A Heart Untroubled

I totally forgot yesterday was Saturday, so I apologize for the delay in writing this.  It's been such a strange time.   We're in the little in-between bit from Christmas to New Year and here in the UK our area has gone into the highest tier of the lockdown system, meaning we can't socialise or do very much. It's a time when we could feel discouraged or hopeless; what will 2021 be like?  Are things ever going to be back to normal?  When will I be able to see my family & friends again?   BUT as we come to the end of what has been a very odd year, we of all people should have hope! David said in the Psalms:  Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? H ope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him,  who is the health of my countenance, and my God . (42:11) He looked at his soul (his emotions) and realised he was feeling down!  Most of us, when we consider how we feel would say 'oh I'm feeling down' and would leave it there, Bu

This year people are moaning about so many things: masks, vaccines, restrictions, limitations, the lack of travel... the list goes on, but  it's a good time to remember this verse:  John 4:10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew who I am and the gift that God wants to give you—you’d ask me for a drink, and I would give to you living water.” The New King James versions reads  Jesus answered and said to her, “ If you knew the gift of God... ” If only we knew (recognized) THE GIFT God has for us.   Jesus! At Christmas we celebrate his birth, but as Christian's it becomes easy to miss the great value of the gift of God during the rest of the year.   Jesus is so much more than a baby in the manager.  We probably would all agree, but if we truly knew what the gift God has given us really meant, we would live differently every day.   The gift of Jesus is for 365 days a year - he is our peace, our salvation, our deliverer, our counsellor, our provider, our wisdom, our righteousness, our wo

  People these days love to blame everyone else for their own situations, but the truth is we each make choices every day that determine how our life looks. You may be saying "Abi, you don't know what so-and-so did to me" and that may be true, but what I do know is how we react to what is done by others is entirely up to us.  We get to chose!  And we determine how we look at life.  We can decided to look at life through our lack or we can chose to look at life through God's provision. In this well-known verse we have exactly that.  David chose to look at life through the perspective that the Lord was his shepherd - his provider, his guide, and his protection. He goes on to say "I shall not WANT". That word WANT means LACK.   You can look at your life and say 'I lack this or that', but I guarantee you, there is nothing you need that Jesus Christ did not provide for. You can stay focussed on a lack, or be like David and focus on things from God's p

This week as I munch my way through the chocolates in my Advent Calendar, God has been really speaking to my heart.  I heard the Spirit ask "What are you preparing for?" Working for the Church of England, I've learned a lot about the Church calendar.  For Anglican's the, the Church Year begins in Advent.   It is a solemn season of waiting, of holding back the tinsel and brightness of Christmas for a time of waiting. Psalms 27:14 (KJV) Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. The Lord reminded me this week, that waiting isn't just a case of sitting around doing nothing.  Waiting in the bible verse above is about being expectant, looking for something eagerly, to hope for.  It is about expecting something to be at the end of the waiting.  In bible times, Anna and Simeon in the temple both expectantly waited for the coming Saviour. They knew he was coming!  There was no doubt.  We don't have to wait for

Last week I came across a new song (well new for me).  It's beautiful and has been really speaking to my heart since I heard it. I've included it here, because I just am loving it. The chorus says "All my life you have been faithful.  All my life you have been so, so good.  With every breath that I am able I will sing of the goodness of God." As I sang along, the words filled my heart with gratitude, as I remembered time after time when the Lord has been good to me!  He has been good to me by saving me, filling me with his spirit, leading me, guiding me and most of all by his long-suffering love for me.  He has been good to me in my marriage, in our finances, in providing for us. He has been good to me in healing my body, keeping me safe, and bringing wonderful people into my life. Sometimes we can just narrow our field of vision to much until all we can see is the negative, the worry and the fear.  But when you stop and think over the journey you have made since you

John (my husband) always says that if God was water, how would people know that you had been with Him?  Well, the answer is, you would be wet.  The bible tells us that God is love (1 John 4:8) so in the same way, if we have been with God, that is the characteristic that should be visible to others.  In Exodus 34, we read that when Moses came down the mountain after meeting with God, his face shone.  There was tangible evidence that he had been with God.  In Acts 4:13  we read that "... And they realized that they had been with Jesus. " There was something about them that showed they had been with Jesus.  That verse mentions directly their boldness, but also one thing that the people marvelled at what that were untrained/uneducated and so I believe their passion and skill in proclaiming the Gospel stood out in the crowd.   The Passion Translations says that verse like this: Then they began to understand the effect Jesus had on them simply by spending time with him. We have th

