, Jesus is always with you.

There is nothing that you can ever do that will make God love you any more than he does right now at this moment in time, equally, there is nothing that you can ever ever do, no matter how bad, that will make Jesus love you less that he does at this very moment.

Remember;

‘Whilst we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8 NIV – emphasis mine).

Trust Jesus loves you, trust Jesus and follow him, trust him always.

‘No turning back’ (Christ is Enough – Jonas Myrin & Reuben Morgan [Hillsong Live] 2012).

I’m coming back to the start
Where you found me
I’m coming back to your heart
Now I surrender
Take me
This is all I can bring

I’m coming back to the start
I got this freedom
In here we feel your heart
Your heartbeat for us
Take me
This is all I can bring

You’ll never stop loving us
No matter how far we run
You’ll never give up on us
All of heaven shouts let the future begin
Let the future begin

Take me
This is all I can bring

I feel alive, I come alive
I am alive on God’s great dance floor

God’s Great Dance Floor

Chris Tomlin, Martin Smith, Nick Herbert

Father, we thank you that we can come to you, and that we can come back to you. Lord you love us always, help us to help each other as we struggle with life, with work, with all the issues in our lives. Lord we know there is great celebrating in heaven for one who returns to you. Help us to see those who are struggling, and to come alongside them and point them to the light, to you.

Amen

Return to page one with Jesus!

‘the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7 NIV)

 

I would think that everyone has had a time in their life when things have not gone exactly the way that they would have like them to.

For example, there have been times in my life when I have made choices about certain aspects of my life, and they have worked out well and I have been happy and so has everyone who has been involved.

There are also other choices that I have made, that have most definitely not turned out well and caused many, many problems for all people involved.

When you have times like these, where there have been decisions made in error, or decisions that are just ‘poorly made decisions’, what do you do? How should you act?

People are very complicated beings. We have emotions that are very complex. We have layers and layers of feelings that make up our ‘self’, some we show to other people, and some we decide bury.

But whatever happens, whatever will happen, and whatever has happened, makes us who we are, we are the sum total of all of our experiences.

“But I have done some really bad stuff” some people will say, or “How can I be forgiven for this sin?” others may say.

Here is something to think about; there is nothing that you can do in your life that will make God love you any more than he already does!

Equally, there is nothing that you can do in your life that will make God love you any less than he does now!

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 RSV).

Wow, is that not amazing!

So if we have done wrong in our life, if we have sinned, we can turn to God and have eternal life.

‘If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin’ (2 Chronicles 7:14 RSV).

So we need to acknowledge that we have done wrong in the eyes of God, we need to understand that we have not done as God would want of us and we have sinned; we then need to adopt a humble heart, and turn from the ways of ‘old us’ and change, we need to stop doing the wrong that we were, and ask for God to forgive us.

We will then no longer be the same person that we were;

‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has passed away, behold, the new has come’ (2 Corinthians 5:16 RSV – emphasis mine).

This is not a one-time thing, as we are human and prone to try to do our ‘own thing’ we sometimes think that we know better in situations, and will ‘go-it-alone’. I have found that this never works, and always ends in tears, mine usually, when I cry to God for forgiveness;

‘In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help’ (Psalm 18:6 NIV).

We are human, and as humans we fail at times. Adam and Eve failed at the very beginning, and because of that, we live in a very broken world where nothing works exactly as it should, because we as humans have broken the perfect thing that God created.

But even so, God will not ever turn his back on us;

‘never will I forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5 NIV – emphasis mine).

So whatever we do, however we act, even if it is against what God wants and expects of us, he will always be with us;

‘Never will I leave you’ (Hebrews 13:5 NIV – emphasis mine).

So God will always be with us, right by our side, waiting for us to call out to him, and if and when we do, it will always end well because he is always with us;

‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart’ (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV).

So if we have done something wrong, if we have meandered away from the path that God wants for us, if we have chosen what we would like for our life rather than the great plan that God has for it, then maybe it is time to reconsider what we are doing.

It is not just us, though;

‘since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 RSV – emphasis mine).

But when we turn from our wrong doing, ask God for his forgiveness and change our attitude, then he forgives us;

‘You do not stay angry forever’ (Micah 7:19 NIV).

