Grace

Have you noticed how often the Apostle Paul refers to grace in his letters to the churches and his spiritual children?  It is very often; did you wonder why? I had noticed but I hadn't given it much thought until now.

I thought about Paul's previous life as a zealous Pharisee, out to cut off the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ at all costs.  How he mercilessly went out to round up the believers and throw them in jail knowing that they would get what he thought they deserved. Then suddenly he has an encounter with the gentle, uncondemning gracious presence of the living Christ and all is changed.

Paul encountered grace in it's strongest form and he was changed.  When we encounter God's grace it changes us too.  We realise how needy we are of forgiveness and grace and we become new.

In 2 Timothy 2:1 Paul encourages the young minister to 'Be strong in the grace that is in Jesus Christ."  This grace is goodwill, lovingkindness and favour that we receive from God and Paul realises that unless we hold strongly to that grace, we are unable to offer the same grace to others.

Paul then goes on to warn Timothy that troubles will come, as they do to all of us.  Standing strong in the knowledge of God's grace and lovingkindness towards us will help to to be strong in the midst of hardship.  It will enable us to commit ourselves and our circumstances to God who we know loves us and wants only our best.  What great comfort that brings us.

How do we stay strong in this grace?  By believing which of course is faith.  When we trust someone implicitly we are able to trust them in the midst of things we don't understand.  We might fuss and cry and stomp our feet in frustration, but remembering God's grace toward us will help us to centre our trust upon him and his faithfulness once again.  

Receive the grace of God afresh each day for whatever may come.  It will allow the fruit of the Holy Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control to manifest in your life.  In 2 Peter 1:8 we are given encouragement to allow these things to grow and mature in our lives so that we will not be barren or unfruitful in our Lord Jesus Christ.

If the grace of God is active in our lives we cannot but help to have the peace of God spilling over in blessing to others.  I certainly want that in my life.  I hope you do too.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, thank you so much for the grace that you have poured out upon my life through your salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Please help me to grow strong in this grace and allow it to glorify you in my life.  Amen

Storms

NOAA

This is a picture of Hurricane Dorian before it ramped up into. Category 5 storm. People in its uncertain path are getting plenty of warning to take cover or flee.  I’m happy that my friends in Florida decided to take cover with their daughter, still in the “firing line” but at least their family will know what’s happening with their elderly parents. Today I received word that they have returned home safe and their property is intact for which they are very grateful.

The storm however continues to threaten the east coast of the USA having left utter devastation in its path through the Bahamas.  It is heartbreaking to see the extent of the damage on our news and to know that life will take a long time to return to normal for thousands of people.  For some who have lost loved ones it will never be the same.

The people in the path of this storm were warned well ahead of time that it was coming so were able to prepare as best they could.  It's not always like that in life when storms come suddenly and totally unexpectedly as it did yesterday for a group of Chinese tourists in our North Island when their bus overturned on a wet road and 5 died and many were injured.

There's an old hymn we used to sing that asked this question....

"Will your anchor hold in the storms of life
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift or firm remain?"

For those with a firm faith in Jesus Christ we can sing the following verse with confidence.....

"We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour's love."

We live in very difficult times.....yes, I'm beating that drum again, but you need to know that we live in uncertain and perilous times ,and I believe that most of us don't know the half of what is going on in the behind the scenes.  One day soon we are going to need that anchor to keep us firm and strong.  Make sure you get a good firm hold now.

Prayer:  Lord God, thank you that you have promised peace in the storms of life as I trust in you.  Help me to have my faith firmly planted in Jesus, the Rock that will not move.  Amen

Forgive - It’s Good For YOU

One of the biggest lies that we believe is that we lose our power when we forgive someone who has wronged us.  We feel that if we forgive them we let them off the hook, and we definitely don’t want that!  We want to see them pay for whatever they have done. They've caused me suffering, now let me see them suffer.

That kind of thinking is natural to us and normal, but it's absolutely wrong.  In Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way that seems right....but it ends in death" and if you need reinforcement of that thought it is repeated in Provers 16:25.

In our Bible Study last week we were looking at the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:23-35.  A king wanted to settle his accounts so started calling in his debtors.  A man came who owed him a colossal amount of money.  He was afraid and he begged for more time to settle.  The king was kinder than that, he forgave him his whole debt.  Now you'd think the man would be humbled and softened by such wonderful grace, but no!  He went right out, found a man who owed him a small debt and grabbing him by the throat demanded payment.  Really??!!

When the king heard about this man's cruelty he was angry and called him back.  He reminded the man of the great debt he had been forgiven and said, "If this is how you repay others when you have been forgiven you shall be given over to the torturers to be tortured until you can repay your debt.

Harsh?  Maybe, but it was just. Jesus went on to to say that God would treat us in the same way if we refused to forgive those who trespass against us.  Wow! God is a God of mercy but also a God of justice.  We cannot harbour unforgiveness without consequences.  God always wants the best for his children and he doesn't want us to suffer.  The result of unforgiveness is just as it was the unforgiving servant.  We end up suffering at the hand of Satan who is out to rob, kill and destroy whenever he gets opportunity.  We give him opportunity when we refuse to forgive.  It has been said that holding unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die!

