Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Joining in expectant prayer

Acts 1v14 “They all joined together constantly in prayer.”

This coming Sunday is “Pentecost”. In the Old Testament Jewish calendar it was a festival celebrating the firstfruits of the wheat harvest. In the New Testament it is when the firstfruits of the gospel harvest occur as 3000 repent and are baptized.

The day begins with the Holy Spirit coming to the 120 gathered believers and empowering each of them just as Jesus had promised. The day finishes with a multiplied church.

In the 10 day gap between Christ’s ascension last week and the coming Pentecost, Luke says that the believers met daily and prayed continually. I wonder what exactly they prayed? How much was praise, how much requests? How much was quiet, how much noisy? How much was standard texts and how much extemporary? To what extent are our prayers caught between the wonder of what God has already done and an expectancy (and uncertainty) for something new? For us in this season, let’s:

• Reflect on what the Holy Spirit has done in our lives.
• Reflect on the degree to which I allow the Holy Spirit to have full control in my life.
• Ask for God to pour out his Holy Spirit once again.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Jesus is taken up

Acts 1v9 “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”

I find it interesting that in all three recordings of Jesus’ ascension (Mark, Luke, Acts), the term used is “he was taken up.” It is what is linguistically called a “passive” verb – it is not something that you do, but that is done to you. This ascension was not something Jesus did, but which the Father did. Jesus was simply there to allow it to happen. The Father considered Jesus’s work on earth totally completed – he had died for our sins, brought the first fruits of the resurrection and had sufficient time to make “many convincing proofs” of his rising to life again (Acts 1v3). Job done.

Now we enter a new phase. For when Jesus had gone to the right hand of the Father in heaven, then the Father could “pour out” the Holy Spirit on all people (Acts 2v17). Again, this was not a question of the Holy Spirit sending himself, but of the Father sending him – just as he sent Jesus a few years earlier.

God is a God of order and he does things right and in the right sequence. What are you needing to be passive about today and allow God to do?

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

A Steadfast heart enables us to sing – even in the rain

Psalm 57v7 “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music”

The information in the header for this Psalm tell us that it was written “When David had fled from Saul into the cave.” The story is recounted in 1 Samuel 24, where Saul had been pursuing David to kill him, but David remained innocent throughout. David did not need to retaliate as his trust was in God and he had a quiet assurance that God would ultimately bring about what he had promised regardless of what the situation looked like. This does not mean that David does not cry out to God – he does – but his cry is a cry of trust “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfils his purpose for me.” (v2)

This is a core secret of the Christian life: it is not in our circumstances or situations, but it is in a heart stilled before the Lord. A heart that trusts rather than panics. A heart that cries out to God rather than to the world. A heart that looks to God’s love and faithfulness to bring about justice. A heart that holds on to the faithfulness of God to fulfil his Word. A heart that keeps going despite the time it takes. This is a steadfast heart.

Is my heart steadfast today? Is it trusting in the Lord? In that place of trust and assurance, we are able to sing – even in the rain!

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

The Gospel – Four Spiritual Laws

John3v16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life”

Tony shared with us this last Sunday the Four Spiritual Laws as a useful tool to help us in sharing the good news with others. Each “Law” is framed around God’s love and plan for each person:

1. God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life
2. Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore he cannot know and experience God’s love and plan for his life.
3. Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for sin. Through him you can know and experience God’s wonderful plan for your life.
4. We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord; then we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives.

The question I have is this: “Are you as a believer living in his love and wonderful plan?” The secret to this is in number 4 – in continually receiving Jesus as Saviour and Lord.

• Do you know and experience Jesus as Saviour for you in that he has saved you:
  • from all the sin of the past and you no longer need to live in guilt?
  • in the present and gives you a way out of every temptation?
  • for the future and will bring you through whatever issues we face in this world into eternity with Him!

It is time to meditate on these glorious truths and truly receive them and allow them to permeate our being.

• Do you know and experience Jesus as Lord for you in that:
  • He reigns supreme over all things and you can trust him in every circumstance?
  • He is in charge of your life and you live your life listening to him and obeying him?

