Tag: Struggles

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The Electric Bike Sermon (Part 2)

If you haven’t already, then please read “The Electric Bike Sermon (Part 1)” before reading this post, it should make more sense if you do.

In Part 1 of these posts I wrote about the benefit of having an electric bicycle.
In part 2, I am looking at the charging of the said electric bicycle.

Having an electric bicycle is great, but if I don’t charge the battery up… well then, the benefit can slowly disappear.
If the battery becomes flat, then I’m left with a heavier bicycle that has none of the benefit of an electric bicycle.
Which can leave me struggling all that much more, (all over again).

As Christian’s we also have this need to keep charged up, or plugged into Father.
If we don’t, we can then effectively end up running on empty.

So, how do we keep fully charged?

Remaining in Father and his will is the first thing which comes to mind. But, just how do we do this.

Prayer, word and fellowship are the three words I’ve heard from the front of church many times.

Prayer, talking to Father (this also includes listening for his words to us).

The word. Reading the bible, God’s word’s to us to help, to instruct and lead us in how we should go.

Fellowship. Meeting with other Christians in order to help and encourage each other in the ways we should go.

To me, these are the first three things we should hopefully all be trying to do.

Listening to praise worship is another favourite of mine.
There is so much good music out there which is easily available (for free) through YouTube.

Bethel Church and Elevation Church music videos are often played on my TV and also on my work PC (through ear phones with the screen minimised) so that I can be effectively charging almost at anytime. There are also many semons available (again through YouTube) which can be listened to in order to build you up.

We can also praise God, or pray, wherever we are and at anytime. We can sing a praise song, or pray, even if it is just in our heads.
It all adds up to that charging effect of coming closer to Father.

We always have the choice available to us to seek His presence in order to find that something extra to see us through the day.
Whatever you need to do to keep charged up, please keep doing it.
It’s always going to be better and easier to deal with life in general if we do so while we are fully charged in God.

Father,
Thank you that you are there for us.
Help us to remain in You.
Help us to always keep looking to You for our guidance and help.
Thank you that You do love us and that we can look to You for all our needs.
Amen.

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The Electric Bike Sermon (Part 1)

I ride an electric bicycle to get to and from work.

It makes the task of cycling that much easier.

I have been called a cheater at times, along with the remark of, if you can’t do it all on your own strength then you shouldn’t do it at all.

These comments do annoy me and also leave me thinking, you just don’t have a clue about this electric bike business.

Who am I cheating?
The hill and the headwind?
I’ll endeavour to cheat them all day long. I’m not in a competition against other cyclists but just someone who wants to get to and from work who is thankful for a bit of help.

On a normal bike, I’ll be completely worn out by the end of the week.
On a normal bike the best I could manage would be 3 days a week with having a rest on 2 days of the week.
But even with the rest days I would still be worn out by the end of the week.

On the electric bicycle, with the assistance it gives me, I can manage to do all 5 days of electric assisted cycling and not be worn out at the end of the week.
I still have to put the effort in.
It’s an electric bicycle I have, and not an electric motorbike.
But come the end of the week (or a strong headwind) I am not looking for the nearest skip to throw the bike into as I can do it, with a little help.

So why am I telling you all this?

I see the electric bicycle as a picture of the Christian life and the standard bicycle as a picture of a non Christian life.

The Christian life means having access to that something extra to help me through life’s troubles.
Just like the electric bicycle gives me that little bit extra, being a Christian means that I can call on Father for his help and assistance when times are harder. (Actually I can call on Father at anytime).

When I do call on Father, then he is there to help.
I might not see it, but he is there.
He is able to provide that little extra so that I’m not looking for the nearest skip to to throw the bike into and sit on the floor in a mess.

To me it’s a no brainer.
Do it all in your own strength, or….. have that little bit of extra help.

For me I am soooo thankful for the help I have had from Father.
When I look at all that I have had to go through I don’t know how I would have done it without his help. Even though at times I might not have seen his help, it was there and got me through.

The Good News is that, the help I received is also available to you!

