NB: from 21st September - 10th December I was on maternity leave. No "Thoughts for the Week" have been recorded on this web site during that period
Back to Home Page
Back to "Thoughts For Week" Main Page
December 2008
28th December 2008
21st December 2008
14th December 2008
Back to Top
September 2008
21st September 2008
14th September 2008
7th September 2008
Back to Top
August 2008
31st August 2008
24th August 2008
17th August 2008
10th August 2008
3rd August 2008
Back to Top
July 2008
27th July 2008
20th July 2008
13th July 2008
6th July 2008
Back to Top
June 2008
29th June 2008
22nd June 2008
15th June 2008
8th June 2008
1st June 2008
Back to Top
May 2008
25th May 2008
18th May 2008
11th May 2008
4th May 2008
Back to Top
April 2008
27th April 2008
20th April 2008
13th April 2008
6th April 2008
Back to Top
March 2008
30th March 2008
16th March 2008
9th March 2008
2nd March 2008
Back to Top
February 2008
24th February 2008
17th February 2008
10th February 2008
3rd February 2008
Back to Top
January 2008
27th January 2008
20th January 2008
13th January 2008
6th January 2008
Back to Top
‘“All things are lawful,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up .”' (1 Cor 10:23)
Very soon we will be welcoming in another New Year. At such a time we often make resolutions, which we hope will improve our next year on this planet. Have you thought about making any yet?
Today's verse highlights an important aspect of our freedom in Christ. We are warned that although our salvation is based on faith and not works (see for instance Gal 2:16) , what we do with our thoughts / words / actions can negatively impact our lives in Christ.
I believe that what we think / say / do can impact our lives in one of three different ways. Firstly, as already highlighted , it can negatively impact our lives in Christ ( and possibly the faith of others ). Secondly, it can have no impact on our lives in Christ – in other words we can encourage us to feel stagnant in our faith. Thirdly, it can build us up in Christ ( and possibly have a positive impact on the faith of others ). How has 2008 left you feeling in your walk with Christ? Falling behind, stagnant or growing in Christ? Whatever our current feeling, hopefully we are making some New Year resolutions that will build us up in our faith.
One of the New Year Resolutions that I encourage you to embark on is the “2009 Bible Challenge”. Regularly reading the Bible is definitely something that builds us up in Christ. This year's challenge comes from the “Every Day with Jesus Bible” which provides The Bible in 365 readings with daily devotions by Selwyn Hughes. If you like, you can buy one of these Bibles (which uses the text from the Holman Christian Standard Bible) from any Christian Bookshop. The benefit of buying the Book is it gives you the readings each day so you don't have to struggle to flick through your own Bible for all of the daily readings.
The beauty of the “2009 Bible Challenge” is that you can bite off as much or as little as you would like to chew. This is thanks to the table which provides four separate readings from different parts of the Bible. They include: Old Testament (OT), Psalms, Proverbs, & New Testament (NT) .
Examples of the 2009 Bible Challenges you might commit to include: if you would like to read through the OT in a year, you can just do the OT, Psalms, and Proverbs readings each day. OR , if you would like to read through the NT in a year, just do the NT readings daily. OR , you might like to only read through the Psalms in a year by just doing the readings in the Psalms column, and so on. Alternatively , you can do the lot (as I will be doing) . Whatever you like. I invite you to prayerfully consider how much of the “2009 Bible Challenge” you are going to commit to and get started this week.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? ” (Luke 1:41 – 43)
Two of the main characters in these verses are unborn children. John, who is thought to have been living for about 6 months in his mother's womb, and Jesus who had only been living for about 1 month in Mary's womb. Yet Elizabeth identified Mary as a “mother,” not a “mother to be.”
Sadly, the State of Victoria recently legitimised the late abortion of babies under the “Abortion Law Reform Bill 2008.” Seeking to sway politicians to vote against the bill and protect the rights of unborn children, I sent a number of letters in late August which included the following points:
‘… From a professional perspective, I need to be very conscious of identifying pregnant women as "mothers" from the time I know that they are pregnant. This is in part because if the child dies, through miscarriage or still birth, I need to pastorally care for them as “mothers” who have lost a “baby”, an irreplaceable life, rather than women who have lost a thing. This is the best way to help a woman (and her partner) to healthily work their way through the grieving process…
From a personal perspective, I am 31 weeks pregnant. From the time I knew I was pregnant (at 6 weeks) I have had to make daily decisions that impact the life of my child. At 14 weeks I could start feeling the baby's movements. At 20 weeks I knew the gender and name of my baby. I believe that my baby is a person who deserves to be respected as an individual with rights…. '
At Christmas time we reflect on the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus. I also invite you to thank God for the miracle of any other conceptions that have touched your hearts and lives.“ If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” (John 15:7 – 8)
It's great to be back! It's great to finally feel well and more stabilised with our new little family.
I spent most of the year feeling / being quite ill. This culminated in me unexpectedly finding myself in and out of hospital for both myself and Josiah, from September through to November. I'm glad that this part of the journey is over (no doubt, so is Josiah!)
Since our wedding in March 2005, Kieran and I had been praying that if it was God's will, that he would bless us with a child in his timing. Once we knew that I was pregnant, Kieran and I started praying for the holistic health of our unborn child. Our primary desire / prayer has been that Josiah will love, worship and glorify Jesus all his life. However, we have also been praying that Josiah will be blessed with good emotional, physical, mental and spiritual health. We continue to pray these prayers.
Today's verses talk about the importance of abiding in Jesus. Eugene Peterson in “The Message” paraphrases verse 7 as “…if you make yourselves at home with me [i.e. Jesus] and my words are at home with you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon.” The primary reason Jesus acts upon God-centred prayers is given in verse 8: so that God will be glorified.
Kieran and I thank God for answered prayer. Today we seek to publicly glorify our Triune God: Father, Son and Spirit. We thank God for the gift of Josiah and for his holistic health. We thank God for the rocky journey thus far that he has used to teach us much (As is God's habit with rocky experiences!) . We also thank you for your many prayers and we testify to God's answering of each one of them. Thus today we join together to celebrate this gift of new life and hope which comes from God.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more. I don't know what to choose. I could keep on living and doing something useful. It is a hard choice to make. I want to die and be with Christ, because that would be much better . But I know that all of you still need me. That's why I am sure I will stay on to help you grow and be happy in your faith. ” (Phil 1:21 – 25, CEV)
Paul could say some rather shocking things. Here he tosses up between the advantages of life and death, noting that the advantages of death make it seem the preferable option. However, he recognises that since this would be a selfish escape from his struggles, and that he is better to keep on going. My Study Bible makes the following note: “Using language and arguments common to philosophical debates about suicide, Paul contemplates the question: Life or death? Each has advantages. Living is Christ (v. 21) – that is, exaltation of Christ (v. 20), proclamation of Christ (vv. 18, 22), the presence of the Spirit of Christ (v. 19), but also suffering with and for Christ (vv. 13, 29). But dying is gain (v. 21) – that is, an end to Paul's struggles (vv. 17, 30) and a sharing in Christ's resurrection glory (3:21). Paul clearly prefers the latter (v. 23), but out of regard for the Philippians he chooses the former, and in so doing he provides a model – the first of several – of selfless behaviour” The New Interpreter's Study Bible, pp. 2101 – 2102)
For some life can seem so unbearable that they may start to prefer the idea of death to life. If they are a Christian, they can additionally feel burdened by guilt for having such thoughts. Knowing that God has allowed shocking thoughts to be expressed / recorded in his Word, by his faithful people, can provide company for those finding the circumstances of life to be unbearable. Naturally God is opposed to the action of suicide, but he understands the thoughts. God wants us, like Paul, to express our feelings, and move from any thoughts of death to life, trusting and rejoicing in him. He's keeping us here for a reason.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ I want you to know, beloved, that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ; and most of the brothers and sisters, having been made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the word with greater boldness and without fear .”
(Phil 1:12 – 14)
What an incredible example of putting a positive spin on negative circumstances! Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians from prison. He knew that many people were upset and anxious about his suffering for the gospel in such a way. At such times, understandable questions arise such as “ Why hadn't God protected one of his faithful servants from prison? ” Well… God didn't protect himself from prison. “Why didn't God protect Paul from suffering?” God didn't protect himself from suffering. So what did God do with Paul's negative circumstances?!
