Holland Methodist Church

Author: HMC-Media Team

Pause and Reflect

GOD WORKS THROUGH US

“For it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for His good pleasure”. Phil. 2:13 NRSV

In Paul’s epistle to the Philippians, which he wrote while imprisoned in Rome, he expressed his appreciation to the believers in Philippi for their gift, and he encouraged and strengthened them with his assurance that genuine joy emanates from Jesus Christ alone. He emphasized his conviction that the Christian life is a partnership with God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

In our text, Philippians 2:13, Paul advised the believers that God was constantly working in them to inspire them to will, envisage, dream, and plan for the good things, things that please God. Yes! When we open our innermost being to the promptings of the indwelling Spirit of God, we become vessels, instruments in God’s hands. The Holy Spirit will cause the believer to decide what is best, and what will glorify God. The Holy Spirit will subsequently enable the believer to work towards the realization of that desire.

So, God puts in us a desire to do things that are excellent and praiseworthy, and then enables us to accomplish what we desire.

Friends, think about it: all too often some persons strive to be Christians, or endeavor to be good persons, by their own strength and effort. This often leads to failures, blunders, disappointments, frustrations, and cynicism. It is no wonder that so many of us who embark upon the Christian pathway soon surrender, recant, or backslide. My Dear Brothers and Sisters, we cannot run the Christian race in our own strength. We simply cannot!

Today, I encourage us to pause, realize, acknowledge, and affirm that the Christian life is a partnership with God. God calls us into partnership, a relationship. God is the Initiator and the Source of all that is good, and so followers of “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” — Jesus Christ — must learn to relax in the assurance that our God is at work in and through us. God helps us to want to obey Him, and then gives us the power to do what He wants. Yes! The secret to a changed and exciting life is to submit to God’s control and to let God do His work in and through us.

Let’s face the simple, hard, but profound fact, that God never created us and placed us in this world to struggle all by ourselves. If that thought ever invades your consciousness, you must expunge, extinguish it instantly! God is working His purposes out.

As followers of Jesus, and as mortals in this transient world, we struggle with many issues. Some of us have gone to God in earnest prayer for an end to the Covid-19 pandemic. We have seen, felt, and heard how this deadly virus has contributed to the demise of millions, and how it is causing division and divisiveness in churches, families, educational institutions, and communities. We desire and pray for this terrible affliction to end, and for God to help us overcome it.

We want, and plead with God for, an end to domestic violence, human trafficking, exploitation and inhumane treatment, sexual abuse, and papedophilia. We desire, and are praying for, the elimination of destitution and avarice; for the creation of greater community spirit and neighborliness; for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Where did these noble desires come from? From God. It is God who has implanted these desires in our hearts, and it is God who is working through us to realize these desires.

God is working His purpose out as year succeeds to year. Do you believe, like me, that God answered the prayers of the faithful, and has led scientists to create vaccines, in rapid, record time, to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, protect individuals, facilitate face-to-face learning, and ease the pressure on our frontline workers? God is working though us in amazing ways. Recognizing this, Charles Wesley wrote:

My every weak, though good design,
O’errule, or change, as seems Thee meet;
Jesus, let all my work be Thine!
Thy work, O Lord, is all complete,
And pleasing in Thy Father’s sight;
Thou only hast done all things right.

The wise man therefore said that in all our ways and efforts we must trust and acknowledge God, and God will direct our paths.

Thought: God is working in us, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all situation.

Prayer: For the willingness to allow God to create the desire in us, and use us to realize that desire.

Bishop, The Rev’d Everald L. Galbraith
President of Conference

Pause and Reflect

GRASPING OPPORTUNITIES

“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money” Matthew 25:14-18.

Years ago, I started piano lessons with Teacher, free of cost. I didn’t mind the “Sit up straight”, but I could not appreciate the sound and after-effects of the ruler on my knuckles. I abandoned the opportunity and have lived to regret it.

Have you ever heard the saying: “God will supply us with the opportunity, but it’s up to us to do something with it”? Taking advantage of our God-given opportunities is precisely the message of our text. The focus is on the servant who failed to use his opportunity and ended up losing the little he had.

The context of this Advent parable is the departure and anticipated return of Jesus. In this perspective, Jesus directs the listeners’ attention to the issues of faithfulness, preparedness, and risk, rather than to the obsession with speculating about when Jesus will come again. Waiting and watching for Jesus’ return requires being good stewards of our resources and opportunities. In the parable, two of the servants took advantage of their opportunities; the third did not. When viewed from this perspective, this is a disturbing story about what we Christians do or do not do with our opportunities while we await the manifestation of the Kingdom of God and the second coming of Jesus.

