In reflection of 2014, much has happened this year! We've seen great successes and achievements, but we have also seen disasters. But I've been reflecting on how I've seen many situations this year and what I have done with what I've been given this year.
Jesus tells the story of a master leaving talents with his three men as he is going away. I can imagine him calling them to him and giving a speech as if preparing them for war. "I'm going away," he cries, "so I am leaving you in charge of a few things." The men stand watching their master intently, as he paces the ground in front of them. What he could be asking of them? Are they able to do it? One of the men swallow hard, afraid to wipe the sweat standing to attention on his brow.
"To you," the master points to the man who has fear dancing joyously in his eyes, "I leave one talent."
The master then turns to look at the second man. "I leave you with two talents."
Then the master treads the ground carefully until he is standing in front of the third man. He lowers his voices and speaks gently, but still with authority. "And to you, I leave five talents."
After the grand speech, the master jumps on his horse and gallops away into the sunset. That's how I picture it!
But how do the men see the talents? What do they do with them? One seemingly had a lot, and one seemingly had a little. What do they do? The men with two and five talents invested them and saw that what they had been given multiplied. However the man with one talent hid it in the ground! But why would he do that?
The master returns, and again I can see him calling the men to him again. Upon finding out that two of the men have invested their talents and have made more he congratulates them and gives them more responsibility. However, he is furious with the other man! He demands to know why this has happened. Slowly, the man stutters as he explains to the master that he was afraid because he knew his master was a stern man and so he hid his talent. Furious, the master orders for the talent to be taken away with him and given to the man who was initially given five. The man is the sent away. What has always stuck out to me is that he said he knew the master was stern. If the master was stern, why did the others not bury their talents as they had more to lose.
Maybe the others saw their talents more as a blessing. Maybe he saw his one talent as a burden. To the other two men the talents were an opportunity waiting to be multiplied. To other man, this talent was a catastrophe waiting to happen. They were all given talents, but one man saw it as a burden rather than a blessing.
This year I've invested and I've buried. I've been open and I've hid. I think I've hid and I've buried more than been open and invested. Why? Because I've seen opportunities more as burdens than blessings. My perspective prevented me from being blessed in situations. There are things I could have done, dreams that could have been fulfilled that haven't been because I've been afraid. Worried I might fail, I've seen things as burdens instead. I've seen the stress in something, rather than the blessing. Even when being given a blessing, if I've seen it as a burden, then that is how I've treated it. Opportunities to invest in people I've seen as burdens rather than blessings.
Last week many of us were celebrating Christmas, and hearing the story of the nativity, I was reminded of blessings and burdens. When Mary was told she was going to give birth to Jesus she saw it as a blessing. Thinking realistically about this I might have seen it as a burden. There was a great chance she would be shunned by society. An outcast. A reject. And then she was engaged to Joseph. If he abandoned her she would be on her own raising her child. A possible burden, she saw as a blessing. How many things have we seen as burdens this year that could have been blessings?
This week I was listening to a sermon from Elevation church in relation to the Christmas story. Things changed drastically for Mary and Joseph and instead of a burden, they saw it and treated it as a blessing. Many times, changes to plans can seem to be burdens when they are in fact blessings.
Next year, I don't want to treat any situation as a burden. Every situation has the potential to be a blessing. But how will I choose to see it?
Monday, 29 December 2014
Sunday, 31 August 2014
What will they say now?
'People used to say she was barren...' Luke 1:36 NLT
"I hadn't expected it. I guess I believed...but for it to happen. I mean...for most of my life it was something I had always wanted. Something I had always sought God about, but then when I reached a certain age I wasn't sure if it was ever going to happen. I was too old! How could I possibly mother a child? The dream of holding my own baby began to fade. Barren. That's what they used to say. Barren. Not known because of my character or how I served God...but for my inability to have children. But I didn't want pity, for I trusted God."
In Luke 1, Elizabeth, a woman who had been barren for many years, finds out she is going to give birth. Not only will she be giving birth, but it will be to a man who will be making the way for the Lord. Not only has her prayers been answered, but she is going to give birth to someone who has a great calling on his life. God totally transformed her life - more than what she could ask or think.
Elizabeth was once identified as being barren, but God changed all of that. We can walk through situations and people can form different opinions of our circumstances. Many may describe our situations as barren, but in that dry place what should we be doing? What are we believing?
