Easter has come and gone and it seems as if everyone has just gone back to “normality”. What do I mean by that? We very quickly lose the wonder of the events that took place during Good Friday and resurrection Sunday.

At Easter we celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection and for a long weekend, it seems, every Christian is focused on re-telling this amazing truth about our God who loves us so much that He came to Earth to live a life we could never live and die a death we all deserved. Not only that, but He also conquered death and rose victorious so every one of us that put our trust in Him will have eternal life. This truly is an amazing truth and a gift that keeps on giving.

It is good to stop and focus on Jesus at Easter. It is important to remember that the cost was greater than we think. The Bible tells us in Romans 6:23:

 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The punishment for sin is death and we all sinned against God. We turned away. We rejected His rule over our lives. We placed ourselves on the throne of our hearts and said “NO” to our Creator and all that He offered us. We rebelled. We deserved to be punished. Jesus on the other hand, was there at the beginning. In fact, He was there for all eternity past with God and through Him all things were created (Colossians 1:15-20). God made flesh came to live amongst us (John1:14). He lived a perfect life, without sin. In perfect obedience to the Father. He took upon himself our sins and He paid the price. “It is finished” was His cry (John 19:30). He is risen (Matthew 28:5-6).

What a gift of salvation, redemption, forgiveness, new life and a secure future. “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” is the second part of Romans 6:23. What an amazing gift it is! It goes on forever!

You might be thinking “that is all very well – life eternal. Isn’t that something that will happen after we die? What about the here and now? What about the mess we live in this world? All the hurt, the pain, the brokenness? It all seems a bit weird. How can I be excited with this amazing gift and yet look around and see such ugliness and despair around me? ”

Eternal life starts now dear friends. Jesus said to Martha:

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 (emphasis mine)

The moment we put our trust in Jesus we are forgiven and we receive His righteousness. We become citizens of Heaven. We are now spiritually alive and have been given life eternal through Jesus. We will never die. This gift is for today. We need to remind ourselves of this as often as possible. The security and the comfort it offers us is for now. It is wonderful to wake up every day and know that this world will be made new and that sin has been defeated. It is also good to be reminded that this is not our home. That is how we can fill joy in our hearts in the midst of our broken world.

Better still is the fact that we can share Jesus with those who are broken, the sad, the hopeless, the grieving, the sick, the lost, those who are despairing. Jesus died for them too. Having this gift that keeps on giving, should propel us to share it with the world. Jesus gives us peace and joy for today, whilst we are in this world. He gives us a new identity and a new home. We have a family of believers all over the world and we have a future. Every single day this is true. In every situation there is His hope that is given to us.

It is important that we praise God for faithful preachers that every Sunday proclaim this amazing truth from the pulpit. We need to continue to open the Bible and discover more about Jesus and feel confident that we can share Jesus with everyone. Most of the time that will be done by the way we live our lives, instead of by the words we say. How we shine Jesus’ light through the way we listen, show compassion, forgive, speak truth, obey God’s word is very powerful.

When you are dropping the kids at school or picking them up from school, stop to chat to someone in the playground. Spot the mum that stands alone or is struggling a bit with her hands full. Offer a smile and perhaps invite her for a coffee. When you are at work, listen carefully when your coworkers share their lives and show interest. Pray for them as you listen to them. Cry with those who are hurting and share in the joy of those who are celebrating victories. When you are walking the dog, stop to chat with the lonely. Learn their names. When you finish the exercise class at the gym talk about important things with people, don’t focus on body image. When you are seating in the waiting room at the surgery, offer comfort to those who are worried. In every situation remember Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving. Pray that you would have opportunities to shine His light everyday.

If you are struggling to accept this truth or feel weary and bruised (being a Christian is hard work), let me encourage you: Jesus IS the gift that keeps giving. Come to the foot of the cross and give it all to Him. Pray that He would help your heart to heal and feel joy and great love for Him. Open your Bible and read about Him. Pray through some of the Psalms and learn how to pour your heart before the Lord when life is somewhat unbearable. Jesus loves us. He gives us life. He shares in our humanity. He understands our struggles. He stands before the Father and intercedes for us. He sustains us and gives courage. He prepares our home in heaven. He is victorious. He is with us and He never forsakes us. Keep your eyes on Him.

God bless.

