Author Archives: Abby

Light that banishes darkness

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Abby| 8 Comments

By Wendy Hitchen

Recently my daily reading took me to John 8:12:

‘When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ (NIV)

And the words hit me, like a ton of bricks….. ‘will never walk in darkness’. Wow. Incredible. I don’t think I’ve read it properly before as this truth is pretty dramatic.

Is Jesus really saying that if we follow Him we’ll never walk in darkness? Yeah, He really is, because if He’s with us, and He’s the Light of Life, darkness ceases to exist in His presence.

That fresh realization has truly blessed me this week – there doesn’t need to be any darkness (which leads to fear) in my life. None at all! If I’m following Him, darkness will be gone in a flash. Thank you Jesus!

Now this doesn’t make tricky circumstances disappear or griefs dissipate, but it does mean that the Light of Life is with me though it all. And that helps me to regain perspective. Knowing He’s beside me immediately changes things. His light brings warmth, life and growth in my life and also into the lives of those that I come in contact with.

The comfort of knowing that Jesus chases darkness away (without fail, all the time) means that even though circumstances may be tough, they do not need to overcome me because the darkness is gone.

G.O.N.E.

So if you’re finding life tough, I invite you to read this passage again and be encouraged that whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness.

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A worry-free life for Lent and beyond

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Abby| 1 Comment

By Kathi Kelly

“If you want a simpler life, you must learn to develop a more trusting life.” Joyce Meyer

There are so many ways that we can try to simplify our lives – from storage solutions to internet shopping, from daily schedules and routines to highly organised cupboards and closets. And these are only some of the practical ways. In my head and my heart I long for a simple life, especially when it comes to clutter and the ‘stuff’ of domestic life.

But there is a much more important way that I am learning to keep things simple in my life and that is by trusting whole-heartedly in God. That sounds very simple in black and white doesn’t it, but it is another thing to continually live a life of trust in God.

I love planning and organising. I like to know what to expect ahead of time so that I can write lists (lots of them!), get everything in place, prepared, ordered. I depend so much on doing this in all aspects of my life. But life can’t always be done this way. There are times when things are so out of our control that we can’t possibly do things in our own strength and we can’t depend on ourselves for the situation (as much as we think we can sometimes). This is when we must look to the One who is bigger than anything we are facing, the One who holds all things in His mighty hands, the One we can ALWAYS depend on. If we don’t do this then worry and anxiety creep in and take over and eat away at our quality of life and destroy our peace.

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

We can spend so much time trying to work things out in our heads and our hearts, going over and over the situation and what we can do about it and just like the Israelites we end up going round and round in circles. Instead we need to take our burdens, our trials, our suffering to the Lord, leave it with Him and TRUST that He knows exactly what He’s doing. And it’s not just the big things that we need to trust Him with but the intricate details of our lives too.

“Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight and understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 (Amplified)

I remember when I was pregnant with our first baby. My husband was finishing his year at Bible college and we were planning to move back to Leeds but had nowhere permanent to live. I started to worry and I couldn’t plan anything, I didn’t have a clue what my baby’s nursery would look like and we only had a few months to go before she was due. Then I was reminded of the time, a couple of years earlier, when we were in the same position and the wonderful flat that God provided for us. I knew I had to trust Him for a new home, and I knew I could trust Him because He had done it before for us.

Worry is the opposite of trust in God. Worry drags a lot of others things round with it but if we choose to trust in God then I believe our hearts and minds will be freed up to do the work of the Kingdom, knowing that He will take care of us.

“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him…” (Romans 15:13)

Will you choose to trust God today in the small things and in the big things?

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As the eagle

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Abby| 3 Comments

By Abi Burton

A message was recently delivered in church which resonated with me because I found completely relevant and inspiring for where I was at in my life at the time; I thought I would share elements of it with you because I believe it has particular impact on women of God who, by nature, are perhaps more prone to ‘flapping’ than the men we know!

The message was centered on eagles; that given the number of mentions in the Bible, and some direct comparison between eagles and us, we should perhaps take a closer look at their attributes and how we can better reflect their abilities in our own lives.

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40 v30 – 31

Fundamentally, eagles are designed to SOAR. They are not the type of bird to be associated with flapping – pigeons, definitely yes but not eagles! An eagle’s wings are long and broad and the strength of muscle is unseen in any other bird of prey but more than this, the feathers on their wings are perfectly designed to pick up the tiniest movement in the winds as they soar. They are able to alter their direction and height dependant on what the wind is telling them. In the same way, God has designed us to soar! He wants us to be so sensitive that we pick up on the whisperings of the Holy Spirit and take direction, altering our course to stay aligned with Him.

