On 15 March 2019, our beautiful city of Ōtautahi, Christchurch, was rocked once more, but this time, by man-made terror. There’s more than enough news coverage to tell the story – I’m not repeating it. But what can we do with the aftermath of fear, confusion, grief and despair?

‘God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Therefore,

we will not fear…’

Psalm 46:1

We aren’t powerless; and we aren’t without hope.

There are things we can do; and there’s everything that God can do.

Here are a few tips that might help you, or someone you know, bring light in the darkness.

Don’t focus on the violence or the terrorists.

It only adds weight to what they have done; fuel for the fire of evil. Focussing on the actions and the perpetrators only results in more fear, grief or hatred. These things produce nothing good, only more of the same. Don’t be fooled into playing terror’s sick game.

DO focus on being proactive in love. Spread good news, spread comfort, spread love, spread generosity, spread hospitality… Whether it’s a neighbour, a workmate, a family member, or a stranger, there’s plenty of good that we can do and focus on. This is what brings healing, displaces fear, and will turn things around in our nation.

‘Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.’ 1 John 3:18

Don’t focus on fear

Fear is an active, evil force, seeking to paralyse and undermine life. Fear targets our imagination with the future possibilities of evil – what might happen. Don’t allow your mind to drift into fear’s dark corners.

DO focus on hope. Guard your imagination; think forward about the good possibilities, the love and kindness of people’s response to Christchurch’s pain, your ability to do good for others, and the unfailing faithfulness of God. God has plans for you: "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Focus on what God wants to do, not on what your enemy wants to do.

Remember: Fear is an option, but focus is a choice. Chose what you focus on.

Don’t retreat or isolate.

Over the coming weeks, you’re likely going to have occasions when you want to hide, retreat, or isolate. Don’t. We were designed for community, for connection. Alone, the fabric of our emotional and social health begins to undo.

DO keep to your routines of connection: the places where you meet people, talk with people, engage in community. Terrorism seeks to isolate people in fear and keep communities from living in freedom and living with peace. Don’t let terror have its way: keep living your life; keep connected; keep being you.

‘Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another.’ Hebrews 10:25

Together, we get stronger!

Don’t keep the bad news on repeat (especially around children and teenagers).

No one ever felt better after watching more bad news!

DO ‘change the channel’. Tune into some uplifting music, a fun movie, a good book, a good conversation, a good report. Our brain chemistry, our physiology, our emotions, thoughts, and spirit, all react to the input we allow into our lives. Choose to feed your life on good input, and your feelings will follow.

‘…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.’ Philippians 4:8

Don’t bottle or avoid emotions.

Sometimes we fear emotions – but we must face them. The more we avoid, the deeper we bury them…alive! And they will either resurface or undermine other areas of our lives and relationships.

DO process how you feel. Take time to feel and acknowledge your emotions, and share them. Speak them out with someone you trust, or write them out. And most importantly, take how you’re feeling, all your burdens and cares to God: 'Cast all your cares upon him; for he cares for you.' 1 Peter 5:7

I find when I walk at the beach and share these things with God, He carries my worries, and gives me His peace. A transforming substitution!

Don’t do nothing – do something!

Many of you will have times when you feel tired, lethargic, low, numb or powerless. You’ll possibly be tempted to do as little as possible. But now’s not the time for that, because that vacuum of pro-activity will likely get filled with negative things.

‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’ Romans 12:21

DO choose to make yourself do good things. Things that are good for you and others: meet with people, go for a walk, play an instrument, read something inspiring, play sport, do some writing, listen to uplifting music, pray, meditate on God’s word, show kindness to others.

Inactivity and reclusion allow space for evil to continue harming us. ‘Overcome evil with good’ – it’s a call to action, even when we don’t feel like it. But feelings follow action. Commit to doing good for others, and yourself, and you’ll find that you feel different and so will others.

We’re not powerless – and we need not be overcome.

The small decisions we each make each day, are what will determine the kind of society our children will experience tomorrow. Let’s not allow one person’s actions to set the course of our future.

Good overcomes evil, and love never fails.

A prayer for us to pray, and keep praying:

‘Men of every creed and race, Gather here before Thy face, Asking Thee to bless this place, God defend our free land. From dissension, envy, hate, And corruption guard our State, Make our country good and great, God defend New Zealand.’

- NZ National Anthem (verse 2).

Arohanui to all.

N

‘Happy New Year!’

The cynic finds it all too cliché: ‘We’ve heard that before’.