A few years ago there was a man that attended our church. He couldn't read and he had very limited conversation, but every Sunday when we finished church, as we were packing up ready to go home, his parting shot would always be " Eat your greens! " "What has all this got to do with spiritual encouragement?" I hear you say, well I am glad you asked! Sometimes, we find Christians running around from this conference to that conference looking for that quick caffeine hit of spiritual input.  Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy conferences, but if we live for those moments that have months between them, we're going to struggle. It's like eating. You need to eat your greens! You need to put all the good stuff together with every meal, every day.   We need to put the word into our hearts. There's no short cut.  We need to to eat it up to give us life, strength, wisdom and heath (physical and spiritual).  Just as our bodies need all the good things to be hea

With Remembrance Sunday celebrated this weekend,  I want to talk about freedom. We should not forget that true freedom never comes without cost or sacrifice.  For Christians, we need to remember that we have a freedom that was purchased by Jesus on the cross.   Galatians 5:1 Let me be clear, the Anointed One has set us free—not partially, but completely and wonderfully free! We must always cherish this truth and stubbornly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past. Jesus purchased a freedom for us, that cost him.  We need to be ever in remembrance of this freedom otherwise we run the risk of being brought back into captivity. We have the choice whether we walk in the freedom that is available to us.  Many years ago, after slavery had finally been abolished, some people went into a more remote part of the world and found there were still slaves. They had lived in bondage long after slavery had been abolished because they didn't know they were free. Today many Christians live in

Today I want to think about whether Jesus is enough!  I can imagine most Christian's piously asserting 'of course he is!'  but, the reality is, most people don't live like he is. I remember speaking to a woman once who had been involved in an extra-marital affair. She was devastated by her own actions and had fallen into despair, believing that, despite her repentance, she was a terrible person.   She repented over and over again, on a daily (and sometimes twice daily) but continued to sink into depression and discouragement.   During a conversation with this lovely lady, I felt the Holy Spirit lead me to say something (and I don't normally minister this way).  I said to her 'Yeah, you're so right! Jesus' blood wasn't enough for your sin'. She was shocked and said 'But I thought the blood of Jesus was enough to take away the sins of the world'?' YES!  That is the truth!  Of course it is, and once she had said this, we talked about wha

Colossians 1:6 says .. which has come to you, as it ( the gospel)  has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth  And verse 10 says ...that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; So, today I was studying Colossians and these verses jumped out to me.  Col 1:6 says that the gospel is bringing forth fruit and that they (the Colossians) were to be fruitful. The way that they were instructed to walk worthy of the Lord and to be fruitful was this (verse 9) " For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; " When we are filled with the knowledge of God's will with wisdom and spiritual understanding, we will be able to walk worthy of the Lord. Walking worthy is

  A friend of ours and instructor at Charis Bible College, Barry Bennett, posted on Facebook the following quote: " The words that have power in your life are the ones you have chosen to believe " So many things in life speak to us.   Your bank account will speak to you and tell you whether you are prosperous or not. Your body will speak to you and tell you whether you are healed or not, and circumstances will speak to you and point you to fear or faith. Romans 10:17 tells us that ' faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God '.  This is a 'law' of God, if you like.  This is how it works; you hear the word and faith comes.  Thing is, what we hear, what we listen to and what we believe is going to direct the very course of our lives.  The key is to look at what we are listening to, and if it's not the word, ditch it and spend as much time and effort letting God's Word speak to us as we do anything else. So today that is my challenge to you. 

  My husband, John, preached a few weeks ago at our church and he challenged us regarding what we were doing!    Jesus' last commission to us when he left the earth was to 'go into all the world and make disciples'.  How are we doing with that? Over lockdown, there has been a slip in many ways regarding faith.  People started to tune in to online services, but this very quickly tailed off.  The pandemic has restricted us in many ways, but in many ways it has presented Christians with, as Paul might say, a great and effectual door of ministry! Online services, worship, sermons and blogs have become more common, but what of exercising our faith with our friends, family and neighbours? Jesus didn't say 'Preach the gospel if you are an evangelist' or 'heal the sick if you want to'!   We are commanded to preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead!  We spend so much time worrying about what others think of us, or selfishly focussed on ourselves, that we

