A Free Gift!

Hi Everyone

I have some good news and I have some bad news.

Firstly, the bad news. We are all, each and every one of us that have ever lived (and those that are still to come) sinners. God, who is the mighty creator of all things, is so pure and perfect that He cannot let us be in His presence and our sin has separated us from Him.  We all know that sin entered the world by the very first man that God created, Adam. God gave him just one rule to obey (to not eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden) and what did he do? He broke that law and ate the fruit and so began the fall of man and his separation from God. As we are heirs of Adam we inherited that sin, which was in us even before we were born.

When God first made Adam they enjoyed a close and personal relationship and we are told that God used to walk with Adam in the cool of the evening. Adam’s sin put a stop to all of that and he was thrown out into the world and that relationship was lost forever. Or was it?

The good news is that God loves all mankind so much that He still wants to have that close relationship with us, regardless of our sins, just like He did with Adam in the Garden of Eden. The problem is that there is nothing that man in his own strength can do to reconcile himself to God – he cannot earn his way back by good deeds or buy his way in with all the silver and gold in the world. The question is, how does man get back to God? The answer is through Jesus Christ.

God sent His beloved Son to earth in the form of a man who lived among us yet managed to remain pure and blameless. What did we do? We beat Him and hung Him on a cross to die. But, don’t worry, this was all part of God’s wonderful plan. As Jesus hung on that cross He took all of the sins of the world on Himself for each and every one of us that have ever lived (and those that are still to come). He became the ultimate sacrifice for all mankind. Isn’t that fantastic? He died for everyone, and I mean, everyone, regardless of whether they accept that is what He did or not. He died for us collectively and He died for us individually.  On the third day after He was buried, He rose from the dead and appeared to many of His followers. He is alive!

This resurrection is God’s proof to us that Jesus is no longer dead – He is not in a grave, He is not sill on the cross, His body cannot be found. Why? Because He is alive and sitting with God in heaven ready to intercede for us! We can have that relationship with God back again.

This was God’s gift to us but we do have to do something to receive it. The answer is so easy it is hard to imagine there is not more to it but it really is true – simply believe. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, believe that He died for you, personally, believe that His blood covers your sins and believe that He rose again after He was buried. If you truly believe all of this and are deeply sorry for all you have done wrong, ask Jesus to come into your heart and take control of your life. It will be the best decision you have ever made. You will be saved from death and destruction and will spend eternity in Glory with your Lord and Saviour.

I still find it hard to comprehend. That Jesus died for ME! He didn’t have to, He chose to so that all my sins, ones I have done and ones I haven’t even though of yet, might be forgiven and I could be reconciled to God. Without Jesus I would never be able to stand in God’s presence – my sin is too great. My faith that makes me believe Jesus died for me brings me God’s peace and hope in His glory. Jesus died for me at just the right time – when I was doing the very worst thing that I have ever done, that is the moment He died for me. Thank you, Jesus.

All that God asks of us in return is to go out into the world and spread this message to others, so that is what I am doing now and make no apologies if it makes you feel uncomfortable – that is God at work in you, convicting you of your sins.

With much love

Stella

Worship the Son not the sun!

I took the dogs out for a walk rather late last night and was surprised to see how many cars were parked up on Selsley Common when I got there. Normally, at that time of day, the Common is empty except for cows. As I began walking up towards the ridge of the hill I suddenly remembered why all those people were there. It was the longest day of the year, Midsummer solstice, and they had come to see the sun setting. When I got closer to the edge I could see a lot of people there all standing and starring. Admittedly, the view was wonderful, the sun just sinking below the skyline and the sky turning brilliant shades of orange and red, truly a wonderful site.

I instantly thought what a wonderful God we have to provide such a spectacle and thanked Him for allowing me to see it, made even more special because I had not been expecting it. However, it did tinge me with sadness when I thought about the other people watching who had come with this one sole purpose in mind who, at best, had just come to see a pretty picture but, at worse, had seemingly gone back to some primitive time when human kind worshiped the sun. They were watching in awe this big ball of fire that, yes, provides us with heat, light, allows plants to grow and stops us spinning off into outer space but they were forgetting who put it there in the first place.

Isn’t it amazing that God ‘flung’ the stars and planets, sun and moon into space and provided the solar system in which we live. We all refer to the sun setting or rising when, in actual fact, the sun stays exactly where it is while the earth revolves around it. How can it stay put and not fall? I like to think that God is holding the universe in His hand, just the way He does us, and it gives me a feeling of security and protection – if God doesn’t let the largest thing in the sky fall, think how much more He will hold me up.

