The inspiration of Simeon and Anna

When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord Luke 2: 22 

Jesus had been born in Bethlehem as prophesied and eight days later Mary and Joseph went the five miles to the temple in Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice in keeping with the Law of Moses. 

In the temple they met a pair of elderly, devout people who had been waiting patiently for the Messiah. Simeon was a devout man waiting for ‘the consolation of Israel’ - the Messiah and he had been promised that he would see him before he died. He rejoiced that this day had come and very accurately prophesied to Mary that ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’  I wonder if Mary remembered that as she watched the horror of her own beloved son being beaten and crucified. 

Mary and Joseph marvelled at what was said but more was to come. The very elderly Anna, a lady whose life was devoted to prayer and fasting also came up ‘at that moment’ and told anyone who would listen that this child was the Messiah (the redemption of Jerusalem). 

I love the patient faithfulness of these two elderly people, devoted to the Lord. They had not given up as the years passed by. They had not settled down to a passive, inactive, elderly lifestyle. They were as fervent in their faith as ever. The Bible is full of the very elderly being significantly used by God; Abraham, Moses, Gideon’s parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth. So often the elderly laid the foundation for the next generation to build on. 

Simeon and Anna are a source of inspiration for us. They had been waiting for years to see the fulfilment of their dreams, not just for themselves but for their nation. They hadn’t given up nor had they doubted and they were not disappointed. Their hope was placed firmly in God. 

Perhaps today you have been waiting for years to see the fulfilment of your dreams – the salvation of a loved one, a healing, a miracle or for revival and a great outpouring of God’s love and miracle working power in your church, community or nation. 

At the start of a new year, may we, like Simeon and Anna, not give up but with fresh faith believe again that God is working on our behalf, that he has heard and is answering our prayers.

‘And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap if we faint not’ 

Galatians 6: 9 KJV

Just keep jogging

The final blog based on the topic of jogging.

As you will know from these blogs, I have not only taken up jogging, aged over 65 but can now jog for 30 minutes without stopping. The main thing I have learned is that to succeed you need to master your breathing and pace. Speed is not important – finishing is the goal.

How similar this is to the Christian life. We are exhorted to run our race to win the prize which is the crown of life given to us when Jesus rewards his faithful servants. We are not in a race against one another – we are in a race with ourselves – to persevere and finish. My prayer has always been that I want to finish strong, not fast - strong. I don’t want to crawl over the line but jog over with my head held high knowing that like Paul, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

So many give up. I can think of all those whom I knew, who were there with me in church and who have now turned away. I also remember all those who were running well and whilst they are still there they are no longer running with passion. They’ve given up their calling and ministry through hurt, disillusionment and discouragement.

There is so much that can hurt or disappoint us but our goal is to keep going and do the best we can. Like Jesus, Paul endured terrible hardships for the Gospel yet he finished because he had his prize in mind.

So as the writer to the Hebrews says ‘… let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us’. He goes on to say Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith who for the joy set before his, endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus endured the cross for us – because of the joy of seeing millions redeemed and coming into relationship with our heavenly Father. There are Christians around the world facing terrible circumstances for their faith. So next time that no one turns up or we are let down – again - let’s not give up or give in but fix our eyes on the prize and keep jogging to the finish.

We shall reap if we faint not

‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light’ Isaiah 9: 2

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem very few people would have realised that ‘the light of the world’ had arrived. For sure the shepherds proclaimed his birth and all that the angel had told them but whilst ‘all who heard it were amazed’ (Luke 2: 18) I wonder how much of a long lasting impact it made on most of them.

Even when the ‘light of the world’ started his ministry in Galilee 30 years later, fulfilling the Isaiah prophecy, few could be called his followers. Most enjoyed the fruits of his ministry - the healing, miracles and provision of food – but on the day of Pentecost there were only 120 believers left of the thousands who must have been touched by the presence of Jesus amongst them.

However two old people realised who this baby was and whilst they would not have seen the outworking of the prophecy, they rejoiced over the birth of the baby. Mary and Joseph had done everything the Law required. Jesus had been circumcised and named on the eighth day and then they went to the Temple in Jerusalem, only about 5 miles from Bethlehem, to offer a sacrifice for Mary’s purification and to present the infant Jesus, as their first-born, to the Lord.

