Saturday Reflection – 03 October 2020

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined. Isaiah 9:2

Have you ever wanted to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and the light switch is on the other end of the room so you have to grope around in the dark to find your way safely. Many times, we are successful and other times, we hit our toe against something in the room. Imagine that state of uncertainty as to exactly where on the wall, the light switch is, as we grope around and cannot seem to find its exact location. See our arms outstretched as we try to guide ourselves safely to the bathroom. Now, imagine the difference when we find the switch and the light is turned on. It is a completely different reality. There is clarity and we know exactly where we are going.

The prophet Isaiah uses this comparison to bring home the immense darkness that covers the world. In that darkness, there is hopelessness, fear, frustration, hurt and pain, there is no clarity in thought and sight and we grope around to find our way. And there, in that dark and dread state, comes the Christ to dispel the darkness. Jesus said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (St. John 8:12)

Remember that clarity that we experienced when we finally found the light switch and we turned it on. Now, we see the obstacles clearly that prevented our way – some we tripped over, some in front of us. But we see the path clearly to where we need to go. There is the change when our eyes are opened, and we see things clearer. We begin to recognize those snares that trapped us, the obstacles that we need to avoid, and we walk hand-in-hand with our all-seeing and all-knowing Saviour who journeys with us to the very end. All that groping around, the hopelessness, fear, frustration, hurt and pain is transformed as the darkness is dispelled and replaced with power, love and a sound mind.

Isaiah begins to ignite hope in a hopeless and broken world marred by the consequences of sin, negligence and disobedience. There, the Messiah would come and bring light to the world. He would teach us the way to live and open the gates of glory. He would come to heal our brokenness, help the sick and sin-sick and open our eyes. As a ransom for sin he would reconcile us with God. Now the Messiah has come, and the light shines in the darkness. There is hope where it seems that we no longer can see our way through. Light to guide us, journey with us – journey through this pandemic that seems to have clouded the pathway that is our normalcy. Brothers and sisters, even in this pandemic – our moment of deep darkness, on us light has shined.

We do not need to grope around, for the Christ, the light of the world, has guided us, through his Word, his Holy Spirit and the health professionals that seek to safeguard our health. Therefore, we need not be afraid, but be wise and obedient.

Until next week, as we journey onwards, may we know him and walk in his light. There is hope for in the midst of the darkness, David declares “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11, ESV) Amen.

Dominic J. Blair

Wednesday Reflection, September 30, 2020

Unwavering Faith

Make us strong, Lord, and help us to stand firm against temptation and wrong. Make us watchful, so that we may never be taken unawares. Make us ready to place ourselves in your hands, so that we may know your power. May we take to ourselves the whole armour of God, after the example of Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever.

Dearly beloved, I greet you well. As today marks the end of September, I pray that this reflection will help some of us to realign our belief, our trust, our confidence in the Lord God; enabling us to have and to maintain unwavering faith.

Daily I meet people who just can’t wait for 2020 to end. They lament about how awful this year has been and about all that has gone wrong. Their downfalls, disappointments and setbacks.

Perhaps, you too have simply had rotten luck this year right? No! Brothers and sisters, of this one thing I am confident, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Yes, there appears to be trouble on every side, and yes things appear to be going from bad to worse but remember that the trying of our faith brings about patience and that the believer ought to glory in tribulations.

Much of what I have said is so much easier said than done. We know the scriptures but it is ever a challenge to put them into practice. Jesus knew that we would struggle and that our limitations would seek to overtake us which is why He gave us the Holy Spirit the comforter to guide us or keep us grounded when we feel most lost/alone.

In today’s watchword, the psalmist affirms, “I kept the faith, even when I said, ‘I am greatly afflicted’. Psalm 116:10
Friends, the troubles of the world we live in will constantly seek to oppress us but James 1:2 reminds us, ‘blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

In closing, I join with LM Mills in praying, ‘Father, hear the prayer we offer; not for ease that prayer shall be, but for strength that we may ever live our lives courageously.

Be our strength in hours of weakness, in our wanderings be our guide; through endeavor, failure, danger,
Father, be thou at our side.’

