Start in me

I find that the answer to anything at all is – Holy Spirit please start in me

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There’s nothing like a few questions to get you examining yourself and thinking…I meet from time to time with a group of prisoners from a jail not too far from us and it can be a challenging experience. The first thing is the number and scope of questions that are asked, and the second is how penetrating they can be. The more that I participate in these conversations, the more humbled I am. Those asking the questions often want to find out what God is saying to them or to understand what is going on in the world from God’s point of view.

What did Jesus come to do?

Luke 4:17-21, Then Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath, he went as usual to the synagogue. He stood up to read the Scriptures and was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people.” Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. All the people in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on him, as he said to them, “This passage of scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read.”

What did Jesus want us to do?

John 14:12-18, I am telling you the truth: those who believe in me will do what I do—yes, they will do even greater things, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask for in my name, so that the Father's glory will be shown through the Son. If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it. “If you love me, you will obey my commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God. The world cannot receive him, because it cannot see him or know him. But you know him, because he remains with you and is in you. “When I go, you will not be left all alone; I will come back to you. 

What did Jesus say to the disciples when the crowd was hungry?

Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.” He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

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I realize that this is a somewhat sketchy blog (parts of the story are missing for the sake of brevity) but the truth is that time and time again I find myself in the same place. No matter what my efforts might be without Jesus – without the Holy Spirit - I can do nothing. I can worry myself to death, I can work my fingers to the bone, I can spend all of the energy that I have trying to help others, but unless the Holy Spirit is involved it can be totally fruitless.

If the Holy Spirit is not involved, I end up giving these young men bible studies or pat answers. If He is involved, He gets to the heart of a matter. So, I find that the answer to anything at all is – Holy Spirit please start in me…

What is God’s answer to all of the problems in the world?

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

Where is the first place that this prayer needs to take effect? In me. Your kingdom come, Your will be done in me…without His rule in me how can His character be shown to others? Without His will being done in me how can I know how to hear the Holy Spirit prompting? How can I do what Jesus did? How can I be what Jesus wants me to be to others?

Why hasn’t God done anything about the world’s problems?

He has – He has sent His people. Followers of Jesus are sent into the world to reveal God’s character, do His works and share His words. In this way the world will hear, and see and know what the Father is like, and understand and experience what He has done for them. Jesus constantly sought the face of the Father to know His will and therefore know what to do in the situations that He encountered, to glorify Him. Whether Jesus’ answer to people was “Yes” or “No” or “Not Yet” it always brought glory to the Father because that was His purpose. Without that yielding to the Holy Spirit and a focus and intention to glorify the Father come what may, our own efforts can become vague and purposeless and, in the end, although well-meaning and maybe very time-consuming, fruitless.

A prayer for the new year?

These few imperfectly formed thoughts take me to a prayer for the New Year. It goes something like: “Holy Spirit please start in me. Lord, I know that means trying to find ways of spending more time in Your presence so that you can work on me and so that I can learn to hear You better and You can fill me more. Help me to be hungry for that time with You, so that people can see You in me, and I may do those things that You have already prepared for me to do and above all bring glory to Your name. Help me Lord because although this is what I want, I am inconsistent and weak in my determination to set the time aside to seek Your face”.

Here is a song link by Keith Green and an extract from the lyrics which are about the Lord “starting in me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVgPQm06g2c

Oh, Lord, You're beautiful, Your face is all I seek, for when Your eyes are on this child, Your grace abounds to me
I wanna to take Your word and shine it all around, but first help me to just to live it, Lord
And when I'm doing well, help me to never seek a crown for my reward is giving glory to You
Oh, Lord, please light the fire, that once burnt bright and clear- replace the lamp of my first love, that burns with holy fear

A seasonal offering with the same conclusion by Matt Maher can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QW4c6DcxgGc

May the Lord bless us as we “start with Him” in 2024.

