What a difference a day makes...

So last night was pretty intense... I posted briefly about the present difficulties we are facing with our house, the new baby and the general 'business' of life. I prayed with my children last night that we would hopefully hear something very soon about our house, and it certainly was an impassioned plea, to which the boys gladly chimed in with their own pleas to the Lord! They were so excited about the house, and all the waiting has definitely had an unsettling effect on them.

Well today we heard that the delay is over! Hopefully things will move to a speedy conclusion now and we can think about moving in within the next few weeks. What a tremendous answer to prayer that is! It felt so good to have that burden of worry and uncertainty lifted from me, I gave a prayer of thanks to the Lord!

How fitting were the words I posted last night? "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

I was thinking about the words of the Psalmist, in response to today's news: "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever." Psa 107:1

Right now, I'm feeling very thankful, and rejoicing in the Lord's goodness.

God bless.

A word for today...

So there has been a long absence for the believers blog, and that is because I have been massively waylaid over the last year or so with family and church commitments, and with life being so full and busy it has been nigh on impossible to clear one's head and get back own to business with the site.

But, I have found myself in front of the laptop and thought it nigh time to get into a healthy habit of pouring out some of my spiritual musings into the site. This I hope will be cathartic for me, as I grapple with the difficulties and pressures of my life, and may also be encouraging to someone else who may be going through similar circumstances. That is of course if anyone is out there reading this?! Please leave a comment below!

So things have been very difficult over the last few months... as a family we had a new addition in March so we are now up to 4 children. She has not proved to be an easy baby, needing frequent feeds and a lot of personal attention and not wanting to go down on her back! This has had a greater impact on us as a couple as the last 2 children we had were so easy! So the sleep deprivation has really kicked in this time. All of this wouldn't be so bad had we been in our own house, but with a 4th child on the way, we simply had to move out of our 2 bedroom terraced house. All of this was bad timing, as trying to get a large mortgage being self-employed is extremely difficult and stressful. Nevertheless we managed to get one and sold our house with no problems, and we were thankful to God for his goodness in that regard. We agreed a deal in December on our next house which we were super excited about... but we are still waiting to move in. What should have been a short wait of a few weeks for probate to go through has turned into a 4 month extended stay at my in-laws. Whilst we have greatly appreciated their tremendous hospitality and help it has not been ideal, what with all our possessions being in storage, a new baby coming along, and daily journeys back to our old town for school and church etc. The situation has produced a lot of worry and stress and an overwhelming (sometimes) feeling of anxiety.

But I was reading the scriptures and thought these words brought me some comfort in amongst the anxiety and worry that we are currently going through, found in Matthew ch6:

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

The verses spoke to me - don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will look after itself, today has enough trouble of it's own! I can't explain why it helped, but the scriptures are often like that, they have a way of speaking to our souls, through the Holy Spirit, and so it was on this occasion. How often the words of the Saviour can bring comfort and encouragement in difficult times!

Have you had a similar experience? Let me know what you think in the comments below.

God bless.

Humanity and deity of Christ seen together

I was thinking recently of some occasions when we see the humanity and the deity of the Lord Jesus brought together. It brought a smile to me and encouraged me so I decided to share it briefly 'on the blog'... I hope these simple thoughts are of benefit to us as we think about the Lord Jesus together.

• Remember when he sat on that well in Samaria, weary with the journey and thirsty. In this he shows us he was still subject to tiredness and to thirst as He was a man! He could say to the woman, "give me to drink" but then later demonstrate his absolute deity by displaying his omniscience - he knew everything about her! She would say "come see a man who told me all things that ever I did, is not this the Christ?" (John 4:4-29)

• Recall when he was crossing the Sea of Galilee and the storm raged yet He was asleep in the hinder part of the boat? Incidentally I love the detail that the Word of God adds, that it was upon a pillow, or cushion! Just as you and I would appreciate a comfortable spot to get some rest, so it was with our blessed Lord. He found a cushion and slept while He had the opportunity, such humanity! But how wonderful it is to recognise that the one who slept was also the one with mastery over the very elements that rocked that boat from side to side! The Lord awoke and with just a few words from his lips quelled the storm - "Peace be still"(Mark 4:35-41) The disciples would remark "what manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" They saw something of his deity now!