Amen

Kerone Lamoth

Monday Reflection – September 28, 2020
A Word to the Youth

Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come, and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”. Ecclesiastes 12:1

How do we make sense of life? What do we need to do to make the best of the life that we have? How do we experience joy and fulfillment in this life? These are among many questions that we all ask ourselves. If we have not asked ourselves these questions, it is either that we have not lived long enough or we are not passionately pursuing life to make the best of it. People of every age and culture wrestle with these issues. Solomon was no different as he too tried to make sense of life. Though given wisdom from God, he outlines in the book of Ecclesiastes that he sought after joy and fulfillment and tried money, material possessions, sexual pleasures and much more, but as he puts it, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

Having experienced all that, Solomon offers a sound word of advice to young people as he concludes his book. He challenges them to remember Yahweh while they are young and before the evil days come. For him, youth must quickly recognize that they are God’s property, so they should serve him from the start of their years and not the end of it when service is very limited. There is the need to realize that God is our Creator who has beautifully fashioned us into his image and likeness. Sin has separated us from God, but through Christ’s death and resurrection we can all experience new life in God so life can be lived with God-directed purpose.   

But why this advice from Solomon? In verses 1-5 the reasons are outlined, as Solomon speaks of the sun and the light, the moon and the stars, that are not darkened, and follows this up with a poetic description of the effects of advancing age. So he speaks of:

      The keepers of the house tremble: The arms and hands that keep the body now begin to tremble

      The strong men bow down: The legs and knees begin to sag

      The grinders cease because they are few: Teeth are lost and chewing is more difficult

      The windows grow dim: The eyes get dim

      The sound of grinding is low: The ears become weaker and weaker

      One rises up at the sound of a bird: Sleep becomes more difficult and one is easy wakened

      The daughters of music are brought low: Singing and music are less appreciated

      Afraid of height, and of terrors in the way: One becomes more fearful in life

      The almond tree blossoms: The hair becomes white

      The grasshopper is a burden: The once active become weak and become dependent

      Desire fails: The passions and desires of life weaken and wane

Solomon follows this up with a final plea in verses 6-7. The youth should remember God before they die. Death is depicted as the irreversible shattering of a golden bowl when cut from the end of a silver cord and the similar smashing of a pitcher or wheel (verse 6). After death, we must all face the judgment. Let us all, young and old, live our lives in full surrender to God and to God’s glory, since we don’t know when our end will come.

Jermaine Gibson 

Saturday Reflection – 26 September 2020

“For I am with you, says the Lord, to save you.” Jeremiah 30:11

Since the ongoing pandemic, the world has been placed in a standstill. The things that we have been used to such as our way of worship, (especially in celebrating our Special Services) school, work and just our general way of living has been affected. And the thing is, many of us thought that this would be a six-month inconvenience, but it is clearer now, that life will not be the same again. and we now must contemplate a new normal.

As we read Jeremiah 30, we see just how the destruction and exile had affected the Israelites. In verses 5-6, Jeremiah says “Thus says the Lord: We have heard a cry of panic, of terror, and no peace. Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labour? Why has every face turned pale?” There has been much anxiety and grappling fear over the rising number of positive cases; the resources needed for an effective teaching-learning environment, the constant need to wear masks and sanitize has brought on some uneasiness and apprehension.

Yet still, as Jeremiah preaches God’s message of hope and restoration, it becomes even more relevant as we confront the lasting effects of COVID-19. God had promised the nations of Israel and Judah that he will “…break the yoke from off his neck, and … will burst his bonds…” (vs. 8) And encourages his people saying “…have no fear, my servant Jacob, says the Lord, and do not be dismayed, O Israel; for I am going to save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and no one shall make him afraid.” (vs. 10) In the same way, we are today encouraged. For like the people, this disaster may seem unending and would just worsen as the days go on. But God reminds us that he will save us, will redeem us from captivity (even the captivity of our homes due to COVID-19) and we will return to quiet and ease and we shall not be afraid anymore.

