JANUARY 16-17

“Jabez was more honourable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, 'Because I bore him with pain.' Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested' - 1Chronicles 4:9-10

We've all met people like this – insecure, with low self-esteem. They enter a room, attend a meeting, and leave without being missed. Either life or birth has left them with disadvantages, and as a result, they feel they just don't measure up. In 1 Chronicles chapter 4, we meet a man who meets this description – Jabez.

Jabez appears briefly – just two short verses - blink, and you'll miss him! He goes for gold then disappears again without mention. But, in the little we are told, his faith challenges us...his positive attitude encourages.... and his prayer can change our lives. Jabez rose above his disadvantage.

Little is said of Jabez's background, except that he came from the line of Judah. It seems that when he was born, his mother's pain was so severe she named him Jabez, - in Hebrew 'He causes, or will cause, pain.' This was to define his future and his future relationships. A man's name in Bible times was so related to his character, that “to cut off the name” of an individual amounted to the same thing as killing him, because without a good name for status, he might as well be dead. Also, with a name like 'pain' Jabez's street cred would be nil – and his brothers would have had a field day constantly rubbing salt into his wounds! It didn't help either that in other OT contexts the word 'pain' translates as 'idol' – a further stigma – did people see him in the context of false gods? - an outcast from Israel? Did his mother make an idol of him?

We've all been there, haven't we – felt the odds stacked against us and begged the Lord for strength to win through. Notice in the scripture reading that Jabez asks God for four things -

1^st. He asks “Bless me indeed,” not just bless me, but to “bless me indeed”....a little word with great clout in the Hebrew language. Jabez wanted not only to finish the race, he wanted to win. So he added “indeed” ….a plea for supernatural favour and power on his life.

2^nd. Jabez asks, “Enlarge my borders” - he's ambitious – he wants God to expand his opportunities for service – more influence and responsibilities to make a mark for God. Is it right to ask for more? Yes, if the business we're doing is God's – He's waiting for us to ask – Our business, our work, is the territory God's entrusted to us – our personal mission field. It's our opportunity to touch lives – our position is unique - no-one else can be where we are. Our families and homes too are unique to us. The Christian home is the most powerful arena to change lives.

3^rd. Jabez requests that “Your hand might be with me.” He'd asked God for big blessings and a wider ministry, and he knew he'd fail unless God led him by the hand. 

4^th in this  plea we find the secret of this confidence - “keep me from harm that it may not pain me” He asks for God's protection, and by doing so again draws attention to his name. Jabez clearly links the stigma of his name with his nature, and the grief he must have felt all his life. He pleads for God to free him from his past and give him a fresh start.

So many times our prayers can consist of the 'gimme's' and the 'if only I had's and I'd be able to do this, that, or the other for you God.' Jabez didn't go into the nitty-gritty of what he wanted, he left it up to God to decide the what, when, where and how – total trust – focusing like a laser on nothing more or less than what God wanted for him.

This brief sketch raises three questions -

1^st. “What is my name? - your name?” If God named us what name would He use – critical, stubborn, short-tempered? Or, kind, loyal, generous?

2^nd. Where am I, you, spiritually?” content to stay within small boundaries, afraid to go beyond? Or ready to buckle the seat belt and go with God on a roller-coaster ride into the unknown and discover what He has in store?

3^rd and last, “What am I, you, asking of God?” Jabez asked big things and received them – humility, love, faith, hope and passion – the desire to be used up for God's purposes. He went from victim to victor.

.

Our song today, “Hurt by Hurt” is sung by Sonya Isaacs Yeary – thank you Bryn.  Click on the roller coaster road to listen.

       

     Housekeeping details for you

     The point of this short blog will become clear if you decide to use this reading in the way we intend it. Netherfield Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in healthy churches. You can see what that means if you head to the relevant Healthy Churches page of the website. We also want other churches to be healthy. That means you can join in our campaign to create healthy churches, with healthy people serving the people in those churches.

