Monday Reflection – July 19, 2021
The Joy of Forgiveness

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Psalm 32: 1

G. Campbell Morgan beautifully describes Psalm 32 in this way: “It is a Psalm of penitence, but it is also the song of a ransomed soul rejoicing in the wonders of the grace of God. Sin is dealt with; sorrow is comforted; ignorance is instructed.” David speaks of the awesome happiness we experience when we know of the forgiveness of God. Our sins are no longer exposed; they are covered. Psalm 32 shows the blessedness of life when we make full confession and repentance of our sins. David can personally testify of the joy of forgiveness based on his own life. This great man of God – a man after God’s heart – had some significant seasons of sin and spiritual decline. Among these are David’s time at Ziklag (1 Samuel 27, 29-30) and David’s sin regarding Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 11). After both occasions, David came to confession, repentance, and forgiveness. Therefore, David knew what it was like to be a guilty sinner. He knew the seriousness of sin and what a joy it is to be truly forgiven.

Psalm 32 comes from the depths of a conscience that has been wounded and healed. We can sense and feel the deep emotions and a gush of rapture from a heart experiencing in its freshness the new joy of forgiveness. This joy of forgiveness is available for all to experience. When we receive forgiveness through Jesus Christ and our faith in Him, then we have real joy. There is the joy of deliverance from sullen remorse and of the dreadful pangs of an accusing conscience. David says in verses 3 and 4: “While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.” When our consciences are alive and our hearts refuse to confess our wrongs, remorse and dread creep over us.

When we confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness, there is the blessedness of exuberant gladness that lasts forever. The joy that springs in the pardoned heart, and is fed by closeness of communion with God, and by continual obedience to His guidance, has in it nothing that can fade, nothing that can burn out, nothing that can be disturbed. The deeper the penitence the surer the rebound into gladness. The more we contemplate the depths of our sinfulness, the more we trust in Christ and his salvific work at Calvary, and the more we rise into the heights of thankfulness and enjoy unending communion and fellowship with Christ.

We who experience God’s forgiveness must not take such for granted and continue to live frivolously and recklessly. Rather, we ought to walk circumspectly, and shun the very appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). We ought also to remember that while God forgives us, we have an obligation to forgive those who have wronged us. When we utter the Lord’s Prayer, we must remember that we say, “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). We also learn that forgiveness has no limitations nor does it expire, and we face the consequences of unforgiveness by God when we don’t forgive others (Matthew 18:21-35). As we enjoy the joy of forgiveness, let us freely offer forgiveness to those who wrong us. Amen.

Jermaine Gibson

Saturday Reflection – 17 July 2021

“He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

Many times, while going through the hustle and bustle of life, through weeks of work, school, chores at home, and the many other challenges that we face, we may end up burned out and in need of one of those “Mental Health Days.” Even so, there are times, we just long for a time of rest, calm out of the hustle and bustle, and in these moments, we hear the Psalmist saying “… In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)

In today’s watchword, the Psalmist celebrates God’s care for Jerusalem. He finds it appropriate to sing praises, as God has cherished, gathered, and comforted his people. He recognizes God’s authority as the sovereign creator of the world, who sets and orders everything as they are, and whose greatness cannot be matched by our human understanding, and whose way far exceeds our own capacity to comprehend. It is this God, who in our Lord Jesus Christ invited us to his sweet presence saying “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 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.” (St. Matthew 11:28-30)

This invitation by Jesus reminds us of this Sovereign God, in whom the Psalmist celebrates. For the one who is broken, whether by sin or in struggle, by the challenges of life, strained by the load that we have to carry, can find relief in God. Many times, we fear that since we have dishonoured God through our sinful actions, that we can no longer be lifted from the miry clay. Also, we believe that the circumstances that we go through are punishment for sin or some wrongful deed that we committed. Furthermore, we sometimes look to others to compare our lives and theirs, some fellow Christians, some not and begin to question why their lives, are on the basis of our analysis, not as tumultuous as ours.