The skeptic finds it all too risk-filled: ‘Happy? The chances of disappointment are just as likely’.

The optimist finds it all too overwhelming, and has to lie down to dream of the limitless possibilities ahead!

What does ‘Happy New Year’ mean to you?

In the Biblical book of beginnings (Genesis), we get to read the beginning of each part of creation.

‘In the beginning God created…’.

What’s also worth reflecting on, is the arrangement of creating that God spread over 6 days.

Each aspect is created within a particular, and perfectly arranged order, on a specific day.

Each day of creating had to end, before the next day of creating could begin. That was part of God’s order for Creation. At the end of each day, we read these words:

‘And there was evening, and there was morning – the ‘x’ day.’

We sometimes become cynical, disillusioned or apathetic about a New Year, because we haven’t kept with God’s arrangement for creating. We allow one year to blend into the next. We assume, that because time is lineal – minute by minute, day after day, from one week to the next, that one year simply drifts into the next, without any change, without any sense of ending or beginning.

That certainly is how it works in a calendar. But Genesis calls us to look deeper.

A new year, like a new day, is a gift and an opportunity.

It wasn’t until Day 4 of creating, that God made heavenly bodies: sun, moon and stars.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so.

Gen’ 1:14-15

In God’s wisdom, He didn’t create all things out of one big bang, in one instant moment. He arranged, timed, and placed things with careful order. Not only would the orbits and placements of sun, moon and earth provide a perfect balance between night and day, heat and cool, work and rest, tides and timing; we see that God gave the sun and moon to ‘be for signs and for seasons’.

That’s the wisdom of God for us.

‘And there was evening, and there was morning – the ‘x’ day.’

This arrangement and order put a LIMIT on where things belong.

Some days are just difficult, painful days – so aren’t you glad that there is an END to each day!

God gives us life, one day at a time, so there are limits to what we experience and endure. We’re not to try and live today and tomorrow, at the same time – that will produce worry and anxiety.

And we’re not to live yesterday and today at the same time – that will produce regret and sorrow.

The night time is a sign – a reminder - that we must end that day’s activity and let it go. And the dawn of each morning is a sign and marker, that yesterday has gone, and we’re in a new day, a day of fresh manna, new mercies, and unhindered hope that we will experience God’s goodness and love for today, just as He promised.

And just as God has given us days and seasons, He has also given us years as ‘signs and markers’.

At the end of every 365 days, the year ends… whether we want it to, or not. By God’s arrangement, we must farewell one year, and move into a new year. This is a boundary between one year and the next.

As we thank God for the year that has been, we acknowledge the events of 2018, but we don’t bring them into the potential of 2019. We’re not to re-live nor stay stuck in the year that has been.

How many people in our world are stuck in a rut, enslaved to the past, dragging all the problems of a former year into the potential of the next year?

God gave us years as a sign and mark to remind us that we can’t go back into 2018, and you can’t take 2018 into 2019. The beginning of a New Year is a reminder to leave the past behind, and with both hands, take hold of that which is to come.

To the victor, a New Year offers a new challenge to overcome and another victory to attain.

To the poor, a New Year offers the unlimited resource of opportunity.

To the disillusioned, a New Year offers no more allusions, but a new canvas upon which we get to create a different year.

To the apathetic, a New Year calls us to consider the blessing of what God provided in the previous year, and prepare ourselves for what He calls us to in the year ahead.

To the wise, a New Year re-sets our perspective, energises our efforts, closes the door to the past, and prepares us for that which is new.

May each January be for you, a gift to bless you, as you farewell what has been and embrace the goodness of God in what is to come.

It’s not just another year - it’s a New year. Don’t miss it!

I was sad to hear a big blow up in the news recently regarding a Christian rugby star saying gays are going to hell. The truth is, gays do go to hell, and so do straight people. Tall people, short people; good people, bad people; white people, black people. That’s why Jesus chose to sacrifice His life – because we ALL needed saving from hell, destruction, the consequences of a fallen, sinful state. God so loved gay, straight, good, bad, rich, poor people, that He made a way that we can all come to know His grace that saves us from the bondage and corruption of this fallen world. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking one people group is going to hell, when another one isn’t; or, that one people group is good enough to earn eternal life, when others aren’t. We’re all in trouble if we have to stand before a perfect, all knowing judge!

Jesus told a story to help clear up the prejudices, ignorance, and arrogance around whom God thinks will enter eternal life. He said that two men appeared before God in the temple. One man was a religious man who seemed to others to do all the right religious things. The other man was well known for getting things … well, wrong – very wrong! To re-translate it into today’s culture, one man was a straight, religious leader, and the other was a gay sex worker.

