A Heart Untroubled

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 ...

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!...

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 ...

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 conve...

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 Chr...