Ebenezer

 

1 Samuel 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone ….. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far has the Lord helped us.”

We come to the end of a year, the old has gone, - and the new has come. Can we look back and see where the Lord has carried us?

Deuteronomy 1:31 quotes Moses, who, having brought the Israelites out of Egypt, again had to deal with their rebellion, doubts and fears.  He tells them, “You saw how the Lord carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”

 I love the concept we read of in Exodus 19:4, and Deuteronomy 32:11-12, when we read that God carries us like an eagle, that stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions. Have you ever watched an eagle with its young? We watched a TV programme some time ago, when the photographer managed to catch some great footage of the young fledglings being cast out of the nest, with the mother swooping to help her babies.

Yes, the Lord has carried us through this past year, and He knows what lies ahead. We can trust Him with the New Year, for nothing that surprises us will surprise Him! For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end. (Psalm 48:14)

If this God is not your god, then He should be sought after, and trusted, for Every word of God proves true. He defends all who come to Him for protection. (Proverbs30:5)

I am so glad He watches over me. I did a stupid thing this afternoon. I had to give my husband medication, which is strong stuff, and for a difficult problem. I went to fetch him a glass of water, poured the water, and mindlessly swallowed his pill myself. As it hit my throat in the swallow I realised what I had done - too late! I had to phone around, News Years Day, most places closed, but fortunately not hospitals and all the pharmacies, and all praise to the Lord, friends who also know Him!  I am fine, feeling a little woozy, but fine. Thus far has the Lord helped me!

And now, a blessing I received, I pass on in the love of the Lord.

May the peace of Christ enfold you;

May the love of Christ possess you;

May the Spirit of Christ direct you;

May the joy of Christ be in you;

May the hope of Christ inspire you.

May you know His presence in your heart, your affairs and your home

In all the year of our Lord 2011 ahead. 

Not shamed, but chastened.

Writing a blog has become a whole new responsibility, and an exercise of exploration. As an undisciplined diarist, a keen journal keeper, and an obsessive note taker, this is a revealing of thoughts for friends and strangers alike with an almost narcissistic look at myself from fresh angles.

There are so many things to write about; so many memories that come to mind, so much extraneous material that pushes my thought mechanism into overdrive, that blog becomes bog, and I sit before the lap-top not knowing where to start. The writer’s block syndrome kicks in, and I am again reminded Be Still and Know …

I had forgotten one of my favourite verses, one that has for so long challenged me and one that must be paramount in my writing now. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)

I was frantically putting together a testimony, including far too many extraneous details, and jumping from one angle to another, achieving no solidarity. The Lord is so gracious when He gives us insights that we can hold close, and apply to our circumstances.  He knows us so well, and so often has to hold us back from our mindless enthusiasm to rush ahead, when His gentle instruction is to wait. Sometimes we want to stride ahead of Him, and add more than He actually wants to give us. So now I return to my key passage of this morning’s reading, Ephesians 5:17 Understand what the Lord’s will is.

The thoughts He gave may be shared another time, but for now, having sought the Lord, and being chastened, though not too severely, my face is not covered with shame, and I am blessed as I take refuge in Him. (Psalm 34:4-8 and Psalm 118:18) May my writing bring Him honour and praise. My soul will boast in the Lord, let the afflicted hear and rejoice. (Psalm 34:2)

As we approach the New Year, may we all be open to God's guidance in our lives, His leading in our thoughts and actions, and may His good and perfect will be done so we may be radiant as we look to Him.

Help! I want to write on a clean slate!

Christmas is over. There is a New Year approaching. What does it hold? As an opportunity for a new start, many folk will be looking to “turn over a new leaf” making New Year Resolutions that may survive for a time, but unless there is a relationship involved, could soon be justified out of continuance.

A real change takes commitment. To promise not to tell lies is only going to work until the next opportunity arises. There must be a complete turnabout; one must become a Truth Teller. No matter the problem, the same solution will apply. Become new – start afresh.

I have a problem. I am a new creation. I have accepted Christ as my Lord, which means I bring all things under submission to Him. I cannot live “under the circumstances” and use them as an excuse. I live under the Lord’s authority. I have received the Holy Spirit as my Comforter and guide, and strive to be obedient to His leading. Why, then, do I have such difficulty in getting past those old bugbears of procrastination, and poor self-discipline?

 I quench the Holy Spirit!

As an avid reader, I garner information and thought fuel from many sources. Sermon notes, journal entries, Bible study preparations, fill boxes and drawers, waiting for that perfect opportunity to be sorted, fed in to the computer, and burnt to disc. Will I manage to accomplish the work this year?  Instead of being an untidy scatterbrain, I must become a disciplined order-keeper. I need to write on a clean slate. Are there any volunteers out there to hold me accountable? Better still, would anyone like a job as unpaid secretary?

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Perhaps before we look at our New Year resolutions we need to examine our need for repentance. In these days there is a burgeoning lack of understanding of the concept. A gradual decline of Spiritual priorities has taken place. As technology has progressed, we have more labour saving gadgets and machinery and more opportunities for geographical, topographical, and scientific discoveries, making the simple pleasure of stillness an elusive practice for today’s youth.

Be Still and Know that I am God is an unknown concept to many people. More noise, more activity, more entertainment, more self-satisfaction are the goals strived for.

In stillness and self examination we can recognise those areas in our lives that cry out for change, and those changes that require help to accomplish.

Psalm 21:2 My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth.

The heavens declare the Glory of the Lord, but unless one has read of their creation how can  the mysteries revealed there be understood?