The religious leader walked to the front of the temple, lifted his head, and declared all the good things he had been doing and how he wasn’t like other sinful people, especially the gay sex worker. People probably agreed with him – he was very religious, and he wasn’t like other ‘sinners’. On the other hand, Jesus said the gay sex worker stood at the back of the temple, with his head lowered. He felt shame, guilt, and a genuine disconnection from God. He simply beat his chest and said, ‘God have mercy on me, a sinner’. I expect people would’ve agreed with him as well – he was obviously a sinner!

But then Jesus, having no interest in being politically correct, nor trying to win the favour of the religious elite, turned this story on its head. He said:

“I tell you that this man [the ‘sinner’], rather than the other [the self-righteous], went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” [Full story in Luke 18:9-14]

No doubt, some of the hearers of this story were quite offended. Jesus had cut right across the culture of the day and revealed the heart and righteousness of God. The truth is, both men were sinners in need of God’s mercy, but only one recognised it and asked for it. The other was too busy trying to prove he was good enough by comparing himself with others. If we really want to be good enough to earn a right standing before God, we need to compare ourselves to God’s perfect character, holiness, and glory. At which point, we all realise none of us are that good!

To bring this into today's media hype over a comment taken out of context about gays going to hell, I’m hoping people would take the time to read and understand the wider context of Israel Folau's statement (see ‘PlayersVoice.com.au’). None of us are perfect; none of us are righteous (right in God’s eyes) by our own lifestyles, moral compliance, or character. We all need the mercy and grace of God to save us and make us right.

Gay or straight, religious or worldly, God loves us all so much, He gave Himself as the man Jesus, to live our lives, and take on our sin, carrying it to the cross for judgement. Anyone who would humble themselves and ask for mercy in Jesus’ name will find grace, forgiveness, and a cleansing from all sin, forever. So, let’s just be clear: we all need that mercy, because without it, we all have sins that will be judged, not by the media, but by a perfect, all-knowing, holy God. It’s a good thing that He is also loving and merciful! Maybe if we spend less time judging each other, we’ll have the time to seek and discover the amazing, saving grace of God in Jesus Christ. Let’s not kid ourselves, thinking that this is about lifestyle choice, culture, or religion. It’s about having to give an account for our lives to our Creator, on His terms, not ours. “Everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”

His love – Our sin – His grace – Our hope

At our church, we celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day enthusiastically. Today in our Father’s Day service we encouraged our Dad’s and gave them gifts and thanked them for all they do for our families.

Sometimes you hear people resent such times because they have had a bad experience with Dad’s or know people who have. I can understand that. You can’t really celebrate a person who may have left you or mistreated you.

But there’s more to it than that and sometimes we need reminding that we’re designed for community. That means that we don’t just belong to a nuclear family (2 parents and 2.4 children). We belong to a community of people where there are many sons, daughters, mums, dads, and grandparents. We need community and community needs us. Together, diverse but united, we support each other, work together, and spur one another on. The old adage: ‘It takes a village to raise a child’, seems cliché, but it’s true. Teachers, coaches, employers, foster parents, tutors, neighbours, Pastors, youth leaders and extended family – we’re shaped by the influence of many people and we need that, and people need us.

I share this because when it comes to the choice of honouring our mother or father, regardless of our personal experience, there’s a far greater influence at work. When we choose to honour our parents, even if they have caused us pain, we choose to impart an attitude into the layers of community we are woven into. To honour someone is a choice, not an emotion. It’s a value we choose to give action to. And that action is like a sweet fragrance that masks bad odours; or pure water that washes away the dirt. Our honour of others has power to affect people directly and indirectly. We begin to sweeten the atmosphere of life and empower people to change.

Conversely, if we seek to only correct, critique, avoid and resent people who are far less than perfect, no one gets empowered or inspired to change. There’s nothing sweet or pure in that. We only become focussed on the negative and lose sight of the positive. We can even become an odour of negativity or resentment…and that benefits no one.

What we feed grows; what we starve dies. Honour feeds the soul of the recipient with grace and inspiration. The one who is honoured wants to live up to the honour bestowed upon them. They’re ‘fed’ with honour and so want to live honourably. But if we don’t like someone, or how they do things and so choose to starve them of honour because they are unworthy, we starve them of the grace and inspiration to change. And then we will continue to judge them or resent them because they’re not getting any better.