     A healthy church is one where Jesus comes first. A healthy church is one where the people work together to put Jesus first. One thing we are doing is to join people together to spread that news. I would like you to look at our prayer partners page. This will explain how we want you to use this short devotional. Very basically we want you to find a like-minded Christian friend who you will join with to : choose to pray together every day, decide together on a way to serve other people together, to help them grow as Christians - and to invite the Holy Spirit into your life every day. This blog that you will receive every day simply gives a common spiritual purpose. If you are a newcomer and want to join the blog with this object in mind click here

JANUARY 15

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away” - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

I wonder how many New Year resolutions have already been broken? I have heard of quite a few – made with good intentions, and broken without intention. Perhaps the secret to making and keeping resolutions lies in short-term planning – a day at a time, rather than twelve months. With this on my mind I came across this excerpt on Fruit of the Spirit, by Max Lucado.

For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose.

I choose love. No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy. I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.

I choose peace. I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience. I will overlook the inconvenience of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so.

I choose kindness. I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I choose goodness. I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one.

I choose faithfulness. Today I will keep my promises.

I choose gentleness. Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.

I choose self-control. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I will be drunk only by joy.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when the day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

As our song today says, 'One day at a time sweet Jesus.....' sung by Linda Randall.  Click on the picture to listen.  

       

     Housekeeping details for you

     The point of this short blog will become clear if you decide to use this reading in the way we intend it. Netherfield Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in healthy churches. You can see what that means if you head to the relevant Healthy Churches page of the website. We also want other churches to be healthy. That means you can join in our campaign to create healthy churches, with healthy people serving the people in those churches.

     A healthy church is one where Jesus comes first. A healthy church is one where the people work together to put Jesus first. One thing we are doing is to join people together to spread that news. I would like you to look at our prayer partners page. This will explain how we want you to use this short devotional. Very basically we want you to find a like-minded Christian friend who you will join with to : choose to pray together every day, decide together on a way to serve other people together, to help them grow as Christians - and to invite the Holy Spirit into your life every day. This blog that you will receive every day simply gives a common spiritual purpose. If you are a newcomer and want to join the blog with this object in mind click here

JANUARY 13

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. ⁵² Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, ⁵³ who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.” ⁵⁴ When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. ⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,⁵⁶ and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Acts 7: 51-56

What a legacy Stephen, the first Christian martyr left. Reading his speech to the Sanhedrin in Acts 7, you are left in no doubt what his convictions were. He leaves no stone unturned in his account of the history of Israel. He was ready to die for what he believed, which indeed he did.

There is a sobering lesson to be learned here. Jeremiah 12:5 says,

 

⁵ “If thou hast run with the footmen and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trusted, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?

 

This translates in plain English, if you can’t be bothered to say a simple thank you over a meal without being embarrassed, especially if in company, how are you going to stand an defend Gods word when you are put to the test? All foundations, no matter how weak or strong, begin with a simple action being performed correctly. That may be sifting of the sand to get the imperfections out or pausing a conversation with a friend at lunchtime so that you can say your grace.

Maybe it is just me, I don’t know, but let us strive to leave a legacy our Saviour will reward us for.

The music today is 'We need a word from the Lord' by Thomas Whitfield. Click on the picture.

       

     Housekeeping details for you

     The point of this short blog will become clear if you decide to use this reading in the way we intend it. Netherfield Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in healthy churches. You can see what that means if you head to the relevant Healthy Churches page of the website. We also want other churches to be healthy. That means you can join in our campaign to create healthy churches, with healthy people serving the people in those churches.

     A healthy church is one where Jesus comes first. A healthy church is one where the people work together to put Jesus first. One thing we are doing is to join people together to spread that news. I would like you to look at our prayer partners page. This will explain how we want you to use this short devotional. Very basically we want you to find a like-minded Christian friend who you will join with to : choose to pray together every day, decide together on a way to serve other people together, to help them grow as Christians - and to invite the Holy Spirit into your life every day. This blog that you will receive every day simply gives a common spiritual purpose. If you are a newcomer and want to join the blog with this object in mind click here

JANUARY 12

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

What will your legacy be? I received a message on Thursday informing me that the gospel legend Andrae Crouch had died at the age of 72. Now if you are not a musician then more than likely his name will mean little or nothing to you. However his songs, you might have heard of one or two from this list;

Jesus is the answer for the world today

Through it all

My Tribute (To God be the glory)

Soon and very soon we are going to se the king

This is another day

The Christian evangelist Billy Graham described him as,

“The greatest hymn writer of our age, the modern day John Wesley.”