However, out of God love for us, he has offered to us this relief, this consolation in Him, that He will not despise a contrite and a broken heart, that He will hear us when we cry, and that He is concerned with our needs, our challenges and that He knows what is like to experience temptation, challenge, and grief. (Psalm 51:17, Psalm 34:17, St. John 11:35, Hebrews 4:15) And by the consolation of his sweet Holy Spirit, there is peace, knowing that our sins are forgiven, knowing that he is consoling us and holds us in the hallow of his hand, knowing that he journeys with us, and relieves us in our distress. Even so, the Spirit of God transforms our fear, anxiety and doubt into love, power, and soundness of mind. It is that comfort, that balm in Gilead, that knowing that in the moment of deep distress, crying to Jesus that we are tired, that we remember again Jesus’ invitation – “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 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.” (St. Matthew 11:28-30)

And when we come to God, we will find that He is exactly who He says He is. But we ought to trust God, and allow God, whose thoughts and ways and higher than ours, who has our best interest at heart, to work all things for our good. We may think, like Paul did, that the promise is to remove the thorn in our flesh, to take away the challenges that we face, and make it smooth sailing. And that would be our definition of rest. But out of Paul’s experience, we are reminded that God’s grace is sufficient, and God’s power is perfected in our weakness and therefore Paul declares “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (1 Corinthians 12:9b-11)

When you come, and learn, you will find in God to solace and strength to overcome the challenges, as in His presence, there is fullness of joy, and pleasures forevermore. Not that we no longer face our difficulties, but God’s power is made perfect in our weakness, and as such when we are weak, then we are strong. For he heals the brokenhearted, binds the wounds, gives us grace to carry on, the will and strength to overcome and a song of praise in our hearts.

Until next week, we are reminded in today’s watchword that “He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3) “Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) Amen.

Dominic J. Blair

Friday Reflection
July 16, 2021
God protects you while you are ALIVE

Good morning friends, happy Friday!

Today we reflect on the passage of scripture that comes to us from psalms 142:5. It reads:
“I cried unto thee, O Lord : I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.”

Psalm 142:5 KJV

Part 1- I cried unto thee, O Lord
Finding no help from human-kind, the Psalmist turns to the Lord, and directs his prayer to Him in his time of distress.
Application
Human help can go so far and no more, if you are facing distress and even distrust today, direct your prayers to the Lord. He will HELP YOU!

Part 2- I said, thou [art] my refuge
The Psalmist was facing trouble from all his enemies that were in pursuit of him, and from the storm of life he proclaimed his refuge is in the Lord.
Application
No matter what you face while you are living on this earth, the Lord is your refuge. He is to all his people in times of trouble! He will always meet your needs: sustenance, protection, and safety.
Even in this pandemic, He is being a strong hold for you and your family. Trust in Him!

 Part 3-And my portion in the land of the living
The Lord is large and in charge! There is no other creature in creation that can be compared to Him.
He has been the Psalmist’s immense, and inconceivable portion, throughout his generation.

Application
The Lord must be perfect in your sight, He must be all that you need and more! He will never be taken away or consumed. He is our portion in this present life. He will be in us and with us for as long as life will last! And even in death!

God bless you all and have a great and wonderful weekend.

Shaneka Raymore Euphfa

Thursday Reflection July 15, 2021

The Lord hears you

“The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.” Exodus 16: 11-12

Greeting friends,

A month had now passed since the people of Israel left Egypt and they were in the wilderness between Elim and Mount Sinai. It’s not the life they expected having left Egypt, so they began to complain to Moses and Aaron: “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into the desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

The Israelites were disappointed, because this was not the life they had envisioned after leaving Egypt. They expected a life filled with security, happiness, contentment, joy, food, and a home, after all, it was God who took them out of bondage. There they were in the wilderness with nothing to eat, so they grumbled and complained.

Complaining is not the best way to bring across your concerns as the Israelite’s did. They thought they were complaining against Moses, but they were complaining against God. Of course there were concerns but it is better to take it to the Lord in prayer.

The truth is at some point or another we all have concerns, but instead of complaining take it to the Lord in prayer for He hears. For some of us we too when we look over our lives and what we thought we would have already accomplished- a home, being married, a family, a car, a better job, etc we become disappointed or concerned. Instead of complaining tell it to the Lord for He hears.

The Israelites complained, but God still heard them and addressed their complaint. Will not the Lord answer our concerns if He answers the complaints of others? The text tells us that at twilight they will receive meat and in the morning they will have their fill of bread.

God is not only a God who hears, but He is a God who addresses our concerns. They complained about meat so the Lord gave them meat and they complained about food so the Lord provided bread. In the middle of the wilderness the Lord out of thin air provided for them, not only that He went beyond their expectation in providing Manna. Likewise, God who hears our concerns will answer us in ways we cannot even imagine.

Be encouraged the Lord has heard you and the Lord will provide for you. I do not know when your twilight is coming, but look for meat. I do not know when your morning will come, but the Lord will provide bread. And when the Lord has provided for you out of thin air you will KNOW it was the Lord.

