Heaven vs Hell

Following my blog post a few days ago, about our place in Heaven and Jesus preparing our rooms for us, I have been thinking about heaven and hell.  I came across an article about near death experiences and not always good ones.  Some people talked of being taken into a dark, frightening place where they were deprived of light, love, hope and any emotion except terror.  Essentially, an absence of God.

When I worked in a cardiac intensive care unit in Cape Town, I received a patient back from theatre following his bypass surgery.  One of the things I enjoy about ITU is the unconcious patient!  No backchat, demands, tricky behaviours etc.  But we do eventually have to return them to conciousness and extubate them.  If they are tricky people, we can comfort ourselves with the thought that they are about to be shipped off to the ward soon.  LOL.  Usually, the patients are lovely, grateful their surgery is over and keen to recover.  They trust that we are looking after them and have their best interests at heat.  But this particular gentleman was a horror.  His timid wife was waiting for him to come out of surgery,  She looked like a typical tyrant's wife - mousey and down trodden.  He fought against his ventilator, struggled with his chest drains, pulled out his drips.  Everything.  And he wasn't confused.  He was just unpleasant.  When he was awake, he shouted abuse at us, shouted at his wife, was generally one of the most unpleasant humans I have met.

His children refused to visit him.  He was alone except for his wife, who didn't seem keen to be there either.

He had an arrest in the unit the next day and we spent a while trying to get him back.  We did.  He looked totally shaken, which is unsurprising considering, but he was very quiet.  He sat on his bed weeping.  He asked the curtains to be drawn around his bed while he talked to his wife.  She emerged a while later weeping too.  She made a call and her children arrived to see their father,  There was a lot of weeping, a lot of hugging and a lot of forgiveness.  I don't know the details, he wouldn't share them with anyone but his family, but he did say to me "I don't want to go back there."  Make of it what you will, but I believe that he had been to hell.  I can't say whether he became a christian, or what happened to him.  After he left the hospital, surrounded by his family and happier looking wife, I never saw or heard from him again.

I can't imagine a place without God.  He is so much part of my life.  It would be hell indeed without him.

I have been trying to spend time this week immersed in God.  Letting His love enfold me.  How much more wonderful will heaven be?  I have a lot of life to live still, but I am looking forward to heaven. 

Hide me under Your wing

The Picture

The Verse Psalm 17:8

Hide me in the shadow of your wings

The Thought

There is a song that based on this psalm by Reuben Morgan of The Hillside United band.  The words say all I could about it.  It is a gorgeous song - I have put in a link in the title of the song.  Listen to the song and enjoy it.  This is about just being still with God, remember?

I will be still and know You are God 

 Hide me now, under Your wings.
Cover me within Your mighty hand.
When the oceans rise
and thunders roar.
I will soar with You, above the storm
Father You are king over the flood,
I will be still and know You are God.

Find rest my soul in Christ alone,
Know his power, in quietness and trust.

When the oceans rise
and thunders roar.
I will soar with You, above the storm
Father You are king over the flood,
I will be still and know You are God.

Find rest my soul in Christ alone,
Know his power, in quietness and trust.

When the oceans rise
and thunders roar.
I will soar with You, above the storm
Father You are king over the flood,
I will be still and know You are God.

When the oceans rise
and thunders roar.
I will soar with You, above the storm
Father You are king over the flood,
I will be still and know You are God.

Be still

The Picture

The Verse Psalm 46: 10a

Be still and know that I am God

The Thought

Sometimes we race around trying to sort out work, life, children, school runs, swimming lessons, shopping, karate, church activities, ironing, meals, cleaning etc. (or is this just me? I don't think so).  The time we spend with God is allocated into 5, 10, 30 minutes slots in which we have to read the bible, pray and get the message and we are thinking of all the other things we need to do too.  We have our daily time with God, but it is forced and unnatural - like popping in to visit that elderly aunt out of duty, but looking at our watches to see if it is polite to leave having done our time.
This week away, I had lots of the "daily" activities taken away from me.  And no internet or distractions.  And there was time to be still and be with God.  And it was wonderful.
So often, the only time we are quiet with God is when we are in a remote or empty place.  But the challenge is being still with God in the middle of our busy lives.  Try using your bespoke quiet time this week just to BE before God.  Not trying to learn something profound or pray "meaningful" prayers, but just stopping and savouring His presence. Sometimes He speaks loudest in the quietest time.