If the Queen knighted you tomorrow, you would feel incredibly honoured. But how would that change you? I guarantee if people called you by the official title of Sir/Lady, you would strive to live up to the new honour bestowed upon you!

Honour feeds us people with the aspiration to live better.

There’s another significant effect when we honour people even when they don’t measure up to our expectations: we grow. It’s easy to react to people by treating them according to what we think they deserve. But that’s a very low standard of living that leaves us more shallow or poor in heart. Jesus said we should treat others the way we want to be treated. And:

“…love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:35-36)

It seems counter-intuitive. Surely if we’re fair, we should treat people how they deserve. But if God did that, all of us would be buried under shame and condemnation. He is perfect and just, so there will come a time when all deeds will be judged. But for now, He breathes life and kindness and mercy into our lives, in the hope that we will respond with kindness and mercy to others. God feeds us with good things, so we might aspire to be good. He treats us the way He wants us to treat others.

The truth is, when we choose to honour others, we become honourable. We become better when we apply the value of honour. And we become more influential, attractive, and powerful.

When we feed others with honour, we grow.

I believe when God commanded His people to ‘honour your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you’ (Exodus 20:12), He was putting in place a value and wisdom that would be a force for good. Those who receive honour from us, are inspired – fueled – to live honourably. And when we honour people, we become better people who look for and find the good in others. The result is, a community of people who feed each other with kindness, mercy and grace. And what you feed, grows. Imagine being surrounded by a community overflowing with kindness, mercy and grace! It starts with something as simple as choosing to honour those around us, starting with the mothers and fathers who are in our community, whether they’re ours, or not. That’s what grows great communities that grow great people.

Watch what happens when honour flows…

To all the Dads who try to get things right more often than not, regardless of how you rate yourself, God is proud of you and we appreciate you! Having you around makes us more secure, confident, and hope-filled. Keep it up!

Happy Father’s Day!

Apparently, cats can see using one sixth the amount of light needed by humans to see.

This would explain why our family cat has been stood on or kicked – accidentally – at night-time on more than one occasion. She enthrones herself in the most dangerous of locations – e.g. the middle of our stairwell – and expects that we can see her at night time just as she can see us. But we can’t – we’re designed for daytime vision, not night time. Sorry cat - move over!

We were made for living in the light and resting during the dark.

But sometimes God will lead us through dark times in our lives and at such times, we can’t rely upon the vision of our natural eyes. Dark times and difficult circumstances, when we face confusion and despair, are when our ability to see clearly, our view of life, and our hope for the future can be greatly impaired. It’s then we are at risk of stumbling or sinking in the dark.

We need to discover how to ‘see in the dark’.

There are 4 key truths we need to anchor ourselves in, during such times.

1. God never gets lost in the dark.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:11-12)

When we’re finding it hard to see hope, purpose or direction, everything remains crystal-clear to God. He can see exactly where we should go, what we should avoid and how we should handle things. He can see the end from the beginning and He has a perfect understanding of our path and His plan for us. When you face dark times, that’s the most important time to draw near to God and trust Him. That’s what the giant slayer, David, discovered in times when he hid in caves while being hunted down by a national army. He learnt to trust God as his shepherd:

‘Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;’ (Psalm 23:4)

We all face dark times when we can’t see clearly or feel we’re drowning in life. Like David, we need to declare, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd, I have all that I need’ (Ps 23:1). These words remind us that we have a guide in the darkness who has perfect night vision and is absolutely trust worthy. He guides, protects, and loves us. We just have to choose to trust Him and seek Him.

2. Darkness and isolation are powerful enemies when allied…don’t ever let them join forces.

My greatest concern for people I Pastor is not that they will face dark times. It’s that some may face dark times, alone. When we’re facing discouragement, grief or confusion, we sometimes pull away from people because we feel low.

Sometimes it’s good to be alone.

Sometimes we will face dark times.

But never let these times be at the same time – darkness multiplies when we’re alone.

Don’t wait for someone to come find you and encourage you. When things are getting dark, be wise, humble, and courageous enough to call in good allies. Stick close to people.

God gives us such wisdom in the book of Proverbs in the Bible:

In times of calamity or disaster, “….better a neighbour who is near than a relative far away.” (Prov’ 27:10)

“…there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Prov’ 18:24)

This isn’t saying family isn’t helpful. It’s simply saying that in difficult times, don’t wait for distant support - grab someone nearby and make them your ally. Don’t be alone in the dark. There are always people around that you can call on. And if ever you don’t think this is true, find a local church – God scatters His church around the world for this very reason.