The three servants fall into two categories: faithful and unfaithful. The faithful servants took their opportunities and put them to work for their master. The unfaithful servant refused to use his opportunity. He buried it. Ironically, whereas his master expressed confidence in him, he judged his master to be a harsh man.

It is worth observing that the servant who buried his talent was not a dishonest servant who was out to get whatever he could from his master. There is no hint of fraud, deceit, or scandal. He seemed to have had no plans to embezzle the funds or to swindle his master. Furthermore, there is no indication that he was a philanderer or a prodigal out having a good time. Far from it! Discretion, caution, and deliberateness were his virtues. Unfortunately, his virtues became vices.

Friends, prudence can become impeding self-protectiveness and restraint. If we are not guided by a higher power and principles, that which is our strong point can weaken us. In this case, his inhibition turned to fear, and the servant ended up refusing to grasp his one opportunity.

By doing nothing, he committed a sin and robbed his Lord of service and increase. The Master reprimanded the servant for wasting his opportunity, and took this opportunity away from him, giving it to the one who had made the best use of his opportunity.

Opportunities are all around us: opportunities to witness for Jesus; to lend a helping hand to a child or to someone in need; to assist an individual financially; to say an encouraging word to a disheartened person; to tell of the goodness of God; to see and appreciate the beauty of creation, and many more. Only God knows why some people are given more opportunities than others. So having opportunities is not really the issue, because we all have been awarded something. Therefore, let us ask God to make us alert enough to grasp and use the opportunities given to us.

Thought: What we do not use for the Lord, we are in danger of losing.

Prayer: Providing God, help us to be aware of the opportunities you give to us, and to use them according to your good pleasure and your glory. Amen.

Bishop, The Rev’d Everald L. Galbraith
President of Conference

First Sunday of Advent – Hope

Sisters and Brothers,

It is Advent again. A new liturgical year has begun.

Notwithstanding the changes and challenges experienced through twenty-one months of dealing with COVID-19, time moves on. We are moving toward the fulfilment of God’s plan. The Advent Hope, which we hold as Christians, is ever before us.

Even now, God is calling us to greater things, to do and be better than we ever dreamed, to always keep moving towards the very best. We can move confidently into God’s future as we acknowledge God’s hand guiding, providing, protecting and delivering in the past. Yes, we can recall the good in the past for reminders that stimulate hope. Then we anticipate that God will lovingly take us forward in time. For this we ought to cooperate with God’s Spirit.

Knowing that the Lord walks alongside and with us in the present is truly enabling. We recognise that God who has kept us in times past, who is alongside us in present successes and struggles, is the One whom we know in Jesus Christ- the same yesterday, today and forever. This gives us every reason to willingly put our future in God’s hands.

So then, Advent brings past, present and future in an unending scheme of things that are under God’s control. Recalling past good, and celebrating God’s presence in the now, are the bases for our confidence in what is to come.

So, no matter how challenging the present might be, hope is our watchword. And as a people of hope, we must certainly bring hope into situations that would provoke hopelessness in others. Advent is a good time to act decisively in bringing help, hope and heart action that can change sad hearts into thankful ones. Let us do to, with and for others, as much good as we can to show the love of God. Causes will be mentioned in our gatherings. Let us take them seriously. And be as generous as we can with our time, actions and service supported by our prayers. We can trust God to let the very best issue from such offerings. In God is hope and hope is alive!

This, this is the God we adore,
Our faithful, unchangeable Friend whose love is as great as His power
And neither knows measure nor end.
‘Tis Jesus, the first and the last, whose Spirit shall guide is safe home.
We’ll praise Him for all that is past,
And trust Him for all that’s to come.
Joseph Hart (1712-69) VIP#29

Yours in God’s service
Joan Delsol Meade

Connexional Pres. Message

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The grace and peace of the Lord be with you!

Our pilgrimage continues into a new Connexional Year. We are constrained to join with Charles Wesley and joyfully declare:

“His providence hath brought us through
Another various year; (VIP 503).

We celebrate God’s grace and mercy during the past year and renew and reaffirm our hope and confidence that “the best is yet to come” because God is with us.  Friends, through all the changing and unpredictable scenes of life, our loving and compassionate God is with us. Therefore, we cannot allow ourselves to be daunted by all the negative forces around us.  