Help is needed:

·         to hear and understand Truth in your heart.  

·         to recognise the wonders of creation.

·         to cope with each day’s happenings.

·         to guide through each situation

Be still, and receive His help!

Love Personified

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. (Isaiah 9:6 – 7)

Those words, written hundreds of years before Christ was born, are proclaimed every Christmas time when the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated. Many, who do not attend church services regularly, or read the Bible for themselves, presume the words are associated with the Gospel stories. They are prophetic words that point to the authenticity of the Bible and show the guidance in the hearts and minds of those Old Testament writers.

The Old Testament says God is Love. Jesus Christ came into the world as Love personified. We need to know more of Him in order to understand the concepts of Love in our own lives. If you have not been born again into a love relationship with Him, make it your goal in the coming year to learn to know Him.

Walk with me and let us exalt His Name together.

The Light That Came into the World.

‘Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.’”  (Luke 2:29-32)

These were the words of Simeon as he took the baby Jesus in his arms, and, as he blessed him, received himself the blessing of holding his Saviour close to his heart.

As  part of a Christmas message from Jerusalem, we are reminded that God promised to make Israel a “Light to the Nations.”  If you are like me with a great concern for this nation, you will be keeping them in prayer during the coming months.

Many thousands of visitors are in the Holy Land for this Christmas season and free passage from Israel to Bethlehem was promised by the Palestinian authorities as a “Bridge of Peace” between the two nations. But what lies ahead, and what sort of peace will Obama be attempting in his manipulations of 2011? Are we of the generation that will see the Coming of the Lord? Is Israel about to be brought to recognition of the Light that came in to the world, when His own received Him not? Perhaps their second chance is coming! Perhaps the scoffers will also be brought to understanding before it is too late!

We live in exciting times, times that should keep us on our knees!

Am I condemned as a hypocrite?

The Lord hates hypocrisy.

For several days now, I have been sorely tried, (a lovely olde worlde phrase! It sums up my feelings and sounds better than utterly frustrated!) by the issue laid on my heart. Somewhere in the Old Testament we are told that the Lord hates hypocrisy. I know I have read it because it has challenged me before, but in which translation?

I read Proverbs 20:27, again in a couple of translations, and allowed the light to shine in my heart.

NIV The lamp of the Lord searches the spirit of man; it searches out his inmost being.

TLB The Lord’s searchlight penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.

GW A person’s soul is the Lord’s lamp. It searches his entire innermost being.

AMP The spirit of man [that factor in human personality which proceeds immediately from God] is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.

I hope that church attendees are always open to this searchlight. I pray that those who sit at home, or out on the golf course, or running along the highways, perhaps on the bowling greens, or wherever pleasure is found, will also find themselves being challenged by the Lord’s searchlight, for it is not His will that any should be lost.

You’ve met them! They may be in church for Christmas and Easter services, and they are not averse to weddings and funerals, but in general, church is to be avoided. Because, they say, it’s full of hypocrites. I guess I’m one of them.

Perhaps because of the season I am more aware of my weaknesses so I gave myself a self-awareness examination. I came up with more hypocrisy than I had realised, and hope I don’t keep too many people from attending church.

·         While professing to be a truth teller, I sometimes handle the truth carelessly, justifying such action because I don’t want to hurt feelings, or I want to avoid confrontation.

·         I have mastered the art of smiling, as good medicine when not feeling 100%. Is that wrong?

·         Reading the Bible gives inspiration for the day, but in Matthew 5 to 7 I read of Jesus speaking to the people of His days on earth. Blessed are those who realise they are spiritually helpless, He says, The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. In verses 13 – 16 He speaks of our responsibility to influence others by our behaviour. In verses 17 – 20 He confirms His fulfilment of Old Testament teachings, then, in verses 21 – 26 He speaks on anger management. Verses 27 – 32 show God’s take on sexual sin, and marriage responsibilities. The swearing of oaths, and love requisites follow, when we are reminded that God makes His sun rise on people whether they are good or evil. He loves them all, and wants their recognition of this. I am reminded of an old autograph favourite – The rain it raineth every day, upon the just and unjust fellow, but mostly on the just because the unjust stole the just’s umbrella! (He probably needed it more urgently and for a longer distance!)

·         Chapter 6 is full of admonishments not to do as the hypocrites do! It caused me to add many pharisaic problems to my own.  Prayer? Do I speak only to the Father, or bear in mind those others who also listen, and maybe judge? Worry? Who, me? No, I am merely concerned about …. Store up riches? But if that is a bargain, surely it is worth buying now rather than later when the price is up? Or even 2 for the price of 1 tempts away from the idea that the money may not stretch beyond the use of the 1, so why buy 2!

·         I look at Chapter 7, and the verse stops me in my tracks. Stop judging so that you will not be judged. Yes, I am afraid many of us warming the church seats on Sundays are hypocrites, and I find comfort in the words of Paul in his letter to the Romans, when he introduced himself before his visit to them. The law is good, then, and the trouble is not there but with me because I am sold into slavery with Sin as my owner. I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can’t. I do what I don’t want to – what I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience proves that I agree with these laws that I am breaking. But I can’t help myself because I am no longer doing it. It is sin inside me that is stronger than I am that makes me do these evil things.

I know am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn I can’t make myself do right. I want to but I can’t. When I want to do good I don’t; and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. Now if I am doing what I don’t want to, it is plain where the trouble is: sin still has me in its evil grasp.

It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love to do God’s will so far as my new nature is concerned, but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. In my mind I want to be God’s willing servant, but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin.

