That must have come as a great relief to Jesus in that he had lately been pummelled with one tricky query after the next.
If ever there was a group of people who were invested in the so-called “Gotcha” kind of question, the religious authorities of Jesus’ day were it.
FIRSTLY, The point that is made here is with just 2 brothers marrying the same woman, but just for effect, the Sadducees crank up the scenario to seven grooms for one woman, which alludes to an OT story.
This scenario is almost childish. It’s the kind of thing my kids would have done when they were about 9 years old, exaggerating the point just to get your attention.
The purpose of the Sadducee’s question was to mock Jesus.
If you think that someone has silly ideas or a stupid stance on a given issue, then one way to reveal your opinion is to construct an absurd scenario and try to force the other person to enter it while trying to answer your question. It’s a sinful thing to do, and it’s unfair.
The Sadducees thought the idea of resurrection to be foolish.
Since Jesus was a prominent teacher, they thought it would be fun and instructive to publicly humiliate him and so they invented their over-the-top scenario that exploited the old Israelite practice of marriage.
Jesus, of course, wriggles out of the question by challenging its entire premise.
The Sadducees wanted to make resurrection look senseless by showing the impracticality of what to do with people who had been married more than once in this life.
Jesus simply challenges them that marriage as we now know it has nothing to do with life in the kingdom of God.
Essentially Jesus said, “Whoever told you marriage would be part of life in a post-resurrection existence?” That left the Sadducees with egg on their faces.
SECONDLY, In preaching on this text, there is a temptation to make it some kind of textbook on sexuality and marriage in the kingdom of God. It seems likely, however, that if we make too much of Jesus’ words here on marriage in the kingdom, we will be guilty of the error of the Sadducees all over again.
That is, we will believe things that are not explicitly taught. We are probably better off saying no more than what Jesus teaches here, which is that we should not assume that life in the kingdom of God will be just like life here.
Yes, there is good biblical evidence for the idea that the kingdom will include a new earth and so we should not always envision heaven (as we tend to do) as some ghostly, non-physical domain that will be devoid of mountains, rivers, clouds, and songbirds.
But even so, we need to remember that the mysteries are yet to be revealed. We need to understand exactly what our bodies and being will be like in the life to come, which is not clear.
What we need to be content with, is the line in Luke 20:36 where Jesus reminds us that we will be “God’s children” in that life to come. And if that is not enough for us, I don’t know what would be!
“And no one dared ask him any more questions.”
It probably was a relief for Jesus to get to that point.
Thirdly, 2 Thess 2:13-17 This is where God grounds us.
Paul reminds us that God loves us. God has given us eternal comfort and good hope through grace. Paul prays for “eternal comfort” and “good hope”. This comfort is unbreakable, and from eternity past to forever more. What will be in the future- will be and we can’t alter it.
But here and now- Our hope is in God’s promise to save and glorify us in the resurrection with Christ. God is good on his promises. This hope is certain, sure and it is true. We can rest on it. This comfort and hope come through grace.
We rest on God’s grace towards undeserving sinners. We have comfort even in the attack of chaos because God’s grace is behind our salvation.
We have a sure hope of God completing his salvation because God’s grace is behind it.
LASTLY,
If you wondered how you are going to stand firm all the way, remember that it is by God’s grace, we have no hope in ourselves….. HC…….
We will hold fast. The resurrection is by God’s grace… Paul is most concerned with our hearts. He prays for us to be divinely comforted and established in good works. We too can pray this way today, that our hearts are comforted by God, and we be used for every good work and word by God to the glory of Christ.
Thank you for visiting me here; I hope this post was helpful.
If it was, please subscribe using the banner as you come onto the site. Also, please follow this blog, and you’ll find a button on the lower bottom right and leave a comment with any questions or prayer requests.
Virtual hugs, I look forward to your visit to my next blog post!
Paula Rose Parish💕
🖤Want to help support me as an author?
✔BOOKS BY PAULA available at AMAZON in the UK, USA, Aust;
📚Nothing Good about Grief: Path to recovery with Psalm 23 after COVID-19 & other losses.
Christ calls us to take the Gospel to everyone––even to sinners such as the woman at the well––and to witness to Christ as the woman did after her encounter with Jesus. Jesus demonstrates His care for all, regardless of their social standing. We can also be inspired by the Samaritan woman’s excitement in sharing the good news of Jesus
Having moved into my own home, I used my holidays to decorate and sort the small courtyard behind my house. I love trees. In the suburb where I grew up in Australia, the streets in my suburb were utterly tree-less; however, many were planted in people’s back gardens. I think there are not many trees because of the scarcity of water, and trees need lots of water. Local councils didn’t want the residents to waste their water, particularly during times of drought, for those who did, were issued heavy fines. So, when I came to Wales Uk to live, I was so pleased to see the trees everywhere!
I bought a house in Wales, where I am surrounded by beautiful Parks, a river, mountains lined with trees, and a sandy beach.
I love trees and enjoy looking at them, so I bought two big pots and a lot of potting soil, bought a cherry tree and an apple tree, and planted them. New buds form within a few days, and fruit appeared after 3 years. I am looking forward to them producing some fruit for me in years to come. I chose cherry because cherries are expensive to buy in the shops, and I really enjoy cherries, and they’ve got very high antioxidant properties being a dark fruit. Usually, apples are easy to grow, and I can do all sorts of things with apples like apple pie, sauce, and much more an added bonus, apples are very high in vitamin C. Then I got thinking about apples and cherries because they have seeds.
SEEDS AND NEW LIFE
A traditional gift for a teacher from the student is an apple. Think about a good teacher that you may have had. A good teacher plant seeds of ideas in our thinking and helps us explore those ideas, and they explain things to us in an exciting way. A good teacher is a teacher because they love to teach and want to help the student be all they can be and pursue a successful future.
Most teachers never know what the results of their teaching will be. It takes many years for the student to mature and become an adult. During that time, they will discover their interests and talents and decide how to use them. A good teacher plants a seed, in their student’s mind, and years later, others will see the results of that teacher’s work, and the teacher may never know the outcome of their student’s life.
WE ALL HAVE A PURPOSE IN THIS LIFE – John 4:5-42
Jesus talks about this idea in (4:37)- He says, “One sow and another reaps” – one person plants the seed, and another person may harvest the fruit. So, when we say something helpful to another person or do something kind, it is planting a seed of God’s love.
We may never know the result; we may never know the outcome of that planted seed. However, we can be sure that there will be a good result when we work with God’s love. This is what we are focusing on in this text today: Sowing Seeds of hope, love, and faith.
JESUS AND THE OUTSIDERS
Briefly looking at the context, we find that Jews had little to do with Samaritans. Ever felt like an outsider? I have many times. Jews considered Samaritans as outsiders who hold little worth.
Samaritans were hated so much by the Jews that they tended to avoid even travelling through Samaria. But Jesus didn’t share this hatred towards Samaritans. He travelled from Judea to Galilee to go through Samaria rather than bypassing it. He was not trying to save time, but Jesus continually sought out the outcasts, the outsider of society––the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the lepers, all those who were considered to have little worth. Jesus loves all people regardless of how others may devalue a certain section of society, Jesus accepts them.
THE WOMAN AT THE WELL
Travelling left Jesus exhausted, and hot and he needed a rest and a drink of water. So, when Jesus came to a little town in Samaria he stopped at the local well for a drink. As Jesus approached the well, he discovered a lone woman drawing water.
Usually, women came to the well in the mornings and evenings, but this woman came at noon. It was very hot at noon, but she was alone at the well and free to draw water without ridicule. But today, a strange man approached. It was not suitable for men to converse with women in this culture. The rule was,
“Let no man talk with a woman in the street, no, not even with his wife.”
Jesus spoke and ministered to the woman and in doing so, he was getting rid of old Jewish prejudices and rivalries that were held against the Samaritan people. Jesus addressed the discrimination of women, particularly toward women who were regarded as sinners. God is spirit, so our worship cannot be confined to a particular place or a particular people. God is everywhere, so He can be worshipped everywhere by all people. True worship is an affair of the heart.
WOMAN MATTER
After the conversation with Jesus, the Samaritan woman left her water jar at the well and excitedly ran into the city to tell the people there of her conversation with Jesus. “Come, see a man who told me everything I did. Can this be the Christ?” (v. 29). Many people “believed in Jesus BECAUSE OF THE WORD OF THE WOMAN” (v. 39). How amazing! In that time and place, people didn’t take a woman’s word very seriously.
Until Jesus came along, this woman was practically invisible; no one would have sent her into town as their spokeswoman. But her contact with Jesus transformed her life and status in the community. The people heard her and said, “You are right. This is the saviour of the world” (the meaning of v. 42).
SOULS MATTER
William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, said: ‘Go for souls and go for the worst’.
That’s what Jesus did when he turned this so-called outcast into a well-received evangelist.
Jesus planted seeds of hope, love, and faith in her heart, and she received them, and she let those seeds grow to where she acted and shared her story.
Jesus does that. He changes people’s lives, and we do that too, we are seed planters, and if God wishes, we help to grow those seeds by protecting and nurturing them – and we may or may not see the final result.
Jesus especially loves to help outcasts because they most need help, and so should we.
The late Billy Graham said:
“Jesus stopped dying on the cross long enough to answer the prayer of a thief.
He stopped in a big crowd one day because a WOMAN touched the hem of His garment,
and He’ll stop to touch your life, change you, and forgive you – that’s Good News”!
CHURCH MATTERS
As the church, we are Christ’s hands for service in this world, and he uses you and me to do his work, to change people’s lives: How?
• We plant the seeds of Christ each time we CARE;
• We plant the seeds of Christ each time we LISTEN;
• We plant the seeds of Christ each time we REACH OUT;
• We plant the seeds of Christ each time we TOUCH EACH OTHER IN LOVE.
A quote from John Wesley “The Church has nothing else to do but to save souls; therefore, be devoted to this work. It is your business to bring as many sinners as possible to repentance”.
This week let us resolve to allow God to plant seeds of hope, faith, and love to fill us with His Spirit so we might plant the same seeds in the life of others.
Let us pray that we will touch lives with seeds of hope, love, and faith this week and see the transforming love of Christ in action!
Thank you for visiting me here; I hope this post was helpful.
If it was, please subscribe using the banner as you come onto the site. Also, please follow this blog , and you’ll find a button on the lower bottom right and leave a comment with any questions or prayer requests.
