A Gentle Reminder

Every now and then we come across a Bible verse or passage in which God speaks to us, reminding us of His majesty, dominion, and power. We need these timely reminders because at times our life can become so self-focused, that we forget the source of our very being, the source of our existence. God is our creator, God is our sustainer and God is our Redeemer. Today’s watchword is a reminder of who God is, and who we are in relation to God. It is from Isaiah 44: 24. Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by myself spread out the earth.

The prophet Isaiah spoke to Israel in captive, reminding them not only of who they were, that is God’s covenant people, but also reminding them of whose they were, the only true God, creator and sustainer of all things, including themselves. Although they considered their situation the worst thing that could ever have happened to them, the prophet reminds them that God was still in control. The Babylonians may have been holding them captive, away from their home and the temple, but God was Lord over all and still able to reach, rescue and redeem them. In fact, this was exactly what God planned to do for them. They should not lose hope but rather trust in the God who is able to accomplish all things on His own. They were dependent on God, but God did not depend on them to do what God wanted to do. God could and would act, without their help. He would use a non-Jewish king and his army to rescue them. Sometimes we just need a gentle reminder to trust God regardless of our circumstances.

Why would God do that for them though? Why would God rescue a people who had been displaced because of their disobedience in the first place? The Lord makes two things clear in his discourse with Israel. Firstly, not one of them existed without His action. He formed each of them, and us, in the womb. Cell by cell, bone by bone, muscle by muscle, organ by organ, limb by limb. He who formed us, knows best what our needs are. We need to trust His wisdom. Secondly, not only did He form us, but He created the environment for our very existence. This he did all by himself. Thus, all we need for our existence has been created by our maker. He created us, he sustains us and when we go astray, He will redeem us. This is what Israel needed to know. Their salvation was in God’s plan. They were God’s and God would save them. We can take hope in this fact today. The covenant was made, the price for our redemption has been paid. As Count Zinzendorf said, ‘our creator is our redeemer’. No matter how bad it gets, no matter how hopeless we feel, we need to remember that the one who created us is the same one who redeems us. It will never be too late or too much for the Lord Jesus Christ to save those who are His. A gentle reminder at the appropriate time will help us to keep our sanity and renew our hope for the future. Remain hopeful and keep the faith. Sometimes we just need a gentle reminder to trust God regardless of our circumstances. Amen.

Monday Reflection – July 26, 2021
The Power of Prayer

When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!” So the Lord relented. “This will not happen,” the Lord said. Amos 7:2-3

The book of Amos is said to be a collection of sayings and visions of the prophet Amos, who was active in the 8th century BCE, during a period of relative prosperity and peace in Israel. Throughout the book, Amos appeals to God’s justice and righteousness as inseparable components of God’s commandment. Amos critiques the social, political, and religious structures of Israel for their failure to uphold ethical responsibility. In particular, the prophet condemns the social inequity that allows the wealthy to flourish while the poor wither (Amos 6:4-7; 8:5-6). He also criticizes empty worship that fails to promote justice and righteousness (Amos 5:18-24). We often separate social justice and piety as distinct practices, but in Amos’ vision there is no such division. The foundation of justice is the right worship of God, and worshipping God rightly requires promoting justice in the world.

Amos 7 presents three visions. In verses 1-3, God shows Amos the image of destruction where locusts were devouring the newly sprouted grass. Late in the harvest, Amos sees a swarm of locusts coming to devour the crops of Israel. It came after the king’s mowings, so the royal court already took their taxes. This left the Israelites with nothing at all. Hubbard reminds us that, “If the first cutting went to the court and the second crop to the locusts, Israel would be left destitute indeed.” In this season of destruction and despair, and at this vision of terrible judgment, the prophet’s heart was moved with pity and compassion for Israel, and he asks God to consider Israel’s frailty.

Israel is called Jacob, a reminder that he was the smaller, younger one to Esau in Isaac’s family. God had deliberately chosen him and therefore was obligated to stand by him in his helplessness. Amos acts as intercessor and pleads with God to forgive Israel. God relents and replies that the vision shall not come to pass. This is another amazing example of the importance of prayer. Some may argue that the issues of predestination and human responsibility are evident in this episode; however, we are clearly left with the impression that the plague either came or was held back based on the prophet’s prayer.

Yet, as we contemplate Amos’ prayer and God’s swift response, we remind ourselves that the power of prayer isn’t in the words we utter; neither is it about what we pray or even how we pray. The power of prayer is the power of God, who hears and answers prayer. Prayer is talking with God and is an act of worship that glorifies God and reinforces our need for Him. Through living a life of prayer, we communicate with the very source of and purpose for our existence. We remind ourselves that God invites and encourages to talk with him, and he promises to answer our prayers. Prayer is a principle weapon of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:18); and prayer unites believers, for there is no greater force on earth than a church united, that is engaged in fervent prayer. Also, prayer shapes our lives. Mark Patterson says, “Prayers are prophecies. They are the best predictors of your spiritual future. Who you become is determined by how you pray. Ultimately, the transcript of your prayers becomes the script of your life.” Who we become, the circumstances in our lives and the core of our character are all determined by what we talk to God about.

Let’s commit to a life of consistent prayer and watch God at work in our lives and before our eyes.