Author: Chris Pearson

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The Gift of Christmas

May this Christmas be a time when we remember the greatest gift of all. A gift that never disappoints and one that constantly fills our hearts with joy and thanksgiving

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As I have been thinking and mulling over what to write for this Christmas blog and unable to generate any (or limited) original thought my mind turned to the Gift of Christmas. Whether your reaction to the season is dread, delight or indifference I think it does us all good to remember and recall the greatest gift, given to mankind by the Triune God of the bible. 

Certainly, disputes exist regarding the time of year of Jesus’ birth (the ‘when’ of His birth), however, the fact remains that He was born. This miraculous event, so significant, that it divides our history into two major epochs B.C. (Before Christ) or A.D. (Anno Domini ‘in the year of our Lord’, i.e. Christ) establishes, that at the centre of history stands the person of Jesus Christ. Even the more, dare I say, politically correct change to BCE (Before the Common (current) Era) and CE (Common (current) Era) and its supposed religious neutrality, what is it that makes, or explains the dividing line date? I leave that up to you to answer!

Many of us on Christmas morning are the recipients of a gift or two from loved ones. Over the years I am sure I am correct in saying some gifts have been enthusiastically and appreciatively received others perhaps less so. Some very desirous, practical and beneficial, others although aesthetically pleasing, their functionality and possible usefulness may be questioned. You all know the plethora of emotions you have felt over the years on receipt of gifts. Nonetheless the tradition of gift giving rests ultimately on the greatest and highest gift, which first came from God – His son. Therefore, let’s set aside the commercialised holiday of Christmas, that Western culture has deluged upon people, and turn attention to the supreme gift God has given the world.

The accounts of the birth stories in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, are very well known and the glorious theology of John’s prologue in his gospel is sheer beauty and are such wonderous gifts to us all. In addition, Paul in his letter to the Galations, succinctly records the good news of our greatest Christmas gift. In a short paragraph Paul sums up the theology, and beyond, of Christmas. It does us good to remember and remind ourselves exactly what that gift is.

‘But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.’ (Galatians 4:4-7 ESV)

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Everything about God’s gift was (and is) perfect. ‘But when the fullness of time had come’…God sent His son at the right moment in human history when everything that had been ordained by God was in place. Scholars have debated the meaning of ‘fullness of time’ extensively and in detail. Some of the arguments highlight the anticipation, which was prevalent thinking amongst Jews at that time, of when Messiah would come. Roman oppression had made them hungry for His coming – if only to save them from such tyranny. Many knew the prophetic passages that their Scriptures spoke of in their ‘book’. They knew that centuries before, the prophets such as Moses, David, Isaiah had foretold of His coming. Expectancy was high, even if mingled with doubt and discouragement by some of this ever happening. Might these also be similar thoughts of believers today regarding His second coming?

On a practical note, Roman rule had undertaken extensive road building aiding travel and of course the spread of the Greek language, spoken throughout the Empire, facilitated trade but more importantly made it possible to communicate the future good news of the gospel.

God ‘sent His son’; Paul clearly recognised the pre-existence of the Son. ‘Born of a woman…’ which acknowledges not only Jesus’ divinity but also his true humanity.  Our Saviour was (and is) truly God and truly Man. ‘Born under the law to redeem those who were under the law’; our redemption required not only that Christ died for our sins, but that He lived a perfect, righteous life – to keep the law on our behalf something we cannot do because of the  inheritance of the Adamic sin nature. But Jesus Christ made the way and His birth initiated God’s plan to save sinners.

‘For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.’  (1 Corinthians 15:21-22 ESV)

Surely this is gift enough. But no, Paul also states we are ‘adopted as sons’ – sons and daughters of The King. With sonship comes the right of inheritance. Ellicott’s (1971) bible commentary describes this as follows: ‘The admission of the believer into the Messianic Kingdom, with its immunities from sin and from law, implies an admission into the Messianic family, of which God is the Father and Christ the eldest Son – “first born among many brethren”. What an inheritance. 