God used them to allow Paul to preach the good news to an audience that he would not have otherwise had access to. God also used Paul's example to inspire other Christians who were suffering from difficult circumstances to proclaim the gospel more boldly. In other words, God used Paul's negative circumstances to glorify himself. This gave Paul cause to rejoice.
Paul could have looked at his circumstances in a negative way. Instead he chose to look for the positives. He was a “glass half full” kind of a guy! What a challenge to us. I wonder how we're feeling about our circumstances at present? Are we dwelling on the negative? Or looking for God's positives? Are we testifying to our misery? Or glorifying God in spite of our understanding of the present?
I encourage each of us to thank God, in faith, for his workings in our lives at present irrespective of how things may be looking / feeling to us. (Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
7th September 2008“ No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us .” (1 John 4:12)
The introduction to commentary from “The Bible Still Speaks Today” series, on “the Message of John's Letters” delightfully notes: “…when the aged apostle John became so weak that he could no longer preach, he used to be carried into the congregation at Ephesus and content himself with a word of exhortation. ‘Little children,' he would always say, ‘love one another.' And when his hearers grew tired of this message and asked him why he so frequently repeated it, he responded, ‘Because it is the Lord's command, and if this is all you do, it is enough.'”
What does it mean to love one another? It means to perform acts of loving kindness for one another. This might include cooking a meal for someone who's too sick to cook for themselves. Or sending a card of encouragement to someone out of the blue. Or calling someone to let them know that you're thinking of them. Or driving someone to a Dr's appointment, and so on. I love the Message's paraphrase of 1 Cor 13:4 – 8a, which reminds us of the active nature of love. It reads: “Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, doesn't have a swelled head, doesn't force itself on others, isn't always “me first,” doesn't fly off the handle, doesn't keep score of the sins of others, doesn't revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts in God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end.”
Today is “Father's Day”. Ideally we thank God for our experiences of love given to us by our earthly fathers and / or father-figures such as that which the aged apostle John gave to his “little children.” However no one is perfect and men can let us down. Irrespective of our experience of earthly fathers and / or father-figures, today I encourage us to thank God for the love that he, our perfect heavenly Father, gives us.“ Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you .” (1 John 3:13)
Some argue that Christians should live lives that are free of persecution and / or suffering. This makes me wonder what Bible they read! My Bible is FULL of stories of God-fearing people, living in accordance with God's will, and suffering for it.
For instance, Jeremiah was a marvellous prophet of God who knew what it was to suffer. Those following the “Bible Challenge” will have noticed that last Sunday (24 th Aug), one of the readings was “Jer 37:3 – 39”. However there are only 21 verses in Jer 37! I made a mistake. I apologise. The reading should have been Jer 37:3 – 39:10.
We read in Jer 37:15 – 16; 38:6 a couple of incidents where Jeremiah suffered tremendously. “The New Interpreter's Study Bible” notes concerning Jer 38:6, “The literary detail of Jeremiah's sinking into the mud in the cistern suggests that Jeremiah has reached the height of suffering and humiliation” (p. 1115 ). Poor Jeremiah. He was a faithful servant of God going about God's business in accordance with God's word. But God did not spare him extreme suffering and depression (see for instance Jer 20:14 – 18 ).
I guess that's part of the reason people don't like to read all of their Bibles. There are some uncomfortable stories in there. We don't always appreciate reading about how wretched life can be. We naturally prefer to read passages of victory, joy, and security. However, focusing on these sorts of passages alone encourage us to have a lop-sided faith.
Life is not easy. It's a rollercoaster ride of highs, lows, and some smooth bits. However – there is also the possibility of occasional derailments. Faith in Jesus is the only hope we've got of avoiding / surviving those life changing occasions. God's Word gives us company for each part of the journey. The highs, lows, smooth bits and even the derailments. I encourage you to keep reading / persevering with ALL of God's Word.“ These people belong to this world, so they speak from the world's viewpoint, and the world listens to them.” (1 John 4:5, NLT)
One of the reasons John wrote his letter was to warn the church against heretical teaching. Amongst the lies being told to the congregation was the heresy that Jesus was not really fully human while he was on earth. The lies included: “[Jesus] only seemed to have a human form, and there were those who maintained that Christ's body throughout his earthly life was a phantom” (David Jackman, “ The Message of John's Letters” )
Today's world continues to be full of lies about Jesus and Christianity. For example, in recent years some people have taken the novel “The Da Vinci Code” to be a work of fact rather than fiction. This has caused them all sorts of unnecessary anxieties and / or excitements. Some Christians became quite fearful and / or angry about the perceived damage that reactions to the novel might cause. However the test of time has proven that God's word is a MUCH better seller rather than “the Da Vinci Code”! “The Da Vinci Code” was a book of interest to many in the world because it contains worldly ideas that people of the world enjoy hearing. That should be of no surprise to Christians, as verses such as the above remind us.
Worldly philosophies are embraced by worldly people. However, we are God's people, who embrace God's truth (found in his Word). God's truth frees us from unnecessary anxieties triggered by worldly ideas. We're reminded in John 8:31 – 32, “ Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. ” The way we distinguish between lies of the world and the truth of God is by continually reading and embracing the truths of Scripture. That's why we have things like Bible Challenges, Bible Studies, Bible Readings, Biblically based sermons etc. I urge you to continue getting to know God's truth by reading, embracing and living God's Word.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“We know that we are God's children, and that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one.” (1 John 5:1)
“ Little children … the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ” (1 John 4:4)
“for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4 – 5)
Sometimes we can feel as though we are exiles living in a foreign land. Satan's ongoing activity in our world can lead us to feel discouraged. In Australia and even the suburbs that we live in, Christianity can seem to be an ever decreasing religion. That's because it is. A look at the ABS website indicates that around 64% of Australian's identified themselves as Christians in 2006 (a drop from 73% in 1986). In 2001, less than 25% of Australians reported a regular participation in church/religious activities.
However, throughout Scripture we get the impression that God thrives on small numbers! For instance, in the Old Testament (including the bible reading for today's message) , when God's people were outnumbered they were forced to acknowledge that they were physically incapable of winning any battles. Thus they would throw themselves at God's mercy and acknowledge their dependence on him for victory. God would always magnanimously invite his people to participate in his victories, however it was all about God and his strength. Not the people and their strength. God is in the business of glorifying himself.
Wouldn't it be WONDERFUL to see a reversal in the trend of decreasing church numbers and experience a spiritual revival in Australia ? It requires a lot of prayer – acknowledging our dependence on God & his strength to win victories for his kingdom. Thank God we're small in number! It gives us the opportunity to rely on, witness & be a part of his miraculous power.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” ( 1 John 4:7)
This church is welcoming, warm, friendly and loving. It's a real blessing to be a part of such a loving church. I thank God for you.
Loving one another is one of the essential commands of Jesus (eg see Mk 12:31; John 13:35) . This is because it enables us to share a taste of God's love with one another. What an incredible gift to pass on.
God shares his love with us by acting in our best interests. Some times that means we get what we ask for, other times it doesn't. Our sinful nature means that we can be like sick little children asking our heavenly parent for things. Sometimes we ask for good things that will help our health to improve. Things such as medicine, water, a hug and so on. Other times we want things that will sustain or worsen our sickly state. The more we trust God, the healthier our prayers will be and the more likely it will be that we will receive what we ask for.
When we share God's love with others, it means that we seek to act in a way that has their best interests at heart. Sometimes this means doing things such as: visiting people, giving someone a welcomed hug, offering a listening ear, providing meals for someone who's struggling, sending someone a card to encourage them, praying for people, sharing a good joke with someone, and so on. Other times, loving others means refraining from doing things. This may include not visiting people who've requested space, refraining from hugging people who are not so “touchy feely,” respecting someone's right to remain silent on an issue they don't want to talk about, and so on.
God has ultimately proven his love for us in & through Jesus' life, sacrificial death, resurrection and ascension. We also experience God's love through the gifts of his Sprit (who is at work within us) , Scripture, prayer, and one another. Let's thank God for all of these precious love gifts.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ And this is what he has promised us, eternal life .” ( 1 John 2:25 )
What a beautiful promise! We read in Romans 10:9 “…if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Thanks be to Jesus, it is our faith in the good news of his death, resurrection and ascension that guarantees us the gift of eternal life in the perfect presence of God. Rom 6:23 notes “…the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
What will eternal life be like? We catch glimpses of it in passages such as Rev 7:15 – 17: “ the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. ” We read further good news about heaven in Rev 21:3 – 5: “…the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more… See, I am making all things new… these words are trustworthy and true.”