Virtual hugs, I look forward to your visit to my next blog post!
Paula Rose Parish💕
🖤Want to help support me as an author?
✔BOOKS BY PAULA available at AMAZON in the UK, USA, Aust;
📚Nothing Good about Grief: Path to recovery with Psalm 23 after COVID-19 & other losses.
As you know, I really enjoy researching about the mind, body, and spirit and how they interact with each other. I call this, holistic spiritualty. Before God we have a responsibility to care for ourselves the best we can.
1 Corinthians 6:19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.
Even if you take short walks, the physical benefits of exercise will boost your emotional well-being. In addition, regular walking can help ease symptoms related to chronic mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Have you ever thought the spiritual benefits of walking as well? God has made us of mind, body, and spirit therefore all these aspects of our come together to make us – well- us. Also, all these aspects need to stay healthy. It is up to us to ensure we stay healthy of mind, body, and spirit (soul) and here a few tips to help you to do just that.
You can walk anywhere without equipment or a gym membership, and the more you do it, the more positive effects you’ll experience.
The Benefits of Walking
There are numerous benefits of walking, and some of them are…
Improved sleep
better breathing
Better endurance
Stress relief
Improvement in mood
Increased energy and stamina
Reduced tiredness can increase mental alertness
Weight loss
Reduced cholesterol and improved cardiovascular (heart) health.
Walking helps boost your mood by increasing blood flow and blood circulation to the brain and body. It positively influences your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is your central nervous response system. The HPA axis is responsible for your stress response. When you exercise by walking, you calm your nerves, making you feel less stressed.
You can invite friends to join you or take your dogs for a walk. Walking with others as little as one or two days per week can have enormous benefits. Research has shown that physical exercise combined with positive social interactions can improve negative moods, ward off depression, improve self-esteem, and thus energize your physical body. Start by walking three days a week for 10-30 minutes.
How to Create a Prayer Walking Routine
One of the best ways to begin a new walking routine is to start small and take it easy on yourself as you gradually build up endurance. To ensure the best injury-free experience, choose stable walking shoes and before you leave home, stretch your legs, ankles, and feet to warm up. If you have one, take your mobile phone in case of energy. If it’s a little warm out and your walking some distance, take a water bottle to avoid dehydration.
Start at a relaxed pace, then build up to a brisk walk. Toward the end of your walk, give yourself time to slow down again, bringing your heart rate down.
Each time you go out, carve out a comfortable walking route, then extend your distance over the next few days or weeks. Give yourself goals to reach and celebrate your wins. Remember, it’s not always about the length of your route. It’s also about the quality of the walk and the benefits you get from doing it consistently.
How to Prayer Walk
As you walk, pray for the occupants of the houses you pass by.
Pray for the town or village and the social issues.
Pray for the people who pop into your mind.
Pray for the peace of your community.
Pray for the local council who look after the path you are walking on
Pray for your church and its members.
Pray for yourself and your health and well-being of mind, body, and soul.
Give thanks to God for the scenery around you.
Give thanks for the birds and other creatures you see.
Give thanks for the opportunity to take your walk.
Give thanks for the ability to walk, even if it’s a short distance.
Give thanks for God loving you and how he has called you into life.
As you walk, think of other things. People and for yourself to pray and give thanks for.
I hope you enjoy your walk and the benefits it affords.
Paula Rose Parish is a Pastor, Author, and founder, of Hope. Faith. Love, and Your Wellness Matters. She studied at the University of Derby and received a Master of Arts in Counselling in Professional Development. Over the years, Paula Rose has served as a pastor, chaplain, counsellor, and coach and taught at a Christian university. In addition, she has led workshops and retreats and spoken worldwide on Christian spirituality.
Author of over 200 articles and two published books, Paula Rose, continues to write on the wellness of mind, body and spirit. Paula Rose is adding a string to her bow and is presently reading Health and Wellness. She has four grown children, five grandchildren and lives in South Wales, UK.
Subscribe to my YOUTUBE CHANNEL, and it’s free!.
Paula Rose is a Wellness Coach Ordained Minister, Speaker, Blogger, Podcaster, Course Creator, Published Author and has a Master of Arts in Counselling. And many other qualifications and a lifetime, so I have heaps to share with you.
Paula is a life member of (ISFP) The International Society of Female Professionals.
🖤Want to help support me as an author? Click here available now on Amazon ✔BOOKS BY PAULA available at AMAZON in the UK, USA, Aust; 📚Nothing Good about Grief: Path to recovery with Psalm 23 after COVID-19 & other losses. 📚Psalm 23 Unwrapped: Hope in difficult times.
Having moved into my own home, I used my holidays to decorate and sort the small courtyard behind my house. I love trees. In the suburb where I grew up in Australia, the streets were utterly tree-less; however, many were planted in people’s back gardens. I think there are not many trees because of the scarcity of water, and trees need lots of water. Local councils didn’t want the residents to waste their water, particularly during times of drought, for those who did, were issued heavy fines. So, when I came to Wales Uk to live, I was so pleased to see the trees everywhere!
I bought a house in Wales, where I am surrounded by beautiful Parks and mountains lined with trees.
I love trees and enjoy looking at them, so I bought 2 big pots and a lot of potting soil, bought a cherry tree and an apple tree, and planted them. New buds form within a few days, and I am looking forward to them producing some fruit for me in years to come. I chose cherry because cherries are expensive to buy in the shops, and I really enjoy cherries, and they’ve got very high antioxidant properties being a dark fruit. Usually, apples are easy to grow, and I can do all sorts of things with apples like apple pie, sauce, and much more and an added bonus, apples are very high in vitamin C. Then I got thinking about apples and cherries because they have seeds.
SEEDS AND NEW LIFE
A traditional gift for a teacher from the student is an apple. Think about a good teacher that you may have had. A good teacher plant seeds of ideas in our thinking and helps us explore those ideas, and they explain things to us in an exciting way. A good teacher is a teacher because they love to teach and want to help the student be all they can be.
Most teachers never know what the results of their teaching will be. It takes many years for the student to mature and become an adult. During that time, they will discover their interests and talents and decide how to use them. A good teacher plants a seed, and years later, others will see the results of that teacher’s work, and the teacher may never know about it.
WE ALL HAVE A PURPOSE IN THIS LIFE
Jesus talks about this idea in (4:37)- He says, “One sow and another reaps” – one person plants the seed, and another person may harvest the fruit. So when we say something helpful to another person or do something kind, it is planting a seed of God’s love.
We may never know the result, but we can be sure that there will be a good result when we work with God’s love. This is what we are focusing on in this text today: Sowing Seeds of hope, love, and faith.
Briefly looking at the context, we find that Jews had little to do with Samaritans. Jews tended to avoid even traveling through Samaria. But Jesus didn’t share this hatred towards Samaritans. He traveled from Judea to Galilee to go through Samaria rather than by-passing it. He was not trying to save time, but Jesus continually sought out the outcasts of society––the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the lepers––and his travels through Samaria carried him through a nation of what the Jews regarded as outcasts.
THE WOMAN AT THE WELL
Jesus came to the little town in Samaria and stopped at the well for a drink. A woman was there, drawing water. Usually, women came to the well in the mornings and evenings, but this woman came at noon. It was hot at noon, but she was alone at the well. But today, a strange man approached. It was not suitable for men to converse with women in this culture. The rule was,
“Let no one talk with a woman in the street, no, not even with his wife.”
The idea of what Jesus told the woman is that he is getting rid of old prejudices and rivalries and because God is spirit, worship cannot be confined to a particular place or a particular people. God is everywhere, so He can be worshipped everywhere by all people. True worship is an affair of the heart.
ALL PEOPLE MATTER
After the conversation, the woman left her water jar and ran into the city. “Come, see a man who told me everything I did. Can this be the Christ?” (v. 29). So they came, and many of them “believed in Jesus BECAUSE OF THE WORD OF THE WOMAN” (v. 39). How amazing! In that time and place, people didn’t take a woman’s word very seriously.
Until Jesus came along, this woman was practically invisible; no one would have sent her into town as their spokeswoman. But her contact with Jesus transformed her life and status in the community. The people heard her and said, “You are right. This is the savior of the world” (the meaning of v. 42).
SOULS MATTER
William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, said: ‘Go for souls and go for the worst’.
That’s what Jesus did when he turned this so-called outcast into a well-received evangelist.
Jesus planted seeds of hope, love, and faith in her heart, and she received them, and she let those seeds grow to where she acted and shared her story.
Jesus does that. He changes people’s lives, and we do that too, we are seed planters, and if God wishes, we help to grow those seeds by protecting and nurturing them – and we may or may not see the final result.
Jesus especially loves to help outcasts because they most need help, and so should we.
The late Billy Graham said:
“Jesus stopped dying on the cross long enough to answer the prayer of a THIEF.
He stopped in a big crowd one day because a WOMAN touched the hem of His garment,
and He’ll stop to touch your life, change you, and forgive you – that’s Good News”!
CHURCH MATTERS
As the church, we are Christ’s hands for service in this world, and he uses you and me to do his work, to change people’s lives: How?
• We plant the seeds of Christ each time we CARE;
• We plant the seeds of Christ each time we LISTEN;
• We plant the seeds of Christ each time we REACH OUT;
• We plant the seeds of Christ each time we TOUCH EACH OTHER IN LOVE.
A quote from John Wesley “The Church has nothing else to do but to save souls; therefore, be devoted to this work. It is your business to bring as many sinners as possible to repentance”.
And another preacher put it this way: “go to the outcasts; it is the church’s business to kiss frogs.” So, let us rejoice that Christ has transforming power in changing lives!
This week, let us resolve to allow God to plant seeds of hope, faith, and love to fill us with His Spirit so we might plant the same seeds in the life of others. Let us pray that we will touch lives with seeds of hope, love, and faith this week and see the transforming love of Christ in action!
I hope reading this article has helped you in a small way. If it was, please like and feel free to comment, and please subscribe to this blog so you may receive your free freebie and regular updates.💕
Paula Rose has a Bachelor of Pastoral Counselling and Theology, Vision Christian University, USA Master of Arts In Counselling & Professional Development, specializing in Spiritual Abuse through The University of Derby, UK.
She Studies the BACP Life Coaching Course, Bristol, UK, and is a life member of (ISFP) The International Society of Female Professionals.