_{Photo by Olivia Bollen on Unsplash}

When you work hard to know a subject or a skill and perhaps spend years perfecting it, you might be considered to be an expert. People ask you for advice and trust that you will know how to solve the problems in your field. For example, if someone needs to have brain surgery they will ask for a neurosurgeon’s advice, not a physiotherapist’s. If someone needs help with preparing for a Chemistry exam, they are not going to ask a Spanish teacher for help.

Many people have dedicated their entire lives to learn theology, i.e., the study of God. There are many more still doing that. Some, might accumulate an enormous amount of knowledge about God, but not one can be called an expert, because only God is an expert on God. That is correct. I am not going mad. So let’s understand why that is.

God is an infinite God, there is no limit to his character, his knowledge, his holiness, his love, his mercy, his goodness, his faithfulness (you might want to read my post “How Great is our God?”). So it is impossible for any human being to know God completely. Only God knows God completely. We might say that God is incomprehensible.

The Latin word “prehendere” means to grasp or to attain. When the prefix “com” is added to it, it means to grasp a thing in its totality so as to enclose or contain it. When referring to knowledge, comprehension means to know a thing in its entirety. Theologically speaking, to say God is incomprehensible is not to say that God is utterly unknowable. It is to say that none of us can comprehend God exhaustively.

Well, so what is the point of reading the Bible or going to church? Or praising and worshiping? We do that because we can know God. He has revealed Himself to us. Jesus said in John 17:3

“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent”

We will spend eternity getting to know God. Each day will be like a Christmas morning. A new treasure to learn about his Character. We know God is infinite in His being so we shouldn’t be surprised we cannot know him fully. Who God is, what He does, how and why He does what He does is for us to explore for eternity.

Knowing that we will never be able to comprehend and know God entirely is a good thing for us. It keeps us humble. It reminds us that we are created by God and therefore we have limits. It is hard for us to grasp this truth because since the garden humans were tempted by the devil with the lie that we could be like God and know what He knows.

 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5

We can never know all that God knows. We can only know what He has revealed to us. In His mercy and goodness, God reveals Himself to us in different ways.

God reveals Himself to us through his creation. Romans 1:18-20

¹⁸ The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

God reveals Himself to us through His word. Through each page of the Bible, from creation to the New Heaven and New Earth, each passage, each page is full of God.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” Genesis 1:1 . 

In the book of Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses,

‘I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I am has sent me to you.” (my emphasis)

In Revelation 1:8 we read:

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Most amazingly God reveals Himself to us through Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:15-20

¹⁵ The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

And in John 14: 8-10 we read:

⁸ Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’⁹ Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

R.C. Sproul says: “There is a mysterious dimension of God that we do not know. (…) God remains incomprehensible because He reveals Himself without revealing everything there is to know about Him”. 

We read in Deuteronomy 29:29

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may follow all the words of this law.”

If we read Job, we will know that God tells him that there are many things God is doing that Job does not know or comprehend. (Job 38 and 39)

In Ecclesiasts 3:11 we read:

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end”.

As we get to know what God revealed about Himself, it is very comforting for us to know that we are completely known by Him.

 ¹ You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. ² You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. ³You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. ⁴ Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. ⁵ You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. ⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. We matter to God because He choose to love us. Psalm 129:1-6

God knows everything that there is to know about us because He created us and He loves us with a love that is infinite. Keep on learning about Him.

God bless.

It always amazes me how God works in us. As I was driving home from Eastbourne words of a hymn I grew up with popped into my mind:

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

I started whistling it and then sang it in Portuguese (that is my mother tongue) and carried on my journey. After doing this for several miles, I started to think back at the past years and my heart was filled with joy. I could see how true the above words are. God is faithful and good.

You might be wondering: what count as a blessing? For our world and culture a blessing could be a new job or a promotion, top grades that mean a top University, new car, expensive holiday, the house that looks like a showhouse and is worthy of Instagram, more followers on social media, being praised publicly. You get the picture. Add a #blessed after a post and you are trendy. Don’t get me wrong. Some of the above are blessings indeed, especially if you worked hard for them.

It is very common for us to consider the happy moments and good things we receive from our Father as blessings. A new born baby, a first house (or a new one), a happy marriage, a long time friend that is always there, a church family, a successful operation, full recovery from cancer treatment, kindness from strangers, amongst other things.

I want to concentrate on blessings we receive that are not as easy to identify, at least not in the moment. Things that show us God’s grace and presence with us, even though we carry heavy hearts and doubts. Those moments when we only see the difficulties and the suffering.