It doesn’t stop here though! Not only are we ‘redeemed’, ‘adopted’ but also ‘indwelt’ with the gift of the ‘Spirit of God into our hearts’ for which we have the assurance of the rich reality that God has made for his children. We can open our hearts and cry out to Him as our Father and know we are received with great tenderness and delight. We are no longer a slave to fear, anxiety and concern that sin entraps us in but with the assurance of everlasting life through our Saviour Jesus Christ. 

What a gift! May this Christmas be a time when we remember the greatest gift of all. A gift that never disappoints and one that constantly fills our hearts with joy and thanksgiving.

Warmest greetings to everyone who reads this short message. May you all have a Christmas time that is peaceful, joyful and blessed as we celebrate the greatest gift ever given.

Author: Irene Cherrill

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My Shepherd

His heart never stops beating with love for His church and He is always ready and willing to carry our burdens

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I have been reflecting more and more lately on a fundamental truth which, I’ll be honest, so often escapes me, and I suspect, many of us, because it has become so embedded in our thoughts that we ignore it.

That truth is: who Jesus is and what he does in our lives, day in and day out.

It is a truth that was included in scripture nearly 3000 years ago when the prophet Micah wrote: But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labour has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace. (Micah 5:2-5 (ESV))

Our understanding of this has to start with our acceptance that we are no longer our own but, like sheep we need a shepherd. In considering Jesus’ place in our lives, we should be continually asking ourselves; Does He have absolute supremacy, that of a King and a Shepherd? 

By supremacy, I mean that supremacy which the wise and tender shepherd exercises over his needy and loving flock; He commands and should receive our obedience, but it should be loving obedience, given freely and joyfully, when if we are honest about ourselves we know we often obey grudgingly after a lot of delay  (Isn’t “I’ll pray about that” often our response and a means of delaying action?).

Do we recognise that Jesus’ reign is wholly practical?

Another translation of “shepherd” is “feed”. Jesus, as head of His church, actively provides for our needs. He is not a ruler who sits on His throne in state, He is totally ‘hands on’. He does everything we would expect of a shepherd; He feeds us, He guides us, He watches over us, He preserves us, He restores us, and He cares for us.

Do we appreciate that His reign is on-going?

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The scripture says; “And he shall stand and shepherd” not “He shall shepherd now and then and then leave” not “He shall give us a revelation of Himself one day and abandon us the next”. Scripture tells us that His eyes never sleep, and His hands never rest. His heart never stops beating with love for His church and He is always ready and willing to carry our burdens.

Finally, have we accepted that Jesus does not reign alone?

He reigns “in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.” Wherever Jesus is, God is there also. Whatever Jesus does is an act of Almighty God. The one who stands in intercession for us and lives within us, through the Holy Spirit, is “God of very God”, and one day every knee will bow before Him. When we give all these things their due place in our thoughts we shall “dwell secure” and “He shall be our peace”.

We should be overjoyed that we belong to a shepherd/king whose humanity connects with us and whose divinity protects and provides for us. We are left with no alternative but to bow down before Him and worship as the ‘sheep of His pasture.’

During lockdown, as a fellowship, encouraged by Pastor Kevin, we focused on the 23rd Psalm;
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

This beautiful Psalm says it all, really, but I have to confess, despite having said it and reflected on it almost daily during lockdown I can’t recall the last time I looked at it since then. How fickle my mind is. If you are like me, I pray you will be encouraged by the Micah passage and by the Psalm and that you will have a blessed week.

(My gratitude goes again, to Charles Spurgeon for his daily reflection on the verse from Micah which I read in August and has been lying dormant since then)

Author: Alan Cameron

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In Heavenly Armour

It is not our job to find solutions, it's our job to pray and let the Lord do the Heavy Lifting

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Recently my mother-in-Law introduced us to the joys of the Antiques Road Trip programme on the TV whilst having a few meals at our house, and we really enjoyed it. We were thinking of something we could share with her that she would enjoy and remembered a film we had seen a good while ago and decided to show it to her. The film is a Christian film called The War Room, and it is well worth a watch. It is set in America and tells the story of a Christian family whose lives are falling apart, and a wife who meets an older Godly praying lady who is selling her house. A relationship builds between the ladies when the older woman introduces the younger to her favourite room in the house, a small closet room. The younger is astounded as the walls of the small room are covered with papers containing prayers and answers to prayer. What is this she asks? This is my war room, it’s in here I pray and see God answer is her reply. The rest of the film is about the younger woman establishing her own war room and the way the Lord moves in her marriage and life. A lovely film but it spoke to me again so much this week. I`d like to share some of the things the Lord spoke to me about through the film. 