You can also ask for Fathers help too!
The first step is to acknowledge him and ask him into your life and heart. (Choosing to take the electric bicycle over the standard one.)
The next step is to ask for His help and guidance.
There is a bit more to it than just that, but taking the first two steps is a good start, and if you do, then Father will be there to guide and lead you onward.

Father,
Thank you that You are real and able to to help us.
Thank you that we can come to You for help and guidance.
Thank you that You do accept us where we are, and will help and lead us to a better way.
I ask that you help us all to come to You that much more and help us all to open our hearts and lives to You that that much more so that we can all know You, all that much more!
Amen.

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Forgiveness is Key

Forgiveness is key is hopefully something which we can all agree on, after all Jesus did say to us (in the Lords prayer) forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Sometimes this is not an easy thing to do though, and all the more so if we think that the one who has wronged us, doesn’t deserve our forgiveness.

The world will tell us that we should only forgive those who deserve it, but that is not Fathers way.
Father tells us to forgive unconditionally.

If someone has wronged us badly or is continually hurting us then how are we to follow this command?

It helps to know that forgiving someone is for our own good.

It releases us from the pain, hurt and bitterness which unforgiveness causes us.

I think of the hurt, as a hammer that keeps coming down on a hand that is under it.

If you are able to remove your hand from under the blows of the hammer then you should do so.
It’s much easier to forgive if the hammer blows are taken away

But what if you can’t take your hand out of the way of the hammer Blows? Do we still forgive?
Yes I believe I the answer is.

You see when we forgive, even though the hammer blows keep coming down, we then welcome the gauntleted hand of God to come over our hand and absorb the greater part of the blows.
We may still feel the thumping of the hammer, but the blows can be greatly reduced by inviting Father into the situation by forgiving.

Do we remain in this situation though?

Hopefully the hammer blows will be removed, but what if they are not?

It’s at this point that we need to hear Fathers voice that much more for His direction.

You see you can attack the hammer or you can let the hammer keep raining it’s blows down. Whatever you do, it’s best to keep in step with Father.

If Father tells you to remain still, then do that and wait for the bigger hammer to come along and take out the hammer that is hitting you.
He can do it.

Or Father might tell you to turn your hand around, catch the hammer and crush it. (The source of the hurt I’m talking about, not necessarily a person. 🙂 )
If he leads you to do this then you are doing it in his gauntleted hand with his strength added to the mix.
It may well still be a tough journey but you are not alone if you invite Father into the situation….by forgiving.

I can still remember seeing a program about forgiveness.

There were two guests that I can remember.

The first was a parent of a child who had been very badly treated (tortured and killed) by a very bad abuser.
The parent couldn’t forgive the abuser.
The effect of this could clearly be seen on the parents face. She took the hurt and bitterness with her wherever she went.
The audience (the world) all agreed that she was right, not to forgive, even though the pain she was in was clear to see on her face.

The second, was a parent of a child, who had been killed by a terrorist bomb.
The parent had forgiven the bomber who had killed their child.
The audience could not understand this. They were asking, how can you do that, and stating that the bomber didn’t deserve the parents forgiveness.
You could see by looking at the parents face that he was at peace.
The parent explained that it wasn’t the easiest thing he had done but that he did it any way.

Looking at the two side by side I could see the benefit of forgiving and the consequences of not forgiving.

It is for our own good that we are called to forgive.

By forgiving we can then claim hold of Romans 12:19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.

Sometimes we might need to be honest with Father and tell him that we don’t want to forgive and ask for His help with the issue of our unforgiveness.
If we come to Father and ask for his help then he will be there to help us.

We can can sometimes think that to forgive someone, we need to go and look at the person we need to forgive in the eye and then forgive them to their face.
This is not the form of forgiveness that I am talking about.
The forgiveness that I am talking about is that which is done in our heart in our Father’s presence.
If Father prompts us to go further then we do need to listen to Him, but it is the choice we make in our hearts which is the starting point that counts.

Father,
Thank you that you do care for us and that you do forgive us.
Help us to follow your ways.
Help us to forgive others when they have wronged us.
Help us to bring those things and people who hurt us to you.
Help us to work things through with you so that we can truly say, yes I do forgive unconditionally as you call us to.
Amen

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Do we come to God with our needs or our wants?