The Bible is full of these blessings. From the beginning, all the way back in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve receive God’s blessings in that moment just before they were expelled from the perfect place God had created. God clothed them (Genesis 3:21). When Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac in obedience to God, a ram was given. A substitute. Isaac did not have to die (Genesis 22:13-14). Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery. Even in his desperate situation God was with him and prospered him (Genesis 37 to 41). When Naomi was left without a husband or sons in a foreign land, Ruth refused to leave her (Ruth 1:16-18). In the midst of a battle when the Israelites were afraid of their enemy and all hope seemed lost, a young boy had a sling. A pretty good aim resulted in the enemy being defeated (1 Samuel 17:45-51). These are but a few examples of blessings that were given during difficult times.

The first verse of the hymn I mentioned above says:

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

So when you are going through tough times, maybe you received an unwanted diagnosis that will change your life, count your blessings. Think of the people God has placed around you, to care for you, to help you and walk this journey alongside you. Perhaps you have just been in a car accident and the car was written off. No one got hurt but now you do not have a car and you are not sure the insurance will pay. Count your blessings. Think of the brothers and sisters that have offered lifts and you just found out that the bus you pass every morning stops in front of your work place. You might have remembered a difficult, toxic, dangerous relationship you had and all the hurt it caused you and those who love you. Praise God for his rescue. For providing a way out. Maybe your situation is too raw, too difficult for you to stop and imagine the blessing. Do not be discouraged.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

I can certainly look back to many circumstances in my life where all seemed lost or too hard, almost impossible to even conquer. I can see God’s provision, His protection, His abundant love pouring over my life and the lives of those dearest to me even before I knew Him as my Saviour.

The greatest blessing I can count is Jesus. His death in my place on the cross to save me and offer me eternal life. His resurrection and the promise of His return. This was not without pain and suffering. He was rejected, beaten, mocked, he endured more physical pain than any other human and He is God. Perfect. Creator. Majestic. All powerful. Jesus came to give us peace and reconcile us to the Father. No greater love has anyone ever shown for me. What a blessing!

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

_{Photo by Marcus Woodbridge on Unsplash}

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you are waiting for something? A train that has been delayed? A loved one that has been away and is returning home? A phone call from a estranged family member? A letter from the doctor? Exam results? A date for an important operation?

Perhaps the wait is for a new job, or a new home, a new city or even a new country to move to. Sometimes we are waiting for that holiday with the family we spent so long planning and saving for. For the mums out there maybe is that due date that never seems to be close enough, or has already past but the little one is refusing to enter into this world.

You might be nodding your head thinking: “yes” or “all of the above”, or “I have been there”. Inevitably, whether we like it or not we will be placed in situations where we will need to wait. What is the most difficult thing when we are waiting?

I find sometimes I am so preoccupied with the “thing” I want that all my time is spent worrying. “The what ifs” start filling my mind, the plans are drawn, rearranged, challenged all in the space of 5 minutes as I wonder how long this wait is going to take.

When I was 17 I spent 6 moths living in New Jersey. Back then, email was not a thing (trust me I am old enough to have seen this happening!). We wrote letters (yes, we needed pages and pages and a lot of good pens in order to update friends and family). It took a long time to remember all the things I wanted to tell my parents and I was very careful to include as many details as possible of what my days were like on the other side of the world from them. Then I posted the letter.

It took normally 2 to 3 weeks for my letter to get home and another 2 to 3 weeks to get a letter from them in response to mine (my kids find this impossible to believe). But every single day, without fail, I would run to the post box, after the mail man had been and would check if there was an envelope for me. Of course, most days I would not find one and would walk back inside wondering why it was taking so long. My mind would then wonder what my siblings might be doing, my parents. Was the weather nice… were my friends asking about me… had they forgotten me already? Some days I would get so upset about having no letter that I forgot to enjoy what God was putting in front of me.

Learning to enjoy the process of waiting is not easy. We have fallen hearts that desperately want to be in control. We want the things we want and we want them now. However, there are truths that we need to hold on to in “the waiting”.

God is unchanging, He is sovereign over all the earth. He knows all things and He is busy, at work, even when it seems He is silent. I love chapters 38 and 39 (I would suggest you read the chapters) in the book of Job when God is speaking to Job. Below are some of the questions God asks:

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.”; “Who marked off its dimensions?” (Job 384-5); “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place” (Job 38:12); “What is the way to the abode of light?” (Job 38:19); “Does the rain have a father?  Who fathers the drops of dew?” (Job 38:28); “Can you raise your voice to the clouds and cover yourself with a flood of water?” (Job 38:34); “Who let the wild donkey go free? Who untied its ropes?” (Job 39:5); “Do you give the horse its strength or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?” (Job 39:19)

I love the way God talks to Job, gently reminding him that He, God, IS sovereign and He is in control of everything. Another verse comes to mind: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). I must remember to be still before the Lord and let Him do the work He has already started and He does not need my help.

