First Steps

The Lord’s timing is perfect, and He never leaves His children without an answer

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As a couple, Thelma and I use “Our Daily Bread” as part of our daily Bible study and reflection.

The reading for Saturday 13th July was from the book of Ezra, Chapter 3, Verses 1 -6:

When the seventh month came, and the children of Israel were in the towns, the people gathered as one man to Jerusalem. 2 Then arose Jeshua the son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. 3 They set the altar in its place, for fear was on them because of the peoples of the lands, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. 4 And they kept the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the rule, as each day required, 5 and after that the regular burnt offerings, the offerings at the new moon and at all the appointed feasts of the Lord, and the offerings of everyone who made a freewill offering to the Lord. 6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid.

I must admit to not being as familiar with the book of Ezra as perhaps, I should be, so I’m grateful for the insight shared by Sheridan Voysey, the author of Saturday’s reflection.

To place the above verses in context, let’s start with a look at the whole book. It is known as one of the post-exilic books of the Old Testament, which deals with what happened after the people of Israel returned to the land, having been captives in Babylon for 70 years. 

They found Jerusalem and the land showing the effects of not only the Babylonian invasion but the impact of being given seven decades of “Sabbath Rest” as a result of the nation’s exile.

During their time in Babylon, they stopped worshipping and their relationship with God had effectively, changed from a corporate to a private one, as described in the book of Daniel.

After the 70 years of exile, decreed  by God, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus, the king of Persia, to release the captives to return to Israel to worship God, as he announced in the following proclamation in Ezra 1:2 – 4;

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2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.” 

As a result, we are told that 42,360 made the journey. In addition, there were 7,337 male and female servants, 200 male and female singers, all accompanied by 736 horses, 245 mules,435 camels and 6,720 camels. Quite a cavalcade!

Cyrus’s assistance did not end there, we are told that he was instrumental in providing the resources required to do the work, both directly and by encouraging the people to donate gifts and money for the work. (Ezra 1:4 – 11; 6:8 – 10). The work itself was, we are told, carried out by both contractors and volunteers (Ezra 1:5; 3:7)

On the face of it, the book of Ezra is a story of God’ s miraculous provision, through a pagan monarch, to restore His people to the land He gave them and worship to the “place that He chose for His name.”

However, there is one aspect of the story which stands out to me, and I believe represents a word for MCF and me in particular.

That is, we are told that the rebuilding work did not start until the second year of the Jews’ return; (Ezra 3:8), that there was opposition, (Ezra) and there was a time of preparation, starting with worship at the rebuilt altar of the Lord, “But the foundation of the temple of the Lord was not yet laid”.

Just before Covid, God provided MCF with exclusive use of a building in Castle Bromwich, Victory Hall. There have been a number of changes to the circumstances surrounding that provision, but the Trustees and Overseers prayerfully agreed to follow the Lord’s leading by covering part of the operating cost of Victory Hall on a monthly basis, despite there being a degree of uncertainty as to the way forward.

Earlier this year the Lord gave Pastor Kevin a word that He wished to plant a church in Castle Bromwich. With the prayerful support of the Overseers, he set about the initial planning process. However, after a few months and with little to show for his efforts the Lord spoke with Pastor Kevin again, clearly saying “It is not for you to plant this church. I will plant it. You need to be obedient and listen to my voice.”

As a result, the detailed work already completed was set aside and following another Word from the Lord, in obedience, it was decided, commencing in September to move our Sunday worship from Coleshill to Victory Hall for a period of three months and to seek the Lord’s voice and His will as He responds to our obedience.

Thus, we find ourselves in an “Ezra” situation:

We have been given the resources; The location, the people and the finance.

We may face some opposition, but in acting in obedience, I believe that we will give the Lord the opportunity to do great things.

I have to confess, at this point, that I was unsure about the Castle Bromwich situation but supported our Pastor in faith that the Lord had a plan. Despite many prayers I had heard nothing from the Lord about this and was acting in faith. Then the Lord gave me the book of Ezra and I fall to my knees in gratitude for His grace and mercy. The Lord is in control, and I stand in awe of His love and power.