So you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh what a terrible predicament I am in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature? Thank God! IT HAS BEEN DONE BY JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. HE HAS SET ME FREE.

(The Living Bible Romans 7:14-25)

I did hear of the couple sitting comfortably watching a televised church service because after all, one can worship just as well at home, when the husband broke the silence with a hearty chuckle. Startled his wife looked across at him and asked what was so amusing? “Well,” he said, “they are taking the offering, and here we are, safely at home.”

May we be a blessing as we reach out in love to all who share with us at this Christmas time and on into the future.

Light on Christmas.

Why is there controversy, even amongst Christians, as to whether or not, or when, Christmas should be celebrated? So what if we don’t know the exact date? Personally, I want to celebrate the birth of my Saviour and the date  that was on record as a Nativity celebration as far back as 336, is good enough for me.

One of the earliest feasts celebrated by the Christian Church was Epiphany, which was related to the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem, and this was held on the 6^th January. The early church seem to have grouped the celebration of Christ’s birth with this feast until, somewhere between 170 and 236 the date of 25^th December  was settled upon as an alternative, perhaps affiliated with a pagan feast to the Sun god. I am happy to celebrate Christmas as a remembrance of the coming of the Son of God. He is the Word, He is the Light of the world.

The most important factor is that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son ….

Jesus Christ was willing to leave His heavenly position to come into our sphere, experience our emotions, temptations, dangers, even to the extent of a violent death  - for our sakes. Over that straw packed manger holding the tiny form of a newborn baby, hovered the shadow of a cross.

Yes, I have every reason to celebrate His birth, - He came for me. I was once in darkness, but now I am light in the Lord. (Ephesians 5:8)

Who is this One whose birth I celebrate?

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn  from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven , by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:15-20)

Yes, the cross awaits Him, but for now, we celebrate His birth. My heart sings the Hallelujah Chorus, and the Lord hears it in tune! For I was made to praise Him!

Come, glorify the Lord with me.

Not Mark Twain, but Mark Four!

Don't you love the Gospel of Mark? It's like a fast running film clip, and characterises Jesus Christ as One to be followed. He is servant to all, but Master also. One story follows another in rapid succession, and we see Him progressing from place to place, meeting with one person after another, teaching, encouraging, healing, challenging, with His disciples battling to keep up with Him, trying hard to understand. In Mark, we see Jesus' ministry build up, like an orchestra reaching the final crescendo, and His death and resurrection are encapsulated in the final chapter, seemingly leaving the reader, after verse 8, to envisage their own ending. Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid. 

Then later manuscripts added the final verses to round the story off, and we read, After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and The Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the signs that accopmpanied it.
I want to share on a brief passage in Mark 4, because we've all been there, and we all need His presence in such times. It's when the storms buffet, and we cry out to Him, "LOrd! Don't you care?"
That day when evening came, He said to His disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took Him along, just as He was, in the boat. There were also other boats with Him.A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.  Jesus was in  the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him, and said to Him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completewly calm.
He said to His disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!"
(Mark 4:35-41)

What storms have you known in your life? Most of us have experienced one sort or another, and hopefully have learned to call on the Lord for help.
Some of us have battled through relationship problems, perhaps with a spouse who is not as we would like them to be. We have fallen in love with the person, but then tried to change them into an ideal, with resultant storms.
When the wind rises, and the waves threaten to engulf us, like the sailors in Jonah's boat, we try to row all the harder, in the hopes that our own efforts will extricate us from the storm. We attempt compromise, or confrontation. We try to justify ourselves, and eventually, all too often, the cause is lost and the relationship sinks into the depths, leaving us floundering, alone, lost.
Others have found themselves in a storm of sickness, when, confused, hurting, we try to find our own solutions. Alternative medecines, New Age methods, yoga, acupuncture and the like, advice including "old wive's tales" or other way out ideas are attempted, some even showing a measure of success, but ultimately we find the problems recur, and despair and desperation take their toll.
There are storms of anger, fear, hurt, rejection, resentment; all take their toll on our inner selves, and our spirit strives with the Holy Spirit as He desires to take control.
Perhaps our storm is with addiction, and even though we recognise the need for change, in our own strength we fail to navigate the waves of desire, the troughs of despondency, the billows of dependence, the needs, the cravings, the seas washing over us, leaving us breathless, pain wracked, even suicidal. We decide there is no hope. We fall under the onslaught, and are drowned in the depths, lost and helpless. But wait!
There is hope! Call on the One who controls the wind and waves. He knows all the storms of life . Call on the One who set the rainbow as the sign of His covenant. He cares! He understands. He is the One who can help, because He cares for YOU!