The reason eagles are able to soar for so long is because they make full use of nature when the opportunity arises; they use thermals in the air to take them higher before gliding down to catch the next one; all accomplished with very little wing-flapping. I believe we can emulate this by being sensitive to where God is at work and then acting on what He wants us to do; who He needs us to reach out to and how He can be glorified.

Soaring is accomplished with very little wing-flapping, enabling the eagle to conserve energy. I think you’ll agree that flapping through life is very tiring! When I first heard this message, I was simply worn-out with trying to flap to achieve at work, to make a difference, to be a good friend, to be a great wife… I was relieved to hear that with God, it shouldn’t be like that. We are in this journey with Him for eternity and if we can tune our ear to hear His Holy Spirit, we will soar on wings like eagles and display His glory throughout the earth.

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Press on toward the goal

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Abby| 3 Comments

By Faith Rawley

Earlier this month my family and I said goodbye to my Granddad.  He was 88-years-old when he died and had lived a really long and full life.  He was an incredible husband, father, Granddad and Great-Granddad and everyone who knew him will miss him.  He was a kind, caring, fun, thoughtful and generous man to everyone he came into contact with and he always took such an interest in the lives of others.  For me I will remember my Granddad as a man who walked with God everyday – he loved and trusted him and listened closely to his voice.

His funeral was an honouring time of celebrating his life but the one theme that came across was how well this man had run his race.

I’m not meaning to sound morbid or too serious, but I came away from that experience with a fresh sense of how much I want to live my life well and press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called my heavenward in Christ Jesus – forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.  (Phil 3:13-14)

Life does involve perseverance – it’s not always easy and sometimes we feel like giving up but Jesus is with us at every step encouraging us and running with us.

In closing let me encourage you to read and meditate on the following verses and I trust they will give you a fresh boost of energy to persevere and live life worthy of your calling.

Hebrews 12:1-3 ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.’

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Unveiling

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Abby| 6 Comments

By Teri Wetzel

God in His amazing kindness continues to inch the curtain back that seems to separate me from understanding. I’m often caught off guard by this unveiling. I might be marveling at the wonder of the clouds, or talking with a friend, or lost in worship.

This time, I am reading my Bible.

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” Mark 10:35

Prayer has been a subject that has nagged me for nearly two decades. I know, prayer is such a simple thing. We talk, He listens. We ask, He gives.

But that is just it! I want you to do for me whatever I ask of you!  From an oft quoted movie in our household, “Give me, give me, give me! I need, I need, I need!” (“What About Bob”)

I continue in Mark ….Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”   Mark 10:46-47

I’m struck, like never before, by the differences in these two requests. In the first, the subject is self; I want, I need, I think this is important.

But in the second, the blind man, perhaps keenly aware of his deficit, calls out with an understanding of the One he is calling to, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Bartimaeus is not dictating how Jesus should respond to him, he is calling out for whatever mercy the Lord chooses to give.

And Jesus stopped … and said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. Mark 10:49-52

At Bartimaeus’ cry, Jesus stops what He is doing. Amazing enough. But then what does He do? Jesus asks Bartimaeus what he wants Him to do for him. It’s the same thing James and John (and all of us) want from Jesus, isn’t it (what they/we want), yet so very different, too.

 

“Before you pray, bow quietly before God, just to remember and realize who He is, how near He is, how certainly He can and will help. Just be still before Him and allow His Holy Spirit to waken and stir up in your soul the childlike disposition of absolute dependence and confident expectation. Wait on God as a living Being, as the living God who notices you and is just longing to fill you with His salvation. Wait on God until you know you have met Him. Prayer will then become so different.” (Andrew Murray, Waiting On God, Day 4)

“So different.”

Be still my heart, focusing on who Jesus is, knowing He notices me, and longs to fill me with His salvation. Then, may I call out to Him, like Bartimaeus, “Jesus, have mercy on me!”

And He will.

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Love honours difference and does not compare; love is secure

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Abby| 4 Comments

By Faith Rawley

‘Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonour others; it is not self-seeking’ 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

I think unknowingly whenever I have read this verse I have usually considered the traits of envy, jealousy and pride to be the worst of the ones described in this passage and I’d not easily admit to being envious or jealous, prideful or boasting…..is that proud to say?! But I do fall into the trap of comparing myself with other people a lot of the time and I’m starting to realise that actually comparison can be the root of these other traits.

I do look at other people and their situations often secretly wishing that I was more like them.  If only my body looked more like hers, if only I had the job that they do, had more money, a bigger house, newer clothes then I’d be happier.  Or even worse I look at people and say to myself, ‘well at least I’m not like them…’ (I’ll let you fill in the blanks of what might finish that sentence!)  Comparing ourselves starts us on the track of feeling envious of what another person has or it makes us boast in what we have compared to another person.