Not only does God forgive our sins, but he also forgets our sins when we have repented (asked forgiveness for them);

‘as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us’ (Psalm 103:12 NIV).

Once we have turned from our past, it is gone, wiped clean;

‘all are justified freely by his grace’ (Romans 3:24 NIV).

We are justified, or as it was explained to me as a teenager, it is;

‘JUST AS IF I’D’ never.

Wow, so when we come to God with all our baggage, worries, turmoil, regrets etc. and give them to him at the cross and ask for his forgiveness, Jesus in his great mercy wipes the slate clean, a fresh start, we are new people, saved by Jesus’ grace;

‘But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved’ (Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV emphasis mine).

Because of what God did for us, sending Jesus to the earth, (John 3:16) we can be different, we do not have to live lives for self, we need to live lives that show the light of Jesus into the dark areas, the areas where people may never have heard of Jesus, the areas where people live in fear.

We need to be careful once we have told people that we are Christians, because the world will watch us and wait to see how we deal with situations that are not favourable to us;

‘Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever reads’ (William J. Toms).

We do need to be careful, but we also need to be joyful that we have Jesus with us at all times, we are never truly alone, and because of Jesus, we also have hope;

‘therefore I have hope. Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning’ (Lamentations 3:21-23 NIV – emphasis mine).

Live for Jesus, try to live as he would live. Love for Jesus, try to love those that the world says are ‘un-lovable’. Live the Bible, live as if Jesus is coming back in the next 10 minutes.

My future hangs on this
You make preciousness from dust
Please don’t stop creating me
Your blood offers the chance
To rewind to innocence
Reborn, perfect as a child

Oh Your cross it changes everything
There my world begins again with You
Oh Your cross it’s where my hope restarts
A second chance is Heaven’s heart

When sin and ugliness
Collide with redemption’s kiss
Beauty awakens by romance
Always inside this mess
I have found forgiveness
Mercy, as infinite as You

Countless second chances
We’ve been given at the cross

Fragments of brokenness
Salvaged by the art of grace
You craft life from our mistakes
Black skies of my regrets
Outshone by this kindness
New life dawns over my soul

Second Chance

Rend Collective

Father, we thank you that you sent your Son to die for us, to give us the second chance that we do not deserve but greatly need. We realise that we do not deserve this gift, and thank you for your great love for us. Lord help us to live our lives in order to show your love for all people. We know that you are always with us, help us to rely on you Lord. Less of us and more of you Lord we pray.

Amen

Wish in vain or Hope in knowledge!

‘we boast in the hope of the glory of God’ (Romans 5:2 NIV)

 

When times are tough, as they are now with the COVID 19 virus pandemic, what do you do, or who do you look to for comfort?

Do you worry about work or lack of it, do you worry about your finances, or how you will educate and entertain the children throughout the day for those who now have to become part-time teachers, or during the on-set of the virus, was it the more basic needs such as here can I get my groceries from?

During these tough times, what is your hope, how do you keep yourself positive that there will be an end to the situation, or that those things will get better?

It can be hard to be positive and hope for a good outcome if we do not trust anything other than ourselves or what we can see or touch.

In the beginning, God made the earth and rested on the Sabbath (the seventh day), but before he rested, he looked at all that he had created by the end of the sixth day, and he declared that it was good;

‘it was very good’ (Genesis 1:31 ESV).

So God created a perfect world for us to live in, a world with which he was very happy, it was just as he wanted it, land and water in a perfect balance, animals and flowers, and mankind.

So what did we do with this perfect world that was working in beautiful harmony?

We broke it. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and got cast out from the ‘Garden of Eden’ (Genesis 3).

So now the world has pain, suffering and disease in it, people work hard and labour for long hours in order to get money to survive (Genesis 3:17 – 19), women suffer in child (Genesis 3:16). Now we suffer because Adam and Eve did not listen to God.

But God loves us still, and so Jesus came to the earth to show us what to do, and how we should live, and also to give us a hope that things will be better;

‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 ESV).

Eventually the earth will be remade;

‘Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth”, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away’ (Revelation 5:1 NIV).