High praise indeed for his contribution to the sound of worship.

It got me to thinking, what will my legacy be? More than two decades ago, an American Pastor returning home after spending four years in the UK with his family said to me,

“Remember we are only here for a while so leave your legacy in the hearts of the people you meet.  Don’t make it your goal to earn lots of money. Than may be a by product of what you do, but make it your mission to leave them with an impression God.” Pr Louis Preston

That may sound simple enough but in a world where the biggest influence in someone’s life is probably what they are exposed to on the television, God may seem tired, boring or even controversial. As true as this may be, we must always remember that we are here to serve, not to save, that’s His job. As the key verse says,

^"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

When speaking about his own songs, Andrae says,

“voices die but words live.”

Today let us be bold and leave someone with a word from the Lord.

The music today is 'Oh, it is Jesus' by Andrae Crouch. Click on the picture.

       

     Housekeeping details for you

     The point of this short blog will become clear if you decide to use this reading in the way we intend it. Netherfield Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in healthy churches. You can see what that means if you head to the relevant Healthy Churches page of the website. We also want other churches to be healthy. That means you can join in our campaign to create healthy churches, with healthy people serving the people in those churches.

     A healthy church is one where Jesus comes first. A healthy church is one where the people work together to put Jesus first. One thing we are doing is to join people together to spread that news. I would like you to look at our prayer partners page. This will explain how we want you to use this short devotional. Very basically we want you to find a like-minded Christian friend who you will join with to : choose to pray together every day, decide together on a way to serve other people together, to help them grow as Christians - and to invite the Holy Spirit into your life every day. This blog that you will receive every day simply gives a common spiritual purpose. If you are a newcomer and want to join the blog with this object in mind click here

JANUARY 9-10

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance” - Ecclesiastes 3:4

Have you ever been in church when something funny happens, and this irrisistible urge to laugh wells up inside of you? - usually on the most solemn of occasions. I must put up my hand and admit that it has happened to me more than once.

A time that sticks in my mind was at a baptism. It was a large church, and that day was packed with families and friends of the candidates, along with the usual members and visitors from other churches. The baptism service went well and had spiritually lifted us all. But as we sang the closing hymn, a deacon, eager to get cleared up and away, pulled the plug in the baptistry. The drain slurped, glugged, and made the most anti-social noises as the water drained away. Seated immediately behind me was the head elder and his wife. We both tried hard not to giggle, but when the minister started the Benediction with it's sound effects, it was just too much - one like I've never heard before or since. The head elder telling his wife to behave herself ended all reserve!

There are other tales I could tell – like my own baptism. At the time, we were required to wear swimming caps as part of our attire. Not wanting to perspire with a rubber cap on my head through the preliminaries, I chose to put the cap on just before I was announced. BIG mistake! There was no way my head was going to fit into that cap. Three deaconesses and I wrestled – literally – for five minutes, but nothing was going to give. Calling 'time,' the minister dunked me hatless. Needless to say, the congregation was in stitches.

I am currently re-reading a book, “Even the Angels Must Laugh Sometimes....Again” by Jan S. Doward. I highly recommend it, it's hilarious, and a reminder that God created us with an in-built capacity for joy and laughter. Just a few illustrations from the book.

Every minister has their preferences for baptismal attire. This minister had a thing for hip boots – fishing waders. A short man, when wearing them he had a compressed look, as though his head had been jammed into his legs. A portable tank with a false bottom was used as the baptistry, but the attendant forgot to fit it before filling the tank with water. The minister climber in and sank clear to his chin, and the waders, now filled with water held him firmly in place on the bottom of the tank. He could be heard shouting, “Would someone please pull the curtains and get me out of here.!”

There's the story of an elderly minister who, reaching the crescendo of his sermon, his teeth shot ou of his mouth. Quick as a flash he caught them mid-air and somehow got them back in his mouth without missing a word! Then there's the river baptism where the candidate was somewhat too heavy and both herself, and the minister went under the water – her to remain stuck to the river bottom, and the minister 15 feet down-river. Oh yes, and the minister who forgot he was wearing a cordless lapel microphone, who went to the gents during the song service and treated the congregation to a whole range of side effects.