• Finally I think of that sad scene in John chapter 11 where we see that "he whom thou lovest is sick"... and the death of Lazarus. The Lord Jesus arrives at the graveside and we read those lovely words "Jesus wept". What could be more human than weeping at the graveside of a loved one? I think this is most precious indeed. I realise that these tears could well be attributed to the Lord witnessing first hand the effects of sin upon the life of one whom he loved so dearly, I believe that there is a sense in which this is true as well. But I also think that these tears were simply because he was moved and saddened that a dear friend had died! Verse 38 says he was "deeply moved" in other translations which I think would lend weight to this. I don't think this is a wrong way to look at these tears, there is nothing wrong sometimes with the simplest interpretation! In this regard it is interesting to note the reaction of the Jews who were eyewitnesses to those tears - They would say "Behold how he loved him!" Even they could recognise in their uncaring and hard-hearted natures, that Jesus was moved to tears that one He loved dearly had passed into death, even though He had the power of life and death. The word used for weep is interesting as it carries with it the idea of weeping silently or quietly and comes from the word "tear-drop". I picture a tear making it's way down the lovely face of the Saviour, as he stands by that graveside. How dignified, how human! It reminds me of those verse Hebrews 4:15 "we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin". He was saddened and so he wept! Just as he was tired so he slept, and he was thirsty so he drank. But we recall that he would cry with a loud voice "Lazarus come forth!" and the dead one was raised at the Lord's command! He could say "I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." 

Think about these words - Such encouragement for the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ! Any who die shall live forever in His presence, absent from the body and present with the Lord. And we who live have the prospect of being caught up together with the Lord, and so we shall live forever with Him! What a blessed prospect we have, and what a Saviour we have - let us worship Him together.

Yours in Christ, Mark

Why should I read the Word of God?

Sometimes it worries me that a lot of Christians aren't reading the Word of God, let alone studying it. This can be detected particularly by a believer's speech, actions, behaviour and their usefulness and effectiveness to God and within a local church. Of course a lack of time spent with the Word will also have a negative impact on our testimony outwardly as well. I include myself in this challenge and so I read through Psalm 119 and noticed a series of fundamental reasons why ANY and ALL believers should be reading the Word of God as much as possible. These are just a few to challenge us with, there are many more I assure you!

1. IT CAN KEEP US FROM SIN (By keeping God's Word close to our hearts and obeying it. So important in today's world - v9-11)
2. IT HAS A CLEANSING EFFECT ON OUR LIVES (v9. Of course, obedience to God's Word in the first place will keep us from sin, see point 1 above.)
3. IT SHOWS US 'WHERE WE ARE' (Light for our feet, or our current condition is my particular application here. We may not like it but as we read the Word, the Holy Spirit will show us what is wrong in our lives, and what is right according to His Word - v105)
4. IT SHOWS US 'WHERE SHOULD GO' (Guidance for our pathway - If we are reading it diligently for guidance v105)
5. IT GIVES LIGHT AND UNDERSTANDING TO THE SIMPLE (Amazingly profound but simple truths revealed to those who are newly converted perhaps - v130)
6. IT GIVES US SPIRITUAL WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING (Growth and development for Christians, and let's face it, we all need that! - v98-100)
7. IT WILL HELP US THROUGH BAD TIMES (Never forsake reading the Word of God, no matter your circumstances, for God will bring you through and reveal more of himself to you through His Word. Also it stands us in good stead for the future, as believers who have spent time with God's Word will be able to take encouragement and comfort from it, even when they are no longer able to read it perhaps - v92-93)
8. IT GIVES US JOY AND PEACE (Do you know any 'joyless' Christians? Maybe this is why! Reading the Word and hearing God's voice speak to us brings joy! v162 and 165)
9. IT GIVES US HOPE (In Christ, a better thing that this world cannot give us! v81, 114, 147, 74)
10. IT AFFECTS WHAT COMES OUT OF OUR MOUTH (Ok I have perhaps broadened the application here, but I think the lesson still holds true. If we regularly read and meditate upon the Word of God, our speech will be changed or affected for good. I mean this in all senses - our day to day speech with our fellow men, our spiritual conversation with our fellow believers,and perhaps mostly our praise and worship that we present to God - v13)

Of course hand in hand in hand with reading and meditating on the Word comes obedience to it, and further in depth study of course!