Thanks be to God, everyone in heaven will be without sin and exactly as God created them to be. We read in 1 John 3:2 “Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.” In other words, our identity in Christ will be perfected. Currently we are each on a journey with God's Spirit who is at work in us, helping us to become more like Jesus daily. In heaven, this journey will finally be complete. Hallelujah!
How exciting to have such a glorious eternal goal. Let's keep striving to be more like Jesus in preparation for our eternal destination.“Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world - the desire of the eyes, the prided in riches - comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.”
(1 John 2:15 - 17)
A group of us have been joining together on Sunday afternoons to work our way through the “Caring God's Way” course. The course, developed by Selwyn Hughes and Trevor Partridge, helps participants to grow in their relationships with God, self and others. It is an extremely biblically based course which is very down to earth and practical.
Each week we have five days worth of homework to complete. The homework following on from Week 6's DVD includes an exercise which identifies “wrong beliefs” and invites participants to correct them with “right beliefs” based on Scripture. One of the “wrong beliefs” identified in the work book is, “My work is so important to me, I love it, it gives me such a buzz and I really enjoy the fruit of my labour” (p. 229) . The implication of this belief is that the person finds their work to be all-consuming. It is their work that gives them their sense of purpose and identity in life. They live, breath and dream work.
Naturally, nothing should consume us more than our love for God. Today's verses highlight the fact that our love for things in this life is only temporary, compared to our relationship with God which should be eternal. So we should not love the world or things in it. My NRSV study notes helpfully clarify: “ World is not the physical earth but the realm of evil [which] is temporary, while obedience has eternal consequences.”
It is important to regularly ask ourselves whether or not there is anything more central to us than our relationship with God. A helpful question might be: “Is there anything, or anyone , that I do not think that I could bear to live without?” Ideally the only response to this question will be “my relationship with Jesus.” However, other possible answers might include: a significant relationship, work, financial status, a major possession such as a house, a central hope / expectation such as finding the ideal life partner and so on. For me, I have often told Kieran that he is not allowed to die before me because I hate the thought I having to redefine myself without him. However I know that my relationship with God needs to be more important because it is in Christ that I find my true identity and reason for being. Without God I am nothing of value, but with God I am all he wants me to be and that is all that truly matters. So my relationship with God has to be the thing that I invest the most time in. All else falls in place behind that.
What has a greater hold on you? God or the “world”? I invite each of us to rededicate our lives to Jesus today, seeking afresh to do his will and rest secure in our eternal hope in him.“…whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says, ‘I abide in him,' ought to walk just as he walked.”
(1 John 2:5 - 6)
The other day, I received a letter from my health care fund. They're stating a pilot program entitled “From Dot to Tot”. It's a new program that they're trialing which will provide extra services and gifts for eligible women to support them throughout their pregnancy and the first couple of years of their child‘s life. The program sounds quite good and is free at least while in trial stage.
To participate in “From Tot to Dot” I had to firstly receive the letter, then read the letter, next I had to decide what to do in response, and finally I completed the application and sent it off. Using this as an analogy, today's verses remind us that we need to firstly, receive God's Living Word, then read Scripture, next decide what to do in response to what we read, and finally act accordingly. When we take these steps, we are assured that God's love has reached perfection in us. My NRSV study notes helpfully clarify “… Perfection of the love of God is not moral excellence but the supreme form of obedience.”
When we read about the importance of “abiding in God” within 1 John, this refers to having a close relationship with God. We do this by spending time reading, meditating upon and living out God's Word. We also do it by spending quality time with God in prayer seeking not only to talk to him, but also to listen. Additional devotional materials, such as books, DVDs, retreat programs and so on, can further help us to ‘abide in God'.
I love the imagery of ‘walking just as Jesus walked.' I have a beautiful devotional book called “Where Jesus Walked”. It a generously sized coffee table book that shows pictures of “where Jesus walked.” The stunning photographs (taken by Ken Duncan) are accompanied by various scriptures and devotional comments. It adds another dimension to my reflections on Scripture, understanding of Jesus and how I can better walk (or abide) with him.
This week I encourage each of us to do something extra to help us to be more obedient to the teachings of Jesus in order that we might walk just as Jesus did. With the Spirit's help, let's take practical steps to work on our thoughts, words and / or actions in a new and inspired way this week.“…God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. … If we walk in the light… we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:5, 7)
I have decided to do a series of “Thoughts for the Week” from the book of 1 John. It's a letter that provides encouragement and challenge. Important themes include: our triune God, love and truth.
The other week I wrote an article about Jesus who is the light of the world. Today's verses build upon that theme. Walking in the light implies that we are seeking to grow and live in the light of God's Word. The more we know of Scripture, the better a picture we develop of who God is and how he wants us to live. Our increasing knowledge and resulting obedience helps us to ensure that we are continuing to “walk in the light“.
Walking in the light also means that we have an increasing awareness of God's love for us. As we grow in our appreciation and experience of God's love, we become better at sharing that same love with others. So it is our love for others that shows we are children of God (read the whole book of 1 John) . And the blood of Jesus cleanses God's children from their sins.
What does it mean to love others? It means seeking to have their best interests at heart. This reminds me of the wedding vows that I wrote for our wedding. Our “Personal Vows” included the words “ I promise to do my best to model Christ's love for you, to you and with you; respecting and tenderly caring for you, seeking to have your best interests at heart …and to encourage your growth in Christ. ”
Certainly it is important for each of us seek the Spirit's help to become increasingly like Jesus. It is Jesus' love, ultimately demonstrated through his sacrificial death on the cross, that we seek to model to others. This helps each of us to grow in our knowledge and experience of Christ's love. Let's pray that God will help us to walk in his light this week.“...the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Rom 8:26 – 27)
Often my Link articles arise from things I've noted in my journal as I've been reading through Scripture. That's why there have been a few from the Old Testament during the first half of this year! This week I was praying that God would help me to write my article and the verses above came to mind. I wrote out the verses, then had a little giggle at the irony. I had been praying for insight and my verses were about the Spirit praying on our behalf in order that God will give us what we truly need. Perhaps God's Spirit is wanting some advertising!
Jesus told his disciples that they would be receiving the gift of his Spirit after he had left them (see John 14:15 – 31) . In fulfilment of this promise, we read of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (see Acts 2:1 – 13) . Some of the names that the Spirit is known by include: the “Advocate” or “Helper” (John 14:16) , “the Spirit of truth” (John 16:13) , “Holy Spirit” (John 14:26) and “the Spirit of God / Christ” (who dwells within us – Rom 8:9) .
However, the above is one of my favourite images of the Spirit. I'm eternally grateful that the Spirit prays on my behalf. There are times that we struggle to find the right words in our prayers to God and thankfully we don't have to. At such times we gain comfort from the thought of God's Spirit interceding for us in ways that we cannot express. What an incredible gift. Thus, at times in my prayers I praise my “Fervent Intercessor”!
We often ask others to pray for us, but when was the last time you asked God's Spirit to pray for you?“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
I used to belong to a church which had a space down stairs that was great for social gatherings such as bush dances and movie events. The bottom half of the room was submerged underground. To compensate, the top half contained MANY windows which allowed the light to shine in brightly. As a result it was a cheery, airy room. But if we were having a film screening in the afternoon, the windows would be covered with a thick black cloth to darken the room and create a cinema atmosphere.
We can be a bit like this semi submerged basement because we are immerged in a dark world. However, when we become Christians, the thick black curtains are removed and the windows fly open and allow God's Spirit to breathe new life in to us. The darkness within our soul becomes bathed in Christ's light and we are liberated from our bondage to Sata n's power. We're reminded in Eph 2:1 – 2: “ In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. 2 You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn't obey God” (CEV) .