Finally, an Adventist ministerial intern helping to set up camp meeting who forgot the restrooms were being refurbished using a new highly adhesive paint finish. Suffice it to say, the other interns unbolted the offending seat, with him still attached, and drove him to the nearest Adventist doctor. The doctors comment on the sight before him? You'll have to read the book to find out.

Yes, funny things happen every week in churches all around the world. If you have any experiences you would like to share with us, feel free to email them to us – we're always ready to join you in a good laugh.

Our song for today is sung by the Peasall Sisters - “Jesus Laughing.”

       

     Housekeeping details for you

     The point of this short blog will become clear if you decide to use this reading in the way we intend it. Netherfield Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in healthy churches. You can see what that means if you head to the relevant Healthy Churches page of the website. We also want other churches to be healthy. That means you can join in our campaign to create healthy churches, with healthy people serving the people in those churches.

     A healthy church is one where Jesus comes first. A healthy church is one where the people work together to put Jesus first. One thing we are doing is to join people together to spread that news. I would like you to look at our prayer partners page. This will explain how we want you to use this short devotional. Very basically we want you to find a like-minded Christian friend who you will join with to : choose to pray together every day, decide together on a way to serve other people together, to help them grow as Christians - and to invite the Holy Spirit into your life every day. This blog that you will receive every day simply gives a common spiritual purpose. If you are a newcomer and want to join the blog with this object in mind click here

JANUARY 8

“Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace” - Nehemiah 2:17

When Nehemiah rallied God's people to take on the challenge of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, for them it was a new start, and a new challenge, and the hand of God was upon them. Our lives in this 21^st century are also a challenge – challenges which keep on coming. But one thing I have learned over the years is that it's better to start over, then to give up – there's great value in a fresh start. Maybe that's what New Year resolutions are all about – a desire to put the past failures of the old year behind us, and step 'brand new' into the year ahead.

Past American Presidents have been known to make the resolution to get their strength for the year ahead of them from the Bible....such as -

Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote, “What lies behind you and what lies before you, pales in comparison to what lies inside you.” If you read the Bible, it will change your life, and you will never regret it.

John Adams, the second president of the United States, read the entire Bible every year. He studied the Scriptures every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. Regularly reading the Bible shaped his character, and his character shaped our country.

Andrew Jackson, our seventh president, referred to the Bible as “the rock on which our Republic rests.” He read three to five chapters each day. Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, called the Bible “the best gift God has ever given to man … But for it we could not know right from wrong.”

Woodrow Wilson, our 28th president, said, “The Bible is the Word of life. I beg that you will read it and find this out for yourself. When you have read the Bible you will know it is the Word of God, because you will have found in it the key to your own heart, your own happiness, and your own duty.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower, our 34th president, and his family used the Bible each day during family devotions, with each family member taking his or her turn in reading a passage. Jimmy Carter, our 39th president, reads the Bible daily and has taught a Sunday school class for over four decades.

Ronald Reagan, the 40th president, wrote, “Inside the Bible’s pages lie all the answers to all the problems man has ever known. I hope Americans will read and study the Bible … It is my firm belief that the enduring values presented in its pages have a great meaning for each of us and for our nation. The Bible can touch our hearts, order our minds, and refresh our souls.” (Fox News)

These are just three of the many Bible characters who also made resolutions -

Jacob’s Resolution to Give His Tithe (Gen. 28:22)

David’s Resolutions concerning God’s Word (Psalms 119:15-16)

Daniel’s Resolution concerning a clean life (Daniel 1:8)

But, what about you? Did you make a resolution to either build or rebuild a wall or two? What happened to last year's resolutions? If you would like to share, email the best - or worst - to me, and if you are willing, a selection could form a future blog.

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are” - Theodore Roosevelt

Today's music is sung by Fountainview Abbey - “Create in me a Clean Heart”  Click on the picture to listen.

       

     Housekeeping details for you

     The point of this short blog will become clear if you decide to use this reading in the way we intend it. Netherfield Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in healthy churches. You can see what that means if you head to the relevant Healthy Churches page of the website. We also want other churches to be healthy. That means you can join in our campaign to create healthy churches, with healthy people serving the people in those churches.

