Lincoln

Tiredness and refreshment in Jesus

By / The Pastor's Pen / 3 minutes of reading

Few people, if any, have never thought or spoken the words “I’m tired.” It’s a universal part of being human, tiredness creeps up on us all at some time or another. Many things can cause it, and tiredness can manifest itself in different ways and to different extents. Likewise, we all have different ways of addressing tiredness and with differing measures of success. Whether caused by lack of sleep, illness, stress, grief, malnutrition, overworked, depression, medication, or inactivity, tiredness can wear us down. 

Similarly, spiritual tiredness can be very real, and often caused by multiple factors which require attention before refreshment can occur. Isaiah considered this condition and provided simple suggestions which can help. The LORD is an eternal God, the creator of the whole earth. He does not get tired or weary; there is no limit to his wisdom. He gives strength to those who are tired; to the ones who lack power, he gives renewed energy. Even youths get tired and weary; even strong young men clumsily stumble. But those who wait for the LORDʼs help find renewed strength; they rise up as if they had eaglesʼ wings, they run without growing weary, they walk without getting tired (Isaiah 40:28-31 NET).

Isaiah’s point is this, the Lord is infinitely able and willing to meet our needs caused by exhaustion. As always, our right response to God, who is always within our circumstances, makes blessing possible. When fatigued, our senses and reasoning often become dulled, which can cause us to forget our spiritual resources and disciplines in Christ. As with many spiritual difficulties, we simply want tiredness to go away, but it never seems to work out that way.

Isaiah’s central remedy is that those who wait for the LORDʼs help find renewed strength. Some readers may think, “I don’t have time to hang around waiting while there’s so much needing to be done.” But waiting for the LORD is much more than inactively standing idle. Waiting begins with attitude, creating the space in our thoughts to pause and give attention to the Lord’s presence in the moment, in the day, and in the week. Waiting says, I’m ready to align my heart with yours’ Lord. Waiting recognises that we are the tired ones, not God. Waiting acknowledges that Yahweh has the resources we so desperately need, and we can’t take them by force. Waiting exhales independence and inhales awareness of Christ’s sufficiency to meet our needs. Waiting steps aside from the self-imposed pressures and says, I give up pushing, I’m going to lean on the Saviour. Waiting says NO to the things which don’t make it onto the biblical priority list. And waiting says, Lord I’m ready for you to take over everything. Now, and only now, can rest begin the process of refreshment.

Waiting is a decision believers’ need to make every morning, and possibly many times during each day. It’s the core intentional attitude that begins rectifying tiredness. Next, is the simple discipline of considering Jesus, who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted (Hebrews 12:3). Christian, plan Jesus’ thoughts into every day and evening. Read God’s Word. Talk to Him while driving, while on the bus, while in the shower etc. During your breaks at work, read a Christian book, text or call another believer and talk about Christ. Tell a non-believer about the love and salvation of Jesus Christ. Whatever it takes, put Jesus into your thought life. Rectifying spiritual tiredness takes just a little effort, but the refreshing blessing is transformative.

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Words of hope for backsliders

By / The Pastor's Pen / 3 minutes of reading

Spiritual backsliders are a reality in the Christian community. While some abandon all thoughts and expressions of faith in Christ, proving they were never genuinely born again in the first place, others fall short of abandonment. Some backslide in their faith by becoming lethargic and disconnected from the physical body of Christ which causes spiritual paralysis. Others, well, they turn their back on the LORD Jesus by pursuing sin. The fact is, anything which becomes a higher priority than the LORD  is sin and initiates a believer’s backsliding (Mark 12:30). Priorities are the truest tell-tale of faithfulness or not. Priorities can quickly identify idolatry at any level, and therefore, exist as an effective self-diagnostic tool. After all, evaluating the true condition of our heart is difficult due to our propensity for self-deception (Jeremiah 17:9).

No group of people have experienced spiritual backsliding more often and more severely than Israel. So, learning how the LORD responds is of great interest, as backsliding is a two sided story that rarely gives God the opportunity to speak. 2 Chronicles 30:8-9 speaks of Yahweh’s invitation to backslidden Israel. Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your children will find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.”

