God is clearing the way

If you are like me you are looking at the weather forecast wondering if we are in for snow.

Yesterday I was listening to a sermon on You tube which was talking about not to worry about the future because God was already there clearing a path for us.

As i reflected on this message I had a vision of God shovelling snow. That is the clearing of our future path of traps and things that will make us slip and fall so we can walk safely in the path he has planned for us. He is our waymaker.
I feel Psalm 121 reflects what I have written about the Lord is not going to let your foot slip as written in verse 3.
Verse 7 and 8 The Lord is watching over your life forever more. Keeping you from all harm.
Psalms 121
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

The world and the future can feel very scarey but have confidence that the Lord is making your path secure and safe.

I’d rather have Jesus

This worship song has touched my heart recently. ‘I’d rather have Jesus”
Here are the lyrics
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold
I’d rather be His than have riches untold
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or land
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand
Than to be the king of a vast domain
And be held in sin’s dread sway
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today
I’d rather have Jesus than worldly applause
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause
I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame
Yes, I’d rather be true to His holy name
Than to be the king of a vast domain
And be held in sin’s dread sway
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today

The riches and treasures of heaven far surpass anything that this world has to offer.
Knowing Jesus died for you, will never leave or forsake you, that he has clothed you in his robes of righteousness, he’s given you eternal life through his sacrifice on the cross, that he is my shepherd leading me and protecting me far outweighs any sights that dazzle in the world.
‘To be a king of a vast domain and be held in sins dread way” remind me of our king, politicians and those all over the world may have power but without Jesus to lead them they have empty lives and no eternity. We better pray ? for them.
This is a beautiful rendition of the hymn plus video has scenes from the Christian film the firing squad

Renewal

A newly elected M.P today said that there would be a decade of renewal.

I immediately thought of the renewal God brings to us.

2 Corinthians 4:16. “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

”2 Corinthians 5:17. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

I praise God that we can rely on him to renew us through the power of the Holy Spirit and his word. As it says in Romans it was whilst we were sinners that Christ died for us. We come with all our misdeeds and flaws but at that moment of accepting Jesus as our Lord and saviour we are born of the spirit. Its at this point that God embarks on updating us into someone better by filling us with his love so we will love others more.

We can read God’s word and be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We become a new creation when we abide in the vine who is Jesus and produce good fruit such as love, peace, Joy, patience.

We hope that a new government can fulfil the promises of their manesfiesto or we may hope they don’t. We wonder if they were telling the truth or wonder if they will let us down. Maybe they won’t win the next election and won’t be able to complete thier agenda but as Christians we know God will fulfil his promises.His word brings life, brings down evil having the victory over it, nothing is impossible for him and he never lies or changes his mind.

There will never be an end to his government. He is the alpha and omega which means he is the first and last.

God has a manesfiesto and it is in his word which is recorded in the Bible. He won’t let you down on what he promises. He has good plans for you.

All you have to do is believe and trust in him. Follow Him. I urge you to investigate who Jesus is. He died for you and he will never leave or forsake you.

All I have written is in God’s word. In his manual for life the Bible. Take a look inside this wonderful book. Perhaps start in Matthew, Mark, Luke or John where Jesus words that he spoke whilst he fulfilled his mission to reveal the Father’s heart to us on earth are written in red. A good choice of colour as he died for us so we can become children of God and have eternal life.

You will be pleasantly surprised at who is is and what he has to offer.

Be Fruitful

Yesterday I read through Genesis 1 and afew things jumped out at me.

No big Revelations just stuff that will be useful in everyday life. One thing that struck me was that God blessed the birds, sea creatures and Adam and Eve saying be fruitful and multiply.

In Galations 5 v 22 to 23 it lists the fruits of the spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

God wants us to have these fruits in our lives. He wants them to multiply and increase. Certainly more of the fruits of the spirit in my life would enhance my life and also the lives of others.

Lord, I pray and ask that You please grow me in the fruit of the spirit. Lord, may I have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control in every area and in every aspect of my life. Father, please bring opportunities for me to grow in these fruits.

Have a good day. God bless you.

Always something to be grateful for

On Wednesday our church gathered on zoom and a lady in our church did a very good Bible study on being thankful.
We all have those days when things, events and circumstances don’t go the way we would like them. Challenges can go on for quite sometime and we can wonder when will it ever get better?
We have two choices when life is getting us down.
We can just concentrate on the negative and grumble away or we can look for something to appreciate and express gratitude for it.
Focusing on the negative just sucks us further down into a dark pit of melancholy or depression.
Finding the positive in our days and lives no matter what is going on pulls us up higher on the hill of positivity which makes our hearts feel happier.
After the Bible study I wrote a prayer about good things God has done for us.
Everything in the prayer is based on what the Bible says about God.
The goodness of God can never be taken from us no matter what is going on in our lives and the world.

Dear Lord
Thankyou for watching over me as I slept and protecting me.
Thankyou for the gift of a new day.
A day to feel your love, comfort and presence.
A day to be led by your Holy spirit.
A day to believe and trust in you.
A day to focus on you and trust you in the storm.
A day to read your word which is the bread of life which makes my spirit stronger.
A day to be your sheep and hear your voice.
A day to he lead by still waters and green pastures.
A day to be restored by you.
A day to enjoy your beautiful creation
A day to be a Fisher of men.
A day to keep running the race keeping my eyes fixed on you.
A day to love you with all my heart soul and mind.
A day to know that you are working all things out for my good.
A day to walk in the fruits of the spirit.
A day to thankyou Jesus for paying the price of my sin on the cross that I may have everlasting life.