2 Timothy 1:12

I was battling to know what to do first, and when to fit in whatever else on my to then non-existent list of things to do. One of the most pressing though was a time with my Lord, as He had been pushed one side while I was juggling the normal daily distractions. At last I had my cup of coffee in hand, and my trusty rocking chair in the dis-organised chaos of my "Quiet room."
Now why did He give me a verse to sort out that I obviously had not dug into properly before? My Devotional read, I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.
It is a verse I have often used, prayed back to God, and rested comfortably in. Suddenly, it was a new light in my heart. It is not only for that day, regarding petitions and intercessions, it is also for this day, in all my little priorities and peripherals, and He is able ...  He will see me through this day. Suddenly the day stretched before me with great potential, so I went to another Bible version, and was amazed! It read, I know whom I trust. I am convinced that He is able to protect what He has entrusted to me until that day.
Yes, I lay my hopes for the day before Him, and  trust Him to guide. Now I see that He gives me a portion for my day, and will see it through. It is at times like this I wish I could understand the original, for the translators obviously have some lee-way. 
I had to get out my Parallel Bible, and of the 4 translations, 3 spoke of what I had entrusted to Him, with one speaking of what has been entrusted to me. Out of 6 translations then, I have 4 with me entrusting, and 2 with Him entrusting. I need a spade, to dig deeper, and I need time to do it. Meantime I accept His Word to me both ways. He is God, I am not, and I trust to Him my daily walk, while accepting from Him whatever is in His good and perfect plan.
Sometimes people do get confused, but the Bible remains TRUTH, and the Holy Spirit opens it up for us. He knows our individual needs, and He meets with us on a personal and unique basis.
Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter to Timothy, and from history we learn that Nero was persecuting Christians without mercy. Hardened as we are to scenes of violence on the TV screens, the scenes in and around Rome at that time were too horrific for us to imagine, and it was by God's grace that cameras had not been invented!
It was in this background that this last letter to Timothy was written, not from the comfort of a jail cell of modern times, but  most likely in a rat infested dungeon. He proclaimed that he knew in whom he believed, and whatever her had prayed to the Lord about, for his beloved converts to Christianity, and his co-workers, was safe in the will of his Saviour. He also knew that the Lord had given him a trial to undergo which he would not escape with his earthly life intact, but in the Lord's strength he would bear it, and proceed into everlasting life.
He completes his letter with May God's blessings be with you all. (Living Bible) Grace be with you all. (Revised Standard.) The Lord be with you. His good will be with all of you. (God's Word.)
I am a little echo!

Amazing Grace of Memories.

I watched something like 40 000 people listen to a full orchestra including Pipes and Drums, play Amazing Grace. Emotions ran amok on faces in the audience. There were unashamed tears; there was unabashed joy; there was the excitement and appreciation of good music well played with the added hype of the plaintive Bagpipes and the scintillating beat of the drums. There was also indifference – not to the music, but to its significance.

I wondered,

1.       How can one be a part of producing such music without an awareness of its meaning?

2.       How can one hear it without being affected by it?

3.       Can anyone hear this tune without knowing the words?

4.       Was it the haunting music or the unheard words that reverberated in many hearts?

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9^th December is a memory day, and started a new train of thought.

My father went to be with the Lord when he was 75 years old, but 9^th December would have been his 98^th his birthday. I have a testimony to share about him, and why I know we will meet again in that wonderful place known to us as Heaven.  (Read Randy Alcorn’s book, Heaven for further information!)

Dad had to make a choice that challenges many people in these days – Church or compromise.

My mother had turned her back on God, saying, “Why would a good God allow so many disabled people to be born?”

My sister was handicapped and perhaps Mum thought it was a personal punishment or something. She was not overtly antagonistic, just uninterested in church fellowship although she had been brought up in a church going environment. I never knew her to attend a church again except to weddings, funerals and christenings. She wondered why churches were always wanting money, - what did they do with it anyway? Dad, on the other hand, saw that I went to Sunday School and at some stage he became “A Sidesman” as I think it was called in the C of E which we attended in those days. He attended meetings with other officials, and led a Sea Scout group. I suspect he went through those years without a full understanding, because he stopped going when I left school and started work, mainly I think, because he didn’t want to go alone. I had certainly not received the message of salvation for it was many years later when I realised my belief in God had not led me to submission to His Grace. Dad, meantime, only accompanied Mum to church at weddings, funerals and christenings! He made the choice of compromise for a quiet life.

A choice had been made, and years were to elapse before another choice could be considered. In those intervening years, opportunities were missed, and the full extent of God’s calling will have to be shared in a future testimony, but there came a day when Dad asked the Lord’s agent “What do you really believe?” He continued to ask all the right questions, with all the right answers as responses.

 We will meet again and enjoy many more conversations in the Presence of our Lord.

Imagine it! CS Lewis was well quoted in Edge of Eternity by Randy Alcorn.
All my life on earth was but a series of labour pains preparing me for this.

Daily Delights

Sunday.
An oxymoron of my father comes to mind, "When everything in your favour is against you" -
 I add to it, then look for the blessing.
Psalm 119:71 - It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. (or precepts).
I lost my car keys! Nothing new there really, it has happened many times before, in higher or lesser degrees of panic. This time though, was like a conversation with the Lord, teaching me valuable lessons.
1. Distractions are not always from the enemy, the Lord may be looking for a gap.
2. God uses agents and instruments to draw our attention or to meet a need.
3, His miracles are not always of the spectacular or earth shaking forms, but often in the simple and mundane.
4. When God wants us to know He loves us, and to remind us we are his family, He does it in His time and His way. For just as He sends rain and snow to refresh the ground, so He takes opportunity to refresh us.
5. Two supposed negatives can add up to a Plus.
6. Senior moments do not escape His notice, and He uses them.
7. He is Jehovah Jireh, my provider.

Monday.
The day started with much encouragement, for I was reminded that it is God who works in me to will and do His good will.
Isn't it exciting to know that no matter what the day holds, He holds it and will guide us through.
Don't you love 2 Corinthians 3:5? When I can acknowledge with Paul that God is in control, I can stop questioning Him about my own inadequacies and whether He really wants me to keep on keeping on. I can know that it isn't a competence in myself that will achieve His purposes but my competence comes from God.Then I can continue in the hope that someone, somewhere, receives a word of encouragement for their day, as I did for mine.
Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant - not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6
I want to be His instrument of challenge to grow in hope, faith and understanding. I want to confront scoffers, unbelievers and sceptics, some of whom I know and love so dearly, and others who may stumble across my words.
All I can do is my best as equipped by God, but the work is not mine.
Just as a musician plays what has been set forth by the composer, so I want to work through the Word given by my God, and submit it to Him in love.
John 6:44-51
"No one can come to me (Jesus) unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets; 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

Do Not Be Discouraged!

