A Heart Untroubled

This weekend we are at Andrew Wommack's Grace & Faith Conference. The UK Charis Bible College celebrated their Graduation this afternoon.   Since we were students ourselves, while we were Directors and even now as we are here, the question is often posed ‘what next?’ As we consider that question, I am reminded that we can only answer it in light of what we see on the inside of us, and sometimes we have put so many limitations on ourselves, but what we 'see'. Abraham and Sarah were promised a baby but they were too old!  Things had stopped working in their bodies!!  But in Hebrews they are hailed as heroes of faith!  Why? Because they believed God ! We have a phrase ‘ seeing is believin g’ and it means that you have to see something with your own eyes before you believe it.  I think this is still true of us as believers, but instead of seeing with physical eyes, we need to see it with spiritual eyes. God told Abraham he would be the Father of many nat...

My good friend from Canada is visiting. Yesterday we decided to go and spend the day in London, but as we were working out the details, It was adding up to more than I’d expected. But as I sat there I just felt God remind us we were blessed. On a ‘whim’ I searched again for train tickets and this tine I found train tickets that worked out less for both of us combined than for one of us on the other sites. When we arrived in London, we needed tickets for the Underground so I went to a machine, but felt like I should go to speak to a real person.  As we went to the window, my friend found a book of coupons including every attraction we wanted to cover all at half price! Then we headed to Shakespeare’s Globe theatre.  We weren’t quite sure of the way. And this particular guy and two ladies jumped out at me  (not literally of course) to ask for directions .  When I spoke to them, the two ladies told us they worked at the Globe and we’re heading back and so we wa...

This week I had a conversation about forgiveness with someone.  We were talking about why we should forgive people that have been really mean. Just like anyone else, I've been hurt and treated unfairly or wrongly.  In the flesh I wanted God to smite those people with a mighty smiting!!  BUT the bible has some powerful things to say about our new nature.  When we got saved, the bible says (2 Corinthians 5:17) we are new creations.  Now clearly our bodies stayed the same when we got saved.  Sadly I am no slimmer since I got saved!!  Our minds have yet to be transformed (See Romans 12:1&2) The part that changed was our spirit. The very core of who we are has become just like Jesus, and we have a new nature on the inside of us.  One that doesn't look for smiting left, right and centre! 'Forgive' is actually a really interesting word.  It comes from a word that means "to give completely without reservation".  When someone wrongs...

I met a very interesting lady this week.  She was raised a Catholic, but honestly, was spiritually just mixed up.  She talked about how all roads lead to God, and crystals and demons, and and all sorts of bits of other religions patch-worked together to make a very bizarre philosophy of her own. As we talked, I asked her what she based all this on, and of course she really didn't know.  I explained (though a little less directly) that when we pluck beliefs out of thin air, we are really setting ourselves up for trouble.    In Matthew 7 we read the parable of two men. One who built his house on the sand, and one who built on the rock.  When the storm came, the house on the sand had no real foundation and so it fell.   Jesus said that was like those people that heard his words and don't do them.  I think this also applies to when we don't really know what his words are in the first place.  We build our house out of a bit ...

Last week on Easter Sunday, John (my husband) taught at church.  I always really enjoy listening to him speak and, like many times I hear him, something particular he said grabbed my interest. He spoke about Jesus being the first fruit. I've often heard about giving first fruits from your crops or even from your time or whatever and tithing, but John said something that I thought was good.  He said first fruits imply that more is yet to come !  They are not called last fruits, or 'maybe-there-won't-be-any-more' fruits! First fruits.  We create an expectation there is more! Giving to God is always about the fact that we trust him and know that however much we give, we can't out-give God.  I've heard people debate about whether or not they should tithe of the gross or net amount, or whether they should round up or down (really I have!!), and those people have ALL missed the point.  Giving is about recognizing that it's all God's anyway, and lettin...

I like to imagine that first Easter weekend, and think about what the people that knew Jesus were feeling as the weekend progresses. The disciple, Peter, is a favourite of mine.  He screwed up so badly, but Jesus loved him and he went on to do great things, which is a proof that nothing can stop God using us, even when we get it super-wrong. Anyway, I was thinking about him today. I imagine that after the crucifixion and his passionate denial, he was feeling pretty bad. He told everyone " I'm off fishing !" (John 21:3) He basically was going back to doing what he had done before he met Jesus.  While he's out finishing, Jesus shows up at first nobody recognized hime but a short while later, though nobody says anything, they ALL know who it is. After a good breakfast, Jesus asks Peter a very leading question.  He says to Peter " Peter, do you love me more than these "... (I'm not sure if he was referring to the fish, or the other fishermen).  Pet...

In the garden at my parent's home, visible from the sofa through the window is a plum tree.  It's been there as long as I can remember and a lot longer than that.  I don't think I've ever paid much attention to it, but having lived away and missed some of the UK's beautiful spring flowers and plants, I seem to have been more aware this year of the life in the gardens. Some weeks ago, I looked out and saw just a few blossoms on the tree.  It wasn't long before the tree was smothered with the white blooms. Not much after that, the blossom disappeared and green leaves cover the tree now.  It won't be long until the begins of fruit will show too. During this time, this tree which is about 80 years old, doesn't do much.  It doesn't toil and labour.  It just stands strong, no matter what the weather is doing and in due season it blossoms and the cycle continues, year after year. A tree just is what it is created to be.  It sends its roots down dee...