I love that Zechariah means 'Yahweh remembers', do we? God remembers His promises and He is faithful to the end, but the question is, do we remember? Whilst waiting, even in her bareness, Elizabeth continued to serve God wholeheartedly. How many times do we lose hope and become miserable on our journey? When Mary is told she is going to give birth to Jesus, the Saviour of the world, she is also informed of Elizabeth's predicament. The angel tells Mary, 'People used to say she was barren...' Not no more! Why? 'Nothing is impossible with God' the angel says. If Mary has any question about what is going to happen in her life, God has directed her to her cousin Elizabeth who is about to give birth.
This challenges me on many different levels, but encourages me also. We need to remember the promises of God. Luke 1:45 (NLT) reads, 'You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said'. Do I believe? How much do I believe? Hebrews 11 outlines what many great people in the Bible did because they believed God. Not in their own ability, but because they believed God. It just takes us believing the words of God. Peter walked on water responding to Jesus saying 'Come'. We need to believe knowing that without faith we can not please God and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
We are not to live hopeless, mourning each day that passes. Though she be called barren, I can imagine Elizabeth joyfully serving God. Psalms 25:3 reads that those who hope in the Lord will not be put to shame. After Elizabeth is pregnant, she rejoices in God because He has taken away her shame. I love 1 Peter 1:8, where Peter writes we believe in Him and so we are filled with inexpressible joy! I may not see the results of what I want to see, but the belief alone fills me with inexpressible joy. 'I know in Whom I have believed'. If God says it, it will come to pass.
People used to say you were barren. What will they say now?
"I hadn't expected it. I guess I believed...but for it to happen. I mean...for most of my life it was something I had always wanted. Something I had always sought God about, but then when I reached a certain age I wasn't sure if it was ever going to happen. I was too old! How could I possibly mother a child? The dream of holding my own baby began to fade. Barren. That's what they used to say. Barren. Not known because of my character or how I served God...but for my inability to have children. But I didn't want pity, for I trusted God."
In Luke 1, Elizabeth, a woman who had been barren for many years, finds out she is going to give birth. Not only will she be giving birth, but it will be to a man who will be making the way for the Lord. Not only has her prayers been answered, but she is going to give birth to someone who has a great calling on his life. God totally transformed her life - more than what she could ask or think.
Elizabeth was once identified as being barren, but God changed all of that. We can walk through situations and people can form different opinions of our circumstances. Many may describe our situations as barren, but in that dry place what should we be doing? What are we believing?
I love that Zechariah means 'Yahweh remembers', do we? God remembers His promises and He is faithful to the end, but the question is, do we remember? Whilst waiting, even in her bareness, Elizabeth continued to serve God wholeheartedly. How many times do we lose hope and become miserable on our journey? When Mary is told she is going to give birth to Jesus, the Saviour of the world, she is also informed of Elizabeth's predicament. The angel tells Mary, 'People used to say she was barren...' Not no more! Why? 'Nothing is impossible with God' the angel says. If Mary has any question about what is going to happen in her life, God has directed her to her cousin Elizabeth who is about to give birth.
This challenges me on many different levels, but encourages me also. We need to remember the promises of God. Luke 1:45 (NLT) reads, 'You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said'. Do I believe? How much do I believe? Hebrews 11 outlines what many great people in the Bible did because they believed God. Not in their own ability, but because they believed God. It just takes us believing the words of God. Peter walked on water responding to Jesus saying 'Come'. We need to believe knowing that without faith we can not please God and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
We are not to live hopeless, mourning each day that passes. Though she be called barren, I can imagine Elizabeth joyfully serving God. Psalms 25:3 reads that those who hope in the Lord will not be put to shame. After Elizabeth is pregnant, she rejoices in God because He has taken away her shame. I love 1 Peter 1:8, where Peter writes we believe in Him and so we are filled with inexpressible joy! I may not see the results of what I want to see, but the belief alone fills me with inexpressible joy. 'I know in Whom I have believed'. If God says it, it will come to pass.
People used to say you were barren. What will they say now?
Friday, 29 August 2014
The stone was rolled away...
'It was a miserable, bleak day. The man who we had loved and followed was dead! Accused of blasphemy they killed him! Every parable He told, sickness He healed, and miracle shown declared of His love for us...and they killed Him. So as we made the grief-stricken journey to where He was buried, we prepared our hearts to anoint His body. Suddenly the question was asked, "Who will roll the stone away?" With all the emotion that clouded our hearts and minds, we hadn't considered this. He had been buried in a tomb, blocked by a huge stone. How would we reach him? How could a few women roll the stone away? As we approached the tomb, we saw that someone had gone ahead of us...as the stone had been rolled away...'
I've written this imagining the thoughts of the women making their way to anoint Jesus' body as outlined in Mark 16. They make the journey contemplating how to reach Jesus as a huge stone blocks the tomb. Not long after, they find that the stone had already been rolled away!