There is joy to be found in the waiting. Joy for the heart that is peaceful and knows that our God is good and faithful. A heart that is not anxious. Paul commanded the Philippians 4:6-7:

^” Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.

God wants us to bring to Him all that is in our hearts when we are waiting. He promises to give us the peace that only He can give. How wonderful it is to know that no matter the outcome of our circumstances, God wants us to trust Him and his good and perfect will. Even more amazing is that God has promised in His word that He will be with us and in all circumstances He is working His purposes in us.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

So as we wait let us rest on the promises of our God and let us grow closer to Him in humility and love.

God bless.

_{Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash}

I am not sure about you, I am always trying to decide at the start of a new year if I should have a new resolution or not. As I look back at 2023 and consider the choices I made and how it all turned out a word comes to mind: perspective.

Not in the context of understanding a drawing and its correct proportions in a three dimension view, though it is good to appreciate those, but the attitude towards something or someone. If you know me well, you might be surprised by my choice of word. You might have expected me to say something like faithfulness, goodness, steadfastness and so on. I have much to thank God for His faithfulness, goodness, grace, love, mercies.

Perspective. What is my heart’s attitude towards Jesus? Jesus once asked his disciples in Matthew 16:15

 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

By this time in His earthly ministry, Jesus had visited many places, performed many miracles and taught all those who would gather to hear Him. His fame was going before Him and many were wondering about him, trying to decide who He was based on what they had heard and seen. So in the verses that come right before this one Jesus asked:

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (Matthew 16:13-14)

The answers the people gave were not unreasonable as they new from the Old Testament God had promised to send a prophet.

So what does perspective have to do with all of this? I want to consider the question Jesus asked his disciples. “Who do you say I am?” The answer Simon Peter gave Jesus was:

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

This was revealed to Peter by God. What an amazing gift to receive from the Father. Who do I say Jesus is? God has revealed to us in His word from the beginning that Jesus is His Son. The entire Bible points to Him. He is the promised king who came to die for us and to save us. We celebrated that last month.

Do I live my life in such a way to proclaim the truth I believe about Jesus? That is why I need perspective. I need the Bible to be the lenses by which I see the world. Who do I say Jesus is? He is the Son of God who loves me, a sinner, so much that He came and died in my place so I could put my trust in Him and have eternal life. He is my Lord. He reigns in Heaven and one day every knee will bow before Him.

Our society and culture don’t see Jesus as Lord. Some say that if He existed at all, He was just a good teacher, a prophet, a bit of a rebel, a liar. Some will distort His image to fit in with their agendas and blaspheme, declaring that He was homosexual because He loved the men that followed him. Others will even say that He probably was who He said He was but the Bible is but a fantasy. A story, a bit like Harry Potter. The most worrying thing though is that they will try to convince us to think like them. They claim, consciously or unconsciously, that it is better to disregard Him completely. After all, who wants to be under the Lordship of anyone but themselves? “Be yourself!”. “You do You!”. “Sit in the driving seat!”. “You can do it!”. “Conquer the world!”. “You don’t need Jesus!”. “All you need is to love yourself!”. It would be so easy to loose oneself in all the distractions and lies.

So, as 2024 is well on its way, my prayer is that I will keep reading my Bible and hold on to the truth it teaches. I pray that my heart will burn with the desire to learn more about Jesus. I pray that He will be seated on the throne of my life always. May each of my days He ordained, be guided by a biblical and holy perspective. I will share more of what the Bible teaches about Him on my journey. More of Him. Less of me.

What about you? Who do you say Jesus is?

^{Photo by Sixteen Miles Out} 

I love trees. Every year we go for a walk in the woods in the Spring time and I love looking a the trees. I love to see how they stand there completely naked, tall, reaching up to the skies, soaking up every little ray of sunshine. I love seeing the buds and the new life springing and filling each single branch with new green leaves.

I never knew how many shades of green existed in nature until I moved to the UK and watched in amazement the lush display of the vegetation in this country. So many different shades of green from the lightest hint to the darkest one. So beautiful.