Simeon was a devout man and he was waiting for ‘the consolation of Israel’ - the Messiah. He had been promised that he would not die before he had seen him. The Holy Spirit was on Simeon so that at just the right moment he went into the temple courts to meet Mary and Joseph. Taking Jesus into his arms he rejoiced over the birth of this baby and prophesied

Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 

For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:

a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.’

Simeon knew this baby was the ‘light of the world’ for both Jews and Gentiles.  However whilst his coming would be good news for some, raising them up, it would not be good news for everyone. He foresaw trouble for many in Israel. Jesus would be a stumbling block for those who disbelieve. Even for Mary his mother ‘a sword will pierce your own soul too.’  I wonder if Mary remembered that as she watched the horror of her own beloved son being beaten and crucified.

At that moment, Anna an elderly prophetess, came up and realising who the child was, gave thanks and spoke to anyone who was anticipating the ‘redemption of Jerusalem.’ I wonder how many of them looked at the baby and imagined what this child might become.

These two old people are a source of inspiration for us. They had been waiting for years to see the fulfilment of their dreams, not just for themselves, but for their nation. They hadn’t given up nor had they doubted and they were not disappointed. Their hope was placed firmly in God.

Perhaps today you have been waiting for years to see the fulfilment of your dreams – the salvation of a loved one, a healing, a miracle or for revival and a great outpouring of God’s love and miracle working power in your church, community or nation.

May we, like Simeon and Anna, not give up but with fresh faith believe again that God is working on our behalf, that he has heard and is answering our prayers.

‘And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap if we faint not’

Galatians 6: 9 KJV

Practice makes perfect

There are two things that I have noticed about playing sport. The first is that you the better at what you practice and that looking the part does not necessarily mean you are a good player.

The same is true of the Christian faith. We get better at what we practice and most certainly outward appearances can be deceptive.

We find that as we practice consistently reading our Bibles, praying, worship and fasting these things get easier. However it is far more than these spiritual disciplines. As we grow in the Christian faith we get much better at trusting God, at forgiving, at recognising and resisting the attacks of the enemies, at standing on the truth, at loving others, at not being discouraged at every setback and at breaking the bad habits and developing good ones

Unfortunately it is also true that as we practise bad things we will get better at them. That is why Paul wrote to the Galatians:   The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. Galatians 5: 16 and 20 – 21. Paul was talking to believers here not unbelievers. Instead he encourages us to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit (which) is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5: 22 - 23 

God also has a programme or spiritual journey for each one of us that is personal and is designed to help us grow more Christ like. It is a process and as we learn the lessons set before us we grow into the person whom God has made us to be and fulfilling our God given destinies.

The Holy Spirit is the most wonderful counsellor, guide, friend, exhorter, comforter, encourager and teacher and we have the Bible as the most incredible book to help us. We have the church and fellow believers to stand with us, pray for us and to strengthen us in our faith as fellow pilgrims on the journey. 

God wants us to succeed and even in the severest of trials, he is there with us and I am totally convinced that God will bring good out of every negative circumstance. He is honing and refining us. Perseverance is the key.

The writer of Hebrews encourages us: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. He brews 12: 1- 3

Don’t give up. Keep practising the good and you will succeed.

Succeeding through failure

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Philippians 3: 12

Have you ever watched a baby when they are learning to walk? Their first attempts are always unsuccessful. They may take one step which the proud parents are thrilled about but immediately they fall and land usually on their bottom.

Undeterred they get up and have another go. They may need help to get to their feet but they don’t give up. Gradually they take more steps until they can walk across the room. Then they start to run. At this point they probably will fall but not onto the safety of a well padded bottom but flat on their face. It hurts and they will need comfort before being put back on their feet to try again.

The most important thing though is that they do try again. Suppose the first time a baby fell, they never got up again! They just sat there, prepared to stay there forever. The world would be full of helpless babies, unable to walk and certainly unable to run.

Unfortunately too often this is exactly what happens to Christians. They step out in faith to help others, to pray for the sick, to witness, to prophesy and maybe they do not succeed. Their efforts are rebuffed and so they sit down and don’t try that again.

Worse comes when having succeeded in walking in some of the ways of God, they try to run into fresh levels of faith and fall. Their pride may be dented, relationships may be hurt and they may be embarrassed but the worse thing is to give up and not try again.

Steve Backlund says:  Many subconsciously believe that success is not failing at anything, but the truth is that those who succeed most will also seem to fail the most. Any time we choose to leave our safety and comfort, and determine to “walk” at a higher level in Christ, we will most likely fall down many times. Those who are the most successful in life will attempt to do multiple things (with its inherent risks), and ultimately will have a greater list of “failures” for those staying in safety to criticize. (Ouch!)