3. If it’s getting dark, turn on the light.

For those who have faced deeply dark times, this may sound too simplistic or contradictory. But there is such an option, always.

'Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.' (Ps 119:105)

Surely this was written in the context of dark circumstances – you don’t need a light for your path if it’s not dark!

God gave us His words in written form so we’d always be able to access them. When I don’t think I can hear God and all seems too dark, I’m physically able to open up the Bible and read God’s words. And God’s word has been what has pulled me through the darkest times. The discipline of seeking God’s ‘illumination’ through the Bible has been more powerful than I can describe.

But it’s a choice. Like switching on a light or lighting a candle – I must choose to open the Bible and read it. I now have journals full of things God has shown me through His word. Some of these have provided the most reassuring light, in the darkest of times.

4. Don’t grow quiet in the dark - Shine the light

We regularly underestimate the power of the tongue. What we speak has power – for good, or evil. So also in our dark times: what you speak either feeds the darkness or starves it; you can shine light, or hide it. Speak into the darkness the truth and hope of God’s word. If you don’t know what to say, look through the book of Psalms in the Bible – it’s full of prayers and truths and hope. You’ll be amazed at how quickly the feelings of despair, fear, and discouragement back down, the more you speak out God’s words into the darkness.

Gen’ 1:3 says: ‘And God said, “Let there be light”, and there was light.’

We’re made in God’s likeness – you also can speak light into the darkness, both in your life and in others. Only, be careful not to feed the darkness – don’t keep speaking the negative, the critical or the doubts. Speak life, speak hope and most importantly, speak God’s all-powerful word.

We will all face dark times at some stage in our life – that’s the reality of the fallen world we live in. But God never wants you to be alone or powerless or overwhelmed by the darkness.

I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

‘You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness…’

Psalm 91

In the deepest darkness, there is a light that is brighter than the sun and no amount of darkness can ever damp it out. Although we may have to walk through darkness at times, we never need walk in darkness:

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

YOU are the light of the world, the salt of the earth, an ambassador of heaven, an agent of change, a powerhouse of transformation, the beloved of God, the one called and sent into the world to preach the good news, heal the sick, cast out unclean spirits and disciple nations!

YOU!

We have immense power to transform the world and defeat the works of the enemy. In Christ, it is UNLMITED. In Christ, you CAN do all things. Not because of you, but because of the authority you’re given in Jesus’ name and the power you’re given in His Spirit (Eph’ 3:20).

But, do you believe it?

If you don’t believe it, you won’t use what you’ve been given. And that’s when the enemy wins.

That’s why one of the key strategies of the kingdom of darkness is, intimidation:

‘To make timid or fearful; especially, to compel or deter by threats.’

The Devil uses intimidation because he knows it produces fear.

Fear focusses us on the problem, real or perceived, rather than the truth of God’s Word. E.g. In the story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17), Goliath came down to the valley each morning for 40 days to challenge the army of Israel and taunt them. Why 40 days? Because for 40 days, Israel was paralysed by fear. They were intimidated by Goliath’s size and reputation. For 40 days, they were captivated by the image and sound of Goliath. They were focussed on him, not on the truth about God – who is infinitely bigger than the giant! So, no one resisted the enemy, the enemy remained and Israel made no advance.

That’s until the young boy David came along and declared the truth that “the battle is the LORD’S” and that it was God who would give David and the Israelite army the victory. In David’s mind, God’s power and Presence was far greater than Goliath - this giant was merely bird feed when God was involved.

Quite a different perspective compared to the army who had cowered in fear for 40 days! Intimidation is powerful because it first robs you of your focus – you can’t think about solutions; you can’t think about others; you can’t think about the truth in God’s Word. You just focus on the giant problem in front of you…and you don’t get around to removing it.

Intimidation grows into fear and fear, left to its own devices, births doubt. And when we allow doubts to occupy our minds, they become a field of imagination where the Devil plants lies.

We go from believing that God is good – ALL THE TIME, to believing God is good only some of the time, or even only occasionally; or rarely….

We go from believing that God heals, to believing that God only wants to heal occasionally; to believing that God only healed back in Bible times.

We go from believing that: we can we can do all things in Christ; we have the same power that raised Christ from the dead; we are loved unconditionally; and saved only by grace through faith…to believing most things in the scriptures are only for certain deserving people who are loved more than me and have a more special calling than me.

