Waiting in Hope

Many across the world, and certainly most of Thailand, currently wait in the hope of seeing a group of young boys and their coach being rescued from the cave where they are trapped. It is quite an unbelievable situation and one has to wonder as to how it happened, but wondering will not help in this instance.  An amazing group of experts has gathered from across the world in the hope of doing what looks to be the impossible.  

My prayers join with those of their parents and others worldwide that God will guide the rescuers and give courage to the boys so that they can be restored to their waiting families.  We just received a newsflash to say that the rescue has begun, so we hope and pray that there will soon be an empty cave and a successful rescue.  Our hopes are pinned on those brave rescuers.

Thinking of this reminds me of my visit to Waitomo Caves in NZ many years ago.  Amazing, yes, and glad I did it, yes, but I don't feel the need to go into another cave ever again!!  

I am reminded of an empty cave where hope was born some two thousand years ago.  A cave where Jesus Christ had been laid to rest a couple of days before.  His followers had pinned their hopes on him and all hope seemed lost when he was carried from that cross to his grave in the cave.  But all was not lost, it was part of a process which God had purposed before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20).  

On the first day of the week some women came to that cave wondering how they would move the great stone which had sealed it so that they could anoint his body, as was their custom.  To their great surprise the cave was empty and an angel told them that Jesus had risen from the dead.  During the next 40 days Jesus appeared to them in many ways and places in his resurrected body until he was taken up into heaven.  Jesus Christ, the only leader of any faith who has been raised from the dead.  He is our hope of eternal life ...... if we believe and follow him.  

To Ponder: "I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honour at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.  Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come."  Ephesians 1:19-21 NLT

A Cure!

Recently new hope again sprung up when a possible cure for bowel cancer, or at least an early detection test, was announced.  In a world with so many disabling and fatal illnesses this was indeed good news for many. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are poured into trying to find cures for diseases each year. In the meantime people who can afford to, go after any possible treatment for their illness.

If we hear of something that might help a person we know who  is suffering from a disease we usually ready to offer them the slightest possibility of hope. If we knew of a certain cure and withheld the information it would be considered unusual at best and criminal at worst.

Here I am going to get dramatic, but please read on!  If you had a deadly disease and I knew of a positively certain remedy and did not tell you, would I be a true friend?  Certainly not!  Hang onto your hat for the next news please..... it MAY be that you indeed DO have a deadly disease - it's called sin.  This affects every human being born on this earth.  We are born in sin.  Yes sin will kill you ultimately, but there is a permanent cure and it's not about being a good person or going to  church; it's about your relationship with God through his son, Jesus Christ who died for your sin and mine.

 I find that people don't realise they have an eternally fatal disease.  Yes there is life after death.  We are eternal spirits clothed in an 'earth suit', our body.  We just move from one dimension to another.  In the next dimension there are 2 destinations - heaven and hell.  Sorry, but yes, there is such a place as hell.  The good news is that we get to CHOOSE our destination.  Here is the simple ABC of how to make the choice of ETERNAL LIFE which has to be made before you die.  There are no second chances.  Yes, God is merciful, but he is also just.  Sin demanded a penalty to be paid, Jesus paid the price, but we must choose to receive that gift or reject it.

Admit that you have sinned -
Believe that Jesus Christ paid for your sin
Confess that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead
"For it is by believing in your heart that God raised him from the dead, and by openly declaring your faith that you are saved."  Romans 10:10

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no-one comes to the Father except through me."

John 14:6

The Apostle Paul said: "There is salvation in no one else (but Jesus Christ)."  Acts 4:12

If you have read these words today you can never stand before God (which you will in the future) and say "ˆNo one told me what I needed to do to get into heaven" - you have heard it today.  I hope you will pray this prayer.  If you do, please email me with your declaration of faith so I can rejoice with you.  If you are already a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you may want to share this message with those you love and care about.  Feel free.

Heavenly Father,  I admit that I have sinned and come short of your standard, I believe that Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for my sin.  Please forgive me and come into my heart.  I believe that Jesus has been raised from the dead and that one day I can be with Him forever.  Amen

Wedding Fever!