There have been times when I have given a prophetic word and it has just been ignored. I know it was from God and would have blessed both the person and the church. It is easy in circumstances like that to give up.

Failure is part of the Christian life and it is there to help us learn to persevere, trust God and grow in our faith.  It helps develop our character and deal with pride and offense.

Let’s put off our past failures, rise up and try again; let’s not give up but persevere to success. Jesus is urging us on so we may finish our race strong in him.

Running the race with perseverance

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

I was playing a bowls match in South Africa to decide the winner of the ladies competition at our small club.  It was not an important fixture except for the two of us involved.  It was a hot day and I just about had the edge and was slightly in the lead but my opponent would not give up. She was hot, desperately wanted a drink but just kept persevering.

When she did not do well, she just said, ‘Well I must try harder and do better’ and she did. She would not give in and in the end her perseverance paid off and she won the match.  I kept thinking why don’t you just let me win but no, she was not going to be defeated.

The analogy is obvious but I know, too often, I just want to give up and give in to temptation, disappointment, hurt and rejection. It is sometimes easier to listen to the lies of the enemy and feel sorry for myself instead of persevering, standing firm and just keep trying. It is hard to do better when you feel like you are failing.  The key of course is to fix our eyes on the prize and better still the prize giving and the person who is handing out the prizes.

The prize giver is not just a celebrity who has little to be proud of other than the fame they have acquired. Our prize giver is the pre-eminent overcomer; the man who never gave in or gave up. The person who persevered and won the ultimate prize and we share in the benefits that he won for us because his race was not for his benefit but ours. Yes Jesus victory on the cross meant his glorification and exaltation to the highest place but we are the chief beneficiaries.

It can be hard when we are being tested and everything in us just wants to give up but the writer of Hebrews says in verse 3 of chapter 12 ‘Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.’ The answer is always Jesus and fixing our eyes on him and considering what he did for us, will give us the boost we need to persevere and do better.

We will see victory if we do not give up but even if we fail, God’s loving arms are there to pick us up, dust us down and help us start all over again. There is a great cloud of witnesses cheering us on who have been there before us and encouraging us to succeed. With their support and Jesus’ we have all the encouragement we need to persevere and win our race. 

Prayer - the first fruits of our day

There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven Ecclesiastes 3: 1

There can be a great temptation at busy times or on busy days to ditch the one thing that will help us to have a productive and fruitful day.  Prayer and spending time with God is essential every day and how much more on a busy day.

I think it was Martin Luther who said that if he had a busy day, he must spend more time not less in prayer. We deceive ourselves when we think that we can manage without any time with God. It is unlikely that we will catch up on prayer later or tomorrow – we need prayer and time spent with God for today and every day. There are some wonderful quotations by some of the great men and women of God on the matter of prayer.

"Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees." Corrie ten Boom

"The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day." E.M. Bounds

"Satan does not care how many people read about prayer if only he can keep them from praying. Paul E. Billheimer

I can go on! Look up these and many other quotes on the internet – they are inspiring but they must not just stir our hearts but inspire us to pray. The devil wants to persuade us that our prayers are not making a difference, that we are wasting our time and we would be far better getting on with some work than waste time praying. Lies and more lies. We can accomplish so much more on our knees.

If you are feeling discouraged in the place of prayer or if you have a very busy time ahead of you – let me encourage you with a testimony. When I was still working God encouraged me to rise early to meet with him every day – it was hard because I was tired and stressed – yet these precious times were the lifeline that enabled me to accomplish all that needed doing in my busy schedule.  On another day when time was not an issue I had a wonderful time of prayer with God – it was extended and could have seriously cut into the rest of the day but the incredible thing was that this day was the most fruitful day of my life.  I accomplished so much I was amazed.

Time in prayer is never wasted but it can take an effort to get going.  Be encouraged today to place the first fruits of your day in God’s hands and trust him to fulfil his plans and purposes through your prayers. He will guide your days to be fruitful and a source of great blessing to many.

Don't run away

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1: 12

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139: 7 – 10

All of us will go through trials and tests in our Christian walk.  Sometimes circumstances will seem to build up against us and at other times they come from our own mistakes and sin. God permits them in order that what is on the inside is exposed to us. Often it is only through difficulties that we get to see what is really in our hearts. Sometimes this is not good viewing!