Paula Rose Parish is a Pastor, Author, and founder, of Hope. Faith. Love, and Your Wellness Matters. She studied at the University of Derby and received a Master of Arts in Counselling in Professional Development. Over the years, Paula Rose has served as a pastor, chaplain, counsellor, and coach and taught at a Christian university. In addition, she has led workshops and retreats and spoken worldwide on Christian spirituality.
Author of over 200 articles and two published books, Paula Rose, continues to write on the wellness of mind, body, and spirit. Paula Rose is adding a string to her bow and is presently reading Health and Wellness. She has four grown children, five grandchildren, and lives in South Wales, UK.
Subscribe to my YOUTUBE CHANNEL, and it’s free!.
Paula Rose is a Wellness Coach Ordained Minister, Speaker, Blogger, Podcaster, Course Creator, Published Author, and has a Master of Arts in Counselling. And many other qualifications and a lifetime, so I have heaps to share with you.
Paula is a life member of (ISFP) The International Society of Female Professionals.
🖤Want to help support me as an author? Click here available now on Amazon ✔BOOKS BY PAULA available at AMAZON in the UK, USA, Aust; 📚Nothing Good about Grief: Path to recovery with Psalm 23 after COVID-19 & other losses. 📚Psalm 23 Unwrapped: Hope in difficult times.
Although we are in the fall, I thought I would share an Easter story. With all the leaves falling and the days are drawing in, we need a bit of good cheer!
The God of the Bible is always active, always making new, consistently doing a new thing. It is one of the ways God is different from idols, those things we make who do not move, speak, or do anything at all. By contrast, the God whose story is told in the Bible is continuously creating and recreating. It is why God is surprising, the God of surprises.
Of course, not everyone likes surprises. However, a quiet, dependable sure and steady life is what many desire, particularly after the drama of COVID 19. In enjoying quiet, dependable sure and steady life, we feel secure; at least we know where we are. Anyway, even those who profess to like surprises must acknowledge that not all surprises in life are pleasant and welcome, and some surprises come as a shock!
So, recalling that part of John’s Gospel 20.1-18 (please read), we might imagine how it was for Mary Magdalene. She was deeply in love with Jesus. He was the one who had given her back her life, love, and dignity. Yet, she comes on the Sunday after Sabbath to his tomb in the grief that goes with profound bereavement. The one she loved is dead and buried. That is a hard enough reality to bear. But how will she live without him?
(Dear friend, if you are struggling with grief, please check out my book ‘Nothing Good About Grief’ available at Amazon).
Getting back to Mary, who finds her way to the tomb. She expects to find everything as she left it days ago; after all, there are no surprises in death. It is all so predictable and final, except that she finds the tombstone is rolled away. This must have been for her an upsetting experience, a cruel and wounding surprise. She may have been wondering- ‘Can Jesus not be left in peace after all that has been done to him?’ She feels a knife being turned in her wounded heart.
She goes to find Peter. Her first word of witness on Easter Day is of sorrow and anger, and she cries, “They have moved his body! They have taken away the Lord! “It’s scandalous. She speaks in sorrow and burning anger. Her message is bad news indeed.
On hearing this news, Peter and John race to the tomb, with thoughts confused, they may question- “Can this indignity be true? ” When they reach the tomb, they find that Mary’s testimony, unfortunately, is the truth. The grave is empty. Strangely the grave clothes are in their place. Are they not needed anymore? Someone must have moved the body. It is the obvious but bitter explanation.
The Gospel writer says that John is outrun by Peter, nevertheless, goes into the tomb first. Then, says the evangelist, he saw and believed. Believed what? We are not told. However, the evangelist does tell us that they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead. This possibility is not available to them, and all they have is an empty tomb, and there may be many reasons for that; grave robbers, a meddling gardener, who knows? So, they go home.
So far this story, is not much of a good news story- where are the angels and the great hallelujahs? It’s what we latter-day readers expect, but to this point, the text is bleak like it was for Mary and for many in the face of death. What a disappointment this story of Jesus has turned out to be! We are left with emptiness in several senses. But, like the disciples, we are left with a puzzle.
So, Mary is weeping and looks deeper into the tomb. John says she saw two angels in white. They ask her why she is weeping. She tells them, “they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. ” That is reason enough for tears. She turns away to hide her grief, but she is aware of another standing near in this morning of surprises. It must be the gardener. He asks, “why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?”
Perhaps this man has the answer to her cruel puzzle. She replies, “Tell me where you have laid him.” And the man says, “Mary.” this is when she realises that it is the Lord! The calling of her name is the start of Mary’s resurrection because Jesus is not dead and gone. The tomb is empty, and Jesus has come to her in his risen love and grace. Now she has a different testimony. I have seen the Lord in her experience and announcement to the disciples.
This is how John tells the Easter Day story. No one expected this, despite what the ancient scriptures said of God. Easter is a surprise. It is the good news we proclaim today. Both the approaches in John’s witness are essential. Does the empty tomb story matter? Yes, because we are not talking about something in a private otherworldly sphere of inwardness.
The empty tomb matters because it speaks of the new creation, of that work God is doing with the matter he first created, how he is doing a new thing. Christians proclaim that the tomb is empty, and the new resurrection body is recreated by God. Death is not the end, not even for this vulnerable creation that waits for renewal.
Although scientists today speak of many dimensions, life on other planets and parallel universes. We can hardly imagine what this means, and the Gospel proclaims that here is the work of God, taking our failure, taking the love of Jesus, and from it, bringing forth something new and wonderful. It is a miracle, a work of God.
Some of our teachers speak of a miracle as an overflowing love at the heart of creation. The love that was in Jesus, even unto death, is met by the endless love of God for his creation and, in the dynamic, new, and beautiful things happen. Death is not the end.
As we have seen, however, the empty tomb is not necessarily good news. It needs setting in a context. That context is God’s work from the beginning, in the creation and the call of Israel, in the coming of Christ and his remarkable life of suffering love, breaking the cycle of sin and violence in his sacrificial death on the cross. It is over this Christ that God speaks the great “Yes” of resurrection. He is let loose again in the world, and Mary and countless others will speak of being restored, healed, renewed by his presence.
God raised Jesus from the dead. For Mary, this means her grief is turned to joy as he calls her name. For Thomas, it means his doubt is turned to faith as he meets the risen Lord in the company of the disciples. For Peter, who denied the Lord, resurrection means being welcomed again by Christ and entrusted with new and vital work. John wants us to understand that resurrection is not just something that happened to Jesus. It is God’s work for us.
It means that each act of worship, each gathering at the Lord’s Table, is an encounter with Christ Jesus. It means that far from life being full of boring predictability, there are the surprises of God who raised Jesus from the dead and is ever seeking to make all things new. It means that our death, even the decay of our planet, is not the end, and the tomb of Jesus is empty because God is at work. So, Christ comes to us with grace, forgiveness, love, and laughter. The Lord has risen! He is risen indeed!
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A lot has been said over the past 20 years or so about climate change. Initially, when the subject of climate change began to appear on our screen, few people believed it thinking it was just another way to extract money from the working person. As the years have passed, and research has progressed, the fact of climate change is slowly being accepted as a crisis of our time.
As followers of Christ, we have a God-given responsibility toward our planet.
Genesis 1: 28 New International Version God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
We need to be aware, therefore, of the small things we can do to help heal our planet before it is too late. In order to do this, we need to be clear of the biblical plan and mandate regarding our earthy existence.
God Created the Earth
God is not just a powerful figure in the world—he is the creator of the world. He brought it into existence with all of its interconnected processes, animate and inanimate, which means that even the smallest pebble is the work of his design:
Psalms 104: 25-30 “There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number—living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there. These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.”
John 1:3 “Through him, all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made.”
Colossians 1:16-17 “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him, all things hold together.”
Nehemiah 9:6 “You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.”
Every Living Thing Is Part of God’s Creation
The weather, plants, and animals are all part of the environment God created on the Earth. The Bible says that they are as much a part of God’s creation as mankind itself:
Isaiah 43:20-21 “The wild animals honour me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.”
Job 37:14-18 “Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? Do you know how the clouds hang poised; those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge? You who swelter in your clothes when the land lies hushed under the south wind, can you join him in spreading out the skies, hard as a mirror of cast bronze?”
Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
God Uses the Earth to Teach Us
It is important, according to the Bible, to study the Earth and the environment. The Bible says that knowledge of God and his works can be found in understanding plants and animals and the delicate web of life:
Job 12:7-10 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all humankind.”
Romans 1:19-20 “…since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
Isaiah 11:9 “They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”
God Asks Us to Take Care of His Creation
In the Bible, God commands man to be a steward of the environment. Isaiah and Jeremiah prophesy about the dire consequences that occur when man disobeys God and fails to take care of the Earth:
Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and overall the creatures that move along the ground.'”
Leviticus 25:23-24 “The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants. Throughout the country that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land.”
Ezekiel 34:2-4 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.”
Isaiah 24:4-6 “The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the exalted of the earth languish. The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore, earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left.”
Jeremiah 2:7 “I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable.”
Revelation 11:18 “The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great—and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
If you are a believer and follower of Christ, then you have a God-given mandate to care for the earth that feeds you and shelters you. The earth is your home. If you trash your home, eventually you will have nowhere to live- so, let’s look after this beautiful blue planet for now and for future generations.
Join me on FAITH FRIDAY when we chat about our faith.😀please share, subscribe, click the notification bell, and a Thumbs up! I would love to hear from you, so please leave a comment or contact me.
Paula Rose Parish is an author, and the founder, of Hope. Faith. Love. She studied at the University of Derby and received a Master of Arts in Counselling in Professional Development. Over the years Paula Rose has served as a pastor, chaplain, counsellor, coach and taught at Christian university, led workshops and retreats, and spoken worldwide on Christian spirituality. Author of over 100 articles and two books, Paula Rose continues to write on the spiritual life. Paula Rose is adding a string to her bow and is presently reading Health and Wellness. She has four grown children, five grandchildren, and lives in South Wales, UK.
Paula Rose has a Bachelor of Pastoral Counselling and Theology, Vision Christian University, USA. Master of Arts In Counselling & Professional Development, specializing in Spiritual Abuse The University of Derby, UK. BACP Life Coaching Course, Bristol, UK
A life member of (ISFP) The International Society of Female Professionals.
Paula is an Ordained Minister, Blogger, Podcaster, Course Creator, Published Author and has a Master of Arts in Counselling and many other qualifications and a lifetime so, I have heaps to share with you.