The Prayer
Father God, please let me make the effort to stop before you and just enjoy your presence.  Lord use my quiet times this week to speak to me and to refresh me.  Thank you for your love.  Thank you for your comfort,  Thank you for loving me.

He is Risen!

Happy Easter Everyone - sorry that the last few days of lent never materialised - we were on holiday in the Lake District and had no internet access - it was heavenly, but means I missed the last week.  
I plan to carry on with my postings, but it is likely to be sporadic.  I would love it if you kept an eye out though.
Have a wonderful day celebrating the resurrection of our Lord

Day 40: Just appreciating God. I can't get my phone to type the body of text and I ha ve no internet. watch this space...

Day 39: Plenty of room at the Inn!

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Verse: John 14: 1-4

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.

Thought

When Jesus spoke these words, he was talking to his disciples just before he was crucified.  They are confused and scared as their world seems to be tumbling down around them.  He is anticipating their pain and comforting them.  As Christians we know that Christ is alive and present.  We know him and talk to him,  Although we can't see him, we trust him.  The omniscience of God means that He is everywhere, so He is always there when we need him.  We just need to believe in him and trust him.

And Jesus also promises us a place in Heaven, in His Fathers house.  He says there are many rooms and he has gone to get our rooms ready for us.  (I always imagine I will get a basement room!).  And then he will come and fetch us to take us there.  I love this image.  Imagine going for a walk with a friend and you are exhausted so you sit down at the side of the road. Your friends pats you and says, "You look exhausted - just wait there.  I'll go and sort out somewhere for us to stay".  So you wait there and trust he will come back for you.  When he does come back (as you knew he would) he arrives with a posh car to drive your exhausted body to the most fantastic 5 star hotel in the world.  And you find he has organised things so they have laid on everything you could want.  And there is a room just for you.

That 5 star hotel is heaven.  And you know what? Jesus is just getting it ready for us. He says, "If it were not so I would have told you."And he is coming to fetch us to take us there, to take us home.  It is going to be wonderful.  And I love the idea that heaven is a house - not a country or city of lots of different dwelling places, but one house that we will all dwell in.

I trust Him.  I trust that He will take me to heaven, to his fathers house when I die.

 

Prayer

Father, thank you that there is a place for me in your presence and in Your Fathers house. Thank you for holding me in your arms and loving me. Thank you for caring for me and coming into my life. Thank you for daily reminding me of your father’s love for me.

Day 38: Speak wisely

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Verse:  Proverbs 16 :22-24
Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it, but discipline is wasted on fools.
From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive.
Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

Thought
We all wish we could find the fountain of youth.  You see people aspiring to retain their youth wherever you look.  But it is a myth, a dream.  But the life-giving  fountain of discretion or wisdom is real.  I have the choice of being encouraged by God-given wisdom or being brought down with a bump with my own foolish thoughts, words and behaviour.
The word for understanding in this verse is wisdom or insight.  Like a fountain of life, it is refreshing, life sustaining and inexhaustible.  A wise person is very careful about what they say because they do not want to hurt but instead help others. They doesn't just speak the first words that come to mind, but pause and consider the words they will say.   Sometimes you draw encouragement from others and they from you in equal measure.  You may start out by thinking you are providing the support only to find you draw as much, if not more encouragement from the encounter.   And kind, gentle and loving words can do more to boost you in your morale and energy levels than anything else.
So take time to consider the words you speak, the comfort you give, the advice you dole out, and make sure they are words from God, not just the first random thoughts that come from your brain.  Encourage where you can and boost people with the things you say.
Prayer  
 I need to make a list of things I can do to make others happy. One of these items needs to be that I will be careful to guard my tongue so I will not say things that hurt others.  Help me be thoughtful of the words that come from my mouth.