When we come to God, how do we approach him?
Do we come to him with all our wants and desires asking him to approve and rubber stamp how we think things should be done?
Or do we come to him with ears open, wanting and willing to hear what he has for us?

When we look at it this way, we would all probably say the latter.
After all, we all know that Father has our best at heart and hearing from him should be our number one aim.
So why is it then that we can all fall into the trap of coming to God with our wants?

It seems silly when you think about it.
It can be a bit like the patient who went to the doctor with a paper cut.

The patient went to the doctor and shouted out, “I’m in extreme agony, HELP ME!”
The doctor saw the patient and immediately replied, “Yes, come in and I shall attend to your wounds.”
The patient was in fact in need of urgent medical help.
He had been in some sort of battle with something and as as such had many wounds which needed attention or he was going to die.
As the doctor attempted to see to his most urgent wounds the patient screamed out, “What are you doing? It doesn’t hurt there, the pain is coming from the end of my finger. Look.”
The doctor looked at the finger, but couldn’t see anything, so he carried on to do his life saving work. But the patient insisted, “Look at my finger!”
The doctor looked closely at the finger, and saw a tiny paper cut.
He dismissed it and again tried to save the patient’s life.
The problem was, each time the doctor tried to do his work the patient kept coming back to his finger.
It got so bad that the doctor exclaimed, “I can’t save you if you don’t let me!”

The doctor knew what needed to be done!
He had the ability and wanted to do what was needed.
But the patient wouldn’t let the doctor do his work.
How long will the patient survive if this continues?

So do we ever find ourselves in the place of the patient?
Do we come to God with what we think should be done to the extent that we do not listen to him?
God is more interested in our needs than our wants.

If God tells us to look at, or do something, are we willing to listen to him?
Do we hear his voice well enough to know that it’s him when he speaks to us?
Do we trust him enough to follow his lead?

Father,
Help us to all know your voice that much better.
Help us to trust you, that much more so that we are willing to follow You.
Help us to be obedient to your ways and to follow your promptings to us.
Amen

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Why is it that when you have troubles people can tend to tell you to rest up, and do nothing?

This might seem like a bit of a strange question but I have sometimes found myself asking this very question in times of trouble.

I understand people’s intentions when they have said such words to me. (Or taken away tasks which I was doing or was about to start doing.) They are trying to help me by giving me time to work things out.

The problem is that sometimes it might not be exactly what is needed at the time.

You might think that this is a strange thing to say, because if you are having troubles then surely having time to work things out is a good thing…..isn’t it…???

Sometimes the answer is yes, time is needed to work things out and having less to do can help the process but at other times the answer could be a resounding NO!

Sometimes, if you are having troubles then having something to do can be just the tonic the doctor ordered, as the saying goes. If this seems strange at face value to you then shall we look into it a bit further?

One of my first points of calls is the bible. So, what does the bible have to say about this?
One reference to rest which is probably well known is Matthew 11 vs 28

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Well does that sound like I have got this wrong then…??? The verse is telling me we can have rest. So, should I just put my feet up and take some time out when troubles come my way?

I wonder how many people would be putting their feet up if everybody chose to do this. ☺ 

I think we need to ask what is God’s rest?
I think part of the answer to that question is found in Matthew 11 vs 29-30

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Do we ever read vs 28 and ignore 29-30 ? The passage needs to be read as a whole though.

In 29-30 God does not say put your feet up and take it easy but instead says take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

He has work for us to do. It is a task which we can do. He will not overburden us, but (in this instance) he does not say do nothing. On the contrary he says get up and do something.

What that something is for each individual person is going to be different and individually right for each person. (Sorry but I can’t tell you what that something is, you’ll need to hear that from Father himself for the answer to that question.)

So can you now see where I’m coming from?
Why is it that when you are having troubles people can sometimes think they can help you by removing a burden?

Sometimes it might be just the thing that is needed for a short while but it might not be.
Sometimes it may be that the very thing we need is to be a blessing to someone else. Is there a phrase about it being more blessed to give than to receive..???

