A lesson in faith

"Faith isn't about having everything figured out ahead of time; faith is about following the quiet voice of God without having everything figured out ahead of time." - Rachel Held Evans

In our season of prayer and listening, let us tune our ears to the voice of Jesus. As we listen to his voice, so we can take the next step in faith. 

"The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
    Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes
    with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
    the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
    and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!” - Psalm 29:3-9

Living in Grace

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P.S. - "No step taken in faith is wasted, not by a God who makes all things new." - Rachel Held Evans 

Precious Lord, take my hand

“Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand;
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light;
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.”

The words of Thomas Dorsey have offer hope and comfort to millions of people over the last century, including Martin Luther King Jnr, Elvis, Jim Reeves and others. Written in a time of his own pain and suffering, Thomas found the solace and inspiration from his knowledge that God is always with us. 

May his words also speak to you today.

"My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life." - Psalm 119:50

Living in Grace

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Cling to?

"I cling to you; your right hand upholds me." - Psalm 63:8

I think that we all cling to something in our lives, even if we don't really think so. Another way of putting it, is things that we lean on when times get tough. We turn to a person, or a habit or even a ritual. These are things that help us through the seas of trial and turmoil.

David tells us that he clings to God and when he does that then we feels secure and protected.

Who do you turn to?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Hold unswervingly

 

^"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." - Hebrews 10:23

This was one of the verses from our Sunday message today. There is so much power and truth in this short verse, that I think we should pause and contemplate it in more detail. These are the things that stand out for me:

1. I need to hold onto Jesus's promises...

2. Hope is not just a vague ideal, but something (someone) we need believe in ...

3. God keeps his promises...

4. God is Faithful when all else is crumbling around us...

So as you head off into the new week why don't you take this verse with you? God bless you.

"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise." (NLT)

"So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word." (The Message)

Living in Grace

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Burden to bear?

 

We sometimes think that God places heavy burdens upon us and wonder how we can manage the current load placed upon our shoulders. When John shared his revelation with the Church in Thyatira he offered them these words of hope:

‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’ – Revelation 2:24-25

This kind of ‘burden’ is not really a burden, but rather an act of gracious love. God realised that the people were struggling and fighting with spiritual adversaries in their midst, so he didn’t want to place any extra burden upon them. All he asked was that they would HOLD ON to his love until he intervened.

It is this call to PERSEVERANCE that may be interpreted as a burden, but is rather a gift to be shared amongst the people of God. God will be with us as we seek to hold onto his love.

Action: Hold onto Christ today, because the work of "perseverance" is going to move us towards spiritual maturity.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Finding out you are normal

Finding out you are normal is quite a relief. So often we assume that the struggles we are having and the stress we are under, seem to be our burden to carry. However, there are so many others dealing with similar trials and tough times.

This became so apparent to me last evening, as we shared Testimonies in our worship service. It was as if the Lord spoke through each person and allowed the congregation to feel that we are NOT ALONE in our struggles. The biggest mistake we make is looking at others and only seeing the 'mask' on the outside. Hearing that God has worked through their Story reassures all of us that God can also be REAL in our story too.

When David spoke these words to the community, he was not shy to speak of what God had done during the tough times in the past.

"I have told all your people about your justice.
    I have not been afraid to speak out,
    as you, O Lord, well know.
¹⁰ I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
    I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly    of your unfailing love and faithfulness." - Psalm 40:9-10

Remember that every believer struggles from time to time. If you are feeling as if you are in tough place right now, hold on, because you have just discovered that you are Normal :) 

Living in Grace
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Peg This

Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.” - Matthew 22:37-40

Peg these words onto your heart for 2017 and may it go well with your soul. Let us strive to love God with all our passion, energy, prayer and intelligence.

"One who has been touched by grace will no longer look on those who stray as “those evil people” or “those poor people who need our help.” Nor must we search for signs of “loveworthiness.” Grace teaches us that God loves because of who God is, not because of who we are." -Philip Yancey

Living in Grace

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