And all suffering as we know it will stop;

‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain’ (Revelation 21:4 NIV).

As Christians, our hope is fully in Jesus Christ who saves us, and it is an eternal hope that one day, all things will be made better and we will live with him forever.

So eventually, at the end of time, Jesus will return and everything will return to what it once was;

So there is hope.

There is always hope, we only have to look within the pages of our handbook, The Bible to find it.

‘For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD’ (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV).

So our life has a plan that we should seek; we should ask God to reveal his plan to us. We do not have to wait for certain times or places to be before we call to God, we can ask whenever we want to, for we are never really alone;

‘I will never leave you’ (Hebrews 13:5 ESV).

So we can call out to God all the time if we wish, we can thank him for the good days that we have when everything is ‘rainbows and unicorns’, but we can also cry out in anguish when we are suffering with trials and temptations.

‘In the morning, LORD you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you’ (Psalm 5:3 NIV).

‘Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer’ (Psalm 61:1 ESV).

But if we trust God, then he will show us what we need to see, and teach us what we need to know;

‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go’ (Psalm 32:8 NIV).

Turn to God and put our trust in the creator of the universe, for he will save you;

‘whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 – emphasis mine).

So our hope is in Jesus;

‘For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him’ (Psalm 62:5 RSV).

In Jesus, we have the following;

‘Our past forgiven, a purpose for living and a hope in heaven’ (Pastor Rick Warren).

 

There is a song, I know it well.
A melody that’s never failed,
On mountains high, in valleys low
My soul will rest, my confidence, in You alone

Hope has a name, His name is Jesus
My Saviour’s cross has set this sinner free
Hope has a name, His name is Jesus
Oh, Christ be praised, I have victory

There is a light, salvation’s flame
Christ undefeated, trampled the grave
See now the cross, be lifted high
The light has come, the light has won, behold the Christ

There’ll be a day my hope complete
Now home in glory, Your face I’ll see
My pain no more, my fear will cease
I bow my life, I fix my eyes, on Christ my King
I bow my life, I fix my eyes, on Christ my King

There is a song I know it well (Hope has a name)

Benjamin Cruise, Evan John, Ryan Williams

 

 

Father, we thank you that you sent your Son to die for us. We realise that we do not deserve this gift, but thank you for the hope of eternal life with you. Lord we look to you for how to live, we look to you for how to love. Lord we look to you for everything. Help us to be better people and show you in all we do to the other people we meet.

Amen

He is Risen indeed!

‘It is finished‘ (John 19:30 NIV)

 

Most people at the time when Jesus had been scourged, beaten and crucified would have indeed believed that it was finished. Jesus had just died a horrific death, and had then been buried in a borrowed grave.

But in reality, even though the body of Jesus was in a tomb, it was far from finished, but Jesus’ followers and disciples did not understand that.

With hindsight for us now, we know how the story of Jesus’ crucifixion plays out, we know the ending, or even the net chapter, for the ending will not even be the return of Jesus, the ending will be ‘the believers living in heaven and worshipping for eternity’.

But, what we need to know for now, is, Jesus wins!

‘By his power God raised the Lord [Jesus] from the dead’ (1 Corinthians 6:14 NIV – emphasis / addition mine).

So now, in this present life, we can know for certain that Jesus did die for us;

‘You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly’ (Romans 5:6 NIV).

This may be difficult for some people to accept, but Jesus did something that no-one else could, can or ever will be able to do;

‘While we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8 NIV).

Jesus Christ died for us, and in addition to that he offers us something of great value, not money, not possessions, not a pension, what Jesus offers is better than the best thing that you have ever got or ever will, a gift of such value that it will overshadow everything you ever had or may have, it is a gift of eternal value;

‘For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Chris Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23 ESV).

When I was younger, I was always after something for nothing, I knew nothing about Jesus or  the Bible, my parents never mentioned church or Jesus, and my only knowledge of it came from school.

When I was a small boy, my parents used to buy me comics occasionally, and the ones that I wanted were always the ones that had a free gift with them, some small toy that to me, made the comic better, and in my young opinion it made life worth living for that few days that I had it.

Free gifts are always a draw to people, ‘buy one and get one free’ or ‘have a month’s free trial membership’.