As believers and citizens of this region we are forced to grapple with the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, hurricanes, earthquake, crime and violence, volcanic eruption, and other natural and manmade disasters.  The sacrifices and dedication of our governments, health care workers, first responders, educators, scientists, and all who are giving yeomen service in the interest of the welfare and well-being of our citizens are indicators that there is love, goodness, tenacity, and hope in our people. The creativity, resilience, determination, and faith of our clergy and laity during these times are evidence that greater is he who is in us than he that is in the world.

The Connexional Theme for the Triennium: “Facing the Task Unfinished: Pressing Forward with Christ”, the development and approval of the MCCA Unified Strategic Direction 2021-2026 are further evidence of the unyielding conviction that God is not finished with the MCCA. Every member of the MCCA ought to remember that it’s our mission to spread scriptural holiness and transform societies. This is an unfinished task of our Church. As disciples, it is our task to make more disciples as we go. We are assured of Jesus’ presence in all circumstances.  By God’s grace a brighter future awaits us as we press forward with Christ.

We celebrate with the four ministers who have now joined the noble rank of the superannuated. It is encouraging that four additional soldiers have joined the front

line as they begin Circuit ministry, and one has joined those who are in training at UTCWI. They need our prayers. Many more soldiers of Christ are required. Join me in encouraging others to respond positively to God’s call to ordained and lay ministry.

We praise God for our Esteemed Patriarch of Caribbean Methodism, Rev’d Dr. Claude Langton Cadogan, who was promoted to glory on August 20, 2021. He was blessed with over 106 years on this earth, and we were fortunate to have journeyed with him. Our faithful God will give him eternal rest. 

Praise God for the commitment and faithfulness of the officers, leaders, preachers, and members. The work of God, especially in these times, is not easy. However, I assure you that God will strengthen us as we continue to give the best of our time, talent, and treasure for the work of the Church. 

In closing, the three new Connexional Officers, the Immediate Past Vice President  and I will need your continued prayers and encouragement as we seek to lead God’s Church, according to God’s will, during these turbulent times.  

Sisters and Brothers, let us “Press Forward with Christ” and be determined that:

Our lips and lives shall gladly show
The wonders of Thy (God’s) love,
While on in Jesu’s steps we go
To see Thy (Christ) face above.
                                                                       Charles Wesley VIP 503

We will not be defeated because God is with us, and God is on our side. Let’s stay on God’s side.

Everald Galbraith
Connexional President
September 1, 2021

Facing the Task Unfinished: Pressing Forward with Christ

Good Stewardship

Sisters and Brothers,

Through God’s never-failing grace, we have arrived at the fourth and final quarter of the Connexional Year.

Indeed, it has been a year of challenges, mostly those ushered in in the era of COVID with its demanding protocols. Challenging as these might have been, we must admit that it has been a year of learning. We went through a steep learning curve, discovering that we can continue worshipping together while inhabiting different spaces.

This is something that should have seemed obvious to us, a people who profess that God is everywhere and with God’s people everywhere; yet it took a pandemic that forced us to be physically distant from each other, to learn that in spite of not being able to dance and sing together, we can still pray and praise ensemble.

The pandemic increased the reality of human need everywhere- material, psychological, social and spiritual. It showed us clearly some needs that we might have missed or not realised how serious they were. While we were in lockdown, the telecommunications media showed us real needs that call for our attention. These are instructions for our future in ministry as we serve God in a COVID and post-COVID world. We will be without excuse if we continued to plan without paying sufficient attention to the needs that we have come to see clearly.

It is really time for a rewind. While I do look forward to my earned sabbatical rest, I know that, together, we must all approach the tasks of ministry with new fervour in the new year. Let us near that in mind as we wrap up 2020-21. But the year is far from over. I anticipate that you will have a refreshing experience under the leadership of Rev’d Damien E. Hughes during the fourth quarter.

During this quarter, even as we return to physical buildings for worship, we will miss the third Sunday worship in Dutch which is usual for Rotterdam since they do not have access to the sanctuary on first and third Sundays. This absence will allow us the time to review and come to a clear understanding of what we hope to achieve in these services. We have been catering largely to our children and young persons baptised into the faith as Methodists. Should we broaden our outlook and seek to cater to more children and young persons in general? If this is our desire, then we need to plan deliberately.

The Mission and Evangelism Committee, when it meets in early September, then, will not only be seeking to guide the implementation of initiatives we discussed during the Discipleship programme Reaching New Persons for Christ. We must also give organise more concretely for the online congregation that we have been considering.