Perhaps you are struggling with something as you read this and have not heard from the Lord in response to your prayers.

Have faith beloved, the Lord’s timing is perfect, and He never leaves His children without an answer. Persevere and keep praying.

Have a blessed week.

Author: Alan Cameron

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Fear of?

I often find the most generous people are the ones who have little, and they are generally the ones with the greater faith.

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I recently spoke on the instruction Jesus gave His disciples in Matthew 16:24 ‘Then Jesus told His disciples, ‘’If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny Himself and take up his cross and follow Me’’ (BSB). And since then everyday I ask the Lord to help me pick up my cross and follow Him. I have to ask for His help because I know that in my own strength I couldn’t possibly do it.

Having continued to ponder this instruction a couple of things occurred to me. Firstly, the need to deny oneself, that is I believe, putting down our wants and desires and submitting totally to Jesus. That is to invite Him to direct us through the day (follow Me), and keep our spiritual eyes fixed on Him. Something I know we may need to practice.

And secondly, the question of what is it that stops people from taking this seriously and doing it? This I believe comes as two different sides (as answers) of the same coin.

The first is the belief that we need to hold on to what we have, after all hasn’t God given it to us? And the fear of losing it can make us hold on to it tighter. And along with this comes the fear of us ultimately losing our comfort blanket. There’s a saying that is so true which is: ‘The more you have, the less you want to give away and the less you have, the more you want to give away.’

I often find the most generous people are the ones who have little, and they are generally the ones with the greater faith.

Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 16:25-26 ‘For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?’ (NIV). So there goes the comfort blanket!

Also, the fear of man, or the need for recognition from man. Both of these can stop us picking up our cross, denying ourselves and following Jesus, and can ultimately stunt our spiritual growth. Proverbs 29:25 says ‘The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set secure on high.’ (BSB).

So whether we recognise it in ourselves or not, fear can have a negative power over us if we don’t keep it in check.

On the other side of the coin lies the answer to all this, and one that will help us carry our cross and follow Him, and we find the answer in Job 28:28 but let us read from verse 20.

20 Where then does wisdom come from?

     Where does understanding dwell?

21 It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,

    concealed even from the birds in the sky.

22 Destruction and Death say,

    “Only a rumour of it has reached our ears.

23 God understands the way to it

    and he alone knows where it dwells,

24 for he views the ends of the earth

    and sees everything under the heavens.

25 When he established the force of the wind

    and measured out the waters,

26 when he made a decree for the rain

    and a path for the thunderstorm,

27 then he looked at wisdom and appraised it;

    he confirmed it and tested it. 

28 And he said to the human race,

    “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,

    and to shun evil is understanding.” (NIV).(Red lettering changed from black)

The answer on both sides of the proverbial coin is ‘fear’ but on one side it’s the fear of man and on the other side it’s the fear of the LORD, the second being the biblical definition of wisdom.

Unfortunately, in a lot of the church there seems to be a lack of the fear of the LORD, which in turn produces a lack of wisdom, which in turn produces a lack of willingness to pick up our cross daily and follow Jesus.

Daily Trust

But God always gives us time and a way out. So if you’re reading this you’re still alive and breathing and therefore have the time. And the way out (if you’re not already), is to walk in the fear of the LORD.

So let's not toss a spiritual coin to see where it lands, let's make a choice.

Let me finish with Job 28:28 from the BSB version of the bible.

And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’ so let us turn away from the fear of man and of evil.

I pray that you know both wisdom and understanding as you pick up your cross daily and follow Jesus. And if like me you need help to do that, ask Him and He’ll give it to you.

Be blessed.

Author: Kevin Hunt

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The Land Mourns

If the climate is changing, if nature has been disrupted, it is because we have offended the Creator

There is a connection between the moral state of the nation and the condition of the land.