Day 37: How to chat to God

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Verse: Luke 11:1

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 

Thought:

So many of us struggle to pray.  I know I do.  And it isn't just making time, it is how I pray that tangles me in knots.  There are various pro-forma methods of praying. We have the Lord's prayer, which Jesus taught his disciples in the verses that follow this verse.  Some people use the ACTS (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication) method.  But it isn't just about the style of the prayer, but the content.  I know I shared on Sunday about nice prayer and being free to pray with emotion.  But I always feel a bit stilted when I pray.  God isn't a physical being and it can be hard to speak without instant feedback.

In the last couple of years I have developed a group of really good friends.  We all chat every day and share so much.  We have been through cancer, death, job uncertainties, operations, fears, insomnia and funerals.  We have also been through the joy of first smiles, wobbly teeth, robotic championships, having designs published, winning competitions, holidays,  skating championships, romance, weddings and lots of laughter.  And I have not met a single one of them in person.  Yet I consider them real  friends.  They are my digi-sisters and they are a wonderful bunch of ladies. My son calls them my lap friends (hence the photo!) and this is my usual way of communicating with them.

In the same way, although I have never met God, my relationship with him should be growing stronger each day.  I should be chatting and sharing things with him.  I found that doing this blog is a way of praying.  My thoughts are centered on relating daily things to my relationship with God.  I kept a written prayer diary for a while and it saw me through a really rough patch in my life.  I would often find myself writing reams every day.  I was far more honest and open than if I was formally praying.

I think it is time for me to start writing again - it works for me.  Find the prayer method that works best and talk to God in this way.  Like any relationship, it grows stronger the more you talk.

Prayer

 Lord, it is such a privilege to be in a relationship with you.  Please help me to speak to You as I would to any friends. Let me be open and honest with you and open to the answers you give me too.

Day 36: Are you an ant?

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Verse: Proverbs 12:11

The one who stays on the job has food on the table; the witless chase whims and fancies.

Thought

Hmmmm.  I start a new job next month, working on one day a week on Fridays.  I work 3 days at the moment and will now be working 4 (easy life, I know).  This was one of my 'Free' days to catch up on house-work, shopping, friends etc and now I will be working.  And through the summer!!  I guess I will have 'food on the table' but a part of me is yearning for the loss of chasing my 'whims and fancies'!

If you read this verse you may recognise Aesop's story of the grasshopper and the ant. While the ant slaved away and worked very hard all summer, the grasshopper mucked about in the sunshine and wiled away the hours, playing and having fun.  But when the winter came, the ant had plenty of provisions laid up for his family, and the grasshopper had nothing but vague memories of sunshine.  

We have God-given abilities and I believe we are expected to work hard for what we have.  And we can earn wealth and 'things', but we shouldn't have the expectation that these things will just be given to us.  God rewards us for working hard, in life and in our faith, and the end result will be a table laden with His blessing.   

Prayer

Lord God, thank you for the abilities you have given me.  Thank you for my job.  Lord I pray that I may give my best to this job and enjoy the challenges ahead of me.

Day 35: Bringing up children

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Verse:  Proverbs 22:6

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Thought

I think that new parents may look at this verse with a light heart and think that if they provide the good Christian home, all will be well and they will have perfect children from babyhood, through the tweens and teens and into adulthood.  I don’t think so!  I have too many nieces and nephews to believe that!  I am aware of what is coming with my way with my gorgeous but stubborn and determined boy!  I am more than nervous!       