🖤Want to help support me as an author? Click here available now on Amazon ✔BOOKS BY PAULA available at AMAZON in the UK, USA, Aust; 📚Nothing Good about Grief: Path to recovery with Psalm 23 after COVID-19 & other losses. 📚Psalm 23 Unwrapped: Hope in difficult times.
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Have you ever had one of those days where everything goes wrong? What about one of those weeks, where every day is one big blur, and nothing seems to work out? You may look back over the last 12 months and just see disaster after disaster happening and all is totally out of your control? I think most of us can relate to one or two of these at least. How many people do you know who suffer from a restlessness that makes them so disconnected that they fall into depression, or just give up on life? Perhaps the death of a loved one has stripped the person of purpose and meaning, the grief being so overwhelming that they feel that they will never get over it? I know loads of people in this place, and I have helped them and in fact, I’ve been there a few times myself – and I am sure you have too- not a nice place to be! Or possibly you are unwell and facing your own impending death, and you don’t know what to think or which way to turn.
So, what can we do when things like this happen? How can we find joy and a realistic coping strategy to get us through rather than allowing it to defeat or destroy us? Contentment is a precious thing, but how can we find it in our darkest valley? Lots of people ask these questions and spend a lot of time and money looking for answers.
If you have loved much you will grieve much. Grieving is not bad, but for it to hang on for years is certainly not good either. As pointed out in my book, Nothing Good about Grief, bereavement can leave us with the feeling of utter emptiness. As human beings, we have a need to grieve because it is healthy to do so. We must understand that there will be a silver lining somewhere. Grief can be turned around self-discovery in the long run, even when we can’t imagine it at first. But this only happens if we are willing to learn, change, and learn the right attitude allowing bereavement to be turned around for our benefit. However, it is also true that there is a possibility that we can become trapped in our grief, not knowing how to let go of it.
This is book is designed to help you find solutions to work through the difficult times in your life. Psalm 23 Unwrapped shows God’s nature as Father in the image of the Good Shepherd. In the same way, as a good Father does, the Shepherd leads, provides, protects, and guides. Whatever your circumstances, this book offers ideas that will assist you to discover coping strategies while maintaining equilibrium. If you rely on the right conditions to make you happy, you will always be tossed about and will never experience inner calm and joy- even in the face of death. Psalm 23 Unwrapped, can be used as an enhancement to my book Nothing Good about Grief. The book you hold in your hands will help you to let go of the pain of your problems, resentment, grief, and the fear of death. Using Psalm 23 as a template – which is also known as the Psalm of David – this book guides you in your journey through your troubled times, to find meaning, purpose, and peace.
The experience of loss, mainly if it is sudden, can bring about the reaction of immense psychological shock. This traumatizes us psychologically. Some people think the effects of grief are purely psychological things and have nothing to do with our physicality. However, recent research shows that our psychological health has a direct bearing on our physical health. This is why I approach my work holistically. It is my aim to minister to the whole person, body, mind, and soul. Our spiritual life cannot be separated from our everyday existence and adjusting to a daily rhythm to fulfill your basic human needs is the first step to getting a handle on the feeling of fear, panic, and uncertainty. It is a step to curing the virus of anxiety and panic. It helps us to see life, health, death, and spirituality differently, even amid your difficulties. When we have re-connected to the sense of the present while trusting in God, we will find peace – the peace we lost in all that stress – is closer to us, deeper within us, than we had ever imagined.
Psalm 23 Unwrapped, offers strategies to cope with your journey through the dark valley. I have chosen the study of Psalm 23 because it shows the Lord as our Good Shepherd, our protector, our daily provider, our peace and rest, and our guide through every circumstance in life or death. God’s faithfulness leads us through dark valleys while watching over us with his rod and staff. All of that is amazing enough to prompt us to praise him, but we may wonder what happens after we pass through the valley? What does the Lord do then? How do you maintain your joy and happiness?
Studying God as Shepherd helps us with these and other questions. For instance, Jehovah-Raah, which means The Lord, my Shepherd. A shepherd is a role description, not a name of a person. Jehovah is not a name either. Translated as The Existing One or Lord. So again, it describes who God is. Also, it suggests becoming or specifically becoming known. This implies that God always discloses who he is. God reveals himself in the metaphor, or even in the image of a shepherd. A shepherd is the one who feeds or leads his flock to pasture (Ezekiel 34:11-15). An extended translation is a friend or companion. This indicates the intimacy that God desires between himself and his people.
Untangling the nature of God reveals to us that God is our friend, guide, companion, and the ever-existing One. The One who loves and cares for his sheep. The Shepherd guides us on our journey. The loving One who just doesn’t point us the way but walks with us through the darkness.
We can view our life’s experience as a spiritual journey beginning and ending in mystery, full of inexplicable pain and joy, yet full of wonder. In the end, it is faith, hope, and love that frees us from any kind of fear. However, we are exposed to our real predicament: not having a spiritual path in times like this. We may lack even a trace of meaning, not seeing the bright spark of life hidden in the darkness of our anguish or in our demise. All these are symptoms of another virus rampant in our materialism and delusion. I hope that this book shows the way out of that delusion. Faith in Christ Jesus is good news because it is the remedy that overcomes the hopelessness of grief and the fear of death and dying, and what is beyond.
In this book, we Unwrap Psalm 23 verse by verse to guide us in this journey. I invite you to travel with me – the adventure awaits……….
The season of Easter is after Lent which is coming up in March this year. I thought we would get arena and chat about the truth of the resurrection. Somebody told me recently that Jesus wasn’t real so the crucifixion and resurrection could not have happened. Well, let’s see what scripture says shall we?
Isaiah 6:1-8 (NIV) Isaiah’s Commission
6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!
Luke 5:1-11 (NIV) Jesus Calls His First Disciples
5 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For him and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything, and followed him.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (NIV) The Resurrection of Christ
15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of the first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from
My story how if felt unclean for years before I met Christ
It’s a shocking fact that even some people who stand in the pulpit believe that the Stores in the OT and indeed the NT didn’t exist. They say they are only stories to show the truth, but not truth in themselves. This is called Liberalism.
We can get caught up in it if we are not careful, the truth that archelogy bears out the stories from the bible even as far back as the garden of Eden.
People say that These stories are a metaphor of a Universal truth and inner reality.
However, if we believe this, we….
We can’t understand forgiveness
Reformed resurrected/ evangelical/. Charismatic
Coptic/ Catholic crucified
Crucified OR resurrected- dual thinking
We eliminate to negative- focus on the positive
Can’t separate the two one leads to the other = truth
We only can appreciate Gods love/grace fully if we have experience the absence of it.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS ABOUT TRANSFORMATION!
how can we enjoy the transformed life if we don’t believe that Christ dies and is resurrected and only stands as a metaphor???
I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
😀So many people want their faith and church to grow. The problem is to figure out where to begin. This site is about helping people do just that. It’s for anyone who feels stuck in their faith and longs for a breakthrough. It’s for people who are exploring Christianity and want to know what it’s all about – apart from what they see in the media. If that’s you – please consider subscribing.
Paula Rose has a Bachelor of Pastoral Counselling and Theology, Vision Christian University, USA
Master of Arts In Counselling & Professional Development, specializing in Spiritual Abuse The University of Derby, UK.
BACP Life Coaching Course, Bristol, UK
A life member of (ISFP) The International Society of Female Professionals.
Subscribe to my YOUTUBE CHANNEL, it’s free!.
Paula is a Wellness Coach, Ordained Minister, Blogger, Podcaster, Course Creator, Published Author, and many other qualifications and a lifetime so, I have heaps to share with you.
Paula is a life member of (ISFP) The International Society of Female Professionals
I recently came across an article that I thought was good, helping me immensely. The article, written by Carmen Joy Imes, called- Church after COVID—Why Bother Going Back?
The Christian Life is not for the faint hearted- it’s about commitment even when life is tough
Article- “After 6 months of worship at home with the Church on Zoom or YouTube, rhythms that used to be automatic are no longer a given. In our county of rural Alberta, Canada, we currently have zero cases of COVID19. Province-wide, K-12 students are back in class, and churches are allowed to meet again. Still, many precautions are in place. Attending Church is more complicated now. Some churches require pre-registration, masks, and hand sanitiser. Most have chairs spaced apart, or pews blocked off to ensure social distancing. Some won’t let you sing. Many have cancelled programming for children. And frankly, with no handshakes and no visiting in the lobby—in one door and out another—why bother going?
During the stay-at-home orders, many churches stepped up to the challenge of live streaming services, investing in equipment and training to foster a sense of continuity.
Let me first say that if your state or county is prohibiting services, then stay home. Your government leaders are doing their best to keep you safe. However, this will not last forever. Eventually, the restrictions will lift. When that day comes . . . why shatter the peace of the weekend by going through all the COVID19 rigmarole, exchanging distant greetings, and singing muffled songs? Why not just tune in at home? This pandemic has imposed an even bigger question on all of us: What is the point of the Church anyway?
Can it be done online as well as in person? And if so, then why go back at all?
Depending on your church tradition, an obvious answer may present itself: communion. If you are Anglican, Episcopalian, Catholic, or Lutheran, you have gone without communion for 6 months or longer. Even for Baptists, crackers and juice at home are not quite the same. Likely, you feel the ache of its absence, and you are eager to return. Communion is one crucial dimension of gathering for Christian worship that YouTube cannot replicate. It points toward a broader issue: embodiment.
Almost 500 years ago, the Heidelberg Catechism described the Christian experience in a way that anticipates our modern dilemma. It begins with a question: “What is your only comfort in life and death? I am not my own, but belong body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ” (Heidelberg Catechism, Question & Answer 1).
My body belongs to Jesus. By extension, I also belong to his means of grace in the world, the Church. Of course, there is much more to being the Church (and following Jesus) than attending a weekly service but gathered worship is one significant aspect of being part of the Church. When I choose not to attend, something is missing.
My absence from Church diminishes what Christ can accomplish in and through the Church. At the same time, my presence is a tangible means of participation in the kingdom.Ultimately, it’s not about “what I get out of it.” The Church cannot fully accomplish its purposes in the world when I withhold my presence. Physical participation matters.
The writers of the Heidelberg Catechism could scarcely have anticipated the options we have to worship from home. Still, they insist that we belong to Jesus body and soul. They acknowledge the importance of embodied worship. Something happens when we are physically present together that is simply not possible when we log in online.