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'Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel,
for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.
There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;
they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish,
and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens,
and even the fish of the sea are taken away.' (Hosea 4:1-3)

Those who work the soil or observe nature cannot fail to have noticed that this year has been unusual. Continued winter rain led to waterlogging, causing crop losses on a scale unseen in generations. Soil biology and structure are suffering the consequences, leaving farmers and growers struggling to find a way to get seeds growing in cold and unresponsive ground, while blackgrass and other weeds have taken over many a wheat field.

Meanwhile nature too is out of kilter. Populations of songbirds have declined, while the numbers of corbids (crows, jackdaws, magpies etc.) have increased exponentially. Other species considered to be pests have also prospered; rats are rampant, even becoming immune to poison; slugs have overtaken plants as the soil temperature remained low while air temperature rose; even ticks are thriving in the strange conditions.

Many people have recently commented to me that things are 'just not right' in the countryside. What is going on? Is it climate change? Is it human activity? What can be done? But more importantly what is God saying? The following is a personal prophetic view as I try to line up what I perceive with what the Bible says.

Reaping the Whirlwind

There has been a disruption in nature. A disruption can be defined as a disturbance which interrupts, and the natural order of things has been disturbed and interrupted. Hosea connected the lack of the knowledge of God, and the resulting sinfulness, with the sorry state of the land: 'therefore the land mourns'. The connection between the moral state of the nation and the condition of the land is not limited to ancient Israel. I believe that what we are seeing now is a direct result of God's displeasure, and that the Lord allows imbalance in His created order as a warning to us. All of Hosea's warnings to Israel, quoted above, are surely applicable to present-day Britain and, since God does not change, similar effects can be expected. As Hosea later states: 'They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.' (8:7)

Rest

Indeed, given the dire state of corruption and syncretism in our nation, it is the level of continued providence that is surprising - testimony to the grace and patience of God and the resilience of His creation.

A key word from the Lord for these days is 'rest', both for people and for the land.  We are, paradoxically, to work and strive to enter God's rest (Hebrews 4:11). In the book of Judges after each cycle of complacency leading to apostasy, then judgement, prompting repentance and restoration, followed by a period when '..the land had rest..', until the people got comfortable again and forgot God's directions.  There are two Hebrew words for rest; the first is 'nuach', from which Noah got his name. It means to settle down, in Noah's case to stop floating around and remain in one place. But the phrase in Judges: 'the land had rest...', rest is 'shaqat',  meaning freedom from disturbance, disruption or harassment. We are getting a glimpse of un-rest in the environment, in society, in the church and in politics (but that is another whole story). This is not the end, but it is certainly a warning.

Climate Change?

FaithByTheWord

There is a popular view that climate change has been caused by human industrial and agricultural activity, and that therefore we can fix it. That view is humanist arrogance. Even Christians have been led by so-called science into this godless opinion. Science reveals the wonders, the complexity and the relationships of the life that God made. The Bible tells us that God created all things and that He maintains and sustains His creation. One day God will do terrible things to the climate and the environment He formed, (Rev 6-16), because He is in control. If the climate is changing, if nature has been disrupted, it is because we have offended the Creator, the only One who is able to give the land rest. We are 'without excuse'. (Rom 1:18-25). Of course it is good to minimise pollution and reduce our carbon footprint, but it is only Jesus who can save the planet.

If my People

If you have read this far you will know that the good news always comes at the end. Let me couple two scriptures together:

'When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 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 and heal their land.' (2 Chronicles 7:13-14)

'For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.' (Romans 8:19-23)

Our destiny is linked to God's creation. If we put our faith, hope and trust in Jesus we will one day have new bodies, like His, in a new and glorious creation. What we will be in the future influences our present. So even now we can humble ourselves, seeking the Lord in repentance, find forgiveness and see blessing and healing over the land.

