Let us, ‘remember the Lord who gives us the ability to produce wealth’, and ‘be thankful’
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A few years ago, when sorting through our parents’ possessions, my sister came across a hand-written note, very clearly in my distinctive dad’s style. This A4 sheet was among the numerous files of financial records recording the final years of their farming business and then the transition into ‘retirement’ - which as many folk know, can be just as busy! To my knowledge (and very fallible memory), my dad never kept a journal diary, though in later years he took over as the calendar scribe. For most of his life, he was the ‘back-of –an –envelope’ planner, though when it came to making a public speech, he wrote it out in full. However, this brief note spoke volumes to me:
‘But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth’ Deuteronomy 8 verse 18
Last year, a dear family friend died at the age of 101. She was 10 years old when my dad was born, and when I called to see her after she had turned 100, she vividly recalled him as a young boy. In fact she was born at the same time that the ‘Victory Hall’ in Castle Bromwich was opened – June 1922. Although the Hall was built to celebrate the allied victory in the First World War, multitudes of men (886000 British troops) never returned, with many others severely wounded and traumatised. Then the Spanish flu pandemic raged from 1918-1920. It was probably brought back by the troops from the trenches, and infected over 25% of the UK population bringing another estimated 228000 deaths. This epidemic actually brought our country’s death rate above the birth rate for a short period and caused a dramatic decline in life expectancy. By 1922 the life expectancy rate had recovered, so that someone born in 1922 could on average, reach 55!
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55 is still the life expectancy for a few countries in the world today. However, our national average rate rapidly increased and has been steady at about 80 years for the last decade or so. We know that along with the corporate (national) ability to produce wealth there have been widespread improvements in healthcare, educations, technology, governance and more. Much of this has been built on the foundation of the Christian worldview; for these extraordinary advances have not happened in all countries. But of course we must admit that it is all far from perfect, as we have had to face the fact that our foundational wealth was built on the slave trade and massive exploitation of people, creatures and natural resources. And, this continues in many more veiled forms to this day.
So I hope to encourage you, dear reader, to look back, not just at your own life and family, but at our communal history over the past 100 years. Let us, ‘remember the Lord who gives us the ability to produce wealth’, and ‘be thankful’. Even as we have experienced the Covid pandemic recently, where many have predicted end-of-world scenarios, the global figures suggest a mortality rate of 1-2 per 1000. We should remember that during the Spanish Flu when there were no antibiotics, the mortality rate was anything in the range of 10-50 per 1000.
“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” 1 Chronicles 29:14.
Author: Richard Windridge
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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
May God bless and enrich your life
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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.
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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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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?
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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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