w.h.a.t.e.v.e.r wednesday - What are you asking for today?

Thou art coming to a King,
Large petitions with thee bring;
For His grace and pow'r are such
None can ever ask too much.

~ John Newton 'Ask What I Shall Give Thee'

Do we come boldly before the throne of grace? In our passage today, Acsah was very courageous in asking for further blessing - more than her share.

Joshua 15:13-19

This story reminds me of a couple of other passages - It's important to see what context these words are found in so that we don't get the wrong idea, so click through and read the passages for yourself. If you don't have a lot of time, just pick one and read that passage:

James 4:2b "Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it." Read more about it here.

John 14:13-14 "You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!" The rest of this story is found here.

John 15:7 "...if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!" Read more about this here.

What will you ask your heavenly Father for today?

Testimony Tuesday - The Kingdom's Pride & Joy

People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. When the disciples saw it, they shooed them off. Jesus called them back. "Let these children alone. Don't get between them and me. These children are the kingdom's pride and joy. Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." ~ Luke 18:15-17 (MSG)

For a long time, when people asked me to tell them the beginning of my God-story, I had no idea what to say. I don't have a radical 180 degree turning point experience like Mark, who had his drug addiction turn off like a lightswitch. I was just a little girl whose mom took her to holiday club at the church down the road.

Each day - aside from having an absolute blast - they would read to us from Pilgrim's Progress and they'd use felt figures and pictures as a story board. This is probably a bit outdated now for most, but I loved the story. Even as a small person, I identified clearly with Christian and his struggles on the journey to Mt. Zion.

And then one day, they invited us to choose Jesus as our friend. And I said yes. I seem to recall dragging my brother along with me!

Despite many ups and downs like Christian had in the story, I remain deeply grateful that those people didn't shoo me off. That I had the opportunity to accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of childhood and that I've had all these years to love & serve Him.

Give children the chance to hear your God-story and to choose Jesus as their friend. They are the kingdom's pride and joy.

Meditation Monday - Fruitfulness

Today's blog is from a regular blogger here at The Vine - Mark Knight. Click through to find out more about him.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5, NIV)

This is a verse that was given to me as a new Christian. I was confirmed in the Church of England by a very special Bishop. The verse is one that God has often brought me back too as I’ve lived out my life as a child of God. It’s a verse that speaks very much of the relationship between a believer and their Saviour. Jesus is our Saviour; He is the source of our life.

A vine can at times look almost dead and even pretty ugly when the season for grape picking is over. I’ve recently seen some such vines in a winery; they hold very little beauty for the observer. In such a state the vines reminded me of the price Jesus paid to give us life. Jesus had produced plenty of fruit in His three years of ministry before He went to the cross.

Then the cross; our broken Saviour beaten and bruised, dare I say even an ugly sight upon the cross. But just like the vine a new season was coming, a time when more fruit would be produced.

Jesus did die, but when He was raised to new life He went on to produce much fruit through those He died for. That fruit continues to be harvested today as people hear the gospel and respond to such a loving grace.

If you are part of the fruit coming from the vine, our Saviour Jesus, then these precious words from John’s gospel should speak to you. We are to remain in Him, the source of life, only then will we produce much fruit. Don’t be found detached from Him, such branches become nothing more than broken twigs, snapped under the harvesters feet.

Friends Friday

Our Friday blog is from David, BA Politics, Philosophy and Economics at university in South Africa. He served for a year with JLife Africa.

Søren Kierkegaard: "Truth demands silence before it raises its voice."

As Christ's sheep you know your Shepherd's voice (John 10). But do you enjoy being preoccupied more than listening? Two of the major ways in which Christ speaks to you is through the Bible and your experiences. However, both of these require you to pull your consciousness away from what is immediately in front of you and do something very rare these days - reflect. Reflecting on how your life has fallen short of God's word, and reflecting on God's presence despite this. And just as a pool which is stirred yields no image of the one staring into it, so too must you be still to know that He is God. No matter how long it takes for your pool to subside, don't stop seeking the truth in his voice until your soul and mind has become completely quiet. Only then will Truth raise its voice and fill you with understanding and peace; an understanding of your ignorance, and a peace which surpasses all understanding.