Until next week wait for your twilight and your morning for the Lord has heard you.

Christopher Euphfa

Our Shield, Our Glory, Our Encourager.

Two weeks ago, I spoke about Absalom, David’s son who killed his brother and was banished by David. If you remember, the Watchword then was from 2 Samuel 14: 14 when Joab got a woman to go before King David with a sob story which she turned back on the king and caused him to send for his banished son. There was more to that story. Much more. You see, when Absalom returned to Jerusalem, he began plotting to overthrow his father and seize the throne for himself. In 2 Samuel 15 we read about a barefooted and weeping David, fleeing the city with his family and followers ahead of the arrival of Absalom. It was during this period of his life that it is believed that David wrote Psalm 3. Today’s watchword speaks of David’s confidence in God even in the face of his adversary. Many are saying to me, “There is no help for you in God”. But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. Psalm 3: 2 – 3.

In the Psalm, David is giving thanks to God for hearing his cry for help and responding. He begins by stating his situation to God. He wanted God to know what was being done to him, what people were saying about his relationship with God and how hopeless people had become. Is it that David believed that God did not know what he was experiencing? No. We learn from David in his many prayers, that God welcomes out telling God what we are experiencing, how we are feeling and what we want God to do about the situations we face. When we read the prayers of David from the Psalms we learn a very valuable lesson, when everyone and everything turns against us, God will always be on the side of the faithful. Indeed, God is our shield, our glory and our encourager.

As David fled for his life and called upon God, there were those who criticized him. For those critics, God was not going to help David since it was God who was allowing him to go through persecution and rebellion by his son. David however did not stay quiet. He still prayed and he was able to praise God for his deliverance. These days there are many nay-sayers and unbelievers around us, and many try to influence us away from God or discourage us on our faith journey. Many attack the Bible as a book of multiple controversies and contradictions, or as a book of violence, genocide, injustice and prejudice. Many have used its pages to justify evils throughout the ages. The fact that there are so many denominations with so many different strains of doctrine and practices is used to say that the church is one messed up confused group of people who are going nowhere. In a world that decries all that is righteous, all that is good, all that is holy, what do we as Christians have to hold on to? Like David we have our faith. When everything and everyone around us fails, our faith tells us that Jesus will never fail us. When those whom we depended on fail us, Jesus will come through for us. When those around us seek to upend us with their doubts, we know that Jesus will always come through for us. Even if we are the only ones praying and believing, we are to keep the faith for it is the Lord, not humanity, that shield us when danger rises up around us. It is the Lord who restores our joy when sorrow seemed to be overtaking us and it is the Lord who encourages and uplifts us when we are surrounded by naysayers. God carried the weight or held the significance in David’s life, that is what he meant by God being his glory. He knew where his help would come from. He knew who heard when he cried out. As God was for David, so he can be for us if we trust Him. Friends, find confidence in knowing He will always be with you. Find comfort in his presence, promised to the faithful every step of our journey. Experience the change of a life surrendered to Christ Jesus. This prepares us for whatever we face in life. God is indeed our shield, our glory and our encourager. May we who know Jesus, walk in confidence today and always. Amen.

Monday Reflection – July 12, 2021
No Need for Strife

Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herders and my herders; for we are kindred.” Genesis 13:8

In the context of today’s Watchword, Abram returns to the land promised to him. He returns from Egypt with great riches, yet with a lot of bad decisions regarding his relationship with God. Abram’s unbelief took him from his place of worship, led him into sin, and caused him to lead others into sin. It made him more confident in his ability to lie than in the protecting power of God. It even broke apart his family for a while. Thankfully, upon his return he went to the altar and called on the name of the Lord. Abram came back to Bethel, back with the tent and the altar, back doing what he should, returning to his First Love.

The riches they gained soon became a problem. A contention developed between the hired workers of Abram and Lot. This occurred because the land they occupied was not able to support them both, as their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. How would they solve this strife? Abram could have opted to chase away Lot and tell him to find somewhere else to go. He could have told Lot to get rid of his possessions if he wanted to stay with them. But no! Abram took the higher road. He told Lot: “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herders and my herders; for we are kindred. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.”