I have been reminded of that verse in Romans 1 ‘for they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the creator’. We must always remember that the One who created the world, nature around us and even mankind itself is far greater, more powerful and more magnificent that all these things themselves and He is the One who should receive all the praise and glory and not the objects He has formed.

Living Water

When I started writing this blog I did not intend to use other peoples words or ideas and credit them as my own but tonight's Bible Study, led by Ann Absolom, contained one of those tremendous 'eureka' moments when something is told you that makes so much sense, flooding you with joy and a feeling of 'yes, of course' that it must be passed on.

Ann was talking about the Holy Spirit and how a lot of people consider it to be something they carry around inside of them, as if it were in a container, with the lid on - it's always with them and can be used when they want but is quantifiable (my interpretation of what she said). They are also told that the Holy Spirit can 'leak' out of us so we have to get topped up every now and again and refreshed. Ann then explained that actually the Holy Spirit is a living water, a torrent of power, not dissimilar to the Niagra falls (imagine that energy) - it rushes through you from Heaven and gushes out, constantly being renewed and touching everything in it's path. That profound thought made me realise that all we have to do is to tap into that power from God and be able to do absolutely anything in His name - we should be frightened of nothing if it is in God's will for us to do. 

On the drive home the sun was setting causing the sky and clouds to be tinged with the most incredible hues of pink and orange and, as I often do when driving along, I got to imagine what that day will be like when Jesus returns, 'Coming with the Clouds' - I am sure that tonight's beautiful sunset will only be a very minor reflection of His dazzling Glory but, in the meantime, we can marvel at God's wonderful creation He has given us to enjoy and make His presence felt.

God is in the details

Cowslips on the Common

I know I have been doing far too much lately and have totally over-committed myself in all areas of my life which means that God gets less and less of my time and attention. It's funny how the most important thing is your life is pushed to the back when, really, all the focus should be on Him and the rest fade into insignificance. With a four day weekend coming up I was determined to spend time with my Father and let everything else take care of itself for a while.

Today is Good Friday and I went to the morning service at Ebley Chapel. The service was short but very poignant and I felt myself getting drawn back into the presence of the Lord. His grace and mercy are so great that whenever you are ready to turn back He is there with open arms waiting for you - how amazing is that?!

Wild Orchids - the colour
 of Jesus' robe

Most of the afternoon I spent sitting in the garden, enjoying the sunshine and chatting with God (well, to be honest, I talked, He listened - He's very good at that!). Later on I took the dogs for a walk up on Selsley Common and was thrilled to find that, not only were there myriads of Cowslips out in blossom, the wild Orchids were beginning to poke their heads up into the sun. The purple petals a reminder of that robe that Jesus was made to wear when He was cruelly tormented by the soldiers before His crucifixion. 

At the Bible study I go to in Cirencester we have been studying Romans and today it has come into my mind those verses in Romans 1:18-20 

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Glorious sunshine

It was a glorious day today with warm sunshine, trees full of blossom and the promise of summer to come. Those simple, yet beautiful, wild flowers up on Selsley Common made me really understand what was  being said in those verses in Romans - with the beauty and magnificence of nature and the world around us NO ONE has any excuse not to believe in God who created them even if they have never heard the Gospel. 

After spending time today with God and enjoying His creation I feel the most relaxed I have been for many weeks. I still have mountains of work and tasks to do but they somehow seem less important now. I must remember that, no matter how busy I am, I only have to glance at the leaves on the trees, the daisies in the lawn or the clouds in the sky to know that God is right there beside me, willing to carry my load. It's incredible that He who is so unbelievably huge and awesome can use the simplest of things to touch our hearts and remind us of Him. Thank you, Almighty God.  

Stop Running and Turn Back!

The last couple of weeks have been very hectic and I have been concious that I have not been spending much time in prayer or reading my Bible. In other words I have been pushing God to one side and going my own way. On the odd occasion when I have picked up my Bible I have been unable to concentrate and it has become all too easy to put it aside and think I will go back to it later but never do, my busy schedule has got in the way. It is surprising how quickly a huge distance grows between myself and God when I neglect to spend time with Him and I have been saying sorry to Him for days now but still not done much about it.

At lunchtime at work today I turned to my personal emails and was confronted by the verse of scripture that started the daily devotional that always comes through to me. It was this:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

It was like a sharp stab, God was gently telling me to turn back because without Him I cannot do anything. 