No matter what the condition, mercy is waiting to be dispensed. The ear of our loving God is inclined, listening, prepared, and desiring to apply forgiveness and restoration. For all who repent, mercy is greater than judgement. Grace always prevails in heaven’s courtroom when sin is confessed and turned away from. Rejection by the Lord is not an option, He will not turn away his face from you.

Returning to the LORD requires a right understanding of the way forward. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22). Abandon whatever took priority in your heart which led you away from obedience to the LORD. There can be no compromise as you yield to Christ as your God.

For the believers who welcome a restored believer back, it should be remembered that it takes a community of God’s people, as together they pursue righteous living. Open-hearted and united forgiveness that lives with patient and compassionate perseverance is essential for longevity of faith. Paul exhorts us in this endeavour, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness (Galatians 6:1).

Recovery from backsliding is rarely easy, and it can be lonely if not surrounded by Christlike support and fuelled by a healthy diet of God’s Word, prayer, and worship. There should be no  delay, as cleansing and refreshment are readily available from the LORD. Return, seek the LORD to create in you a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within you (Psalm 51:10). Invite the Saviour to infuse His love for righteousness into you so that your desires and motives change to become His. Ask that His determination for faithfulness becomes your determination, for this is the will of God, your sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

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The God of promise – Part 5

By / The Pastor's Pen / 3 minutes of reading

Promises help form our understanding of the depth and quality of relationships. The more precious the relationship, the greater the promises that get exchanged. And it is expected that the more precious the relationship, the greater the desire and responsibility to keep those promises faithfully.

Verse two of the hymn written by Russell Kelso Carter in 1886, expresses the Christians’ dependence upon God’s promises to them, through Jesus Christ, and printed in God’s Word.

     Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
     when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
     by the living Word of God I shall prevail,
     standing on the promises of God.

When life fails to meet your expectations, or you consider everything is going against you, that is the time to express faith by calling to your attention the promises God has made to you. Dig deep into God’s Word, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:2-5).

You will be able to say with David, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23:4). As you choose to be content with what you have, you will cling onto God’s promise that says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5), affirming not only your eternal security in Christ, but the daily presence of God in all circumstances. As you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all these things (food and clothing) will be added to you (Matthew 6:33), assuring you that God provides the necessities of life in all circumstances. Therefore, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7) we are able to experience a layer of peace that overshadows the stresses of our day.

Jesus’ half-brother James rightly instructed believers to count it all joy… when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4). When the enemy mutters words of defiant challenge in your ear because of personal difficulties, remember, he is a liar! As painful as trials can be, God promises that if you face them with a right and dependant attitude, those trials will manufacture steadfastness. Plus, as if steadfastness is not enough, God adds the extra blessings of promised spiritual maturity and Christlikeness. The very trials that others challenge God over, will be your source of accelerated Christian completeness and sufficiency in Christ. Praise God for such unimaginable grace to sustain us!

Don’t allow the world’s fear, suspicion, and mistrust, to drag you into a hopeless existence with no certainty and nothing but darkness beyond the grave. Believer, your Creator God lovingly and invisibly walks with you, providentially administering His universe for His glory while meeting your needs and preparing an eternal Home for you in heaven. With these realities in our thoughts, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).

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The God of Promise – Part 4

By / The Pastor's Pen / 3 minutes of reading

While the world’s turmoil continues, God’s people can rest in the many day-to-day promises of God. Even though there are times when God’s people are providentially caught in the world’s disasters, God remains faithful, keeping His Word through the most difficult circumstances.

King David, who was far from perfect, had a heart which repeatedly gravitated back to Yahweh, he testified the following of God. Blessed be the LORD! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him (Psalm 28:6-7). Now, it’s important to grasp the practical nature of David’s praise in these two verses. David is NOT saying that all his problems vanished, as if prayer is a magic chant that removes all difficulties. Nor is he saying that prayer transformed him into a super-spiritual person who became invincible. Here, David declares the absolute essentials of what it means to live a faith which produces perseverance and a realistic joy in the LORD.

It starts with worship; Blessed be the LORD! Above all else in life, good, bad, or indifferent, the LORD is worthy of us acknowledging His majestic and holy character which are displayed through His actions. David knew that our circumstances, and the poor decisions we sometimes make, do NOT change who God is. This is our first point for confidence, the Lord’s worthiness of worship.

