Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

When you pray.

Matthew 6v5 “And when you pray. ”  (NIV)

Jesus makes the assumption that his disciples would pray regularly as well as give and fast (6v1-4 & 16-18). As his initial disciples were all Jewish by background, this was a reasonable assumption because it was common practice amongst the 1^st century Jews to pray 3 times a day. The practice is not in Old Testament Law, but David refers to this practice in the Psalms, and so does Daniel in his life story.

Prayer is communication with God. Communication is best when it is open, honest, relevant, respectful and frequent.

It is impossible to become a Christian without prayer.

It is impossible to function as a Christian without prayer.

Yet most of us struggle with prayer in one way or another. For the next four Sundays and some other Sundays in the autumn we will focus on developing our communication with God with the help of the “Prayer Course” material. During August, some will be away, and so we provide links to the videos to catch up as possible with where  so that we might all grow together in this vital area.

In addition, at the end of the four Sundays, we will have a day of prayer on Wednesday 31^st August. We encourage you to participate in this as far as is possible for you (see below “news”).

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

How is God answering your prayers?

Genesis 15v2 “But Abram said, ‘O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless.’ ”  (NIV)

Abraham was a friend of God (James 2v23) and in Genesis, we find a record of some of the conversations between God and Abraham.

There are 3 main requests Abraham made of God:

• Abraham asks for an heir (Genesis 15v2-3). This prayer was in accord with God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 13v16, “I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth.” God answered this prayer some years later with the birth of Isaac. In effect God’s answer was, “Yes, that is what I have said, but not yet.”
• Abraham asks for Ishmael to be his heir an receive the blessing ( Genesis 17v18). This prayer was made in a moment of doubt and despair. God gives partial affirmation to his request, but then reassures Abraham that His real heir will be coming in a year’s time. In effect, God’s answer was, “Well yes to a degree, but I have something far better than what you are asking.”
• Abraham asks God to preserve Sodom for the sake of 10 righteous people (Genesis 18v32). In Abraham’s heart is a strong desire to preserve his nephew Lot. God affirms that he would not destroy it for 10 righteous people. However, the reality is there is not that many there and so Sodom is destroyed. But, God answers the heart of Abraham by rescuing Lot (considered righteous) so that he is not destroyed with the wicked. In effect, God’s answer was, “I like your principle, but I am going to work things out a different way.”

What are your requests to God right now? Is one of the responses God gives Abraham appropriate to you?

It is right that we express to God our heart’s desires: that is part of our friendship with God. Let’s make sure we are listening carefully to our Father’s replies.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Praying Globally

1 Timothy 2v1 “I urge then that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority.”  (NIV)

There are a couple of things to highlight from this verse:

• We are often encouraged to be specific in our prayers, but this instruction of Paul’s is towards a very broad covering of prayer.
• We may often pray for the downtrodden, but here we are called to also pray for the privileged.

Paul continues in the next verses to give some core requests in these prayers:

• “that we may live peaceful and quiet live in all godliness and holiness.” We can pray that those in authority set the scene in policy and legislation for the peace of all citizens who seek to do good.
• “this is good and pleases God our Saviour who wants all men to be saved.” God wants all people to be saved (though, elsewhere, it is clear that not all are). Praying for people’s salvation is therefore very much in line with the desires of God.

This leaves us with the following questions for reflection:

• How often do we pray for those in authority over us whether in family, work, or society?
• What impact might our prayers make?
• Do prayers have more impact than a vote at the ballot box?

Let’s pray for our national leaders at this time of leadership change, for places in our world where there is fighting over who leads, and for those leading the Fun Week next week.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

The writing is on the Wall

Daniel 5v5 “Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall … the king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened …”  (NIV)

In Daniel 5, Belshazzar, king of the Babylonian Empire is holding a huge feast. At the feast, his hostility towards God climaxes when he uses the gold goblets from the temple in Jerusalem in praise of the Babylonian gods.

A miraculous hand appears and starts writing on the wall, but no one can tell what it says. The queen mother recalls Daniel’s gift in interpretation from years before, and so the king calls Daniel.

Daniel reminds King Belshazzar of how his predecessor was humbled by “the Most High God” until he acknowledged that God is “sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes.” He then turns to Belshazzar, “you have not humbled yourself though you knew all this … you did not honour God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.”

Daniel then reads the inscription, “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin” and explains its meaning,

“Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and the Persians”

As a thank you, the king proceeds to make Daniel the third highest ruler in the kingdom. Did the king not understand what God has said through Daniel?

That very night the Medes and Persians broke into Babylon and King Belshazzar was slain.

It is from this piece of history that we get the expression in English, “The writing is on the wall.” I am sure you can draw some parallels to current circumstances in places, but the main points which always apply are:

• God is always sovereign, even over secular nations. Human powers rise and fall.
• God always knows both what is happening and what is going to happen. Our security, our hope, our future is in his hands.
• God uses his people to bring his word even in secular situations. That takes courage.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 4v30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (NIV)

Here is a wonderful truth, a glorious promise and a serious challenge.

The wonderful truth: the Holy Spirit is a person with feelings. He experiences a variety of emotions including being grieved. The Greek word can also be translated distress, make sad, make sorrowful. There are things which upset our God and the Holy Spirit. What is upsetting him at present?

The glorious promise: the presence of the Holy Spirit in us is a seal for the future day. The presence of the Holy Spirit guarantees us full acceptance by the Father into his eternal dwelling. No ifs, no buts, you have the seal on you. Praise God for this blessed assurance.