Sadly, over time we can find ourselves focusing more on the darkness, and less on the light. We believe an increasing number of the lies that Satan inflicts upon this world. These lies can infiltrate our being and block out the light of Christ – if we let them. One by one our windows close and the thick black curtains are reinstated. If we're not careful, we'll find all the windows closed and blocked – which means we're back to rejecting the good news of Christ and losing our salvation. To avoid this, we need to remain close to Jesus. We do this in various ways such as prayer, meeting with other believers for the purpose of encouragement in Christ (see Heb 10:23 – 25) , and reading God's Word which illuminates our heart, spirit and mind – ensuring the curtains are off and the windows open.““Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” ” (Ecc 1:2, NIV)
A few years ago I read a book called “Brainsquall” by Jim Cotter (a British, Anglican Minister) . In it Jim “…recounts in great depth a period of profound depression, describing how the ‘brainsquall' first occurred, how it progressed, and finally his recovery.” It's a book that provides insight, encouragement and hope for those who've experienced depression or desires to support someone else through it. I suspect that not everyone would share my positive view of the book. Some might find it depressing.
Ecclesiastes is a book that some find depressing and others find liberating. This is partially because there are MANY different ways of understanding the meaning of Ecclesiastes. It's prompted divided interpretations by Biblical Scholars throughout history. Personally, I find it to provide company for some of the darker moments of life. I believe that the philosopher (or “teacher” pending your translation) was acquainted with depression. At times he seemed to think that there was little point to anything (which is a symptom of depression) . Then at other times he seemed a little more positive about life. It is interesting that at no point in the book does God interject and tell the philosopher to “snap out of it!” (as God effectively did in “Job”) . Ecclesiastes simply seems to record the philosopher's “brainsquall.” It's not a book that encourages us to think this way… but it does encourage those acquainted with thoughts of such a nature to feel affirmed in their identity as God's child, and not give up hope.
A frequently used Hebrew word in Ecclesiastes is transliterated as “hebel.” Ironically, the enigmatic nature of “hebel” makes it a tricky word to translate into English. It can mean, “vanity” (NRSV), “meaningless” (NIV), “nonsense” (CEV), “useless” (GNB), “futile” (CSB), “mysterious,” “incomprehensible,” “enigmatic”. At Bible College , my wisdom literature class decided to start using it whenever anything had us stumped, “Ah, it's hebel!” we'd say. In other words, ‘who can make any sense of it?!'
There is much in life that we cannot make any sense of. Thankfully we're not expected to be able to make sense of everything “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are my ways my ways, says the LORD” (Isa 55:8) . Sometimes we need to acknowledge that things are “hebel,” let them go and trust in God for the outworking of his good purposes. I encourage you to have a fresh look at the book of Ecclesiastes and be heartened in your journey through the more perplexing moments of life.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
This week we consider Jonah 4 which provides an example of extreme anger. Below are some verses from Scripture on the topic of anger…
“Fools show their anger at once, but the prudent ignore an insult.” (Prov 12:16)
“Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but one who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” (Prov 14:29 and 15:1)
“Those who are hot-tempered stir up strife, but those who are slow to anger calm contention.” (Prov 15:18)
“One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and one whose temper is controlled than one who captures a city.” (Prov 16:32)
“Those with good sense are slow to anger, and it is their glory to overlook an offense.” (Prov 19:11)
“Make no friends with those given to anger, and do not associate with hotheads, or you may learn their ways and entangle yourself in a snare.” (Prov 22:24 – 25)
“A fool gives full vent to anger, but the wise quietly holds it back.” (Prov 29:11)
“One given to anger stirs up strife, and the hothead causes much transgression.” (Prov 29:22)
“For as pressing milk produces curds, and pressing the nose produces blood, so pressing anger produces strife.” (Prov 30:33)
“Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.” (Eph 4:31 – 32)
“You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness.” (James 1:19 – 20)
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. ” (Matt 18:15)
One of the things noted over the two days the BUV's recent “Gathering,” on the topic of “Leading Healthy Congregations,” was the destructive nature of gossip. We may introduce gossip as follows “Don't tell them I said this but….” Information that we share as an anonymous comment with someone (who we may encourage or hope will pass it on) is gossiping. It damages us, those to whom we are speaking, and the church. In his book “40 Days of Purpose”, Rick Warren notes: “… listening to gossip is like accepting stolen property, and it makes [us] just as guilty of the crime .” Listening to gossip encourages the speaker to continue. It also invites opinions of the third party to be negatively influenced. Prov 20:19 warns us to keep away from gossipers. At the very least, we need to lovingly inform others that we don't want to hear anonymous comments.
When we are upset / angry with someone, we need to prayerfully reflect on why we are feeling this way. If we believe someone has injured us, we need to seek Jesus' help to speak directly to them, motivated by his loving desire for reconciliation. If we are afraid / nervous etc of speaking alone with the person we're struggling with, we need to seek Jesus' help to identify someone who can attend the meeting with us, acting as Christ's loving ambassador also seeking reconciliation. If our motivation is simply a desire to vent – we should vent to Jesus, trusting him with the situation, rather than burdening another unnecessarily with our harsh words.
I recently informed the deacons that I do not want to hear any anonymous comments. It is hurtful and / or unconstructive to be told something from an anonymous source. No clarification can be directly sought from the anonymous source to you or visa versa. The BUV wisely urges our churches to stamp out the destructive power of anonymous comments. Let's seek the Spirit's strength to make our church a gossip free zone.“ [Jesus] answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)
As mentioned at last week's Church Meeting, for positive, personal reasons, Karen is having an indefinite break from her role of “Pastoral Carer” at the church. It was noted that she should be applauded for her wonderful work in this role. Many people will miss her calls, visits and listening ear during her break. This encourages each of us to become more actively loving, particularly at this time.
Throughout God's word we are commanded to love others. See for instance, Lev 19:18, Rom 13:9 – 10; Gal 5:14. Our love demonstrated to others is to be a practical kind of love, as described in 1 Cor 13:4 – 8.
Sadly, some Christians fall in to the trap of mistakenly thinking that it's only the Pastor and / or Pastoral Carer's job to care for others. Naturally there are times that a Pastor comes along side those who are hurting because they have specialised training to do so. E.g. in preparation for “cycle of life” events such as dedications, funerals, weddings, baptisms and so on.
During my time as interim Pastor to the Pastoral Carers at Heathmont Baptist Church , I was introduced to the course “Caring God's Way” by Selwyn Hughes and Trevor Partridge. It was a course that people, particularly those wanting to become “Pastoral Carers,” were encouraged to commit too in order to more confidently and actively love and others. I was delighted to work through it and discover that it is one of the most succinct and all-inclusive Pastoral Care courses that I've ever encountered.
I will be running the six week course on Saturday afternoons, starting 14 th June at 2:00pm . The Saturday afternoon training sessions will run for approximately 2.5 hours. The time will comprise of group discussions, DVD presentations, and breaks. Each participant will receive a workbook that will require a commitment of 45 – 50 minutes each day for five days a week throughout duration of the course . For each of the five days the workbook contains a study that commences with a Bible reading which is followed by various Scripture references and questions that you will need to write answers to. Each study concludes with a prayer. The homework reinforces the learning of the Saturday afternoon workshops. The information, questions, and practical assignments are thought–provoking and helpful to self / spiritual growth.
Would you please prayerfully consider attending this course? Let me know if you feel led to join us as I need to ensure that I have enough workbooks in stock for those who will be committing to this God glorifying and body-of-Christ building six week course.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ Let everything that breathes praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD! ” (Psa 150:6)
According to my NRSV Study Bible, a transliteration of the Hebrew for “Praise the LORD” is “ halelu-yah ” (hence the English expression “hallelujah!”). “ Halelu ” is an instructive command to Praise . “ Yah ” is a shortened form of “ Yahweh ” which is Hebrew for LORD!
Another Hebrew word for “Lord” found in Scripture is “Adonai”. Ann Spangler, in “ Praying the names of God, ” notes the difference. “Yahweh” is generally translated as “LORD” (all capital letters) in the Old Testament. It carries with it the sense that God is the LORD of all. Yahweh is the Almighty in whom we place our confidence. The Creator for whom nothing is impossible. An example of an occurrence of “Yahweh” is found in Amos 4:13, “ For lo, the one who forms the mountains, creates the wind, reveals his thoughts to mortals, makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth – the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name! ” So when we are afraid, we might pray to “Yahweh” – reminding ourselves that God is far greater than anything we are afraid of. “Yahweh” can be trusted with ALL of our fears.
