Hearing God

I have made mention of it recently in blog posts about how God speaks to us and of course the other important factor when somebody is speaking to us is hearing and listening! I think for many Christians it is easy to be so tied up in knots with everyday life that we are not really hearing God or what he has to say to us. We may pray every day even and still sometimes we might think we are not getting the answers. Perhaps we are getting the answers but not actually hearing them. I think earlier in my Christian life I had long periods like this, perhaps you can say the same. I also think that when we are asking things of God that we do so with Faith, I think this plays an important part, remember the woman who wanted healing in the New Testament who touched his cloak, she knew if she could just touch the hem of Jesus garment she would be healed.

"..And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well." 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my garments?" 31And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, 'Who touched me?'" 32And he looked around to see who had done it. 33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34And he said to her, "Daughter,your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." Mark 5 vs 24-34

There are many many illustrations throughout the Bible where Faith led to results, such as the blind man receiving his sight " 42Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." 43Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. Luke 18 42-43

And again in Matthew Chapter 9 we get the following "27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." 28When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." 30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, "See that no one knows about it." 31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district."

I have also come to recognise in recent years how God can speak to me in a more direct way and that if I wait on him and rely on him more I have much more success in the every day things. There are so many instances recently where I know God has spoken to me through people or situations even the more mundane things where perhaps sometimes we don't think to involve God. I am learning that a mighty God is interested in these things, the incidental things. Yesterday I needed to collect a large picture from the picture framers in town, always a nightmare to park- I thought what are the chances of finding a space. I then recalled a conversation with another Christian who mentioned that often he will pray to find a parking space and often he will find one. Anyway I did a quick prayer along the lines of "I know this might be a strange thing to ask but it would be really great if there was a parking space outside the shop and I ask in Faith that if you desire it, it will be there". The parking space was there just outside the shop at the end of a row of cars. On seeing this space I admit I had a little moment where my heart smiled, if that doesn't sound too corny!

I am also seeking God's direction in another area of my life and am just resting on him for the answers and direction I am to take. I know that sometimes I may have missed what God is trying to tell me and I think sometimes he needs to speak to me in more direct ways. In this particular area my prayer is that I have clarity on what path I need to take. On the way to work this morning whilst praying about this, I passed a white van with my initials on it M G and the words "Restore. Maintenance". Now before you think I have really lost my trolley, this actually made some a lot of sense to me.

Going back to Mark Chapter 5, what encourages me about this story is that is relates how the Lord acted on an individual need even when "..a great crowd followed him and thronged him.." and how even the disciples doubted when they said "..you see the crowd pressing against you, and yet you say, Who touched me?". Amongst all the noise and din of life, the Lord can just cut through. As a Christian we are amongst a great crowd around the Lord with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, yet the relationship is one-to-one with God. When I recall to other people the times when God has spoken to me of late I know that they might think "yeah, okay..whatever.." a bit like the disciples - a doubt like "how can you tell?" or people might think it's just coincidence, but I know (like the woman who touched the hem of the cloak) and the Lord is definately ready to give an answer.

Making God's name Known.

Below is a text of a poster which I am going to put on a few noticeboards in my area, there is so much other junk on these spaces that I have decided that we need to improve the offering. There are many such community noticeboards dotted around. Do you have one, do you walk past one every day, is there a well placed telegraph pole next to that phone box. If you want a copy let me know and I can email them to you in word or PDF format (currently A4 size). Even better would be to join the facebook group and let's start to have a debate on the merits of such an endeavour and other ways in which we can Make God's Name Known. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=41621960805&ref=ts
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Who’s Face can you see in this glass?

You will not find the answers to life at the bottom of a beer glass. You will not find the answers chasing material possessions. You will not find the answers in all the obvious things that are put in front of you every day.

19”Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (The Bible) Matthew Ch 6 V19-21

Think about these deeper things, find a Church, ask questions, find out more.

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The LORD looks down on all mankind

From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind;
from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth-
he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.
Psalm 33 v 13-15

I have just recently read this Psalm and was really struck by these verses, their poetic structure and how they portray the greatness of God.

Christians in the workplace

You may have seen this story recently and it is a pretty sad reflection on how this country has lost its Christian emphasis. I have to agree with John Setnamu, that we should stand up for what we believe in.

