“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…” Matthew 28: 19 first part

Think, for a moment, about places where you hear something that is going to change your life. At a hospital or Dr’s surgery, or maybe a crisis intervention when someone was about to be exposed to danger.

One that is not often thought about is a church or a place of worship. Whilst waiting for a video to load on Youtube, for 5 seconds at least until I had the option to skip it, I was subjected to an advert that I had no interest in. My finger was primed on the skip countdown as I waited to get back to ‘my’ life after this unwanted interjection. Five seconds that is all it took. It got me thinking.

How long does it take to say something that is going to change someone’s life? How long does it take to say; “I’m praying for you- no, seriously, I really am!” or “God has a plan for your life”.

Do we really want to change someone’s life? How about us being the church for them if they have no intention of going there? It doesn’t have to be a sermon about the thesis of faith or answering all of the questions about religion. Take 5 seconds today to save a life for God by reminding them or introducing them to Him.

Our song 'God will make a way' was chosen by Bryn. Click on the picture to listen.

May 20 – Greater love

“To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and call upon the name of the Lord. I shall pay my vows to the Lord. Oh, may it be in the presence of all His people, In the courts of the Lord's house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord” - Psalm 116: 17-19

Ever heard the phrase, “Just do it!”? Nike's multi-million dollar advertising campaign made this slogan world famous. Behind this catchphrase are several unspoken exhortations, Forget your excuses. Achieve your goals. Overcome obstacles. Don't let your fears take over. Challenge yourself. Test your limits. “Just do it!”takes our ideas and puts them into action. It's where the rubber meets the road.

But, how does all of this fit in with “praise and worship”? We use this phrase without giving a thought to the true meaning. We discuss it, debate it, write about it, read about it, analyse it, and try to define it. But how often do we, honestly, “Just do it!”

Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote one of the most well-known love poems in the English language. 'Sonnet 43' begins: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach.... Psalm 116 is also an extraordinary expression of love-addressed to God! “How do I love thee, God”?

Praise like this should constantly be in our thoughts and words, because of God's incredible love and goodness to us. Worship is an attitude of our hearts toward God. He's provided for us, protected us – even to the death of His Son Jesus. Through Him we have salvation and eternal life.

Surely all of this gives us enough reason to “Just do it!”

What greater prayer of worship is there than the song of Mary in the NT - Marilla Ness sings, “Holy is His Name” for our music today. Click on the picture to listen.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.13 And the evening and the morning were the third day. Genesis 1:11-13

I like grapes especially purple ones. The most fascinating grape tasting experience that I have had was on a church trip from Germany. We stopped off on the Auto Baum at a petro station near one of the vineyards and one of our party purchased a bunch of grapes. Only knowing the British grape experience we all thought that grapes tasted sort of the same.

“Wow!” Came a startled voice from the rear seats of the coach. “You have to taste this!” And one by one a grape was passed to each person as there wasn’t the forethought to purchase more.  Well, I have never had a taste bud popping experience like it, it was if I was drinking a rich, heavy grape juice that filled my mouth with flavour up to the point of my ears on the inside. It is difficult to put into words, but I am sure you can resonate if you have had a similar experience.

I got so carried away moving the juices around my mouth, I almost forgot to spit out the seed into a tissue.

I was reminded of this today, because as I reached into the fridge a sign on the carton of grapes caught my attention, and not for the first time. SEEDLESS. My dad never liked eating grapes, or any fruit for that matter which did not have seeds. Nowadays I do not think it even possible to purchase seeded grapes such is the state of the market. I researched it at the time and found out that fruit without seeds are actually a result of cloning fruit grown from cuttings rather than a seed. Whilst this may be better from the point of the consumer, have you ever considered whether this was God’s plan? I don’t need to answer that question for you, but here is another one; are we like seedless grapes? Do those who we come into contact with leave us without being pollinated with Christianity?

Food, or I should say, fruit for thought.