Author: John Plumb

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Designed for a special purpose

He called and equipped us to fulfil a certain purpose in this world

Ephesians 1:18-19. The apostle Paul prayed for the believers at Ephesus, that they might know what God called them to do and understand the riches He had invested in them. Think about this:- 

God knows what He's invested in us. He didn't redeem us one day and take us to heaven the next day. He called and equipped us to fulfil a certain purpose in this world. (Matthew 25:15) Christ taught that some of us are five talents people, some are two talents people, and some are one talent people, according to his ability and immediately he went on a journey. That's why it's a mistake to draw comparisons, it's not what you have that determines your reward, but what you do with what you have. It's when you bury your talent because you're afraid to risk and fail, that you get into trouble with God.

God protects what He's invested in you. Do we sometimes disobey God? Yes - does He discipline us? Yes and our response to Him can either lengthen or shorten our season of discipline, depending on whether we repent or be unrepented. But does God abandon us? Never!!!  God's gifts and His call will never be withdrawn. Romans 11:29-33. God's promise is Yes and Amen.

God expects a return on what He's invested in us. When we get to the end of our life, what will we have to show for it? God gives us time, talent and treasures. Are we using them selfishly or are we using them to serve Him and bless others? (2 Corinthians 5:10) We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ so God will have all the glory, that each one may receive according to what we have done, whether good or bad. A song writer, put it this way. "only one life, t'will soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last".

in 1 Corinthians 12:7 Paul is saying we're all given a spiritual gift. Before an architect designs a building, he asks what is it's purpose? The answer to that determines everything. Before God created us, He decided the role He wanted us to play, then prepared us for it. He also planned each day of our life accordingly.  Psalms 139:13-16.

God would not give us talents and life experiences unless He intended us to use them, we all have certain abilities given to us by God. We do not get to earn or choose them, they are a gift, God alone decides which gift each person should have according to His will 1 Corinthians 12:11 because God loves variety, that's why God gave different gifts to everyone, if you had all the gifts you would not need anyone else. That would defeat God's purpose of teaching us to firstly love God - love one another, your talents were not just given to you for your benefit, but firstly to bring glory and honour to God, and to benefit others, just as their talents were given to benefit you.

The spiritual gifts is given to each as a means of helping the whole body/church and to bring glory to God. 1 Corinthians:12:7 God planned it that way if others do not use their gifts you get cheated, if you do not use your gift they get cheated, an unopened gift is worthless. That's why we are each commanded to discover and develop our spiritual gifts. 

I pray that this blog will encourage you to seek the teaching and leading of the Holy Spirit so that you can use the gift that God has entrusted/invested in you to serve Him and others on our journey of faith in Him to bring glory and honour to Him and His church.

Author: Herbie Jean

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It is finished

The influence of the written law and ability to condemn finishes with Jesus

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Quite a while ago I used to work for something called the “West Midlands Regional Health Authority” (WMRHA). There came a time when I could see significant changes were ahead and sure enough about a year later, there was a big exercise which changed WMRHA completely. The total number of staff was reduced from around 1500 to about 350 and my division of 75 people was reduced to 6.

I, along with many colleagues, was made redundant. I went through a series of stages in this becoming a reality. I foresaw the change, I heard that change was planned, I went through the process of restructuring, I had a temporary Job which lasted 6 months, and then I was “redundant”. I learned quite a few lessons through the process – but those are for another time. As you can see, the experience itself was extended and taxing, and in the final 6 months each day seemed to pass slowly. I was confident that our family and young children would be alright and that everything would work out as the Lord had planned, but knowing what to do and how to “be” on each individual day was more challenging. Then, unexpectedly, there was the promise of a different future – one in which I worked for myself and used my experience and skills to a different end – the promise of something different. I now waited excitedly for the day on which everything would change and, in the end, it arrived!

On that final day my work with WMRHA finished. I no longer had any obligation to the Health Authority and in fact it was abolished soon after. I now worked under completely different conditions – I had my own company and anyone was free to hire me to do work for them. No one from my old employer could come along and tell me to do some work for them – they had no hold on me. Some of the rules, practices and experiences from my old job proved very useful but I now lived a completely different life – deciding when I worked and who I worked for.

