Friday, November 25, 2011

Giving thanks

Giving Thanks

"Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, RSV

Recently my daughter-in-law posted a comment on Facebook which really got me thinking. She wrote “Imagine if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you were thankful for today...”

I was prompted to consider firstly all those aspects of my life that I could give thanks to the Lord for – my family, my health, my work, my friends – to begin with. Secondly, I had to acknowledge that I don’t regularly give thanks for all these, and other, blessings.

What are the blessings in your life? Let’s pause right now and give thanks to our Heavenly Father for them.

But the quote is deficient in trying to capture the more comprehensive view of thankfulness that we find expressed in the Bible. Our passage above, from 1 Thessalonians 5, instructs us to give thanks in all circumstances. Which circumstances? The good times, happy times, prosperous times? Yes, but also in the times when we are suffering. When we are disappointed, rejected, hurt, ignored. When we fail. When we sin. In ALL circumstances give thanks. Yes, even when we don’t feel like it, we are to give thanks. Why? The answer is encapsulated in the second part of the verse. We rejoice always, pray constantly and give thanks in all circumstances because this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. Even in dreadful circumstances it is possible to give thanks – for in Christ Jesus we are able to know that God our Father has all circumstances in His sovereign hands. We are secure in Him even in the storms of life. Knowing this enables us to be thankful.

Prayer: Father, I am sorry that I haven’t been giving thanks in all circumstances. It seems too difficult at times. Will You please help me to lift my eyes up to You and trust that You have all things under control – and even when I don’t understand why things are happening as they are – that You will help me to thank You anyway. Thank You Father. Amen.

Today's Writer : Paul Watson Paul Watson was for 15 years an Anglican Minister in Sydney, Australia before joining Ellel Ministries full time in 2004. Together with his wife Diane he was involved in establishing the first Australian Ellel Ministries centre “Gilbulla” near Sydney. Currently they are leading the work in Western Australia, based at ‘Springhill’ near Perth. Paul, a member of the Ellel Ministries International Executive, serves as Regional Director for Australia & the Pacific as well as Regional Director for the Indian sub-continent. Paul & Diane have 4 adult children and 4 grandchildren.

Steps in the dark

Steps in the dark

"Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
Hebrews 11:1, NIV

There are times when we find it hard to trust God in the unknowns of life even though many of us are very familiar with this much-quoted text. In a recent prayer meeting someone was given a clear illustration of the principle of walking by faith which really encouraged us, and I share it with you.

The lighting in the corridors of Glyndley Manor has been upgraded this year (so that it’s legal, but also more effective). Each corridor has several low-energy ‘downlighters’ in it, but only one or two are on permanently. The remainder come on as you walk down the corridor, activated by a movement sensor. So at night you start your journey down the corridor just able to see what is immediately ahead, the remainder of the way being in darkness. However, as you step forward into the gloom the other lights come on, and all is revealed!

How like the way God expects us to live our lives here! He sets us the general direction, but often we can’t see what’s lying ahead of us. At this point we have two choices: stay where we are and cry out to God to “turn the light on” so we can see all the way ahead, or trust Him and take those small steps into the dark which will result in more light being shed ahead of us. As we walk forward in Him we may well encounter more ‘dark’ areas. For example, once we have established the ministry God asked us to, we then meet the challenge of ongoing resources being needed to see it continue. Are we going to stand still and shout at God, or believe He asks us to step forward in faith and see what happens next?

God is the God of miracles – we’ve been reminded of this many times, not least in the story of the founding of Ellel Ministries at Ellel Grange. If we believe it, let’s live in that faith and step into what may seem dark at the moment. The Holy Spirit is a ‘movement sensor’ and He will quickly report to the Father so He can turn on the light for your path!

Prayer: Father, thank You that Your Word is a lamp to our feet. Help us to believe Your Word and step out in its truth, so our ways will be enlightened and our faith strengthened. Amen.

Today's Writer : John Berry John Berry is Team Pastor and part of the Leadership Team at Ellel Glyndley Manor, with his wife Jennie, having previously been in Baptist church ministry for over 30 years. His heart is for the equipping of the church for its ministry, and he sees the healing and deliverance ministry of Ellel as an essential part of this. John has travelled widely in the course of his work, and enjoys being a grandfather 6 times over!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Blocked Drains

Blocked Drains

“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.”
Hebrews 12:2

We recently restored an old part of our house and were delighted to have some friends come and stay in it for the first time. Everything was fine at first - it looked good, the room was warm and the bed was comfortable – but a few days later our friends were slightly embarrassed to have to tell us that the toilet had ceased to flush away its contents! The drains were blocked.

Fortunately the problem was soon resolved. The blockage in the drain was discovered and with the energetic use of some drainage rods, everything was quickly restored to normal. That particular drainage pipe had not been used for a very long time and, of course, we should have checked it out more thoroughly before inviting our friends to stay. It was our turn to be embarrassed.

But as I looked at the blockage, and watched as it was removed, I sensed the Lord was speaking to me about a much more serious issue than blocked drains! My mind drifted from the stuff that had been causing the blockage from so long ago, to the fact that hidden sins from a long time ago can equally be a blockage today if they have not been confessed, forgiven and, literally, cleaned out of our system!

We tend to think that things which happened a long time ago are of no relevance to today’s circumstances. But just as our friends discovered that an old blockage was obstructing today’s drains, things that have been buried in the past, in the hope that they will just ‘go away’ have a habit of eventually catching up with us. Just as we should have tested the drains before inviting our friends to stay, we should ask the Lord to expose any blockages in our past that are obstructing the flow of His life-giving Spirit today.

Unconfessed and unforgiven sins are the most common blockages to living a fulfilled Christian life. We need to be fit and ready for all circumstances of life as we seek to follow Jesus and fulfil God’s Kingdom purposes for our lives.

Prayer: I’m sorry, Lord, for the things I have buried in years past which today are causing a blockage in my life. Help me to face the truth about myself and come afresh to you for forgiveness and cleansing, so that there will be no blockages in my life to the flow of Your Spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Today's Writer : Peter Horrobin Peter Horrobin is the Founding and International Director of Ellel Ministries. He has now written and is currently developing Ellel 365 – a completely new online training school. This is specifically designed to help people understand and apply the practical truths of God’s Word into their lives. Already there have been many remarkable testimonies of what God is doing in people’s lives. The Ellel 365 website has now been completely updated. To take a look for yourself click on the Ellel 365 link on this page.