Later on this evening this revelation was emphasised once more. I was driving down the road a little way from home when I suddenly spotted a little girl of no more than 2 years old running as fast as she could down the pavement, a joyful expression on her face. A good hundred or so yards away was her mother who had been distracted by the baby in her pram and she had been reaching in attending to it. She suddenly looked up, noticed what was happening, and screamed at the top of her voice for the young girl to stop, shouting her name over and over again. Either the child did not hear or chose not to but she continued to run on, obviously enjoying her game. You could see the look of sheer horror and distress on the mother's face and you knew what was going through her mind as she repeatedly yelled "stop, stop!" and that she was imagining her precious child was about to run out into the road and be knocked over by a car. I drove round a bend and lost sight at that point so do not know what happened but the incident did make me think. 

Is that mother's reaction the same as God's when He watches us turn away from Him and run in the opposite direction, ignoring His guidance and choosing to go our own way? Is He yelling at us to turn round and go back, to stop what we are doing? Is He equally horrified at what we are doing, knowing what the result will be? We might find what we are doing is fun and exciting but is it the best thing for us? 

Only God knows what the road ahead holds for us so surely He must be the one to show us the way. I need to stop every now and again and turn to my Father to make sure He is still close by. I have to start talking to Him again and, more importantly, listening.

Lighting the Road Ahead

I went to Bible Study over in Cirencester tonight which involves travelling about 9 miles on the A419 from Stroud. It is actually one of my favourite roads when it is daylight as, for a large part of the route, the beech trees from the woods on either side of the road almost meet creating a tunnel. In the spring the intense lime-green is a joy to behold and in the summer the trees form long cool tunnels dappling the road with shade. Even more spectacular is if you happen to travel that way on a crisp, frosty morning when a winter wonderland surrounds you, the bare branches dripping with sparkling gems. At night, however, the road takes on another aspect altogether being incredibly dark, winding and very eerie. There is also the added fear that a deer might suddenly take it into its head to leap in front of your car with unthinkable consequences to both you and itself.

When I left Cirencester it was just past 9pm and it was drizzling on and off. I joined the road back to Stroud and found I was the only vehicle travelling in either direction for a good 5-6 miles of that journey. I was conscious that I was clutching the steering wheel staring intently ahead and worrying myself that either the car would break down and leave me stranded by those dark, dark woods or a deer would leap out at any moment. As I put the lights on to main beam the road ahead was a tunnel of light and I felt God's guiding hand on me and the words 'God will protect you' came in to my head. I had the feeling of being cocooned and guided for the rest of that journey and, thankfully, the drizzle stopped so those illuminated yards ahead of me were sparklingly clear. It made me think that the lights of your car can be likened to your Christian walk with God  - when you follow His direction, pray and study your Bible you form a closer relationship with Him and you get a far greater understanding of His ways and what He wants you to do just like the how the road becomes beautifully clear and easy to see when you put the main beam on. When you dip your lights (or take your eyes away from Him, forget to pray and forget to study His Word) you might still be a Christian and there is still some light around you but the way becomes muddied and not so easy to find.

Light of Life

Even though it is well over a month since I saw that spectacular light when I was out walking the dogs I still get the same intensity of feeling when I think about it. I am filled with a sense of peace but then start bubbling with an almost uncontrollable joy and feeling of excitement. 

I am beginning to think that God is trying to show me something as there have been a few occasions lately when 'light' has been the thing to stand out (or should I say, shine) at me. On each of these occasions I have again, been filled with the same wonder and excitement as I experienced back in November.

Over the last year the Pastor of the chapel I go to has been preaching from the book of Revelation working through the seven churches and, during December, he came to the last of the churches, Laodicea, with that tremendous verse - 3:20 "Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he will Me." He went on to tell us about a painting by William Holman Hunt that he used to go and see whenever he got the chance and would stand there for hours gazing at it. It depicts this very verse of Scripture, although it is often more usually associated with John 8:12 Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have the light of life". Our Pastor has decided that this verse will be our motto for the year so, as I am the person who composes our newsletter, I decided to find a copy of the painting to post above the verse of Scripture. I was totally blow away by the radiant light that seem to shine out from the page and that same inner calm fills me every time I look at it.

For some time before 'I saw the Light'  I had not felt particularly close to God and was beginning to question my own salvation. Was I good enough for Him, was I a true Christian, was I really saved? My prayer time was suffering and had become virtually non existent and I seemed to be going in a downward spiral. Then came the light.

This morning I nearly wept for joy during the sermon. Our Pastor read from Isaiah 42 and it was verse 3 which hit me, "A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice." It was as if God was telling me that as long as I had a flicker of faith left in me He would not let me go.

The final 'light' reference (for the moment) came in one of the songs we sang during tonight's service:

The splendour of the king

Clothed in majesty

Let all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice

He wraps Himself in light

And darkness tries to hide

And trembles at His voice, and trembles at His voice.

The chorus really sums it all up - "How great is our God"!