                                                                                         AP                                                                        

                                                                                                                  
The last few days leading up to the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle have certainly caused a stir.  Some of us even lost sleep so we could watch the celebration and I, for one, was not disappointed.  It was great to see the excitement in Windsor with thousands of people lining the streets to be part of the celebrations, and to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds.  Some had even been camped out in the area for days to get the best viewing place.  Now that's commitment!

A couple of thousand years ago there was a notable wedding in Cana of Galilee.  We don't even know the names of the bride and groom but we do know that Jesus and his disciples were there.  In those days, the wedding banquets went on for days, and at this particular one an embarrassing thing happened.  They ran out of wine!  The first miracle that Jesus ever did was to turn large jars of water into really good wine.  He literally 'saved the day'.

All this wedding fever reminded me of another wedding - one that I am counting on being there for.  It's one that is probably known little of outside of the church and I could probably safely say that it is rarely if ever talked about in many churches. But first let me set the scene.

 In old Israeli wedding  tradition the couple would be betrothed to each other then the bridegroom would go away and prepare a place which was an addition to his father's house for he and his wife.  When it was ready and the time was right he would go for his bride.  He would not let her know when he was coming but there would be just a short warning, one of his attendants would sound a trumpet as the bridegroom drew near.  The bride would have to be ready to be snatched away by the groom.  It was almost like a game.  Leading up to when she thought he might appear she had to always be watching and waiting with her bridal gown handy so she could quickly be ready when the trumpet sounded.  Then off they would go for a 7 day wedding banquet and consummation of the marriage.  Rather different from our weddings in the west!

However, there is coming a royal wedding to end all weddings.  The wedding of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords with his bride.  Jesus Christ referred to the church as his bride, and the Bible speaks of Jesus as 'the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world'. (John 1:36). Before his crucifixion, resurrection and ascension into heaven he said to his followers. 'In my Father's house are many rooms.......I am going away to prepare a place for you. When everything is ready I will come and get you so you will always be with me.."  John 14:2-3.  I believe that many things in Bible prophecy are quickly lining up.  I believe that Jesus is coming very soon for His bride - the church, the world-wide body of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.  We had best be ready!

The Bible tells us of a time of great tribulation in the world such as has never been seen before.  I believe we are close to that time.  Then in Revelation 19:6-9 (NLT) it says this,

Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd

 or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder:

“Praise the LORD!

For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

Let us be glad and rejoice,

and let us give honor to him.

For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb,

and his bride has prepared herself.

She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.”

For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.

And the angel said to me, “Write this: 

Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.

” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.” (Emphases are mine)

Does this raise questions for you?  I hope it does.  I hope you will enquire about what it means to be invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb and how to make yourself ready, so you too will say "Come Lord Jesus".

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, give me wisdom and discernment, understanding and faith to be prepared for your coming.  Amen

Preparedness

A few years ago the word 'eternity' appeared on the Sydney Harbour Bridge to honour a man who had gone around Sydney for years with a piece of chalk (I think), writing the word eternity on the pavement.  He did this to get people to consider what eternity would mean for them.

This past week I attended a seminar in the village here which addressed the subject of getting your affairs in order for when you leave this earth.  Lots of good practical suggestions that help others to manage our affairs after we are gone.  The presenter mentioned a number of ways we speak about someone dying without saying as much.....just like I have done twice already in this paragraph.  The thrust of her message was about being prepared to die. 

Being prepared for anything takes time and thought and energy.  Tomorrow evening friends are coming for dinner; I have thought about what we would have, purchased the meat and planned the menu. I won't leave it till 4 pm tomorrow to think about throwing something together because I value them and want them to enjoy their time with us.  I also want to be able to enjoy the time we have with them.

There is another important aspect  to preparing for our death and few want to discuss it.  It all depends whether you want to take a chance that there is nothing 'on the other side', or if there really is something more that we need to consider.  Jesus told a story about a rich man who had a great harvest for which he needed to build new barns to hold it all.  Then the man decided he could sit back and enjoy life, but that very night he died.  Jesus called the man a fool because he had only been concerned with life of earth and had not given thought to life after death.

