Looking for direction

As we contemplate Jesus' appearance to the 7 disciples, at the Sea of Galilee (John 21), there is an interesting connection between night and day - darkness and light. 

“I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So, they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. - John 21:3-4

The disciples were feeling lost and so they went back to the work that they knew. However, even that didn't seem to be working out for them. So, into this situation Jesus appears and starts to renew their purpose and direction. He shares breakfast with them and reinstates Peter, giving him his new mission. 

Eddie Askew – “It was a dark night for them, out on the water, and the enveloping mist must have emphasised their sense of isolation. Yet at their lowest point, their empty nets a metaphor for their empty lives, Jesus is there on the shore. They can’t see him, but he is there, sharing the dark hours, waiting to welcome, warm and feed them round the fire, ready to point them in a new direction.” 

God is always willing to point us in a new direction, especially if we are willing to be used for his glory.

Living in Grace

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Birth pains and new beginnings

Our kids started new schools today and there was a great sense of nervousness in our house this morning. If you have ever relocated then you know exactly what was happening in our home - moments of excitement, silence, anxiety, questions and finally moving towards the car for the trip to school.

New beginnings can be tough. They can move us way beyond the comfort of the 'ordinary' and the 'usual status quo.' However, they can also teach us many things and fill us with new possibilities and joy.

In fact, this whole experience reminds me of 'birth pains' (not that I had to go through them personally, but I watched Kim go through the pains :). The joy of new birth is always preceded by pain, anxiety, worry, questions, excitement and finally that moment when all the action starts.

That fragile moment that separates pre-birth from birth; or from pre-change to change, is the occasion for FAITH. Moving from one place to the other, with no certainty of the outcome, is definitely an act of TRUST. It is all about believing that God has your back and that God will make a way.

Don't be afraid to go through 'birth pains', especially when we can trust in the grace of God.

Hebrews 11:8 - "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."

Living in Grace
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The Return

"The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." - Luke 2:20

As scholars, teachers and students prepare to return back to new routines and school years, it is important to reflect on what has happened over the Advent season. The events of the Incarnation change us completely and so our 'RETURN' to our normal lives should always be with different purpose and different attitudes.

If we notice the way the Shepherds returned back to their daily tasks we see that they did so with praise and thankfulness in their hearts. The long awaited Saviour had come and they had been part of the miracle. The things they witnessed had even surpassed the hopes and dreams they had held. God was present with them and life would be filled with renewed hope.

As you return to old and new routines, remember the joy of Christ and that the advent words of HOPE, PEACE, LOVE and JOY are forever with us.

Living in Grace
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18

As you begin this new gift that God has given us all, may you be reassured of the presence of God with us at all times. I was reading Psalm 18 and thought that these words would be a great way to start the new year.

"I love you, Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
 my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." - Psalm 18:1-2

Later on in the same Psalm we see this incredible words of encouragement and promise.

As for God, his way is perfect:
    The Lord’s word is flawless;
    he shields all who take refuge in him.
³¹ For who is God besides the Lord?
    And who is the Rock except our God?
³² It is God who arms me with strength
    and keeps my way secure.

May the Spirit of God arm you with whatever strength you need for today and for the year that lies ahead.

Living in Grace

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A new way

"Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this NEW WAY, we never give up." - 2 Corinthians 4:1

Following God means that we often have to go against the flow. The decisions and agenda of the rest of the world may be very different from the way that Jesus has called us to live. This NEW WAY is tough and it may take an incredible amount of effort and sacrifice, but it is because we have been called to follow a different leader.

As we commit to this NEW WAY may we be blessed with courage and perseverance.

Living in Grace
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The Door of January

The name 'January' has some interesting roots. Some of these come from Roman mythology, where the Latin word for door (ianua) remind us that this month is the door to the new year. As you have opened the 'door' to 2017 how is it looking so far? Can I remind us that when we include Christ in our lives, our year can take on a different view completely.

Have a read of these two verses and link the image of a door - new year as you do so:
 
Revelation 3:20 - Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. 

 

Luke 11:10 - For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

 

Do you notice how Christ offers to be in our lives and in 2017, if only we choose to invite him in?

Living in Grace
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Turn over a new leaf

The saying, 'turning over a new leaf', implies that someone is changing their lifestyle - and usually this is for the better. For example, it could be someone who struggles with alcohol, who decides they need to stop drinking in order to get their lives back on track.