Jermaine Gibson

Friday Reflection July 23, 2021
Meditation Time

My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises. ( Your word)
Psalms 119:148 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.119.148.NIV

Background
The Jews divided the night into three watches, which began at what we call six o’clock in the evening, and consisted each of four hours. The Romans taught them afterwards to divide it into four watches of three hours each; and to divide the day and night into twelve hours each; wherein different guards of soldiers were appointed to watch. At the proclaiming of each watch the psalmist appears to have risen and performed some act of devotion. (An extract from , “The Adam Clarke Commentary”.)

Application
What is the value of meditation time? There is so much to gain from dwelling on the promises/ word of God. Especially in the wee hours of the morning. As we Jamaican would often say “before di cock crow”. Here are a few reasons why taking time to meditate on God’s word is important:

1. You will gain a better knowledge of what God wants from and for you. The plans he has set out for your present and your future.
2. You will get great advice from the word of God! FREE!!!! No charge! And the best part about it is that nobody will know… Everything you say in that moment to God, stays between you and him!
3. Meditating on his promises will bring you to a place of peace and joy, even in difficult situations.

Encouraging words
Though the battle maybe hot and the conflict sore, don’t give up. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and he will strengthen your heart, mind and soul. Wake up! Keep watch! Pray and meditate on the word of God. BLESSINGS!

Shaneka Raymore Euphfa

Thursday Reflection July 22, 2021

Do not forget the Lord

And when you have eaten your fill, take care that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Deuteronomy 6:11‭-‬12

Greeting friends!

As we reflect today on the passage of Scripture above we’re called to always remember what the Lord has done for us. Moses, speaking to the children of Israel after giving them the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 5 summed up the commandments in chapter 6 to say, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” He encouraged them to recite it to their children, talk about it at home-when they rise and when they lie down. Bind them on their hands, fix it as emblems on their forehead and put it on their door posts.

Moses wanted to stress the importance of loving the Lord. So they should do everything to ensure that they keep this commandment, hence he gave them a warning to not forget the Lord when they enter into the Promised Land and acquire homes and land they did not build. Be careful not to forget the Lord!

In times of trouble it is easy to remember the Lord. It is the Lord who we depend on to get us out of trouble and save us. When times are good we’re not so dependent on God and so people tend to forget what the Lord has done for them and thereby fail to keep the commandment of loving the Lord with all their heart, soul and mind. The truth is that we are forgetful people. We forget what God has done for us that’s why we constantly worry when trouble come. We’re forgetful people that’s why we at times forget what God has done for us when there is no trouble. So the question then is how do we ensure that we always remember the Lord?

Moses gave us the answer to that question. Love the Lord your God will all your heart, soul and mind and teach it to your children. Write it on your door posts, place it on your forehead and on your hand. Talk about it when you’re home and when you’re away. When you rise and when you lie down. This way God and what He has done will always be before you.

Shalom

Christopher Euphfa

God Delivers Those Who Love Him.

I have always loved Psalm 91. It was one of my grandmother’s favorite Psalms. The first verse was her response to many of the disturbing situations she faced in life. It was her assurance that everything would be ok. The rest of the Psalm, including today’s Watchword, flows from that assuring first verse. It gives us the stability we need when the road becomes rocky. It gives us staying power and strong faith when we are challenged by the many choices and voices on our life’s journey. The Lord says, “Those who love me, I will deliver.” Psalm 91: 14

This is not a statement that sits by itself, but is stated about a specific group engaged in a pointed activity. The Psalmist, traditionally believed to be Moses, begins the Psalm with the premise: He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. This is the group to which the watchword applies. When we take God as our keeper, we will be specially blessed, specially favored, by God. Nothing that comes at us will be able to destroy us physically or spiritually as long as God is our keeper. David would later reflect this Psalm in Psalm 27 as he made affirming statements and asked the questions: The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When God is our dwelling place, our rock in the weary land, our shelter in stormy times, what do we ever need to fear? God delivers those who love Him.

There’s a chorus that says ‘Jesus is my deliverer. I know, he delivers me.’ It is saying two things about the singer. Firstly that there was a moment when he or she was in trouble, was in need of deliverance and secondly, that he or she was delivered by Jesus. All of us as Christians can attest to that, we were, at some point in our lives, in need of deliverance. In faith we called out to God and we were rescued. It is noteworthy that in the watchword, it is not the voice of the Psalmist that declares God’s intent to deliver, it is a declaration by God. God promises to deliver those who love Him. This deliverance is also twofold. God delivers the living from the troubles we meet in life and God delivers the dying from this troublous life. For Matthew Henry, we find strong support for this promise in the experiences of David and Paul. In Psalm 34: 19 David declared: Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. In sharing his experiences with Timothy in 2 Tim 3: 11, Paul told him that he faced many persecutions and sufferings at Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. ‘Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them’, he concludes. Such experience gave Paul the certainty of his statement to the young Bishop in 2 Tim 4: 18. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. What a joy to know that the God we serve will deliver us from the troubles of this life and establish us in His eternal kingdom. All that is required of us is that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and that we reflect this love in the way we love those around us. Whatever you are facing or will face, always remember, God will deliver those who love Him. Amen

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.