In the deep recesses of our heart, we begin to believe things that are contrary to God’s Word. Sometimes it even feels like humility – thinking less of ourselves. But it’s not. We’re simply thinking less of God.

It means we’re doubting His integrity and His character.

Instead, if God’s Word says it, that’s the truth no matter what the feeling, fear or problem.

When counsellors and therapists work with people struggling with limitations in their life, they will often ask questions to help people remove layers of feelings and thinking until the person discovers something they believe about themselves that just isn’t true. Often, they’ve never thought of it before - consciously, but it’s been a controlling thought or perspective that has ruled part of their life and paralysed them from being free or moving forward or to receiving a grace in their life.

It’s worth taking some time to consider what has been paralysed in your life. What has stopped moving forward? What have you given up on believing for? What have you placed in the ‘too hard basket’ or in the ‘for someone else, but not for me’ basket? Uncover fears, doubts and lies and replace them with the truth of God’s Word. You are precious to God and created with unlimited potential in Jesus Christ. Live every day focussed on what God says, not what the Devil says.

And if you’re facing some giant of a problem, don’t give in to intimidation or fear. Find what God says in His Word about it and declare it, stand on it, walk on it, live by it. Mountains will move, storms will calm and giants will fall, because God does not change and His Word is true.

No matter how many Promises God has made to you in His Word, they are not “yeah, nah”. They are only “Yes”, and “Amen” (1 Cor’ 1:20). Never doubt it.

You are the light of the world.

Shine!

If I prayed and asked God to do something, can I rightfully claim that He isn’t good, or isn’t able or it's not His will if He doesn’t do it when I ask? If I asked you to do something for me this week and you didn’t do it, would that automatically mean you aren’t a good person, or you’re weak and useless, or that you just don't want to?

How often do we make judgements about God based upon our expectations of what is right, or reasonable or needed?

Many Christian’s in affluent nations struggle with the conflict between the truth of God’s love and the reality of their seemingly unanswered prayers. I think it often has a lot to do with the conditioning we’re raised with in our ‘consumer focussed’ society. We expect that when we place an order, we should receive the goods the way we want, when we want and with the least amount of cost and effort. Do we possibly pray with an expectation that God is a heavenly warehouse manager just waiting to dispatch our orders according to our customer preference? Christians in many poorer or oppressed nations have great trust and love for God, despite their lack of resources or comfort. They see comfort, security and grace in the person of God, rather than in things or circumstances.

But if you love God and serve Him, what do you do about unanswered prayers and unmet expectations? What do you do when you prayed, and you didn’t get the results the way you thought you would?

In the gospel of Mark 5:25, we read of a lady in miserable circumstances. She had been subject to bleeding for 12 years. To be clear, she had a 12 year period! And this lady had spent all she had over those 12 years getting the very best help and medical expertise – only to get worse. One can only imagine the number of times she had prayed and hoped and grieved in the reality of her relentless disappointment.

But this woman didn’t reject faith, she embraced it. She allowed her disappointment to become fuel for her desperation. When she heard reports of a visiting Rabbi who had great success in healing people, her years of disappointment could’ve left her bitter, cynical and reactive: “I’ve heard it all before! You promise results but it’s just a hollow show – smoke and mirrors!” This woman’s faith surprises me. I don’t know if I could hold much hope for a problem I’ve struggled to overcome for 12 years…especially after the empty help of so many ‘experts’. But this woman’s faith was DETERMINED! When Jesus arrived in town, He was so popular that ‘the crowds almost crushed Him’ (Luke 8:42). It looked impossible for her to get close to Jesus, let alone have a quiet, private conversation about her personal health condition.

But somehow, this woman’s faith-fuelled desperation drove her to push herself through the crowd. Imagine the scene – it was so intense and mob-like that the woman had to push just to reach the edge of His clothes! But such was the desperation and persistence of her relentless faith, that as soon as she touched Jesus’ clothes, she was instantly healed. The bleeding of 12 years had finally stopped… Jesus, although being touched and crushed by the crowd, recognised this small contact because of the power that flowed through him to the woman. He declared ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.’

An amazing story of tenacious faith and the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

But let’s remember: God hasn’t changed. Jesus is glorified and He promised that whoever believes in Him will do the works He did, and they will do even greater works because He was going to His Father. Why then do so many churches either reject or avoid Jesus’ teaching and commands on this topic?

Jesus sent His Spirit to ‘clothe’ us with power for our journey. Surely He expected that our faith would only grow with time and our prayers for healing and power increase with relentless intensity. He said ‘all things are possible’ for those who believe. The problem isn’t with God’s goodness, will or ability. Our issue isn’t even whether we pray – nearly all of us will pray and ask for powerful intervention from God in desperate situations.