One area I started to notice that I was comparing myself to others was in the area of gifts in the church.  I would often look at other people’s gifts – the pastoral gift, the gift of song writing and the prophetic gift – and I wished that these came more naturally to me.  I felt second best because I didn’t have these more important seeming abilities.  I overlooked what God has gifted me with and didn’t value the unique gifts He had given to me.  Also because I saw certain gifts as more important than others, I devalued gifts that to me seemed to be less significant, like hospitality and serving and prayer, and I sometimes overlooked the people with these gifts.

By allowing God’s love to fill my heart and address the insecurities and wrong mind-sets I was able to find security in knowing that I am exactly the way He has made me to be.  In learning how to appreciate myself I started to appreciate the differences in other people as well.  I began to see that we each walk a different path through life…one way is not better or worse than another just different.

God’s love filling our hearts helps us to honour who we are and to honour who God has made others to be without feeling the need to compare ourselves.  If I could rewrite this verse I’d write it like this: ‘Love honours difference and does not compare; Love is secure.’  

 

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Couponing is not my grace gift!

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Abby| 16 Comments

By Beth Hamstra

Couponing is just one of the many things I’m not good at.  I tried.  I even subscribed to the Sunday newspaper for a few months hoping to get the hang of it.  Epic fail.  Instead of bringing home 14 boxes of cereal for $2, I end up with a messy stack of newspapers cluttering the dining room table.  And then there’s the shame I endure at the grocery store when they ask if I have any coupons.  Nope.  Not one.

The thing is, I like to think of myself as someone thrifty and organized.  The kind you see on TV shows, or like my cousin in Knoxville who keeps a binder of valid coupons along with her grocery list written in order of the direction she follows down the grocery aisles.  The reality: I’m not.  I’m the girl who pays full price and then comes home to find at least $5 of savings in those messy stacks.  Maybe there is an iPhone app that can help me out…

I could add other things to the list of what I think I’m supposed to be good at: meal planning, systematically cleaning my house, scrapbooking, knitting cute accessories to sell on Etsy…this is what Super Moms do right?  After all, I left corporate America to be a stay at home mom…what else could I be doing with all this time?

Romans 12:3 says, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”

You see, in reality, I may not be the Super Mom that I want the world to think that I am, but there are things I’m good at.  God has given me a measure of faith for my home and for my calling.  With sober judgment I recognize that I’m good at loving my kids.  I enjoy hosting and coffee dates and digging deep into people’s lives.  I love speaking truth into hard situations and challenging people to believe God’s Word and to trust in His purposes.

God has given each of us “grace gifts” (Romans 12:3-8).  Don’t think of your gifts more highly that you ought and don’t covet others gifts, but with sober judgment and with faith, walk confidently in what he has given you!

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Come Away , My Beloved

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Abby| 12 Comments

By Mary Bea Miller

I would like to share a devotion that has blessed and comforted me for many years. It is written like a love letter to us from the Lord.  It is titled, “The Call of Love”, from a book called  “Come Away, My Beloved” by Frances J. Roberts

(I have updated some of the old-fashioned language.)

 “O My beloved, abide under the shelter of the lattice—for I have betrothed you to Myself, and though you are sometimes indifferent toward Me, My love for you is at all times as a flame of fire.

My ardor never cools.

My longing for your love and affection is deep and constant.

Do not wait any longer, looking for an opportunity to have more time to be alone with Me.  Take it, though you leave the tasks at hand.  Nothing will suffer.

Things are of less importance than you think.

Our time together is like a garden full of lowers, whereas the time you give to ‘things’ is as a field full of stubble.

 I love you, and if you could slow down enough to feel My heartbeat, you would discover many things, the knowledge of which would give you the sustaining strength you so desperately need.

 I bore your sins

 And I wish to carry your burdens.

I will give you the gift of a light and merry heart.  My love bower is the place where you shall find it, for My love dispels all fear and is a cure for every ill.

Lay your head upon My breast and lose yourself in Me. You shall experience resurrection life and peace; the joy of the Lord shall become your strength; and wells of salvation shall be opened within you.

 

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Love is Kind

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Abby| 3 Comments

By Kathi Kelly

Love is a verb, it must be done; kindness is an expression of this love that flows from the heart of the Father. God is love, God is kind.

“Love talked about is easily ignored but love demonstrated is irresistible.” Jim Mooney

Kindness speaks volumes. It opens doors; it breaks down walls; it builds others up and makes them feel appreciated and valued; it brings hope; it softens the heart and ministers to the soul; it can improve someone’s life for a moment, for a lifetime or anywhere in between.

