I am with you

"I will never leave you or forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

Trust God - a reminder

 

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still
And with all who will trust and obey

Trust and obey, for there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey

Lyrics: John Henry Sammis (1846-1919)

Mission: Impossible?

 

Jesus replied, ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God.’ Luke 18:27

U is for Understanding

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6, New International Version

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7, New International Version

A New Thing...

‘See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.’

Isaiah 43:19 NIV

T is for Trust

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,

a stronghold in times of trouble.

Those who know your name trust in you,

for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 9:9-10 (NIV)

God’s a safe-house for the battered,

a sanctuary during bad times.

The moment you arrive, you relax;

you’re never sorry you knocked.

Psalm 9:9-10 (The Message)

Saturday Catch-Up - 23rd March 2019

Psalm 37: 1-6 (NIV)
Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.

God Has It All Figured Out

I'm reminded today of the words of Colossians 3:15, which says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.”

When we have that peace in our hearts, then naturally we’ll be at peace with other people. Which in my case is just as well. Things have a habit of going a little bit crazy in my life at the moment, it's hard to figure out quite what is going on.

But God has it all figured out. I need to trust Him.

We all need to trust Him.

If we don’t trust Him, then we'll always be anxious; always striving to manipulate others, to control them, to get what we want out of life. That's not a good way to live, is it?

So, give in to God. This means learning to say “Thy will be done” instead of “Me first.”

When you say this, that is when the peace process starts.

Just Hold On

The Lord's My Shepherd

The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me lie in pastures green.
He leads me by the still, still waters,
His goodness restores my soul.

CHORUS: And I will trust in You alone,
And I will trust in You alone,
For Your endless mercy follows me,
Your goodness will lead me home.

He guides my ways in righteousness,
And He anoints my head with oil,
And my cup, it overflows with joy,
I feast on His pure delights.

And though I walk the darkest path,
I will not fear the evil one,
For You are with me, and Your rod and staff
Are the comfort I need to know.

(Lyrics by Stuart Townend, based on Psalm 23. Sung at the meeting today)

Help Needed

"I don’t think there is anyone who needs God’s help and grace as much as I do. Sometimes I feel so helpless and weak. I think that is why God uses me. Because I cannot depend on my own strength, I rely on Him twenty-four hours a day." - Mother Teresa

H – Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.
Psalm 86:1 (NIV)

E – Establish my steps in your word.
Psalm 119:133 (NASB)

L – Let your compassion quickly meet our needs because we are on the brink of despair.
Psalm 79:8 (NLT)

P – Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
Psalm 16:1 (KJV)

Nothing is impossible with God...

With God there is always hope, no matter how bad things look. You've heard it before - nothing is impossible with God.

It might defy logic, but there are so many around who have proven it to be true. Whatever struggles you or I are facing at the moment, however difficult life looks, however impossible the situation seems, God loves us to bits - and wants to help.

Matthew 19:25-26 (MSG)
The disciples were staggered. “Then who has any chance at all?”
Jesus looked hard at them and said, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”

T is for Trust

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3 5-6

See, God has come to save me.
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
The Lord God is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.
Isaiah 12:2

Inside

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.

Psalm 40:1-3 (NIV)

Walking Through Life ... With Others

I've been reminded today that scripture frequently compares life to a walk. You can find a few of these references here.

Quite understandably. Life is a journey; one that lasts a lifetime. Like it or not, you're never sitting still for long. Enjoy the splendid views that you see, because circumstances will soon change and you'll be moving on again... Endure the rocky paths and harshness, because it's only for a short while. You'll soon move on.

And I get it. I am reminded that I need to walk every step of the way with my Lord. He will never leave me, or forsake me. Walk as He did. Tick the box - got that one.

However, the person whose blog I read today assured me that I'm also told to walk alongside other people.

And that's where he kind of lost me. Where I turned off the computer, and moved on.

Yes, it was the reference to the other people.

Yes, I know that it's safer to walk with others. It's scary to walk alone at night or down a lonely country road. So, if you are in a scary place, taking comfort in companionship through those difficult times surely is the right way. But I often feel unsure of others - until I really, really, get to know them. And that takes time.

Yes, I know it’s supportive. Walking through the problems of life with others keeps you going until you get to the end. But I often feel that these others aren't genuine - that they are using me somehow.

And yes, I know it's smarter. I can learn much more by being on the same path with others. They keep me on the right path, cheer me on when I'm flagging, even giving me a chance to help them when they have problems.

So, here's the bottom line.

Why do I find it difficult to trust others?

Because some of them have hurt me before.

I feel sad tonight.

Fake It Until You Make It

Do you know that phrase? Have you ever heard it? Is it true for you?

I hear it a lot in the City of London. I see it a lot, too. Some say that it's all to do with confidence, a form of therapy to assist you in getting on in life. Act like you belong - or like you have some ability that you don’t - and eventually you will figure it out, the doors will open.  An example of a positive feedback loop.

But isn't it all about being someone that you are not? Putting on a mask, trying to project an image of someone who you want to become, but aren't ... yet. Are you lying to the world - or lying to yourself?

I don't want to be 'fake'. I want to be myself - whole, complete, the person I am intended to be by God. Which is not necessarily who I want to be - it's who God wants me to be. Listen to this:

Galatians 6:3 (NIV)
If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.

I don't want to be 'fake'. I want to embrace who my Father in Heaven has made me to be. To be true to myself.

And so, that's more to do with 'faith' than being 'fake'.

It's about trusting God when things aren't going the way you want them to - not covering up and pretending that all is well.

And that's when it comes down to you and God.

If God has called you to do something, you need to be faithful in that. Be faithful in the small things that are open to you.  Trust Him. Give Him everything that you've got and eventually you will make it to the next level; a door will open.