Chris Tomlin sings ‘Lord I need you’. Click on the picture to listen.

‘Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.’ Romans 15:7

In my opinion there are certain things that you should not do in church. For example eat food, apart from partaking in the communion service. I have seen some people who should know better do it, but as I said, they should know better. Another thing, is to show too much skin. When the sun comes out some individuals use this as an excuse to parade their naked flesh to the congregation. I have seen some people who should know better do this, but as I said, they should know better. There are many other things but one more subtle thing, is to make the presentations from the front solely for the baptised, indoctrinated church going public. Whether it be a sermon, a presentation or an announcement, the listening congregation should be addressed in a ‘seeker friendly manner.’

Imagine if you were a visitor for the first time in your congregation, would there be a plan in place for someone to sit next to you to take you through what was happening? Would there be members assigned to feed you? Are there announcements telling you where the facilities are? Are there people assigned to meet and greet you?

Is your church seeker friendly? Something to ponder.

Sandi Patty, Larnelle Harris and Steve Green sing ‘Seekers of your heart’. Click on the picture to listen.

May 13 – Possible dreams

Ask, Seek, Knock - “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” - Matthew 7:7-8

The two previous blogs on mental health and disability are certainly food for thought, because enabling, over the years, has been given a bad rap. To seek, or accept, help from others, fellow humans, implies a weakness or inability to handle things on our own, and false pride kicks in. Being enabled by God however, is completely different. No matter how strong and capable we think we are, compared to His strength we are weak.

Our joy and assurance is, that as a children of the King, we don't have to stand alone. We don't have to be strong in all things. God's dream for us includes being part of everything we do. How much more that applies to what He has called us to do – to love, serve, and support those in need. It's through His power that we fulfill His purpose, and see His dream come true.

Life is a great equaler. We were all made from the dust of the earth. We all breathe the breath of God. Our bodies and minds are subject to the same diseases and malfunction. We will all die and return to dust.. We are nothing without Him. We belong to Him and it is only through His power and grace that we are enabled to accomplish all things.

Just as God enabled Paul and Barnabas to perform miracles and wonders, He enables us to accomplish everything—from daily, routine tasks to challenges perceived as impossible. I'm sure there are times you have all felt like yelling up to God, “But I can’t do it.” But we should be adding just one more word to that—“alone.” Yes, then the impossible becomes possible. God doesn't expect you to do what He has called you to do all by yourself.

The biblical instruction concerning prayer is that we pray for the good things that we truly need, according to the will of God, persistently (see Luke 18:1), unselfishly (see James 4:3), and in faith (see James 1:6). In Matthew 21:22 Jesus again emphasizes faith: “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Part of having faith is acceding to God’s plan as best. If we ask for healing, and that is the best thing for us, we should not doubt that God will heal us. If He does not heal, then not being healed is a necessary part of a larger plan—one that is ultimately for our good.

When we pray within His will, in the authority of Jesus, persistently, unselfishly, and in faith, we will receive what we need for our own lives, and to help the lives of others.

You can do it! Just don’t try it on your own. Turn that plea into a prayer. God will hear you.

Acknowledgments: 'ExtraOrdinary women's ministries,' 'GotQuestions?org.'

Bryn's music selection today - “Where No-on Stands Alone” - LIVE. Click on the picture to listen.

May 12 – Part Two - No Health Without Mental Health

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” - Psalm 139: 13-16 ESV

Mental health problems are common, especially depression, anxiety, and misuse of alcohol and other drugs. Throughout the course of any person’s life, it is highly likely that they will either develop a mental health problem themselves or come in contact with someone who does.The statistics for mental health problems are quite alarming. At least one in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point in their life and one in six adults has a mental health problem at any one time.