We have all been there. We feel down-hearted, discouraged. Maybe it was fuelled by disappointment, or failure; perhaps criticism, or general depression due to circumstances creeps in, but - DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED!  There is an emergency number you can use, a direct line to God, a guaranteed response, and it is waiting for you yesterday! Well, that's what I remembered today!
Before they call I will answer. While they are still speaking I will hear. Isaiah 65:24
I had asked the Lord for a word of encouragement, and then forgotten I had asked, but continued with the daily doings of life as a retiree. Yet today, unexpectedly, I received a word of encouragement, and remembered that the Lord had addressed a certain issue a few days ago by telling me to "Be still, and know that I am God."
I had been writing in a journal and using it to put my thoughts in order - sometimes a difficult procedure, and I quote - They are too numerous to name, and to single out a few would be unfair, even judgmental, but they are the ones who have a great need to recognise their need.
They are on a journey, but it seems they have climbed on a vehicle without looking at the destination.
I have a route plan I want them to read; a map that can guide them, but they refuse to look. They are content to continue on their mystery tour.
At every cross-roads, I want to point them to the way less travelled, but they choose the highway, the broad road, instead of the narrow, more beautiful one. They will watch a rainbow, and visualise the mythical pot of gold at its end without looking to its beginning.
I had continued in prayer, but as so often happens distractions had buffeted the day, and the subject was not pursued further except in my mind. And I wondered, Lord, what can I do? He is the only one who can unstop ears, and make blind eyes see.
This morning, after my word of encouragement, I remembered another occasion, some years ago. We were on a Christian Retreat, under the ministry of Pastor Fred McCoy. He challenged us not to sleep before reading something new in the Bible and memorising it, and my verse that night was Jeremiah 33:3 Call on me, and I will answer you, and tell you great and mysterious things you have not known.
Take courage, for this is our God. He knows our needs before we ask. He answers our prayers, but not always in our sight! Or even in our understanding. He tells us great and mysterious things when we least expect it, and assures us of His loving presence when we trust in Him.
I love the Lord because He hears my voice, my pleas for mercy.
I will call on Him as long as I live because He turns His ear toward me. (Psalm 116:1-2)
I will continue to air my thoughts and views on the waves of cyberspace, and trust the Lord that someone will be encouraged in the reading of them, by my relationship with Him.
Come, glorify the Lord with me, Let us exalt His Name together.

Anointed!

I praise my Lord for people like Samuel Bagster, who, with his wife, Eunice, raised 12 children in the Christian Faith. Jonathan, their 10th child, took their concept of  daily corporate worship, and developed it into the devotional which I and many others use; Daily Light on the Daily Path. So many times it challenges my moods, kick-starts my day, and gives me a word direct from the Lord like an arrow into my heart of worship.
Today didn't start too well. Do you know the feeling? I am sure I am not alone in sometimes wanting to start over, grab a hold of patience, embrace love, reach out in goodness and kindness, sow peace, and reap joy overflowing. Time though, is a thief of such desires.
I have spoken before about a problem I have  with procrastination. Well, another is resentment, and if things aren't quite right it is amazing the things I can resent. Today I even resented my two cats who moved in lock stock and barrel. In their innocence, they were blissfully unaware of their being my target this morning, but as one ex-feral and the other a domestic cat from next door who decided she prefers here to there, they both feel that once I have entered the kitchen in the morning, they should be fed IMMEDIATELY! One thing after another, including the Breadmaker signalling its desire to be relieved of its contents forthwith, ye trusty serf who needed the keys for the car which was crying out for a clean, inside and out, and he who is the head of the home, with no urgency attached to his day, needing coffee and newspaper, I felt the old enemy growing stronger. OK, I had gone back to sleep instead of getting up when I should have, but I particularly resent being at fault, especially when such great plans for the day are placed at risk, so it was with a heartfelt cry that I eventually got to The Word. "Lord," I asked, "please give me a special word to strengthen me today, and keep me mindful of my dependence on You. Teach me and guide me through this pressure, and thank-you that You care."
Daily Light brightened my whole attitude. 1 John 2:20 The Holy One has anointed you, so (all of) you have knowledge. V27 The anointing you received from Christ lives in you. You don't need anyone to teach you something else. Instead, Christ's anointing teaches you about everything ---- So live in Christ as He taught you to do. (God's Word to the Nations version) John 14:26 reminded me that the Counselor, the Holy Spirit would teach me all things and keep me mindful of all I need to remember, and then, Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness ............  Equipped to go into the rest of my day, I was further blessed by the reminder from Psalm 9 verse 9 that the Lord is a shelter for the oppressed and a refuge in times of trouble. My troubles were over, my day was properly under way, my plans were submitted to my Highest Authority, who blessed them into achievement.
How does anyone survive without the Lord's strength?
Psalm 34:4-6 I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor (wo)man called, and the Lord heard her ....
Is it any wonder I love this Psalm?
Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His Name together.

Am I an atheist?

The saga continues. Yesterdays morning’s message in church was so pertinent to what I was saying in my previous blog, and our key verse was 1 John 4:16 as Pastor continued to expand on What is God like?