What a man of God Abram was! God gave all the land to him, so it was pure generosity on Abram’s part that caused him to make this offer to Lot. This was not a cowardly act for Abram was able to fight when the occasion demanded it. He did not yield to Lot out of weakness, but out of love and trust in God. A few acres of grazing land did not seem worth fighting for to a man who lived with an eternal perspective. What a difference our lives can be when we live with an eternal perspective realizing that the material things of this world are temporary, transient and trivial. We must remember that we will die and leave them all behind, so there is no need living and forever chasing after power, prestige, fame and fortune. It makes us miserable and discontented and before long we become toxic and spread toxicity everywhere we go, negatively impacting others and our relationships with them.

Abram knew he could trust God. He gave Lot the offer because he learned God would provide for his needs, and he did not have to worry about being too generous. Abram knew whatever Lot chose God would make sure Abram prospered. Abram was allowing God to look out for his interests. Right or left, it didn’t matter to Abram, because God would be there. We are called to emulate Abram who fulfilled the New Testament principle of love: Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others (Philippians 2:4); Outdo one another in showing honour (Romans 12:10); If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all (Romans 12:18). We learn from Abram that the godly life demands that sometimes for peace sake we have to give up what we rightly deserve in honouring God’s name. Amen

Jermaine Gibson

Friday Reflection July 9, 2021

Inventory!

Good morning friends, happy Friday!

Today’s verse for reflection is Galatians 5: 22 – 23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”.

I am going to take my chances and say MOST, if not ALL of us are familiar with this passage of scripture.
It’s a popular verse to quote and preach from, but how many of us really read, listen and take action?

Today, we will seek to do an inventory
Where are we with each of the components that make up the fruit ? Before we do so, Let me remind us a little about this scripture.

In verse 19- 21, Paul listed the actions of the flesh: sexual impurity, idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition etc.

He then came to verse 22 and 23 where he made a comparison by listing the result or the work of the Spirit in a believer’s life ; love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. The fruits of the Spirit are evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians.

If there is no evidence of the components that make up this fruit, it means we are not living the way we are to live as believers

What it means then, is that we are engaged in the works of the FLESH that Paul talks about in verses 19 – 21.

Today, I want us to take an inventory of our behavior to see where we are with our fruit. Is it whole? , It is rotten? And does it need attention at the root?.

I have attached a chart that might be helpful in the process. Rate yourself in all honesty before God and man!. And take action thereafter to ensure you are living a life filled with the Holy Spirit

You may provide feedback if you so wish
Have a blessed weekend.
Shaneka Raymore Euphfa

Thursday Reflection July 8, 2021

Think on God’s love

We ponder your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.
Psalms 48:9 NRSV https://bible.com/bible/2016/psa.48.9.NRSV

Greetings friends,

Today’s text causes us to pause and reflect on the goodness of God. The Psalm, written by the sons of Korah who were musicians in the temple, began the Psalm with a declaration, “Great is the Lord and worthy to be praised.” Jerusalem is identified as the city of God and a Holy mountain. This city has received the goodness of God through His protection. Kings joined forces and came to the city, they saw, they trembled and left in fear, because of the greatness of God. In the temple the Psalmist ponders or thinks on the steadfast love of God.

The Temple represents a few things. David Guzik says it represents God’s covenant love in providing a place to meet with God, a place to offer an atoning sacrifice, a place for a sacrifice of thanksgiving, a place to receive prayer and a place for God to be with his people. It is in the temple that the Psalmist reflects on the unwavering love of God, because it is the symbol of what God has done.

We, however, do not need to go into the Temple to spark this reflection. Once we have accepted Jesus He now lives in our heart and the Holy Spirit which has been given to us is enough to cause us to reflect on the statement, “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.” Today I charge us to pause and reflect on the goodness and greatness of God.

Jesus now lives in our heart so that is where we meet him. Not in the Temple but in our hearts. Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, so our past sins are no longer held against us. Through the Holy Spirit we now have direct contact with the Lord. God has protected us thus far, leaving our enemies fearful and confused. We now have Communion with God. We’re not alone. The goodness and greatness of God surpasses all I’ve just highlighted. Take the time today to reflect on what God has done for you and how He brought you through or will bring you back through.

Take time to think on God’s love for you

Shalom
Christopher Euphfa

Wednesday Reflection, July 7, 2021

A Cry for Help

Brothers and sisters, I greet you well. Today’s reflection bids us to examine a time in Israel’s history when they were destroyed by their enemies. Listed are many accounts; some prolonged, some perhaps appear incomprehensible, whilst others might have simply been devastating in more ways than one.

Jerusalem was invaded in 586 B.C. the temple was made ceremonially unclean. The practice of wrapping the deceased carefully to preserve them as well as the burying the bodies in family plots was abandoned. Instead the bodies were left exposed to the elements where they were consumed by animals. This, to an Isrealite, was an insult of the highest order.

