Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Dealing with Guilt

“God has uncovered your servants’ guilt.” Genesis 44v16

We continue to follow the Hope Bible Reading chat with Joseph’s brothers struggling with guilt.

You may recall that, out of jealousy, the Joseph’s brothers had decided to kill him, but then relented and merely sold him as a slave. They told their father they had found Joseph’s coat with blood on it and pretended he must have been killed by an animal. In this, they had caused their father much grief and made him much more protective of his youngest son Benjamin.

Now they meet Joseph in Egypt. It becomes clear that for the last 22 years, the brothers had concealed their sin from others, but it remained an open wound in their hearts. As a result, they were interpreting situations in the light of their guilt. And so they speak today’s verse about themselves, “God has uncovered your servant’s guilt” and in Genesis 42v21 “Surely we are being punished because of our brother”.

On the other hand, Joseph has had the opportunity in Egypt to receive healing for the harsh way he was treated. While he tests his brothers’ attitudes, he does not repay them what they did to him. Rather he treats them graciously because he has recognised that, “It was not you who sent me here, but God.” (45v8) and later, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good … I will provide for you and your children.” (50v20)

Yet, despite Joseph’s grace towards them, the underlying guilt is still nagging away at them. And so, they continue to anticipate revenge from Joseph (50v15). Their expectation of Joseph’s attitude is not based on his character, but on their guilt.

We have much better news! Jesus has the power to take away all our sin and guilt. He can make your heart completely clean so that we no longer operate under the cloud of guilt, but under the rays of grace and forgiveness. What guilt continues to hang over your life? Maybe today, you need to lay it bare before God and meditate on the powerful Word of God which says:

• “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1v9) and again,
• “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103v12), and again,
• “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8v1).
• “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience.” (Hebrews 10v22)

Let God’s Word be medicine to your soul!

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Prophetic Dreams

“Joseph had a dream.” Genesis 37v5

Is a dream I had prophetic? What should I do with it?

In today’s Bible reading chat we are introduced to Joseph at the age of 17. In Genesis 37, he has two dreams. In the first, he and his brothers had sheaves of wheat and theirs bowed down to his. In the second, the sun, moon and eleven stars bowed down to him. The most obvious meaning of each of the dreams was that his brothers and even his father and mother would bow down to him.

When Joseph shared the dreams with his father and brothers, his father responded with scepticism, and his brothers responded with jealous hatred. This led to Joseph’s mistreatment and being sold into slavery.

What can we learn from Joseph with regards to prophetic dreams?

1. Joseph unwisely shared it with his family. Be careful who you share your dreams with – especially if it involves them in any way.
2. It may be that Joseph shared his dream because of pride. Be careful not to act out of pride or fear.
3. Joseph’s dreams were not a call to action. Rather they were a call to keep hope through very difficult times of injustice, slavery, prison and being forgotten. God works things out in God’s own way. By contrast, almost 2000 years later, a New Testament Joseph had dreams that very explicitly called for action (Matthew 1v20-21 and 2v13). Be discerning.
4. The only ultimate test of a dream’s validity is its fulfilment (Deuteronomy 18v21-22). So prophetic dreams often help us to see God’s hand in it all after the event.

May God give you the revelation that you need to keep persevering with God in the difficult times.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Why does God bless you?

[Laban said to Jacob], “The Lord has blessed me because of you.” Genesis 30v27

Do you ever feel that you have moved out of God’s blessing? If so, this verse from the Bible Reading chat for today is here to encourage us!

Here are a few key elements of how God works in the life of Jacob:

• God chooses Jacob before he was born, and that ultimately defines his life.
• God continually shows grace towards Jacob despite his envy, deceit and greed.
• Jacob many schemes for his own advantage all end up worthless as he leaves home with nothing but fear, yet God provides for him.
• God chooses to meet with Jacob on a few very dynamic occasions, and as he does so Jacob’s character and commitment to God gradually changes.

