Prayer Letter - January 2008

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:18

As we look back at the year just gone by, for some, it has been a matter of immense blessing – material and spiritual, but it is the material I wish to dwell on: marriages, babies, perhaps a new job, a new house, healing from diseases, hopes and aspirations met, needs and many wants met.

How did we respond?
Moses reminds the people of Israel, just in case they had forgotten (Deut 8:2 – 4) of God’s leading through their wilderness experience, His gracious and supernatural provision – manna, clothes that did not wear out and feet that did not swell despite all the walking they had done for 40 years. He taught them His Word – that it was far more valuable for life than “bread”

Then in Deut 8:17 & 18, Moses reminds the people of Israel and those words are preserved for us to know:

You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…

When Jesus healed the lepers, only one returned to thank Him (Lk 17: 11 -19)

We take so much for granted. I know that I have taken God for granted this past year, and so it is a good time to reflect on the words of the psalmist David found in the first few words of Psalm 103: 1-5 (KJV)
Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

We ask for God’s blessings all the time. But we must remember! And here is a good opportunity to bless the Lord with all that is within us for all that has happened in our lives in the year 2007.

But what about those for whom 2007 was a year better forgotten, better consigned to the rubbish heap of  broken dreams, shattered hopes, disappointments, sadness, frustration and the bitter question WHY for which there are no easy answers. Perhaps a relationship gone sour, a broken marriage, children gone astray, a sickness that just does not seem to get better, a death that should never have happened.

Cleopas and his companion felt exactly the same way as they trudged the lonely road from Jerusalem to Emmaus, leaving behind memories of better days (Lk 24: 13-35). All the whys clouded their mind, but no answers were available. This should not have happened. It made no sense. It was mind numbing. The hopeful, exciting bubble they had lived in for over the last 3 years suddenly burst with tragic consequences. He was their hope. But now He was gone. Cleopas and his companion could make no sense of the tragedy of the past 3 days. Likewise, there are many of my readers who simply cannot make sense of the pain that they have experienced this past year. We live in denial just as Cleopas and his companion did.

But the good news is that Jesus Christ meets us at the point of our need. In the Luke account of the post-resurrection appearance to the followers of Jesus Christ on that road to Emmaus, Jesus meets them and opens up the Scriptures to them to help them understand what had happened.

Likewise, Jesus Christ meets us as we struggle to find meaning if only we let Him open our eyes. What do you need my brothers and sisters to tide over the difficult time you are facing? Do not try to do it on your own. You and I will never find satisfying answers to the WHYs. But you will find every resource in God’s Word even as the Holy Spirit opens up Scripture to us and helps us understand and gives us Faith, Hope, Peace, Joy and Perfect Love that overcomes fear through Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul writing in Romans 8 asks the question: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? And then having catalogued the various things that could come in the way, Paul says an absolute NO!! …nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Having reflected on the past year, how do we look at our lives in 2008? Is it going to be just another year? Perhaps, many of you have made New Year resolutions. What I am challenging you to do is to consider the 3 R’s for 2008:

RECONNECT (John 15: 1-8)
Jesus wants to be a part of us and He in turn desires us to be part of Him. He very clearly brings this out when He talks about the vine and the branches in John 15. Many of us may have once had a strong connection with Christ, but the every day challenges of the “rat race” of life may have disconnected us from Him. Reconnect with the Lord Jesus Christ. To be a fruitful Christian means being attached to the vine that is Jesus Christ. There is no other way. Apart from me, you can do nothing. That is the way we can draw spiritual nourishment.

REDEDICATE (Lk 9:23-25)
Rededicate your life to being a disciple of Jesus Christ, which means saying NO to certain things in our lives. This was what Jesus meant when He asked us to deny ourselves on a daily basis and carry the cross and follow Him. This means declaring with the Apostle Paul: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20

REORGANIZE (Phil 3:7-10)
Reorganize your life around the Lord Jesus Christ. And this means not only acknowledging Him as Savior (which He is), but also as Lord of every area of our lives. If Christ is to be the center of our lives, He has to be the center of our whole life. The Apostle Paul had every thing going for Him, but he came to the realization that it was all worth nothing compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Make Jesus Christ the Number 1 priority in your life. Remember, the Christian life is a walk with Christ, one in which we are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

May 2008 be a truly Blessed Year for you.