Help me to position myself to receive your goodness today expecting in faith that I will receive your promise that surely I will see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living Amen

Have a blessed day everyone

Connect with the community

Remembering some of the church’s activities:

Gift to care home workers
Free Easter egg hunt. Every child who found 12 cardboard egg shapes (help give to any who struggled) received an egg. The eggs shown here were just to show the types available

When facing uncertain times.

In a book ‘Grace for purpose prayers’ I have read this verse this morning

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV

The subject of the chapter is : When facing uncertain times.

It surely is uncertain and unstable times around us in the world.

We don’t get through this journey of life without experiencing concerns challenges and difficulties.We wonder what the future holds.

When I look back though I can see I got through it all with God’s help.

I definitely want to be like this tree which stands strong through the heat,storms and droughts putting my roots deep into Jesus so I will keep standing strong and flourishing producing good fruit.

For the past few days I have had this verse coming in my head John 14 v 1

Let not your heart be troubled you believe in God,believe also in me.

I also had the words keep praying keep trusting,keep believing.

Dear Lord

Help me to be like the tree in Jeremiah 17 v 7 to 8 and to have the attitude of John 14 v 1 so I can stand strong in you no matter what

In Jesus name I pray Amen

I will post a pic of the lovely cedar of Lebanon tree in Bath Street Frome where My wonderful great aunt used to live.

Stay close to God

Yesterday our guest speaker at church said he prays this verse as he starts his time of fellowship with God. He says something like God I am drawing close to you and I thank you that you have promised to draw near to me.

Then I found this nice article by Guidepost and thought that it may bless someone if I post it.

Have a great day and God bless x

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)

Here is a story that makes me think of the importance of having a regular routine of prayer and reading the Bible:

Walking down a road with his father, a young boy was curious about some of the trails off the main path but was constrained by his father holding his hand. He was quite adamant about his need to explore and started pulling away. Finally, his father said that he could go but had to stay within earshot.

“I will call every few minutes,” his father said. “If you don’t hear my voice, you will know you have gone too far.” Eventually the boy veered so far off the path that he could no longer hear his father’s voice and began walking back.

I am like that little boy. I need to hear God’s voice for direction on a daily basis. Praying keeps me in hearing distance of what God has to say. There are days I don’t hear as well. When I find myself too busy to read my Bible, I don’t hear as well. When life demands I spend more time doing things other than praying, I don’t hear as well. I thank God that when I stray off the path, he is always waiting for me.

Sometimes I find myself in a low spiritual state because I substitute ministry for fellowship. My constant activity does not necessarily mean that I am in touch. It is through fellowship with God that I keep the communication channel open. I am grateful for the promise that God will draw near to me as I draw near to him. When I am close to him, I can hear his voice. When I hear his voice, I know that no matter what comes my way, God will take hold of my hand.

My prayer point is a simple request: to put yourself in the little boy’s place and come close to God. If you have strayed off the path, he is still in the same place. Prayer is the best way to communicate. He has something to say all day, every day.

God bless you.

Crafty Christmas!

smart
smart

Whether you are a regular churchgoer or simply curious about the significance of it all, joining a church service can be a meaningful and uplifting experience.

We would like to invite you to our Creative Christmas church service. Embrace the true spirit of Christ, connect with a community, and experience the joy and wonder of this special season. Whether you are seeking spiritual nourishment, a sense of belonging, or simply a moment of reflection, attending a Christmas church service can provide a meaningful and uplifting experience.

The service starts at 10:30, we will be providing hot beverages and mince pies, which goes well with this cold weather. Come along and join us at this craft event making a Nativity scene. Hope to see you there.

Photos are from the service.

21/2/21

During our service today we sang the worship song “May the Lord bless and keep you and cause his face to shine upon you and give you peace.” The lyrics are based on the bible scripture Numbers 6 v 24 to 26.This is a beautiful blessing. It feels warm and encouraging. Just what we need in these times. As we were singing this song one line jumped out at me. “He is for you, he is for you”. As I sang these four words “He is for you” I felt God remind me of the scripture Romans 8 v 31 – If God is for us who can be against us? God does speak to us. In John 10 v 27 it says my sheep listen to my voice, I know them and they follow me. God said to me “Many people think I am angry and against them for the things they have done and they feel it is a barrier between them and me”. God bought to my mind the story of the Prodigal son which is in Luke 15 v 11 to 32.There was a man who had two sons. The youngest son came to him and asked to be given his inheritance. The Father divided up their share of property between them. Shortly after the youngest son left his Father and went out into the world to make his own way. He took all the assets his Father had given him and wasted them on reckless living. There was a famine in the land and the son became hungry and became a servant to earn a living. His job was to feed his master’s pigs and he was so hungry he longed to eat the pods he was feeding them. The young man came to his senses and thought I will go back to my father and say I am no longer worthy to be called your son. I will become your servant and at least have bread to eat. His father was watching for him and saw him coming along way off. He felt compassion on him and ran out to greet him kissing and embracing him. I have noticed that the Father runs out to greet him. He is not angry because the younger son turned his back on him and left his house. Even when the son admits that he is not worthy to be called his son any longer the Father does not scowl at him nor berate him for his reckless living or for squandering his inheritance. He puts a robe on him. He says my son was lost but now he is found. He calls for a celebration and for the best calf to be killed for the feast. So our Father God is watching out for us to walk up the road to him. If we come to him and say sorry for what we have done, he blesses us. He is gracious to us. His face is happy and shining upon us. He accepts us into his family even though we do not deserve it. I can personally testify that for a long season I went away from God and lived my own way. Getting into a few scrapes plus living recklessly. I was like the son in this story but when the pandemic came I came to my senses and made the decision I will go back to Father God because I cannot cope on my own any longer. I am so grateful he welcomed me back with open arms and was happy to call me his daughter. He felt joy because I was no longer lost to him. Don’t let your faults and failures keep you from coming to God. He is looking out for you to come to him with outstretched arms.