As I began to read Mark 16 my mind raced over the words of the text...I've read this before...is there anything new? But then my eyes caught the question 'Who will roll the stone away?' and my heart paused the race of my mind as those words echoed throughout my soul. It resonated within me, not because I had been asking that question, but because I had been asking God similar questions, and had possibly been losing hope with certain things. 'How will I do this...?' 'How is this going to happen...' 'What happens if...' Enjoying my journey of life, I suddenly became preoccupied by huge stones! So I could relate to this question.
Approaching the tomb, they found the stone had already been rolled away. How many times have we been anxious about things, only to find that God has gone before us and made a way for us. What happens in Mark 16 not only points to everyday situations that God has gone before us to remove obstacles and so we should trust in Him, but it also reminds us that Christ died and rose again to make a way for us. Romans 5:8 reads that 'But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.' Sinking and drowning in my sin, God goes ahead of me and makes a way for me to enter into His Kingdom.
Friday, 30 May 2014
Is it even worth it?
Looking out of the window she begins to wonder is it even worth it? Sorrowful raindrops leap onto the cold, clear window mirroring her tears falling quickly onto her cold, damp cheek. Too much worry. Too much pain? Is it even worth it?
Many of use find ourselves looking through the window of pain and see hopelessness. Our emotions are providing temporary shelter to whatever it is outside. But what is outside? Well it would probably be better if we could see. But like a thick, dense fog, hopelessness hangs around our shelter. Blurring our vision. Blocking our sight. And all we know...is hopelessness. Is it even worth it?
John 10:10 'the thief comes only to steal and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.'
Other translations read that Christ has come so that we may have life more abundantly! Not just life, but life in its abundance! What does that even look like?
We know that through Christ we are part of the kingdom of God. No longer part of the kingdom of darkness, but part of the kingdom of light. Romans 14:17 defines the kingdom of God as righteousness peace and joy. Christ came so that we can experience freedom.
Consider some of the things that rob us of life as John 10:10 points out. The thief comes to steal our hope, kill our dreams and destroy our love...to name a few. One of the hugest weapons he uses is fear. I heard someone preach something interesting on 1 Timothy 1:7. If Timothy is told God has not given him fear, but other things in its place, fear must be the opposite of these things. Fear robs us of love power and a sound mind. I've experienced fear and it definitely does these things. Fear can cause me to be anxious about loving others and even myself. In thd midst of fear, I hand over power to whatever has imprisoned me and my irrational thinking is far from a sound mind! So how do we experience life ... in abudance?!
1 John 4:18 'There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.' I can't help but go back to Paul and Silas and realise that most of the time we're lifeless is because of fear. If we're hopeless we can be fearful that nothing will change and therefore not experience life. But in the midst of fear, a dark and damp place, Paul and Silas began to praise God. They invited in and received His love, casting out fear! Amazing!
An iconic figure passed away this week and this person lived their life to the full. When people live their lives, it makes me wonder 'what do they have?'
Maya Angelou was quoted saying 'Christ came so that we might have life and have it more abundantly. I am grateful for the abundance!'
If she's grateful, that means she received it. God wants to increase our abundance of life. He wants to increase our capacity for life.
Live with hope! Christ, the hope of glory in us! That hope does not disappoint!
Steven Sutton is another example who took the opportunity to live life to the full.
God wants us to enjoy the life He has given us, ALWAYS rejoicing in Him.
**Romans 5:11**
Many of use find ourselves looking through the window of pain and see hopelessness. Our emotions are providing temporary shelter to whatever it is outside. But what is outside? Well it would probably be better if we could see. But like a thick, dense fog, hopelessness hangs around our shelter. Blurring our vision. Blocking our sight. And all we know...is hopelessness. Is it even worth it?
John 10:10 'the thief comes only to steal and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.'
Other translations read that Christ has come so that we may have life more abundantly! Not just life, but life in its abundance! What does that even look like?
We know that through Christ we are part of the kingdom of God. No longer part of the kingdom of darkness, but part of the kingdom of light. Romans 14:17 defines the kingdom of God as righteousness peace and joy. Christ came so that we can experience freedom.
Consider some of the things that rob us of life as John 10:10 points out. The thief comes to steal our hope, kill our dreams and destroy our love...to name a few. One of the hugest weapons he uses is fear. I heard someone preach something interesting on 1 Timothy 1:7. If Timothy is told God has not given him fear, but other things in its place, fear must be the opposite of these things. Fear robs us of love power and a sound mind. I've experienced fear and it definitely does these things. Fear can cause me to be anxious about loving others and even myself. In thd midst of fear, I hand over power to whatever has imprisoned me and my irrational thinking is far from a sound mind! So how do we experience life ... in abudance?!
