Demonstrating the Lord’s Grace and Wisdom

Mark 14:9; ‘Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her’

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Recently at our local men's group the leader asked us to talk about someone who had influenced our lives for the good, who had now gone to be with the Lord. I immediately thought of my dear Grandmother and Aunt, both of whom have played a significant part in my life and were women of action and faith. My grandmother although a very slight woman physically was resolute both in body and spirit and had a quiet and immovable faith and truly believed that what the Lord said He would do. One evening when the cottage they lived in was lit by oil lamps, the lamp was about to go out and everyone was going to bed. (They were relatively poor and there was only a small stock of oil at any one time - none on this occasion). At that moment, a visitor came. Not wanting to turn them away my Nan invited them in knowing that they would soon be sitting in darkness. Without doubting she offered a prayer about the oil. The lamp just kept burning for the hours that the visitor was there. On the day that she died, just before she passed she came to for a moment and not able to speak she signed ‘176’ to those around her – which was the number of one of her favourite hymn; 'I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene'.

My Aunt was physically immobile for several years and in pain every day. Nonetheless her sense of gratitude to the Lord for every blessing was one of her signature themes. She would say ‘Chris we need to be grateful for all that the Lord has given us, don't we?’ She continued my Nan's practice of praying for the wider family every day and we always knew that we were being remembered in prayer especially when the day was presenting a particular challenge. Both my grandmother and my aunt had a positive influence on my life and it was nice to remember both during the men’s group meeting.

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My mind also thought about two other people who few will remember (maybe no one outside of a very small circle). They very strongly brought to mind the scripture Psalm 116:15 ‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints’. The first is a lady we knew as Mrs Reading. Her life had been such that she would have many reasons to be discouraged and bitter but instead she was the opposite. She was grateful for every small thing. She possessed little material goods and used to put out previous year's Christmas cards along with the decorations to make festive. She was so encouraging and her chuckle and peals of laughter were a delight. She was a person who on reflection you wish that you had visited more often and got to know better. Her faith was simple and her generosity of heart and encouragement great. The second person, Shirley, was a lady whose husband was a member of the family, who came to know the Lord at the time when ‘Make Way’ was very popular and if there was chance for suggesting a song would always say; ‘Shine Jesus shine’. Shirley was quite a sick person with several ailments including an amputation that had gone badly wrong. She loved the Lord dearly despite the difficulties of day to day life and the pain, and persevered in coming to meet other Christians whenever she could despite the complications of travel and movement. On the day that she went to be with Jesus her husband (not a churchgoer) witnessed that Jesus came for her. They were watching television and her attention suddenly diverted elsewhere in the room. She saw the Lord and He simply took her home.

Apart from the inspiration and encouragement that the examples above give us, as simple life stories, there is also something deeper about our relationships with God and the things that He wants us to do and be. I think that it inspires us to keep our faith simple - Jesus said that if we want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven we must come as little children; Matthew 18:2-4 ‘Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven’.

If we aspire to lead we must be the servant of all. Mark 9:35 ‘He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else’. For me it’s also a major lesson in ‘being before doing’. None of the women discussed above could have sustained their behaviour and actions unless they had a relationship with Jesus first. Their character and grace came from the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ within them, not formulae or programmes or even a natural tendency to do good works.

Most importantly we need to be who God wants us to be and to never underestimate or undervalue what this means to others around us, in the Kingdom of Heaven and to the Lord himself. The Old Testament in 1 Samuel 30:24 establishes that; ‘The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle’. The reward for whoever helps those directly involved in doing God's work will be the same as those directly involved; Matthew 10:41-42 ‘Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward’.

In the New Testament, we are told that the church resembles a body and everyone has different functions. We are also told that we should not despise our own role or the role of others because like the women above we cannot know the impact that we have on others or the massive significance that our lives may have in heavenly places. Our mission is to demonstrate the Lord's grace and wisdom to principalities and powers; Ephesians 3:10 ‘His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms’, and the Universe is watching on. So be encouraged and don't become weary in doing good; Mark 14:9 ‘Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her’. Amen.

Author: Chris Pearson

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The abundance of God’s Grace and Mercy

God knows exactly where we are with Him, however our lack of honesty with ourselves often acts as a blockage to helping us make real progress in our relationship with God.

