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

Monday Reflection – July 05, 2021
Honouring God’s Name

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. Exodus 20:7

I believe that for many of us from a very young age we were exposed to the reality of the ten commandments. Some persons participated in Sunday School, church services, Bible Quiz etc. where we were required to memorize and articulate what the ten commandments are. A very popular one is the Watchword for today where we would regularly say, “God says, ‘Thou shall not take the name of the Lord in vain’”. We must never miss out the part that says, “God says” for the ten commandments found in Exodus 20 is prefaced by the statement, “And God spoke all these words, saying…” God spoke directly to Israel as a whole, as they assembled together at the foot of Mount Sinai. God’s laws for humanity are expressed in strong simple terms, understandable to all, and deal with the temptations of the common man.

When one analyzes the ten commandments, we may agree that the first four relate to our conduct before God, while the remaining six deal with our relationship with our fellow human being. Our Watchword is in the context of the first four commandments, which are:
1.      You shall have no other gods before me.

2.      You shall not make for yourself an idol… You shall not bow down to them or worship them.

3.      You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God

4.      Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.

In the ancient world, humans worshipped many gods. Here, Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, set Himself apart from any of the other supposed deities and commands that the people should have no other gods. God also prohibits idolatry regarding false gods and forbids them from making an image of any created thing that they might worship. Then God says that the people should not take his name in vain. But what does this mean? David Guzik suggests that there are at least three ways this command is commonly disobeyed.

Profanity: Using the name of God in blasphemy and cursing
Frivolity: Using the name of God in a superficial, stupid way
Hypocrisy: Claiming the name of God but acting in a way that disgraces Him
And God instructs that anyone who takes His name in vain will not be acquitted or held guiltless.

Are we making wrongful use of the name of the Lord? Are we using the name of God in blasphemy and cursing? Are we using God’s name in a superficial and stupid way? Are we claiming the name of God but acting in a way that disgraces Him? Do we name God as our God but are not following Him? Do we claim to be followers of Christ, but conduct our lives contrary to His word? Are we honouring God in our words and actions? Today’s text challenges us to reflect on these things. If we are guilty, let’s confess our failures, and together let us commit to honour God’s name. Amen.

Jermaine Gibson

Friday Reflection
July 2, 2021
Remember This

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
Ephesians 2:8 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.2.8.NIV

Good morning friends, happy Friday!
Today I share with you a poem as we reflect on the scripture above.

Remember this
Remember that you are saved by grace and NOT by works.
NOT by the works of your hand, but by a great and mighty man… JESUS! the one and only true DON!

Never leave us nor forsake us, never stop holding our hands. Not because of our plans, but because of his divine intention.

Remember this
Remember that grace is a GIFT 🎁 .
Once you get the gist, you remain legit.
True and faithful to the giver, NOT forgetting he’s a winner.

Once you remember that Grace is a gift,
You will not boast , not even about your dish.
But instead you will be thankful even if you only have one fish.

Remember this
Every good gift comes from God, it’s not a myth.
It’s never about you, it’s all about HIM.
All about his salvation, his restoration and his dedication.

Remember this
His grace is sufficient for you, in your time of weakness, his strength is made perfect!
It is nothing good that you have done, it’s ONLY because you have accepted the SON.
The Son of God comes that you might have life and have it more abundantly.

Remember this
There is nothing to gain from your works, but by faith you will be able to stand in his Grace.
His free gift!
ALWAYS remember this, you are saved by grace and not the works of your hands

BLESSINGS!

Written by:
Shaneka Raymore Euphfa

Thursday Reflection

July 1, 2021

God has not changed

Yet I have been the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no saviour.
Hosea 13:4

Greetings to you on this the first day of July. As some of us reflect on the first half of the year let us remember God has not changed

God used the relationship of Hosea and his wife to illustrate His love for his sinful people. God instructed Hosea to marry Gomer even though he know beforehand that she would leave him. After that period of abandonment God again instructed Hosea to love Gomer and take her as wife again. This illustration demonstrated the love God has for his children even when they were rebellious.

Our text for today begins with the Lord reminding the children of Israel [in this passage referred to as Ephraim] of their greatness. At the time Hosea wrote to them Ephraim was going through a period of success. They were self sufficient and had great wealth. The nation was prosperous.

There was no challenge that was causing them to seek God’s face. As a result they became complacent and engaged in idol worship. They sinned by making silver idols and skillfully carved images with their hands. They sacrificed their children to these idols and worshipped them. Hence a warning from the Lord, “They will disappear like the morning mist and like the smoke from a chimney.

The people had changed. The success they were experiencing caused them to forget God. It caused them to do whatever they wanted which included idol worship. Like Gomer they committed adultery and turned their back on the Lord.

How many of us have turned our backs on the Lord, because things are not bad right now. How often as a church we forget to seek the Lord, because we’re not going through a crisis. I remember when the church went through a crisis and we sought the face of God, but now that things are okay we no longer seek the face of God. Like the children of Israel we’re comfortable and when we’re comfortable we then to get complacent and when we become complacent we will be punished. But hear the good news, God has not changed

The same Lord who brought the children of Israel out of Egypt and fed them in the wilderness is the same God today who is willing like Hosea to receive us again. God loves us so much that He will accept us, if we turn from our adultery. Let us turn back to God and seek his face before the Lord’s wrath falls on our complacency.