In Ephesians 4:27 we are warned not to give our enemy a foothold.  Unforgiveness is a foothold so if you say "I will never forgive......" you are on dangerous ground.  You will suffer the consequences.  Perhaps you don't say "I will never forgive...." but you say instead, "I can never forgive....".  That won't stand up in God's court because all you have to do is ask him to help you to forgive.  By forgiving someone, you are not saying that what they did was right or okay.  You are saying, "I am not your judge, God is, he will deal with you." If you do this, you will have peace.  Do it for your own sake!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father,  I choose to obey you and I want to forgive......please help me.
Please forgive me for holding this against them.  Amen

Two Questions That Can Change Your Destiny

I guess I have finally come of age.  I am old enough to live in a retirement village!  My son calls it 'the reservation' and my husband makes bad jokes like 'it can't be that great, everyone's dying to get out'.  It is a blessing to have lived long enough to 'qualify' for retirement living.  

Just this week I had a conversation with a 53 year old friend whose body is riddled with metastatic cancer and she is now in heart failure.  I asked her if she is prepared to die.  She knows her days are numbered apart from a miracle but she is well prepared to die. Her affairs are all in order, her funeral service and songs are prepared and she knows that she is heaven bound without one doubt.  It doesn't make leaving her 21 year old son any easier, but she knows she can entrust him to the care of her faithful and loving God. My question to you is....are you ready to die?  Every breath is a gift from God and never guaranteed.

As I watch the deteriorating state of our world; the many countries in political chaos or being destroyed by wars, the degradation of sections of society who think they are being 'progressive', the increasing lack of respect for authority and the growth of anxiety and depression, especially in our young people, I am not surprised at the hopelessness that abounds.  But there is hope to be had.

This morning I had a conversation with a young man about the mad scramble in the world to 'save the planet'.  We both agreed that it is impossible and unnecessary.  Now there's a statement! But it's true.  It doesn't mean we don't need to try to clean up our act and do our part but we know from reading the Bible that creation groans with us as we watch what is happening.....

'...what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.  Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope,  the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.  For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.  We were given this hope when we were saved.' Romans 8:18-24

This earth is going to be destroyed......'The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.  But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.' 2 Peter 3:9-10

My second question is.....are you sure of your eternal destiny?  Are you saved?  You can be sure without one doubt.  These verses talk about God being patient, delaying 'the day of the Lord', (the second coming of Jesus Christ), because he doesn't want anyone to be destroyed, but that they repent.  That means a change of heart, acknowledgement of our need of forgiveness for believing that we can be good enough for heaven by living a good life, that we don't need God.

It's like this......

'God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.'  Ephesians 2:8-9

This is rather lengthy because it is increasingly on my heart to share the truth about the urgency of the days in which we live and the need to tell people God's truth.  I hope you will think about this, and if you can't answer a confident yes to these questions I hope you will pray this prayer.  If you do, please let me know and also share this message with those you care about.

PRAYER:  Dear God, help me to understand your truth.  Please forgive my sin. I choose to believe that Jesus Christ is your Son who died to obtain forgiveness for me.  I believe that He rose from the dead and will come again one day to take me to Himself. Thank you for the hope of eternity with you.  Amen

Intimidation

Have you had to deal with intimidation?  I think most of us will at some stage in our life.  It is a nasty, devilish, tactic meant to cut the ground out from under our feet, often done by people who feel insecure in their own skin or their position. The thing is.....do you know how to deal with it?  For believers in Christ the place to begin is in God's Word.

I am a fan of the Old Testament.  Yes, I know there are many boring bits and many bits that are hard to understand but there are so many nuggets that it should not be avoided.  One of them came up in my reading today in 2 Kings 18 & 19 that addressed the topic of intimidation.  It would be great if you read the whole story yourself but I will give it to you in a nutshell here to whet your appetite.

Kings came and went in Israel and Judah, some were good, following God's ways, others were very wicked and suffered much at the hands of their enemies as a result.  Hezekiah became king in Judah when he was 25 years old.  He did what was right in the sight of the Lord and destroyed the places of idol worship.  'He trusted in the Lord God of Israel.....he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him.....The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went.' (2 Kings 18:5-7).

However, Hezekiah's faith was about to be tested.  During his reign he'd seen his neighbours besieged and taken captive by their enemy Assyria who, not content with that began to press in on Judah.  Hezekiah tried to pay them off with gold and silver but it didn't work.  The king of Assyria sent his cronies up to Jerusalem on an intimidation mission.  Surrender or suffer!  "Hezekiah trusts his God to deliver but that's not going to happen!" they said. 

Hezekiah knew where to go in his despair.  He humbled himself, took the threatening letter and spread it before the Lord and prayed and the Lord answered.  Judah did not have to fight because, 'the angel of the Lord went out, and killed 185,00 Assyrian soldiers camped outside the wall.' 2 Kings 19:35.

