Expected ..

The snow is here again. Forecast  by the Met Office, and given publicity on every news program, it duly arrived yesterday. Some have a lot, we have a couple of inches, despite seeming to snow all day. Today is a day to get the sledge out and enjoy it.
We live having taken a prediction of the future.The greatest prediction is that Jesus is coming again. Will we be ready to enjoy it?

Taking hold of the covenant

At the Lords Table this evening we thought of taking hold of the covenant, as we find in Isaiah 56 v 4.
In taking the symbols of his broken body and his shed blood ( the blood of the new covenant)   by faith we take hold of the covenant.
It s for the Eunuchs and the sons of the stranger - the who take hold upon the Lord. What is promised is a place in his house.

Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
It is very reminiscent of John 14 - In my fathers house are many mansions - I go to prepare a place for you.

Knowing God by Suffering.

Job was a man who is high commended not just of man - but by God himself.
But at the end of Jobs trials this is his confession

I have heard of thee with the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee.  
(Job 42:5).

 But Job you might say you even sacrificed for your children in case they had offended God in their actions, such was your view of Gods Holiness. Job learnt more of God through his sufferings than in his prosperity.

Paul tells the Philippians that they are called to believe and suffer for his sake (Phil 1:29). Perhaps not how we want to view our christian pathway, but we must expect to suffer. It may not be to the extent that Job had to , where he was left with nothing except his life.

In suffering we should seek Christ more, and seek to grow as we are drawn to him in our suffering and find their our comforter.

Ice Skating

A day off to look after the children and a chance to go skating in 8 degrees.Slipping and slidding all over the place but great fun and good value.

Preparing a Place

Rather inevitably at the end of one year and the beginning of another we think of the second coming. With that in mind preached Sunday afternoon on John 14:3 - I will come again.
On New Years eve we had a prayer meeting and I looked at I go to prepare a place for you.
We noted that this is what God did from Eden.. through the promised land and finished in Revelation 12 - where a place was prepared for the woman for 3 1/2 years.
We remembered that this place is in Jesus Fathers house .. not a connected village or in the same town, or even an out building  - but in our Father House.
A place is prepared for us .. but are we ready to be there?

A happy new year to you each .... maybe I will blog more often..

New Year - Same message

I know its been months since I blogged. But here I am again. Who knows I may change the look soon.

Preached this morning about preaching - in particular from Galatians 1 - where Paul warns against the false gospel - which is not another gospel. Quite challenging when you are the only preacher there.
True preaching is to bring Gods message. I sent the boundaries from which the message could come as being the word of God. We thought about how the message should be prepared and received, the importance of a prepared and studied message that is delivered in an understandable way. How important it was to mix faith with our hearing. (Hebrews 4),
I emphasized the responsibility of the hearer to discern the true message - that which speaks of Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world.

The Dead Tree

I was out this morning sorting a kitchen for this beautiful old farm house that is being restored.

The sum was warm even at 7:30am and the air was crisp and clean. You could hear the sheep in the field across the road bleating , and the birds in full song. Added to that the job seemed to be going well.It was a air of tranquility and peace.
Yet in the midst of this beauty i saw this tree. Completely lifeless it stood out. I wondered what had happened to it and when it would be cut down.

Then I thought how easy it is to be spiritually dead in the middle of the rich blessings of God, how we can lose hope after so many years  of growth in God. How we need the sustaining grace of God. We are dependent upon Him for everything. In Him we live and move and have our very being.

update: On studying for tomorrow I have come across two references to the dry tree.
Ezekiel 17: 24 - I will make the dry tree to flourish.