I hope these simple scriptures and thoughts will be of benefit to us all as we seek to grow and develop for God day by day.

Yours in Him, Mark

I've been enjoying this song recently...

I believe it is called 'Oh how He loves you and me' and I just love the simplicity and beauty of the words as follows;

"Jesus to Calv'ry did go,
His love for mankind to show!
What He did there,
Brought hope from despair,
Oh how He loves you and me!"

If you're going through difficulty or are feeling discouraged fellow believer, remember the Cross and be encouraged!

Yours in Christ, Mark

We're back!

Well apologies for the long absence readers, the last 12 months or so have been extremely busy and challenging! My employment situation changed (I left my previous employment to start a new business) and we had another child (a baby boy who is now nearly 1) and something had to give!

Life can sometimes be challenging like that, but despite not having the time to sit down and prepare posts I can honestly say that life has changed for the better and God has blessed us greatly over this time. We are very thankful!

However I've been challenged about returning to the blog and so we will endeavour to post shorter articles for encouragement. Hopefully people are still getting some benefit from the site and enjoying what they read!

Watch this space fellow believer...

Yours in Christ, Mark

Three appearings of our Lord Jesus in Hebrews

I am sure these thoughts will probably not be new to most people but as I have been looking at Hebrews recently I was reminded of these thoughts and thought I would share them here with you now. Here is the section I have been interested in:

Hebrews 9:24-28  For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

I have been enjoying thinking of these in the following way; PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE.

PAST - There can be no doubting the fact that as verse 26 states, Christ has appeared in order to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. This is incredible and should thrill us and encourage us as we live our lives for him! There was a time when God came down into this world, as a man amongst men! Great is the mystery of godliness (1 Tim 3:16) that God was manifest in the flesh... this indeed should never cease to amaze us! Our verse in Hebrews however tells us the reason why he came, to put away sin. Other verses reinforce this mission, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15) and indeed this was the reason for this first appearing - so that he might deal with the question of sin and make a way of salvation for us. As the verse tells us though, it involved the sacrifice of himself! Remember that the sacrifices of old were all about the shedding of blood, in order to answer the claims of God against sin. Leviticus 17:11 tells us that it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul, and so it is with the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). Of course the difference between these sacrifices is made clear in our verses, he only needed to appear ONCE to put away sin, this is a once and forever final act that does not need to be ever repeated! We are reminded again of the superiority of our Lord Jesus Christ and the perfect completeness of that work on the cross.

PRESENT - The great news for the believer is that today the Lord Jesus lives and is in the presence of God where he ever lives to make intercession for us (Romans 8:34), what a wonderful truth is this! Even today he is concerned with us, his people. This is his great occupation now, he appears in the presence of God on our behalf, where he gives us grace to help us in time of need and presents our prayers before God for us. Hebrews teaches us that he is our Great High Priest, and we should look through this book to learn more about what that means, it will certainly encourage us! I also find it lovely to think that our Saviour has passed into heaven itself, into the presence of God the place from where he had came. He returned home! He tells us in John 14 that he is preparing a place for us, those who have trusted in him for salvation, his blood-bought people.

FUTURE - I like that the Word of God distinguishes this third appearing from the other two. Not now is he appearing to deal with sin (like in the first) or to carry our burdens or intercede for us (as in the second), but now he appears to bring to full salvation those who are looking for and expecting the imminent return of the Lord Jesus. I certainly believe that this is referring to the Rapture, or the second coming of Christ, as outlined in 1 Thess 4:16-17 and as the lord himself promised in John 14:3. There is lots to cheer the believer here, as we have this lovely promise brought before us again - our future is with him! He is coming to take us home to be with him, surely there can be no better prospect than this?! Remember the words of Paul that he desired to be with Christ which is far better... We have a challenge here as well though, as the words in the AV rendered look for him should better read eagerly, constantly and patiently waiting for and expecting Him (AMP)... I wonder if we are truly marked by that eager expectancy, or by that daily state of mind that looks forward to his second appearing? This has been an immense challenge to me, as all too often the daily grind of life and the distractions of the world can easily overcome our spiritual vision and focus. Let us be challenged once again and set our lives in order, in accordance with that truth, that Christ is coming again, and quickly!