Today I came across this text (above) and it really spoke to me.  So many times in the bible we are told 'fear not' or 'do not be afraid', but it would be totally unreasonable and unfair of God to tell us not to do something, if it wasn't possible.  Many people think that emotions are what they are, and you can't help them,  but if God says FEAR NOT then it will be possible for us to action that in our lives. There are some things that are dangerous and we are right to avoid them, but fear itself is not based on reality; it is the result of imaginations. In the New Testament, we are told that: Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ ; 1 Peter 1:13 (NKJV) Let's break that down a little bit. Gird up:      This expression originates in the bible and refers to tucking up ones garment into                                 your belt so as not to be hin

Recently I heard someone discussing a certain thing saying ' that's not a matter of faith' .    This statement jumped out at me, and I began thinking about it.  The more I have thought about it, the more I have come to the conclusion that almost everything is a matter of faith.   Sometimes we seem to separate out faith from our daily lives. Whether I take God at his word is always a matter of faith. For each situation in my life, I can walk in faith or in the flesh.  Even Paul told the Corinthians "Whether you eat or drink, do it for the glory of God".  What do I mean?  Well, let's look at an example that I faced many times in the beginning of my married life.  We never had enough money.  There was always more month left at the end of the money. It was embarrassing and frustrating. Now a days I know God's promises far better, but then I walked in the flesh (what my five senses were able to discern): we had lack! There are so, so many promises in the bible

I don't know about you, but over lockdown there's been a creeping sense of monotony for many people.  I heard is referred to as 'Ground Hog Day' with reference 90s film of that title.   But as I was reading this week I re-read this verse and it really impacted me: Romans 12:11 (TPT) " Be enthusiastic to serve the Lord, keeping your passion towards him boiling hot! Radiate with the glow of the Holy Spirit and let him fill you with excitement as you serve him " It is up to us to stir ourselves up and to be enthusiastic, and keep our passion for the Lord boiling away!  How do we do this in a situation like lockdown?  The same way we do when life is more 'normal'.   We keep reading God's word, worshipping him, praying in tongues, praying, and thanking him.It's not complicated, but it requires us do actually do something!  As a result of keeping ourselves focussed on God's goodness and his amazingness, we can't help be passionate about him a

So, this week this verse caught my eye: Hebrews 13:5 (NLT) Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said , “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you. ” I have often heard people tell me the first part of this verse.  Don't be obsessed with money, but be content with what you have..." But like so many things in the Christian faith, we so often miss the most important bit! Elsewhere in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul did say that he had learned to be content with what he had, and that is important and true BUT the reason we can be content is because of the second part of this verse.    We can be satisfied with what we have BECAUSE WE HAVE JESUS! When the creator of the universe resides in your heart, what is there not to be content with!  And MORE than that, his faithful promise is to never leave us, never fail us!  We have everything, when we have relationship with Jesus.  That is an amazing truth.   Are you satisfied with Jesus?  Is he enough

Today I was reading about a place where they have frequent earthquakes.  They realised some time ago that houses that were bolted to their foundations didn't fall when the earth shook.bbIt's all about the foundation and being bolted to it and built on it. This truth is the same for us spiritually. It's all about the foundation on which we build and are bolted, connected and fastened to.   Jesus said he was the cornerstone.  A cornerstone is the first stone that is laid, and from it all other stones take reference point. 1 Peter 2:4-5 (NLT) You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honour. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual templ e. This speaks to us as individuals. Jesus has to be the first placed in our life, and from him ever other part of life has to be referenced. Sometimes we can compartmentalize things and put Jesus in the corner, without making

Today I was speaking to a friend, and she said to me "Thanks for being there for me.  You're really strong in your faith". While I understand the point she was making, it made me think.  You know, ALL CHRISTIANS have the same Spirit that I do, I'm not special or unique in that; we each have the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead living on the inside of us !  Every believer has the same potential to operate in the things of God! The only thing that stands between us and seeing the promises of God active in our life, is faith .   Hebrews 4:2 says that people have heard God's message, but it didn't profit them, or do them good because they didn't mix it with faith. Each one of us has the same choices set before us; to believe God, or not.   Romans10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. We can spend Sunday after Sunday in a church service, but if you don't hear a message based on the Word, and you don't mix

Today I was reading some comments on a Facebook post.  A well known minister was advertising a 3 day course he was running.  There was a small charge for the whole course (less than £5).   A person had commented, moaning about how the gospel was free and there shouldn't be a charge. In another situation I know, a person in a church I attended was a cake maker.  One day another person in church asked if she could make a cake for them.  When she received the quote she was rather taken a back as she had expected it to be free on the basis that they went to the same church! Both these outlook demonstrate a wrong attitude towards both money and really, towards people.   While it is true that the gospel is entirely free, we need to remember that equipment, software, supplies (paper for example) buildings and staff to make things happen, all cost money.  Equally, a person's time, whether teaching spiritual truths or making cakes is worth something!   Overall, the point I want to make