“Adonay” is generally translated “Lord” (a capital “L,” the rest in lower case) . It carries with it the sense that God is the authority to whom we need to submit the entirety of our being. An example of an occurrence of “Adonay” is found in Psalm 16:2, “ … “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” ” We need to recognise our dependence on God and his will for our lives. When we fail to seek God's will, we fail. Thus at times we pray to “Adonay.” In this way, we are acknowledging that God's will is best so we want his help to both discern and submit to it.
When we praise God in our prayers, I encourage us to meditate on the different names that the LORD of hosts has given us through his Word to help us to know and glorify the rock of our salvation.“… I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing .” (2 Sam 24:24)
King David was a man after God's own heart (see for instance, Acts 13:22) . However, like all of us, he had his moments. On one occasion (read 1 Chron 21:1 – 27) , David's sin involved the nation of Israel . God's resulting anger was so great that David was given the choice of three punishments. The punishment that David chose was 3 days pestilence throughout the land. This resulted in the death of 70,000 Israelites.
David begged God for the pestilence to cease. He did this by building an altar to the Lord on the spot where the prophet Gad instructed him to do so. This “spot” was owned by Araunah, who offered the property to David free of charge. David's response is recorded in 2 Sam 24:24 (see above) .
What a challenge to 21 Century Christians! Society generally encourages us to choose the option that will cost us the least (particularly in the short- term). E.g. Surgery is offered as viable option for people wanting to lose weight. We drive to work / school instead of riding a bike / walk (myself included!) . We have remote controls to save us from the inconvenience of having to move to press a button. (NB, in none of these examples am I referring to cases where people are physically unable to take a more taxing option.) We watch films instead of read books. Children are babysat by electronic games / visual media instead of being encouraged to create / interact with others etc. People generally seem to be encouraged to do / produce more at a lower quality rather than to do / produce less at a higher quality . We often prefer the cheapest option to the more costly option – irrespective of the long term cost / gain.
This attitude seems to pervade our churches too. It can be easy to fall in to the trap of being motivated by the sub-conscious thought: “what can I do for God that inconveniences me the least?” Rather than “how can I show my love for God by doing for him what is sacrificial for me at present?”
In her book “ When God Weeps ” (by Joni Eareckson Tada & Steve Estes) , Joni notes that “God is pleased with praise, but he swells with joy when the praise he breathes has the aroma of a sweet-smelling sacrifice” (page 109). Joni goes on to use the following example:
“Let's say a woman with arthritis in her hands embroidered a set of pillowcases for you. The gift would probably mean more to you than if sewn by a woman with nimble fingers. Why? Because the arthritic woman expended extraordinary effort. Her gift involved cost and sacrifice. You'd weigh the extra hours she invested, the frequent breaks she took to rub her knuckles, the pain she endured with each tiny stitch. Most likely, you would be moved to tears. Her suffering “glorified” her gift, making it more valuable in your eyes” (p. 109) .
God has blessed us with the gift of free-will, however our free-will is tainted by sin. As a result, suffering naturally impacts our lives to various degrees in a whole range of ways. One person's suffering may be another person's paradise and visa versa. None of us have the knowledge or right to judge another person's level of suffering, or compare our suffering to theirs. But we do judge our personal level of suffering. And when we suffer, our sacrifice of praise comes at a greater cost than it does when life is going well. Praising God at such times is a sweet smelling gift to God.
Praising God when we are suffering causes us to shift our focus from our problems to God. Initially it can seem costly to praise God when a more human response would be to feel sorry for ourselves. However in the long-run lifting our focus out of our problems and on to God is MUCH more uplifting and healing for our souls.
The spot that David purchased from Araunah to build an altar to the Lord ended up being the site of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem . That which had a personal cost, became spiritually significant in the life of God's people. God often blesses us in unexpected ways when we sacrifice to him the things that we find costly to give. For instance, we may sacrifice our time by praying more, reading God's Word more, looking for ways in which God is at work in our community and seeking to get involved with him in those areas and so on. Or we may sacrifice our pride , or our need to control , or our tongues to God. E.g., we might promise God that we will spend 1 hour ONLY vocalising positive statements of praise about God and his Creation, refusing to say ANYTHING negative or even neutral during that time. Perhaps we need to sacrifice our finances to a missions project or something (but I don't advocate being like my friend whose family needed to seize control of her assets because she was giving away so much that she had nothing left to live on!) . We may sacrifice our self-interests by doing our best to quieten our own thoughts and seek to listen to God in prayer – rather than praying “at” God. What costly sacrifice will we offer God this week?
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit.” (Jer 17:7 – 8, New Living Trasnlation)
In 1906 Dorothea MacKeller wrote the poem “I Love a Sunburnt Country.” The final line of the stanza that starts with this famous line notes “The wide brown land for me!” However I suspect that many in our drought ridden country are currently hoping for a rain-drenched land abundant with green pastures instead! Our barren land thirsts for life-giving rain.
Similarly, our souls thirst for life-giving water. In Jeremiah 17:13 God is identified by two different names. One being “Hope of Israel” (in other words, ‘God is the Hope of his people') and the other name being “fountain of living water.” Naturally the second name for God reminds us of Jesus' words in places such as John 4:14 “… those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life .” Faith & an intimate relationship with Jesus is the only way we can truly quench our thirsty souls and be guaranteed eternal life. The Lord Jesus is our hope.
Jeremiah 17:7 – 8 (see above) notes that people who trust in the LORD, making him their hope and confidence, are blessed. Ann Spangler notes: “Hope is the great stabilizer. It steadies us in times of difficulty, not because we know that everything will turn out as we want but because we know that God is trustworthy. Hope is what helps us stay on course regardless of circumstances… We exercise our hope when we endure patiently. We nurture our hope when we read God's Word” (“Praying the names of God,” p.267) . In these ways we also quench the thirst of our souls and become like the trees mentioned in Jer 17:8. Let's invite Jesus, our hope, to quench our thirst today.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ Seek the LORD and his strength;
seek his presence continually .” (Psa 105:4)
Everyday we “seek” things. For instance, we may seek things at the shops that we have written on a list, e.g. groceries . Or we may seek the answer to a question, either great or small, that perplexes us. We may seek to meet a deadline: whether it be imposed by others (e.g. an essay or work deadline) , or by ourselves (e.g. the desire to have dinner ready by a certain time) . We may seek to find a lost object, e.g. keys or a remote control . At times our search will be long, at others it will be short. At times we will do whatever it takes to find the thing that we seek. At others we'll do a quick search and if we can't find what we're after, we let it go. Hopefully, most times our seeking will be fruitful. But at times it won't.
Psa 105:4 reminds us that we should seek the Lord and his strength. The ways in which we seek God and determination with which we do it, reveals something of God's level of importance in our lives. Do I bother to seek God daily? Or do I only hope to find him on Sundays? In what ways to I seek God? Through the reading of his Word? By looking for glimpses of his image in others? By spending times with him in prayer? By looking for signs of God's activity in my world and seeking to work with him?
How determined am I to find God? Do I spend time daily in his presence, focusing only on him until I sense that I have found & connected with God at the core of my being? Is it important to me? Do I notice it making a difference to my life? In what ways do I pray? E.g. verbally, in writing, through action, when in nature, in community etc ? How do I best pray?
Psa 105:4 reminds us that we should not just seek to find God on a Sunday, nor should we limit our seeking of God to a specific time each day. Instead we should practice the art of seeking God's presence continually. Brother Laurence wrote an excellent booklet on this topic called “The Practice of the Presence of God.” I encourage us all to read (or re-read) it and commit ourselves afresh to seeking God's presence continually.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ David was in great danger; for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in spirit…. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God .” (1 Sam 30:6)
What a fascinating story we find in 1 Samuel 27 – 30. David was on the run from Saul, so he decided to get as far away from Saul as he could. He did this by settling in the land of Saul 's enemies: the Philistines. David ingratiated himself with King Achish of Gath (thought to have been the capital city of Philistine ). King Achish allowed David to settle in the town of Ziklag . A number of people who supported David escaped Israel and joined David in living in Ziklag (within Philistine).
One day, David and his men went to join King Achish and his forces to fight at Jezreel in Issachar (part of Israel ) . Achish was (mistakenly) convinced of David's loyalty, but members of his army were not. This resulted in David and his men being sent back to their homes.
When David and his men returned to Ziklag, they discovered that it had been raided by the Amalekites (whom God had ordered Saul to destroy) . They had burnt down the town and taken away all of the men's wives and children. The men were so impacted that after an outpouring of grief they got mad and decided to stone David.
