BOTH/AND

Do you ever get confused about how much we should talk about the grace of God in our lives and how much we should have self-confidence? Is it all Jesus or a partnership with Him?

The Apostle Paul was a man who, for various reasons, often re-affirms himself as an Apostle and a minister of the Gospel. A couple of those reasons were that he had a history of violence and hatred towards Christ's followers, and he was not one of the original twelve disciples. That's a fair bit of history to deal with!

I absolutely love the passage in Colossians 1 that talks about the pre-eminence of Christ... verses 15-18

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

    He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

16 

for through him God created everything

    in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see

    and the things we can't see—

such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

    Everything was created through him and for him.

17 

He existed before anything else,

    and he holds all creation together.

18 

Christ is also the head of the church,

    which is his body.

He is the beginning,

    supreme over all who rise from the dead.

    So he is first in everything.

19 

For God in all his fullness

    was pleased to live in Christ,

20 

and through him God reconciled

    everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

    by means of Christ's blood on the cross.

Yes, to Him goes all the glory and honour - absolutely!

But Paul begins this letter with a declaration of who he is..." Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God..." Then, in verses 24-29, he talks about his work as an apostle.

All this to say, God has chosen to work in partnership with humanity, and that partnership is hindered when we cannot own who we are in Him.  

So, please go ahead and revel in the glory of who Christ is... worship Him, give Him glory, but for the sake of His purposes on planet earth, don't hide behind false humility and say you are nothing - God Himself has chosen to partner with those who love Him to bring heaven to earth!

Paul's life, despite his humanity, is still impacting the world today. Imagine if he had hidden behind false humility and not gone ahead to do what he was called to do?

Go ahead, find out who He has called you to be, whatever that is, own it, and bless the world with it.
After all, we are only stewards of His grace.

And a final thought... you don't have to be an apostle; EVERY contribution to the Kingdom of God matters!

Until next time,

with love,

Lynda x

DON'T WASTE THE LEFTOVERS!

Are you the kind of person who focuses on the big picture, the big rock, or who loves the details? How do you cope with loose ends?  

I'm a big-picture, big-task type ... and I hate loose ends!

I was reading John 6 this morning, and verses 12-13 arrested my attention. I sat with it for a while, putting myself in the story. I would have been so happy and excited with the BIG miracle of the 5000 men being fed. After the meal, perhaps I would have asked, "What big miracle/task is next?"  

Jesus told them to 'Gather the fragments' (read, leftovers, crumbs, loose ends) 

Have you come to the end of a big season of service? I have.

Have you felt redundant? I have.

I encourage you and me that the Lord says there is still enormous value in the fragments! Whatever 'gathering the fragments' looks like in your world, take the time to gather them up.  

There wasn't enough when they started, but Jesus used what they had, and now they had 12 baskets full!   Gather the leftovers and offer them to Him. Imagine what He could do with that!

Stop looking back at what was and look around at what is left - it may look like crumbs, but it holds richness and value.

You're not redundant; you're rich, resourced and relevant!

With love,

Lynda xx

SAFE TRANSITIONS

A couple of years ago, I had a vivid dream. Now, not all dreams are prophetic, but this one was.

We have a massive Tiuana Tree in our backyard. It's a beautiful tree that gives our backyard its character and feel. It also decides what will grow because of its size and position.

I dreamed that it was being cut down. As I watched this activity, I tried to work out who authorised the tree cutting, as Jeff and I had not ordered it. Maybe the neighbours were sick of it? As I watched, I wondered what we would do with the yard once it was gone. I was also worried about the safety of our little dog and cat.

As I thought about this, I realised that the tree was being professionally cut, and it was a safe process.

                                                                                                                      Photo by David Vig on Unsplash

Within months, our lives began to change. We had entered a hefty pruning season. This included personal health challenges and the sudden passing of my mother. It also involved professional changes for us both as we are now both 'retired'.

The transitional season has not been anything other than painful. 