1 John 4:18 'There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.' I can't help but go back to Paul and Silas and realise that most of the time we're lifeless is because of fear. If we're hopeless we can be fearful that nothing will change and therefore not experience life. But in the midst of fear, a dark and damp place, Paul and Silas began to praise God. They invited in and received His love, casting out fear! Amazing!
An iconic figure passed away this week and this person lived their life to the full. When people live their lives, it makes me wonder 'what do they have?'
Maya Angelou was quoted saying 'Christ came so that we might have life and have it more abundantly. I am grateful for the abundance!'
If she's grateful, that means she received it. God wants to increase our abundance of life. He wants to increase our capacity for life.
Live with hope! Christ, the hope of glory in us! That hope does not disappoint!
Steven Sutton is another example who took the opportunity to live life to the full.
God wants us to enjoy the life He has given us, ALWAYS rejoicing in Him.
**Romans 5:11**
Freedom to...
Back to Paul and Silas. Do we remember what they did during their captivity? They worshipped God. The Bible is filled with stories where freedom has come about through worship.
Jesus is tired from a long journey and rests by a well. As He is there, a woman comes along to get water from the well. They begin speaking and through this conversation Jesus reveals something about worship. He says that true worshippers worship in spirit and in truth. Not in a certain place. Not at a certain time. God is spirit so we must worship in spirit and in truth. There is freedom in our worship. It can happen anywhere and isn't based on circumstances, but who God is.
Romans 12:1 says in response to God's mercies, I should offer my body as a living sacrifice - this is my spiritual worship. My worship isn't based on circumstances or tied to a building - it's in response to God's mercies and His mercies are new every morning.
When it came time for David to make an offering to the Lord, a man was willing to give David the offering he was going to give to the Lord for free! A good deal?! David's response was, 'I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing'. Worship is costly and it's the best of what we have. I can understand God's frustration when people would bring sacrifices and keep the best lamb for themselves and offered the worst lamb to God!
In worship we are drawing near to God and allowing us to be filled with His love, joy and peace. Most importantly His Spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is ... freedom.
When Paul and Silas began to worship, not only their chains fell off, but the chains of the other prisoners fell off too!
Worship will not only bring freedom to us, but to others too!
GOD WANTS TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY TO WORSHIP!
Jesus is tired from a long journey and rests by a well. As He is there, a woman comes along to get water from the well. They begin speaking and through this conversation Jesus reveals something about worship. He says that true worshippers worship in spirit and in truth. Not in a certain place. Not at a certain time. God is spirit so we must worship in spirit and in truth. There is freedom in our worship. It can happen anywhere and isn't based on circumstances, but who God is.
Romans 12:1 says in response to God's mercies, I should offer my body as a living sacrifice - this is my spiritual worship. My worship isn't based on circumstances or tied to a building - it's in response to God's mercies and His mercies are new every morning.
When it came time for David to make an offering to the Lord, a man was willing to give David the offering he was going to give to the Lord for free! A good deal?! David's response was, 'I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing'. Worship is costly and it's the best of what we have. I can understand God's frustration when people would bring sacrifices and keep the best lamb for themselves and offered the worst lamb to God!
In worship we are drawing near to God and allowing us to be filled with His love, joy and peace. Most importantly His Spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is ... freedom.
When Paul and Silas began to worship, not only their chains fell off, but the chains of the other prisoners fell off too!
Worship will not only bring freedom to us, but to others too!
GOD WANTS TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY TO WORSHIP!
Tuesday, 27 May 2014
Freely He gave
Matthew 10:8
Jesus tells the disciples to give freely as they have received.
There are many quotes such as 'to whom much is given much is required' or 'with great power comes great responsibility'. All these are true.
In a sense, if I have £1, I will give differently if I have £1,000. However the amount I give will be the only difference - how I give depends on how I perceive the amount. If I believe £1 is a lot and I am rich with £1 then I will give a lot - I will give freely. If £1,000 is small to me, I see myself as poor with it, then I will hold onto it tightly.
Sometimes we forget how much we have. If God has blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing, we can give freely. How do I see what He has given me? Do I still se myself as poor? Our small can reap an enormous harvest. The man with the one talent held on tightly to what he had because he perceived what he had to be small and underestimated what it could become.