Under pressure our attitudes, prejudices and beliefs come to light. It is often when things are tough that we discover what ungodly beliefs, pride, selfishness and insecurity are underneath the surface. This is not a surprise for God but can be a big surprise for ourselves. There have been times when I have been mortified by what has been exposed in my heart by the time of testing.  However this is not to make us feel bad about ourselves but to free us from sin, pride and insecurity.

The first thing that can happen though is that we want to run away and hide and we would be in good company. Adam, Elijah and Jonah all tried that one. Moses argued with God and tried to get out of an assignment that seemed to expose all his weaknesses. Our model though instead should be David. 

When caught in adultery and murder, he went straight to God and pleaded with him not to take his Spirit from him (Psalm 51). Psalm 139 written by David shows he knew you can never get away from God – even if like Jonah you run to the far side of the sea – even there God will find you and David was comforted by this. Hiding from God and other Christians in our times of weakness and testing should be the last thing we do. Instead we must press into God and seek out the company of trusted Christian friends.

God is for us, not against us.  He does not want us weighted down and hampered by sin and weakness. He wants us free from them to enjoy the fullness of his plans and purpose for our lives. The next time you stumble or feel under attack by either people who discredit you, speak unkindly of you or reject you or by the devil spinning his lies, don’t run away. Press into God’s presence. Whether the situation is of your making or by others, seek God and his comfort. Don’t try running away – it really doesn’t help. God will find us; God will have his way and we can completely trust his loving dealings in our lives the first time.   

Waiting for the promises

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God. Luke 2: 25 – 28

There was also a prophetess, Anna …. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:  36 – 38.

Once again, we see the missed opportunity for so many people, when Jesus himself was brought to the temple. The religious leaders and priests who lived and worshipped there did not meet him but two elderly, righteous and devout people, who for a long time had been waiting for the Messiah, met their heart’s desire. 

It can be very trying to persevere, sometimes for years, to see what God has promised us but the story of Simeon and Anna encourages us not to give up.  We do not know how long Simeon had been hanging on in faith to see the Messiah but we do know his faith was rewarded.

Anna too had spent most of her adult life worshipping and praying in the temple and she too was not disappointed. She was an old lady, very old by those days, and yet she too got to see the Messiah.

For Jewish people there was no greater joy than to see the long awaited one. Simeon must have been thrilled to know he would see the Messiah and imagine his joy when he was able to take the baby in his arms and bless and prophesy over him and his parents. What a privilege. Anna too was able to pronounce to all who were willing to listen that this baby was indeed the Messiah.

We also may have been waiting for years for some promise from God; the salvation of a relative, our healing, our partner in life, a ministry opportunity and as this year closes may I suggest you go back and look at the words that God has given you in 2012 and maybe in previous years.

Thank him for those that have come to pass and pray over those you have still to see an answer to.  Like Simeon and Anna, some promises we have to wait a long time for but let us reaffirm our faith in God and our trust that He will work all things together for good in his timing. 

Bless you for reading this blog this year and let us go forward into 2013 with renewed enthusiasm for our wonderful God. I pray.. that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1: 10)

Persevering to victory

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. Matthew 19: 29

I was reading something that Joyce Meyer wrote about the difficulties she experienced in the early days of her ministry and how glad she is that she persevered and did not give up. I think we would all say ‘Amen’ to that as the Church would be a poorer place without her ministry and practical encouragement to us all.

The Scripture she quoted was the one above and I remember how relevant that was in our early Christian walk.  God called us to leave the church we were going to and join a new church where we knew hardly anyone. I remember grumbling and complaining to God about this and why was it all so hard and God reminded me of this verse.

Nearly 30 years later I can smile as it all seems so silly now. The things that were so hard then are not hard now and God has been so faithful because as we have faced harder and harder trials somehow things have got easier and easier which sounds so unlikely. However as I think about it with each and every trial that we face we have to draw closer to God and depend on him more and more. As we do that it makes the whole of our life easier because of the greater dependence and trust we have built into our lives.

However the converse is also true.  Imagine Joyce Meyer had given up when things were so hard or imagine we had not been obedient to God and stayed at the church where it was all so much easier. Today we would not have the blessing of Joyce’s ministry and we might still be living compromised lives in the church we were going to having things easy but unfulfilling at one level but not knowing the joy and satisfaction of having pushed through to greater heights in our walk with God.