Firstly, make a time and a place to pray Matthew 6:6 says “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private.  Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you” (NLT). Now this might seem like an easy thing to do, but it takes time and determination to pray. You need to make time to be by yourself (not always the easiest thing to do in a busy house or a busy life) but however you do it, a small room or space in the house, a daily walk, or whatever works for you, clear time and space to pray; just you and the Lord. Shut the door behind you. If you’re in a room then use the physical door, close yourself in with the Lord or if not then shut the door to distractions (honestly the hardest thing I find, especially in this age of mobile phones they never cease with their enticement to just check something or text someone) or if finding space in the house is hard, go for a walk. Walk and talk with the Lord its good for the body and the soul!  And your Father who sees everything will reward you. It takes time and practice but God is waiting for you to make the time and space and He will be there, waiting to meet you.

Secondly use the word of God as your strategy for prayer. Ask the Lord to give you promises and revelations from His word to pray over the people/ situations you are praying for. No General ever went into battle without a strategy, he would be called reckless and negligent to send his men into battle without a battle plan. God has given the battle plan through His word. We just need to ask the Holy Spirit how to use it. “Lord please reveal to me today from your word how to pray and what to pray over these needs”.

Next takes notes of the meeting. When business meetings take place there is always someone taking the minutes (notes) of the meeting or people might forget the key points. I never used to make any notes of my prayer times with the Lord. But now I write down what I’ve asked for and what He has revealed to me through His word for my own growth and for prayer over situations. This not only reminds us of what we have prayed for but encourages us when we see the prayers answered. This encourages us to pray and be specific in our prayers.

So now we are ready to pray! But it’s how to pray that is the question.

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In the film the younger woman was asked to write down all the things about her husband and her marriage that was the problem. She filled 3 pages, but the older woman just ignored the list. When asked why she replied the list was the wrong list. It was full of bitterness towards her husband, and complaining about her unhappiness. The older woman explained that you can’t pray clearly out of bitterness. So, the first prayer was to repent of the bitterness, forgive her husband, and to ask the Lord to replace it with love. Ephesians gives really good guidance on this matter Ephesians 4:26 “Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry (hurt). For anger (hurt) gives a foothold to the Devil. And Verse 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behaviour. Instead, be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (NLT) This really spoke to me, bitterness can spring up over the most unexpected things, and if not dealt with can grow into a massive root and tree that blocks out all the sun of the Lord’s love. It can leave you feeling cold and hard and well just plain bitter! And you really can`t pray effectively out of bitterness. So, first step is to recognise and own the bitterness (honest it’s no good pretending with God) and repent. Ask the Lord to replace it with His love. It’s such a relief when he does, and then you can be in a better place to do battle for the person/situation.

The older woman then explained that the list was also wrong, as it sought to attack the person themselves. To list all their faults and behaviours and the results of the behaviours which was destroying her marriage and family life. She explained that to achieve victory and change we need to address the battle to the real source of the problem. Ephesians 6:12 says “For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (NLT).

Now if we have been a Christian for a number of years we know this truth in our heads, but when we get overtaken with fear and emotion, we forget it. We start seeing the people/situation as the real enemy, and start to tell the Lord that He needs to put them right and how to do that. But I was so reminded that the battle is against the unseen world and the chaos that is being directed from there to disrupt our lives and rob us of our peace. So it is against these forces that we need to pray. We put on the armour of God to protect us, found in Ephesians 6:10-11 (“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God`s armour so that you will be able to stand firm against all STRATEGIES of the devil.”) (NLT) Ephesians 6:13-17 list all of these. And Ephesians 6:18 directs us to “Pray in the spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere” (NLT).