The last time we were walking in the woods, I noticed some trees were down. We had some very windy storms that year and they did not survive the battering. They were probably already dead and hollow. These trees will probably just be left there to rot as their wood is crumbly and not of much use. There were some that might have been struck by lightning and the wood can still be repurposed. Somewhere a nice table or maybe a lovely rocking chair will be fashioned. They might be cut for fire wood or made into floor boards. In the past, in some cultures, they were made into crosses.

Today is Good Friday and we spent some time thinking about a tree. Well, it was referred to as a tree in the Bible (1 Peter 2:24). This particular one wasn’t a tree we would have liked to contemplate, paint, take photos of, or even write about. This was a cursed tree.

The Jewish people would know that anyone who died on a tree (cross) would be under God’s curse. They would have been familiar with Deuteronomy 21:22-23

²² “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, ²³ his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.

So when Jesus, the Son of God (Luke 9:34-35), the promised King (John 4:24-25), the Creator of all things (John 1:1-5), died on a cross (tree) for you and for me, all those who were watching knew, as they hurled insults at Him, that He was dying a criminal’s death.

The most amazing thing about this death, this tree, is that Jesus himself knew, exactly what was happening and why it needed to happen.

This story did not begin with this cursed tree. It began a long time before this very sad day in the history of humanity. It took place in a garden by another tree when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God’s word (Genesis 2:15-17). In rebellion they took the fruit of the tree God had told them not to eat (Genesis 3:1-7) and in doing so, they were sent away from God’s presence. Their lives, and the lives of every human, ever since, were tarnished by sin. The perfect relationship with God had been broken and no matter how hard they tried and we tried, nothing could make a way for us to get back to God.

But there in the same garden, God revealed to Adam and Eve His perfect plan to save them and bring His children back to Him. When God cursed the Serpent He said in Genesis 3:15

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring^[e] and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

A descendant of Adam and Eve would be victorious over the Serpent and would bring mankind back to God. Jesus is that man. God sent His Son to live among humans. Not as a “divine being” but as fully human. Jesus experienced every thing a human does. He lived the perfect life that Adam could not live, the perfect life that I cannot live. None of us can. Jesus did. There was no sin in Him. No wrong. Not only that, He died the death that all of us deserve. Every human being rejects God and rebels against Him. Even the “good” ones (according to human standards). See Romans 3:9-18. We all want to rule over our own lives (and other people’s). We all want to be the god in our hearts. Jesus did not. He chose to die for us. He knew He was going to experience the cursed tree and, in deed the curse of being separated from His Father (Mark 15:33-35).

That cursed tree should have been mine. But Jesus took it instead. He hung there, so I could live. Have you ever thought about this tree? This cross? Yes, the one that was supposed to be yours? Have you ever thought about how much love Jesus must have for you to choose to die your death (John 3:16)?

As we reflect this weekend about Jesus and his death on this cursed tree, do not let it pass you buy. Pay great attention to all you hear about Jesus and the salvation He offers you (Hebrews 2:1-4). Consider Jesus. He loves you. He died for you and for those who believe He gives the right to be children of God (John 1:12).

God bless and don’t forget: the story of this cursed tree does not finish on the Friday. Sunday is coming!

I am not sure about you, but when I am feeling tired, stretched, overwhelmed by family, work, church service and life in general, I just want to climb into my bed, close the curtains, turn off the lights and forget about everything. If only that would be the answer! Don’t get me wrong, catching up with sleep is a start. The problem is, eventually, we have to get up, get dressed, tidy up the mess around the house, prepare to return to work and so on. Life does not stop and wait for us.

Some people have told me in the past they find it helps them to find rest or “peace” when they listen to a motivational speaker. Someone that will tell us we are worth it, we are strong and can do anything we want, if we put our mind to it. Some will attempt to give us little “recipes”, tips or tricks that if we follow each day, in a certain order, will help us reach the end of the day feeling good about ourselves. Changing our routine and habits can be a good thing, especially when we are overstretched.

Another thing people might turn to when tired, is mindfulness. Mindfulness colouring, breathing, walking, thinking… slowing down everything around us. Some nice techniques, some bullet points to follow and the promise (again) that things can change, if you stick to it, are very attractive indeed. Please let me say, I am not against mindfulness. I think there is a place for it in our lives.

I am pretty tired at the moment. I work in a school and the past years, it is fair to say, have been very challenging. I am sure it has been challenging for many people whatever their professional life looks like. My husband has been working from home and my kids have had hybrid education and like many other families we find ourselves overstretched. We are tired and long for things to be back to “normal”. We find ourselves weary. I find myself weary.