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As I've been reading the Old Testament lately I have been really struck by the way God was so precise in all of His instructions leaving absolutely no chance of misunderstanding of exactly what to do and how to do it. Look at the precise instructions that God gave for the building of the Holy Tabernacle in Exodus 36:8-39, which leave no doubt or uncertainty in the materials or way it was to be built. There were also strict warnings of the repercussions that would befall anyone not adhering to these precise instructions, sometimes even resulting in death. Although we may aspire to be precise and follow instructions, I am not sure if we make living out our faith in the world today more difficult than God intended it to be. We often seem to care more about what other people have to say on given subjects rather than what God has to say about them.

I was disappointed to learn the other day that someone who is well known in the Christian community had distanced himself from some of his comments and teaching he had been famous for. Unfortunately, the interviewer had video footage of the person completely contradicting himself. Instead of admitting that his opinion had changed or he had been in error he categorically denied that he had ever said these things. Isn't it sad that even if we have been a Christian for many years and earned respect for sticking to our beliefs we still want to fit in and be accepted by the masses!!  What hope then is there for the young Christian who doesn't know the Bible inside out and feels small, insignificant and unworthy? To that person I would say; every one of us is on a journey trying our best to navigate our path in life. Our Heavenly Father wants us to have an open and ‘teachable’ heart. If we think we know it all we will never experience all that God has for us because He will just let us get on and do it ourselves!! John 16:33 ‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world’.

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Recently, I have been bowled over by the different ways God has turned situations around in a heartbeat; spiritually. physically and emotionally. However, the message I want to finish with is; when you pray for someone or something don't become weary or frustrated and give up because our timing is not God's timing. If God has promised you something keep on believing until you see the promise come into fruition and then give Him the thanks and adoration He deserves. It is said that we are very fortunate because in the UK the church and Christians are not under persecution. However, it is interesting to note that most countries where there is persecution are the very countries that are experiencing revival and abundant blessing. Maybe we have become complacent in either inviting or expecting God to come into situations and therefore miss out on His abundant grace and mercy. Do we read the Bible because it is a delight to do so or because it is a ritual? Do we give financially to God because we feel we must or is it a pleasure to sow into the Kingdom? Do we help others so they can do something for us in return or out of the goodness in our heart? These are good questions to ask ourselves to help us to understand where we are with God. God knows exactly where we are with Him, however our lack of honesty with ourselves often acts as a blockage to helping us make real progress in our relationship with God.

Fortunately, God does not dwell on the mistakes we make, He is interested in our hearts and gives us opportunities to make wise decisions even when our human frailty seeks to make unwise choices. He has given us a free will let us use it wisely. John 7:17 ‘Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own’.

I pray that the love of God would saturate your life and that it would in turn be poured out on all who come into contact with you.

Author: Lyn Hunt

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A Work in Progress

God’s love for me allows me to make mistakes and learn from them. When I get things wrong I repent, I dust myself down and get back to war as a Christian Soldier.

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I’m not sure if anyone will understand my experience of living life, but for me, outside of God I find life difficult. Life for me often feels like a complicated game where every player has been given a set of instructions except for me. I don’t understand the rules of engagement. The most confusing part for me is relationships, however I know that by God’s Grace I am very loved by many people.

I have been married since I was 19 years old to a wonderful, patient and very kind man. We have been married for 30 years and we have been blessed by God to have a wonderful daughter, a wonderful son and a ‘cheeky’ dog. However even in these most intimate relationships I can often find the art of communication confusing. Outside of God it is difficult for me to process data so I choose to live my life by standing on the Living Word of God. The Bible is my set of instructions on how to live life. In 1 Corinthians 13 the bible teaches me how to love others and it also teaches me how to guard my mind and to watch every thought that comes into it. The full armour of God found in Ephesians 6 protects my whole body and it is the helmet of salvation that allows me to gain victory at the place of thinking. As a body of Christ, it is important for us to understand that the origin of every action is a thought. It is therefore the Glorious Word of God that keeps me safe and allows me to function with some ‘normality’ in this complicated process of life.

I clung to Father God for my dear life through my childhood and continue to cling to Him every single day. It may sound a bit religious but I speak to God from the minute my eyes open and I continue to talk to him throughout the day. I love God with all my heart and I know that He loves me, Amen, but even in Christ some days can be tough. 