As we look forward to relaxation of some anti-COVID regulations, we are encouraged to think, not of going back to normal in the sense of going back to life as it was before the arrival of the 2019 novel corona virus. Good stewardship requires us to focus on a new normal in which we apply the lessons we learned during the past year and a half. Only in so doing will we fulfil our calling to serve the present age.

Yours in God’s service,
Joan Delsol Meade, Pastor

Serving And Following Jesus

“Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour” John 12:26.

Drawing closer to the climactic experiences of his mortal life, Jesus received the welcome news that some Greeks wanted to speak with him. It is conceivable that these Greeks were in Jerusalem for the Passover Festival, and may have been among the merchants whose tables had been overturned when Jesus sought to cleanse the Court of the Gentiles in the Temple. To Jesus, this was a very significant moment, as it signalled the approaching time for his glorification, that is, his arrest, trial, suffering, and death. Jesus used the opportunity to speak about the cost and blessings of following and serving him.

Against the background of the desire of the Gentiles “to see” him, and the shadow of the cross growing progressively larger and brighter, Jesus emphasized that his followers must serve him, must be prepared to go wherever he goes, and must share in his lot, whatever that may entail. Following and serving Jesus will not necessarily be a pleasant, uneventful experience, and may result in discomfort, suffering, or even death; but whoever endures to the end will receive God’s approval.

Most significantly, Jesus referred to himself five times in verse 26 by saying “me” three times, and “I” and “my” once. In this scripture passage, you and I are both being summoned to recognize that Jesus is the object of true devotion. This invitation is nothing new. The commencement of Jesus’ public ministry was accompanied by the call of Peter and Andrew to “Come, follow me” (Mk. 1:17), and throughout his three years of ministry, he called people consistently to follow him. However, he insisted that it would not be a joyride by saying: “ ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me’ ” (Mark 8:34). 

The Bible tells us that human beings were created in God’s imagine to serve God: to love God with our whole being, and to obey and enjoy God eternally. However, we do not exist independently of God. We continually depend on God for our  existence and sustenance. Therefore, service that honours and pleases God can be rendered in God’s strength alone. Accordingly, “whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:11b).

Following and serving Jesus requires a willingness to give our best to the work of God; having a readiness not only to live, but also, to die for Jesus, to follow him to the cross, if Jesus calls us to do so. This service abhors shoddy work, despises being lackadaisical and tardy; it seeks to go to those who need us most, and does not pick and choose where, who, and when we serve. No! This does not mean being reckless, irrational, and throwing caution to the wind. It means trusting God to order our steps, and to be like Mary Brown who said to God:

“ I’ll go where You want me to go, dear Lord,
O’er mountain, or plain, or sea;
I’ll say what You want me to say, dear Lord,
I’ll be what You want me to be.” 

Thought:      Our duty is to follow Jesus, and our eminent and profound hope is to be with the Lord eternally. 

Prayer Focus: Jesus, thank you for calling all of us to follow and serve you, and for assuring us that you will not abandon us neither in this life nor the next. Help us to trust you always. Amen.

Look To Jesus And Live

“So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live” (Num. 21:9).

God’s chosen people were liberated from Egyptian enslavement and were journeying to a prosperous land to call their own. However, the journey was not void of problems, and the people grew tired, impatient, and rebellious. They complained bitterly about the lack of bread and water, and the despicable food (v. 5).  They rebelled against Moses, their human leader, and God, their ever-present, all-powerful, and all-knowing Liberator and Leader.

In the desert venomous snakes bit some, and many died. This was regarded as divine punishment. They acknowledged the error of their ways, repented, and pleaded with Moses to intercede for them (v. 7). Moses prayed, and God told him to construct a bronze snake, hoist it on a pole, and that whoever was bitten should look at the bronze snake and would live. It should be noted that it was not the bronze snake that healed them but their faith in God. Healing came when they obeyed God’s instruction to look on the bronze snake. 

In helping Nicodemus understand that every life can be transformed by believing in him, Jesus said: “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3: 14-15).Looking to Jesus will result in salvation from the sickness of sin and eternal separation from God, or spiritual death. 

It has been a universal practice to look in various directions to fulfil the need to have life and to live life “more abundantly” (John 10:10). Some of these directions relate to children, spiritual leaders, wealth, fame, philanthropy, politicians, and popularity.  