This life is short but eternity is forever and ever.  Eternity is where God lives and each of us will have to give account to God for how we have lived our lives.  Whether we have lived for ourselves and our own gain or, in such a way as to include God and honour his plans for our life.  There is no better day than TODAY to take time to speak to God about what comes next.  Not one of us are guaranteed a tomorrow in this life.  Are you prepared for eternity?

Just as it is appointed once for each person to die, and after death the judgement. Hebrews 9:27

PRAYER:  Dear God, help me to understand what you require of me.  Show me how to live well and be prepared when the time comes for my death.  Please forgive me of my sins and help me to live a life that pleases you and prepares me for eternal life.  Amen

Celebrate

Our firstborn turned 50 recently so it was time to celebrate!  Family came from afar to join us which was an added bonus and it was a wonderful weekend together.  I think that was Cathy's favourite gift. She loves her family with a passion.

I have to admit that I enjoy celebrations for other  people but I don't really enjoy a celebration that makes me the centre of attention.  I suspect many of us are like that. On pondering this I was reminded of a little 'piece' by Henri Nouwen, one of my favourite devotional writers and I'd like to share it with you.

"Birthdays are so important. On our birthdays we celebrate being alive.  On our birthdays people can say to us, "Thank you for being!" Birthday presents are signs of our families' and friends' joy that we are part of their lives.  Little children often look forward to their birthdays for months.  Their birthdays are their big days, when they are the centre of attention and all their friends come to celebrate.

We should never forget our birthdays or the birthdays of those who are close to us.  Birthdays keep us childlike.  They remind us that what is important is not what we do or accomplish, not what we have or who we know, but that we are, here and now.  On birthdays let us be grateful for the gift of life."

Yes, let's not forget to celebrate that 'we are'.  Our life is a gift from our great Creator and 'we are fearfully and wonderfully made.'  Let me leave you with some verses from Psalm 139.....

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvellous - how well I know it.  You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.  You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day day passed.  How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.  They cannot be numbered!  Psalm 139:13-17

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank you for making me, loving me and watching over me every day of my life.  Help me to realise afresh how precious I am to You and celebrate that with You.  Amen

A Key To Success - 2

What is success? I define a successful life as one where you are at peace with yourself and God.  Maybe you think it's too late, too impossible or too hard. Read on, because I want to give you an important key to a successful life.  (If you haven't read my previous post it would be good to do as as this is a continuation.)  I was writing about Joseph, favourite son of Jacob who had a huge future ahead but for many years he suffered; yet through it all Joseph kept heart, was faithful in his given tasks and........ believed in his dream.

Joseph found himself propelled into responsibility as the second highest person in Egypt. He had been found faithful in the small things as he had been prepared for this major role in life.  It had required patience, perseverance and holding on to hope.  He had trusted God and continued to hope.  I believe that as he looked back on the events of his life he could see God's plan and preparation for the famine that came not only affected Egypt but also Canaan where his family lived.  I think he was at peace with what his brothers had done and held no bitterness towards them.  But that was yet to be tested.

Perhaps you have known betrayal, major disappointment, abuse, been cheated or falsely accused. If it's been done by family members it's all the more difficult to forgive.  You may think, "why should I forgive them anyway, they don't deserve to be forgiven. I can live without them."  You probably can live without them in your life, and that may be the wisest thing to do. However, you do need to forgive them .......for your own sake!

Why do we think that holding unforgiveness hurts the other person and has no effect on us.  It has been said that not forgiving someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die!

One day, right out of the blue, Joseph is confronted by 10 of his brothers, the very ones who had sold him into slavery so many years before.  They now came on behalf of their father and whole family, begging to be sold grain as their land was in famine and they had no supplies.  They bowed before Joseph, just as he'd seen in his dream as a young man.  What kind of emotions would you have felt were you in his position?  Joseph wasn't ready to reveal his real identity so he spoke harshly to them and accused them of being spies.  (Read the story in Genesis 42.)  He questioned them about their family to see if they were honest and to find out if his younger brother and father were still alive.  Then he set them a test of loyalty and honesty which filled them with fear.