Then the older woman gave the younger woman one other priceless bit of advice.  Go away and pray for your husband and family in this way, be repentant, forgive your husband and  pray the word the Lord gives you over the situation, direct your prayers against the powers and authorities of the unseen world, and pray in the Spirit. She reminded her that it was not her job to sort out the problems, but to use Gods prayer (war) strategy to defeat the devils (war) strategy, and then thank the Lord in anticipation. Because it is not our job to find solutions, its our job to pray and let the Lord do the Heavy Lifting!!!

The film has been a great inspiration and tutorial for me this week.  And as for the end of the story well………..You will have to watch the film to find out. 

Author: Jan Pearson

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Ask for the ancient paths

The ‘olam’ (ancient) paths lead to ‘olam’ (everlasting) life. So let us fix our eyes on Jesus and walk in these ancient paths

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I do like to mull over a few thoughts for the blog for a week or two to try and get some sort sense of order. However my submission date has jumped out as a bandit on a simple soul. Remembering back to my short teaching career, I would try to prepare a short spiel about a topic but just stringing together a couple of sentences would seem to take the evening. 

Anyway, last night as we were meeting together as MCF church, someone spoke a short exhortation which featured these words: ‘..Ask for the ancient paths..’  Some readers may recognise these words as from the prophet Jeremiah. We read in Jeremiah (6:16): “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.”

What are these ancient paths, this good way? Is there a clue in the final clause, ‘and find rest for your souls’? Matthew’s gospel (11:28-29) records Jesus saying these words: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” This open-handed invitation is made to all; saint and sinner, simple and sophisticated. Is this invitation the answer to our question? Could it be that the ancient paths lead us to Jesus? 

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Perhaps we can learn a little more about the word translated ‘ancient’. In the Strong’s dictionary the Hebrew word is transliterated as ‘olam’ and has various meanings: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always. Most of the English bible translations use ‘ancient’ or occasionally ‘old’, but in a german translation that I sometimes read, it uses ‘Vorzeit- literally ‘before time’. Before time, takes us back to the biblical beginning, maybe the words at the opening of John’s gospel are appropriate: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

Yes, Jesus the Word, as part of the God-head, created those ancient paths. According to Proverbs chapter 3, they are paths of peace, those who find them and walk in them will grow in wisdom and God’s favour. But Jesus also demonstrated how to walk in these ancient paths, even the ultimate path to the cross. The paths are not easy, as Jesus cried out in agonising prayer in the garden of Gethsemane: ‘not my will but yours be done’. However, the ‘olam’ (ancient) paths lead to ‘olam’ (everlasting) life. So let us fix our eyes on Jesus and walk in these ancient paths.

Author: Richard Windridge

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The Solid Rock

Jesus is the only stability we can have through life. He is the only sure thing.

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Some weeks ago, we were in a Primary School assembly, performing the parable of Jesus about a man who built his house on the rock. His house remained stable in a storm. Another man, who built his house on the sand had his house destroyed.  In Matthew 7 it says:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

I was standing there in the scene watching the story unfold, with these two grown men, wearing their one size fits all robes and their tea towels on their heads (actually our wardrobe is far more sophisticated than that but you get the picture), standing behind cardboard houses, acting out this story for the children, making them laugh in places, making them be the sound of the wind and the storm in other parts, when it suddenly occurred to me how important it is to build our life on the firm foundation that is Christ Jesus. I have read and heard this story many times over the years but this time it hit home.

Jesus is the only stability we can have through life. He is the only sure thing. We are tossed around by every type of storm not only in our own lives but also the world around us seems to be getting worse and worse every single day. Without our Solid Rock we could go under. Our lives could go crashing down, but if we choose to stand on the firm foundation that is Jesus, we can have love, joy, hope and peace no matter what circumstances we are facing and no matter what we read in the newspaper or hear on the news.