No matter where I am at in life I should love freely and give joy and peace freely. Out of bellies flow rivers of living water. What God pours into us, should flow out of us. We have received much, we can give much.
Jesus is sitting round the dinner table with his disciples when the unexpected happen. A woman walks in, tears strewn and hair hanging. Her tears fall graciously on Jesus' feet and the woman begins she dry His feet with her hair. Gently, the woman begins to open an alabaster box and begins to pour oil on Jesus' feet. This scene shocks most who are there but Jesus tells the story of two men who owe money to a banker. One owes more than the other and the banker generously clears both debts. Jesus then asks who is the most grateful out of the two. The response is unanimous. Of course it is the man who had the larger debt cleared! Jesus explains that this woman loves much because she has been forgiven much, but the one who is forgiven loves a little. How do we perceive what He has given us, because if we understand we've been (for)given a lot, we will love a lot! GOD WANTS TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY TO RECEIVE!
Just with increasing our capacity to believe, God wants us to increase our capacity to receive, and the two are interlinked. I love Malachi 3:1. The Lord in whom you seek is coming! Whenever I was in need of God this scripture was my medicine! I believed He was coming. However when I recovered from the joy I felt digesting this scripture I finally moved to verse 2. 'But who will be able to endure when He comes'. I read that as will we be ready when He comes? I believe He is coming but will I be ready and positioned for His coming. Imagine the 10 virgins-only half had enough oil to make the full journey to meet groom. Everyday we are in need of God, but are we ready? We believe, but are we ready to receive? If I believe it is going to rain, I am going to carry an umbrella outside!
God wants us to be ready to receive all He has for us! And in that we can give a lot :)
Jesus tells the disciples to give freely as they have received.
There are many quotes such as 'to whom much is given much is required' or 'with great power comes great responsibility'. All these are true.
In a sense, if I have £1, I will give differently if I have £1,000. However the amount I give will be the only difference - how I give depends on how I perceive the amount. If I believe £1 is a lot and I am rich with £1 then I will give a lot - I will give freely. If £1,000 is small to me, I see myself as poor with it, then I will hold onto it tightly.
Sometimes we forget how much we have. If God has blessed us with EVERY spiritual blessing, we can give freely. How do I see what He has given me? Do I still se myself as poor? Our small can reap an enormous harvest. The man with the one talent held on tightly to what he had because he perceived what he had to be small and underestimated what it could become.
No matter where I am at in life I should love freely and give joy and peace freely. Out of bellies flow rivers of living water. What God pours into us, should flow out of us. We have received much, we can give much.
Jesus is sitting round the dinner table with his disciples when the unexpected happen. A woman walks in, tears strewn and hair hanging. Her tears fall graciously on Jesus' feet and the woman begins she dry His feet with her hair. Gently, the woman begins to open an alabaster box and begins to pour oil on Jesus' feet. This scene shocks most who are there but Jesus tells the story of two men who owe money to a banker. One owes more than the other and the banker generously clears both debts. Jesus then asks who is the most grateful out of the two. The response is unanimous. Of course it is the man who had the larger debt cleared! Jesus explains that this woman loves much because she has been forgiven much, but the one who is forgiven loves a little. How do we perceive what He has given us, because if we understand we've been (for)given a lot, we will love a lot! GOD WANTS TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY TO RECEIVE!
Just with increasing our capacity to believe, God wants us to increase our capacity to receive, and the two are interlinked. I love Malachi 3:1. The Lord in whom you seek is coming! Whenever I was in need of God this scripture was my medicine! I believed He was coming. However when I recovered from the joy I felt digesting this scripture I finally moved to verse 2. 'But who will be able to endure when He comes'. I read that as will we be ready when He comes? I believe He is coming but will I be ready and positioned for His coming. Imagine the 10 virgins-only half had enough oil to make the full journey to meet groom. Everyday we are in need of God, but are we ready? We believe, but are we ready to receive? If I believe it is going to rain, I am going to carry an umbrella outside!
God wants us to be ready to receive all He has for us! And in that we can give a lot :)
Monday, 26 May 2014
STUCK!
I love how Acts 16:16 begins with Paul explaining that there was a time when he and Silas were going to prayer. You can imagine the next verse explaining that they were showered with blessings from God because they were going to prayer! Or during their great prayer service, lives were changed and people were saved! However this isn't the case. They meet a girl and she begins to mock them. This grieves Paul and so he delivers of the spirit that was in her and he continues on his way. Oh! Now here comes the blessing!! Surely they were doing the Lord's will as they delivered the girl from the spirit.