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Every day at University was a struggle, standing at the school gate when my daughter and son were young with the other parents and never fitting in was tough, family events were a struggle, the list goes on and on. Everything was a struggle but the Good News is that God has always been my anchor in the storm; Hebrews 6:19 ‘We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain’, Praise His Holy Majesty. God has never ever left me or forsaken me; Deuteronomy 31:6 ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you’. He is my rock; Psalm 62:6 ‘Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken’, and I love Him and I thank Him continually for his unconditional agape love. God’s love for me allows me to make mistakes and learn from them. When I get things wrong I repent, I dust myself down and get back to war as a Christian Soldier. Romans 8:1 encourages me to get back in the fight because it tells me; ‘Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’, Amen. Even when we dwell in the Kingdom of God difficulties will still come, but there is always the miraculous possibility of a new morning: Lamentations 3:22-23 ‘Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness’.

This blog may seem to be a little depressing and for that I sincerely apologise, but in my heart I believe God wants me to share this testimony to help support and encourage those who the world sees as ‘different’ and for others to understand that we are all not the same. God has made us all unique and wonderful. God asks us to not only to love one another but to love our enemies; Luke 6:27 ‘But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you’. It makes me feel sad when I see people not accepted because they are different, they are too loud, too quiet, too fat, too thin, do not wear the right cloths, have the wrong colour skin, they are the wrong sex, to tidy, to untidy, always on time, never on time etc. The point I am trying to make is that according to God’s holy word we are all unique and wonderfully made; Psalm 139:14 ‘I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well’. The Pastor of our church calls us a ‘motley crew’ (he calls us this in love) and praise God for our differences because we are God’s motley crew and He loves us all just the way we are, a work in progress.

If someone is behaving in an ungodly manner we should pray for them and to ask God to send the right person to speak to them. We often do not know another person’s history so we have no idea know why they may be a drug taker, a criminal, a wife abuser, a child abuser etc. but God knows everything, Amen. A painful childhood or past experience does not give anyone the right to abuse another person, but when someone is behaving badly they may be crying out for love; but only God knows all things. I pray to God that He will use me as His vessel to present Jesus to those who are desperately in need of him. Jesus came to heal the sick; Mark 2:17 ‘Jesus said to them, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners’, and to tell the prisoners that they are prisoners no more; Luke 4:18 ‘He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free’. There is only one judge and Praise God He is a fair, Holy and a Righteous Judge.

Enjoy the worship song below especially when it says ‘the weak are made strong in Christ alone’, Amen. God Bless all the readers of this blog with his peace, love and Joy.

Author: Christina O’Neill

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Who determines the circumstances of our lives?

Every accusing voice, including our own counts for nothing in the court of heaven. God's acceptance trumps everybody else’s rejection, and He accepts us because He sees Christ in us. How wonderful is that? 

Source: Knowing Jesus

One of the great questions to ponder in life is; 'who determines the circumstances of our lives?' Many may respond that it is the work of satan in our fallen world who is given free reign throughout the earth, even though ultimately defeated by the work of Christ upon the cross; Colossians 1:13 'For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves'. The Apostle Paul provides us with some important answers to the question raised above in Romans 8:31-39;

Romans 8:31 '..If God is for us, who can be against us?'. The assurance of God's presence tilts the scales in our favour. So, whatever we are facing today we should always remind ourselves that God is for us. The World is sometimes very chaotic and our lives often reflect this. When we find ourselves in these situations or when we have those moments when life seems to be getting on top of us we should take time to pause, give Glory to God and have confidence in the knowledge that our God is always with us. Amen.

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Romans 8:32 ‘He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?’ - God did not spare even His Own Son, but He gave Him up for each one of us. Do you not think that God will give us everything else? Think about it, would God save our soul then leave us to fend for ourselves? Would He address our eternal needs and not our earthly one?  No, of course He wouldn’t.

Romans 8:33 ‘Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies’. Who dare accuse us? for God Himself has given us right standing with Himself. Every accusing voice, including our own counts for nothing in the court of heaven. God's acceptance trumps everybody else’s rejection, and He accepts us because He sees Christ in us. How wonderful is that? So, let’s stop condemning ourselves and not let others condemn us. Stand firm, live for Christ, hold short accounts with God and ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’ (Matthew 23:37). 

