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

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

“Compromise with the world”

1 Kings 11v4 “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God.” (NIV)

One of the saddest stories in the Bible is that of Solomon. He started well when he asked the Lord for wisdom rather than riches or power. He continued well as he built the temple in Jerusalem for the Lord and spoke great words of wisdom (see the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes).

But as he grew in wealth and power, he began to compromise with the world – he began to worship the world’s gods and follow the world’s practices. The gods were a set of things that were believed to control your fortune, happiness and wellbeing. Of course, Solomon didn’t stop worshipping the LORD – oh no – he was just no longer “fully devoted” to the LORD. It wasn’t a rejection, but a compromise.

For us today, we are so easily compromised from being fully devoted to the LORD by the “gods of this age”:

• Consumerism – continually wanting more, new and better.
• Materialism – putting the material things before the spiritual and relational
• Status – seeking to appear good to ourselves and others, or to be of a particular group
• Wealth – seeking security and financial security
• Sex & Pleasure – seeking our own happiness, rather than the happiness of others

These “gods of this age” are a distraction from who I am in Christ – a child of God. My identity and wellbeing are not based on the above worldly gods at all: they are literally a dead end. Paul writes in Galatians 5v6 “The only thing that counts is faith [in Christ Jesus] expressing itself through love.” This verse fits so well with Solomon’s context as Paul continues, “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?”(v7)

May we each:

• Be aware of our natural desires,
• Pray “Lord lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” and
• Find the victory by the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through us. Paul says a few verses later, “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (Galatians 5v16).

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

“Concealing sin … ”

Proverbs 28v14 “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” (NIV)

From the fall in the garden of Eden, us humans have tried to cover up our sin. Adam and Eve, when they had disobeyed God, made garments and hid from God (Genesis 3v7-8). King David, when he had committed adultery with Bathsheba, thought he could cover his tracks; he seemed successful for a time, until the prophet Nathan came and brought revelation from God (2 Samuel 11-12). Despite their attempts to cover it, Adam and Eve lost the garden, and David would find calamity coming in his own household. We can also easily fall into the deflection technique as we highlight another’s sin in order to camouflage our own.

In the well-known verse in Numbers 32v23, Moses says, “ … you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.” In its context, it was hard for Moses to tell the motives for what the tribes Gad and Reuben were doing, he could only take them at their word. But he was warning them that any sin is against God, and sin has a natural tendency to come out in the end. In the New Testament, the Greek word translated “sin” in our Bibles literally means “to miss the mark so as not to share in the prize,” and hence Paul is stating the obvious when he writes in Romans 3v23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

But Proverbs 28 also has the alternative action: to “confess and renounce” our sins. This is to admit our wrong doing or thinking, and determine to not repeat it. The result is to “find mercy”. The writer of Proverbs confirms this mercy in 10v12, “Love covers over all wrongs.” His point is that love is shown in forbearance and forgiveness. King David has a similar appreciation in his Psalms of confession ( 32 and 51). Psalm 32 begins “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sins are covered.” While we cannot cover our own sins, the New Testament teaches that the blood of Christ completely and permanently covers our sins.

Our response to sin, whether our own or other people’s, is important. When we have confessed, renounced and received forgiveness for our own sin, we are then able to help remove the speck from another person’s eye (Matthew 7v5). The true Christian response to sin is therefore to confess and renounce my own sin, then help others deal with their sin, and at the same time offer love shown in forbearance and forgiveness. This is not easy, but with God’s help, we will.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

“It is finished … ”

John 19v30 “Jesus said, ‘It is Finished!’ With that he bowed his head, he gave up his spirit.” (NIV)

An amazing verse to dwell on as we remember the events of the trial and crucifixion over the next twenty four hours. He did it all for you and me.

My mind goes to the words of the 19^th century hymn:

1 Man of sorrows what a name

for the Son of God, who came

ruined sinners to reclaim:

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

2 Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

in my place condemned he stood,

sealed my pardon with his blood:

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

3 Guilty, helpless, lost were we;

blameless Lamb of God was he,

sacrificed to set us free:

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

4 He was lifted up to die;

“It is finished” was his cry;

now in heaven exalted high:

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

5 When he comes, our glorious King,

all his ransomed home to bring,

then anew this song we’ll sing:

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

May you know the joy of assurance your sins all forgiven and belonging to God this Easter.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Thought for the Week

“The Word of God … ”

Deuteronomy 8v3 “Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD … ” (NIV)

Ukrainians have, until now, had a choice of using an old Ukrainian Bible (a bit like our King James Version) or a modern Russian version. In 2018, the International Bible Society launched a project to produce a modern Ukrainian translation. It is still planned to be released in print in June this year.

However, with the current situation and the obvious emotional difficulty for many Ukrainians to read the Bible in Russian, the IBS worked to release the new translation in on-line form earlier this month. The result is that 150,000 downloads have been made in Ukraine in the first three weeks, and there have been many more downloads amongst the refugee community outside Ukraine. Imagine the excitement for these people who are now able to read God’s Word in their “heart language” for the first time – and all the more in their current situation.

When Jesus was in the desert and hungry, our Lord Jesus quoted the above verse from Deuteronomy to counter the Devil’s temptation to turn stones into food. The Word of God was vital to him. As in the Old Testament, so in the New, God’s word brings life (eg Philippians 2v16).

Do we take our access to the Word of God for granted? Do we eagerly seek to hear what he says in every situation. Do we seek God’s word both in difficulty and in joy? The song-writer writes, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119v11)

With love and blessing,

Roland