Our challenge is, how long will we pray for…without giving up.

In Luke 18 it says, ‘Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up’.

Never doubt Jesus’ will and commitment to heal. He paid for it in blood: His body was beaten and whipped so that you would be healed. But there is a kingdom of darkness that is constantly warring and in opposition to you ever receiving the grace and power God has sent in response to your first prayer. (Daniel 10:12 & Eph’ 6:11-13). Don’t ever forget that you’re in a battle, not to win God’s grace or love – He’s already given it all. But to push through the spiritual opposition and take hold of all that Jesus purchased for you, through His body and blood. He promises to reward those who earnestly seek him.

Like the lady who still had faith after 12 years of disappointment: results are often the reward of the relentless.

And one more piece of good news…. Your prayers have ‘compounding interest’! That is, the more you pray, the more those prayers gather and grow in power – and they never lose value. Even when a praying warrior dies, their prayers continue to have affect. They live on, gathering interest in heaven, yielding results on earth and providing a legacy for those still to come.

Never give up based upon what you haven’t yet seen. Pray and keep praying - relentlessly - for all that God’s Word promises. Results, reward the relentless.

I’ve conducted a number of funerals as a Pastor. Occasionally I must bite my tongue (so to speak) when I hear people comfort themselves in saying the deceased has ‘gone to a better place’. Maybe. But why would they think that if the deceased didn’t believe in God or have any faith commitment?

Why now should there suddenly be a ‘better place’ and the deceased have rights to it?

In a sense, a funeral should give us a moment to confirm convictions with crystal clarity. We should know what we believe, why we believe and be confident in what happens next. But so often, people don’t want to put much thought into this. They want to skim over the ‘what happens next’ question and head straight to the comfort of ‘a better place’ for those who want it.

Some people ridicule Christians for their faith because they think it’s just ‘blind faith’. But it’s not. I’ve seen blind faith… That’s what I hear at the funerals of people without tested, considered faith: “At least he’s in a better place now”. Faith is being certain of something we cannot see or are still to experience because we have a clear reason (1 Peter 3:15). It seems so strange to me that people can attend funerals and yet, still not take time to make certain of what they believe. Eternity is something you really want to be sure about – even if you must make the decision by faith. Just don’t make a decision by lazy assumption: “I want my friend to be in a nice heavenly after life, so I’ll just assume he is”.

Seek, ask, explore, pray…then decide.

On the other hand, I’ve been at many Christian funerals, or often-called, ‘Celebrations of Life’. They’re awesome! If you know the person, you still have to grieve and feel the pain of loss. But because they’re a person who had a real, living faith in God’s Son Jesus and His saving grace, you enjoy a very special perspective: the deceased is not dead - the ‘tent’ of their body is. But they, their soul and spirit, have simply returned home to our eternal Father. You start wondering what it must be like for them, who a few days ago, only knew our broken, mixed up, painful world – and now they’re in heaven, seeing and experiencing unlimited joy, peace and fulfilment…

Stephen Covey , author of ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’, commits a whole chapter to ‘Beginning with the end in mind’. He challenges the reader to shift their perspective; to consider their own funeral – what do you want people to say about you? What do you want your life to result in? It’s a principle of successful living to plan our life by thinking first about how we want it to end. But how many of us don’t take it the next step and consider our life now from the perspective of the life to come AFTER death?

Our perspective changes how we see things. Earth from a boat in the pacific looks different to earth from my backyard, or earth to the astronaut in space. Same earth, but different perspectives. Life also looks different when we are aged and facing death compared to when we first left school. But most important is when we consider our lives from heaven’s perspective or from eternity.

Without heaven’s eternal perspective, we’re left with valuing things according to how they make us feel in the moment. I.e. If it feels good now, we must have it or do it because there’s no eternal hope to live for. And if we lose something or someone, it pains us more because this short life is all we get. Life becomes desperate and fragile. But if we have an eternal perspective: death is not the end; material things have little value; hope grows; and grief is short. And an eternal perspective on life helps us identify what truly matters. Things like: God, people, love, character. These become the things that we invest our life into because they last eternally.

How much of our grief and disappointments are amplified by a perspective on life that is fixed only on the now and the temporary? When we discover the reality and heart of God the Father, we discover a whole new perspective on life and a whole new hope for the eternal rewards to come. Earth is not heaven; it is not our eternal home; it is not the limit of our hopes. It is merely the preparation ground for an eternal Kingdom that God the Father has prepared for us to inherit.