Something for nothing, that is what most people want.

God died for you and me, and that is a fact;

‘So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many‘ (Hebrews 9:28 NIV).

Jesus gave his life for all people everywhere, you, me, your friends and family, the people you do not know, the people on small islands that have never even heard about him;

‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 ESV – emphasis mine).

Jesus died because of the sin of mankind, and that sin required a sacrifice. The debt of sin we owed yet could not afford to pay, and all of us are guilty of sinning and need to get our debt paid somehow. Paul wrote to Titus and told him what Jesus had done for him and everyone;

‘Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness‘ (Titus 2:14 NIV).

If we turn to him, and believe what he did, then we can accept the greatest free gift ever, fact.

When we believe and trust Jesus, we can get the free gift of grace and mercy in our lives.

Jesus gives our lives a purpose, because when we become a believer, then we have a mission to perform for Jesus;

‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’ (Matthew 28:19 – emphasis mine).

Sharing the Good News with others is the mission that we are all called to do, but we are not necessarily to do it alone, and even if no-one else comes with us we are still not alone;

‘behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’ (Matthew 28:20 ESV – emphasis mine).

‘Never will I leave you’ (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).

The most important thing for us to remember is that Jesus died for us, and when we trust him with our life, he gives our life a purpose, a reason to live for, and he also gives us an eternal hope that we will live with him forever;

‘My Father’s house has many rooms, if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?’ (John 14:2 NIV).

Jesus gave his all for us so that we might be able to give our all to Him, and that purpose is to spread his word the ‘Good News‘ to all the people of the world with his ‘Great Commission’;

‘go and make disciples of all nations‘ (Matthew 28:19 NIV).

Are you prepared to live like Jesus died, to give hope to all? We know that Jesus lives and will return.

‘I know that my redeemer lives’ (Job 19:25 NIV).

‘He has risen, He has risen, Jesus is alive‘ (G. Coates, N. & T. Richards)

Who am I? That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I? That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way, of my ever changing heart.

Not because of who I am, but because of what You’ve done,
Not because of what I’ve done, but because of who You are.

I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean, and vapour in the wind.
Still you hear me when I’m calling, Lord, You catch me when I’m falling,
And You’ve told me who I am, I am Yours, I am Yours.

Who am I? That the eyes that see my sin,
Would look on me with love, and watch me rise again.
Who am I? That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain, and calm the storm in me.

Who Am I

Mark Hall (Casting Crowns)

Father, we thank you that you sent your Son to die for us. We realise that we do not deserve the free gifts of grace and mercy that you give us day by day, but we recognise that we desperately need them. Lord without Jesus we know that there is no hope. Help us to cling to the vine, and help us to look to you for everything. Help us to be open to your guidance and teaching. Help us we pray.

Amen

Trust in God – be strong

‘But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt’ (James 1:6 NIV)

Have you ever doubted something that you have ever seen or been told?

If something you see or read generally seems too good to be true, then most times it is. In Star Trek there is a race called the Ferengi, and they have numerous rules which serve as guides for ll aspects of life, and one of them is;

‘Hear all, trust nothing’ (Ferengi Rules of Acquisition – 190 – https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Rules_of_Acquisition – accessed 22/03/2020).

I am not saying that we should not trust anything that we hear, but the Bible does give us some instruction on what to do if we are not sure about what we hear, it says;

‘test the spirits to see whether they are from God’ (1 John 4:1 ESV).

This is especially true in the current situation that we as a world find ourselves in. We should not believe everything that we read, because some is there to scare us into acting in panic. Trust God that he has got the situation.

Some people may ask why God allows things like this to happen, but we must remember, that we, as humans, specifically Adam and Eve, broke the world by disobeying God, and eating what they should not have. God said to them;

‘What is this you have done?’ (Genesis 3:13 NIV).

Since then, God cursed the serpent for placing doubt into their minds, he made life more difficult, and cursed the land (Genesis 3:14-19); all this made our life harder than it was supposed to be, and it is all because we did not faithfully trust God, Adam and Eve doubted.