The problem was, was that this girl made money through this spirit and the people who she worked for were now not happy! In this moment there were no blessings for Paul and Silas, but they were soon arrested and put into prison. Not only that they were beaten and whipped! At some point my mind is waiting for the angel to Michael to come, sword held tightly in his hand to free Paul and Silas from such a travesty. Again, this is not the case...
Scripture says Paul and Silas were taken to the 'inner prison'. The 'inner prison' was a place where there was no light. It was damp. It was cold. Placed in stocks they were STUCK!
Life can too often be like this! Stuck! And often we feel as if we are doing God's will happily trudging to a place of prayer, a place of worship or maybe even on our way to help someone and we end up Stuck! Recently I've felt tired of being Stuck! That inner feeling of hopelessness, never going to move from a certain place. I might not necessarily be on my way to anywhere, but inside I am feeling STUCK! Our environment can seem dark! People can seem cold! Words of encouragement can seem damp! And our perspective is STUCK! But in this place God has revealed something. GOD WANTS TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY TO BELIEVE!
In their place of imprisonment, Paul and Silas aren't seen wallowing and singing woe is me. Instead they begin to worship God! I can imagine them singing (8) My shackles are gone, my spirit free, Oh praise Lord, He's lifted me. My sins are forgiven and now I am free! Oh praise the Lord, my shackles are gone, my spirit is free! (8) Praising God contradicted their situation, but they knew they were free. Though stuck, they were really free! In this place of feeling STUCK! it is vital that we worship God- because as we worship God, we are worshipping Him for who He is and looking beyond our situation and looking to the truth that God can deliver us from every situation.
In Daniel 11:32 it says that those who know their God will carry out great exploits. 2 Timothy 1:12 says I know in Whom I have believed. In our moments of feeling Stuck! Do we know God? Do we believe God? Do we trust that the God who brought crowds of people across seas, who sent His only Son that we may have life, is able to rescue us from our Stuck! situations?
These Stuck! situations are an opportunity for our faith to grow! God has a lot of things for us, but unless we believe, how can we carry some of these things out? In these situations we learn to trust and depend on God? Take Mary for example. An angel appears to her and tells her that she is going to give birth to the Saviour of the world. Now I don't know about you, but I am not sure I could handle that. Not only carrying the Saviour of the world, but believing God's promise could get me through the stares from people and the possible stoning, for in that culture Mary's pregnancy would be wrong. But Mary had the capacity to believe! Mary replies, 'May it be to me as you have said.'
God has great things for us to do here, but will we believe?
MARK 9:23
The problem was, was that this girl made money through this spirit and the people who she worked for were now not happy! In this moment there were no blessings for Paul and Silas, but they were soon arrested and put into prison. Not only that they were beaten and whipped! At some point my mind is waiting for the angel to Michael to come, sword held tightly in his hand to free Paul and Silas from such a travesty. Again, this is not the case...
Scripture says Paul and Silas were taken to the 'inner prison'. The 'inner prison' was a place where there was no light. It was damp. It was cold. Placed in stocks they were STUCK!
Life can too often be like this! Stuck! And often we feel as if we are doing God's will happily trudging to a place of prayer, a place of worship or maybe even on our way to help someone and we end up Stuck! Recently I've felt tired of being Stuck! That inner feeling of hopelessness, never going to move from a certain place. I might not necessarily be on my way to anywhere, but inside I am feeling STUCK! Our environment can seem dark! People can seem cold! Words of encouragement can seem damp! And our perspective is STUCK! But in this place God has revealed something. GOD WANTS TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY TO BELIEVE!
In their place of imprisonment, Paul and Silas aren't seen wallowing and singing woe is me. Instead they begin to worship God! I can imagine them singing (8) My shackles are gone, my spirit free, Oh praise Lord, He's lifted me. My sins are forgiven and now I am free! Oh praise the Lord, my shackles are gone, my spirit is free! (8) Praising God contradicted their situation, but they knew they were free. Though stuck, they were really free! In this place of feeling STUCK! it is vital that we worship God- because as we worship God, we are worshipping Him for who He is and looking beyond our situation and looking to the truth that God can deliver us from every situation.
In Daniel 11:32 it says that those who know their God will carry out great exploits. 2 Timothy 1:12 says I know in Whom I have believed. In our moments of feeling Stuck! Do we know God? Do we believe God? Do we trust that the God who brought crowds of people across seas, who sent His only Son that we may have life, is able to rescue us from our Stuck! situations?
