Week beginning 10th July

 

Endurance in suffering.

Reading: Psalm 8.

Song: To God be the Glory

To God Be The Glory ( Royal Albert Hall, London) - YouTube

Prayer:

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honour and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

From www.missionstclare.com

Reading: Psalm 90

Song: Through the night of doubt and sorrow

Through the Night of Doubt and Sorrow (Ebenezer) - YouTube

Prayer:

Loving Father
all the fancy words
in the world,
expressed in eloquent prose,
decorated with emotion,
spoken with conviction,
cannot compete with a heartfelt
'sorry'
when all other words fail.
There are times
when we are all too aware
of our limitations,
conscious of sin
and the distance it creates between us.
Sometimes 'sorry'
is all the heart can bear to say aloud.
It is only you
who can read and understand
the language of our hearts.
Only you who can translate our 'sorry'
into the prayer we would have prayed
if we had the words within us.
Then you forgive,
and having forgiven,
surround us in an embrace of love,
drawing us close to your heart
as it was always meant to be.
Thank you, Loving Father,
that you listen to hearts
as well as voices.
Thank you.

From www.faithandworship.com

Reading: 1^st letter of Peter, chapter 1, verses 3 to 9, and chapter 4, verses 12 to 16.

Song: Take up your cross, the Saviour said

Take up thy cross (Hymn) - YouTube

Endurance in suffering.

When the hymns we have used were written, the authors were undergoing, or had already undergone, trials of their faith. The hymns were written from their own experience in faith, and this is not always fun!

Jesus speaks many words of discomfort to his followers. In them, he challenges us to choose our priorities. When people asked the question “How can we follow?”, they expected to be given a list of rules, akin to the Jewish law. But Jesus is more challenging than that.

“Take up your cross!” he tells people.

The implication of living in faith given in the first letter of Peter is that we should expect to undergo suffering.

Many people have the idea that the Christian life is something like a balance sheet, that each day we get points or credit for good things, and debit or demerit for bad things. As long as the balance sheet is in credit, we are O.K.! Of course, there will be days when the balance is “in the red”, and then, on this system, we would need to gain extra credit by spending extra time in meditation or by almsgiving.

The trouble with such an idea is that there is no love in it.. And the essence of Christianity is that it is about relationships in love.

The truth is that the balance sheet has already been added up, and that we are in credit, not due to anything we have done, by because of Christ’s sacrifice, his death on the cross.

But in spite of this, we still often think in terms of bad things being caused by bad behaviour. “What have I done to deserve this?” is how it is often phrased. In Peter’s time, persecution often brought up this thought. The people were hopeful of Christ’s return, that the evil would then be left to be punished. They did not have the gospels in the form that we have, perhaps they had an oral tradition, we don’t know. Peter tells them that “If you think you are following Jesus, be prepared to suffer.” If you rely on your own strength, you will rely less on God, where it should be the other way round.

In God’s kingdom, service is above power; poverty is above wealth.

Jim Elliot, a Christian missionary and martyr said that you are no fool to lose what you cannot keep, in order to keep what you cannot lose.

We have to ask “What is our priority?” is it what God requires of us?

We need to preach or work with others in support of them. We are not expected to seek hardship. Most are not called to be martyrs. As we age, our priorities will change. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to change us for the better. Do our earthly desires pale into insignificance before our desire to do God’s will? Are we looking to the examples of the saints who have gone before us? Are we following them in speaking out against oppression?

If the land in which we live were to try to suppress Christianity would we carry on? Would we continue to meet? Would we continue to profess our faith? Would we “Take up our cross”?

Could we agree with Jim Elliot, and be no fool to lose what you cannot keep, in order to keep what you cannot lose.?

Song: And can it be

"And Can It Be That I Should Gain" - 200 Voice Mass Choir - Classic Hymns " Ancient of Days" - - YouTube

week beginning 3rd July

 Deuteronomy chapter 32 verses 1 to 4, is the beginning of long prayer in form of a Song of Moses. Soon before Moses’s death, he prays in the presence of all the people of Israel after passing on leadership to Joshua.