When we have doubts, and let’s face it, does anyone go through their life without them at some points? When we have doubts we should be like the nation of Israel were told to be, specifically Joshua, as he prepared to lead them across the Jordan.

‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go’ (Joshua 1:9 ESV).

So, as Joshua and the nation of Israel, we should not be dismayed or frightened, but we should be strong and courageous.

Even more so, because God did not say “On your good days be strong” or “when you win battles be courageous”, it was an order;

‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous’ (Joshua 1:9 ESV).

So it is not some flimsy request by a whimsical god, it is a command, from the creator of the universe, who promises to always be with us wherever we are and wherever we go, we know this, and the nation of Israel knew this;

‘The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you’ (Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV).

 So whatever situation you find yourselves in the coming weeks or months as this situation progresses, trust in the Lord, do not doubt him, for he is with you.

Read his word, link via the internet or phone to other Christians to support and encourage each other, and most importantly talk to God, tell him how you feel, scared, alone, concerned about work or finances. God wants us to tell him things like that, that is how we build a deeper relationship with our God.

 

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wand’ring heart

Not because of who I am
But because of what You’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapour in the wind
Still You hear me when I’m calling
Lord, You catch me when I’m falling
And You’ve told me who I am

Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

Who Am I

Mark Hall

Lord thank you that even in our doubt, you are still faithful. Lord we ask that you strengthen us to stay strong in you and stay faithful to your teaching in the words of The Bible. Lord we need you now more than ever. Lord we love you and lay our lives at your feet.

Amen

Every day is a school day!

‘Always learning’ (2 Timothy 3:7 NIV)

Do you know all that there is to know?

Do you know everything that you need to know?

Are you confident that you are always correct in your thinking and decision making?

If the answer to any of the above is a yes, then congratulations are in order, but for most if not all of us, every day is a school day. We are constantly learning. I have been doing my job in one form or another for over 35 years, and a youngster, straight from school came into our office and said;

“Why do you not do it this way to make the item clearer to understand?”

Some people may be offended by the statement, but I saw it as a learning curve, it would make my job easier in the future, so I amended the way that we would do the work in the future; every day is a school day!

Since you chose to follow God, has life been all ‘Unicorns and rainbows’?

We need to trust God, that he will show us and teach s what we need;

‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go’ (Psalm 32:8 NIV).

All people, including Christians fail at various different things, and at various times during their life, it is that simple, we do not always trust the one with all the answers, we think that we can cope on our own. I have been there, and it was not pretty, eventually I had to admit that I did not have all the answers.

‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 ESV).

We do not come up to God’s standard for our lives at all times, and it is because we are human, and being human we are prone to failure to some degree; this is because, since the fall in the Garden of Eden we live in a broken world.

God made for us a perfect world where we used to live, and he even acknowledged it;

‘God saw all that he had made, and it was very good’ (Genesis 1:31 NIV).

But, ‘the serpent [who] was more crafty than any of the wild animals’ (Genesis 3:1 NIV – added word mine) tricked Eve and Adam into eating what they should not (Genesis 2:17), and so because they chose to listen to the serpent, and disobey God, humans broke the world. There are those of us who have decided to follow Jesus, who know that he is going to fix the world when he returns, and in the interim moment, we have to choose daily to listen to what Jesus said to us in the Bible, and try to live our lives the best we can according to what the Bible tells us.

That can and is for me at times, very difficult; the world pulls at us in various ways, and some are very sneaky ways. Adverts tell us that we deserve something;

‘Because you are worth it’ (L’Oréal – mid 2000’s).

There are adverts that say we need certain items, or that we are less of a person than someone else who will have the specific item, and because of this many people live lives where ‘keeping up with the Jones’ family’ is a way of life.

As a Christian, we know we should be different, and we know how we should be;

‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world’ (Romans 12:2 NIV).

But it is not only ‘not conforming’ that we should be concerned about, it is our attitudes to some things. Many in the world love themselves and not others, and they are more concerned with what they have, they love their possessions; material wealth is their god.

‘For the love of money is the root of all evil’ (1 Timothy 6:10 ESV).

There is nothing wrong with having and saving money, for we are called to be good steward of what God graciously gives us;

‘Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have’ (Hebrews 13:5 ESV – emphasis mine).