The thing with this saying, is that some people mistakenly think that the 'leaf' refers to a leaf from a tree, but it doesn't. The 'leaf' that needs to be turned over is the leaf of a book - so it is referring to a page. When you turn over a new leaf, you turn over to a blank page, in order to start on a fresh page.

I like this illustration, because it reminds me that with Jesus, I begin everyday with a fresh leaf and I can choose what to write on that page. God's grace is so radical that it allows me to re-start my journey, even if I have messed up the day before.

Colossians 1:6 - This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

Perhaps for a few of us, it is time to turn over onto a new leaf today. I invite you to do that - start afresh and allow the Spirit to help you write your story.

Living in Grace
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Fresh Start

"Give us a fresh start." (Message)
 
Lamentations 5:21 -  "...renew our days as of old."

Easter is always a reminder that we can begin again. Even Jeremiah knew this was possible - with God there is always a chance to begin again. May we all get to experience the Joy of starting over again this Holy Week. God bless you.

“Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” - L.M. Montgomery

“Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” - Meister Eckhart

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Humble beginnings...

"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great." - Joe Sabah

My problem is that I am a perfectionist! I am wary to start something unless I know that it will be good enough to be presentable. Obviously, this can have some positive spin-offs, but the reality is sometimes I don't attempt something because of a fear of failure. I am not sure if you can relate to this in some way at all?

The tragedy of having this outlook is that many things don't get done or even get attempted. We don't want to start a new project, a new ministry, a new relationship, a new devotional routine, or anything new, because we fear that it won't be great in the beginning. But, in truth, how many 'Finished Products' have had average/poor starts? Most of what we see as being perfect didn't start that way - their beginnings were humble and even awkward.

So, what has God being speaking to you about lately? Are you putting this off, because you are wanting it all to be perfect? Well, let me put you out of your misery - IT WON'T be perfect to begin with, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth starting.

If you are looking for the best example of this, turn to the pages of the Bible and have a look at the first disciples. If Jesus had waited to find 12 perfect guys to be on his team, he would still be waiting now! Jesus followed his father's plan and choose 12 'imperfect' men, but he knew that once he had started to work in their hearts, the future of the Christian movement would be GREAT.


Living in Grace
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Prayer in times of fear

I really appreciate the work of Eddie Askew. He is a wonderful poet and author. He wrote a lovely prayer in his book 'Facing the Storm' - this is the end of the prayer:

"Lord, help me to sweep away the sand of fear...
blown, hard and persistently,
heaping unbelief in drifts across my life.
Help me to feel
in the prompting of new growth, 
the excitement, the hope and tension,
of your Spirit's purposes.
And when I don't understand
just where it's leading to, 
help me to welcome it."

Proverbs 29:25 - "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe."

Living in Grace
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Beginning again

Louisa Fletcher Tarkington wrote this intriguing poem:

“I wish that there were some wonderful place

called the Land of Beginning Again,

Where all our mistakes, and all our heartaches,

And all of our poor selfish grief’s,

Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door,

And never be put on again.”

It touches on the powerful sentiment of Beginning again. There are many of us who would love to begin this year over again OR who may even just want to start afresh in our faith. The beauty of belonging to Christ, is that we don't have to search for the 'Land of Beginning Again' because we have a friend in Jesus - He is the person who allows us to begin again. 

Revelation 21: 5-7

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

If you find yourself in the place of wanting to begin over again, why don't you stop for a second and pray - ask the Lord to help you to move from the past and to embrace a fresh start.

 

"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall." -

Vince Lombardi

Living in Grace

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Daybreak

"Jesus Christ changed all our sunsets into daybreaks."- Clement of Alexandria

For me, dawn is always the promise of a fresh start. It is a constant reminder of God's perpetual grace - of the promise of light after the darkness.

So, can I encourage you today to "Look for the dawn." God's Light is here... waiting is a frustrating thing, but in the end it will increase your joy when you see the first rays of sun on the horizon.

2 Samuel 23:4 - "He is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.’"

Living in Grace
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One thing is sure

In a year of much change, exciting new adventures, joy and heart-ache, it is always good to remember that God has been with us.

Haggai 1:13 - "Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, gave the people this message from the LORD: “I am with you, says the LORD!”

I can't predict what will happen in 2013, but the one thing I know for certain is this:
GOD WILL BE OUR STRENGTH.

May 2013 be a year filled with the presence of God in your life.

God bless you and thanks again for your support of this blog.

Living in Grace
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