A letter in this morning's local rag spoke of “the creation myths that are a feature of folklore all over the world.” The writer went on to say how astonished he is that 2 out of 5 people in the US, and almost as many in Britain, believe that humans did not evolve from animals, and that all life was created within the last 10 000 years. I am pleased he has the capacity to be astonished, but I wonder at his idea that while we are all free to believe what we want to, he battles because so many of us are unable to separate truth from fantasy!

I have the same problem!

As a keen sportsman, our Pastor spoke of the opportunities he has when, sooner or later, someone will ask, “What do you do for a living?”

He is always pleased to have the opportunity to say that he pastors a wonderful family in a great church, and he was not fazed when one guy truculently responded with, “Well, I am an atheist, so I don’t believe in God.” The fellow seemed a little taken aback when asked with great interest if he could describe the god he didn’t believe in, but he rallied, and gave a good description that left our Pastor wondering if he was also an atheist, as he didn’t believe in that god either.

When I consider my God, and all His attributes, I cannot understand how I went so long without full commitment to Him. I believed, yes, but I had not taken the time or made the effort to know Him more personally. Going to Him and saying, “Lord, I believe, but please help my unbelief. Teach me more - ” started an exciting journey, and every step on it thrills me, excites me, and makes me want more.

If some people consider the Bible to be fiction, and merely written by men, it certainly has done well to survive for so long, to teach so much, to be the foundation of morals, ethics and legalities, and to give so much food for thought, discussion, argument and love.

One of my favourite passages in the Bible, which is my road map, is the prayer in Ephesians 3:14 - 20. And some of those aspects of the key verse yesterday, God is Love, - the most used, and most misunderstood aspect of God, - were brought out yesterday from verse 18.

My God loves with a love that is wide enough to include everyone, (Psalm 145:17) even though not everyone accepts it.

His love is long enough to last forever, (Jeremiah 31:3), unlike human love which can wear out. He even perseveres with me.

 His love is high enough to be everywhere, (Romans 8:39) and deep enough (Psalm 18:16) to meet my every need. Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

The four dimensions of the Cross, the ultimate demonstration of God’s Love. How can we live without Him? I certainly can’t, and knowing Him has so enriched my life that doubt and fear were crucified with Christ. Faith, Hope, Peace, Assurance and Love have replaced them.

In His Love, Greetings.

Responding to a Rejector

My dear man takes great delight in drawing my attention to newspaper items which may elicit some response that will either spoil my appetite or make his day. This morning's one was a letter by a fellow commenting on an opinion that recent disasters could be attributed to prophesies of the Bible. He suggested that reading works of fiction such as the Bible (sic) should be changed to works of non-fiction covering continental drift, plate tectonics, vulcanism and climatology to explain natural disasters that have wreaked havoc!!
I do not consider myself as intelligent in so far as general knowledge goes, and sometimes when I give free range to my thoughts, I can even confuse myself, but here I see another example of a brilliant mind, open to learned philosophies of all kinds, but blind and deaf to simple truth.
The Bible says man's wisdom is "unwise" ( to paraphrase) and the simplicity of a child's mind more profound.
For many deep thinkers who try to explain the unexplainable, the things of creation offer a wide range of exploration to plumb the roots of existence. Thinking minds long to understand, and therefore encapsulate their ideas into understandable forms. Reading the Bible for themselves, (rather than listening to hearsay) does not normally fall into their sphere of essential things to do.
I admire a thinking mind like that of Stan Telchin, who wrote "Betrayed" and who was horrified when his daughter embraced the Christian faith. He took time out from his busy legal practice to systematically read the Bible for himself, in order to dispute her new belief, for she was more important to him than anything else. Now that is worth looking into!
Mankind wants time to be meaningful, distance to be measurable, matter to be understood, but some things are beyond the mind's ability to encompass. Why is that? Surely all must have a beginning, a being, and an ending. It shows that there is a power greater than the mind!
Why is the earth the size it is, in the position it is, and able to keep spinning? Who fixed the limits for the sea so that it does not constantly over-run the land?
Who has given orders to the morning and shown the dawn its place?
Do you really know, without a doubt, what happens at death? "Have the gates of death been shown to you?"
"What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside?
Have you seen the storehouses of the snow or hail, or where lightening is dispersed?"
Yes, it can all be scientifically explained, but where did it all originate, and why?
I don't need to understand everything, but this one thing I know - I am so glad that God made His light shine in my heart to give me the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
Be blessed Him and may His light shine on you.
Elaine.

Why would I write about war?

My reading this morning included Psalm 117, the shortest and most succinct.
Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol Him all you peoples. For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.

There follows, in Psalm 118:8 the central verse of the Bible, It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.
Such wisdom, that if it were followed, there would be no war.
Prophecy tells us though, that we are headed towards the greatest war of all time, and nothing has been learned from history. Living in the End Times as we are, and speaking as a peace loving person, I have been surprised at the way the Lord has been laying war on my heart. But the situation in Israel, and the ongoing drama of Jerusalem hold me enthralled, and my interest in history with the lessons to be learnt from it, particularly the aspect of His Story, spark new ideas.
Today I have been delving into the accounts of the battle of Delville Wood, as part of the Battle of the Somme in World War 1.
In the raining dawn of July 15th 1916, more than 3000 Rhodesian and South African soldiers entered the 16 acre wooded area held by the German forces, and in the frantic fighting that ensued, even after ammunition gave out and hand to hand conflict continued, deaths outnumbered the wounded by four to one. On July 19th, only 2 officers and 142 of the Brigade walked out of the Wood - and the Great War continued.
Carnage continues, little change from the Old Testament accounts but interesting in that the wars instigated by the Lord had different results than those instigated by men. Lots of scope for research, and my dear man will have cause for complaint if I work into the early hours. We live in interesting times, but they are times when we need wisdom more than ever, and the Wisdom of Proverbs 8 is worthy of exploration.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)

Blessings of peace, particularly of heart!