The people were frustrated and longed for their misfortune to become that of their enemies. They were tired of being mocked and jeered and thought it fitting that God’s anger be poured out upon the babylonians in the same way they literally drained the blood from God’s people.

Psalm 79 is a lament and prayer for Israel in a sad and weakened state. In today’s watchword, the psalmist appeals, ‘ Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; and deliver us and provide atonement for our sins.’ Friends, God’s divine name, characterized by mercy and compassion coupled with holiness and judgement , provides the basis to cleanse or to cover. Isreal needed their sins to be cleansed.

Upon considering the enemy of our souls, I have thought about how Satan attempts to invade our thoughts, our hearts, families, homes and general lives. He seeks to bombard us with all manner of impurities in an attempt to make us unclean. Many of us have fallen, taken the bait, found ourselves in some dead situations left unwrapped and out in the elements but hear the words of John from today’s New Testament text, ‘ In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.’ 1 John 4:10.

It matters not today the troubles that trouble you, overwhelmed and frustrated though you may be, do not be afraid to cry out for help and the Lord our God still hears snd answers prayers.

Amen.

Kerone Lamoth

A Good Principle to Live By

Today’s Watchword is part of a letter that Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the Israelites who had been taken into Babylonian exile. Rampant among the exiles were claims by false prophets that their condition would be for a short time. In Jeremiah 29: 10 the prophet points out (in the letter) that the captives would spend seventy years in Babylon before God returned them to the Promised Land. What should they do in that period? How would they live? What would be their relationship with this place of captivity and the people who captured them? Today’s Watchword is part of the advice that Jeremiah gave to those in captivity. Seek the welfare of the city, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. Jeremiah 29: 7.

Jeremiah told the captives to do the complete opposite of what I imagine they expected to hear. I imagine they expected to hear that they should put up resistance, that they should sabotage every opportunity they got, that they should work slowly with no intention to make their captors wealth increase. That was not what they heard. In fact, they were to build houses, marry and have children. They were to work to make the city in which they lived wealthy, and they were to pray for it. The reason is not only practical but also Godly. I consider this solid advice for us to follow. Very often we find ourselves in places and positions that we are not sure that this is where we should be, we know we shouldn’t be or don’t want to be. The prophet speaks to us from this letter to the Babylonian captives. Do your best work where you are and be fervent in prayer for your situation and for yourself. God will do the rest. As Jeremiah said to the captives, the prosperity of the city in which you live will lead to your prosperity. Work for it’s good, for when all is good there, all will be good with you. It’s a good principle to live by.

Today marks 606 years since the martyrdom of John Hus. Although we as Moravians refer to him as the founder of the Moravian Church, what Hus actually did was try to reform the church of which he was a part. Born in Husinec, in the Bohemian Province of what we know today as the Czech Republic, Hus grew up in a humble family and became a priest in the Catholic Church (known today as the Roman Catholic Church). Recognizing the shortcomings and failures of the church he was a part of, Hus made a call for change. What Hus sought was the welfare of the church, knowing that if the church was spiritually well then her members, including himself, would be spiritually enriched. Hus was burnt at the stake for his effort but his death began a ripple of influence that led to the birth of the Moravian church and one hundred years later the Reformation led by Luther, Calvin and Zwingli. Today we pause to thank God for leaders like Jeremiah and Hus who did not follow the popular thinking, but listened to and followed the leading of the Holy Spirit, thus impacting the lives of not only those they serve but countless others throughout the ages. Jeremiah was sure of what he was advising the people to do. Huss too was sure even as we are today that nothing he faced was enough to turn him away from the God to whom he had pledged his first love. It is because of this that we can serve in the midst of uncertainties and even in the face of death. It is the knowledge that God plans only the very best for those who live for him. We learn from Jeremiah’s advice and from Hus’ sacrifice that its not the moment that matters most but the message being shared, that its not the place we are that counts the most but our faithfulness to God. We learn that when we work for the building up and blessing of others, even those who have wronged us, we are blessed through their being blessed. It calls us therefore to be different, to be, as the doctrinal text says, the salt of the earth, setting the perfect example of godliness in an ungodly world. It calls us to live for others even more than we live for ourselves for in so doing we will be blessed. Finally, it calls us to be the windows through which others may get a glimpse of godliness and so know the beauty and character of the God we serve. This friends, is a good Christian principle to live by. Amen