As time went on they passed the test and returned for a second supply of grain.  It was then that Joseph finally revealed himself and wept with joy.  Why could he weep with joy?  Because he had forgiven them. He had seen that God had a plan to save his family (Genesis 45:8)

We will never fully understand God's ways but sometimes he accomplishes them through the most difficult things in our lives.   If we learn to see that God can use what we see as injustice or abuse of power or downright unkindness, and we grow in wisdom, grace, peace, joy and love if we will forgive.  It is for our sake that we forgive because it allows God to forgive us which will bring us the peace we so need to lead a successful and fulfilled life.

For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. Matthew 6:14 (CSB)

PRAYER: Jesus, you know what it's like to forgive those who abused you, mocked you, beat you and hung you up to suffer and die.  You spoke words of forgiveness from the cross in the midst of your pain.  Help me to forgive from my heart.  Amen

A Key to Success - 1

Most people if not everyone has a desire for success in life. I tend to think that God built it into us because he desires that we have success. Probably very few actually achieve their dreams.  As I sat to write I was reminded of a young man who had phenomenal success and rose to great heights and I looked again at  his story Genesis 35-45. This is the journey of Joseph.

Recently our nephew shared the starring role of Joseph in the Nelson Youth Theatre's musical of the well known Biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colours. A story of favouritism, prophetic dreams, jealousy, betrayal, lies, imprisonment, famine, and ultimate honour.  

I love this story of Joseph because it shows me just how much attitude determines what kind of life we lead.  Joseph's older brothers (from another mother) were jealous of Joseph and when he had a dream and (probably unwisely) shared it with them, they became angry.  Their father had showed his favouritism by giving Joseph a wonderful many-coloured coat, so in their jealousy they plotted to get rid of him. This resulted them selling Joseph off to passing slave traders who took him to Egypt.  They then splattered his beautiful coat with animal blood and told their father that Joseph had probably been killed by a wild animal.

In Egypt Joseph was bought by Potiphar who was a military man in Pharoah's army.  God had plans for this young man but they wouldn't come about without much testing of Joseph's character. Because of Joseph, God prospered the household where Joseph served.    Very soon Joseph found himself in charge of Potiphar's whole household and land.  But trouble was brewing.

Potiphar's wife had an eye for this handsome young man and made a play for him.  Joseph was determined not to play her game and refused her advances.  He wanted to be faithful to his master who had put so much trust in him.  This made her so angry that she lied about Joseph saying that he had tried to seduce her.  Joseph was immediately shipped off to prison where the king's servants went when they fell out of favour.

Amazingly even in prison it seems that Joseph kept a good attitude which gained him favour with the prison guard who put him in charge of everything.  God had a plan and even in the prison His plan was being worked out. His presence was with Joseph who continued to serve well, and so he prospered.  He just got on with life.  I believe he had a heart to serve the God who had given him an impossible dream of leadership.  He believed his dream.

How difficult it is to hold onto hope when there is no obvious hope on the horizon.  Eventually Joseph was asked to interpret dreams for the king's cupbearer and the king's baker who were in prison with him.  The dreams were fulfilled exactly as Joseph had predicted, but another 2 years had to pass before God was ready to send Joseph on the ride of his life.

Do you have a dream which seems impossible? Have you become discouraged, disillusioned, disheartened?  Has life taken a turn for the worse?  God had a mission for Joseph which required great preparation, and with God's grace Joseph kept his attitude right.  He waited patiently and suddenly overnight he shot to the second highest rank in the land.  Impossible?  Not for God.

However, a few years down the track Joseph's attitude would be tested again.....next time.....

For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. " Jeremiah 29:11

Prayer:  Lord God, help me to remember that no what happens to me it is part of your purpose to develop my character.  Help me to keep an attitude that will honour Jesus Christ and enable you to bless me as you did Joseph.  Amen