David could have got angry at God for allowing this to happen. Or he could have tried reasoning with the people. Or he could have immediately sought revenge against the Amalekites. He could have done any one of a number of things… but instead the above verse informs us that he chose to “ strengthen himself in the LORD his God .” Primarily through prayer. My Tyndale commentary on 1 & 2 Samuel suggests that perhaps verses such as Psalm 25:16 – 17 were composed on such an occasion.
What is our first response to a crisis? Do we immediately turn to God for strength? Or do we react in less positive ways? Let's take a leaf out of David's book and seek to strengthen ourselves in the LORD our God today.“O my strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love .” (Psa 59:17)
Things started getting a little bit exciting in our Bible Challenge! We're starting to compare all sorts of parallel stories and writings in the Old Testament. For instance, we've started reading Palms that David is thought to have written during the stressful periods of his life recorded in various chapters of 1 Samuel. Reading these Psalms in the light of the events that are thought to have provoked them, helps to give individual Psalms a little more meaning a depth.
The above verse comes from Psalm 59 which is thought to have been written in response to the events of 1 Samuel 19:1 – 17. David was fearing for his life with good reason. Saul wanted him dead, and David didn't feel as though God was helping him out of this undesirable situation. In fact, David felt that God was sleeping on the job! This is indicated by David's words in Psalm 59:4 – 5 where he demands God “rouse” himself (v.4) and “awaken” (v.5). Yet, in spite of his feelings of abandonment, and in spite of David's fear for his life, he describes God as being his “strength” & “fortress” (v.9), “shield” (v.11), “mighty” & refuge” (v.16). He does this because he has experienced these aspects of God's character in his history with God. So even though David did not feel that God was being these things for him at that time, in faith he proclaimed God in these ways.
There are times that we need to proclaim what we know of God's character in faith. Our feelings about our current circumstances may not reinforce what we have experienced of God's character in the past. But that does not change who God is. Instead of focusing on our feelings and undesirable interpretations of events, we need to remind ourselves of who God is by reading his Word, allowing ourselves to be encouraged by other Christians, remembering our journey with Christ that has brought us thus far, and so on. Let's proclaim God's goodness today!
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray. ” (Luke 5:15 – 16)
Some of my favourite verses about Jesus in the gospels are the ones such as the above which remind us of Jesus' need to regularly withdraw from crowds and spend quality time alone with God. As an introvert by nature I particularly relate to this need of Jesus'.
Luke 5:15 – 16 is a particularly surprising example of Jesus' need to withdraw and spend quality time with God. In verse 15 we read of Jesus' increasing fame (no surprises there) . Then in verse 16 we don't read that Jesus responded to the people by giving them what they wanted – that is, continuing to preach / teach and heal their diseases. Although these seemed like reasonable demands, we surprisingly read that Jesus instead responded by withdrawing to deserted places and praying. My Luke commentary by John Nolland notes that this is because Jesus' primary mission was not to be known as a good preacher and healer of diseases. Instead we recognise that Jesus' mission on earth was to proclaim and fulfil the good news of the Kingdom of God (e.g. see Luke 4:43) . It wasn't the last time that humanity's agenda clashed with God's agenda!
Jesus tells us all to spend time alone with God, whether we are introverts or extroverts by nature. E.g., we read in Matt 6:6 “ But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father… ” Spending quality time alone with God enables us to gain the wisdom, strength and determination that we need for living God's way daily. Naturally we each need to spend regular quality time alone with God.
For me, my ‘quality of life' varies in accordance with the amount of quality time I spend alone with God. Let me use an analogy… if I buy fast food, I save time preparing / cooking meals. This means that I have more time for doing other things. However, it costs me financially, and is detrimental to my health and waistline. So I need to make daily decisions about what is more important to me. My time? Or my health / weight / finances?
Neglecting to spend quality time with God is like eating fast food. It may save me some time. But it has a detrimental impact on my quality of life (including my spiritual and emotional state) and on my ministry. In my opinion, a person in ministry who neglects to spend regular quality time with God is not much of a minister / ambassador of Jesus at all. You can't minister well without being plugged in to the power source – who is God. If Jesus, who is perfect, needed regular quality time alone with God while on earth, to ensure the success of his life / ministry / mission… then how much more do we, who are imperfect, (whether in formal ministry or not) need to spend quality time alone with God to ensure the success (as defined by God) of our life / ministry / mission.
All of us have the generic mission of glorifying God and spreading the good news of Jesus through our actions and words. In order to be effective ambassadors of Jesus, we need to ensure that we spend regular quality time connecting with He who we are an ambassador of.
How do you spend quality time with God? (“Sacred Pathways” by Gary Thomas is an excellent book that outlines various ways of connecting with God and helps readers to identify the best way for them) . How much regular quality time do you spend with God? Do you notice the impact that these things have on your quality of life and mission?“ Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God. ” (Josh 23:11)
As most of you know, each year I like to read through a different translation of the Bible (naturally I repeat them over time) . This year, I'm reading through the Study Version of the New Revised Standard Version. This was the Bible that I chose and was presented with as my Ordination Bible. As I work through it, I'm also reading the related study notes for the Bible passages of each day. I'm finding it most interesting.
The study note for Joshua 23:11 reads: “ In deuteronomistic theology, love commonly has the meaning of "obey" in the sense of complying fully with the terms of the relationship.” I find this definition of love, with respect to our relationship with God, to be a helpful one.
Today's world defines love in various ways. One of the more dangerous definitions seems to be that “love” is an extremely positive emotion that you feel for someone or something for a period of time. If the positive emotion ceases to exist, then the need for the relationship, be it with a person or thing, no longer needs to exist either. As a result, our divorce rate is ever-increasing (NB, I do believe that there are valid reasons for divorce, but I don't believe that our increasing divorce rate is due to valid reasons) .
When we are commanded to love God, we are not being commanded to experiencing loving feelings (although we do at times) . Instead we are being called to obey him. Obedience is not the basis of our salvation – our faith in Christ is. However, our attempts to obey God's Word will indicate the reality of our faith in Christ. As James 2:17 reminds us “So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”
So CONGRATULATIONS to all who regularly study God's Word, particularly those who are persevering with our “2008 Bible Challenge”. Improving our knowledge of Scripture helps us to better know God and how he wants us to live. Seeking to live our lives God's way demonstrates our love for God. This is a powerful witness to others.“ Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever. ” (Psa 145:2)
Some time ago, I was at a church where the Senior Pastor would regularly pray: “Lord we bless you.” I found this to be quite a challenging prayer, and I wondered what he meant by it. What does it mean to “bless” God?
We often ask God to bless. For instance, a simple grace that I learnt when I was young was “Bless this food and us, Amen!” But I find it to be quite strange to ask God to “bless” our food. I consider it much better to ask God to bless the person who prepared the food.
Many people say “Bless you” after someone sneezes. I read at “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_bless_you” that a possible origin of the custom was initiated by Pope Gregory I in 590. “ As an outbreak of the bubonic plague was reaching Rome , in hopes of fighting off the disease, he ordered unending prayer and parades of chanters through the streets. At the time, sneezing was thought to be an early symptom of the plague. The blessing ("God bless you!") became a common effort to halt the disease. ”
Often we'll say “God Bless” just before we hang up the phone, wanting whoever we've been talking to to experience God's blessings afresh.
But how regularly do we ask God to help us to be a blessing to him? How much time do we spend thinking about ways in which we can bless God, and seek to live out those ways?
In Psalm 145, the enthusiastic Psalmist seeks to bless God daily. Throughout the Psalm he suggests various ways to do this. He encourages the congregation to bless God by testifying to others of his goodness, by thanking and praising God in prayer and corporate fellowship, by meditating on God's person and works, through celebrating and singing, and so on.
Let's seek to bless God throughout our worship service this morning, and daily consider ways that we can continually bless God.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. ” (Heb 10:24 – 25)
I have a friend in Sydney who has spent years admirably perfecting the art of making the world's most PERFECT Rocky-Road. I have sacrificed myself by being her taste-tester on MANY occasions! In recent years, I have been STRONG and told her NOT to bring any Rocky-Road with her when she has visited Melbourne . However this year, I gave up chocolate for Lent. And I feel deprived. So I have asked her to bring her Rocky - Road when she visits us in April. I was eagerly anticipating her visit before, but now I am looking forward to it even more… icing on the cake!