These Stuck! situations are an opportunity for our faith to grow! God has a lot of things for us, but unless we believe, how can we carry some of these things out? In these situations we learn to trust and depend on God? Take Mary for example. An angel appears to her and tells her that she is going to give birth to the Saviour of the world. Now I don't know about you, but I am not sure I could handle that. Not only carrying the Saviour of the world, but believing God's promise could get me through the stares from people and the possible stoning, for in that culture Mary's pregnancy would be wrong. But Mary had the capacity to believe! Mary replies, 'May it be to me as you have said.'
God has great things for us to do here, but will we believe?
MARK 9:23
Monday, 21 April 2014
He's not there...so why are you?
It would have been more appropriate if the scene had been closed off with police tape. If 'DO NOT CROSS' and 'POLICE INVESTIGATION' surrounded the scene. They had killed him hadn't they? It could only be described as cold-blooded murder. A guilty, sinful life exchanged for one that was innocent and pure. Not only that, but the body is now missing! Stolen?! Not possible! A huge stone blocked the tomb. However, this is not a crime scene. It is a scene that represents new life. It a scene that tells us in the midst of death, God can bring about life and newness.
This weekend many of us celebrated this scene. The fact that Christ died for our sins and rose to life that we may have abundant life. This shows us how Christ has made a way for us to enter into the Holy of Holies (Hebrews 10:20)- but I love that there is more to this!
He made a new way for us. We need to follow Him to where He is. A lot of us know that we have been redeemed and know that God has called us, but do we allow our minds to be renewed to live out this new life? One of my favourite scriptures at the moment is 1 Peter 1:18 - we have been redeemed from a useless way of living. I have been redeemed from so much, but why do I still walk in it? Most of the time I identify myself with this 'useless way of living'.
Out of the old and into the new. We still look for Him in the tomb. We still look for ourselves in the tomb. We identify Him with death. We identify ourselves with death. BUT He is no longer in the tomb. He is no longer dead. He is not in the tomb- He is now seated at the right hand of God!! Ephesians 2 lays it out nicely. We were living a life that was dead, habitually walking in our sins, but we were raised to life WITH Christ. We are now seated with Him in heavenly places. We have been raised to life again!! Because of this we now need to walk as He walks. There has been no murder. Whatever has happened in our lives does not need police tape. And even if a stone has been rolled to bury it, God is able to raise anything dead back to life again.
You've been given abundant life, how will you live it out?
This weekend many of us celebrated this scene. The fact that Christ died for our sins and rose to life that we may have abundant life. This shows us how Christ has made a way for us to enter into the Holy of Holies (Hebrews 10:20)- but I love that there is more to this!
He made a new way for us. We need to follow Him to where He is. A lot of us know that we have been redeemed and know that God has called us, but do we allow our minds to be renewed to live out this new life? One of my favourite scriptures at the moment is 1 Peter 1:18 - we have been redeemed from a useless way of living. I have been redeemed from so much, but why do I still walk in it? Most of the time I identify myself with this 'useless way of living'.
Out of the old and into the new. We still look for Him in the tomb. We still look for ourselves in the tomb. We identify Him with death. We identify ourselves with death. BUT He is no longer in the tomb. He is no longer dead. He is not in the tomb- He is now seated at the right hand of God!! Ephesians 2 lays it out nicely. We were living a life that was dead, habitually walking in our sins, but we were raised to life WITH Christ. We are now seated with Him in heavenly places. We have been raised to life again!! Because of this we now need to walk as He walks. There has been no murder. Whatever has happened in our lives does not need police tape. And even if a stone has been rolled to bury it, God is able to raise anything dead back to life again.
You've been given abundant life, how will you live it out?
Saturday, 19 April 2014
We found a hope....
**Nothing is impossible**
I was listening to a sermon and the other day and Luke 1:37-38 was mentioned. This scripture challenged me, causing to me reflect upon my faith. After announcing to Mary that she is about to give birth to the Saviour of the world, the angel Garbiel says to Mary, 'For with God nothing will be impossible'. Not a problem. Not impossible. Children are born regularly. One born every minute! But Mary was a virgin. Then yes, okay, impossible!
This challenged me because how many times have I questioned things God is doing in my life? I recently went through some frustrations, not yet seeing things that I wanted to see. Situations looked differently to how I expected them. 'This is impossible!' I am often screaming! I hear God tugging on my heart leading in a certain direction. My response is, 'This is impossible!' If only I would believe that with God, nothing is impossible.