According to James K. A. Smith in his excellent book, You Are What You Love (Brazos, 2016). Our physical participation has consequences that may be imperceptible now, but these add up to something significant. Our habitual acts shape our loves. Our loves shape who we become. Smith says that to cultivate virtue, we must immerse ourselves in practices that inscribe them in our hearts over time. He writes:
… counter formative Christian worship doesn’t just dispense information; instead, it is a Christ-centred imagination station where we regularly undergo a ritual cleansing of what we absorb elsewhere. Christian worship doesn’t just teach us how to think; it teaches us how to love. It does so by inviting us into the biblical story and implanting that story in our bones (You Are What You Love, 85).
Here are four reasons I am choosing to attend Church in person again, now that it is allowed where I live:
1. Weekly fellowship in a church body orients my loves.
Each week my heart is re-calibrated in small ways that keep me facing Jesus rather than drifting in another direction. This is true even if I don’t feel particularly inspired or challenged on a given week. The Church is not a vending machine designed to meet my immediate needs. Instead, it is a field that, when cultivated year after year, will produce spiritual nourishment. If I don’t walk out every Sunday with a full belly, that does not mean it is pointless to go. Little by little, week after week, I tend this field until it yields an abundant harvest in me.
2. Weekly fellowship in a church body reminds me that following Jesus means joining God’s family.
When I signed on as a Christian, it was not a transaction designed primarily to secure my eternal destiny. Becoming a Christian means becoming part of God’s family and changing how I live here and now. Spending week after week with these people, sharing this experience eventually adds to a network of caring relationships. It doesn’t happen overnight (remember, it’s a field, not a vending machine). Still, as we do life together, we lend support to each other on our faith journeys. Simply watching from home positions, me as a solitary consumer rather than an active participant. While digital worship has been a gift to keep us connected during this strange season, it is not sustainable to cultivate a faith community.
3. Weekly fellowship in a church body enables me to participate in God’s work of grace in others.
My effort to show up encourages my leaders, upholding their ministry. Any pastor who has tried preaching to a camera knows that it is not the same. My presence supports the work of my pastor and worship leader to study, plan, and prepare. It lends energy and solidarity to their message.
My presence also affirms the value of corporate worship for all those in attendance. My smile and my wave from six feet away and my voice lifted in praise (behind my pandemic mask) manifest the Spirit’s presence to others who have come. This is what it means to be the image of God. Our identity as God’s image is expressed physically—an embodied reminder of the presence and rule of God. We represent the unseen God to one another. I am not my own. I am a member of something bigger than myself—Christ’s body on earth. For those who have been isolated at home, my physical presence may be a lifeline. My Caring eye contact may lend strength for another week.
4. Weekly fellowship in a church body is a means of declaring allegiance to the kingdom of God.
On the outside, the Church may not seem like much. It may seem weak. But the Church is a visible witness to the unseen reality of God’s kingdom. Being present each week testifies to this. It acknowledges that God’s invisible kingdom is more substantial and lasting than the other concrete institutions in my community. It will outlast the postal service, local businesses, schools, and politicians and their offices. It will outlast the pandemic and the hurricanes and the wildfires and the ugly inequalities in our world. My participation ensures this. It testifies to that more powerful and lasting kingdom.”
Carmen concludes her article with her personal thoughts….
“So, for these and other reasons, I go. I hope that as soon as you are able, you will go, too. Our circumstances may still be less than ideal, but the long-term benefits of embodied worship far outweigh the hassles. Whether I feel excited about it or not (and usually I do!), the Church is my family, and I cannot be who I am meant to be without it (her emphasis).”
I hope you enjoyed reading Carmen’s article and hope it was helpful to you in this time of transition.
The story is told that in the latter 1800’s, Alfred Lord Tennyson invited a Russian nobleman to his estate. And early one morning this nobleman took off with dogs & guns & servants to go hunting.
At mid-day he returned & Lord Tennyson asked him how he did. He answered, “Not very well. I shot two peasants.” Lord Tennyson thought for a moment & then said, “No, we pronounce it with a ‘ph’ here. It is ‘pheasants.’ You shot two pheasants.”
“No,” the nobleman replied, “I shot two peasants. They were insolent towards me, so I shot them.”
Now we smile in disbelief at a story like that. But last May a driver in Swansea abused another driver a woman in road rage. He was charged with verbal assault. When asked why he was angry and abusive, he said it was because she was black.
That happened in Swansea, South Wales, UK. But stories like that have popped up all over the country. People becoming abusive due to their uncontrolled anger.
Now, of course, none of us would do anything like that. But have you ever lost your temper? Do you ever do things you wish you hadn’t done, or say things you wish you had never said?
Well, the Bible has something to say about overcoming anger. Proverbs 19:11 says, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience. It is to his glory to overlook an offense.”
Now there is the secret, isn’t it? If someone offends you, & if you are a person of wisdom (God’s wisdom) then you can overlook it, & not allow the situation to become a major event that overwhelms you. I discovered that there are 4 types of anger dealt with in the Bible.
First of all, there is sudden anger. The Bible says that sudden anger is to be controlled.
Secondly, there is sinful anger. The Bible says that sinful anger is to be condemned.
Thirdly, there is stubborn anger. Stubborn anger is to be conquered.
Finally, there is sanctified anger. And sanctified anger is to be channeled.
So let’s look at each of those 4 types of anger.
I) SUDDEN ANGER IS TO BE CONTROLLED
First of all there is sudden anger, & the Bible says that sudden anger is to be controlled.
Proverbs 14:17 says, “A quick-tempered man does foolish things.” We already knew that because we’ve experienced that in our own lives. We may blame our quick temper on our red hair. Or we may blame it on our heritage. After all, we’re Irish or something like that. We may even be proud of it.
But the bottom line is, if we have a short fuse, we’re going to do a lot of foolish things. When we lose our temper we’ll say things we know we shouldn’t have said, & do things that we’re going to be sorry for later on.
Next, Proverbs 15:18 says, “A hot tempered man stirs up dissension.” That simply means that if you have a short fuse, if you’re always losing your temper, if you’re walking around with a chip on your shoulder, if you’re just looking for somebody to say something that will irritate you, then you’re going to leave a trail of hurt feelings & unhappiness behind you.
A movie start from the 1930’s -Will Rogers said, “Whenever you fly into a rage, you seldom make a safe landing.” And he is right.
The American preacher- Chuck Swindoll said, “I got so angry that I gave him a piece of my mind. And it was a piece that I couldn’t afford to lose.”
The writer of Proverbs said, “A hot temper stirs up dissension.”
Proverbs 18:13 says, “He who answers before listening – that is his folly & his shame.” He is talking about jumping to conclusions. We hear just a little bit of what is said, & we instantly jump to a conclusion, & oftentimes it is the wrong conclusion.
Have you heard about the dog named “August” who was always trying to chase a mule named “Conclusion?” One day he jumped at Conclusion & bit him, & Conclusion kicked back at August. And that was the last day of August. Think about that for a moment.
Sometimes we jump to conclusions, & Solomon says that it is to our folly & our shame.
Proverbs 19:19 says, “A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty.” We’re being told that almost every day. Doctors tell us that losing our temper consistently brings about high blood pressure, dryness of mouth, & a fast-beating heart. It could even bring pre-mature death.
A hot temper could also mean loss of family & friends. The penalties of losing our temper are many.
So the Bible says, “If you have a sudden temper, then you need to control it.” But how can we do that?
You say, “Why, I just can’t control my temper. It gets away from me.” But you can. Have you ever found yourself engaged in a heated discussion with your voice getting louder & your words becoming more rapid? Then the telephone rings & you say, “Hello.” Sure, you can control your temper.
So we need to recognize that we have a problem with temper. As long as we deny it, as long as we blame it on heritage or short-fuse or whatever we choose to blame it on, we’ll never improve.
Then we must confess our problem to God & ask for His help. “Lord, I’m beginning to lose my temper, & I’ve done it many times before. Please help me see what is causing it to happen, & then help me to overcome it.”
SUMMARY. The Bible teaches that when the Holy Spirit guides our life, that one fruit of the spirit is self-control. And if you have a sudden temper, you need to control it.
2) SINFUL ANGER IS TO BE CONDEMNED
The second type of anger discussed in scripture is sinful anger. Not all anger is sinful, & we’ll talk about that in just a minute. But some anger is. So let me give you some tests this morning to help you determine whether your anger is sinful or not.
In Matthew 5:21, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, `Do not murder, & anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.”
Now that passage tells us some things about anger that should help us realize when our anger is sinful & when it is not.
Notice first of all that it says, “Anyone who is angry with his brother.” Now if you’re a brother or sister to someone it indicates that you are a member of the same family, whether a domestic family or the family of God.
If we’re brothers & sisters, we ought to be lifting each other up, supporting & helping each other. We should not spend our time being angry at one another.
The King James Version speaks about being angry at your brother “without a cause.” If we are angry & don’t have a legitimate reason for being angry, then this tells us that our anger is sinful.
Then if you’re angry at your brother, that indicates that you are focusing your anger on a person. We should never focus our anger on people, but rather on the sins they commit.
Jesus was never angry at people, but He was angry at their sins. So look beyond the person. We must love the person, but hate their sin.
So if you’re angry at your brother, if you’re focusing on a person, then that means that your anger is sinful.
Now in Romans 12:19 Paul says, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: `It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
So the third test of our anger is this: Is it anger that seeks revenge? Are we always trying to get even? The Bible teaches that God is the one who has the right of vengeance. Not us. “Vengeance is mine,” says the Lord. We don’t have the right to repay anyone. But rather, turn that over to God.
So if our anger is geared towards seeking revenge, then it is very definitely sinful anger. If it is vengeful, then most likely it is also an anger that is cherished.
Remember what Jesus said to the man who was by the pool, waiting to be healed, & he couldn’t get to the water soon enough? Jesus asked him, “Do you want to be healed?” Important question!
There are a lot of people who enjoy being sick because of the attention it gets them. And there are a lot of people who love being angry. They’ve been angry for years. Inside of them there is a boiling mass of anger.
So if anger is cherished, it most certainly is sinful anger.
If it is a cherished anger it will also be an anger with an unforgiving spirit. And the secret to getting rid of anger is to be able to forgive. But if you can’t forgive, if you can’t release it, then it is a sinful anger.