It is time to figuratively bow the knee in practical obedience to him.

“May you know the hope to which he has called you and the love that surpasses knowledge,” (Ephesians 1v14, 3v19)

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Jesus – Grieving loss

John11v33-35 [When Mary’s brother Lazarus had died] “When Jesus saw her weeping … he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled … Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him.’”

Many of you will have seen at least portions of the funeral of Prince Philip last Saturday, and the Queen and her family currently remain in mourning. At some time, death takes those around us and ultimately (in worldly terms) it takes ourselves too. Grieving is itself quite a process and takes time. It is often said that there are multiple stages of grief, manifesting differently for each person, but including: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance.

Jesus knew what it was to lose people close to him to death. It is generally considered that his step-father Joseph died while Jesus was relatively young, and in John’s gospel we have the account of the death of Lazarus. The quotation above is from when Jesus meets Mary the sister of Lazarus. Jesus does not just suffer himself, but he also comes alongside others in their suffering and weeps with them.

The Queen is not the only one mourning at this time. Day by day, many are dying. May Jesus reach out to each one at this time and may they know his love and sympathy. Very often that occurs through us who are His representatives.

Of course, for us who are believers, while death represents a loss for those who remain, it represents an advance for those who believe. It was this understanding that meant Paul could say “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1v21 or again, “Where O death is your victory? Where O death is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15v55.

We are thankful for the Queen’s faith and ask Lord that you would be close to the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family at this time; may each of them truly know you Lord. We ask the same for those known personally to us who are grieving at the moment.

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Jesus – #doyouknowhimTelford?

Philippians 3v8 “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord… I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings.”

Last Sunday we began a series with many churches across Telford “#doyouknowhimtelford”. This is the most vital question we can ask ourselves and others. Do I know Jesus?

The question is not whether we know about Jesus (though that does help us to know him), it is whether we actually know him. Do we relate with him, connect with him, rely on him?

With the death of Prince Philip last week and his funeral this Saturday, most of the UK knew about him, quite a number had met him at various times, but only a relative few actually knew him: most notably the Queen and the immediate family.

Paul indicates in these verses that knowing Jesus was closely connected to knowing the power of his resurrection and participating in his sufferings. When we are closely connected with someone we share in their joys and their griefs. Do I connect with Jesus in these things? Do I share his heart? Do I have his passions? Do I love what he loves and hate what he hates?

How close am I to Jesus? Do I really know him?

In Ephesians 1, Paul says “I keep asking … that the glorious Father may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know him better.” Amen!

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Easter – We preach Christ raised

1 Corinthians 15v1-8 “I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you … that Christ was raised on the third day … and he appeared to Peter … the Twelve … 500 … James … all the apostles … me.”

1 Corinthians is a very practical book, dealing with several life issues; so, it is fascinating that it begins with “Christ crucified” (see last week and chapter 1) and ends with “Christ raised”. The events of Easter are at the heart of being Christian; everything else, and I mean everything else, must stand or fall on the Easter account. Our Christian approach to everything is rooted in Easter.

Hence, between a strong recounting of the cross and the resurrection, Paul sandwiches the following issues:

• unity in the church and how we show love for our brothers and sisters;
• sexual conduct, marriage and morality;
• order in church meetings and the use of spiritual gifts
• rights and responsibilities as servants of God
• how we deal with matters where we disagree – both with each other, and with the world
• our total consecration to God over anything the world may idolize.

Paul demonstrates clearly that Easter is not some mythical story, but a fact witnessed by many. Over these next 5 weeks until 13^th May, the risen Lord Jesus walked this earth appearing to many. Just imagine the excitement for those that saw him!! Wow! And one day, we will see him too – either through our death or through his return. No wonder the apostle John cries out “Come Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22v20)!

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Easter – We preach Christ crucified

1 Corinthians 1v23 “We preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, …. Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

We might be disappointed, but we should not be surprised that many people ignore the Easter truth of Christ’s death on a cross. It seemed foolish and irrelevant to the people of Paul’s day too – why celebrate someone who has been crucified? How can it have any benefit for me?