So, we are called to love and trust God, and put him first above all things, and in all things trust God for what he has in store for us; it  will be good and will;

‘give you a future and a hope’ (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV).

We need to look to God first in all situations, not try it alone for a bit, he will always be there for us, God will never run out on us, for he is faithful and trustworthy;

‘Never will I leave you’ (Hebrews 13:5 NIV – emphasis mine).

But in all things, the most important part is to go to God first; he has all the answers to all the questions that we have, all we need to do is to ask him;

‘Ask and it will be give’ (Luke 11:9 NIV).

Trust God;

‘continue in what you have learned’ (2 Timothy 3:14 NIV).

 

Blessed be Your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
When I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in
Lord still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s all as it should be
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your Name

Beth & Matt Redman

 

Lord thank you for giving us the knowledge that we need in order to live a life fully for you. We are sorry for the times when we fail you, give us the strength to get back up from these times, and the courage to try again. Lord we so wish for the people that we know to come to a point of looking to you and trusting their lives to you, teach us how to show your light to these people.

Amen

“I am the greatest” (Muhammad Ali)

‘I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was’

(Muhammad Ali – Tokyo – July 1 1976)

Muhammad Ali (previously Cassius Marcellus Clay) was well known for making bold statements, and before most fights he would say something outrageous about the upcoming fight, and that was generally how the fight would go.

It is widely considered that Muhammad Ali was the greatest heavy-weight boxer of all time (https://www.liveabout.com/muhammad-ali-career-record-424215 – accessed 01/02/2020).

He certainly was in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and right up to his retirement in 1981 after losing to Trevor Berbick (https://www.liveabout.com/muhammad-ali-career-record-424215 – accessed 01/02/2020).

People all over try to be the best that they can be, they work long hours, train hard, save large amounts of money, they buy what their friends have, all in an attempt to be considered equal with others.

My greatest friend does none of these things, he does not even have a computer or tablet, he does not even own a phone; he is not on Instagram or Twitter or even Facebook.

My greatest friend’s name is Jesus!

Jesus is the Creator of the universe; the healer of the sick, and the teacher to countless Christians, and the truest friend I have.

Jesus came to this earth to save us;

‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son’ (John 3:16 ESV).

God loves us, you and me, even though we may have done some really bad stuff, sinned and hurt him by what we may have said and done, he love us so much, that he sent Jesus to die for us, to save us;

‘While we were sinners Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8 NIV).

He did that whilst many people would not even acknowledge him, let alone believe and follow him;

‘You see, at just the right time… … Christ died for the ungodly’ (Romans 5:6 NIV).

How great is that?

People are not born great, but we are born with great potential within, we just have to tap into that, and with help we may also achieve some measure of greatness.

‘Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them’ (read by Malvolio – Twelfth Night – Act II scene V – written by William Shakespeare).

Do you know anyone in your life, or your circle of friends or people that you work with, that would give you something valuable from their property, without wanting it back or something in exchange? So how likely would they be to give to someone that they did not know?

Yet Jesus did just this, he gave to the countless people that would not look to him for help. He gave it all for people that did not know him or accept him as Saviour.

Jesus paid the price for our salvation, he opened wide his arms and said “This is how much I love you”

How great is that?

God loves us so much that Jesus came to pay the price that we could not pay, Jesus came to be a perfect sacrificial lamb for our sinful world, not because we deserved it, because we did and do not, but he came to redeem the world and give us the second chance that we need, to show us what we need, and finally to be the hope that we need.

O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

And when I think of God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And lead me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow with humble adoration
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

How Great Thou Art

Stuart Keene Hine

 

Lord thank you for giving it all when you sent Jesus to save us. Lord you gave us the second chance that we do not deserve, but so desperately need, the chance to start again, the chance to start with a clean slate, a slate wiped clean with the beautiful precious blood of the sacrificial lamb, your Son. Let our live show your Son Jesus to people that may have never encountered him. Lord please go with us and help us.

Amen

Why risk it – Jesus guarantees it!

Have you ever been gambling in a casino, and been asked to ‘ante up’, and what does it mean, to ‘ante up’?

