October 16
“Remember that I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go” - Joshua 1:9
Jesus was in Jerusalem for a feast....He's alone. He's not there to teach His disciples, or draw a crowd. He's there because the people need Him.
The place is Bethsaida, at the pool of Bethesda, but it could be any hospital or Care Home – in any street, town, or country anywhere. There was an underwater spring that fed the pool and occasionally the surface of the water bubbled – believed by people to have been caused by the dipping touch of an angel's wings. It was also the belief that the first person into the pool after the angel had stirred the water, would be healed. Were they? I don't know. I just know the place was crowded with hundreds of societies' outcasts, sick, injured and dying people, going for what they saw as their 'last chance.' The air was filled with the endless wave of groans, and shouts for help and mercy....cries that were ignored by the Passover feast goers. They walked on by.
As I write, the media news gives out updates on the turmoil our world is in today....natural disasters, wars, famines, ethnic cleansing, disease, and displaced societies, as millions of refugees flee for their lives, looking for peace and safety. The news climaxes now with the latest report on the continuing spread of Ebola, as it ravages lives in Western Africa.
Where is Jesus? How does God feel to see the pain of His people?
It's worth going back to the story of Bethesda. Watch, as Jesus reaches out to touch the untouchables - kneels by the paralyzed and blind – sits with His arms around the dying, and weeps with the grieving Likewise, in the events of today's media news. God is right there. There, in the form of doctors, nurses, aid workers, volunteers from all walks of life, who risk their own lives to help others – they have not walked on by. Just as God will never leave us nor forsake us.
Your friends here at Netherfield, are aware that for many of you the situation is intensely personal. You have loved ones and friends back home in your home countries, close to the areas of conflict or disease. You and those you love, are in our thoughts, and prayers.
"Geater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" - John 15:13
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
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