I marvel that any of us have survived some of the spiritual lows and difficulties that God has taken us through but it is so true that there is nothing we go through where God is not with us every step of the way, holding our hands, encouraging and strengthening us and whispering to us all the time, ‘Don’t give up.’  Jesus showed us that the Christian life may not be easy but it is always worth it. If Jesus could ‘for the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’ Hebrews 12:2 we too can endure our difficulties so we too rise triumphant to greater glories for him.

Be strengthened if you are facing trials and difficulties and remember it is worth it and if you are in an easier time, thank God and rejoice in his faithfulness and love.

Paying the price for what you believe in

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. Luke 9:51

 It is never easy to see something you believe in come to fruition. It will usually be both costly and sacrificial.

The London Olympics is just a few weeks away and at the moment the Olympic torch is touring the nation.  It is humbling to hear how people got a vision in 1997 to see the Olympics come to London and believed in it enough to resolutely pursue it. They have had to persevere through trials and difficulties, through disappointments and victories to see the fulfilment of the vision. Now they are seeing their dream come true.

For many ordinary people their lives are being transformed by the honour of carrying the Olympic torch even a short distance. The onlookers too are greatly touched as they watch these people carrying the torch, some of whom have also had to overcome great difficulties in their lives . It isn’t just about famous sportspeople but ordinary men and women.

Jesus had to resolutely overcome every difficulty to fulfil the vision he had of sinners being saved through his death on the cross. No one has endured what Jesus did to conquer sin and death.  Paul also had to endure many hardships to fulfil the vision he had of reaching the Jews and Gentiles with the Gospel and in the process he gave the Church the most wonderful teachings on Kingdom life.

You too may be carrying a vision that is requiring great perseverance to see come to fruition. It is never easy but it will be worthwhile. Others will reap the benefit of your diligence.

One of my favourite songs by Point of Grace goes, ‘When I said that I would follow, it was with an honest heart but I never fully understood the cost. But there are saints throughout the ages and there are those today who show us what it really means to carry the cross.’

Let’s remember with gratitude those who have gone before us and persevered for something we may take for granted today. Let’s also persevere with the vision God has given us to see that which we believe in come true.

Reaping the fruit of righteousness

Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. Isaiah 3:10

Sometimes it can be really hard to keep going doing the right thing when all around appear to be doing whatever they like and getting away with it. However the Bible is full of references to reaping what we have sown and this verse encourages us that righteous deeds will bear good fruit. What is more this fruit is enjoyable.

If we have taken some time tending a peach tree, looking after it through the frosts, weeding round it, fertilising it, protecting the young fruit, when it does produce beautiful ripe peaches we enjoy them. It is the same with the deeds of righteousness. It may take a lot of effort through difficult times to produce it but when we do, we will enjoy the fruit of our labours.

The Bible is full of sowing and reaping and it is abundantly clear that you reap what you sow. In the natural if you plant an apple pip you will get an apple tree not a peach tree or if you sow carrot seed you will get carrots not parsnips. It is exactly the same in the spiritual. What you sow, you will reap (Galatians 6:7).  If you have sown righteously, you will reap the fruit of righteousness.

However fruit takes time to grow. It may appear that ungodly people are reaping good things from bad seed but they are not. In the fullness of time their fruit will come forth from what they have sown.  Paul encourages us: Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 It may feel like nothing is coming from our sowing but it will.

I believe God wants to encourage and strengthen us today to not give up doing what is right even in the face of discouragement and the apparent lack of fruit and in the face of the unrighteous deeds of others which may appear to be prospering. We will eat of the fruit of our righteousness because good seed produces good fruit and God wants us to enjoy it.

Unexpected circumstances

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8: 28

What happens in your life when things do not work out in the way you either expected or wanted?  We may have prayed and really expected that God would do as we prayed and it didn’t happen.  Someone is not healed, we didn’t get the promotion we wanted and expected, our house sale fell through, we didn’t get into the school or university we both wanted and believed God was opening the door for.

There are times when we have a very specific word from God but there are other times when we just have to trust the overall goodness, love and mercy of God.

Quite a few years ago I heard very clearly from God to teach our youth group about water baptism. There were confirmation of this, I prepared well and really gave it my best shot. At the end of my talk I said to the group, ‘so would anyone like to be baptised?’ The oldest boy in the group said he wasn’t ready and everyone else quickly agreed. I was so disappointed. I had done everything God said and the end result was not at all what I expected. I thought they would all want to be baptised.  My husband assured me that I had done all I could and God would do the rest.