I trust that these few simple thoughts will be a blessing, challenge and encouragement to us all.

Yours in Christ, Mark.

Christ our Passover (Part 2)

So last time we looked in general terms at the Passover and what this meant for the people of God and how this is a fitting picture of our salvation and the beginning of a life and a journey with God. This time I would like to go back to this Passover night and look more at the detail and what we can learn from these things.

If we read Exodus 12 we read that a lamb was to be taken. Many of us will understand that this is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and our minds will go to scriptures such as John 1:29 "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world". Let's look at how this lamb would speak of the Lord Jesus.

We are told that the lamb must not have any blemish and this would speak to us of the sinless, spotless character of the Lord Jesus. 1Pet 1:19 and Heb 7:26 are just two scriptures that tell us of the sinlessness of Christ.

The lamb must be slain! When we gather to remember the Lord Jesus we "shew the Lord's death till he come" (1 Cor 11:26). The death of Christ is also at the centre of our Gospel message, without his death there is no salvation or good news! "But we preach Christ crucified" 1 Cor 1:23

But more than this, the blood of the lamb had to be applied to those doorposts and lintels, without the blood there would be no Passover and no deliverance! Remember God said "when I see the blood, I will pass over you", so we learn that the blood was effectual, it was the blood that saved! Of course this applies to our salvation also for the Word of God tells us that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins, and 1 Pet 1:19 says that we are redeemed "with the precious blood of Christ..."

The application of the blood externally made me think, there were aspects of the Passover that were internal and there were aspects that were external. The Passover feast for example, was inside the house and no meat was to be carried outside. It was also consumed and eaten, so truly internal in nature. The blood however was applied externally outside the house and I think there is a lesson here too regarding our salvation, as this is something that should effect us internally and externally! Salvation changes us internally as we are 'born again' we are a 'new creature' one that is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. We also take in the Word of God and meditate on it and appreciate Christ, these are all internal things! However our salvation also has outward aspects, such as a changed life visible to all those around, showing the fruits of the spirit, good works, and also public worship and contribution to the activities and gatherings of the local church. All these are external things, but very real things that apply to us today, so let us be encouraged and challenged as we read these things!

As we draw to a close, the Passover was something they would remember and that would have an impact on them for the rest of their lives (Ex 12:24). It would not be onerous, or some boring tradition but it would be a joy to them, to have cause to remember once again the greatness and goodness of their God in saving them! This should speak to us today! How much of our Christian lives do we find onerous or a bind? This should not be so! Let us once again remember the goodness of God and take joy and delight in the things of God.

Finally, if they were asked by their children what the Passover feast was all about, they should be able to both maintain and explain these things to them! I think the lesson is clear, when others ask us why we believe what we believe we should be able and ready to maintain and explain to them, if only in simple terms. 1 Peter 3:15 says that we should "always be ready to give an answer to every man that asks for the reason of the hope that is in you..." So let's be encouraged and be bold, and ensure we are equipped to maintain and explain to others!

I trust these couple of posts will have been interesting and beneficial to you. Yours in Christ, Mark

Christ our Passover (1 Cor 5:7) (Part 1)

Hello again fellow believers, and welcome to the new look Believers Blog site, now a Blogger site which I am finding easier to administer and post to, as well as being free! I hope you all continue to enjoy the site and find it helpful and profitable to read.

I thought I would share a few simple thoughts that occurred to me as I was reading the Passover account in Exodus 12 recently. I am sure that most of us would realise that the Passover is a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation he has made for us, but there is so much bound up in this picture! Here are a few thoughts of mine...

In Exodus 12 we read God says; "this month shall be for you the beginning of months"... In effect this was to mark a new beginning for His people, the Passover marked the beginning of a new life for them! And so it is with our salvation, praise God it marks the beginning of a new life with Christ our Saviour. And of course the Passover marked the beginning of a journey with God, and so it is with our salvation! Let's think about that journey for a moment...