I'm not very good at being patient.    Now, I'm ok being patient with other people (most of the time) as they learn and grow, but when it comes to my walk with the Lord, I want to move on a lot quicker than God is showing me!  I'm better now than I used to be, but still I don't like waiting for the next step.  But there's a great deal to be said about patience really. James 1:4 (KJV) But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:4 (MSG) So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. Patience is defined by Strong's Concordance as "steadfastness, constancy, endurance in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings patiently, and steadfastly; a patient, steadfast waiting for a patient enduring, sustainin

I was looking again at this passage in Proverbs 3:5-8 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;  and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,  and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Reading this very familiar passage I was really stuck by four little words ‘and‘, 'and', ‘and’ & ‘it’! There are two parts to each of these sentences: Trust in the Lord with all your heart AND don't lean on your own understanding In all your ways acknowledge him AND he will direct your paths Fear the Lord AND depart from evil For me it spoke about holding on to something and letting go of something else.  Hold onto trusting the lord while letting go of your own understanding;  hold on to acknowledging God and let go of directing your own path. and hold on to the fear of the lord (which by the way is the beginning of all wisdom) and let go of ev

I am currently reading through Judges.  I was struck earlier in the week by some things about Gideon.   If you haven't read it in a while, Gideon and his people are being oppressed (because they've turned away from serving God). God visits Gideon while he's in hiding and tells him he will lead the people in victory.   In chapter 7 we find that the enemy is gathered against the Israelites.  Gideon has already sent home most of his army.  He's left with just 300 men, so God would be sure to get all the glory for the win.  The Midianites and their allies are camped nearby; there's so many of them, they look like grasshoppers, spread across the valley. In the middle of the night, God wakes Gideon and tells him to take himself down to the enemy camp and listen to what is being said. (I particularly like the fact that God kindly tells him if he feels afraid to take his servant with him).  Gideon gets himself down to the valley and overhears a conversation between two men.

During lockdown I have found it hard to think about purpose.  What is the purpose of your life if you are isolated in your home?  What is the purpose of your life if you have you have been retired or made redundant? What if you can't do all the things that you usually do? Today John (my husband) reminded me that God is far more interested in our own transformation than he is about us arriving at a destination.  I think that I often focus on where I am going, how I am going to get there, but I never stop and think about what condition I will arrive in.    What I mean by that is, when we get to our final day on this earth, will I look back and see that I never changed?  That would be very sad, because God calls us to be transformed, to become more like him every day; to grow in wisdom and in our faith.   If a man grew to be 40 years old and still thought like a child, acted like a child, and reasoned like a child, we would think it wrong, but as Christian's we often do not look f

You may or may not know, but I am a qualified fitness instructor.  I am working on a plan to start teaching classes here again, but as I have been thinking about physical fitness, I have been thinking about this verse 1 Timothy 4:8 (TPT) For athletic training only benefits you for a short season, but righteousness brings lasting benefit in everything; for righteousness contains the promise of life, for time and eternity. I've been doing a lot over lockdown, running, weights, Zumba and even a bootcamp! We understand that in the natural, keeping physically fit don't just happen.  We have to exercise our bodies, lift weights, do some cardio and eat well.   When it comes to spiritual things though, we seem to think that if we do nothing, or maybe go to church, or watch a bit of worship online, that will be sufficient to grow in our spiritual fitness, but that's not the case.   In the verse above, Timothy says physical training is a little benefit but godliness (righteousness),

Hebrews is one of my favourite books of the bible.  It speaks of the better promises of the new covenant. In Hebrews 4:10-11 (TPT) we read: " As we enter into God’s faith-rest life we cease from our own works , just as God celebrates his finished works and rests in them. So then we must give our all and be eager to experience this faith-rest life, so that no one falls short by following the same pattern of doubt and unbelief." The bible speaks of a variety of different kinds of work , but one of the most important concepts we can grasp as believers is that i t's not through our own works or efforts that we can please God.                                                What pleases God is Faith.  What pleases God is faith, and without faith, it's impossible   (not difficult but impossible) to please God no matter how we behave or act. Hebrews 11:6 (GNT)  "No one can please God without faith, for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards tho