Christianity in workplace defended
© Press Association 2008

The Archbishop of York has said intolerance towards Christians in the workplace was an "affront" and urged believers to stand up for their faith.
Writing in the Daily Mail, John Sentamu referred to two recent cases he said pointed to "a seeming intolerance and illiberality" in the public sector towards faith in God.
On Thursday, Jennie Cain, a school receptionist, said she was facing the sack after asking a church for prayer support when her daughter was told off for talking about God and heaven during a lesson.

Last week nurse Caroline Petrie was allowed back to work after she was suspended for two months for offering to pray for a patient.

But Archbishop Sentamu said it was "not only unacceptable but an affront" for public servants to use their authority to deny the legitimacy of the Christian faith when the religion had given them those powers under the constitution.

He said: "Those employed as public servants and charged with running our local services, be they schools, hospitals or councils, receive their public authority only under a system of governance which is constitutionally established from the 'Queen in Parliament under God'."
Asking someone to leave their faith at the door of their workplace was "akin to asking them to remove their skin colour before coming into the office", he said.

He added: "For those who despair at the treatment meted out to these Christian women, the message is clear: wake up, Christian England!"

The Ark, the law and the new Convenant

Hello to everyone! I can't believe it is February already and apologies for a lack of blogging of late - time seems to fly by these days. I was asked prior to Christmas if there was anything I would like as a present and I said a one-year bible (NIV). I have always said to myself that I wanted to read the "good book" in it's entirety and have often been at conferences or in bookshops and seen these one-year bibles but never bought one. Anyway, so far I have managed to keep up to date although have had a couple of times where I have missed and had to catch up the next day, similarly I have read ahead when in the mood. I appreciate that this method is not every one's cup of tea but it is certainly enabling me to "feed on the Word" and I have to say is also probably going to encourage me to re-reading certain books in chapter order at a later date. It is good because it enables you to dip into some of the bible narrative in areas of the bible that perhaps you had not read or forgotten about. I have to say parts of Genesis and Exodus are very interesting and when read alongside New Testament chapters have a new and added dimension.

I have found it very interesting to re-visit the stories of Abraham, of Moses and Jacob. The genealogy of the tribes and the establishment of the early Jewish community and Israel. For many years growing up I have to say for some reason the Old Testament to me was a bit boring and full of unpronounceable names and numbers. Perhaps that was due to immaturity on my part but also I think as you get older it is important to go back and look at this stuff because I think you probably see and read things in a different light when you are a bit older perhaps.

For me reading the accounts of Moses and the Exodus and the Egyptian problem, the plagues, the parting of the red sea were a real eye opener. More recently, reading about the building of the Ark and the tremendously detailed instruction given by the Lord as to how it should be built and the ornate nature of it and all associated with, on who could enter and how they should be dressed. I could not help rejoicing in the amazing gift of Grace and the new covenant which Jesus brought about - all this stuff in the Old Testament, the complex and detailed nature of the law and of the how God's people of that time had to live. I am not being flippant in thinking - Glad that has all been done away with !! At the same time wondering whether I could have lived like that, would certainly be very difficult from a modern western mind, but perhaps if you were brought up with them then I guess you grew up to know the law. However, honouring and obeying the law; that is something they continued to struggle with throughout the Old Testament history.

It is clear the law was there to be broken, we are just not good enough or clever enough as humans to live such a life. This is where God's grace in Christ Jesus really hits me between the eyes. It doesn't matter about the law. We have no hope of keeping it. God's grace is the free gift of being totally accepted despite our mistakes, weaknesses and sin. It is not about keeping laws that we only then fall down in not keeping or about being legalistic in our approaches. It is not even about how often I can read my bible or whether I read it everyday (although this is clearly a good thing to do ) and then fail to do so. It is not about having a gospel message that preaches become a Christian and life will be great and a bed of roses or about lessening the burdens only to then heap a whole load of burdens and rules on the back of new Christians (who then immediately fail, back slide and are often lost...) It has nothing to do with me but everything to do with God's love for me and his recognition that we were lost without the Lord Jesus and his sacrifice. " Grace will set you free " and I would encourage you to embrace that and what it means, especially in a world when it is easy to be discouraged and down-hearted.