Some people just seem to exude kindness; it comes so naturally to them. Others of us really have to work at it which takes effort, thought and intent. For me thoughtfulness and kindness go hand in hand.

There are many verses in the Bible that focus on kindness. It is from an understanding of the kindness that God has shown us that the same kindness can flow through us.

Psalm 145:17, “The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.”

Ephesians 1:7-8, “He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.”

The Holy Spirit at work within us produces kindness and God commands us to show it to one another:

Proverbs 3:3, “Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.”

Ephesians 4:32, “Instead, be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you.”

2 Timothy 2:24, “A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, to be able to teach and be patient with difficult people.”

Wow, that last verse is quite a challenge! “Be kind to EVERYONE.”  How many of us can say that we’ve got that down? I’ve heard it said that it’s easier to be kind to strangers and that we can often neglect to show kindness to those closest to us. Others have said that it’s easiest to show kindness to their friends. One thing is clear; the kindness we are to show is inclusive of all people.

So what does kindness actually look like? Here are a few ideas – smiling at a stranger on the bus; encouraging someone with kind words; looking after a friend’s children (even when you already have a few of your own!) so that they can run an errand, work, or have some ‘me’ time; welcoming new neighbours with a plate of freshly baked biscuits; visiting a neighbour who is sick; cooking a meal for a family who have just had a baby; doing laundry for an elderly couple; arranging a surprise trip for your family; sending a care package to someone on mission in a faraway country or to a student who is away from home; taking time to pray with someone who is sick or in a difficult situation; paying for the petrol or coffee of the person behind you in the line; leaving love notes all over the house for your children or spouse; cooking a meal for your parents; cleaning the house of a very busy person; comforting someone who is bereaved. There are so many ways we can express the love and kindness of God, we just need to keep our eyes, ears and hearts open.

Will you pray this prayer with me today?

Thank you Father for your kind heart towards me and the ways that you express your love to me each day. Lord, help me to show your love and kindness to everyone that I come into contact with. Help me to live a life of kindness with the Holy Spirit helping me daily. Guide me and give me creative ideas of how to reach out to people, to see and meet their need or to just bless them, and when to do it. Help me to put others before myself and may kindness become more and more a part of who I am. Amen.

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Wrinkle Free?

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Abby| 9 Comments

By Carole Rawley

The other day I happened to be walking through my local department store when I heard the words, ‘This actually transformed my life!’ I turned round to see who had made such a powerful statement only to find that it was a cosmetic consultant showing a customer the latest face cream!

As I walked on, I thought about how easily we attribute things with transforming our lives – the latest ipad, smart phone, Facebook, a new pair of shoes. They may help us to organise ourselves better or to keep in contact with friends or to make our feet look pretty, but they don’t transform us as God intended.

In order to do that, he sent Jesus!

In John 9 we read of an encounter between Jesus and a blind man. Jesus declared that this man wasn’t blind because he had sinned but ‘so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’ He then declared that he was ‘the light of the world‘ and proceeded to make a mud pie from his own saliva and smear it onto the man’s eyes. Jesus didn’t even pray but simply told the man to wash it off. When he did, he could SEE.

Now that is transformation!

A number of years ago I was at a conference as part of the prayer ministry team and the speaker called people forward who needed healing.  Many people responded and I went to pray with a young seventeen-year-old woman. I asked her what she needed prayer for and she said she was deaf in her right ear. She wanted God to make her hear. She explained that she had pushed a knitting needle down her ear canal when she was three years old and had destroyed the ear. She hadn’t heard anything in that ear since!

As I placed my hand on her ear, I simply whispered, ‘Show your power, Lord.’ Immediately she started screaming! It looked as though she was in pain and I tried to comfort her, having no idea what the matter was. Then, in amongst the sobs, I heard the words ‘It’s so loud, the music’s so loud.’ Jesus had healed her and she could HEAR.

That is also transformation!

When the man who had been blind was summoned before the Pharisees to explain himself he had no theological arguments or explanations. He couldn’t tell them how or why he was healed but he could say:

‘One thing I do know, I was blind but now I see.’ (John 9:25)

What are the ways in which Jesus has transformed our lives? We may not be able to explain exactly how or why he has changed us, but we know we are different. Maybe we can now love where we once hated, maybe we have joy where we once had deep sorrow, maybe we know peace where we lived in constant anxiety. The ‘light of the world’ has touched our hearts.

So let’s make sure that the work of God is seen in our lives, even if we do happen to indulge in wrinkle free face cream from time to time!

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