I read Psalm 43:5 this morning: "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I SHALL YET PRAISE HIM, the help of my countenance and my God."

Over these last few years, this has been my prayer as I tried to imagine being in a season of joy.

Well, I'm here to say it's true! God has brought us through, and I cannot begin to express the gratitude and praise that fill my soul. 'Thankful' is barely a word strong enough as the season of mourning has passed.

Finally, have you ever seen a tree stump that has begun to shoot again and another tree stump that hasn't? To stop a tree from re-shooting, you must apply some poison to the stump. 

When the tree of your life has been cut, do not allow the poison of bitterness to be applied. Keep your heart that feels like it has been cut to its base open and soft to the healing grace of God, stay in His Word, pour out your pain to Him, and you will find the tree stump alive with fresh shoots in time - and you will YET PRAISE HIM!

 Photo by Justin Dream on Unsplash

With love,

Lynda xx

BUT I WANT TO SEE SOMETHING!

 Hi everyone, 

Let's talk about TRANSITIONS....

I was going through my journal this morning and came upon something beautiful that I feel to share here.                                                                              

                                                                                                        Photo by Martin Sepion on Unsplash

Without boring you with details, as many of you may have experienced, I have had a major shift in seasons. There is nothing in my world that hasn't shifted, and it hasn't been easy.  

When I survey the scenery of my life it looks like a field that has just been harvested. You know, lots of stubble, flat, grey and boring.  While I was considering this, I believe the Lord showed me what was really going on.  While on the surface, it didn't look pretty, underneath were the seeds planted throughout the last season.  I'll quote here what is in my journal.  It's dated 22nd June 2024.                                        

"Don't say what you can and cannot do. Don't box your potential in a small or old place. While the field of your life may, and must, lie fallow, and all you see is the stubble of a past crop and whatever wants to grow, underneath are the seeds of the next season.

So rest and lie fallow, but when the season shifts, those seeds that lie hidden will begin to emerge.  

DON'T DETERMINE THE NEXT SEASON BY WHAT LIES ON TOP, BUT TRUST ME TO BREATHE ON WHAT LIES BELOW.  JUST KEEP THE GROUND SOFT!"

Can I encourage you to join me in quiet trust, make sure our hearts are soft and open and let God do in the right time, what only He can do?

With love,

Lynda xx

Photo by Benjamin Davies on Unsplash

WHERE ARE THE KEYS?

One of our local churches puts interesting quotes up on a noticeboard and changes it regularly. 

Recently it said, "The Keys to Heaven hang on The Cross".  By that, they are saying that forgiveness for our wrongs, our eternal salvation, and our place in heaven when we die, all depend on the cross where Jesus gave His life.  

So yes, we have peace with God through the cross of Christ.  

"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation."  Romans 5:8-9 (NLT)

We may rightly believe that because of Christ, we can have confidence that we are forgiven and one day, when we die, be with Christ in Heaven!

What an amazing gift.

But Jesus told us to pray for the Kingdom of God to be on earth as in Heaven!  That sounds like He wants to bring some heavenly peace right here and right now.

I would like to add to the quote about the keys of heaven on
The Cross to also say THE KEYS TO HEAVEN ON EARTH HANG ON MY CROSS

What in the world do I mean?

I remember many years ago feeling frustrated with our home life.  We were visiting a church, and I really prayed that The Lord would speak to Jeff (Yes, embarrassing to admit).  Well, the preacher talked about taking up our cross to follow Christ and how that impacts relationships.  I was so disappointed!  That was not what I wanted to hear.  But as we applied that truth, peace returned to our marriage.

Simply put, while we are all set on getting our own way, there is little chance of Heaven on earth, in our homes, our workplaces and society in general.  

We need to be doing what Jesus said and taking up our own cross to follow Him. (Mark 8:34)

I love the following verses.  They are powerful words and certainly counter-cultural, but they carry such wisdom.

"Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. (Philippians 2:3-4 NLT)

As Christ-followers, we are called to pray for the Kingdom of God to be established on earth as it is in Heaven and also play our part in living the values of Heaven while we are here.

Could it be that the key to peace we long for in our homes and workplaces is found when we simply stop demanding our own way and honour others as better than ourselves, or at least as important as ourselves?

Is that one way we can pick up our cross and unlock the power of the Kingdom of God on earth - right where we live?

With love,
Lynda x

A LOADED QUESTION

 Just before Christmas, I was browsing the shops with Emma, my daughter. I saw something that caught my attention as, to me, it represented The Question of our Times.  

Clearly, this question was about something other than a good meal, drink, or place to live. It was about behaviour because we all want our stockings full at Christmas!  

We live in a world that says if it feels good - it is. But this has problems, particularly when my good and your good collide. Invariably, someone gets hurt, relationships sour, and our lives are diminished at best and destroyed at worst.

It is good that we have road rules that have nothing to do with how we feel or what we want but everything to do with having a standard that protects all road users. These rules are not subjective or open to negotiation but entirely outside me.

We need an objective "Good" that is outside us all, and I think that is what this image asks for. A clear definition that is bigger than us all, especially in the individualistic society that we live in.

However, this is more than just a question of our times. Back over two thousand years ago, the same was asked of Jesus. A man came to Jesus and asked precisely that question, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"  

Jesus gave this man an abrupt answer; he said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." Essentially, Jesus replied as if He would refer the man to someone else... but He didn't.  

We find elsewhere in Scripture the answer to this dilemma.  

John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."  then, later in the conversation, Jesus tells Thomas that those who have seen Jesus have seen the Father.

So, if we want an objective 'bigger than me' answer to what is good, we look to Jesus. When someone asks me what God is like, I tell them to read the Gospels that show us Jesus because everything that Jesus thought, said and did is what God thinks, says and does.

Not only is He a great example of 'good', but He gives us what it takes to live good lives by offering forgiveness, a fresh start and the empowerment of The Holy Spirit within us to do good.

It is now the 10th of January, and the Christmas break is fading as the new year begins. Can I encourage you to read the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke & John, and discover God who is altogether good, demonstrated in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Finally, all the very best for 2024. My prayer for us all is that it will be 'Good'!

Much love,

Lynda

WHAT INCENSE DO YOU HAVE AT YOUR PLACE?     

I love the worship song, "Worthy is the Lamb".  There isn't a lyric in it that doesn't resonate powerfully with me.

However, the line, "Day and night, night and day let incense arise", captures my imagination.  

I imagine from our churches that the incense of worship and prayer rises up to heaven as a pleasant fragrance to God.  

"Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God’s people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out"  Revelation 8:3-4

But then I think about my life, my home, my street, my town.  What is rising from there... because something is.

Is it a fragrance of worship, of thanksgiving, of prayer, 

......or a smell of grumbling, griping and selfishness?

Or is it the silence of disengagement?

If we could open our spiritual eyes, we would see this. I like to picture my home, and wonder if there is anything rising that captures heaven's attention?  

I almost always have a song playing in my soul.  Jeff, who is recently retired, has noticed that I often sing at home.

We recently had a holiday together with some other family members.  This was something really special, but holidays with other family members can often have moments of tension.  I found myself at odds with Jeff, and the next morning there was silence. 

No song, just an overwhelming sense of stupidity.

I know that, at times, there is grumbling and crankiness.  I wish it wasn't, but as James said in his letter, our tongues are the hardest, near impossible part of ourselves to tame. (James 3:7)

When it comes to the silence of disengagement... I never want that!  

The only way to re-engage is to admit our stupidity, and ask for forgiveness, not just from the people we have hurt, but to The Lord.  We can have confidence that He ALWAYS forgives.  

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. (1 John 1:8-9)

Let there always, day and night, be the delightful fragrance of open engagement, thanksgiving, prayer and worship, not just in Church, but in our homes and hearts as well.

Until next time,

Lynda xx