SUMMARY. So here are the 5 tests to tell whether or not our anger is sinful anger.
1. Is it anger directed towards a person?
2. Is it anger without a justifiable cause?
3. Is it anger that seeks vengeance?
4. Is it anger that is cherished?
5. Is it anger that has an unforgiving spirit?
If any of the answers to those questions is “yes,” then our anger is a sinful anger. And the Bible says that it is to be condemned.
CONCLUSION. If it is sinful, then we need to repent, to turn away from it, & allow God to forgive us of it so that we can become forgiving people, too.
3). STUBBORN ANGER IS TO BE CONQUERED
The third type of anger is stubborn anger. It is an anger that just stays there, day after day after day.
One of the classic passages that deals with anger begins in Ephesians 4:26. The KJV says, “Be ye angry, & sin not. Let not the sun go down on your wrath.” And the next verse says, “And do not give the devil a foothold.”
One day you go home & you’re angry. You’re carrying a chip on your shoulder, just waiting for someone to knock it off.
Then your partner says something you don’t particularly appreciate, & soon heated words are being exchanged. It really doesn’t amount to much, but you’re determined to get your way, & she is determined to get her way. So the argument continues.
The sun goes down & nighttime comes. Then in bed she faces that way & you face this way, & you both make very sure that you don’t touch each other.
Do you realize what has happened? The Bible says that you have opened the door, & said, “evil one come right on in. We’ll make you welcome here.”
Then in vs. 31, Paul mentions what happens when Satan begins to do his dirty work.
The first result is “bitterness.” You begin to think about all the bad things people do & say to you, all the insults, all of the inconsiderate things that go on.
Then Paul says, “After bitterness comes rage & anger.” “Rage” is bitterness boiling & bubbling inside of you. And “anger” is rage being expressed. It is no longer just inside you. Now you begin to kick the cat, & hit the wall. Now you begin to say all kinds of things, until finally it becomes “brawling,” which means “shouting loudly,” & “slander” or “insults.”
“Look at this house. It’s a pig sty. I come home every day & these kids are dirty. You don’t know how to take care of them. What makes you think you’re a homemaker?” And on & on it goes, back & forth.
Paul says, is malice, and “malice” means that you really desire to harm. That’s why we’re always reading about someone shooting his wife & turning the gun on himself. Because the ultimate end of stubborn anger is malice.
SUMMARY Paul said, “Here is the way to get rid of stubborn anger. Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath.” Vs. 32 says, “Be kind & compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
So first of all, there is sudden anger. And it must be controlled.
Then there is sinful anger. And it must be condemned.
Then there is stubborn anger. And it must be conquered.
4) ANGER MUST BE CHANNELED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR GOD
Finally, there is HEALTHY anger. And that must be channelled in the right direction for God. Remember, Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be ye angry. . .” It is okay to be angry, but do not sin.
Let me read to you from Mark 3:1-5. This is a passage that deals with a situation in the life of Jesus that I think is very revealing. It says:
“Another time he went into the synagogue, & a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. And Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, `Stand up in front of everyone.’”
“Then Jesus asked them, `Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ But they remained silent.”
“He looked around at them in anger &, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts. . .” You see, the focus of His anger is their hearts. He is angry because of their stubborn hearts & their stubborn anger. The sun has gone down. The sun has come up. And the devil has established a foothold in their lives. And Jesus is angry at their stubborn anger.
Then Jesus said, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, & his hand was completely restored.”
SUMMARY. The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in all points, even as we are tempted, but He never sinned. So this passage teaches that Jesus became angry but it wasn’t sinful anger. It was sanctified anger, channelled anger, anger that has the right focus, & the right object.
Maybe an infusion of anger is the very thing that the church needs. To become angry at the corruption of the world. To become angry at the forces of evil. To become angry at pornography that reaches into every segment of society.
To become angry at injustice. To become angry at the increase in crime & murders & rapes. To become angry at the abuse of alcohol & drugs in our society. To become angry because there are millions of people who are dying & going to God- less graves.
It is time for the church to become angry, with a sanctified anger, a holy anger, that is channeled in the right places.
SUMMARY; There are all kinds of anger. And if you are wrestling with them, God promises to give you victory, if you’ll let Him.
So be angry, but don’t sin. Don’t let the sun go down upon your wrath. Don’t allow the devil to have a foothold in your life. But channel that anger so it can begin to accomplish victories for Jesus.
We offer His invitation this morning. He stands ready & willing to come into your heart & into your life. If you’ll confess your faith in Him, & repent of your sins, & be faithful to him in Christian baptism, He has promised to forgive your sins.
If you are already a Christian, an immersed believer in Jesus, then we invite you to join with us in the ministry that God has given us here. Whatever your decision, we offer the invitation of Jesus.
Please contact me an let me know what you have decide- God bless you!.
😀So many people want their faith and church to grow. The problem is to figure out where to begin. This site is about helping people do just that. It’s for anyone who feels stuck in their faith and longs for a breakthrough. It’s for people who are exploring Christianity and want to know what it’s all about – apart from what they see in the media. If that’s you – please consider subscribing.
Paula Rose has a Bachelor of Pastoral Counselling and Theology, Vision Christian University, USA
Master of Arts In Counselling & Professional Development, specializing in Spiritual Abuse The University of Derby, UK.
BACP Life Coaching Course, Bristol, UK
A life member of (ISFP) The International Society of Female Professionals.
Subscribe to my YOUTUBE CHANNEL, it’s free!.
Paula is a Wellness Coach Ordained Minister, Blogger, Podcaster, Course Creator, Published Author and has a Master of Arts in Counselling and many other qualifications and a lifetime so, I have heaps to share with you.
Paula is a life member of (ISFP) The International Society of Female Professionals
Luke begins by telling us that Jesus and his three closest disciples––Peter, James, and John––went up on the mountain to pray.
Mountains are special places in the Bible. They are places where people encounter God. Moses encountered God on Mount Sinai. Elijah called down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel. Jesus revealed his glory to his disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration. It was on mountains that people experienced grand and wonderful things.
As I thought about that, I wondered what our modern-day equivalent might be. Where would we go to experience grand and wonderful things?
I hate heights however; I have climbed many hills and mountains on my travels around the world. I took in the most amazing sights, and smells with little sound!
Some people would love to take a ride into space. I can’t think of anything WORSE! However, some fold think it would be most wonderful. I think it would be scary as the engines start––being pressed hard into the seat as the ship accelerates. However, the wonder of weightlessness––and the view of the world as a blue and white jewel set on black velvet, might be nice!
But to be honest, I feel a sense of wonder when I see a beautiful sunset––or snow-capped mountains––or even a great building. And when I climb the Welsh mountains where I live, I come truly alive!
JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES
But to show his disciples grand and wonderful things, Jesus took them up on a mountain. That in itself would seem wonderful enough. I bet the view from a mountain was glorious.
But Jesus didn’t go there to enjoy the panorama- he took his disciples up there to pray. He wanted to give them something more than a spectacular view. He wanted to give them a glimpse of God. And he wanted to give them a glimpse of his glory. He wanted to let them know that he was something more than a great leader, like King David. He wanted to confirm to them that he––was God––is God.
So he took them up on a mountain to pray. “As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became white and dazzling” (v. 29). Moses and Elijah, the great men of Israel’s past, came to visit. A cloud descended on the disciples, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!” (v. 35).
The disciples weren’t really ready for that. They had expected Jesus to do some exciting but conventional things––like forming an army to drive the Romans out of their land. This experience on the mountain was more like grabbing an electrical wire and getting a jolt. But it awakened them to the fact that Jesus was more than they had expected. They wouldn’t fully grasp the meaning of Jesus until after the cross and resurrection, but this experience on the mountain began to prepare them––planted a seed in their hearts that would grow and blossom in due time.
HAVE YOU HAD A CONVERSION EXPERIENCE?
I have! You can read about in if you click on the menu and go to about.
Have you ever had an experience like that? Some people have. I have heard people talk about conversion experiences almost as dramatic as the things that these disciples experienced on the Mount of Transfiguration––people whose lives had been headed in the wrong direction for years, but who suddenly and without warning came face to face with God and had their lives turned around.
FROM GUTTER TO GLORY
There’s a week known story of Eldridge Cleaver. As a young man, Cleaver was involved in various kinds of crime. At age 22, he was convicted of assault with intent to commit murder. He admitted to raping a number of women. He advocated violence as a way of redressing racial injustice. In 1968 he was involved in a shootout with Oakland police. He jumped bail and lived for a number of years in Algeria and Paris.
Then Cleaver had one of those dramatic conversion experiences that we hear about. He saw a vision. This is how he reported his vision in his book, Soul on Fire. He said:
I saw all my former heroes paraded before my eyes…
Fidel Castro, Mao Tse-tung, Karl Marx, Frederick Engels,
passing in review––
each one appearing for a moment of time,
and then dropping out of sight, like fallen heroes.
Finally, at the end of the procession,
in dazzling, shimmering light,
the image of Jesus Christ appeared.
As a result of that vision, Cleaver became a Christian––turned on to Jesus as fervently as he had been turned on earlier to violence. His life was never the same again. In one moment, he was a man of violence. In the next moment, he was a man of peace.
I mention Cleaver’s story because his dramatic vision of Christ was so unexpected––so dramatic ––so life-changing––and thus so like the experience of these three disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration.
But not many of us have that kind of dramatic vision–– that kind of sudden conversion. Most of us either grew up in the church, learning of Christ from the very beginning, or we came by our faith more deliberately––more slowly––over a period of time. We are more likely to have come by our faith at our mother’s knee than on a mountaintop. This story of the Transfiguration, then, probably seems a bit peculiar––something that has little or nothing to do with our experience of faith.
But I thought it interesting that Jesus took these disciples up on that mountain to pray. They didn’t go up the mountain for exercise. They didn’t go there for the view. They didn’t go there to find a good place to build a house or restaurant. They went there to pray. In other words, they went there for the expressed purpose of placing themselves in the presence of God.
PRAYER CHANGES THINGS
They went to that mountain to talk to God, but perhaps even more importantly they went there to listen to God. Sometimes we approach prayer as if the burden of communication were ours––as if we somehow had to find the right words to persuade God to do our will. But prayer is something far different. Prayer is not a magical incantation to persuade God to obey us. Prayer is a conversation with a loving God that helps to align us with God’s will.