There is another time in the bible which comes to mind whilst thinking about this. It’s when an angel made breakfast for Elijah and then told him to sleep. It can be found in 1 kings 19 vs 4-8

In this instance Elijah is told to eat and sleep…..for a while. He is not told to eat and sleep indefinitely but only for a short while in order to strengthen him for the journey he is about to go on.

So, even when God tells us to take a break (which I’m sure he does at times), it’s not meant to be a permanent break. He still has a task or tasks for us to do.

So where have I got to, in all this meandering?
Sometimes you need to do less and sometimes you need to do more…. Well I’m glad we have sorted that one out then….?????

I think what I’m trying to say is that because someone is having trouble it doesn’t automatically mean that they need things to be taken away from them. It might be that they may need something taken away from them or they might just need someone to walk a little closer with them for a while. It might be that they need something added to them to help them along.

I think that part of the problem is that we like to think we know what is needed. We can go on previous experience of what worked in the past. If X, Y, and Z worked then, then we shall do that again now.

Not every situation is the same though. X, Y, and Z might be chucking a hand grenade into an already painful situation.

So, where do we go now then?

My only answer to that is to seek Father, to hear his voice and his direction.

It does mean we need to be able to hear his voice and follow his lead, even if it makes no sense to us. He has the answer to each and every situation. He is the one who knows when to stop and when to rest and he also knows when to stand up and move.

So when all is said and done, are we willing to hear and follow Father’s lead? It is the best way to go.

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How do you react when you are having a bad day?

Lets face it, we all have bad days from time to time.
We all can have days that leave you crying out AAARRRHHH!!!!!!!!

So how do you act or react when a bad day comes your way?

Do you scream out at anyone near you? (unfortunately those closest to us can bear the brunt of this.)
Do you go and hit something? (hopefully not breaking whatever it is your hitting, and most definitely hopefully not a person or pet.)

Or do you just crawl off to a quiet place to hide and wait for the day to end singing, The sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, will be OK. (Just like the little girl with red cotton candy curls sings in a film.)

None of the above options really help us that much.
They may be a small release, but is there a better option?

I believe there is a better option.
Like all better options it’s not an easy one to put into practice but it can bring a release that goes to another level.
One that can bring in a victory.

So what is it I hear you say?

Seek the Lord your God and call on him to help you!

Simple really, isn’t it…???

Maybe not so simple when all you want to do is all of the above.
So How can you do it?

You could try the, singing a song idea.
No not the song mentioned above but a different one.

Incidentally, do you know who the true author of that song, “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow” is …???
I’m not talking about who wrote it but the one who inspired it…???

I believe it is the enemy himself, the deceiver, the father of lies.
Before you go off and call me whatever it is that’s in your mind right now, please, just give me a chance and I’ll explain.

What is the message of that song….???
Give up on today! Today is done! You have been beaten today, so just give up and try again tomorrow. (It sounds all the more convincing if you say the above with a bit of a growl in your tone of voice.)

The problem with singing that song today is that tomorrow still has troubles of its own to deal with, which will try to lead you to singing the same song over and over again.
A song of eternal defeat.

This is why I believe this song is a song from the enemy!

There is a different song you can try to sing in its place.

This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made.
I WILL rejoice, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!, and be glad in it.
This is the day that the Lord has made.
I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!
This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made.

As I have said it can be a hard thing to put into practise, but it can bring about a victory. (Even if it is only in your heart and mind but this is where the victory has to come first).

There is an incidence in the bible where we can see this principle in action. Can you guess which part I’m thinking of….?

Well, I’m thinking of Paul and Silas when they were locked up in the inner cell of the prison, with feet fastened into stocks. And this was after having been stripped, beaten and flogged. Acts 16 vs 16-40

Well, they were having a VERY BAD day!
They were Roman Citizens and should not have been treated in such a way.

We may think we have human rights but they had Roman Rights!
They should have been protected by Rome!
We can see how they should have been protected in Acts 22 vs 25 when on another occasion when Paul was about to be flogged he asked
“Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t been found guilty?”
On that occasion Paul wasn’t flogged because of his Roman Citizen Rights.
But back in chapter 16 he had his rights abused.