Where can we find the rest we need? What kind of rest do we need?

Is it the kind of rest Tony Stark longed for in the Avengers movies? Spoiler alert – if you haven’t seen the movies, skip this paragraph. When Tony was plagued by the thought the world could be destroyed by alien attacks, he could not rest. He tried everything and he lost a lot on the way, until he was able to defeat Thanos with the infinity stones. His wife tells him that she and her daughter will be ok and he can finally “rest” and he dies. Very moving if you like this kind of thing. I remember the deafening silence in the cinema.

Is it the expensive holiday in a paradise island somewhere with blue skies and crystal clear waters all around and no internet connection?

The Bible tells us we can find rest in our God, our Father, our Creator. Jesus said:

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

The first thing we need to be reminded of is that the rest we need is the one we can only find in Jesus. Our bodies will be restored after we catch up with sleep, our health will be restored (in most cases) after we look after ourselves, our life style can change and be calmer when we adopt the necessary routines, but there is nothing, absolutely nothing we can do (or anyone else, as a matter of fact) to find rest for our souls.

There is a weariness we carry all our lives because of sin and that can only be dealt with in the person of Jesus. No matter how many times we listen to motivational talks or feel good about ourselves. In the midst of our running from here to there and everything in between, there is a heart that is focused only or mostly on self. We want what we want and we find time and ways to tell others about that. The unkind words we say, either because we are dissatisfied with how our day is going or because we are too tired, the looks we give our kids or co-workers because they are not doing what we want them to do, the way we grumble when we can’t find the fresh produce whilst doing the supermarket run, even the pet gets blamed for the mess around the house. Do these sound familiar? What about the fact that we fail to include God in the things we do? Sinful behaviour.

The problem is that we miss the point when our soul is tired. The Psalms are a treasure chest full of gems when it comes to pouring hearts before the Lord and crying out for help. One of my favourite Psalms is 121. (click here to read it in full)

The Israelites had to make the long and dangerous journey 3 times a year to observe 3 special occasions the Lord had commanded them to. Jerusalem was where the temple was and where the presence of the Lord dwelt. The presence of the Lord brought the people protection and gave them a way to offer sacrifices for their sin and seek forgiveness. There is a possibility that the Psalmist here is thinking about that in verse 1:

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—  where does my help come from?

Another possibility is that the psalmist new the dangers that awaited as he was going to Jerusalem. Perhaps his heart was heavy, weary, full of anxieties as he travelled to the city. Like you and I there are different reasons and circumstances that bring us to this journey where we need to stop and ask, “where does my help come from?”. We must carry on reading the psalm as there is much for us to learn. The psalmist’s answer to his question is remarkable. Verses 2 to 8:

²My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; ⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; ⁶ the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; ⁸ the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

The answer is remarkable because this man knew who God is. He knew that God is the One who made the heaven and the earth. He knew that God is in control, reigning, sovereign over all things and He does not fall asleep. The Lord is omniscient and omnipresent, watching over us at all times. He knows every moment, every detail of our lives from the moment we are conceived to our last breath (and every moment in between). What a confidence and security this psalmist had.

Do we know our God well enough that we too might be able to answer in this way? Perhaps it is time that we stopped getting distracted by everything around us and within us and invested time in getting to know our Maker more. When we spend time in His word and in prayer we get reacquainted with God and we can find rest in Him even when the dangers are still very real, the worries still present, the uncertainties painfully displayed in our paths, God gives us rest. Rest for today, knowing that we have salvation in Jesus and a rest for tomorrow, eternity with God, no matter what this day might bring.

Praise and glory be to Him.

_{Photo by Jessica Delp on Unsplash}

Do you ever come home after a long tiring day and say “I fancy a cup of lukewarm tea”?

Strange question?

I felt challenged this week by a sermon I heard and as I pondered over the verses and prayed about it I felt I should share it with you and encourage you.

Have you ever felt you don’t really need Jesus in your life? Have you ever considered you know enough now of this “Christian” life that you are ok. You can do it. Maybe if it gets too hard I know I can pray to God and He will help me. Have you been so distracted by culture/society that you have changed your views to accommodate theirs and feel you are in with the times? Do you feel outraged when you hear people taking God’s name in vain or blaspheming? Does it make you want to cry when people say that they would never read parts of the Bible either because they are too difficult, or full of rules, or just outdated? Do you find yourself taking control of your life and completely ignoring the One who gave it to you, through His Son? When was the last time you spoke to God just because you enjoyed His painting in the skies above or just because you felt the cold air as you opened the door in the morning? I am addressing these questions firstly to myself and those who have met Jesus and given their lives to Him. If you call yourself a Christian, think about these questions.