However, for those of us to whom the Holy Spirit has revealed the spiritual realities (2v7, 10-14), the cross is both the “wisdom” and “power” of God.

• “Wisdom” because it is the way that works. The cross is the only way, in line with his character, by which us humans could be saved from the kingdom of Satan and become the children of God. The cross shows spiritual and practical truth, and it leads from condemnation for sin into forgiveness and grace.
• “Power” because it has the power to work. The cross is effective to free us from both the power and consequences of sin. Christ’s death on the cross actually takes our sin away and sets us free. The power of Christ over sin is now able to be within us. “No condemnation now I dread, Jesus and all in him is mine.”

Let us thank God for opening our eyes to the cross by His Spirit. May He increase our understanding and appreciation of what Christ has done this Easter time.

“O make me understand it, help me to take it in,

What it meant to thee the Holy One, to take away my sin.”

With love and blessing,

Roland

Thought for the Week

Revelation – The Saints at Prayer

Revelation 8v1 “Then there was silence in heaven for half an hour … .”

Unusually for Revelation here there is silence – what does this silence imply?

–              A reverent worship of God as all stands in awe of him?

–              A sense that everything is under control and there is no need for busying around?

–              A sense of anticipation of what might be coming next?

–              A willingness to listen?

It may be a mix of all of these, but it is noteworthy that there are two actions attached to the silence.

Firstly, the prayers of the saints are being offered to God with incense (i.e. being made sweet). John is being shown that God is listening to your prayers. Yes, your prayers are acceptable and pleasing to God and heaven is even stopping to listen … do I stop to pray?

Secondly, maybe we naturally think of the trumpets, fire, thunder, lightning and earthquakes as representing judgments. But this is not necessarily the case in prophetic symbolism. When God appears to Moses and Israel on Mount Sinai (see Exodus 19v16-19), all these “effects” are mentioned, but it is not about judgment: it is about the presence, power and awe of God as he comes to make a covenant with his people; it is the Almighty God visiting earth. Additionally, in Revelation, John has recorded these “thunders and lightnings” also being in heaven, right at the throne of God (see Rev 4v5).  In other words, in answer to the prayers of the saints, God comes.

So at the start of chapter 8 as the 7th seal is opened, we have: silence – prayer – God visits!!

Is it time to imitate heaven? Be still. Be silent. Pray. And expect God to visit!

With love and blessing,

Roland

Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Revelation – The Saints are Protected

Revelation 7v4  “Then I heard the number of all those who were sealed … .”

Last week, we saw imagery of a lot of suffering on the earth. This week, in Revelation 7, there is another side to what is going on as we switch scenes. We are still in the heavenly realms, but God is placing a seal on his people’s foreheads to protect them in the suffering. There are several points for us to take from this:

• God places a seal of protection on those who belong to him (v1-3). It does not mean we have no suffering, but it does mean we have hope. We may be reminded of the seal of the blood of the lambs on the doorposts of the Israelites in Exodus 12v13, or the mark of protection put on people’s heads in Ezekiel 9v4. The seal we receive is of course the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1v13). The seal demonstrates that we belong to God – and that remains the case even in suffering. Being assured of your identity in God is a huge protection against all that is thrown at you.
• Everyone who belongs to God is sealed (v4-8) The number “144000” is a number of completeness (12 x 12) and size ( times 1000). The tribes listed here with exactly 12000 from each makes clear that this is symbolic for completeness (note there were actually 13 tribes of Israel, but different lists have different ones to give 12).
• All nations in worship – The great multitude (v9-13) is the same crowd – with representation from every people group praising the Lamb for his salvation and God for his power and glory. It is an image of the universal church in praise.
• All will be well – These people have been through suffering, but they are now in a place of perfection and comfort with the Lamb as their shepherd! (v14-17)

As the anniversary of the lockdown comes next Tuesday 23^rd March, and there is a “National Day of Reflection” with many grieving the loss of loved ones ( https://www.cte.org.uk/Articles/605509/Home/Coronavirus/_National_Day.aspx ) , let us remember God has placed his seal on us and we belong to him. May that cause your soul to cry out to him not only in lament, but also in praise.

With love and blessing,

Roland