I still remembered what it was like to be employed, but my new freedom cast a shadow back over those memories. The experience that I had, had been useful to get me to a place where I could work for myself, but there was no comparison between the two. I passed from a time of learning and preparation to a different life where I was using that learning and preparation to help others.

Now why am I sharing this I hear you ask? Well, it is because I have been reading through the New Testament again recently and a number of scriptures have made a deep impression on me – particularly in Romans, Galatians and Hebrews - which I have read in a completely new light. I am going to compare some of these scriptures with the story that I have shared above, starting with Romans 10:4: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes”.

No half measures here! Its Jesus first, Jesus last and Jesus in between! The influence of the written law and ability to condemn finishes with Jesus. The bible tells us that in this new post-resurrection, Holy Spirit outpoured era, God will write His “laws” – inscribe His very character - on the hearts of every follower of Jesus. Hebrews 10:16: “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds, I will write them…”

On the day I left WMRHA and began a new life, my contract with my former employer ended. In the same way, on the day that we become a true follower of Jesus, our obligation to the law finishes. That’s not to say that my years of preparation were not useful – indeed they were very necessary. Similarly, Paul tells us in a number of places that the law from the Old Testament serves as an instructor – a teacher that brings us to an understanding of sin and its effects. Galatians 3:22-24 tells us that: 22 …the Scripture has confined everyone under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

No wonder Paul in various books like Galatians “wonders out loud” on the page: “Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4 Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it? (Galatians 3:1-4)

He takes them to task that, after being freed from the observance of special days, rituals and religious practices of various sorts, people in the Galatian church are being entrapped and their freedom torn away by false teaching:

8 Before you Gentiles knew God; you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. 9 So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? 10 You are trying to earn favour with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. 11 I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing. 12 Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws.

Paul even takes issue with Peter when Peter was ashamed to eat with gentile believers after some visiting Jews came from “Headquarters” (Jerusalem) He says: 11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, … 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? (Galatians 2).

Crooked Glasses

In Hebrews 10:1 the writer, addressing a then main audience of Jews (possibly in Jerusalem), is getting towards the end of his message setting out the way in which Jesus in multiple ways fulfilled the law and its signs and symbols. He illustrates his point in this way: “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves. For this reason, it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship”. The point is that a shadow is not the reality – it is merely an indication that a “reality” is present. Why live in the shadows when the Holy Spirit is here to reveal to us the reality? When I finished my job with WMRHA it became a “shadow” of the reality that I was then in. A useful reference point, a reminder of ways to do things, a resource, a good practice guide etc… But it was not my reality – it was a shadow of who I was in the past. Now I served a different reality and a different master. Hebrews points its readers away from signs and symbols and towards the reality – Jesus.

Jesus had good news for the Samaritan woman who had made a real mess of her life, also for all who seek to worship in God in reality: John 4:21-24 “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem…  23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” It doesn’t matter who you are or where you worship. Now – and in the future - our Father in heaven will reveal Himself in spirit and truth – to anyone, at any time, in any place. Jesus taught us that humankind’s efforts to constrain the Godhead with our fabrications and attempts at wisdom would all be confounded. It’s characteristics such as child-likeness, humility, obedience, willingness to seek His face and repentance that commend us to the Father…

Jesus told the Samaritan woman that salvation was of the Jews because up until then the revelation of the scriptures had been in the main committed to them. Long before Israel or the Jews existed, Abraham received the news that God’s plan included all nations. Galatians 3:8 tells us that: … the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.

This is a starting point for the gospel story, going through God’s revelation of examples and types and reflections of heavenly things shining through in the Old Testament – Paul’s “shadows” of the reality that came with the coming of Jesus. We can pick a number of vital points in the story of the gospel but one of the clearest assertions in scripture was from Jesus Himself – it marks an ending, a passing away, the dawning of a new age and promise. Summoning His last breath on the cross He declared: “It is finished”! and nothing was the same ever again! Glory to His holy name forever and ever…

Author: Chris Pearson

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