Some mental health problems are long lasting and can significantly affect the quality of people’s lives, especially if they are not treated. Some people only experience a single episode of mental ill health. Others, who may have longer standing problems, can enjoy a high quality of life and fulfilling careers. However, the personal, social and economic costs of mental ill health can be considerable. No other health area combines frequency of occurrence with persistence and breadth of impact to the same extent. The stigma attached to mental ill health and the social barriers that surround it amplify its direct effects and damage the life chances of people with mental health problems.

One of the important implications of the biblical perspective of humanity is that no one enjoys perfect mental health. To one degree or another sin affects everyone. Just as we are all physically deficient in one way or another we also experience less than perfect mental health. We all need healing in one way or another. The most important aspect for us as Christians is the assurance that healing is possible. As the ministry of Jesus shows, God’s ideal for us is that we would prosper and be in good health even as our soul prospers. Jesus’ miracles of healing restored people physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. Therefore, they remind us of our essential identity as children of God. They remind us of our deficiencies and our brokenness and they reassure us that restoration is possible.

For most people, recovery from mental illness is strongly connected to other social factors for example, income, housing, education, employment and social care and support. Mental illness is still shrouded in confusion, and leading mental health experts expressing concerns that mental health is still 'largely invisible', so what does the future hold for mental health?

People with mental ill-health within the community and local church are often spiritually neglected. The signs on the front of our churches say “WELCOME,” but many of these same churches present insurmountable barriers to individuals with disabilities. God’s church is a community of people who share the Gospel with everybody. Christ healed the boy with deaf and mute spirits (Mark 9). His healing of the man that was paralyzed (Luke 5:18-26) is clear evidence of a new, intentional ministry to those with disabilities.

It suggests that in every congregation there should be a band of compassionate workers responsible for sensitizing and reminding the entire church of its mission to people with mental health problems and other disabilities. 
 


Grace Walsh

This sensitive article is rounded off with a powerful personal testimony by “David Ring – Life story”.  Click on the picture to listen.

 May 11 - No Health Without Mental Health

“Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset” - Exodus 17:12.

Romans 15:1- 2 Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, to build him up” - Romans 15:1- 2.

Part One - No Health Without Mental Health

The title of the Government’s strategy, No Health Without Mental Health, perfectly captures what the church’s position should be that there is no health without mental health. Good mental health and resilience are fundamental to our physical health, our spiritual health, our relationships, our education, our work and to achieving our potential.

Moreover, good mental health and wellbeing also bring wider social and economic benefits. But to realise these benefits, we all need to take action and take responsibility for caring for our own mental health and that of others, and to challenge the blight of stigma and discrimination. Overall health cannot be improved without improvements in mental health.

Ellen White pointed to the vital importance of mental health. “The mind controls the whole person. All our actions, good or bad, have their source in the mind. It is the mind that worships God and allies us to heavenly beings.” She also recognised the effect of physical health on the mind. “All the physical organs are the servants of the mind, and the nerves are the messengers that transmit its orders to every part of the body, guiding the emotions of the living machinery. (White, 1887, p33)

The intimate contact between mind and body, the interaction of mental and physical highlights the fact that nothing about us is isolated from the rest of us. Touch any part of a person or any aspect of human life and you touch the person as whole. Many studies show that those suffering with mental health problems are more at risk of developing long-term conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. It has also been shown that poor physical health lends itself to patients developing mental health issues as a result of living with such diseases, whilst good mental health can be a preventative factor to developing physical ailments. There is now a growing evidence that spirituality improves outcomes of mental health.

As Christians we recognise that our mental health is central to our quality of life, central to our economic success and interdependent with our success in improving education, training and employment outcomes and tackling some of the persistent problems that scar our society, from homelessness, violence and abuse, to drug use and crime. Mental health is everyone’s business –individuals, families, employers, educators and communities all need to play their part and the church needs to excel in this venture.

Grace Walsh

Music for this first part of Grace's blog is, “Loving God, Loving Each Other” - LIVE. Click on the picture to listen.