When we first meet Jesus, there is a fire burning in our hearts and all we want to do is to spend time with Him. We open our Bibles and we are hungry. We want to know more of Him. Prayer is a bit difficult at first but as we are assured it is just like having a conversation with Jesus we pray a lot. We want to talk to Him. Our lives are so much better and we feel so loved and cherished that we even tell our friends that we have found Him. Or better yet, we tell them He has found us. He died for us and forgave us. He promised us life eternal if we believe in Him. We are so in love with Jesus that we put a lot of effort and time into getting to know Him. This is great by the way. It is normal too. It is by His grace that we are changed and that we want more of Him.

Are you confused? Are you asking yourself what the point of this blog is? Bear with me. We are getting there.

Very often when we have been a Christian for a while, our attitude or our view of Jesus tends to change. It doesn’t necessarily mean that we don’t want to spend time with Him or know Him. It doesn’t mean we don’t love Him anymore. We are just busy. Too busy. There is not time or very little time for Jesus. Sunday mornings. Yes. Thank you Lord for Sunday mornings. I love Jesus, but life has not stopped, you know? I will read my Bible later today because my “to do” list is just a mile long. I don’t have time to go to the Women’s breakfast on Saturday morning? Are you joking? Have you seen my house? Church prayer meeting on Zoom? You must be having a laugh… I work in front of a screen all day… no. I will pray before I go to bed. I will buy the book being promoted for Lent but I have no idea when I will find time to read it. I will put it on the ever growing pile of good Christian books I have bought over the years and haven’t read yet. One day I will. I promise.

Sometimes we say all of the above and yet we find time to binge watch a Netflix series someone at work recommended. We find time to play video games or listen to our favourite music all day long. We engage in meaningless conversations and get distracted by the world around us and all it brings with it.

If this sounds a little familiar, read on.

There is a great danger that we could become lukewarm Christians. Not cold. Not hot. Not possible, I hear you say. I could never feel like that towards Jesus. Well, think of when you so wanted to have a hot bath and run it and whilst you were waiting for the bath to be filled you got busy with other things and by time you came back to it the water had gone lukewarm… What did you do? Did you jump in with excitement? Did you drain the water or added more hot water? Or maybe you poured yourself a nice cup of hot tea and set on the side just to find it 20 minutes later lukewarm. You tasted it a bit and either threw it away or drank it quickly pulling a face as you did it. Lukewarm tea is not the same as hot tea.

There is a warning for a church in Revelations about being lukewarm. The Church in Laodicea. As you read the verses remember that these words of Jesus are directed at Christians.

¹⁴ “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. ¹⁵ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

¹⁹ Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 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.

²¹ To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²² Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

In verse 16 the words “I am about to spit you out of my mouth”, mean Jesus is about to be sick – to throw up”. Strong image, isn’t it? A lukewarm Christian makes Jesus sick. That is probably not the kind of reaction we would expect from Jesus, but it is what we need to hear. Do we think we can do it? Do we think we have enough knowledge? Have we forgotten our first love? Are we so centred on ourselves that we think we don’t need Jesus? Verse 17 says:  “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked”. Again, these are harsh words. May they pierce our hearts and produce in us repentance.

Jesus loves us and this passage bring a warning as we have just considered but it also brings hope. Verse 19 says: “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” There is hope. We must look at our hearts and repent. We must be zealous in our walk with Christ, by His grace. We are united with Him through His work at the cross and what it has accomplished. We are now justified and saved, made righteous with God through Jesus. That is never going to change but our communion with Jesus, our “relationship” with Him changes depending on how we walk with Him. Verse 20 is an amazing verse: “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.” Jesus is saying to us, even though we might be lukewarm, wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked He is at our door, knocking, waiting to come in to have communion with us. Take heart my friend. This love is incomprehensible. Who loves like this? Only Jesus. Jesus is offering it to us, all of us, that might find ourselves sometimes in a lukewarm place in our faith. Consider His words to the Laodicea church and examine your own life, as I have mine.

May our gracious God help us as we refocus on Him.