 So when things go wrong, if we have a specific word from God then we can hang onto it in faith and trust God to bring it about. If we do not have such a word, we then have to trust in the unfailing love and overall goodness of God. The key word here is trust.

Sometimes when things do not work out as expected, the only thing we can say is, ‘God I don’t like this, it wasn’t what I wanted or expected but I trust you’.  As his child God wants to do us good, to bless us, to provide for us but above all he wants us to learn to trust him above circumstances. If we only trust God when we get what we want, then that is not really trust at all.  It is when circumstances are not going our way that we really learn to trust God.

The second thing we need to say is, ‘what are you doing and what are you saying God?’ Then relax and trust him to bring about good things. It may not be how we wanted it but God is looking at a bigger picture than we can see and that is why trusting him is vital.

God is good and we need to settle in our minds and spirits once and for all that God will work all things together for good. He is not looking for opportunities to trip us up, be unkind, uncaring or indifferent. He loves us and wants to bless us. We can trust him and as we do so, we will be amazed at how he works things out and how our faith grows as a result.

So what happened to my youth group? All of them were subsequently baptised and most are serving God faithfully.  He really can be trusted!

It doesn't work

Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.  Acts 9: 39 – 40

Doubt and unbelief are our greatest opponents in our Christian walk because they directly oppose our faith. When Peter was asked to go to Tabitha’s house because she had died, the first thing he encountered was all the widows standing around mourning her death and showing him all the wonderful clothing that Tabitha had made. She was known for ‘always doing good and helping the poor’. The widows were mourning the loss of this wonderful woman.

The first thing Peter did was send the widows out of the room because they had no expectation of resurrection. This got the unbelief out and then he prayed and let faith arise. Then he was able to raise Tabitha from the dead. The mourning widows with no faith would have been no help.

Reinhard Bonnke likes to have the first few rows of people at his crusades and meetings full of faith filled people. People with doubt and unbelief in their hearts can hinder the move of salvation and the miraculous. 

One of our biggest problems can be the ‘It doesn’t work’ thinking. The devil would love us to believe that our prayers and actions are ineffectual and that nothing has happened. Nothing could be further from the truth. Steve Backlund says, ‘As people of faith, we believe that our past prayers, declarations, godly choices and prophetic acts are working powerfully and effectively in the unseen realm’.

There are times when I think my prayers are not working and then suddenly God graciously shows me how effective my prayers have been. My personal journey now is to pray for the sick. Sometimes they are healed and sometimes nothing seems to happen but I am determined to persevere and pray for them on every opportunity that God gives me. I want to see more people helald in Jesus' name.

Don’t let doubt and unbelief steal from you the joy of moving in faith to see loved ones saved,  people healed, lives transformed, provision flow into needy areas and so on. Root out ‘it hasn’t worked’ from your life and let faith arise afresh today in your heart.

The great cloud of witnesses

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked for us. Hebrews 12:1

One of my favourite old hymns is For all the Saints and one of my all time favourite songs is Yes I believe by Point of Grace. Both emphasis the saints that have gone before who are now cheering us on to great acts of faith for the King. The writer of Hebrews likens this to our running a race with the witnesses who have gone before being the crowd urging us on. Hebrews 11 gives a great long list of the greats of faith who have gone before and it is these along with many others who are encouraging us to run our race with faith and perseverance. Many of them would love to live in our day and with their great faith do mighty exploits for God.  I suspect they are quite bemused by the apathetic, wealthy but so often faithless Western church. 

I listened to a radio programme recently about the early days of aviation and the planes and airfields they used which are a far cry from our modern airplanes and airports. How the early aviators would love to see the progress of aviation since those early days. I am sure they would want to get into the cockpit of one of today’s airplanes and have everything explained and marvel at today’s technology.

In the same way, imagine John and Charles Wesley, John G Lake, Andrew Murray, or Spurgeon and Moody visiting our churches today. Technologically and culturally much may have changed but they would still be urging us to build on what went before and press on into everything that God has for us. We have a race to run to win our generation for the Lord. Though superficially society looks much better than in their day, underneath are the same lost souls, dying in their sin, just as much in need of a Saviour. God is anointing his church afresh to go into all the world and preach the Gospel with signs and wonders following.  Let us be inspired by the great men and women of the faith to run our race with perseverance and let God use us to reach our world.