But I do think you can instil basic core behaviours that will stand them in good stead.  Of course teenagers rebel and become foul beasts, but as they grow older they become “normal” again and those basic mores that you taught them are hopefully intrinsically part of their being.  The temporary `boys will be boys' pattern that they are following now will soon be changed for a `faith of the Fathers' blueprint for the rest of their lives. But I am not so unrealistic to think that this is a definite outcome.  I know of children from loving Christian families who seem hell-bent on self-destruction.  They wilfully turn against God and become atheists. 

So what is the answer?  We can only do our best as parents.  We need to help our children develop their natural talents and we need to give them the help and direction in order to do this  We can only hope that if we  keep them in line with their abilities, they will reach their full potential as adults and fulfil the destiny God has for them.       

The comfort from Proverbs 22:6,  is that there is a promise of sorts for parents.  While there is no guarantee of every child becoming a child of God, there is a general promise of salvation.  Hopefully, our efforts are going to be rewarded with the salvation and spiritual well-being of our children. We can try to ensure we give our children every opportunity and the rest is between them and God.          

Prayer   

Oh Lord, it is such a big responsibility being a parent and I do pray that you would guide David and I as we raise Joseph.  Give us the wisdom we need and the strength of conviction to instil Your values into him.  We pray for your protection  over him and that he would grow up knowing and loving you.

Day 34: Watch yourself

Quote - ? Frank Outlaw

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits they become character; Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Thought 

This quote has popped up in my life in several places over the last few weeks. On facebook, e-mails and a card someone sent me. While it is not biblical, it is still a good quote and it makes you stop and think about what forms our character. Our thoughts, words and actions are mirrors of who we are, and they can help form our destiny. There is a lot of Christian wisdom to be gained from following the advice given.  By watching what we think, carefully choosing the words we speak and ensuring that our actions are fair and right with God, we can behave as He would want us to.  The devil can so easily slip into our thoughts and lead us to say or do things we wouldn't usually do.  Another way of being watchful is by praying and keeping our hearts still to observe the words of God.

Prayer

Lord help me recognise that  I must guard my thoughts and not give in to the temptations before me.  But at the same time recognise that my thoughts and actions get me into whatever situation I am in.  If I trust You, God, I can know I will be where You want me to be.

 

Day 33: Start yelling!

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Quote by Eugene Peterson

"The enemy of real prayer is 'nice' prayer

Thought

 We had a sermon from the book of Job today at church.  Our minister, Paul, used this quote in his sermon and it struck a chord with me.  At the moment, so many of my friends are facing real crisis and bad patches in their lives.  We pray for each other and ourselves in an almost apologetic way, saying "Your will be done" and "This is part of Your plan" when every fibre of our being wants to scream and rage at God.  And why don't we?  If one of our friends or partners has hurt us, we soon let them know.  Plenty of yelling or arguing!  And it doesn't diminish our relationship or stop us loving them; it clears the air and makes us feel better for having expressed our grievance.  So it should be with God.  We don't have to sit and meekly agree with all that is bad with the world.  He wants us to be honest with Him and to share our unhappiness, grief and growls.

When I lost my first baby, I can remember the comforting prayers of others, and I appreciated them.  But the thing I remember most is sitting with my mother and wailing and raging and her crying and wailing with me.  It was a true expression of the disconsolate pain I felt.  And that expression of grief was the most helpful to me and was a form of release for me.

Paul spoke of the wailing and lamenting the women from Eastern countries do, the ululation of grief or joy.  Very un-British!!!  But we should express ourselves with such passion, we should share our grief with God.  He will hold and comfort us as my mother did me.  He wants us to share our disappointments with him.  If we sit there and soppily say, ‘It is all OK’ how can he share our grief?

Prayer

Help me be honest with you God.  Let me feel able to express my true emotions and feeling to you, to pray without holding back.  I want my relationship with you to be open and honest.