And God will save us. Today’s watchword is a reminded that those footprints in the sand, are still evident in today’s world. That though we have tribulation, the one who has overcome the world, walks closely beside us. He is the one that will save us. In this resolve, we see our anxieties and perplexities, the uneasiness and fear being replaced with the power, the love and the sound mind given to us by his refreshing Holy Spirit. Allow his peace then, that passes all understanding to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Until next week, as we continue to journey through this pandemic, wearing masks, sanitizing, and constantly checking our temperatures. May we continue to place everything in God’s hands while we continually wash ours. For God is with us and will save us. Amen.

Dominic J. Blair

Friday Reflection
September 25, 2020

These Three Things

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.
Colossians 3:16 NRSV
https://bible.com/bible/2016/col.3.16.NRSV

Good morning Friends, happyyyyyyy Friday!!!
I trust you are all keeping well and safe as we continue to grapple with the Covid 19 pandemic. If you are reading this reflection today , September 25, 2020, you are blessed. Many have died this year, many have been hospitalized and many are still alive. We are fortunate to have made it to this day. Therefore, I encourage you to ensure you remain in these three things:

1. The word of Christ: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. It is easy , especially in times of crisis to forget and withdraw from the word of God. He says , “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Therefore, take heart friends and continue to be guided by his words as you journey through the rest of 2020 and beyond.
2. Teaching one another: Teach and admonish one another in all wisdom. This my friends is very important. Especially in these times, we must be careful to approach our brothers and sisters with some level of wisdom. Often times we teach or advice persons to do something and we do so without any thought on how it might affect the person. It’s important to teach and advice one another in all wisdom.
3. Gratitude is a must: And with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Having made it to September of this year, wi affi gi tanks to almighty God! It is indeed a privilege to be alive. Today, show your gratitude to God, by singing hymns and spiritual song to him. Songs of thanksgiving.

Remember these three things, let the word of Christ dwell in you, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom and have a heart of gratitude!

Until next, stay safe, stay true and stay blessed!

Shaneka Raymore Euphfa

Thursday Reflection September 24, 2020 What is in your heart?

“Each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of the evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.” Luke 6:44-45

Good day friends!

I want to begin this reflection with a series of questions for self-examination. When you gather at the workplace and join with friends to negatively and maliciously speak about others what type of spiritual fruit are you producing? When you refuse to speak to a brother or sister at church and completely avoid the person what fruit are you producing? When you tell lies on others, especially to save your own self, what kind of fruit are you producing? When you commit fornication, adultery and sexual immorality what kind of fruit are you producing? When you ignore the word of God and the teachings of the Bible what kind of fruit are you producing?

Jesus was teaching a large crowd on a mountain. This is the same mountain that he gave the Beatitudes. This was a series of teaching by Jesus which covered many aspects of life. In his teaching in chapter 6 of Luke, he taught about the fruit in people’s lives. A tree is identified by the fruit that it produces and a good tree cannot produce bad fruit. Jesus gave the following illustration, “Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.” So in other words a fig tree will produce figs and grape vines will produce grape. They will not produce fruit such as thorns or brambles. So a good person will NOT produce sexual immorality, quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfish ambition, malicious conversations, lustful pleasures, division and envy (Galatians 6:19-21) . Instead a good person WILL produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 6: 22-23). So the good person will produce that which is good and the bad person that which is bad.

As Jesus continued teaching the multitude about the fruit that one produces, He got to the heart of the matter which is the heart. Hear Jesus, “The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of the evil treasure produces evil”. Your heart determines what type of fruit you will produce. If you are producing bad fruit that mean your heart is at a bad place and if you are producing good fruit your heart is in a good place and all of this is reflected by our speech. The New Living Translation commentary Bible puts it this way, “Jesus reminds us that our speech and actions reveal our true underlying beliefs, attitudes, and motivations. The good impressions we try to make cannot last if we are being deceptive. What is in your heart will come out in your speech and behavior.”

You cannot hide your true nature. You can pretend to produce good fruit, but the bad will come out, because of what is truly in your heart. EXAMINE YOUR HEART TODAY and determine what is in your heart. Don’t just assume it is good, because you do not kill or rob. No examine how you treat people and how you treat God.

Shalom

Christopher Euphfa

Wednesday Reflection, September 23, 2020

He will swallow up death forever. Isaiah 25:8

Victory in Death

Greetings friends, what troubling times we are living in. Many among us and the world over are longing to die, others don’t want to die meanwhile some will tell you that they’d rather die than endure or accept certain things.