He had every right to complain!
He could have said “I am a Roman Citizen, How Dare you treat me this way!”
But he didn’t. instead he (and Silas) looked to their citizenship in GOD!
He looked to a higher power.
Father in Heaven.

How did they look to their Father in heaven?
Well they were both were singing, even though they were beaten, battered and bruised.
They were singing even though they had had such a very bad day.

When I first read this passage I had a bit of a romantic view that God must have enabled Paul and Silas to worship after having such a bad day. After all, how else could they have done it? Surely God must have inspired them with power from on high…???

I now think that the reality is some what less dramatic. I now think that they were singing because they needed to. You see, I think they knew they needed to draw close to God and singing was the method they were using to do this.

This turned my thinking on it’s head.
They were singing because they needed to, not because they were inspired to by a power from on high. (How ordinary.)

What happened after they had been singing for a while?

They not only saw the victory in there hearts and minds but also in the reality of their situation.

There was an earthquake, the doors were opened and even the jailer and his house hold came to salvation. (You need to read Acts 16 vs 16-40 to get the whole account.)

This all happened because they made the decision to sing rather than complain.

The miracle happened after worshiping.

So can we do likewise?
When things don’t go our way instead of doing all the wrong things can we instead turn to God, using whatever method works for you to enter into his presence?
Can we try to seek His face, His help and His assistance?

It is the better option.

Father.
Help us to always look to you.
When times are good and also when times are not so good.
Help us to seek and trust you always.
Amen.

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I see a Vessel

This is a picture which, at the time, I believe was very much for me.
Hopefully I have now let God in that much more, it is the best option after all.

I see a Vessel

I see a vessel before me. On the outside it looks impressive, strong and altogether, but on the inside it’s cracked and broken, almost falling apart. It feels as if, if anything is poured into this vessel it will just fall apart, it will crack open.

God is wanting to pour his Holy Spirit on us.

The vessel feels that if God pours his Holy Spirit into it, it will break.

God does not come to destroy though!

No, he comes to build up. Where we have cracks He wants to come along and heal them. He doesn’t wish to see us destroyed. No, He wishes to renew us, rebuild us and make us like new.

The fact that we feel broken and not ready should not stop us from saying “Lord, come to me please and fill me.” No it means we need Him all the more.
He does not come to destroy but He comes to build up. But He can only do this if we let Him in.
So He waits patiently asking.

“Will you let me in. I wish to rebuild and renew you, to make you strong and whole, so will you please just let me in? Just let me in?”

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The Calling Abyss

The Calling Abyss is something I shared with a friend one Sunday, who then asked “Have you got that written down somewhere?”
The answer at that point in time was no. But I did write it down and send it to him. He then published it on his Blog site (Rejoicing Bones) and hence I had my first post published for all to see… Well those who found it, that is.

Below is the post that launched the idea for this blog site.

The Calling Abyss

The abyss is calling. It is calling everyone with nothing. It offers nothing, takes nothing and gives nothing. Who will answer its call? Normally the answer is nobody, but when people are in pain, then nothing can appear to be a better option. This is when the abyss really re-states it’s call: “I offer nothing, take nothing and give nothing.”

It’s at this point when the call can be tempting. Pain or nothing? The problem is, the more you move into the abyss the more it calls you in. “I offer nothing, take nothing and give nothing.”

If you answer it’s call the problem is that one day you will look around and there will be… nothing!
You can shout, rant and rave at the abyss and it will take it all and then then still not care because all it will offer, take and give is nothing.

It will just try to draw you in all the more.

To choose life may mean to choose pain, but it is the better option. It may be the hard option, but it leads to life.
When you hear the abyss calling it is better to turn your back to it and choose life instead, even if it means dealing with pain and hurt. It can be the hard choice to make but it is the better choice to make.

For us as Christians, choosing life can very much so be turning to God.
Choosing life can also mean not doing what you feel you want to do. We may need to take it one step at a time, but one small step in the right direction is one small step back to life. They may not be easy steps to take but they are steps that lead back to life.

Rather than allowing ourselves to be drawn into nothing, it is better to try to choose life.
As always some things are easier said than done. Part of the journey is to be aware that we have a choice. Then we need to endeavour to make the right choices.