Day 32: Love your neighbour

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Verse: Mark 12: 30-31

'And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Thought

It is quite a call this.  To love God with every fibre of your being.  When you fall in love with a person, they totally engulf your life.  You think of them all the time and glow with the thought of them.  When I first became a Christian, that was true of my faith too.  But as the years pass in your marriage, frequently thoughts of your spouse are edged with "I hope he remembered....", "Why didn't he...." and it is easy to forget that early 'buzz' of love with the mundane everyday issues of life.  I think this happens with Christianity too.  We forget that early buzz and settle into routine.  But God is asking us to love Him with every fibre of our being, all the time.  
I live in a cul-de-sac of 7 houses and am lucky to really like all of my neighbours.  But I am a bit of a snob!  Move me a mile down the road and plonk me in the middle of the council estate and I may be less happy.  But it is those neighbours Jesus is talking about.  The people you don't really like and tend to avoid. The ones you don't really mix with and sometimes tend to avoid.   God is telling you to love them as yourself.  This means ensuring they are safe, warm, fed and generally OK. Every one wants to feel loved, to feel accepted and to feel they are part of a greater community, and it is our job to ensure they do.


Prayer
Farther God, help me to love you with every fibre of my being.  To wake in the morning excited about what the day will bring.  Let me share Your love with those around me, that I may be a good 'neighbour' and let others really feel Your warmth and love.

Day 31: A peaceful heart

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Verse:Proverbs 14:30 

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

Thought

I love picking through proverbs and this was one that caught my eye.  When I am feeling low because things aren't as I feel they should be, I do think that I am more susceptible to picking up minor illnesses. I don't know whether it is just less easy to shrug off feeling a bit snuffly when I am down or whether I am actually worse.   Matthew Henry suggested that our health is dependent on our attitudes to life.  And I think this is true.  When you are fit and well, life's little foibles and minor illnesses just don't seem that big a deal, but equally, when you are poorly you can feel low, and vice versa .  But a bit of illness and unhappiness: - it all seems to spiral downwards, until you are just an unhappy little blob of misery.
I deal with a lot of stresses people (I may have mentioned this before) and there are always physical side effects  - headaches, stomach ulcers sometimes even cardiac events.  But anger, envy, stress, bitterness etc often seem punishment enough, leading to depression and unhappiness.

This proverbs is suggesting that a spiritually healthy spirit and a heart free of unwholesome attitudes promotes a physically healthy body.  Of course this doesn't mean Christians don't get sick or stressed, but it how we deal with it and maintain a relationship with God that is crucial.

Being submissive to God is to be in good spiritual health, whatever the condition of the body may be. 

Prayer

Help me always try to maintain a healthy heart for you God.  Let me be free from envy and unhappiness, and focused on you.

Day 30: The workers are few

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Verse: Matthew 9:35-38

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Thought 

It is very easy to go to church and applaud all the good works done by the church, the leaflets we distribute and  the guest services we hold.  Because they are written and delivered by "clever" people who know how to write and preach.  We assure ourselves that this is their gift and we are blessed with the gift of hospitality or cake making - which is nice and safe and within our control.  But think of the disasters happening around the world.  Japan have just had a second huge earthquake and we don't know the effects of that yet.  

When the boxing day Tsunami hit in 2010, there was a young school girl, Tilly Smith, on the beach.  She recognised the signs signs of the impending tsunami from a geography lesson and ran down the beach shouting about what was coming.  Some people listened to her and ran for the hotels and were saved.  Some people ignored her or went to the beach for a closer look.  She knew what was coming and the need for people to be saved.  She wasn't a scientist or an expert of any sort.  She was just an 11 year old school girl who had heard the lesson at school.  We should be like that little girl.  We should be running down the beach shouting the warnings.  I don't mean the world is about to end, but life is finite and we, as Christians, need to try and get the message of Christianity out there.  We don't need to be scholars or theologians.  We need to share our own experiences and let God work through us.
We need to be prepared to be the workers, not rely on others who we think are more qualified.