I was challenged even more so with Mary's response. 'Let it be to me according to your word.' Hold up! Before we start thinking about how lovely Mary's response was or let our imaginations wander and creatively think about how Mary then had a magnificent birth surrounded by encouraging people. Mary was a virgin! In their culture that did not mean Mary was going to be understood as they were expecting the Messiah. It meant that she could be stoned to death. Not being married, but betrothed (engaged) Joseph, could only mean one thing - adultery. If I was Mary my response would be far from, 'Let it be to me...'. I would be yelling about how I could die! Going off on a tangent how people will be talking about me, accusing me and I would be subject to the opinion of others. Not only would a baby seem impossible, but surviving the whole nine months would be impossible.
**No hope**
So I begin to pray about these impossible situations. Situations where I feel God has led me to where there is no way out. Reminds me of when Jesus and the disciples are out at sea. Jesus is taking them across to the other side. They follow their Teacher. All of a sudden a storm began to violently rock the boat. It's all good, the disciples have Jesus on their boat. But they forget who He is and say instead, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing'. In my state of anxiety in what feels like impossible situations I have this perspective. God, do you not care that I may drown in depression, in pain, in hurt. And my prayer was more like this. God softly responds 'Build'. :/ Eh? What am I supposed to build in a hopeless situation?
**Build**
I am now hopeless and doubting where hope is. What I speak over the situation reflects that. Instead of speaking hope and life, I was speaking death. 'Lord, don't you care if I drown?' Who says I am going to drown?! So I began to think about what God could have meant by the word build. I was then reminded that scripture in Proverbs 14:1 'The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.' A wise woman will build her house, but it is a foolish woman who pulls it down. I was pulling down mine with my negative words. Many people argue that positive words have a huge affect on our lives. God's Word also tells us this. We are told that death and life are in the power of the tongue. Our words should build up. So when God says build, I should be speaking life into the situation. Not fighting against where God is taking me, but staying committed the process knowing that when God is with me, nothing is impossible.
I was listening to a sermon and the other day and Luke 1:37-38 was mentioned. This scripture challenged me, causing to me reflect upon my faith. After announcing to Mary that she is about to give birth to the Saviour of the world, the angel Garbiel says to Mary, 'For with God nothing will be impossible'. Not a problem. Not impossible. Children are born regularly. One born every minute! But Mary was a virgin. Then yes, okay, impossible!
This challenged me because how many times have I questioned things God is doing in my life? I recently went through some frustrations, not yet seeing things that I wanted to see. Situations looked differently to how I expected them. 'This is impossible!' I am often screaming! I hear God tugging on my heart leading in a certain direction. My response is, 'This is impossible!' If only I would believe that with God, nothing is impossible.
I was challenged even more so with Mary's response. 'Let it be to me according to your word.' Hold up! Before we start thinking about how lovely Mary's response was or let our imaginations wander and creatively think about how Mary then had a magnificent birth surrounded by encouraging people. Mary was a virgin! In their culture that did not mean Mary was going to be understood as they were expecting the Messiah. It meant that she could be stoned to death. Not being married, but betrothed (engaged) Joseph, could only mean one thing - adultery. If I was Mary my response would be far from, 'Let it be to me...'. I would be yelling about how I could die! Going off on a tangent how people will be talking about me, accusing me and I would be subject to the opinion of others. Not only would a baby seem impossible, but surviving the whole nine months would be impossible.
**No hope**
So I begin to pray about these impossible situations. Situations where I feel God has led me to where there is no way out. Reminds me of when Jesus and the disciples are out at sea. Jesus is taking them across to the other side. They follow their Teacher. All of a sudden a storm began to violently rock the boat. It's all good, the disciples have Jesus on their boat. But they forget who He is and say instead, 'Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing'. In my state of anxiety in what feels like impossible situations I have this perspective. God, do you not care that I may drown in depression, in pain, in hurt. And my prayer was more like this. God softly responds 'Build'. :/ Eh? What am I supposed to build in a hopeless situation?
**Build**
I am now hopeless and doubting where hope is. What I speak over the situation reflects that. Instead of speaking hope and life, I was speaking death. 'Lord, don't you care if I drown?' Who says I am going to drown?! So I began to think about what God could have meant by the word build. I was then reminded that scripture in Proverbs 14:1 'The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.' A wise woman will build her house, but it is a foolish woman who pulls it down. I was pulling down mine with my negative words. Many people argue that positive words have a huge affect on our lives. God's Word also tells us this. We are told that death and life are in the power of the tongue. Our words should build up. So when God says build, I should be speaking life into the situation. Not fighting against where God is taking me, but staying committed the process knowing that when God is with me, nothing is impossible.
God has called us to great things, but we may have to walk through what seems impossible. Through God, the impossible becomes possible. Bitterness can turn into forgiveness, pain into healing and darkness into hope. God has given us everything we need, use that to build hope....
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