Therefore, acknowledging Yahweh’s worthiness, David knows the certainty of Him attentively listening to our prayers. No prayer is too short or too long. No prayer will ever catch God off-guard or by surprise. Plus, the God who is love (1 John 4:7), hears our prayers with a bias towards mercy. Meaning, when we appeal to God’s mercy, we are speaking to the very essence of who He is. This should begin to grow confidence in even the most nervous of believers who pray. None of God’s children who pray, ever go unnoticed or get ignored. This is our second point for confidence, our pleas for mercy get heard attentively.

Reminding ourselves of the first two points motivates us to acknowledge that the LORD is our strength and our shield. This shifts our dependency from self to God, releasing us from the deception that says we control our own destiny. Consequently, David, like us can say with determination that in Him my heart trusts. The application looks like this. Colossians 4:2, Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Job adds; What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should be patient? (Job 6:11). A praying trust in God watches for His activity while we wait patiently for His timing. Watching, we recognise when God answers and we will be able to identify His help, even if divine help is delivered by human hands. This is our third point for confidence, God mercifully helps.

David ends where he started, with worship, repeating our first point for confidence. The outcome of biblical styled prayer, especially in times of great trial, is that our heart’s exult. That means, having worshipped, prayed, and seen merciful answers, at every level of our inner beings, we are jubilant with gratitude to the LORD. Emotions should not be able to contain themselves. Thanks, and appreciation will testify through words and singing. Leaving us with our fourth point for confidence, our impatience does not stop God answering in His time and way.

God’s promises, when truly believed, changes our perspective of trials.

To be continued…

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The God of Promise – Part 3

By / The Pastor's Pen / 3 minutes of reading

Promises of God convey comfort, carry hope, and affirm love. Thinking upon the Lord’s promises fuels our worship, strengthens our faith, and stores up spiritual resources ready for times of difficulty. They’re a rich source of spiritual nutrition spread across God’s Word. Divine promises help to keep our eyes on the Lord, and they help prevent us becoming ensnared by worldly distractions.

From the covenant promises to redemption in Jesus Christ, then looking  forward to Christ’s return and eternity, Yahweh fulfils every promise appropriate to us. Even if we are confused about what promises to apply to who, God knows, and God will action their fulfilment perfectly and appropriately. The Almighty never suffers promise crossfire, where He assigns a promise to the wrong  person or nation. His promises are never made flippantly in the spur of the moment. Likewise, heavenly promises are never a knee-jerk reaction by God to appease someone’s dissatisfaction. No, the LORD’S promises are purposeful, reasoned in accordance with His will from eternity past. Love, righteous justice, and gracious faithfulness are always central, and always for His glory and the believer’s eternal blessing.

For us, we have the assurance that in him (Christ) you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13-14). From the moment we believed in Jesus’ substitutional death for our sin, the Holy Spirit entered. He guarantees eternal life and our inheritance as Christians while we wait for either Christ to catch up the church, or to take us to heaven through death. As promised, the Holy Spirit ministers on our behalf, achieving what we are not able to, both here and in the heavenlies. Regardless of whether we live through times of difficulty, comfort, or confusion, the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:27). Despite our frequent insensitivity to God’s will, we are assured of the Holy Spirit’s perfect alignment of His intercession and God’s will for our lives. Nothing is ever left to chance or guess work. There’s no luck here. In Christ, believers are secure within the realities of divine promises personalised by God the Holy Spirit. His relentless omnipresent ministry is one of omnipotent promise, incapable of failure or being forgotten.

Considering these certainties, the apostle Paul was sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). There is no escaping our Saviour’s sufficiency to carry every believer through this life, then to deliver us to our heavenly home. On the day of Jesus Christ not one saint will be missing, there shall be no casualties, not one will be overlooked. Upon arrival in perfection, worship will be the believers only desire. Promise will have reached its ultimate destination in absolute satisfaction of every detail ever promised. Almost unimaginable satisfaction is guaranteed, and all at the expense of Christ, purchased at the Cross of Calvary and interceded for in the throne room of Yahweh. Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? (Romans 8:34). No-one! These unparalleled promises are only found in Christ. May we worship HIM today in response to His promises and share Christ with someone who needs reminding of God’s promises.

To be continued…

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