‘Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.’ Psalm 119:133

Have you ever seen soldiers march? I don’t mean military marching but fancy marching. One of the activities I enjoyed most about being a Pathfinder was the marching drills. Not that it was easy mind you to do it correctly.

Once I had mastered the turns (heel and toe swivel for those who know what I am talking about!) I thought ‘Yes, this is easy!’ That was until I came upon a drill instructor who knew what he was looking for. My perspective was to listen to the instructions and response accordingly i.e. to turn, stop or march. His outlook was all that - but with precision. Not only was I to turn but; my rising leg had to be at the right angle, my marching legs had to be at 45 degree angle, the upper body had to remain locked etc.

Witnessing a drill team execute their drills correctly is a thing of beauty, but it take concentration, fitness and attention to detail. What might look somewhat easy to the eye is actually quite a challenge. However, I have seen remarkable transformations take place from people who started with ‘two left feet’ turn out to be the best in the platoon.

God can do that with us, as long as we allow Him to order our steps. From marching to the beat of our own drum, we have to allow God to take us one step at a time in the direction and to the places He desires us to go. Won’t you allow God to fully take control of your life again starting today?

Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sing ‘Order my steps.’ Click on the picture to listen.

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

When I was about 18 one of my friends came and found me at the library where I was studying. He was working in telecommunications and just returned from an expo in a city around 50 miles from where we lived.

“Richard, you are not going to believe this, but I have seen the future of phone. Everyone is going to have mobile phone and, and check this, they’re all going to have cameras on them!”

Ok to put this into some kind of perspective this was the early 1980’s. I had only ever seen a mobile phone of a James Bond movie and that model was larger than two house bricks. That aside I was on the floor with laughter at the thought of anyone buying a phone that had a camera on it. I said these mortal words which have come back to haunt me,

“Why would anyone be crazy enough to buy a camera phone thing? Why wouldn’t they just buy a camera and besides, you’d never be able to fit it in your pocket!”

My friend just shock his head and said ‘mark my words, it’s going to happen!’ And the rest, as they say, is history.

Sometimes I wish I could see into the future, usually it is when I am in a place that is uncomfortable and I need the reassurance to know that things will work out ok. Scripture clearly tells us that God not only does nothing without first having a plan, which he reveals to his prophets, but also He also will provide for us.

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?²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Matthew 6: 26-28

Let Jesus be your guide.

Marilyn Baker sing her song 'Jesus you are changing me'. Click on the picture to listen.

May 6-7 - Oh no!

“For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. ... “ - James 3:2-10 ESV

During the war posters appeared all over towns and villages alerting people to the fact that careless talk would cost lives. How often have we opened our mouths, said something, then realized our mistake and had to apologize profusely? All of us make mistakes – you know, the times we open our mouths and speak before we even think about what we say. Ouch!

The Apostle Peter was somewhat like that – mouth open, tongue into drive, before he had given his brain time to get into gear! That can get us into big trouble too, and lead to all kinds of misunderstandings and hurt feelings. When it’s too late, we realize we said something stupid or revealed way too much....oh, how we wish we could turn back time!

I'm sure we've all done it, made those kind of thoughtless comments and words that can be a poison. The snide remark over someone’s appearance… the catty comment intended to be a putdown… the shared secret that you promised not to repeat—those words are the poison that can kill – maybe not physically kill, but emotionally? Mentally?.

We must be careful and think about what we say, and make our words as enriching and life bringing to others as possible. With God’s help, we can learn to be more mature in our thoughts – learn to speak more thoughtfully and carefully. Like in times of war, careless talk and mindless thinking still causes problems.

Guarded minds and prayerful remarks are a blessing to others. Words to our children, our spouses, or our friends can build self-esteem, quiet anxiety, or shower them with joy. Or, they can be poison to the relationship we have with them, and their relationships with others.

As with everything, God gave us freedom of choice, "Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose." Proverbs 18:21 MSG. But we can't do it alone, we need His help

Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sing of this, “My Help” - Psalm 121. Click on the picture to listen.