     A healthy church is one where Jesus comes first. A healthy church is one where the people work together to put Jesus first. One thing we are doing is to join people together to spread that news. I would like you to look at our prayer partners page. This will explain how we want you to use this short devotional. Very basically we want you to find a like-minded Christian friend who you will join with to : choose to pray together every day, decide together on a way to serve other people together, to help them grow as Christians - and to invite the Holy Spirit into your life every day. This blog that you will receive every day simply gives a common spiritual purpose. If you are a newcomer and want to join the blog with this object in mind click here

JANUARY 6

And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Genesis 1:18

So 7 times in chapter 1 God refers to what he has created as good, with the last one being very good. In verse 18 of the next chapter God refers to the fact that Adam was alone as ‘not good’.

Recently on a long journey I found myself listening to a radio program where the topic was ‘E-dating.’ For the uninformed, like myself, it is the process of finding a date through the Internet. The discussion was certainly interesting and threw up facts like at least 85% of people would rather go on line to find a relationship that actually meet someone face to face at the football, or in the pub. There are even Christian and Jewish web sites offering the same service. Where am I going with this? Well according to the research January is the month where most people feel lonely and in need of someone. It is said that the most rational of people who under ‘normal circumstances wouldn’t even think of this method, find themselves trawling through pictures of faces that they don’t even know, looking for… well, who knows?

The most important relationship we have should be with God. I am not saying that the institution of marriage should be scoffed at or put down as I value it highly. I am admonishing us as a Christian community to keep an eye, an ear, a prayer for those who are searching. For in reality it is only Jesus who can fill this need.

I struggled, more than usual, to write/post this, which is the reason I know it was meant for someone. If not one of our regulars but if you know someone please send it on.

The music today is 'no one understands like Jesus'. Click on the picture.

       

     Housekeeping details for you

     The point of this short blog will become clear if you decide to use this reading in the way we intend it. Netherfield Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in healthy churches. You can see what that means if you head to the relevant Healthy Churches page of the website. We also want other churches to be healthy. That means you can join in our campaign to create healthy churches, with healthy people serving the people in those churches.

     A healthy church is one where Jesus comes first. A healthy church is one where the people work together to put Jesus first. One thing we are doing is to join people together to spread that news. I would like you to look at our prayer partners page. This will explain how we want you to use this short devotional. Very basically we want you to find a like-minded Christian friend who you will join with to : choose to pray together every day, decide together on a way to serve other people together, to help them grow as Christians - and to invite the Holy Spirit into your life every day. This blog that you will receive every day simply gives a common spiritual purpose. If you are a newcomer and want to join the blog with this object in mind click here

JANUARY 5

  "And God saw the light, that it was good;" Genesis 1:4 first part

When is good good enough?

If you were born in an English speaking country, the chances are that you would have learned the language through usage, rather than through a book. At school English language is taught as a subject rather than the language of English, as a lot of vocabulary is taken for granted. So if a new word is encountered, like ‘superlative,’ I would hazard a guess that few, not all of you might, might not know what it means unless if was used in an example.

The dictionary describes it as ‘an adjective or adverb expressing the highest or a very high degree of a quality.’

So instead of saying ‘he baked a big cake, using a ‘superlative adjective’ you would say ‘he baked the biggest cake in the world!’ Big becomes bigger and good becomes… well it should be best. But I have a scenario for you. If you did a job to the best of your ability and after inspection the customer said “thank you that was good” would something inside of you say, “what about excellent job or maybe superb?”

I recall having a lesson observation and afterwards, as is the protocol, my head teacher asked me how I thought it had gone. I replied that it had gone better than I had expected, to which she replied “I thought it was good.”

My face smiled, but on the inside I was screaming ‘GOOD? SERIOUSLY? ONLY GOOD!’ Praise the Lord I have come a long way since then. Re-reading Genesis has helped.

Did you realise that the superlative ‘good’ is God’s perfect?

So when is good good enough? When God says it is.

Homework (forgive me I am a teacher so it’s an inbuilt response) see how many times in the first two chapters of Genesis God refers to what he has created as ‘good?’

 

Tomorrow we will look at the first occasion when God said something was ‘not good’. See if you can spot it first.