The serious challenge: God’s Spirit is called holy because he is holy. It is possible for us to grieve the Holy Spirit who is so precious to us. Our unholy attitudes and actions can upset him, and cause him sorrow and grief. O Holy Spirit, have the upper hand in our lives we pray.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Platinum Jubilee

1 Timothy 2v1-2 “I urge then, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (NIV)

We are celebrating 70 years of reign by our Queen Elizabeth the Second. While not all of us may be monarchists, I am sure most of us recognize something special about our Queen. It is not just the length of her reign, but also the character she has brought to it: characterized by service and faithfulness.

The Queen has consistently carried a sense of her Christ-shaped values, and in recent decades she has become bolder in how she conveys these in her broadcasts at Christmas and other occasional times.

Let me take four quotations from her:

“For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Pace, whose birth we celebrate today, is an inspiration and an anchor in my life. A role-model of reconciliation and forgiveness, he stretched out his hands in love, acceptance and healing.” Elizabeth II, Christmas Address 2014

“For me, the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many to you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.” Elizabeth II, Christmas Address 2000

“This is the time of year when we remember that God sent his only son “to serve, not be served”. He restored love and service to the centre of our lives in the person of Jesus Christ.” Elizabeth II, Christmas Address 2000

It is poignant too, to note her vision for our nation, “I believe in our qualities and in our strength. I believe that together we can set an example to the world which will encourage upright people everywhere.” Elizabeth II, Christmas Address 1957

We have the “Queensway” in Telford, but you may also like to read “The Queen’s Way” article by Michael Greene which highlights how her Christmas messages convey her thinking and attitudes. The Queen’s Way | Long read | LICC

When Paul wrote the above instruction in 1 Timothy 2v1-2 (above) the infamous Nero was Emperor. Disagreement is not an excuse to not pray for someone; so let’s follow the instruction to give thanks and pray for secular authorities – and particularly this weekend.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

We’re in the know

Ephesians 1v9 “He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure.” (NIV)

My family will tell you that I not the best at following the plotline, and so, my “Marvel-fan-daughter” will generally guide me through the plot of Marvel films!! I am sure you will have experienced a time when you came to discover something, only to find that everyone else seems to have known about it first. It feels good to be in the know, and to understand what is going on.

Many in this world do not understand what is ultimately going on. As a result they are scraping round in the dark, trying various routes, and worrying about the many tribulations this world affords.

One of the key blessings that God gives us in Jesus is knowledge; knowledge of what is going on – at least at the top level. You have been chosen to be in on the mystery! It is a mystery to the world at large because it can only be known by God’s revelation, but we who know God are also told his will.

What is his will? It is “to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” (1v10). There are three key things to consider here: firstly, we are heading towards unity under one head which implies peace and harmony; secondly, this unity will include a oneness between heaven and earth; and thirdly, the supreme ruler over all things will be Christ Jesus, the Prince of Peace and the Victor over Evil. Many are seeking to achieve this unity and peace by human effort, but God is ultimately going to bring it about through Jesus. This is fantastic news in world of uncertainty and challenge. There’s an old Sunday school song, “With Christ in the boat you can smile at the storm.” The storms come, and the storms don’t always disappear as quickly as we would like, but with Christ we can sing another older hymn:

“I know who holds the future, And I know he holds my hand;
With God things don’t just happen ev’rything by Him is planned.
So as I face tomorrow with its problems large and small,
I’ll trust the God of miracles, Give to Him my all!”

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Ephesians 1v7 “In him we have redemption through his blood.” (NIV)

What is redemption? It is the setting free of someone or something that has come to belong to another. Often redemption involves some kind of price being paid. In the Old Testament, Israel was redeemed from slavery in Egypt: to effect it, the blood of a lamb was put on the doorframe. Also, a slave could be set free by paying a sum of money. In each case, when they were set free, they were free of what previously held them and they lived very differently.

A chapter later in Ephesians, Paul writes “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air  … gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature.” (2v1-3). This is what we have been redeemed from. We are no longer enslaved – neither to our own desires, nor to the ways of the world, nor to the power of the evil one. Why not? Because Jesus paid the price on the cross for us to be set free.

This is one of the phenomenal blessings in Christ Jesus. It is time for us to live the redeemed life. It is not yesterday anymore!

May the power of the blood of Jesus have full sway over you and so bring the full freedom of God’s redemption of you today,

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

“God’s Pleasure”

Ephesians 1v5 “In love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” (NIV)

What pleases God? What gives Him pleasure?

Both at Jesus’ baptism and at his transfiguration, God the Father spoke over him, “This is my Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased.” Jesus brought great pleasure to the Father.

Now it pleases God to adopt you and I as his sons, his children. It pleases him that you call him “Father”. It is his delight and his pleasure to welcome you, to consider you belong to him, to adopt you, to nurture you and to release you into the freedom of his kingdom.

The conception of a child can be either intended or unintended. The adoption of a child is always intentional: it involves a deliberate process of matching, choice and assignment. It is always purposeful. An adopted child who was being teased on the school playground responded, “Your parents got landed with you, but my parents chose me.” So with our Heavenly Father, he chose you just as you are!

Why did he choose you? It was “in love” for you (see start of above quote).

How could he adopt you, as you are, warts and all? It was by his “glorious grace” (1v6). His grace means he does not treat us as our sins deserve, but forgives all our faults and embraces us for the new creation we are in Christ Jesus.

May you know the Father’s choice and love today,

With love and blessing,

Roland