Reading: Deuteronomy 32:1-4

1 Listen, you heavens, and I will speak;  hear, you earth, the words of my mouth

2 Let my teaching fall like rain  and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.

3 I will proclaim the name of the Lord.  Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect,  and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,  upright and just is he.

Prayer :

We pray for peace, we ask that you will be with all refugees, those caught up in conflict, and those who are thirsty, only able to drink contaminated water.

We give you thanks Lord, for the charities building and maintaining freshwater pumps and wells. We thank you that people are generous with time and money. We pray for the work of UNICEF, and of the Red Cross. We pray for doctors, nurses, and emergency services. We pray for people suffering from diseases and viruses, here and abroad, that cures may be found. God who created water, we beg you to pour your refreshment into our lives. Give us the power of the springs of water from the Holy Spirit, so that we might live lives that honour you. God who is called the Word, we beg you to make our words like fresh water to bless the people we speak to. God of justice and righteousness, we beg you to bring fresh water to our local and national and world leaders. Help them speak words that will fall like a gentle, cleansing, and empowering rain on our broken earth.  Father God we thank you for your son our Saviour Jesus our refuge and our great reward. Without His grace we waste away, like flowers that wither and decay. Thank you, Lord that all people are in your hands.

Amen

Song: River wash over me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIIyK9N2gDc

Reading: Second book of Kings, chapter 5, verses 1 to 15

1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”

8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Na-aman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

11 But Na-aman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and farpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”

16 The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.

17 “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. 18 But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.”

19 “Go in peace,” Elisha said

Back in those days a leper would have been classed as an outcast and a sinner. For Naaman to be unclean was devastating, so he was sent to the river Jordan, not a lovely clean local river, but through the water cleaning him, he came to the living God.

Song: On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIr21lLgFpg

Reading: Matthew’s gospel, chapter 3, verses 1 to 17

3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

‘A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
“Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.”

4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt round his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the River Jordan.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptising, he said to them: ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.” I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The axe has been laid to the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 ‘I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.’

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, ‘I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?’

15 Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then John consented.

16 As soon as Jesus was baptised, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’

This is the same river that Naaman was cleansed in; the river where John baptised and washed peoples sins away. The same river that Jesus was baptised in; where God’s voice was heard and that he was pleased with Jesus.

Song: Down in the river to pray.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJEY9LecV5k

Reading: John’s gospel, chapter 13, verses 1 to 17

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Washing feet was a yucky filthy job back in them days, with only sandals on the feet, you could not walk without treading on donkey & horse muck, cow dung, also possibly human excrement. The streets were covered with dust & sand, not only were feet sore and dusty but also smelly.

This job was only fit for the lowest of the low a slave.

Jesus was showing that to follow him we had to do the same as him to to the work of a slave the words to our next hymn some up Jesus’s teaching.

Song: Jesu, Jesu,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvQz513Jl8M

Reading: John’s gospel, chapter 4 verses 1 to 14

Jesus talks with a Samaritan woman

4 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptising more disciples than John – 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptised, but his disciples. 3 So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, ‘Will you give me a drink?’ 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

9 The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’ (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.’

11 ‘Sir,’ the woman said, ‘you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?’

13 Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Jacob’s Well, where Jesus asked a Samaritan  woman for a drink and offered her “living water”, lies in the crypt of a modern Greek Orthodox   Church at Nablus in the west bank.

It is often considered the most authentic site in the Holy Land — since no one can move a well that was originally more than 40 metres deep.

Jewish, Samaritan, Christian and Muslim traditions all associate the well with Jacob.

The location, at the entrance to a mountain pass between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, is 2km (about 1.5 UK miles) east of Nablus. It is near the archaeological site of Tell Balata — thought to be the biblical Shechem — and about 63km ( just over 39 U.K. miles) north of Jerusalem .