Prayer
Father God, please let me be brave enough to speak out about my faith, to get out of my comfort zone and shout your message.  Help me be confident that You will use my words to reach others, that they may be saved.

Day 29: God's gift of contentment

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Verse Philippians 4: 12-13

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Thought

God gives us the strength we need to face the day.  We are happy to take from him, but it can be very difficult to give.  There is always something we don't want to share.  I love giving people presents.  I love sharing my home with others. My resistance to sharing is my "Debbie" time.  It is a valuable commodity in a busy world.  I always have a list of jobs that need doing and when I do sit down, I feel a little guilty.  But the reality is that all my time is "Debbie" time and I should enjoy it and get the most out of whatever I am doing.  The truth is that when I do sit down for me, I usually squander that time in any case.  It is about being content with what you have.
The speaker at our ladies church weekend gave an analogy which basically pointed out that the strongest weapon the devil has is disappointment.  And this is so true for me.  Usually when I am unhappy about something, the root is disappointment
A friend of mine recently pointed me to a web page which  shared these definitions and I thought they were excellent for this passage.  The definitions demonstrate a progression of our heart's as we strive towards having a heart of God.

Pride: I think you want what I have.
Envy: I want what you have.
Contentment: I’m OK with what I have, and I’m OK with you having what you have
Blessing: I want you to have what I have

We should move our hearts along this route too.  From looking at what is precious to us  and progress from hard-heartedness to God-heartedness.  God wants to root out pride and envy in our hearts and move us to contentment and blessing.

Prayer

Father God - help me strive towards having a contented heart.  Not looking for other things, but happy with what I have with You and with my life at present.

Day 28: Blessed are the persecuted

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Verse:  Matthew 5:10-12 

Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when people insult you, and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against because of Me.  Rejoice, and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Thought

Well these verses always alarm me somewhat!  I don't want to be persecuted!  Luckily we in the western world don't have to face the persecution that Christians in some counties face.  There are Christians around the world meeting in secret, forced to hide their faith for fear of death for them and their families.  You hear of people being punished and tortured in such dreadful ways for following Christ.  

Over that last couple of days, looking at the Beatitudes, Jesus has shown us the picture of the "ideal" believer. God expects this behaviour from us and of course we can't deliver it.  Thankfully we have Christ to shine his perfection on us.  But the world finds it difficult to accept the characteristics that Jesus asks us to display.  The Beatitudes go against the grain of most of the world.  In a world of self-promotion and pride, the poor in spirit aren't appreciated.  Hedonism doesn't lead to mourning over sin or meekness.  The poor are not honoured and it is all about getting rich!  Generally there is little appreciation of mercy, purity and peace isn't making the news on a daily basis.   The "Persecuted" have clearly made the important decisions about the world to come. They have chosen to value what the King treasures rather than those things that man is attracted to by his eye and ear. Finding meaning in life not in pleasant treatment but in obedience to the King.

So are we persecuted?  Not in a being chased and tortured type of way, but how open are you about your faith.  does everyone at work know you are a Christian?  Do you make your faith public knowledge?  If not why not?  There is a perception that everyone is watching you, waiting for you to trip up if they know you are a Christian.  This is a fear of persecution that we have to contend with.   If you live a Christlike life, you will provoke the same reactions in the world that Jesus provoked during his life.  Some will respond to your love and will be led to a relationship with Him.  But Jesus met a lot of resistance and created antagonism when he confronted unrighteousness.

If you aren't experiencing persecution it's probably because people don't know you are a Christian or because the way you live isn't different enough to be noticeable.  Is it time to stir the water?

Prayer

Lord God, let me welcome challenges to my faith and the be proud to stand and be counted as one of your children.  Give me courage to stand up to the strength of my convictions, and not be afraid of the consequences. Help me to live out the characteristics you ask for in the Beatitudes.