‘On this the Solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.’

There are many references to The Rock in the Bible, none more beautiful than David’s song of praise in 2 Samuel 22:  He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;3my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my saviour—from violent people you save me.”

This passage has come from David’s personal experience. David knew God’s deliverance first hand on many occasions. He also used this same name for God in many of the Psalms. He knew the Lord’s refuge in his times of trouble. We, too, can have that same refuge if we cling to Him and trust only in Him, our Rock of Ages.  Jesus our Rock grounds and stabilises us. Even when the waves crash around us, He is our firm foundation and our true hope, a hope that the world cannot give.

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee”

We can be thrown around by every type of storm of life. Inflation, interest rates, job losses, money worries, family problems, health crises, broken relationships and many other circumstances can all bring us down if we are not careful. Only when we have built our house on the rock, is there stability. As the world appears to be getting worse in countless ways we need to hold on tight to that Rock.

“We have an anchor that keeps the soul,

Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,

Fastened to the Rock that cannot move,

Grounded firm and deep n the Saviour’s love.”     

Charles Spurgeon is quoted as saying: “I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me against the Rock of Ages”  

Wow!! I am not sure I have got there yet. It is hard to to rejoice in our trials but James 1:2-3 says this:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 

It is difficult to literally be thankful and joyful in the problems we face and we cannot easily have an outward appearance of joy no matter what befalls us but we must trust the Lord, that everything works for the good of those who love Him and put our trust in Him. If we can let the waves of our suffering throw us against the Rock, then we can have a deep-seated joy and peace that passes all understanding.

“Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul” 

However, not everyone wants to build their house on the rock. Some people will stumble and fall against it. Isaiah 8:14 says prophetically about Jesus that He is: a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.

Knowing Jesus

There are several references in the Bible to the fact that “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” The teachers of the Law in the time of Jesus rejected Him as their Messiah even though they were with Him and saw His miracles. Instead, they were more interested in accusing Him of breaking the Sabbath rules rather than being amazed and pleased about His ability to heal. Still today many people have rejected the Cornerstone and it will cause them to stumble. The Bible is black and white not grey.  There is no such thing as “many paths lead to God”. There is only one way. People are offended by this in society today but the word of God is quite clear. 

Some time ago in a ladies’ meeting someone had a picture that has stayed with me. It was a rock standing in the middle of the sea with waves crashing around it. On the rock were the Christians and floundering in the stormy sea were the none Christians. The Christians were bending and struggling to pull up onto the rock those who were fighting for their life in the water. It made me think that there is no point, as Christians, to be content to be on the firm foundation when there are those around us needing help and guidance to find their way onto the Solid Rock.

As we stand on the Solid Rock let us tell others that they too can stand with us. Let us try to make them understand that their hope can only be in Jesus.

My hope is built on nothing less,

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness

And I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly trust in Jesus name.

On this the Solid Rock I stand All other ground is sinking sand. 

 Author: Thelma Cameron

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Worship - A Life of Surrender

Even when our troubles seem like a prison sentence that has no end, there is one, because God is always there on the case for us, we just have to trust Him.

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One of the things I love more than anything, is worship. When I praise God through singing, I really feel moved and connected to my faith. A powerful song is one written in a way that really helps you to reflect upon and engage with all the amazing qualities of our Lord, that makes you remember how much you love and trust Him.

This week the song 'battle belongs' was on my mind, so I stuck it on in the background. It immediately encourages a reflection of how when we see the difficulties of life, the battles, the obstacles, God is looking at the victories, the movement of those obstacles, because He is not trapped in an emotional troubled state, but can see what is beyond it. Even when our troubles seem like a prison sentence that has no end, there is one, because God is always there on the case for us, we just have to trust Him.

The chorus of the song is a big eye opener and challenge, it says "when I fight, I fight on my knees, with my hands lifted high, oh God the battle belongs to you" it is so crucial when times get tough, to start there. On our knees. Arms high, giving it over to God and trusting that He will fight on our behalf. Because we can't do it alone, there is no victory there. 