The well has never run dry The women had to go to the well at the hottest part of the day because she was a sinner living with a man that was not her husband. But after she has talked with Jesus, her life changes. There is nothing for us to be afraid of, the burdens of guilt and regret can be lifted If we trust him as you read this next prayer

Prayer:

Jesus, with each ebb of the tide, I feel my sins drawing me down. Drowning me in sorrow and guilt. I have carried bitterness and hate a long time. I do not want to feel like this any more. I am sorry for the hurt I have caused, help me to forgive others for I want you to forgive me. Jesus wash away my sin as the tide washes over the beach, cleanse me of my guilt and fill me with fresh living water that flows from the fountain that runs by the throne of God. Become real to me as you did with Naaman Amen.

Song: Deep and wide

Chorus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfBrLIGyynM

Reading: Revelation chapter 22, verses 1 to 5

Eden restored

1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Song: Shall we gather at the river

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzkXMUon7LY

Go now from this worship to the service of God’s people near and far, refreshed by the living water that Jesus offers to you. Listen for the parched voices of the least of these; search out the dry places and the arid souls, and become for them a spring of living water. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit wash over you, fill you, and give you peace. Amen

week beginning 26th June

 

Reading: Psalm 84

Song: How sweet the name of Jesus sounds

How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds (Tune: St Peter - 6vv) [with lyrics for congregations] - YouTube

Reading: Paul’s letter to the Colossians, chapter 3: verses 1 to 17

Song: O Lord my God

O Lord my God; How great thou art StF 82 (with lyrics for congregations) - YouTube

Prayers:

O Lord, we acknowledge your greatness. We see your hand in your creation, and you in your son. So many things point us to yo0u, and reveal your glory. These things make is say “how lovely is your dwelling place.

But we know that sometimes we do not look for you, and then we do not find you. We feel cut off and isolated from you, and from each other.

Lord, we confess our guilt, and bring our need of forgiveness before you. We are grateful that the way has been provided for our forgiveness, the death of Jesus on the cross. Lord, grow us the fruit of your spirit

For many people this is a difficult time; we pray for those who are ill, or struggling with life. We pray that we will not keep the Good News to ourselves, that we will be your witnesses. May we provide hope to the hopeless.

Where people are beset by financial problems, may they come to see that their security comes from you, and not from financial security.

We pray for governments, asking for wisdom for this who make decisions, that public life may be full of godly wisdom.

In Jesus’ name

Amen.

Song: Jesus is Lord

Jesus is Lord! Creation's voice proclaims it - YouTube

In the northern hemisphere, summer has just begun. June the 21^st was the summer solstice, the longest day. (of course, if you are reading this in the southern hemisphere, it is the start or winter, and it was the winter solstice, the shortest day). For many people it is a time when plans are made for travel. Some will be going to the seaside, others will be intending to visit somewhere more exotic. For the infirm, summer is often a time of some relief, as the warm weather eases pain in their joints.

Some people are less fortunate, they are not able to make any such plans; perhaps the cost of living crisis means that they cannot afford to make plans to travel; perhaps they are affected by relationship difficulties; or possibly there is illness in their family which means that all such plans are on hold for now, but there will be a need to plan for other aspects of life.

If you are approaching the onset of winter, you will also need to make plans, but perhaps different ones!

Whenever we make plans we need to cover a number of eventualities, particularly where, why and how we are intending to execute the plan.

Paul urges us above all else to “ set your hearts on things above,” and “ Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” and of course, we need to know the same three things; Where we are going, why we are going and how we are going.

The object of our journey is “Things Above” and verse 1 makes it clear that this is where Christ is. When we embark on a journey, many modern travellers use Google maps, or a satnav. But enter “Above” into Google maps, and it is unlikely that it would come up with a physical location that is helpful in this quest.

If it is not a physical place, then what is our destination? Simply, “above” is where Christ is ruling.

Verse 2 tells us that is the opposite of earthly things. The letter is to a group of people who have believed the lie that you need something other than Jesus. If we are looking for “things above”, we are not looking for earthly things, which are for earthly needs. Rather, we are looking for what is not seen, what is behind the things. This will lead us to the heavenly home, if we trust is Christ, it is with Him.