In this chapter 30, Jacob had been staying with his uncle Laban for 14 years while working in exchange for his wives. This was a way of paying a dowry when Jacob had nothing of his own. But, for all Jacob’s failings, God was enabling a remarkable fruitfulness through Jacob and Laban could see it and he benefitted from it.

How does this carry through to us as New Testament people? Well, in some ways, Jesus is like a Jacob, but without all the faults. As Jacob had 12 sons, multiplying into the Old Testament tribes of Israel, so Jesus has 12 apostles multiplying in the New Testament church of God. And so, as Laban was blessed because of Jacob’s presence, we are right now blessed as we abide in Christ and He in us. Christ is the Jacob without all the faults. Hence Paul writes in Ephesians 1, “God … has blessed us … with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”

Yes, God blesses you and me because of Jesus! The blessing of God on your life does not depend on you. It depends on Jesus and your ongoing connection with him. As long as Jacob was with Laban, Laban saw abundant fruitfulness. As long as you are connected to Jesus, you will see abundant spiritual blessing. Paul lists some of these blessings in Ephesians 1 – whereas for Laban it was lots of healthy sheep and goats, for us God blesses us with holiness, love, knowing God as Father, forgiveness of sin, knowing God’s ultimate purpose and being filled with the Holy Spirit.

May you be able to rest confident today that God’s blessing on you relies on you being in Jesus, not on anything else.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Our place in the world

“I am an alien and stranger among you.” Genesis 23v4

This verse from the Bible Reading chat for today says so much about my place as a child of God in the world.

Abraham had lived in Canaan for 62 years, but he still counted himself an alien and a stranger there. The writer of Hebrews in the New Testament refers to this verse in chapter 11 when recalling people like Abraham and says, “And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth … they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one.” (v14-16)

The writer of Hebrews is explaining that we are like Abraham. Just as he looked ahead to a future that he would never receive while on this earth, so we also look ahead to a future that we will not receive while we are here. This is consistent theme in the New Testament:

• Jesus says of his disciples, “They are not of the world … I have sent them into the world.” (John 17v16-18).
• Peter says, “Live your lives as strangers here,” (1 Peter 1v17) and “I urge you as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from evil desires that war against your soul.” (1 Peter 2v11)

I am to live very differently to how the world lives. Why? Because I have a very different mindset. Why? Because I am destined for heaven. Why? Because my home is with the Father! That changes everything!

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

God’s searching after you!

“The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert.” Genesis 16v7

This verse from the Bible Reading chat for today says so much about the Father heart of God.

Hagar had come from Egypt and was a maidservant to Sarai. You would have thought that would have been wonderful, but she was mistreated by both Sarai and Sarai’s husband, Abram. So she fled into the desert. Hagar was a badly treated, immigrant maidservant: she was in a low place. The Bible often focuses on the line to Jesus, but here the focus is on Hagar – yet is not in the line of Jesus and in fact, her descendants would prove to be a persecutor of the Jesus line.

There is no logical reason for our Father God to reach out for her, but he does. He searches for her. It is just like Jesus explains in the parable of the lost sheep – where the assumption would be that he would focus on the 99, but he goes after the lost one. Hagar seemed insignificant, but to God she is special and precious.

Not all that the Lord says to Hagar is favourable, nor is it comfortable – he tells her to go back to her mistress and to submit to her – ouch! Nothing could have been harder for her! But this visit from God is life-changing, and she gives God a new name, “You are the God who sees me.” (v13)

Whatever you face today, may you know that it is the LORD who seeks you – yes, even you. May you know the visit of God, may you know that he is the One who sees the whole story – yes, all you have been through. May you be able to say today “You are the God who sees me!”

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

God’s common grace!

“Even though every inclination of his/her heart is evil from childhood.” Genesis 8v21

Every single human experiences God’s grace. They may not recognise it, but it is part of their experience. We see that in the above verse in the Bible group reading yesterday.