It's been a while!

Having had a short break, and benefiting by good sea breezes, it was good to sit for real Quiet Times! Yes, the sound of the sea was soothing and inducing for thought, and, as always, I could think of my Eternal Father, strong to save, whose arm doth bind the restless wave.
One of my insights came from Proverbs 19:8 in the NLT. To acquire wisdom is to love oneself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.
I had been thinking, "Who am I, that anyone would want to listen to me?"
I looked at the NIV. He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers.
I guess that is one type of prosperity teaching that appeals!
Care to join me?
Be blessed.

Not Ashamed

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. (Romans 1:16) I do sometimes feel ashamed of myself though, when I have been unable to make it clear to loved ones; to be the one who would help them understand the urgency of the message of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Then I remind myself that God hears my prayers, and it is not His will that any should be lost. The time will come ...
We are living in the last days, and there will be scoffers, even some we know and love, but The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2.Peter 3:9)
I have an urgency in my heart, and I am in the process of putting together some words that I trust will lead to better understanding, so - watch this space!
Who am I writing for? Who is listening out there? I trust the Lord will lead and reveal, for the work is not mine, it is His. I want to be His instrument, and while He is tuning me, I will continue practising, and praising Him for He hasn't finished with me yet.
I trust we will exalt His Name together!

Flight of Fancy - Fiction

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. Galatains 5;16,17
Thinking of these verses, I am reminded of a story I wrote some time ago, and having had a couple of hectic days, with all sorts of ideas buzzing in my head, herewith a fiction break while I pus thoughts in order. And remember that - The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 6:22,23.

Flight of Fancy.

It wasn’t a good day. I certainly didn’t feel like a long journey. I was feeling fragile, and in urgent need of TLC, something which was not likely to be forthcoming. I had left the house under a cloud of anger and accusation, and was wondering if it was all worth it, this marriage, my job, and all the peripheral things that took up my time and prevented me from being the person I wanted to be.

Why was it that when I was at my most relaxed and content, that  the unexpected happened, that a volcano of frustration and irritation erupted, spilling into a potentially quiet day and making it into a catastrophic disaster?

We had enjoyed an idyllic evening, Byron and I, watching a romantic comedy, and relaxing in intimate comfort while the children slept, miraculously free of nightmares, wanting water, or sudden loneliness. They had risen early, gone off to nursery school with happy faces, full tuck-boxes and excited anticipation for the day. We had cleared the breakfast things, and while Byron had prepared for work, gathering his laptop, and various document into his attaché case, I had made the bed and gathered the washing together.

It was as I was checking pockets that I found the bank slip. Why would Byron have drawn an extra R1000 when we had already exceeded our budget for the month? I knew he had an office function coming up but couldn’t imagine that he would need money for that. It would have been covered in the staff budget. We usually discussed any unexpected payments and it was unusual for him not to mention such an outlay. I was not unduly worried as our policy was strictly “ours” and not “his” and “hers”, so he would surely tell me eventually. It must have just slipped his mind. That was my idea, until he came into the bed-room and just about snapped my head off.

“Why can’t you leave this until I’m ready to sort it myself?” he exploded, snatching his shirt from my hands, and feeling in the top pocket. “Don’t tell me you have already thrown things away?” he continued, rifling through the papers I had laid on the vanity table.  He pocketed the bank transaction, and threw the till slips from his supermarket shopping for me, into the waste basket. “I wish you weren’t such a perfectionist” he growled. “There is such a thing as letting me clear my own pockets you know!”

Being struck dumb did not last long. I wasn’t accustomed to him yelling at me, and my defences were only temporarily out of action before I yelled back.

“How long should I wait, then? Until you’ve cleared the bank?”

He had obviously not realised that I had actually seen the withdrawal slip, for his face registered guilt before he retaliated with “Oh, so you’ve been snooping as well?”

Replaying it all in my mind now, I couldn’t believe that such an eruption could have gathered impetus as it did.  Before I knew what to say or how, we were both in a heavy argument about how I always want things my way, and then blame him if I don’t get what I want, and how he always takes it for granted that I will pick up after him, and how he cares more for his appearance on working days than on home days, and how I ignore him anyway when I am fussing over the house and the kids, It was scary, and I couldn’t remember when we had last had such a blow up. It just didn’t happen. We were a normally contented couple with laughing and joking together part of our life style. 

By the time I boarded the ‘plane for my short flight to Pretoria and the Women’s conference I was to attend on behalf of our church, I had a multi-faceted scenario running through my mind.  Byron’s mother was to stay at our place while I was away, to help with the bathing of the children and putting them to bed so that Byron could continue the research he was conducting, without distractions.  The conference was a three day affair, and I hated that we had parted in such anger. When could we make up, and did he even want to? He had stormed out of the house with a perfunctory peck on my wet cheek, and a “Hope you can sort yourself out while you’re away” parting salvo of self-righteousness, for of course, he had been innocent of any wrongdoing.

