Take Us Back to The Foot of The Cross
April 14, 2017 by Leave a Comment
This coming week between Palm Sunday and Easter morning is known as Holy Week.
The most somber and reflective week on the church calendar. Perhaps the only time, during the year, that as believers we actually reflect on the awesome cost of our redemption.
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1 Peter 1: 18-19 18
Surely we should all ask God, especially during this holy week, to take us back to the place where we first believed, to the foot of the cross. To the place where we can identify with His sufferings that we might be partakers of His resurrection.
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1Peter 4:12-13
He was betrayed by a kiss, humiliated, spat upon, mocked, abandoned, not believed, wept in the Garden in prayer until he sweat blood, denied, lashed until He was almost dead, nailed to a cross which He had to carry, forsaken by His Father because He became sin for us, yet while hanging in excruciating pain between heaven and earth, He could cry out “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!”
Are we willing to count and pay the cost to be His disciple? As we are admonished in Luke 14:27 “Whoever doth not bear his cross and come after Me, cannot be My disciple” We must be willing to take up our cross daily and die to self if resurrection power is to flow through our lives.
The level of our meditative reflection during this holy week, will determine and intensify the fullness of our joy come Sunday morning when the stone is rolled away to reveal an empty tomb. Joy unspeakable and full of glory!
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Saint Patrick – Truth or Legend
March 17, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Since I was born in Aberdeen, Scotland and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, I had a personal interest to dig out some of the truths surrounding the man who brought the gospel to Ireland. The real Patrick has almost been lost under an avalanche of myth, legend and folklore.
Did you know that Patrick was not an Irishman?
His parents were Britons and Patrick was born near Dumbarton on the river Clyde in Scotland.
Did you know that he is not even a Saint?
At least not in the technical sense of the Roman Catholic Church, because he was never officially canonized. According to the encyclopedia Patrick “ passes as a saint merely by popular approval”.
Did you know that Patrick is claimed by Catholics and Protestants?
All we can say, whatever his affiliation, he was an evangelical preacher. Patrick is often said to be a man of One Book! He never appeals to the authority of any creed, ecclesiastical leader or council, but in his writings, few as they are, he quotes from 113 scriptures. It has been commented that from his constant emphasis on the Bible, that Patrick sounded like a 5th century Billy Graham, “ The Bible says, the Bible says.”
Did you know that Patrick ranks with the greatest missionaries that ever lived?
Perhaps second only to Paul of Tarsus (Raymond Edmoan, Moody Monthly magazine)
Did you know why the shamrock is so important to the Irish?
Patrick plucked a shamrock from where it was growing in abundance on the Irish mountainside, and used it as a lesson to teach his converts the mystery of the trinity.
From his early confession we learn that, at the age of sixteen, he was captured by a band of Irish pirates, who sold him as a slave to a Druid chieftain in Northern Ireland. Until his captivity Patrick had no real experience of God or salvation even though he had been raised in a Christian home, where his grandfather was a minister of the gospel. Here are his own words, “I was sixteen and knew not the true God, but in a strange land the Lord opened my unbelieving eyes and I was converted.” He realized that God in His mercy had allowed his captivity to take place so as to lead him to a new and better life. With the sufferings of exile had come the understanding of salvation. Finally after six years he escaped and returned to his family in Scotland. Something wonderful had happened to Patrick, he did not hate the Irish, but instead he had love for them.
He had seen the Druids in Ireland controlling the people, encouraging them to worship sacred trees, stones and even the sun itself. The Lord spoke to Patrick in a dream in which he heard, “ The voice of the Irish…We beg you, Holy boy, come and walk among us again.” He began to prepare to return to Ireland even though his family tried to persuade him not to.
In the year 432, Patrick returned to Ireland again, as a result of his obedience to the voice of God. From the 5th. to the 8th. century thousands had turned to Christ. Ireland became one of the great centers of Christianity in the world, not only of Christian holiness and virtue, but also of education because of monasteries all over the country. Thus Ireland has been named, “ The land of Saints and Scholars”.
The heathen Druid chieftain, whom he was sold to, became his first convert. His name was Dichu, and he offered Patrick, the pick of his land for the site of Patrick’s first church, situated high on the mountains of County Down, from where Patrick could see much of Ireland spread out before him. It was from here that Patrick carried out the great commission for the next thirty years of his life, where the influence of his ministry expanded to the mainland of Scotland, England and Wales and even much of Europe. Here he died and was buried on March 17th. 462 AD. Today you can still visit that first little church, even though 1500 years have passed since Patrick ministered there. The visitor can also visit his burial place on the grounds of the Protestant Cathedral of Downpatrick in County Down.