How many times have you said these words or heard them? I think it would be fair to say too many times to be able to count. Why do people say it? There are many different reasons. When we were children we might have thought our parents were being unfair to us when they disciplined us, taking away a toy or a privilege when we disobeyed them. Maybe it happened at school when we were caught talking to another student in the middle of a lesson and the teacher didn’t let us explain that we were only trying to help the other student. Maybe you got a negative mark and the other student didn’t. It could have been that best friend (well, at least you thought they were your best friend) that ditched you for another friend. Sometimes we say it inside when we come home from work and the kids have not bothered to even do the dishes after they finished eating and expect us to do everything and still be smiling and ready to give them all the attention they demand.

Other times we say it because of what we see on the news, the injustice and the unfairness in the world. The footballer getting paid millions to run after a ball (apologies here to the lovers of the sport) whilst entire villages are dying of hunger in many countries because there isn’t enough financial aid available to help everyone, or the money sent has been lost. Animal lives being protected at all cost and babies being killed by the millions (I must say, I am an animal lover, but human life is more valuable to me). Or maybe it is the diagnosis of a serious illness for a loved one and you wonder how in the world could that be fair. It should be you not them. Another reason could be the news a dear friend passed in a terrible accident and you think of so many people God could have chosen to take instead…

It is not fair!

I am a teacher, so, I hear these words a lot at school. When a student receives a lower grade than they expected but fail to realise they did not put enough effort into what they were supposed to do, they say these words trying to shift the blame to the teacher. As a mother, I hear it all the time when I need to sit down with my teenage children and say they are losing privileges because of their behaviour and the words come straight out. When I get frustrated because our plans have to change due to work commitments, the words are there. Sometimes they are not voiced but they poison the heart in the same way.

I am in the middle of course which takes you through an overview of God’s grace displayed through the entire Bible and as I consider this grace and what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross, I wanted to share that He never, not even once, said “It is not fair!”. No. He left His home in Heaven. He came as a human being. He knew the cost. He was obedient to death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8).

This is how the apostle Paul describes Jesus in Colossians 1:

¹⁵ The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (verses 15-20)

The title of this passage is the Supremacy of the Son of God, and you can see how powerful Jesus is and his authority. He was there when all things were created and all things were created by Him and for Him. We see how God was pleased to have His fullness dwell in Him (that shows us that Jesus was fully God). Jesus was there before all things in perfect harmony as the second person of the trinity and He holds all things together. This is a brief and rich description of our Lord Jesus. But then we read the end of verse 20 “by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross“. This is where some people struggle. God sent His only Son to the cross, to suffer and die for our sins. It is not fair, is it? That Jesus should have to die for my sin. The just, perfect, sinless, mighty, powerful God took my place on the cross.

What love is this? That pays so dearly? This is God’s grace. Grace is unmerited (undeserved) favour. Jesus said in John 3:

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 

God so loved the world. That is such an amazing verse, incredible and so difficult to comprehend… such love. When I became a Christian many years ago, I could never understand a father giving his son for someone. Now I have kids and I cannot even contemplate that idea. No. I would never be able to do that. Give one of my kids to die to save an enemy or a friend, as a matter of fact. Unthinkable. This is what God did. He knew we could never gain his favour because of the sin in our hearts – that rebellion we have against the King of the Universe. God still loves us. He had a perfect plan to bring us back to Him. A costly one, but a perfect one. This is the grace of God and He offers it free for anyone who believes. God does not call us to comprehend it, but he calls us to believe in Him and place our trust in Him. When we do that we stand free, justified, righteous before God. Jesus continued in John:

¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Believe today. The gift is there. God’s grace and love poured out for us. Place your trust in the Son of God. We should, all of us, have been on that cross, not Jesus. We deserve death, not Jesus. If you think I am being a bit over dramatic here, all you need to do is search the depths of your heart and you will see it. So, it is not fair that the King of Kings should die for me. NO. His great love poured for us. His blood shed on the cross has redeemed us, brought us forgiveness and eternal life. We are set free. We are no longer God’s enemies.

You might already know God’s love and you have recognised Him as your king, but if you haven’t, do not turn away from this precious gift of salvation Jesus offers. Many have turned away from Him and refused to accept this glorious sacrifice He made. They said no to God and they stand condemned. Perhaps you need time to think about all of this. Perhaps you need to look at Jesus’s life and the claims He made about himself. Maybe you should investigate more about Him, so, why not spend some time reading a Gospel? Maybe join a church? Ask the questions that are in your heart? Come to Jesus, at the foot of the cross and bow down to Him. Surrender your life to Him and watch as He transforms your life for His glory.

God bless.