The whole verse from Genesis says, “And [God] said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things. ²² As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.” (NLT)

God is “saying to himself” (NLT) or “speaking from his heart” (NIV). This verse is giving us his very deep thinking:

• He sees the sin of us humans, he knows that evil comes from deep inside us, he knows this is coming even from our early years. There is no point in trying to keep anything hidden from God.
• Yet this verse begins with “Even though.”   Yes, despite his knowledge of all the evil that is within us, God decides from his heart that he is not going to curse the ground again and nor is he going to destroy all living creatures, but he will secure the rhythms of planet earth until the end. This is God’s grace – he does not treat us as our sins deserve.

This truth of God’s grace applies even to the very worst of people in our society. God’s grace is not a denial of the wrong, but it is an act of love.

Much later, Peter will say, “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3v9). Peter is explaining that God has not yet ended the world, because he desires for all to repent and be saved. Yes, your neighbours and work colleagues, your family and your friends are right now under the common grace of God. Thank you Lord!

The moment we think we deserve God’s blessings, even the simple things of life, we have an attitude problem. He gives them to us despite what we deserve.

May you recognise the grace of God in your life today – even in the simple things of life.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

God’s desire for you!

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden.” Genesis 2v15

In the perfect world of Genesis 1 and 2, God had very close friendship with Adam and Eve. I notice the following phrases from chapter 2:

“The LORD God formed the man” – for me, “formed” implies care in how God has shaped us.

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden to work it and take care of it” – God has prepared provision for us, ordering it in a beautiful way, and has entrusted us with responsibility to care for it.

“The LORD God commanded the man” – he gives us instructions so that we may live well

“The LORD God … [brought the animals] to the man to name” – “naming” the animals implies an authority, and so God has given us authority on earth

“The LORD God made a woman” – God provides for our relational needs as well as our physical needs.

“The LORD God, as he was walking in the garden” (ch3) – he comes and desires to be with us. That is his choice!

Sin has spoiled so much of this, but Jesus brings us back into connection with this same LORD God as heavenly Father. He knows your deepest need and the LORD God desires to fulfil that in you so that you may be complete in every way. No wonder Jesus can say “Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6v33

May you know God’s desire for you today.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Jesus’ heart of compassion

“He had compassion on them.” Matthew 14v14

Everywhere Jesus went he had a heart of compassion for those who were suffering or rejected. It is out of compassion that he touched the leper and met with the outcasts. It is his compassion that causes him to heal the sick, feed the hungry, to mourn with those who mourn, and to teach those who want to know.

Whatever your situation now, Jesus is filled with compassion for you. In the Gospels, he deliberately sought out those who needed his compassion. He said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” (Matt 9v12) He draws near to those in need. He is willing to touch, to heal, to forgive, to restore, to make whole. That is our Jesus.

The above was my plan for this week, but this seems particularly pertinent as we cry out to God for him to show his compassion to Otega and others who are suffering in our fellowship at this time!

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

How does Jesus feel about you?

“I am gentle and humble in heart.” Matthew 11v29

While I was away, I had the privilege of reading some devotional books. One of them was, “The HEART of JESUS – How he Really Feels about You.” The first chapter was focussed on the familiar verses I shared on Sunday, “Come to me you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11v28-30.

How do you feel Jesus feels about you?

Jesus is not cold and demanding. At his very heart, he is “gentle” and “lowly”.

“Gentle” means he is not reactionary or harsh. He is not easily irritated by you. He is sensitive to how you are feeling. His heart is to welcome you with a warm embrace.

“Lowly” or “humble” (either word is a good translation) means he is accessible and willing to serve you. He has your own best interests at heart. You do not need to raise yourself up to him, but as you open yourself up to him, he stoops down to you to lift you up. You do not need to jump through hoops to receive the Father’s love, you just need to come. And when you do so, he will serve your best interest.

Do you feel heavy today? Do you feel under a mighty burden? Is there something that you just wish you were able to shake off? If so, we can tend to shy away, but that is actually the very qualification for coming to Jesus! Do not stay away, but come in close. As you do so, you will find rest – rest for your soul!

In John Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress”, as Christian gazes at the cross, his heavy burden loosens from his shoulders and rolls away down the hill into the tomb – never to be seen again.

May you know God’s rest in your soul today.

With love and blessing,

Roland