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

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

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