I see more and more a spirit of intimidation rising up to fight against God's people, but really they are fighting against God and the truth of his word. We need to know where to turn when this happens.  We get before God and ask for his help, we don't back down in the face of intimidation. If we speak truth, we need to speak it in love, but we cannot compromise and change God's truth. What we need from God is more grace to love those who fight against us (our enemies) (Matthew 5:44).  Love your enemies knowing that Jesus said, 'God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.' Matthew 5:11

Remember the words of James 1:2-3 'Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.'

Do go read Hezekiah's story and be encouraged.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you that we have your written word to encourage us in our faith as we read about those who have gone before us.  Help us to remember that your word is a powerful sword in our fight against our real enemy Satan.  Help me to know your word and not neglect it.  Amen

Feeling Wobbly

Feeling "wobbly" can take different forms, none of which are very comfortable.  We all like to feel strong, well, in control, all together.......  Feeling wobbly makes us feel vulnerable which is very uncomfortable and sometimes scary.  A couple of times lately I have had a short period of feeling wobbly in the head which made me stop short and hold on.  For someone who is blessed with good health that's a bit of a challenge in the moment.  

It's possible to feel wobbly emotionally and in this crazy, almost out of control world it's sad, but not surprising to see the prevalence of emotional problems.  So many things can shake us and it often doesn't even have to be caused by what's happening to us, but as we care about the stresses and strains of others we can get thrown off balance.

As part of the prayer ministry of our church I am very aware of the 'curved balls' that get thrown at people to cause them to stumble, feel vulnerable, weak, helpless and broken.  I take heart that many people know they can ask others to stand with them in prayer. 

For those who are afraid of feeling wobbly, please don't be.  There can be a great purpose in it. The Holy Spirit drew my attention this morning to Matthew 5:3....blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  In another version it says 'God blesses those who are poor and realise their need for him, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.' NLT. I had often struggled over this verse and really wanted a better understanding of what it was to be poor in spirit.  This morning I felt a bit vulnerable in my spirit, very much in need of God to strengthen me.  I realised that being poor in spirit is knowing that you are wobbly and need God to help you stand strong.  

The world values strong and secure people, but these people are the poorer because they often don't realise their need for God.  They don't understand that this life is just a season in the whole of eternity, a time when we get the opportunity to choose and prepare for the next bit, the best bit.  And prepare we must, for the Bible teaches without apology that there are only two destinations and we get to choose our own destination by admitting that we need God and choosing faith in Jesus Christ.....or not!  I assure you that here is no 'nothingness' after death, it's either all good or wholly bad.  Your choice.

Value your vulnerability, your wobbliness, it will cause you to draw near to God and he will draw near to you. (James 4:8).  If you are already a believer experiencing those wobbly feelings, value them too for they are God's means of drawing you near to him for strength and growth.

PRAYER:  Lord God, help me to recognise when you are at work in me through weakness, remembering that the Apostle Paul said of himself, 'when I am weak, then I am strong'.  My strength needs to be from you.  Help me to lean into you and find strength today. Amen

Empower

Empower is almost a buzz word today and is used in many contexts, but what does it mean and how can it be applied for everyday, ordinary people?  To empower means to authorise to act on behalf of.  For example, we might empower a lawyer to act or speak on our behalf, or empower an employee to make decisions for you in your absence.  The people given the power to act on your behalf will be falling down on the job if they don't believe you meant it and so neglect the power to act that they have been given. What does it mean for a believer in Jesus Christ?  A lot!  

We have just passed the Easter season which remembers and celebrates the most important and significant event in the Christian calendar.  Why do we celebrate such a tragic miscarriage of justice?  Because it was planned by God since the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned.  It was a vital part of God's plan to reconcile us himself through the cross. (Colossians 1:20).  But it went much further than that.

When Jesus Christ rose from the dead it was through the power of God working mightily in him (Ephesians 1:19-20).  Jesus had told the disciples previously that it was necessary for him to 'go away', in other words to return to heaven, in order that the Holy Spirit might come upon all who believe (John 16;7).  The last thing Jesus instructed the disciples to do was to 'wait in Jerusalem until they were filled with the Holy Spirit' (Luke 24:49).  This was to empower them to continue the work that Jesus had trained them for.  He had gone away but the Holy Spirit empowered them to act on Jesus' behalf in his absence.

Since Jesus death the disciples and others had spent a lot of time behind locked doors, fearful perhaps of meeting the same fate that Jesus had suffered. But when the day of Pentecost came and they were filled or empowered with the Holy Spirit, they suddenly became brave and fearless and began to preach the gospel and continue Jesus' work of proclaiming the good news of the gospel and performing healing and miracles!

Ephesians 5:18 exhorts us to 'be filled with the Spirit'.  Literally .... filled to overflowing.  Do you think that is still relevant for us today?  I think so.  How else are we to accomplish all that God wants us to in bringing his kingdom to earth.  If the disciples couldn't do the work of ministry and spreading the gospel without the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through them, how much more do we need that today?  In our own strength we will fail or at least fall short, whereas in the power of the Holy Spirit we will be surprised at what God can do through us.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, forgive me for trying to accomplish your work without your power in my life.  Please fill me afresh with your Holy Spirit and empower me for the work of the Kingdom to bring you glory.  Amen

Ephesians 3:16-21