Jesus is the life and the life giver.  Without Jesus we are living dead but when we look to him, when we  will become alive and be guaranteed “eternal life” (John 3: 15) and participation in God’s Kingdom. Friends, God did not give up on the rebellious Hebrews but made a way for them to be healed and live. Like God, Jesus does not condemn anyone, regardless of how sinful and rebellious he or she is. Jesus gives life when we love to him.

In the very powerful invitation to salvation, William A. Ogden wrote:

I’ve a message from the Lord, hallelujah!
This message unto you I’ll give,
’Tis recorded in His word, hallelujah!
It is only that you “look and live”.

Refrain:
“Look and live,” my brother, live,
Look to Jesus now, and live;
’Tis recorded in His word, hallelujah!
It is only that you “look and live”.

Yes! Jesus brings clarity and authenticity to our existence, and when we look to him, we will experience a more abundant life. When we look to Jesus, we will have a new zest for living and for making this world a better place. Our world can be different; our experiences and responses can be more creative, imaginative, and life-affirming if we look constantly on Jesus.

Therefore, as we tread the treacherous paths of life (Matt. 14:30) and daily run our race for Jesus, let us keep our eyes fixed on him (Heb. 12:2). Let us never forget that when we look fully in the wonderful face of Jesus, all the things of this world will decrease in brightness because of his love, power, compassion, and grace. 

Thought: Focus on Jesus and see the world through his eyes. 

Prayer: God, the road is long and often lonely. Help me to always
look at Jesus and see everything and everyone through his eyes, for Christ’s sake. Amen!

Trusting God In Difficult Times_2

Sisters and Brothers,

We are well into the penitential season of Lent, a good time for theological reflection and deepening of our spirituality. Although we do not have in-person gatherings these days, I do sense, from your communications, that we are making the effort, both individually and corporately, to draw nearer to the Lord and to stay in love with God. That is commendable.

This is indeed a challenging time as the COVID-19 crisis becomes protracted and such measures as physical distancing will continue for longer than we had hoped. However, we must always bear our District theme in mind- Trusting God Through Difficult Times: Transforming Obstacles into Opportunities.

Just as the health challenges provoked by this crisis stimulated the efforts of governments, benefactors, medical researchers and technicians to develop a family of vaccines, the first of their kind, to address current needs, so too must we respond and put our resources to work for good in God’s world. Let us, as we are led by the Spirit of God, be on the lookout for opportunities and new possibilities for Christian service. As we look inward this Lent and seek improvement in our spiritual fitness, let us not forget that service in our changing context remains the best avenue for working out our faith in God. Yes, let us pray more. Yes, let us give more- (I hope that someone new took up the challenge to tithe). But above all, let us serve God with all we’ve got; and that means serving others.

Let us not allow our spiritual muscles for praying, giving and serving to get rusty while we wait for things to “get back to normal”. Remember, a new normal awaits us. Things will never be the same again. The lessons that we are learning now are for our guidance into God’s future. Let us learn well and be prepared to act on what we learn.

Do the best you can as a Class Leader or Assistant Class Leader, or in whatever office you hold. Only do it better because you will now apply the sensitivity, skills and confidence you have acquired through life with COVID-19. This month, we start a round of statutory meetings. Maybe you have been newly appointed to an office / a committee. Come prepared to share. Come prepared to approach your task with the confidence that our God who has called you, is with us now, enabling us through the present difficulty to serve better than we did before. Let us trust God and be available to learn more and to serve better; and there will be no telling what God is going to do. The hymn writer, William Cowper (1731-1800), had this to say:

God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform.
He plants his footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs and works his sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take. The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break in blessings on your head.
Voices in Praise # 266

Look up, even as you look around at the harsh realities we experience, as we encounter those grieving the death of their loved ones who were hurriedly taken away by death, as we meet those whose employment situation is worse that it has ever been, as we are questioned by those who believe that God had forgotten us.

Look up, I say, Sisters and Brothers, let us expectantly await God’s future; and even in the era of COVID-19, that future remains bright to the glory of God.

Yours in Christ’s service
Joan Delsol Meade, Pastor.

Unrighteousness In The Church

He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace” (John 2:16).

A WhatsApp message quoting Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams, Presiding Archbishop and General Overseer of the Action Chapel International (ACI) ministry, headquartered in Accra, Ghana, had me thinking. Archbishop Williams said that after a period of prayer, God had revealed to him that: “The gathering you call a church is no longer a church before my eyes but a place of tussle for power, position, fame, division, superiority, supremacy, and authority…The hearts of the people are divided against each other and brothers are seeking the downfall of brothers for the sake of position and authority…I am very bitter with the Church.”