This way of thinking ought not to be so for the believer. In Isaiah 25, the chapter opens with the prophet exalting, praising and declaring that all the Lord has said is righteous and true. This was his response to God’s final judgement of the world.

Imagine that, instead of becoming preoccupied with worry Isaiah began to offer praise and worship. Each time he recalled another blessing, another victory, another promise from God he praised evenmore.

He spoke about the Lord destroying cities and strangers who attempted to destroy His people by speaking ill of them. Then he mentions the preparations God has made for those who serve Him. Promises of feasts and no worry or pain. Somewhere where there will be no drama or heartache and definitely no defamation of character.

In today’s watchword, “He will swallow up death forever” Isaiah 25:8 stands as a reminder, a promise, blessed assurance to every believer that God’s plans and purpose for us His children must not be taken lightly. His promises still stand and in His time and in His dwelling place, we shall experience the fullfillment of the promise in the resurrection of believers.

Since this promise was given to them that seek and knock, we must not wait for the gifts of God to fall from heaven into idle hands; we must plough the earth, cultivate the garden, pasture the flocks. -John Amos Comenius

Until next week, continue to hold fast to God’s unwavering promises.

Amen

Kerone Lamoth

Tuesday Reflection – September 22, 2020
How Long, O Lord?

One of the most frequent questions being asked these days is ‘how long’ or ‘how much longer?’ How much longer will we have to endure this virus and the effects? How much longer until we can go back to church? How long will we have to do school from home for I am already tired of it? How long until there is a vaccine? How long until I can work again? How long until we go back to being normal? The question of how long is timeless and often used. Not only is it a quest for information but the response has the potential to settle the mind. In today’s Watchword it is David who asks the ‘how long’ question of God. How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? Psalm 13: 1

There’s no certainty as to what was happening in David’s life at the writing of this Psalm, but we note that he was feeling neglected and abandoned by God. It somehow felt as if God had withdrawn from him and was no longer keeping his promise and covenant. David felt as if the lovingkindness of God which we read of in Psalm 63 was no longer there. This feeling of abandonment by God that David was experiencing was not a good one and he needed to have the assurance from God that it would not be forever. He knew that he could not make it for much longer, could not survive, without God’s presence. Thus he pleads with God, how long, O Lord? Four times he asks this question in the Psalm. How long will you forget me? How long will you stay away from me? How long will I be led by a sorrowful heart? How long will my enemies have the upper hand? This, friends is the cry of a lonely suffering soul. In Revelations 6: 10, following the opening of the fifth seal, John saw the souls of the martyrs under the altar of heaven. Their cry is the same question of pain and anguish. How long O Lord? How long until this comes to an end? How long will evil continue to overpower us? How long until you establish your holy kingdom and reign? When the soul is in anguish, it longs for the establishment of the rule of God for when God takes full control, evil will be destroyed.

Since the beginning of 2020, many of us have silently breathed the question: How long, O Lord? Others have tearfully questioned, how many more, how long, O Lord? Still others have screamed, how long, O Lord, how long? Dear friends, God always has an answer for our how long questions. You see in our timing we want God to act in the here and now but it suits us to remember that God does not see as we do nor does he act according to our desires. In 2 Peter 3: 9 we are reminded that: The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.We need to realize that God has a plan and He is working it out for our good. David concludes the Psalm with such a realization. He decides to wait and to trust God. ‘But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.’ In David’s despair he remembered God’s mercy and it gave him peace for the present as well as hope for the future. My prayer for us today is that even as we lament, we will remember the goodness and mercies of God and be assured that He has not forgotten nor abandoned us. He is in the midst of our storm and he gently guides our vessel to safety. Amen.

Bevon White

Monday Reflection – September 21, 2020

When God Seems Silent

I am shut in so that I cannot escape; my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call on you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you. Psalm 88:8-9

One of the most difficult seasons we can endure as believers is when we feel God is silent, especially when we are in the midst of challenging situations. When it seems everything is going wrong and help seems to be nowhere in sight, it leaves us feeling forgotten, dejected and rejected. Our major frustrations from these seasons come not from simply being in this pit, but thinking that God’s silence means his absence. 