Look at how many times people in the bible thought they could do it in their own strength and the result was an overwhelmingly disappointing failure. The bible is full of examples where God brought about victory in the most unlikely of situations (like when Gideon defeated the Midianites army with just 300 men in Judges 7:22  When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath, or Jonathan and his armour bearer taking on the Philistines in 1 Samuel 14:12-14 The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armour-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.” So Jonathan said to his armour-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.” 13 Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armour-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armour-bearer followed and killed behind him. 14 In that first attack Jonathan and his armour-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre). 

If I Walked With Jesus

And He used the most unlikely of people (like David and Saul who were the least in their family/clan) to enable us to get a sense of just how incredible He is and if we trust in that, we will be okay.

So, when life is troubling and difficult or hope seems lost, let's start by getting on our knees, lifting our arms to the most amazing Lord of Lords and hand the situation over.

That isn't easy, especially given we are human and prone to wanting to see results immediately, to have things our own way, to be in control. But if we don't make every effort to keep giving it over to God, we will just end up with overwhelmingly disappointing failure. There is hope in this increasingly dark and depressing world, His name is Jesus!

Proverbs 3: 5-6

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.

Author: Rebekah Cronk

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All things work for good

It is the trials and sufferings of life that draw us closer to Him when we truly cry out to Him

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All things work for good, Romans 8:28. How quickly we use this verse to placate ourselves or others to encourage and bless in times of difficulty. Nothing wrong with that but let’s not take it out of context and look at the whole verse.

We know that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. We …that is those of us who follow Jesus… know …it is fact. All things, all circumstances, all the troubles and cares of our lives together are intended to do us good as God works out His plans for each of us. 

The world says how can this be? Surely God is love? Why does He let bad things happen? A huge question with no easy answers but I hope that your testimony agrees with mine. It is the trials and sufferings of life that draw us closer to Him when we truly cry out to Him.

This is one of the very first verses I was given as a new Christian in very testing circumstances and to this day I honour the church leader who (I think bravely) spoke it out over myself and my husband. Our newborn daughter was dying, I came to faith during my pregnancy and met Jesus for the first time through His Word and the guidance of the above church leader. I believe too that I was prayed into The Kingdom through the prayers of the church family I had just joined.  

Our baby lived for two weeks and in that roller coaster time of emotions and dashed hopes God was truly my Rock. He was already working for good in my heart, giving me His supernatural strength and showing me His love. 

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We talk about “the storms of life” and there are many scriptures describing the reality of these times and God’s presence through them. One such verse that speaks right into my experience is, Psalm 93:4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the seas, the Lord on high is mighty.

As I was beyond prayer at this time God showed me a simple picture of a little dinghy without a sail being tossed about on a pitch dark stormy sea. I was on that boat desperately clinging on to the mast, it was all I had. God was that mast, with me right in the centre of that storm. 

Of course when she died we still grieved and had to deal with our empty arms and empty cot but with a new found joy and comfort that only God can give. He used it for good as my husband came to faith too through this experience. We can both now testify to the hope we have in Him and the joy of knowing we will be reunited for eternity with our daughter. God truly removed the sting of death replacing our loss with His peace. 

In the early weeks of grief that followed a kindly neighbour spoke to me with that awkwardness that so often accompanies the subject of death. Asking how I was doing she stated how unfair it was as “we were such a lovely family”. Well, I think I gave her some sort of reply to the effect that life seems unfair but God isn’t and what made us so special that it shouldn’t have happened?

Like most of us there have been countless more trials in our family over the years. Cancer, heart attack, redundancy, failed relationships and broken hearts. Each one a testimony of God’s faithfulness to hold our hands and carry us through, drawing us close. Each one with stories of His provision too many to mention here. The hope we have in Him covering all and working for our good as we who are called love Him and seek to follow Him. 

Author: Margaret Riordan

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