Day 27: Blessed are the peacemakers

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Verse:  Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Thought

I used to do a bit of scuba diving.  I have always love being underwater – it seems so peaceful and quiet.  The deeper you go the stiller it gets.  There can be a storm on the surface, with rough waves and wild wind, but if you are deep under water, all is calm and still. 

We should find our Christianity like that.  Whatever strife or trouble is raging, that deep sense of peace that God gives should be resting in our heart and soul. Peacemakers draw their peace from God.

God longs for peace on earth.  He created a peaceful world and promises an eternity of peace.  Yet in the middle we have this man-created chaos.

We seem incapable of peace.  More and more people are suffering from mental and emotional illness.  Families are breaking up, neighbours are bringing law against each other,  people are involved in endless disputes at work and at home.

None of us want this unhappiness and needless pain.

Peacemakers build bridges between people.  I can be a fairly quarrelsome person sometimes.  I get a perverse pleasure out of making little comments aimed to rile.  Almost point scoring.   It is an unpleasant side of me, I know.  My poor husband probably bears the brunt of this.  To my shame, Joe pointed out that he thinks “Daddy and you quarrel too much”.  I was mortified.  I recognise that a lot of the quarrels are entirely avoidable and probably my fault.  David is a gentle and fair-minded person.  I have made a concerted effort not to bait and niggle, and funnily enough we are all happier and life is good.  What Joe did was make me stop and look at myself and draw closer to David.

In a sense that's what Christ did: He provided the righteousness that allows man and God to join hands. It was Christ's sacrifice on the cross that made peace between God and man. But Christ's death on the cross provided the righteousness that alone makes real peace.

But conversely, we also need to ensure that we  aren’t compromising our beliefs and principles for the sake of peace.  To be a peace maker doesn’t mean call a truce.  We need to aim to resolve problems with the truth, by bringing the righteousness of God into the equation. Peacemakers don't avoid spiritual conflicts--they dive into the middle of them.

The peace that God offers is real and lasting and it is eternal.  To be effective as a peacemaker you must maintain your peace with God. As Christians, we need to try to bring back the peace of God that we have lost through sin.  

Prayer

Help me to be a peacemaker Father God.  Let me look for your truth in problems and situation.  Help me not to compromise but to aim for what is right.  May your peace reign throughout the world.

Day 26: Mothering Sunday

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Poem - Author Unknown

You Were There

You were there when we took our first steps,
And went unsteadily across the floor.
You pushed and prodded: encouraged and guided,
Until our steps took us out the door...
You worry now "Are they ok?"
Is there more you could have done?
As we walk the paths of our unknown
You wonder"Where have my children gone?"
Where we are is where you have led us,
With your special love you showed us a way,
To believe in ourselves and the decisions we make.
Taking on the challenge of life day-to-day.
And where we go you can be sure,
In spirit you shall never be alone.
For where you are is what matters most to us,
Because to us that will always be home....

Thought

My mother died in 2006 and I miss her loads.  Especially today.  When I look at her in the photo above, she is so thrilled for me to be experiencing motherhood.  I remember being more than a little awed to realise that as I love that little boy in my arms, so she loved me.  It wasn’t until I became a mother that I realised the power of parental love.

On Mothering Sunday we all think of our mothers.  Some of us with love, some with sadness, some with no emotion at all.  As mothers we have an enormous responsibility in the way our children grow up and their approach to relationships. Today it is appropriate that we think about the spiritual effects of touching and being touched by those we love. I was lucky to have been blessed with a happy and safe childhood.  It is the experience of closeness and the loving touch of parents which makes us feel safe and confident. When that is absent, when there is no love or security, children find it harder to flourish.

So God also embraces us with His love.  Although it may not be a physical hug, He embraces us in so many ways, not least of all through the embraces of others.  Or the love and hugs that you give.

So happy mothering Sunday.  Don’t let the pressure get to you….

Prayer

Thank you God for our mothers.  And for those of us who are mothers, we thank you for the privilege of parenthood.  Help us to bring up our children to know and give love.  May we provide the safe and secure life that You give us. 