The author of this Psalm identifies with this situation and writes about been through this heartbreaking situation. Psalm 88 appears to be one of the saddest and most dismal chapters in the Bible. The writer expresses feelings of being overwhelmed, cut off, forgotten, grieved, rejected, terrified, despaired and imprisoned. Worst of all, he is crying out to God wondering where God is in all his suffering. The Psalmist ends saying, “darkness is my closest friend” (vs. 18).

However, as Christina Patterson points us, the hope this Psalm offers is not in its ending, but in its beginning. In verse 1 he says, “Lord, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you.” Before he lays out a long list of everything that is going wrong, the Psalmist acknowledges that there is hope for salvation in the Lord, even when God appears silent. We learn that just because God is silent does not mean he is absent, and it certainly does not mean he is not working behind the scenes on our behalf. We must not be deceived by the darkness in our life, it is never greater than where our help comes from. Even when we feel we are in the darkest of places, the writer of Psalm 88 assures that God is there with us.

Four times in this Psalm the writer calls out to God. There was clearly no one else worth reaching out to. The writer must have grabbed a hold of God’s precious promises and desperately clung to them. He knew of God’s endless love and his promise to never leave us nor forsake us. We learn that God is right in the darkness with us and he even walks through the valley of the shadow of death with us (Psalm 23:4). We may not always feel or hear God, but we can always believe his promise is greater than our darkness.

Amazingly, this dark season pushed the Psalmist closer to God. He was not calling out to another person or thing for help. He called out to the one he knew could save. This Psalm reminds us that our dark seasons do not serve to show us that God is absent, but how desperately we need his presence. The Psalmist felt his life was near death so he cries out to the very One who raises the dead. He does not look for salvation from people or things, but from the giver of salvation and the fountain of abundant and eternal life.  Our dark seasons have a purpose. Sometimes the purpose is for us to rely less on self and more on God. I believe this is a sobering lesson to learn in the midst of Covid-19. There is purpose in our pain and hope in our dark season to push us to the light.

Patterson reminds us that sometimes God empties us so he can fill us back up. Sometimes he is silent so we can learn to listen. Sometimes God allows darkness so we can see that he is the true light of our lives.

 Jermaine Gibson 

Friday Reflection
September 11, 2020
Pray!

Today, as we reflect on this passage of scripture, may our souls be blessed and our hearts encouraged:

“Hear my prayer, O Lord , and listen to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears”
Psalms 39:12 (A)
https://bible.com/bible/1588/psa.39.12.AMP

Background: The psalmist was in a place of deep affliction and as such had to make an appeal to the Lord for help. Hear him in verse 10 of the same chapter. “Remove Your plague from me; I am wasting away because of the conflict and opposition of Your hand”.

Application: Let us go through the text line by line that we may understand what the psalmist is saying.

1. Hear my prayer, O Lord
   What prayer you might ask? The prayer was prayed that He (God) would remove the affliction from him ( the psalmist) that laid so hard and heavy upon him. He was becoming weary and weak. Sometimes we too are afflicted and we must PRAY. We cannot reach out to the Lord in any other way. Prayer is our road way.
2. And listen to my cry
   This shows the distress he was in, and the forceful expression of his strong feelings with which he put up his petition to the Lord. Listen! he exclaimed… Sometimes we pray but we are not forceful in expressing our distress to God in our time of need. We ought to be; drastic times calls for drastic measures.
3. Do not be silent at my tears
   The psalmist tears were plenty. They were shed for at least two reasons. Firstly, through the forcefulness of the affliction, and secondly, in his fervent prayers to God. Do you cry long river of tears when you are going through hardship? Do you cry long rivers of tears when you are seeking God for help in these hard times? My answer is yes and I am sure some of you have had similar experiences.
   Tears are a language that God understands.

Prayer
Dear loving God, bold I approach your throne this morning. You are a God of deliverance and a God of peace. I petition your throne of grace this morning and I bring my own afflictions as well as others. Especially that of Covid 19 and all its effects.God we cry unto you, for you are our ROCK and defense. Hear our prayers Lord, listen to our cry and do not be silent to our tears. Amen.

BLESSINGS: Shaneka Raymore Euphfa