They had been saved out of Egypt, which in the Bible is generally a picture of the world and its attractions. This was the place where they were in slavery as well so this is an excellent little picture for the believer who is saved out of the world and from the penalty and power of sin. They were on their way to the Promised Land which is generally seen as a picture of the Christian's inheritance and the enjoyment of the blessings of God as a believer. Ephesians tells we are presently "blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places" but occasionally conflict and trouble can arise which can rob us of our enjoyment of spiritual things, such is pictured by the various conflicts the people of God experienced with the Philistines in the Lord and other such enemies.

I think that there is an application however, that we can view the Promised Land in a future sense as well for the believer. Remember that the Promised Land was the end goal for God's people on their journey with God, and in between Egypt and Canaan there were many years where they would experience times of testing and triumph, failure and victory, and they would experience the guidance, preservation and provision of God. How much God would have to teach them during that time and the works he would do through them, all before they reached their promised home. Sometimes we sing "heaven is our home" and how true this is, we are pilgrims and strangers down here (1 Pet 2:11), our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20)!

Next post we will look in a little bit more detail at this Passover night and see what more we can see of Christ there and how we can apply this to ourselves today practically in our Christian living.

Yours in Christ, Mark

"Peace"

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." John 14:27 (ESV)

So I've been contemplating the subject of PEACE recently and thought I would share my thoughts with you, as this mini study was a real encouragement and blessing to me.

Many of you may well think that this is a fitting subject for a meditation as peace is a Christian theme, ideal and concept, and you would be absolutely right. Peace is a theme that runs throughout the Word of God, it is woven throughout its pages and forms part of the very character of our God! Peace is just one of the many things that God wants for and gives to his people.

I find the following an excellent definition of God's peace:

"The harmonized relationships between God and man, accomplished through the gospel, and the sense of rest and contentment thereon."

By contrast, the world in which we live today knows very little of true peace, many individuals have spent their entire lives pursuing peace and have never truly seen peace, whether it be for individuals, communities, countries and nations. Romans 3:17 says "the way of peace they have not known..." The reason is that sin is rife in the world and "the whole world lies in the power of the evil one" (1 John 5:19). 

In contrast, God is a God of peace, he is not the author of confusion but of peace (1 Cor 14:33), he is a God who loves to pardon, and reconcile to himself those who repent and believe on his Son!

Of course, peace is also closely associated with our Lord Jesus Christ, for remember that in prophecy he is referred to as "the Prince of Peace" (Isa 9:6) and peace was also proclaimed at his birth (Luke 2:14). I also believe that Christ was marked by peace throughout his earthly ministry, and it was part of his character for he possessed all those wonderful divine attributes, evenly and fully in his lovely character! I think he exuded peace from his person and I believe that this peace was a big draw for the people around him, surely they had never met anyone like this before, who had a peace within like nothing they had ever seen before! He could also bring peace to any event or circumstance ("peace be still" to the storm on the lake) and also to individuals ("go in peace") and as he prepared to leave his disciples it was peace that featured largely in his final teaching to them; "my peace I give unto you".

When he went to the cross, we know this was to do the work that would enable us to be reconciled and brought near to God, it was to bring about peace! "he made peace through the blood of his cross" (Col 1:20) We also know that "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 5:1). And so it comes as no surprise that peace characterizes the gospel message that we preach!It is known as the gospel of peace (Rom 10:15) and when we preach this good news we know that we are "preaching peace by Jesus Christ" (Acts 10:36).

Finally, for us believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, we know that the peace of God is something that we should know day-to-day in a practical way, to appreciate our relationship with God and all that he has done for us and through us! We know from Galatians 5 that peace is a fruit of the Spirit, so we should be producing this in our lives, for others to see and to benefit from. We also know that we should "let the peace of God rule (control and umpire) in your hearts" (Col 3:15). So it seems to me that we have a challenge here, to go after and cultivate conditions in our lives so that we appreciate more and more the peace of God. We cannot expect to have this blessing large in our lives if we are not spending time with God, reading his word, or living worldly or sinful lives that are not pleasing to him. May we challenge our hearts about this!

I found the following verse in Philippians 4 very helpful especially when Amplified:

"And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

What a wonderful peace is ours! Over this Christmas holiday let us all seek to know more of this peace on a daily basis as we spend more time in God's presence and with his word.

Yours in Christ, Mark