I wallowed in my pool of self pity, before taking note of the passengers filling the seats around me. I was on an aisle seat, and next to me, on my left, at the window of the small ‘plane, was an Indian gentleman whose body language was pronouncing “Leave me alone. I want to relax” for his eyes were already closed, seat belt strapped, and hands resting benignly on his ample paunch.  Resentment was colouring my vision, but I needed distractions, so began to mentally fill in backgrounds and scenarios for my fellow passengers. The lady in front, whose hairstyle poked aggressively above the seat proclaimed her youth and exuberance in life. Coloured in various shades of pink to purple, the spikes were gelled to symmetrical perfection, and I wondered whether the seat cover would withstand the stains that would surely be left on her departure. Probably a student, I thought, with pierced nose and toe rings, and a boy-friend tattooed from head to toe. Not having watched her alight I was unaware of the child seated next to her, now popping her head over the back of her seat and giving me a beaming smile just before the hostess came round checking seat belts. My ideas changed – there was a young, dark husband waiting for the return of his family after a visit to his in-laws. Or perhaps an aunt was returning her charge after a hectic and educational weekend break.  

Putting stories to the faces around me was always good therapy, and I continued my perusal of passengers through a text book perfect takeoff.

My therapy was working and Byron was receding to the back of my mind, as I looked across the aisle, one down from my row and a story was surfacing about the attractive grey-haired stranger, broad shouldered, sensual, well groomed and well dressed.

Now there was one good looking guy! He looked like a hot-shot business man, no doubt about it. He reeked prosperity and oozed charm. Probably in his early 40’s, not flamboyant, but striking. He had a fleshy face, not puffy or overweight, but strategically padded, over a solid frame body. He was too masculine not to be dangerous, and I noticed the broad wedding band on his left hand as he rested it on his knee. When he turned to smile at the hostess offering drinks and snacks, his profile was arresting and his charm tangible.   I guessed his masculinity to be dangerous, not to be trusted, and wondered if his wife knew where he was, and whether she ever harboured thoughts as I had experienced this morning, feeling a jealousy that had not previously surfaced. What if Byron had to go on business trips and leave me behind while he was enjoying camaraderie with smartly dressed and readily available single, career type ladies of whatever repute? The passenger next to him was identifiable as female only by coiled dark hair, fashionably twisted into an attractive tortoiseshell clip.

Thrusting Byron and his misdemeanours back from my thought mode, I put my fellow passenger into a supposed mid-life crisis where he would need the attentions of a young chick to perpetuate his youthful ego.

The wedding band was ornate, gold bordered by platinum, and definitely expensive. Was his wife a rich heiress whom he had married for her money? Was he able to pursue a life of ease relying on her gratitude for having such a handsome escort? Did she leave him to enjoy his philandering or was she prepared to sacrifice him on the altar of expedience? Was he perhaps her status symbol? Did he have a convenient political position?

Did she have her own dalliances to satisfy her frustrations or was she inclined to jealousy? Did she suffer through sleepless nights of wondering where he was? Was he really at a work caucus? Was it men only? Did he enjoy the felicitations or facilitations of a willing workmate? 

By the end of the flight, I had the man ready for execution, with all my sympathies directed at a poor, unsuspecting wife sitting forlornly at home, waiting for her errant husband to return and profess his love for her with a Judas kiss.

I had been unable to see past him, so was unprepared for the sight of an identical wedding band on the hand of the lady he solicitously helped out of the adjoining seat after the ‘plane landed. He had removed a smart trolley case from the rack above, and now took down a collapsible white stick and offered it caringly to his companion. She was a diminutive lady, with oriental features who smiled adoringly in his direction, and slowly they made their way to the exit. 

Mortified, I gathered my own luggage and reflected on my misguided assumptions. Perhaps Byron was right in his accusations that I was inclined to allow a suspicious or critical side of my nature to surface when I was angry or challenged.

By the time I reached the venue of the conference I was feeling suitably chagrined and guilt ridden.  Byron had not been given a chance to explain even if he had wanted to. If I was in the position I had placed my imaginary character of the handsome passenger’s waiting wife, what should my reaction be? Become the wife he wanted, patiently polishing the shoes he would wear when he walked all over me? Or would I be an Italian type volatile virago waiting to throw a Prima-Dona cadenza on his return? And there I went, off on a tangent again. Bringing my mind into focus, I thrust thoughts of Byron away in order to concentrate on the conference. By the end of the afternoon session I was calmer, and more charitably disposed towards him, looking forward to a refreshing shower, and the prospect of making a phone call to him later. Just to apologise and tell him he is much loved. 

The knock on my hotel room door called my attention to the time. Almost ready for the evening meal I assumed it to be a conference member calling for me. Opening the beautifully carved door, it was the perfume of the Roses arrangement that first caught my attention, then the smiling deliverer. Byron! He held out the card accompanying the bouquet. Trust I am forgiven, I read.

“It was supposed to be a surprise,” said Byron sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to bite your head off. Please forgive me, and let us enjoy the surprise evening I had planned, with the full co-operation of your convenor, I might add. I want you to know how special you are.”

His smile was deliciously Byron, my wonderful and devoted husband.  Perhaps my own was remotely oriental, reflecting the love and adoration I had seen on the face of a certain lady who had taught me a valuable lesson. 

When will I learn not to let my imagination run away with me?

Be blessed. Elaine.



Sweet Fellowship

So blessed tonight, having enjoyed our group fellowship meal. What a feast can be enjoyed when each one brings a little. 12 people sat and chatted, and I am reminded of that special passage in Hebrews 10:24,25.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and goood deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
It is so amazing watching events unfold in our lives, prophesies fulfilled, and as one of the group said this evening, we shouldn't be surprised at what is happening, because indeed, we see the Day approaching, but that means our deeds should be more urgent!
Be blessed, and be at peace.
In Him,
Elaine