Shalom
Christopher Euphfa

Monday Reflection – June 28, 2021 God’s Treasured Possession
They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, my special possession on the day when I act, and I will spare them as parents spare their children who serve them. Malachi 3:17
In the context of today’s Watchword, we discover that God has a super great purpose for his people. God’s ultimate purpose is to make those who are rebels and sinners by nature into jewels, God’s treasured possession. Malachi addresses two types of people, those who are arrogant and those who fear the Lord, both of whom are God’s people. The arrogant people were unhappy with the Lord because he was not measuring up to their expectations. By 430 B.C. Israel was a small province in the backwaters of the Persian empire. The future glory prophesied by Haggai and Zechariah had not been realized, and the people were losing hope. Certain that time was running out for God to come in power to exalt Israel, they began to doubt God’s covenant of grace. They became cynical and totally insensitive, not only about the love of God, but also about their own sin. They began to say it was worthless to serve God, and so their worship became formal, mechanical, and ceremonial, without any demonstration of heart, sincerity nor faith in God’s covenant. Since they believed that God did not care for them, they became disrespectful of God and angry with him. In the midst of all this, God exercised patience and forbearance toward his people.
Happily, not all of God’s people were arrogant. In Malachi 3:16 we read of those who heard the arrogant speech of their brothers: “Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard.” God was delighted with the conversation of the humble. They demonstrated wisdom by fearing the Lord. We all need the fear of the Lord. Arrogant people are fools, but the godly are those who by faith see God in his word and live in obedience to that word. Their delight is in the law of the Lord. The life of the godly is a deliberately God-conscious life. It is a life ordered by a true consciousness of God. Godly persons seek to order their lives in a way that is pleasing to God.
Malachi notes in today’s Watchword that there are awesome priviledges when we live for the Lord – we are God’s treasured possession, God’s jewels. This means we are most precious and most beautiful. God has been making us into his jewels for a long time–from all eternity. Admittedly, we were not very promising material. We are by nature wicked sinners, enemies of God. But God says, “I’ll work with them,” and he does. Only God can do this, and he chooses to do it. In eternity God chose us in Christ and predestined us to be conformed to the glorious image of his own Son. For what purpose? So that, in God’s time, we might enjoy fellowship with him and that God might take delight in us. Now, God is sanctifying us, changing us from glory to glory. To do this, there may be times when he puts us in his furnace and applies heat to remove the impurities from us. Just as one refines gold and silver, so God uses trials and tribulations to make us sparkling as jewels, holy and blameless in his sight. The work God has begun in us, he will soon complete. To what end? That without blemish and stain, and full of glory, we shall be brought to glory to live in God’s presence for all eternity. And Oh what a day that will be! God’s treasured possession enjoying the presence and glory of God forever! Hallelujah! Amen!
Jermaine Gibson

Monday Reflection – June 14, 2021 Waiting on God
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. Lamentations 3:25
When we think about it, patience is really a virtue. For many, waiting for anything feels like a complete waste of time. Waiting for God to move or answer seems even worse. Lamentations 3:25-27 shows us the value of living between suffering and restoration – “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” We could read these verses this way – “Good is the Lord to those who wait for him, Good it is that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” The text shows that there is obviously something good about waiting. To wait on the Lord means to place our hope in him, to trust that God is the one who can deliver us. Our entire confidence rests on him.
As Jeremiah laments, he recognizes that all the misery of God’s people had come because they would not truly seek God and wait for him. They rejected and rebelled for generations, then looked to others for rescue. Seeking God again would bring renewed expressions of his goodness. Admittedly, there are times when the only thing a sufferer can do is wait for God. But waiting is good because God is worth waiting for. Lament serves us well as we mourn and wait.
Why is waiting so hard? Mainly because it feels as if we are not doing anything, and that is the point. Sometimes we have nothing to do but allow God to work. However, waiting is one of the greatest applications of the Christian faith. We are putting our trust in God, placing our hope in him, and expressing confidence that he is in control. Waiting puts us in an uncomfortable place where we are out of control of our lives. This is the season where God shapes and refines us.
The uncertainty of what may or may not happen is usually haunting in the process of waiting. It can occupy so much space in our thinking. This has affected my sleep and assault my mind with the first thoughts of the day. Waiting can be hard because of the fear of what might happen. Our inability to do anything but wait is a powerless feeling. We want to know the answer. We want to know what’s going on. We want to know, what is the point of all that we are going through? Why is this happening? Rather than resisting this season, we can see waiting as an opportunity for life-changing lessons.
If we are in a position of waiting, let the words from Lamentations remind us that waiting is not a waste. In our lament, we should release control of our lives and say to God that though we don’t know what he is doing or why, we are going to trust him and the process that he is taking us through. If God’s providence requires us to wait, let’s remind our hearts that much good can come from this season. The Lord desires to teach us many lessons, and those lessons often come slowly—after we have stopped trying on our own, at the point we are broken and ready for him to lead us. In the midst of suffering, we would do well to remember that waiting on the Lord is not a waste. We wait upon the Lord because he is God and we are not. Isaiah 40:31 reminds us, “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Jermaine Gibson