The definition of the phrase to ‘ante up’ comes from the world of poker and it means;

‘to provide payment or compensation for something; to do one’s share of something’ (https://writingexplained.org/idiom-dictionary/ante-up – accessed 21/02/2020).

It is commonly called your stake, it is what you are prepared to put down and possibly win depending upon what cards you have, and depending upon what rules you are playing, i.e. do you ‘ante up’ before seeing your cards, or after.

So in life, what are you prepared to ‘ante up’, what are you prepared to stake?

What are you prepared to potentially loose, and what are you willing to ‘put on the line’?

The Collins dictionary online site defines the phrase ‘putting it on the line’ as;

‘to do something which causes you to risk losing something such as your reputation or your job’ (https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/put-something-on-the-line – accessed 21/02/2020).

To ‘ante up’ or ‘put something on the line’ is risky, as you never completely know the outcome, especially when gambling. It is a game of chance, an undertaking of a specified risk, a guess at the possible outcome, a chance to walk away with more than you sat down with, especially when you make large stakes.

So, when we are out around the town, or during our time at work, or in our leisure time when we are chatting with friends, what are we prepared to risk for the chance of the people we know, getting to know Jesus?

Do we ‘ante up’ big for Jesus?

Are we risking it for team Jesus?

Are we all-in for Jesus?

In this country it is relatively easy to talk about Jesus or God without worry. Generally, no-one will arrest us for talking to our friends about our Friend and Saviour.

Not so in countries like China or North Korea, when every time some-one speaks about Jesus or even some aspect of Christianity in general, they risk being arrested and put into prison; they ‘ante up’ a huge stake, they risk it all, including potentially their life.

‘Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’ (John 15:13 NIV).

Some people are prepared to possibly lose their freedom and even their lives for the gospel, but we would only be copying earlier people who did exactly that, they lost their live for Jesus.

Jesus came to this earth to save humanity. There was no chance involved in the timing of his coming, as God’s timing is perfect, even better than the Citizen A660 watch (https://www.watchreport.com/the-most-accurate-quartz-watch-in-the-world/ accessed 21/02/2020);

‘at the right time Christ died for the ungodly’ (Romans 5:5 ESV).

And more to the point, when God sent Jesus, he was sent into a world rife with sin, full of people worshipping false gods, and not listening to the teachers of the law of Moses. They had lost their way and were trying to ‘go it alone’, I have also tried this, and I failed spectacularly.

‘for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 – emphasis mine).

We are all sinners, even those of us who profess to be Christians. We all fail at some point, and those who say they do not, are probably failing even more so as they say it, but that does not change the fact that God loves us, and he loves us so much that he did something about it;

‘For God so love the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 ESV).

But not only did he send Jesus, his only son, but he did so when we did not care;

‘While we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8 NIV).

There was no chance involved; there was no speculation about what might happen, as God knew what the outcome would be when he sent Jesus.

Jesus came to save us. You and me!

So what are we prepared to ‘ante up’ for Jesus?

Are you prepared for some of your friends to maybe say sarcastic things about you when they find out that you follow Jesus?

Are you ready to possibly have you work colleagues poke fun at you when you say that you love Jesus?

These may not be nice situations to face, but they pale into comparison to the hanging on a cross that Jesus did for us!

What are you prepared to risk???

You put Your love on the line
To bear the weight of sin that was mine
Washing my river of wrongs
Into the sea of Your infinite love

Mercy roars like hurricane winds
Furious love laid waste to my sin

With arms held high
Lord I give my life
Knowing I’m found in Christ
In Your love forever

With all I am
In Your grace I stand
The greatest of all romance
Love of God
My Saviour

To the One who has rescued my soul
To the One who has welcomed me home
To the One who is Saviour of all
I sing forever

Love On The Line

Hillsong Worship

Scott Ligertwood / Brooke Ligertwood / Aryel Murphy

 

Lord thank you for giving it all when you sent Jesus to save us. Lord you are so gracious and loving that you kept nothing back when you decided to save your children. Lord we marvel at the fact that Jesus died for us. Lord we want to worship you with our live, let us be salt and light for you in this dark world. Let our live show your son, may people see Jesus before us when we enter a room, may you have the glory forever and ever Lord.

Amen