We, after all, are not the ones with the perfect plan––God is. God doesn’t need to learn from us––we need to learn from God. So I am convinced that the quiet moments in prayer––the times when we invite God to guide us–– and then sit quietly communing with God––listening to God––are possibly our most important prayer times.
When these three disciples went up on that mountain to pray, they were “heavy with sleep” (v. 32). That’s common, isn’t it! How often we begin our prayers––and then wake up later realizing that we never finished. That’s all right! What better place to fall asleep than in the loving arms of our Heavenly Father?
But these three disciples managed to stay awake and were rewarded with a glimpse of Christ’s glory. They had gone up on the mountain to pray––to commune with God––and God revealed himself to them in a way that they had not expected.
There is a lesson to be learned here. While it is possible for God to take the initiative to break into our lives, it is also possible for us to take the initiative to invite him into our lives. That is one of the purposes of prayer––to invite God into our lives. These disciples went up on the mountain to pray––to invite God into their lives.
I am reminded of a famous painting of Christ painted by Holman Hunt more than a century ago. It pictures Christ knocking at a closed door. When Hunt showed the painting to his friends, one of them saw that he had forgotten something. He said, “You put no handle on the door.” Hunt replied, “We must open the door to Jesus. The handle is on the inside.”
Whenever we think that God has somehow absented himself from our lives, we might take a moment to check the door––to see if we have opened it to invite him in. Have you invited God the father in?
What I am proposing here is that we follow the example of these disciples––that we go up on the mountain––or into the quietness of our room––or wherever we can be alone to commune with God––and that we go there to pray––that we go there to talk to God and to listen to God––that we go there expecting a blessing––and that we not be surprised when we receive on––when God reveals himself to us in ways beyond anything that we ever expected- or even imagined.
😀So many people want their faith and church to grow. The problem is to figure out where to begin. This site is about helping people do just that. It’s for anyone who feels stuck in their faith and longs for a breakthrough. It’s for people who are exploring Christianity and want to know what it’s all about – apart from what they see in the media. If that’s you – please consider subscribing.
Paula Rose has a Bachelor of Pastoral Counselling and Theology, Vision Christian University, USA
Master of Arts In Counselling & Professional Development, specializing in Spiritual Abuse The University of Derby, UK.
BACP Life Coaching Course, Bristol, UK
A life member of (ISFP) The International Society of Female Professionals.
Subscribe to my YOUTUBE CHANNEL, it’s free!.
Paula is a Wellness Coach Ordained Minister, Blogger, Podcaster, Course Creator, Published Author and has a Master of Arts in Counselling and many other qualifications and a lifetime so, I have heaps to share with you.
Paula is a life member of (ISFP) The International Society of Female Professionals
If you are following me, you will know that this is not the whole story of course, but a snippet from my new book about Holistic Living, which features Mindfulness and issues around mental health. that I am in the process of writing. It will be published and made available to you later in the year – so keep a lookout for that! Please follow me here or subscribe to my newsletter to get your updates on this. Regardless of where you are on your journey, I hope you will find something useful here- if so, please let me know down in the comments.
MY STORY
After I completed my Master of Arts in counselling at university, I went on to read social science on a | Ph.D. level. I was working full time and opted to study for my Ph.D. part-time for six years. My dream was to earn the postgraduate award in my 60th year. It was an achievable goal and a great birthday present for me. I was three years into research and could no longer endure my abusive marriage after I spent time in hospital as a result of an attack. Against advice, I decided to put my studies on hold and took a long break from work so I could try to salvage what was left of my marriage. Over the next couple of years, the abuse would continue, despite a series of reconciliation meetings, counselling sessions, and eventually, a divorce ensued.
All this left me burned out, feeling hopeless, defeated, and helpless. I did not want to face the future, so I extended the deferment of my studies. Even without the relationship problems, if you forget to schedule time for activities that care for and nurture you – then you may be at risk for burnout.
Eventually, when I felt stronger, using mindfulness to recover, I attempted to enrol to continue my studies but sadly, the limit of deferment had been reached therefore I lost all my scores. Three whole years of hard study, tuition, and research came to nothing. I had to start from the beginning if I wanted to earn a Ph.D. However, the fees increased dramatically, and I could not afford 6 years of study. Through all this, I was burnt out – yet again. I felt as if I was in a desert wandering around aimlessly with nowhere to go.
BROKEN HEART
My dream of a Ph.D. had vanished. My marriage which held so much promise of happiness, love, and hope at one time, was a thing of the past.
If you are recovering from a traumatic event or if you’re a hyper-focused, motivated, achiever, then I know you can successfully apply yourself to create a better balance in your life. At times, life sucks and isn’t fair or kind. However, there is hope on the horizon. Mindfulness is a wonderful tool to help you to succeed on your journey.
However, to live mindfully, you must develop what I call- Well-Habits. Unlearning bad habits and learning new ones is not so easy. We know this because most of us fail to keep our New Year’s resolutions. Usually, it’s because most of us start off far too big. We decide to launch into a whole new lifestyle all at once- it’s all or nothing!
We think we’re just going to get there by the sheer exercise of willpower and come up disappointed. Well-Habits are formed bit by bit, day by day through disciplining yourself to put them in place and practice them. Right now, get out your calendar and schedule a daily slot of time to spend on your health and happiness. Learn to build systems to prevent further burn-out. I have found that by scheduling my well-being as a priority in my diary, by promoting my personal well-ness activities at a regular time each week, I’m building healthy habits for wellness.
The more you plan, organize, creating good habits, you increase your answerability to yourself for your behaviour, it will be easier for you to improve your work-life balance and recover from trauma. It will give you a structure that will help to make you feel secure and that you are progressing forward positively. Mindfulness is about intention, to enable meaning and purpose.
PLAN FOR TODAY AND FOR TOMORROW
Intentionally planning and organizing your daily activities will give you a reason to get up in the morning to live purposefully throughout your day. Build a growth mindset. You can grow as a person, change, and improve the way that you want to. It means that you are not born successful but become successful as you work through ‘stuff’.
As part of your Well- Habit development, ensure that you also practice self-acceptance and self-compassion – stop being so hard on yourself. Remember, no one should make you feel bad about who you are – not even you! It’s important to establish boundaries. What does this mean? It means that you decide what is acceptable to your goals, values, and lifestyle.
Once you establish what is acceptable for you, you must be assertive in upholding your own needs. Because no one else will. I hope this post was helpful. If it was, I would love to hear from you. Feel free to contact me and share any thoughts you have. And if you enjoyed reading this blog, please support it by subscribing to my FREE newsletter.
If you feel you would like further support through prayer, counselling, or coaching, please contact me. Details of How to get in touch with me are found in the top menu on my home page.
😀So many people want their faith and church to grow. The problem is to figure out where to begin. This site is about helping people do just that. It’s for anyone who feels stuck in their faith and longs for a breakthrough. It’s for people who are exploring Christianity and want to know what it’s all about – apart from what they see in the media. If that’s you – please consider subscribing.
Paula Rose has a Bachelor of Pastoral Counselling and Theology, Vision Christian University, USA
Master of Arts In Counselling & Professional Development, specializing in Spiritual Abuse The University of Derby, UK.
BACP Life Coaching Course, Bristol, UK
A life member of (ISFP) The International Society of Female Professionals.
Subscribe to my YOUTUBE CHANNEL, it’s free!.
Paula is a Wellness Coach Ordained Minister, Blogger, Podcaster, Course Creator, Published Author and has a Master of Arts in Counselling and many other qualifications and a lifetime so, I have heaps to share with you.
Paula is a life member of (ISFP) The International Society of Female Professionals
Your relationship with yourself is one of the most important relationships you have. So the first thing I want you to do is to spend some time thinking about what you actually think about yourself – write it down.
Looking at your list, if you are finding that you really don’t love yourself, below is a couple of tips to help you to start that all-important relationship with yourself. This month, there will be more blogs to follow with more tips.
Forgive Yourself
Forgiveness means that you accept what has happened and your behavior and be willing to move past it and move on with your life without worrying about things that cannot be changed. As a therapist, I learned this approach to self-forgiveness, which is also the Biblical way to forgiveness. The below method suggests that four key actions can help you to forgive yourself.
The 4 R’s of Self-Forgiveness
Responsibility
Remorse
Restoration
Renewal
Forgiving yourself is beneficial for any good mental, physical and relationship health.
Letting go and offering yourself forgiveness can help boost your feelings of wellness and improve your self-confidence. The act of forgiveness can also positively impact your physical health. Have you heard the expression “he’s eaten up with hate”? Science and the Bible tell us that unforgiveness can manifest itself negatively in our physical bodies. If we can’t forgive ourselves, then it will be impossible to forgive others impacting our relationships.
Remind Yourself – No more People Pleasing.
Have you heard the expression keep your opinions to yourself? Well. That’s the philosophy I was brought up with, as were many of my generations. As a result, I became fearful of what others thought of me. To this end, I expressed no personal opinion of my own in case someone did not agree with me, and I would upset them. To avoid upset, I learned to keep my opinions to myself. Unfortunately, this led me to the weakness of people-pleasing. The problem with this approach is that one forgets what is important in their own life and tends to live ‘through’ other people’s experiences, which I sad.
I began to observe the same behaviors in others and saw what resulted from their lives down the track. Therefore, I decided that I would no longer be a people pleaser and that my opinion does matter. After a struggle of years, much prayer, sweat, and tears, I finally rid myself of such behavior and began to value myself. In valuing myself, I was able to love myself.
Do Things That Make you Happy.
Someone once said, ‘you were not born to live to just pay the bills then die’.
No, you are more highly valued than that!
If you are happy, you will be more productive, motivated, and fulfilled. So when the alarm sounds, you will bounce out of bed in the morning, ready to begin ad brand new day with its challenges. However, if you are unhappy, you’ll be more likely to pull the covers over your head when the alarm sounds because you just can’t face your day.
If you are happy within yourself, it will become self-evident. You’ll automatically spread positivity, love, and joy, and Others will notice and want to be around you. After all, who wants to cozy up to a grump?
So, think about what makes you happy and ensure you engage with those things regularly. Don’t get so busy that that provides no time to do the things you enjoy. Maintaining happiness takes effort because it is a state of mind, and then doing those things that make you happy will reinforce that attitude.
Thank you for visiting me here; I hope this post was helpful.
If it was, please follow this blog, you’ll find a button on the lower bottom right and leave a comment with any questions or prayer requests. Also, head over to my other blog www.moonrosemindfulnes.com for lifestyle tips and details of my Course.
