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 

*Thursday Reflection*
*June 10, 2021*
*Obey God’s commandments*
*For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3 NRSV*
Greeting friends 
I begin this reflection by asking what are the commandments of God? We can find the answer in Luke 10:27 which says, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”
As John reflected in this chapter he stated that everyone who believes in Jesus has become a child of God and everyone who loves God, loves his children too.  This is how we know we love God, when we love his children and keep his commandments. 
As I reflected on the Apostle John’s comments, I realize how easy it is to say we love God, but here John shows us that we cannot love God without loving those who are part of the body of Christ and also without loving our neighbor which includes our enemy. *No amount of position in the church, no amount of titles in the church and no amount of length of service in the church can replace or substitute the command of Jesus to love God and love others.* So in others words, your position of Elder, Steward or Treasurer nor your title of Bishop, President, or Reverend, nor your 20, 30, or 50 years of service in the church can substitute or replace God’s command to Love Him and Love Others.
*What does this Love entails?* I realize we find it easy to help those in dire need, but love surpasses this. Loving God means giving up everything for God-your time, your job, and your loved ones. God becomes the most important person in your life and this must be backed up by action. We cannot say we love God and we spend the least amount of time with Him daily. We cannot say God is the most important person in our life and we are not willing to give up anything for God. Likewise we cannot say we love people and we look down on them or speak to them in demeaning manner. We ignore their needs and operate as if they are below us. This is not reflective of God’s command to love our neighbours. To love your neighbour is speaking to them in a respectful manner, being there for them and journeying with them. When we love as God intended then we are believers of Christ.
John says God’s commandment to love is not burdensome. Everyone who believe in God has already defeated the world and we achieved this victory through our faith. So our faith helps us to love. Are you finding it hard to love someone today? Then check your faith, this is needed to show love to God and to others.
So obey God’s commandments and show love to God and to others for its easy to do with faith.
*Blessings*
*Christopher Euphfa*

Tuesday Reflection – June 08, 2021 Looking Forward to Brighter Days 
When we are experiencing hardships or difficulties, when we have received disappointing news or an unexpected and depressing diagnosis, it is great news to know that there is a promise of brighter days. As we continue in this period of pandemic and experience all the unexpected events associated with it, it is good to know that there is a promise of brighter days. Today’s watchword promises better days to an Israel that was experiencing feelings of abandonment by God as they struggled under the harsh conditions of captivity and exile. The prophesy of Isaiah was a promise of happier days. Hear today’s Watchword from Isaiah 60: 17. The Lord said, ‘I will appoint peace as your overseer and righteousness as your taskmaster.”  
In Isaiah 60, the prophecy focuses on the way God will redeem and use Israel as a light to the nations. It highlights a change from a time of darkness and gloom to a time of light and new life. Those who persecuted Israel will look to her as God’s chosen ones. What she lost through the persecution of the nations around her will be restored by God. She will experience better days than she had known. It shows us that when we lose stuff, we should not lose hope but keep trusting God who is able to restore to us much more that we lost. This spiritual renewal of Israel would lead to a time of physical prosperity for them. The grievances of the previous chapter – unfair and dishonest rulers – would be addressed under God’s new order. This would be welcome news for any suffering people and Israel was no exception. They could endure the present knowing that their future was already secured by God. The same goes for us. We endure the here and now knowing that God has brighter days in store for us. Peace, honor and prosperity is most attractive and meaningful after one has suffered through war, humiliation, and poverty. Indeed, the news of better days becomes most welcome to those experiencing hardships.    
For the child of God living in a time when the church and the Christian faith no longer enjoys the privilege of being held on a pedestal, when countries which once boasted to be Christian nations with their laws being the laws of Godliness have changed their position to one of secularism and individualism, it is good news to know that the time is coming when righteousness will be restored and God will receive the glory due to His name. In today’s world people and things are glorified. People in entertainment and politics are given more glory and admiration than that given to God, but the time is coming when their glory will be revealed as insignificant compared to that of the one true God, when their wealth and their earthly kingdoms will be discovered as insignificant compared to the kingdom that God will establish. In Fact, the time is coming when their possessions will prove worthless and useless to their salvation. 2 Cor 3: 10  For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels.  
These days we have seen how helpless those who we esteem truly are. We have discovered how worthless the pursuit of wealth truly is and we have seen how hopeless the systems we hold in reverence can be. In the midst of it all, we have also seen the worth of faith and trust in God as well as the value of a life lived in hope of God’s eternity. May we be reminded then that God who gives peace and righteousness to the suffering and oppressed remains the only hope for a better and brighter future. We are reminded in Romans 14: 17 that ‘His kingdom is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit’. Amen.
Bevon White

Monday Reflection – June 07, 2021God’s Steadfast Love in the Morning
Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Psalm 143:8
Psalm 143 describes David in another crisis. Because his life was filled with so much activity and danger, it is challenging to link this Psalm to any one particular point of crisis. It could be when David was recognized as king and living as a fugitive from King Saul, or it could be from David’s time as king, particularly when his son Absalom led a rebellion against him. What is clear is that David is facing danger and pleading for God’s help. Experience has taught David that he must cry out to God or he would be lost. Not only is David crying out, but he wants a quick answer, so he says in verse 7, “Answer me speedily, O Lord”. Like David, we know that God always does things in His own time and at just the right time, but some crises of life become so unbearable that we desire God’s urgent intervention and deliverance.
In today’s Watchword, David wants to hear of God’s steadfast love in the morning. David needs to hear a good word from God, and asks that he would be caused to hear it. Perhaps David wonders if God is speaking and he is failing to hear. Isn’t it true that so many times God is speaking but we are not listening? We are not in tune with the Lord, or perhaps caught up in the busyness of life that we have shut out the voice of God. I was listening recently to a sermon by TD Jakes who said that if he were the devil, he would keep us busy. For when we get so busy, we fail to benefit from the still waters that the Lord provides, where He converses with us, revealing His will and plan for our lives, and we experience His peace.
At this moment David needs to hear something of God’s great mercy, His lovingkindness, His steadfast love. He needs to hear this early in the morning, so he will have the assurance and know where and how to walk during the day. David confesses that he didn’t know the way, and that he needed God to cause him to know the way. He didn’t only need the love of God, he also needed the guidance of God. Indeed, we can never go wrong when we start the day with God and follow His Holy Spirit’s guidance. Therefore, as we start making physical preparations for the day, we must also make spiritual preparations. Taking time with God every morning requires practice and discipline. There are dozens of things that may try to pull us away and distract us, but we must ignore them and make time for the Lord. Often the enemy tries to meddle in our lives, so that we think that we do not have time for prayer and meditation and we fool ourselves into believing that we will set aside time later in the day to spend with God.  
When we begin the day with God, He sends us off in the right direction because He knows what is waiting for us. Trusting Him means taking time with Him to set our course for the day according to His will. Isaiah says, the Lord “wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.” (Isaiah 50:4) As we seek to meet the challenges, bear the burdens, resist the temptations, solve problems, and fulfil the responsibilities to which we are exposed to each day, may we first draw near to God for His guidance, undergirded by His steadfast love.  
Jermaine Gibson