Paul tells us that we have been “Raised with Christ” and then. From verse 3 onwards, he uses a flowing logical argument to explain what this means. There has been a change in us. The earthly nature has gone, It has been replaced with the “above” nature. This being so, then we should live like it. We don’t “do” in order to become changed and win the approval of Jesus, rather, we have become something different, so that we can “do” differently. We are not trying to achieve anything, this has already been achieved by Christ in his death and resurrection.

Inn order to set our hearts and minds on the things of Christ, we need to actively centre our affection and attention on the task. We can’t just passively let things happen. Our minds won’t default to these things.

Psalm 84, verses 1-2 says

“How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.”

We need to similarly set our hearts on the thins above, it must be what drives us forward. We need to have the psalmist’s longing for the lord’s dwelling place.

In our min, our centre of vision needs to be what God wants from us. We need to live a life worthy of the Lord, and to do this we need knowledge of Him. We need to avoid distractions, such as the expectations of others, the desire to be liked, and perhaps the financial expectations of the world.

Whatever your plans for the coming season, make the “things above” your number one pursuit.

Song: When I survey the wondrous cross

When I Survey The Wondrous Cross : Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge - YouTube

Week beginning 5th June, Pentecost

 

 Eyes of the heart 

Holy Spirit we welcome you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKlquTpWpz0

Lord, we lift up our hearts to you in love and adoration, we praise you for your greatness. All glory belongs to you. Words cannot describe how magnificent you are. There are no other gods that can be compared to you and there is none above you. You are the Creator of heaven and earth, and everything belongs to you. Your are the only true living God. Father God, fill us with your Holy Spirit. Help us to meditate on your unfailing love, which you have poured out into the world and in to your Church. Lord God we bring our families & friends may they know through the power of your holy spirit that we are praying and thinking for them and give them peace. thank you for all the events that took place around the country and commonwealth for the Queen’s jubilee. Spirit divine, may God’s name be glorified through out the world. Spirit divine, gentle dove, spread your wings of peaceful love; upon your Church, that she may become exalted as the Church in heaven. Amen

1 Samuel Chapter 16: 1 – 13

Spirit of God unseen as the wind. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hayhpBnPrc

Prayer

Gracious God I pray for the Christian communities throughout the world, that they may see the world through your eyes and be a sign of light and hope….

I pray For those responsible for the common good, that they may work hard on behalf of everyone, especially the weak and most vulnerable….

I pray For all who experiencing the sufferings of life, and those who are victims of war, Please be with them and bring them and their countries peace.

I pray For people afflicted by blindness or limited sight, that they may receive sensitivity and support from the people around them… Be with those who are spiritually blind, those who feel lost. I pray that their eyes may be opened and, in humility, they may find and follow you.

I pray for all who you have called to yourself, whom I remember with love, may they dwell in Your house forever…. Lord,

I pray for her majesty The Queen, we thank you for her faithful heart and her wisdom. Be with her and her family in this year of her jubilee. Be with her government and all members of parliament, that the eyes of their hearts be opened to your ways, and your will be done…. Lord,

Gracious God, ready me, O God, your will to see, Open my eyes, illumine me, through the power of your Holy Spirit unite me with our brothers and sisters through out the world as I say the prayer our Lord Jesus taught His disciples.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians Chapter 1:15 – 23

Open the eyes of my heart Lord.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idQ1n3cdgfo

Sermon Eyes of Our Hearts

Open The Eyes Of My Heart, that you have just listened to, was written by Paul Baloche and this is based on Ephesians 1:18

Open the eyes of my heart is a figurative language. It means you must open your spiritual eyes, that live within your heart and focus on God’s Spirit. This song says that you want to be near to God and be with Him. You want to stay Godly in your life and live with your heart. Open the door of your life and allow God to come and stay, because He is Holy! He can fill our souls with His power and glory. No one can actually see God with human eyes so we must open the eyes of your hearts so that we can see Him lifted up, as I said in our opening prayer no one can be higher than Him, nothing can compare to His greatness and glory. In 1 Samuel 16:verse 7 the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’

in other words it is what is on the inside is most important to God.