The period of Lent, Palm Sunday and Good Friday each provide us with opportunities to consider afresh the incredible sacrifice that Jesus made by living and dying on this planet. Easter Sunday's reminder of Jesus' resurrection urges us to renew our eager anticipation of Jesus' return (i.e. “the Day” in Heb 10:25) and all that awaits us in heaven. We join together to encourage one another in the secure hope that we share in Jesus.
What encourages and inspires you to do more for the glory of Jesus this Easter? Perhaps Jesus' faithful journey with you throughout the “rocky road” of your life inspires you to share the comfort / encouragement that you have received from him with others. Perhaps remembering afresh the marvellous truth of the gospel inspires you to love more, encourage others, and do more good deeds for the glory of God. It is worth considering what urges us to more eagerly anticipate “the Day” in our thoughts / prayers / actions. Once identified, we should bathe ourselves in it.
I shall see if I can encourage my friend to make some extra Rocky-Road for us to share over morning tea on the Sunday that she is visiting. We can use it as a physical illustration to remind us to “… taste and see that the Lord is good …' (Psa 34:8) !
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ I can do all things through him who strengthens me. ” (Phil 4:13)
One of the books that I'm reading this year is “Starting Your Day Right” by Joyce Meyer. It provides a verse or two of Scripture and a short devotional at the start of each day.
As part of her 6 th Feb devotional, Joyce notes:
“If you feel that it is hard to get up in the morning, don't say, ‘I am
too tired.' Get all of that weak, tired, wimpy, quitter, give-up talk
out of your vocabulary. Instead, say, ‘Because the Lord is my strength, I can do whatever I need to do today.'”
This thought resonated with me because I REGULARLY get up in the morning complaining about feeling tired!
In building a little on Joyce's idea, before I go to bed each night, one of the things that I've started to pray is “God, give me the rest that you need me to have in order for me to achieve your will tomorrow.” And then when I get up in the morning I thank God for answering my prayer (irrespective of how I'm feeling) and I tell myself, “Because the Lord is my strength, I can do whatever He needs me to do today. And that's all that matters.”
This affirmation both comforts and excites me because it means letting go of human ideas as to what constitutes “success” on any given day. Each day is an unfolding revelation under the watchful eye of God. Provided I seek to be on track with him, God ensures that that is where I remain, or promptly return. Sometimes we momentarily stray from God's track due to our responses to the selfish desires of ourselves or others. But Isa 30:21 encourages us with the words: “ And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.'” So, provided we're listening to God (via our daily study of his Word and regular prayer time with him) , God will ensure that we're either on, or getting back on track.
What's your first thought when you get up each day?“…[The devil] was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies .” (John 8:44)
Satan constantly seeks to draw people away from Christ by filling our minds with lies. Lies such as: “You're not good enough,” “You may as well give up,” “You'll never get it right,” “You're useless,” “It's hopeless,” etc.
By contrast, Jesus is “…the way, and the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6) . We need to study the life and teachings of Jesus to counteract the lies of Satan. Fortunately w e're reminded in Eph 1:13 – 14 “In [Christ] you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.” Our belief in the gospel – that is the good news of the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ – ensures that we are marked with the special seal of God's Spirit, who assures us of our eternal future with God.
We're further encouraged by passages such as Eph 2:4 – 9 “ But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” So it is not because of our own goodness that we are saved. Rather it is because of God's goodness that we are saved.
We are warned about our need to guard against Satan's assaults. “ 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you… 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:7 – 8a, 10) So we don't believe in Jesus one day and forget about him the next. Instead we need to continually draw near to God by studying his Word, and talking with Him. Additionally, we need to submit to God by acting in accordance with all that God's Spirit prompts us to do (things that NEVER contradict the teachings of Scripture). Acting upon God's Word helps us to grow in Jesus. We don't act because it makes us good or saves us. It is only by our faith that we are saved. Instead we act in loving response to all that Christ has done for us. Our actions prove our faith just as our actions towards another proves our depth of our love for them. As James reminds us: “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.” (Jms 2:26)
We can be further encouraged by the promise found in 1 Pet 5:8 – 11 “ 8 Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.” See also Ephesians 6:10 – 18. We stand strong in our faith by continually reading about it (in God's Word… books are never substitutes for Scripture) , and by acting faithfully in accordance with all that we are learning in Scripture. As we continue to be steadfast in our faith, in spite of Satan's opposition, eventually we will be restored, supported, strengthened and established by God. Isn't that encouraging?!
So the next time Satan tries to fill your head with lies that make you feel worthless, I encourage you to remember the words of Paul who also struggled: “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 God's law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord…” (Rom 7:21 – 25a, NTL) In other words, if Satan says something like: “You're not good enough!” I encourage you to respond with something like: “You're right, I'm not! But thanks be to Christ, I don't need to be! I confess with my lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised him from the dead, and so I am saved .” (final sentence adapted from Rom 10:9)
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
"when you have sinned and realize your guilt, and would restore what you took… you shall repay the principal amount and shall add one-fifth to it. …And you shall bring to the priest, as your guilt offering to the LORD. ..” (Lev 6:4 – 6)
Few people would be immune to guilt. Guilt is an emotion that helps us to know when something is not quite right in our lives. The question is, what do we do when we realise our guilt? Do we try to bury or distance ourselves from the feelings? Or do we allow them to prompt us to face their cause head on?
A recent “2008 Bible Challenge” reading had some helpful advice about handling guilty feelings (see Leviticus 6:1 – 7) . If a person living during Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) times realised their guilt and acted upon their feelings in accordance with God's Word, the benefits were three-fold: “(1) By confessing their wrongdoing, they accepted responsibility for their actions. (2) By making restitution, they restored proper social relationships. (3) Through the sacrifice itself, they repaired their relationships with God” (“The New Interpreter's Study Bible,” p. 154) .
Thanks be to Christ, we don't need to act in exactly the same way as they did in ANE times. However, the principles gleaned from Lev 6:1 – 7, as outlined above, are helpful for today. Expanding upon them: firstly, when we realise our guilt, we need to accept responsibility for our actions. Secondly, if we have injured another person in some way, we need to seek to make restitution with them. This may be by confessing our sin to them, doing our best to return something to them that we took (whether it was tangible or not) , and / or giving them a card / gift. In this way, we seek to be peace-makers, restoring social harmony. Thirdly, we must confess our sin to God (whether the sin was made against ourselves, others, and / or God) . We're encouraged by 1 John 1:9 “ If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ” How do we view and act upon our guilty feelings?“ …the Israelites complained against Moses…. The Israelites said…, “If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we …ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” (Exod 16:2 – 3)
During the time of Moses, the Israelites endured bitter oppression in Egypt . However, they lived in comfortable homes in a fertile land with people of an advanced culture. And they were able to sleep soundly in their beds at the end of a hard day, with their bellies always full.
The oppression experienced by the Israelites continued to increase until it was so bad that they cried out to God for deliverance. It seems that up unto this point the comforts of Egypt had caused them to forget about God and his promises to their forefathers. They had forgotten that God always intended for them to occupy the land of Canaan – not Egypt . They were in the wrong place spiritually and physically. So God allowed them to become uncomfortable to the point that they cried out to him for help.
God responded, but not in the way that the Israelites had hoped for nor appreciated. They had probably hoped that God would put an end to the things they hated, and replace them with what they liked. Instead God took them on a new journey to a new land of new blessings. The journey tested their faith and dependence on God. Sadly, in spite of the wondrous miracles that God performed, the Israelites failed their test miserably. Rather than thanking, worshipping and learning to seek / depend upon God, the people complained about everything God had done and was doing. Their focus was on their lack of material comfort rather than their liberating, guiding, Almighty God, who wanted to bless them in new ways.
How often do we resemble to complaining Israelites? Do we pray, but moan if God's answer to our prayer doesn't match our expectation? Do we focus on what we don't have rather than what we do have? Is God wanting to take us on a new journey, to a new land with new blessings?
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
" Say therefore to the Israelites, ‘I am the LORD, and I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians and deliver you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. You shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has freed you from the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.'” Moses told this to the Israelites; but they would not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and their cruel slavery. ” (Exod 6:6-9)
This passage is full of amazing promises from God to his people. I invite you to count the number of times God says “I will” in verses 6 – 8. God's Word to his people was so positive and active. Yet we read in verse 9 that the people closed their ears to the encouraging Word of God because their spirits were broken by their experience.