Let’s celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day by praying for the country that Patrick loved so much.
The Valentine card that changed Destiny
February 6, 2017 by 1 Comment
A young 19 year old girl while serving in the Women’s Royal Air Force in England and based at R.A.F. Hereford, which was the School of Catering for the Royal Air Force, met her destiny. With a base of 7000 men and only 200 women she was never shy of a date but as yet had not met her Mr. Right. Every 6 weeks there would be a new class of potential chefs brought in for training. At a fall dance on the base she won a twisting contest and met one of those trainees who not only won the same contest for the guys but also won her heart. From that night they saw each other most evenings for the next few weeks until his training was over and he had to return to his base on the other side of England.
This is where our story takes a turn as she waits to meet her Knight in Shining Armor at the canteen on the base to say goodbye as he is leaving Hereford the next day. Much to her embarrassment he doesn’t show and stands her up for all their friends to see.They try to console her but her anger overcomes her hurt.
The next morning at breakfast she had to sit in a different dining room as she was permanent staff and he had to sit in the trainee’s dining room. He sees her as she gets up to leave but doesn’t have the courage to face the tearful hurt in her eyes. He lets her walk away to a life without him as he boards the bus to take him hundreds of miles away.
But as Providence would have it, it was Valentine weekend, and to her chagrin she had already mailed him a Valentine card which of course she could not retrieve. When he receives her card back at his base he decides to take the risk to write and try to explain. His excuse for standing her up was that he didn’t want to have to say goodbye. Now who would ever buy that reasoning? Well she did and they have been married now for fifty two years!
That Valentine day was 55 years ago and John and I are still thanking God every February 14th. for His providence in our lives through the card that saved the day and our destiny in each other’s lives.
Psalm 78:41 Don’t limit the Holy One of Israel
CHALLENGE: Never underestimate the Providence of God in your life!
Thanksgiving is a Faith Builder
November 23, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Dear Child,
Entering My presence with thanksgiving will build the faith you need to present your requests before Me, and without that faith it is impossible to please Me.
Without thanksgiving you will not have that ever increasing faith to believe that I am a rewarder of those who diligently seek Me.
Because thanksgiving brings to remembrance My faithfulness in the past and feeds your faith.
But ingratitude produces a complaining heart drowned in self-pity which will quench your faith.
An unthankful heart will be excluded from My presence.
In My presence is joy unspeakable and full of glory, a place you can only enter through the gate of thanksgiving! Child, be thankful!
Thus saith Papa
My Jehovah Jireh
Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
1 Thessalonians 5:18-19 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit.
Counting our blessings and remembering His goodness and faithfulness in the past feeds and nourishes our faith BUT being ungrateful and complaining will quench our faith and gratify the weeds that the enemy has sown.
An attitude of praise is the result of a thankful heart.
Praise and thanksgiving are like Siamese twins i.e. they are inseparable.
Without thanksgiving we haven’t even entered the gate. Yet so often we try to offer praise in His court, and yet still find ourselves coldly on the outside. The only way into the warmth His presence is through the Gate of Thanksgiving.
So often we come to church with a heavy heart because of circumstances. But if only we would spend a few moments reflecting as we declare “I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old.” Psalm 77:11 it would give us an appreciative and thankful heart and our attitude would change, preparing us to enter the gate and into His courts with praise. As the Word tells us “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness”Isaiah.61:3.
Please note that I did not say our circumstances would necessarily change, I said our attitude to the circumstances would change. We will no longer be under the circumstances because our sacrifice of praise will raise us above those circumstances, and we will find ourselves spiritually seated in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Then in His timing we will see victory because He can work with those who praise Him. A grateful heart is a soft, pliable heart in the loving hands of the Master Potter. But hearts become cold and hardened when we murmur and complain.
Yes, it is hard when we are burdened and we just don’t feel like praising God.
But isn’t that what a sacrifice is all about? Something that is costing you! What is the cost? An act of our will to choose to offer Him a sacrifice of praise even when we don’t understand the “whys?” We are actually saying with that praise, “ God, I don’t know the future but I do believe that you hold my future and I trust you with the outcome.” We call that faith and without faith it is impossible to please Him.
CHALLENGE: May we all grow to the stature of the faith of Job who declared “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:” Job 13:15
Page 141 “DEVELOPING A SECRET HISTORY WITH GOD”
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