Virtual hugs, I look forward to your visit to my next blog post!
Paula Rose Parish
😀So many people want their faith and church to grow. The problem is to figure out where to begin. This site is about helping people do just that. It’s for anyone who feels stuck in their faith and longs for a breakthrough. It’s for people who are exploring Christianity and want to know what it’s all about – apart from what they see in the media. If that’s you – please consider subscribing.
Subscribe to my YOUTUBE CHANNEL, it is free!.
Paula is an Ordained Minister, Blogger, Podcaster, Course Creator, Published Author and has a Master of Arts in Counselling and many other qualifications and a lifetime so, I have heaps to share with you.
Is it just me or has the first week or so of the year felt more like a month!? Between balancing work, home, and the grief that I am experiencing, there’s a lot with which to cope.
There are many types of grief that we go through throughout our lives.
We grieve because of the loss of a loved one, as I have experienced recently. We grieve over a divorce and, with it, a loss of lifestyle and perhaps family and beloved friends. We grieve when we move house away from family, friends, and all familiarity. We grieve when we lose our job or enter into retirement when we feel we have lost our sense of purpose.
I wrote the book Nothing Good about Grief in the first year of the pandemic. The losses that everyone experienced worldwide were incalculable, which prompted me to share my experience and expertise within the pages of an uncomplicated book packed with information to support you.
I have revised Nothing Good about Grief and updated its cover. If you have been through grieve, experiencing it now, or supporting somebody who is, then Nothing Good about Grief will aid you through the lowest times in your life.
Nothing Good about Grief gives you a small insight into my life and how I have managed my grief and found a way through. Steering your way through grief is not easy, but it is essential to living a whole and happy life.
We can do nothing about the losses that we have experienced, but we can do something about how we will react to those losses. Nothing Good about Grief will help you turn our lemons into lemonade. Nothing Good about Grief helps you heal your devastation and provides hope for a bright future from now on.
No matter your age, Nothing Good about Grief, with its simple format and workshop towards the end of the book, will guide your way through the experience of grief and help you come through that dark valley into the bright sunshine of expectation.
Pick up your copy of Nothing Good about Grief from Amazon now!
If you would like more personal support as well, I have a Master of Arts in counselling and coaching, so I am happy to help you through your grief- let me know!
I’d love to hear from you – for any reason. So hit reply and let me know how are you doing after the first couple of weeks of the year? No, really… how are you doing? We put so much stress on ourselves in these first few weeks of the year with all these goals and habits… and it is ok if you haven’t sorted everything yet. So just let me know, how are you doing?
Talk soon,
Paula Rose💕
If you want some ideas and tools to relieve and manage stress, check out the course on the home page.
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Bye for now- and remember live life in Hope, Faith & Love!
Virtual Hugs
Paula Xx
😀So many people want their faith and church to grow. The problem is to figure out where to begin. This site is about helping people do just that. It’s for anyone who feels stuck in their faith and longs for a breakthrough. It’s for people who are exploring Christianity and want to know what it’s all about – apart from what they see in the media. If that’s you – please consider subscribing.
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aula is an Ordained Minister, Blogger, Podcaster, Course Creator, Published Author and has a Master of Arts in Counselling and many other qualifications and a lifetime so, I have heaps to share with you.
Prince William, Catherin, and Harry founded a mental health charity after figures showed the number of female suicides rose sharply in 2015.
The number of women who killed themselves rose sharply last year as the number of suicides for England and Wales reached a 20-year high. According to figures released from the Ministry of Justice, there were 3,899 rulings of suicide in coroners’ courts in 2015. This was more than for any 12 months since 1995 when the data series began.
While the number of men who killed themselves fell to 2,997, 23 fewer than in 2014, the statistics for women increased by 70 to 902. The fewest suicides were in 2007 when 3,007 such verdicts were recorded, and the number has risen consistently since then.
What is it that causes a person to take their own life? The easy answer is to say its’ mental illness, shrug our shoulders and move on. But who assesses what mental illness is? By what measuring rod does one assess if a person is mentally ill or not?
I have ministered to perfectly healthy people who outwardly seem successful, and happy but have experienced an acute amount of stress that caused them to despair for their very life. However, these people were not mentally ill.
I really believe that some people will not admit they feel suicidal for fear of being labeled mentally ill. However, wanting to die in the face of acute stress, illness or circumstances is not so unusual.
For example, in the book of Job, we read how he wanted to die and cursed the day he was born. The Bible did not label Job as mentally ill, but we see a very human reaction through Jobs’ despair when there seems to be no hope.
Lessons from Job
Job can be a difficult book to understand, however, it can help us in our everyday life. I am studying Job in my personal daily quiet time and found it a wonderful insight into the human condition. None of us need to feel ashamed by having such thoughts, even if an attempt to die has been made. Like Job, we are human, and we are weak at times and may feel there’s is no way out of our circumstances expect to die.
That’s why, just like Job, we need to be in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ gives us hope and strength to live each day. Read John chapter 3 & 1 Corinthians as the whole 13th chapter.
You have Meaning & Purpose.
We were born for a purpose, and that purpose is to love. To be loved by God and love God back and love other human beings. Each of us is unique and very important and much loved by God. We may want to end our life, but God wants us to live life to the full.
If you haven’t already, give your life to Christ and wait on Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit, and you will have the passion to live out God’s purpose for your life. You will find true meaning and happiness and courage to face the most difficult of circumstances.
Every day you will be living in God’s strength and not your own.
Also, if you know someone who is struggling with life, pass this article to them, and pray for them. Be light in someone’s darkness today.
The real problem arises when we don’t know what to do with our troubles. We wonder how on earth do we get through this! And how do we survive this phase of mourning and not allow it to immobilize us in some way? How can we make sense of what is happening?
This is where the 23rd Psalm helps us. As you read on, I pray that the Holy Spirit of God will minister to you and heal you in this time of grief. Psalm 23 is found in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament).
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
It is important to understand who God is. If really difficult to receive healing from someone you know little about. So, let’s take a brief look at the character of God.
So, who is God? There is no name for God as we understand the term to be. God is not a John or an Eric or even a Fred, for example. But what we believe are names for God are actually descriptions of God’s nature, characters, and actions.
For instance, Jehovah-Raah, which means The Lord, my Shepherd. Jehovah is translated as “The Existing One” or “Lord.” It also suggests “to become” or specifically “to become known. This denotes a God who always discloses who He is. A shepherd is the one who feeds or leads his flock to pasture (Ezekiel 34:11-15). An extended translation is “friend” or “companion.” This indicates the intimacy God desires between Himself and His people and can be understood as “The Lord, my Friend.”
GOD HAS NO GENDER
I refer to God as Father a lot however it does not indicate that God is a man. To be able to accept help from God. we need to trust who God is and will do what he promised us. Therefore, understanding God will benefit our faith greatly. So here we will briefly discuss who God is. God is Spirit- not a man.
People get hung up on God’s gender, but God has no gender. Why is this so important? I have found that some find it challenging to receive from God because God is a man. Past or current toxic relationships with men cause their relationship with God to become problematic. Therefore, understanding that God has no gender is especially important.
Well, He’s a father, right? He’s a he – The concept of a genderless God can be confusing.
So let’s take a brief look and see.
In Christianity, the Hebrew scriptures are referred to as the Old Testament. Here, God is a He. The ‘he’ simply is an allegory for His authority and creativeness. The Hebrew word he is usually not written out, but more understood from the verbal form. Then he is used as a reference to God not to be confused with the Latin HE, which refers to one’s gender.
All the names of God in the Scripture are simply a description of his actives in creation. By this, we then understand who God is. Therefore, the is He is referring to the Infinite Being (Ain Sof), who is the creator of the universe and is above all divine names. So, God is not a he or she (Numbers 23.19-20). God is a spirit.
Jesus taught us to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4.24). A spirit is a genderless being who is eternal, beyond time and space. God is the Alpha (the beginning) and the Omega (the end) of all things. Beyond time and space (Revelation 21:6). It is the eternal creator who lives in you by his Holy Spirit so you can succeed, “you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you” Philippians 4.13.
We could grapple with meanings of words all day, but the vital point to grasp is that God is Yahweh, which means, I Am who I Am. It is not God’s name but describes the Eternal Divine. God in Christ is above all names, in other words, God just IS. God is past, present, and future. God is a timeless, genderless Spirit being whose essence is love.
God The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist as One beyond the universe or human imagination and yet present with us in our worst fears and the most profound grief. God shows himself in Christ, on earth. I know it’s mind-blowing, but that same Christ lives in you, who we call, the Holy Spirit. Colossians 1:27-To them, God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
To place that into today’s understanding – Christ is the matrix of all that is. Christ IN YOU the hope of glory. ( the promise of beauty). How wonderful!
God is also depicted widely in Scripture as having female attributes. This is a beautiful metaphor depicting his nurturing character. We see this clearly in many scriptures, and just for an example here Deut. 32:18 “You forget the rock who begot you, unmindful of the God who gave birth to you“. Here we understand that God is not a rock, but the allegory is used to describe the steadfastness of God’s nature. Likewise, ‘he’ is also used in this way. Job knew the steadfastness of God and place his trust in this infinite being.
In my book ‘NOTHING GOOD ABOUT GRIEF: from grief to recovery’ I go into this in more detail.
When we know who God is, we come to understand God in Jesus Christ, securing us in our journey through our darkest valley.
You have meaning & purpose because God loves you and has a wonderful plan for a happy life.
If you want some ideas and tools to relieve and manage stress, check out the course in the top menu.
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Have you found purpose and meaning for your life?
If you have, how did it get you?
Let me know, and I would love to hear from you and your testimony, in our comments section below.
If you feel you would like further support, please contact me. Details of How to get in touch with me are found in the top menu.
😀So many people want their faith and church to grow. The problem is to figure out where to begin. This site is about helping people do just that. It’s for anyone who feel stuck in their faith and long for a breakthrough. It’s for people who are exploring Christianity and want to know what it’s all about – apart from what they see in the media. If that’s you – please consider subscribing .
Subscribe to my YOUTUBE CHANNEL, it’s free!.
Paula is an Ordained Minister, Blogger, Podcaster, Course Creator, Published Author and has a Master of Arts in Counselling and many other qualifications and a lifetime so, I have heaps to share with you.
Hope. Faith. Love. 