In the Lion's Den

In our church, we have been looking once again at some of the more familiar stories in the Bible. You know, the stories that some of us may have been taught at Sunday School. But they still have plenty to teach us even now.

Last Sunday we looked at the story of Daniel - and in particular, the time when he was thrown into a den of lions (Daniel, chapter 6, if you'd like to look it up)...

I won't go into too much detail about what happened - I'll let you read the account for yourself - but I'll simply stress what a horrible experience it must have been to be thrown into such a dangerous place. Most of us aren't subjected to threats of death because of our beliefs (although I know some do, even today...).

However, you might already have something similar in mind. Your own personal 'den of lions', a part of your life when you have difficulty being true to yourself - there's danger. Where you run the risk of getting your head bitten off - or worse - every day.

Have you got what it takes to stand up for what you believe in? We can look to Daniel's story as an example to how to stand up for our beliefs, to be faithful.

The key is not to look at the situation - but keep your eyes fixed firmly on God. Focus your prayer time on God, on His authority. Keep putting your faith in God to see you through.

Fill Me

Yesterday was Pentecost: the birthday of the church. The anniversary of the day the Holy Spirit came. And we were reminded during our church meeting yesterday that you and I can often consider ourselves as small and insignificant. Just like an uninflated balloon. Lifeless, insignificant. Not much to look at.

However, if we take that balloon and fill it - just like God did to his people at Pentecost, filling them with His Holy Spirit - they can be transformed. They are fully rounded, beautiful to look at. They are filled with life.

But there's more that just an outward appearance. These balloons are also filled with power. Untie it and let the balloon go, and the power is released. With tremendous force. In fact, we never know exactly where the balloon is going to go, but we know it’s going somewhere.

And this is the part of yesterday's meeting that has particularly stayed with me. If we release a balloon, and it flies away, it can end up anywhere. The point is this: God did not fill those first disciples with the power of the Holy Spirit so that they could just stay behind locked doors. They were empowered by God’s Spirit to move out into the world in order to make a difference. It happened then. And it still happens today. 

When the power of the Holy Spirit is released in our lives, we may not always know where the Spirit is going to lead us. We just need to trust that it's where God's Spirit wants us to go. 

And unlike the balloon, we can be constantly filled and refilled with the Holy Spirit. Filled with power, filled with life.

Fill Me. 

Just Say - Yes

I've been thinking quite a bit this week about last Sunday's message at the Hall. We were looking at Philippians 2:5-13, and exploring why we should be saying 'yes' to God. The scripture passage can be found here.

The fact that we can even debate the matter, speaks of something about God. He does not demand blind obedience - He allows us freedom of choice. He doesn't want us as slaves.

Who does Jesus call? Why, ordinary people like you and me. He can use you, and God has a unique and special plan for each of our lives. Each of us has our own unique talents that God asks us to share with others. God values all of these. And God will not ask anything of us that we are not capable of doing.

Perhaps it won't be an easy path - I am reminded of the many who have suffered and died for their faith. For example, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu could have lived a very rewarding and fairly comfortable life in a convent, but at the age of 36 God asked her to consider another path, which led her to work with the “poorest of the poor” in India. He didn't command her to go there, but He asked and she said yes. It was hard work - she had very little support and, even while she tried to feed and help the poorest of the poor, she herself was constantly hungry and even had to beg for food. However, she persevered - and now everyone is aware of the legacy of the nun we now know as Mother Teresa.

Now, obviously, we aren't all called to do to heroic things like Mother Teresa, nor to give up our lives like the martyrs. Like I said, He doesn't promise an easy ride. He never tells us that it won't be risky. There will be things you'll have to give up, to leave behind.

What will your answer be?

We could say "no".
We could say "let me think about it and I'll get back to you".
We could say "sorry, I'm a bit too busy now, perhaps later".
We could say "I’d rather do something a bit easier".

But the answer He wants to hear ... is "yes".

It's A Wonderful Life - Really (part two)

Last time, I explored a little about how life can often get more than a little uncomfortable for a Christian. However, we are comforted by the fact that we don't face these things on our own...

Whoever said that following Jesus was going to be easy? Well, they were wrong. Those of us who follow the teachings of Jesus are called to be disciples. The term 'disciple' is derived from the Greek word mathetes, which means a pupil (of a teacher) or an apprentice (to a craftsman), And by necessity, a disciple undergoes discipline (it's from the same Latin word). That means commitment, and that means training.

This discipline doesn't mean that God is angry with you. Quite the opposite. Jesus became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21), so that we are no longer condemned (Romans 8:1).

No, this is more like military basic training. Combat situations are difficult to handle, so training has to be tough. You need to be prepared for all situations, Troops need to be ready to follow orders instantly -  it could save their life and that of their comrades.

Jesus can be just as relentless in his training. As mentioned last time, we may even be tempted to think that He is cruel because of the amount of pain He puts us through. Training can be hard - because life can be hard. He wants you to trust Him - in all things - at all times.

Think of a couple of experiences in your own life - the ones you learnt from most. How many of those experiences were comfortable? None, probably.  How often did you want to give up? How often did you wonder if it was worth it? How often did you get mad at your instructor for pushing you beyond what you thought necessary?

Some teachers give up on their students if they don’t get it after one or two attempts. In military basic training, those who can't hack it are forced to quit or are 'washed out'.

God isn't like that – He perseveres with us, no matter how long it takes us to understand his message. "They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness." (Hebrews 12:10).

He really does care for us. He wants us to be comfortable. He wants your ultimate comfort so much, that He will make you very uncomfortable in order to give it to you.

Does that make sense?