This revelation had me thinking about what the Bible calls The Cleaning of the Temple. According to St. John, at the beginning of his ministry, Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. The Passover recalls and celebrates God’s liberation of the Hebrews from the shackles of domination, exploitation, and oppression in Egypt. The annual pilgrimage saw Jews from all over the world going to Jerusalem to worship and meet their religious obligations such as paying Temple tax and sacrificing animals and birds. 

The necessary and convenient business of selling suitable animals and birds and operating a cambio to exchange foreign coinage for Temple coinage had been developed and promoted by the religious and temple authorities. Unfortunately, this service had descended into shady commercial activities which were oppressive, exploitative, and a source of unjust enrichment for the traders, money changers, and the temple authorities who controlled the business.

On arrival, Jesus was disturbed and disgusted at the unrighteous use of the Temple. Enraged, he attacked the dishonesty of the traders and objected to the trade. John said: “Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables” (John 2:15) and said, “Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace” (John 2:16).  

The Lord’s words, through Archbishop Williams, might not apply to us, but there are unrighteous practices with which he is not pleased. Do our churches need divine cleansing?

Jesus is deeply disturbed and displeased about sanctuaries which are shabby, or where extravagance and opulence is obvious; with a Church that has millions in the bank when the churched or unchurched are destitute; when shepherds exploit and squeeze the last cent out of the sheep to acquire unnecessary personal assets; when the Church is a business venture to be inherited by descendants; when offices and positions are bought and negotiated for; when the sheep refuse to treat shepherds with love and respect, and when leaders sanction oppressive and exploitative practices for personal or institutional enrichment. 

Think about the church to which you belong. Is there unrighteousness in how the resources or opportunities we use to serve God are obtained and utilized?  Do we love things more than people?

Thought: God is displeased when we choose a wrong way to do the right thing.
Prayer: Lord, in all our dealings, help us to seek to be righteous and just, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

Temptations In The Wilderness

“He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him” Mark 1:13.

When I tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, I entered a ‘wilderness’ of self-quarantine and isolation in a hotel room. During this time, I was tempted by doubts, fears, and unanswerable questions. One night, the enemy was so determined and persuasive that I was afraid to sleep. Throughout this ordeal, God’s angels ministered to me in text messages of encouragement, prayers, catered to my physical needs and expressed best wishes.

The Gospel writers tell us that Jesus was tempted. Like someone in a hurry and looking over his shoulders constantly, Mark tells of Jesus’ temptation in one sentence. According to Matthew the temptations took place after the forty days and forty nights (Matt. 4:2-3), but, quite significantly, Mark and Luke tell us that Jesus was tempted during the forty days (see Mark 1:13; Luke 4:2).

Jesus’ temptation highlights his humanity. He became like us and had the ability to sin. He was tempted, with a likelihood of failing. However, his divinity and the power of the Holy Spirit ensured his victory over temptation, and he can make us be like him with the power to resist temptations, however intense and determined.   

No human being, sinful or sinless, holy or unholy, perfect or imperfect, is precluded from temptation and it does not have to be a wilderness. The dinner table, during worship, in the pulpit, at the office, just to identify a few places and times when the tempter will strike. Friends, from we awake in the morning, sometimes even before we get out of bed, until we lay down to sleep, and even while we are lying on our bed, the enemy find creative, subtle, and devious ways to tempt us. That includes when we are doing something good; and therefore, it is not uncommon for our virtues to be tarnished with vices.

Until we die, we will be tempted in various ways, and at various stages of our lives. Never forget that to be tempted is not to sin. Yielding to temptation is where the problem lies. Therefore, Horatio R. Palmer was correct when he wrote: “Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin; Each vict’ry will help you some other to win”.

I implore us to embrace the sentiments expressed in John Page Hopps’ lovely poem, entitled: “Father, Lead me Day by Day”.  In this prayer for all God’s children (not just youth and children), we look to our Divine Parent to lead us “day by day”, and seek God’s aid so that when we are “tempted to do wrong” we can remain “steadfast, wise, and strong”.  There are times when we are constrained to stand “all alone” and in such times we need desperately to be shielded with the “mighty hand” of God.

Friends, sinlessness does not prevent temptation. Therefore, we will all be tempted, but the indwelling power of God can enable us to resist.

Thought:        Purity does not preclude temptation.
Prayer Focus: Pray for the power of God to resist temptation.