A Thought for Thursday - Those cheers!

Being at the Nelson Mandela stadium for the England v Slovenia game yesterday was such a blessing! It reminded me of Hebrews 12.1-2:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

As I heard all those fans cheering for their teams, I thought about what Paul was saying in these verses. The roar of encouragement, excitement and anticipation was just a tiny taste of the kind of cheering going on for us every day! This is not just any cheering team - these are the great heroes of the faith from the Hebrews 11 hall of faith-giants.

When the ball was coming towards us for our team to score, I couldn't remain seated...I had to stand and coax them to victory. And I remembered what happened with Stephen in Acts 7:54-56:

The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”

Jesus was standing! Not seated at the right hand of God but standing.

Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

Run to win. Just listen to those crowds!

w.h.a.t.e.v.e.r wednesday

Today we're checking out the song story behind 'You're the God of this City' by Bluetree.

We play this in service and sing the words...but do you believe it?

Greater things have yet to come
Greater things are still to be done here

Testimony Tuesday - Transparency

Yesterday was my best friend's birthday. You know this kind of person. The story of your life would be very little story if all the bits that included them were left out.

Today's testimony is a little part of my own God-story. One of the things that God taught me along the way is the value of being vulnerable. And transparent. Like a tree without leaves.

Sounds scary, doesn't it? I thought so, too.

My friend and I had been friends for easily 15 or so years when one day, out of the blue, I realised that our friendship could stay the same, or it could grow. Even after all that time. But the growing meant being brave. Very brave. It meant opening my heart to her. Telling her things that I'd never told anyone before. Being real. Being willing to expose who I was underneath and the bits of myself that I really (really) didn't like at all.

Someone had to go first. I took a deep breath and jumped. I said out loud the things that scared me. The things that made me cry on the inside. The things that made me feel ashamed. My secret hopes and dreams. The ones I barely acknowledged to myself.

And now? I can't not be her friend because she knows too much about me!

Now our friendship is written on so many of the pages of my life. It's scripted in bold, italics, and so many different colours and styles. Our friendship has made my life rich and full. And free. Noone tells you about that. They don't tell you that it sets you free. It makes you whole again. Transparency and vulnerability is part of God's design for true friendship.

James 5:16 says

"Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed."

You can read an awesome story of two friends in 1 Samuel from chapters 18 to 21.

Beauty for Ashes

Dear friends of ours had their house burn down this last week. I can't imagine how devastating that must feel. It was incredible to hear him stand up before the congregation and praised God for the miracle he had seen in that. I'm not sure that I would have been quite so ready to bring thanksgiving so soon after something like that.

God has the most amazing laboratory in the world. In His laboratory, He makes beauty out of ashes. Yes - really. You take him the ashes of your life's hopes, dreams and desires, and He makes them beautiful.

You don't give up on your dreams when you become a Christian, you just allow God to change them into what He always intended them to be. God is the author of dreams.

To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. ~ Isa 61:3

Read the whole passage about what Jesus came to do. As a follower of Jesus, you are a part of this. This is the good news that we share with others when we tell our God-stories. The stories about our journey with Jesus.

Beauty for ashes is not just for you. It's for your family, your colleagues, your neighbours, your friends. It's for everyone.

What dreams have you given up on? What in your life is just ashes? Give it all to God to work on in His laboratory of grace.

I'll trade these ashes in for beauty
And wear forgiveness like a crown
Coming to kiss the feet of Mercy
I lay every burden down
At the foot of the cross

What have you got?

Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."

Acts 3:1-10

What have you got? Or Whom?

And are you giving that away?