Romans 8:34 ‘Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us’. Jesus Christ died for us and He is sitting in His place of honour, continually interceding and pleading on our behalf. When our accuser/s rise up and speak against us, Jesus our defender, our lawyer, silences them. Why? because His blood covers us. On the 15th October 2016, my wife and I went to London to see our daughter and son-in-law. We left home at about 10am and did not return home until around 8:30pm.  When we got home we found that our home had been broken into. It was a shock to see the mess and the damage that had been done and discovering the things that had been stolen. However, in all of this chaos, trauma and upheaval we thanked God that we were both safe. We knew that God was with us at the time so we prayed for those who had trespassed against us. God’s word tells us in Deuteronomy 30:3 ‘the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you’. So, we had faith and confidence that God had promised to restore what the enemy had stolen from us and more. Amen

Romans 8:35 ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?’ The answer to this question is revealed a little further in Romans 8:38-39 ‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord'. Amen. Knowing the truths discussed in this article from the Word of God will allow us to have confidence and help us to enjoy our day and sleep better at night.

Prayer - Sovereign Lord You rule over all our troubles and trials and through it all we can know and be sure of Your goodness and love. We thank you Father for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and our Advocate, the Holy Spirit who comforts us and guides us and helps to determine the circumstances of our lives.  May we always know your presence in our lives and be obedient to your call. Amen.

Author: Herbert Jean

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Expect a miracle

Do not be dismayed or downcast, but know that you're on the brink of a miracle, not a breakdown, but a breakthrough

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We have a rota at our church which allows the congregation to contribute to our MCF Life Church blog. I recently noticed that my name had started to appear on the rota (we display the rota during Sunday service each week) but I had to admit to myself that I was struggling with what, when, where and how to present this blog due to depression. However, I knew in whom I believe and I was persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed; 2 Timothy 1:12 'That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day'. Yes, my Abba Father is All Powerful and Awesome, and able to help me overcome all the negative emotions I am experiencing at the moment.  For He is Creation, Redemption, Salvation, Revelation, yes, His-tory is my glory story about Him. Romans 8:15 ‘The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father’.

I really don't want this blog to be depressing, despondent, or downcast but in-fact the total opposite. My first encounter with the 'd' word (depression), occurred back in the early 1970's when at the age of 18 I was training to be a SEN (State Enrolled Nurse), as I had always had a passion for caring for people and I have always felt that this was my calling/vocation.  At the time, I was hospitalized for approximately four months. During my time in hospital I had a vision of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, up in the sky, with His arms outstretched and His nail pierced hands.  My Lord said to me; ‘you are going through this for your family but I am with you’. I also found myself needing to rebuke the evil one using the words of Jesus 'Get behind me, you have no power, you have been defeated’. Matthew 16:23 ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God…’ Whilst I was not saved at this period of my life, I can truly testify that Father God had me in the hollow of His hands. I was also being protected through the prayers of my mother and grandmother.

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I got married on the 11th September 1971 to a God given man, in my wonderful husband, my best friend and soul mate. My second encounter with the 'd’ word was after the birth of our first born, a handsome, bouncing 9lb 4oz boy, when I went through nine months of post-natal depression. This encounter with the ‘d’ word seemed more compounded than the first in that I felt that I shouldn't be feeling this way as we were both born again (I did not conceive until I had given my heart to The Lord) and our beautiful son had been born as an answer to prayer as I had two previous miscarriages. In my times of trouble, I found the following scriptures to be incredibly comforting:

Isaiah 49:15-16 ‘Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. 

Isaiah 61:3 ‘and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor’.

Romans 8:26-27 ‘In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God’.

Romans 8:38-39 ‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord’.

Ephesians 3:20-21 ‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen’.

Philippians 4:4-7 ‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’.

So my brothers and sisters do not be dismayed or downcast, but know that you're on the brink of a miracle, not a breakdown, but a breakthrough. For as The Lord said to Peter in 2 Corinthians 12:9 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me', and Father God cannot lie for all. His promises are true, yes and amen. Even when problems beset us we can use these mere stumbling blocks as stepping stones to see the fulfilment of His provision: Jeremiah 29:11 'For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'. Amen.

Author: Inie Jean

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