The music today is for the three tenors, Steve, Bryn and Dave who sang this on their first performance, 'I saw the light'. Do you see it now? To listen, click on the picture.

       

     Housekeeping details for you

     The point of this short blog will become clear if you decide to use this reading in the way we intend it. Netherfield Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in healthy churches. You can see what that means if you head to the relevant Healthy Churches page of the website. We also want other churches to be healthy. That means you can join in our campaign to create healthy churches, with healthy people serving the people in those churches.

     A healthy church is one where Jesus comes first. A healthy church is one where the people work together to put Jesus first. One thing we are doing is to join people together to spread that news. I would like you to look at our prayer partners page. This will explain how we want you to use this short devotional. Very basically we want you to find a like-minded Christian friend who you will join with to : choose to pray together every day, decide together on a way to serve other people together, to help them grow as Christians - and to invite the Holy Spirit into your life every day. This blog that you will receive every day simply gives a common spiritual purpose. If you are a newcomer and want to join the blog with this object in mind click here

JANUARY 2-3

“How can they believe in Him if they never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?” - Romans 10:14-15

Good news is meant to be shared, we just can't keep quiet. We search for someone to tell it to....if we don't share it, we feel we will explode – we can't keep it to ourselves!

When our team wins and the game is over, we shout -

“WE WON!”

When the baby's born we can't wait to tell the world -

“IT'S A GIRL!”

When that special letter is received from the university - “I'M ACCEPTED!”

When the doctor smiles and says, “It's benign.”  "YES!....THANK YOU GOD!!" 

As Charles Swindoll says, “Life is punctuated with great proclamations. They add true joy to our otherwise dim and dark world. And have you noticed? The greater the news, the louder and longer we want to proclaim it.”

On Wednesday we heralded in a brand new year – 2015, as church bells around the country rang out the old, and in the new. I recall as a child, standing in the garden at midnight with my parents and siblings, listening to the cacophony of sound echoing into the night sky as every church bell in town pealed their message of Christ's birth; and the fleet of vessels anchored in the harbour blew their ships horns and whistles in unison. The very air rang with celebration, joy, and hope for the future. What greater celebration, joy, and hope is there than the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus and Salvation?

Were these your feelings as you stood on the threshold of another year? Or did you fear what the new year may bring? For some, 2014 will have been a year of health, success and happiness, while others amongst us will have experienced health problems, sorrows, loss, and disappointments. Maybe right now you're thinking, “Huh, what's good about a new year if it turns out like the last!”

Only God knows what is in store for each of us and our loved ones in 2015, but of one thing we can be certain, the Christ child – our Saviour and Redeemer, will walk each step of the way with us. So let us stride forward in faith and trust, leaving behind the disappointments, regrets and failures of 2014, and say with Mary Louise Haskins, who wrote the following words in 1908 -

“.... I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of the day in the lone East.'

God knows. His will
Is best. The stretch of years
Which wind ahead, so dim
To our imperfect vision,
Are clear to God. Our fears
Are premature; In Him,
All time hath full provision.

After hearing the angels proclamation and seeing Jesus, the shepherds couldn't wait to proclaim the news to all who would listen. Have we heard and seen? Are we bursting to tell?

The music today reminds us that the gate stands open waiting for us to walk through.  Be sure, that no matter what lies ahead, Jesus will never leave you or forsake you - B.J.Thomas singing “He's the Hand on my Shoulder.  To listen, click on the picture.

       

     Housekeeping details for you

     The point of this short blog will become clear if you decide to use this reading in the way we intend it. Netherfield Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in healthy churches. You can see what that means if you head to the relevant Healthy Churches page of the website. We also want other churches to be healthy. That means you can join in our campaign to create healthy churches, with healthy people serving the people in those churches.

     A healthy church is one where Jesus comes first. A healthy church is one where the people work together to put Jesus first. One thing we are doing is to join people together to spread that news. I would like you to look at our prayer partners page. This will explain how we want you to use this short devotional. Very basically we want you to find a like-minded Christian friend who you will join with to : choose to pray together every day, decide together on a way to serve other people together, to help them grow as Christians - and to invite the Holy Spirit into your life every day. This blog that you will receive every day simply gives a common spiritual purpose. If you are a newcomer and want to join the blog with this object in mind click here