Perspective: it’s a view point we’ve either inherited or chosen. It’s a view worth reviewing from an eternal point of view. Same eyes with a new perspective, creates a new hope from the same life.

Jesus said it best with a question: “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

Make sure your funeral provides a clear answer.

Only minutes after I posted the previous blog about Kate’s deteriorating situation, Kate died - New Year’s Eve, 31 December, 2016.

I spent that night with Kate, praying for her to be raised from the dead. Others joined for a time and over the days following, many continued to pray that Kate would be raised from the dead. It seemed so obvious: Kate’s faith deserved such an amazing testimony; it would be such a mighty way to share the gospel of her Saviour Jesus, to the glory of God; and it was inconceivable that Kate’s faithful husband Paul could be left on his own to raise 4 young children… Something great was about to happen.

But 6 days later, Kate had not risen from the dead and I had to conduct her funeral.

Although the funeral was a powerful testimony to Kate’s faith, life and ministry, we were left with some significant questions about why Kate wasn’t healed or raised from the dead. It’s been said that ‘trusting’ is the highest expression of faith. And this has been a situation that we must choose to trust God because there is no clear answer that gives us peace. We just know that God is good, He loves us and we can trust Him in the disappointment and loss – even when our questions aren’t answered.

Because my faith has been solely focussed on healing during Kate’s battle with cancer, I hadn’t stopped to consider how faith would look if Kate wasn’t healed. Now’s the right time to consider how faith works in the absence of expected results. And the Holy Spirit has been reminding me about some things:

1 Corinthians 13:12

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

Many people stumble in their faith when they don’t get the answers/results that the Bible clearly reveals are available in the Kingdom of God. It’s as if God must do things the way we think they should be done because our ways are perfect. The Bible says otherwise! God’s ways are perfect and higher than our ways. If God was to always answer our prayers according to our limited view, He would not be God: He would only be a magical ‘genie’ trapped in the limited confines of our knowledge, understanding and imagination.

1 Corinthians 13:12 reminds us that our vision and understanding is very limited. We don’t see clearly as God does. But when we are with God in heaven, we will ‘know everything completely’. That is, our knowledge will be complete instead of incomplete as we have now. When I accepted that Kate wasn’t returning from heaven, I thought about how her knowledge was complete. She wouldn’t have been worried about her husband Paul or her 4 children because her knowledge of God was complete. She knew without any doubt, that God was good and only good. He is loving and perfect and completely trust worthy. Kate knew that God would more-than-take care of Paul and the kids.

Whereas, on earth, we worry and fear and often doubt God’s ability or commitment to look after us. Our knowledge is incomplete here so we are vulnerable to the lies of spiritual forces of evil who whisper doubts and fears.

Although God doesn’t want Paul to be without his wife, and their 4 children to be without their mother, God sees the end from the beginning. He knew in creating Kate, that she would die of cancer at age 35. He also knew that He was going to look after Paul and their children in amazing ways. And God knew that He would ‘work all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.’ (Rom’ 8:28). Whether in sickness, or in death, or in life, God can redeem every situation we trust Him with. And in Kate and Paul’s situation, God is going to redeem and do wonderful things for their family and for God’s glory.

“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24)

During Kate’s cancer battle over the last 7 months, I was not expecting to use this scripture. But it is now needed. Just as many other Christian families have experienced over the last 2000 years, there are times God allows a wonderful, faithful and fruitful Christian to return home early. It causes us pain, but for them, it’s only joy upon joy; glory upon glory. I firmly believe that if we trust God with Kate’s family and her life message, we will see Kate’s story, faith and message multiply in ways we could never imagine.

A number of us were able to share Kate’s faith and message at her funeral where over 600 people attended and it was broadcast on the internet. Her life, her love for Jesus and her message of God’s reality, love and grace wasn’t lost at death – it was amplified! We often think that miracles have the greatest impact upon unbelieving people. But in some situations - particularly with Kate – something extraordinary can happen. Kate’s faith and revelation of God’s goodness, all the way up to her death never diluted or wavered; it only grew. And when she died, some people were more impacted by her faith in the face of death than they would’ve been if she had been healed.

Not that God arranged her death for this affect! But God’s grace and redemptive ability is greater than any situation – even death! No matter how bad the situation, God can redeem it, revealing His glory and grace, if we entrust it to Him.

“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

1 Corinthians 15:54-55