Day 25: Blessed are the pure in heart

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Verse:  Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Thought

Purity isn’t a word you hear attributed to people these days.  Many think purity is an insipid, unattractive commodity that belongs to odd people.  But purity refers to cleansing and to integrity.

If you think of a pure metal like gold, it is an expensive and desirable thing.  It is beautiful and its purity is obvious in the way it shines.  Dilute it with other base metals or pollutants, and the lustre is dimmed.  We should be striving towards the Purity of God, not diluting ourselves with things of the world.

Christ said, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Christ was saying that the way you view things effects your whole life. If your motives are pure your life will be pure. If they are corrupt your life will be, too. Believers are to have singleness of heart.

When you become a Christian your heart is purified as you begin living in the presence of God. You begin to comprehend Him and become aware of His presence. When your heart is purified by Christ you will see God. And the purer your heart is the more of God you will see.

Some people see Him in their circumstances and others see Him in the hearts of His people. God is alive in this world but you won't be aware of that unless your heart has been purified. Purity of heart cleanses the eyes of the soul, making God visible.

No one can purify themselves on their own because no one has the power to do so.

Good works will not make a heart pure but faith can. But for faith to be valid it must be in the right object. If you want to be pure in heart you must by faith accept the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

If you wonder how you can be clean you need to realize that you can't do it by good works. You can know purity only by putting your faith in the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross to remove sin. If you are a Christian and are fighting against impurity in your life, commit yourself to God's Word and prayer.  As a Christian, it is important for you to read the Word of God and also to pray.

God wants our motives to be pure. If you are truly a Christian you will have purity of heart and motive. If you don't, you need to question whether you really know God.

Prayer

Please help me strive towards a purity that can only come from you, Lord.  Let me be aware of the impure threads in my life, that I can work them out of the fabric of my being.

Day 24: Blessed are the Hungry

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 Verse:  Matthew 5:6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Thought

Hunger and thirst are both very strong feelings.  When you are really thirsty you can think of nothing else but a cool glass of water.  Generally, I don't know what it really means to feel hunger or thirst.  Even on diet!!  I think of hunger as the empty feeling I get when it's half an hour after my usual lunch time! 

My sister recently introduced me to Pasteis de Nata which are the most delicious Portuguese custard pies.  I am happy when I eat one, but I always want more! The satisfaction one pie provides also increases my desire for more of the same. That is a picture of what righteousness is for us as Christians - the more we are filled with the rich, sweet taste of Christ's righteousness the more we desire it.

Do possessions influence the way you feel? Do things seem to be better in your life when you buy something new?

We look for satisfaction in all the wrong things: money, possessions, fame, and pleasure. And we don’t find happiness because we look for it in the wrong places.

A hungry person will never be satisfied with flowers, music, or an encouraging speech--they will still want food. A thirsty person will not be satisfied unless they are given a drink. Too many in the church today are seeking the same kind of remedy to their problems, searching for happiness through ecstatic experiences. We want a holy high. We go to seminars or visit counsellors with the hope of experiencing spiritual ecstasy. But that isn't what Christians who are in search of happiness should look for. If I want a relationship with Christ but am not hungering and thirsting for righteousness, I need to honestly look at the relationship I have with Him.

The only real happiness of enduring value is being right with God recognising that my internal spiritual hunger can be satisfied only from God's table.

 Just as the hungry don’t need to be told to eat when they are provided with food, so we shouldn’t be told to read and study God’s word.  We should fall on it as though we are starving.   And God has promised to satisfy us.

Prayer 

Lord God, thank you that you care for me and provide for me.  Help me not to become complacent with my life but to hunger for you.  I want to feast on Your word, not just nibble on scraps to keep the hunger at bay.  I have really enjoyed looking at new verses every day and getting nutrition from them.  Please keep the hunger for your word in me.