“having the eyes of your hearts enlightened …”

Let’s think about the heart first. Since the heart is at the centre of our chest, many times we think of it as our centre.

God’s peace, mercy and love make a strong foundation to our faith. If we put those together, we can say by faith that God’s peace, mercy, and love are at our centre, which is our heart.

With our eyes we see things. We use them to observe. My husband Jonathan has on many occasions said to me, quoting from Sherlock Holmes, “you see Watson but you do not observe.” How observant are we? That is a question to ponder over at your leisure.

But it is also been said by William Shakespeare that the eyes are the windows to our souls. That means if you look into someone’s eyes, you can sometimes see what they are thinking and feeling. Especially if you know the person well. God knows us better than we know ourselves. Let’s take it another way. What does it mean, we have to believe something with our hearts rather than understand them with our minds? In Proverbs 3: verse 5 it says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;”

What if the eyes of our hearts are the insights that God has put in them? We “see” them when we meditate on what God is telling us. Some times it is hard for us to interpret what he is saying.

Jonathan says some times to me while he is building book shelves “don’t think just do what I tell you” especially when he is sawing wood I have to do just as he says or the wood twists. Is God saying that to us “do not think do what I tell you”. God will use every combination of methods to get us to see what He is putting in our hearts. Through our observations and prayer and guidance of the Holy Spirit we can see through the eyes of our hearts rather than our own understanding, to determine what He is telling us. He knows our circumstances, all our thoughts, worries, and feelings. God uses whatever way is best to talk to us. But here is the warning: We must make sure Satan doesn’t try to close our eyes. He is going to try to put clouds and blinders in our way – anything to get us to not see what God wants us to see.

Do you ever find yourself suddenly start talking or thinking about a completely new subject; while neglecting the main subject. Going off on a tangent. Or get side tracked so Busy wrapped up in the things we have to do, What is God trying to tell us in all that chaos?

Our eyes are the gateway to our hearts. We have to open our eyes to see the opportunities of learning about God. We have to use our eyes to read and study and our ears to listen to His Word.

At Chapel we met for Bible fellowship, we often would ask the question what is God’s word saying to us to day.

What is His word saying to you.? A question for you think about.

We have to be observant, when other disciples/ Christians talk with us. What they say may be from God even if they do not know it.

At Pentecost the holy spirit came in to the Church. In the book of Acts Luke records this event

Acts Chapter 2:1 – 21.

God will talk with us through the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Let’s look at it this way, What do we need to see? The answer is Light. A camera needs light. I had My eyes tested a flashed the bright light gave the optimist to see behind the lens of my eyes. (The result was good no problems) Now Let us look at Spiritual light

Who is the Light of the world? Answer Jesus. We need not only to look Jesus but to be observant and learn His ways . So we can grow to be like him. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us while we are thinking on what we are observing. But let’s take it a step further. When we see through the eyes of our hearts we start to seek the insights from God. God who already lives at our core, through the Light of Jesus we have our paths illuminated, our faith is increased.

Through the power of the Spirit we can say Amen

Prayer
Lord God thank you for the extraordinary sacrifice You made in sending Jesus, Your beloved Son to be my saviour. thank You for His legacy in words, actions and obedience to suffering on the cross.
Lord, forgive me for any thoughts, deeds or the things l have said that have not honoured Your name. I am truly sorry, forgive me when there has been times that I have chosen to live selfishly rather than heed Your calling.

May your holy spirit work anew in my life giving me strength for my serving filling me with joy in my worshipping. Thank You Lord for Your grace, thank you for forgiving me. Amen.

We are marching in the light of God

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn16ABWn20c

Benediction

Father God, heaven is filled with your love, may your love be reflected in my life . Jesus, light of the world, may your light be reflected in me powerful presence of the Holy Spirit  open the eyes of my heart. Holy Spirit may your power reflect Gods love Jesus’s grace, and fill me with your peace this me today and always. Amen

please watch: We Are marching in the light of God

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGOiANtGmhE

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