God's Word continues to be positive and active. Yet, I wonder how many times we, like the Israelites, allow our negative experiences of life to outweigh the uplifting and powerful truths of God's Word? E.g., if we are feeling afraid do we allow our fear to bind our actions? Or do we allow a verse such as 2 Tim 1:7 liberate us? How often do we allow a broken spirit to dictate our actions, rather than the encouragement of Scripture?
Naturally there are times that our feelings indicate that we need the attention of a specialist. E.g. if we experience prolonged physical pain, it indicates to us that we need to see someone such as a physiotherapist or a Dr. If we experience prolonged negative emotions, we may benefit from the help of a counsellor and perhaps a Dr. God often works in and through these agents in addition to his Word.
I invite each of us to ask ourselves what we are nurturing most within ourselves: our feelings or Scriptural knowledge ? Let's invite God's Spirit to open our ears and determinations to the encouraging Word of God.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths) 3rd February 2008"…test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil .” (1 Thess 5:21 – 22)
Late last Monday, I did a spot of gardening. Sadly, I did it without wearing sunscreen. I overexposed my skin to the sun and as a result I got burnt.
Today's verses remind us not to overexpose ourselves to evil. If we do, we will get burnt. To avoid overexposure to evil, we need to test everything that we hear by checking it against the teachings of Scripture. If what we hear is in alignment with God's Word, we should cling to it. In other words, we should let it occupy our thoughts and reflect on it as often as we need to. If what we hear contradicts Scripture, then we need to reject it, otherwise overexposure will start to occur. So we need to cling to the good that encourages us and builds us up, and ignore the bad.
Yet how often do we accept the bad and reject the good that we hear? We live in a society that makes its money by encouraging us to dwell on things that make us feel insecure. For instance, we're encouraged to worry about our security so that we'll invest in car/ house alarms and so on. We're encouraged to worry about our looks so we'll invest in cosmetics and perhaps even surgery, and so on. We're encouraged to live for the here and now, and spend money on hedonistic pleasures, rather than investing in eternity. Society trains us to fill our minds with negative things that worry us, rather than the positive teachings of Scripture. As a result of over exposure to society, we can find ourselves feeling ‘burnt'.
In order to cling to what is good, we need to know Scripture. We need to fill our minds with it, rather than the lies of this world or negative things that people tell us. Kieran and I have dramatically reduced our TV time in order to spend more time reading things that intentionally build us up.
Do you cling to the good that you hear, or do you find it easier to listen to and dwell on bad things? I encourage you to ensure that you're not getting burnt this week by overexposing yourself to the wrong things.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
“ Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. He said… the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD .” (Job 1:20 – 21)
The 2008 Bible Challenge has jumped from Genesis to Job! This is because it is a chronological reading plan, i.e. we're trying to follow people's lives and events in the order they were though to have existed / occurred. We do not know for sure when Job existed, but it is generally believed that he lived at some point between the time of Moses and Ezra. Having read about the Patriarchs, we now consider Job, before exploring the story of Moses and ensuing development of the Israelite nation.
The book of Job tells the story of a man who wasn't an Israelite, but feared God. His story has a lot to say about suffering and human responses to it. Notably we learn that bad things can happen to good people, but irrespective of life's circumstances, we should continue to worship God.
In the first chapter of Job, we read that God allows Job, a righteous man, to experience serious tragedy. Job loses his the bulk of his possessions and family. Naturally Job acknowledges his grief (see Job 1:20) , but in spite of his bitter circumstances, Job continues to worship the LORD.
This reminds us to worship God irrespective of how we are feeling. Worshipping God helps us to elevate our mind and heart above our circumstances. It has the added bonus of irritating the enemy! Jesus' words to Satan that ended his temptation in the desert were, “…“Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘worship the Lord your God, and serve only him'” (Matt 4:10) . We're reminded in Deut 10:20 – 21: “ You shall fear the LORD your God; him alone you shall worship; to him you shall hold fast, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise; he is your God…”
Are you worshipping God irrespective of your feelings and circumstances? If so, I congratulate you on your marvelous act of faith and love.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
A delightful story is told about Isaac in Genesis 26:18 – 22. Isaac had tried to establish wells in two other locations, but both times his well digging activities upset the locals. Rather than fighting with them, Isaac peacefully moved on both times. Finally Isaac managed to dig a well without upsetting anyone. So he named the location Rehoboth. God hadn't allowed Isaac to be successful in the other two locations but having tested Isaac's perseverance, God finally allowed him to settle. This story adds new meaning to the phrase “I'm testing the waters”!
Sometimes we encounter difficult situations in life that we need to persevere through in God's strength. Other times God allows us to encounter strong opposition because he doesn't want us heading in that particular direction. I read a wonderful quote on this topic recently: “ When God bolts the door, don't try to get in through the window. The will of God never will lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.”
This reminds me of four different doors / rooms of life:
1. A room of which God has bolted the door closed (but we stubbornly do everything we can to try and enter the room!)
2. A room in which God has a BIG sign saying “ Warning! Do not enter! ” But God leaves the door open to test our readiness to heed his warning.
3. A room with an open door that God wants us to enter, but in which he has placed obstacles to the real prize of the room.
4. Open doors to open rooms in which we experience true peace and joy.
I wonder what sorts of doors / rooms are presenting themselves to each of us at the moment? Are we asking God for the wisdom / strength that we need to discern and respond appropriately to them?
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
I am DELIGHTED to know that a few of you have embarked on the 2008 Bible Challenge. Well done! What an exciting journey we shall share.
One of the things I enjoy noting as I read through Scripture is the various titles used for God. During Biblical times, names summed up a person in one (or more) word/s. God also revealed various aspects of his character in and through the names by which he made himself known. So it is worth our while to note them. In the book, “Praying the Names of God” by Ann Spangler, Spangler highlights some of the Hebrew names that we find for God in the Old Testament. Let's consider three from Genesis.
In the first sentence of God's Word, the Hebrew title given to God is ” Elohim ,” meaning “God, Mighty Creator”. Elohim is the author, creator and sustainer of all things seen and unseen. It is interesting to reflect on the fact that we are made in God's image. This means that we enjoy creating things. For instance, gardens, craft, home improvements, gourmet meals, and various forms of writing such as Link articles! What have you created lately?
Another Hebrew title for God is: “ El Roi ,” meaning “God who sees me” (see Gen 16:11 – 14) . Only God sees and knows us as we truly are. He knows our true motives, and the motives of those around us. He perfectly understands our circumstances and ability to cope with them. Balanced with this name of God is the title “ El Shadday ” meaning “God Almighty” (see Gen 17:1 – 2) . Spangler notes: “When we pray to El Shadday , we invoke the name of the one for whom nothing is impossible” (Spangler, p.40) . God not only sees our situations, but he has the power to use them to ensure the best possible outcome for us.
I encourage you to note, use and learn from the names that describe our mighty God throughout Scripture.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)
Many years ago, I was working as a computer trainer in St Leonards, Sydney . One of my friends, whom I had met at university, worked down the road from me in another company. He too was a Christian, and we would enjoy catching up for lunch every so often.
I can still vividly remember the day that he told me that he enjoyed reading through the entire Bible each year. I was quite shocked! At that stage, I don't think that I had read through it once, let alone every year. I did daily devotions, but I thought that reading through the entire Bible every year was rather fanatical… as well as being a bit boring! In recent years I have discovered how incredibly wrong I was.
I now consider reading through the Bible annually to be one of the least, but ironically one of the most vital things for me to do in my quest to better know God and grow in my relationship with him. Far from being boring, God's word is living and active. God's Spirit uses Scripture in a number of ways including helping us to:
* know God, ourselves and others better.
* better navigate our way through life on this planet.
* maximise the quality of life available to ourselves and those around us.
We're reminded in 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17: “ All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do. ” (New Living Translation)
Have you read or listened to the whole of the Bible recently? A copy is available on cassette in our church library (see Betty D) . 2 Tim 3:16 reminds us that ALL Scripture is inspired by God and is useful…. So it's worth knowing in its entirety. If you've not started with us on this year's 2008 Bible Challenge, I invite you to reconsider and start today.
(Rev. Sylvia Griffiths)