Christian Healing - 2 Desperation

Thoughts on Christian Healing continued:

It may sound obvious, but healing cannot really begin unless the ‘wound’ is brought out into the open and shown to Father - and in the case of emotional healing, the pain is owned and expressed.

Usually if a child hurts itself, he or she goes running to their parents and shows their ‘wound’ to them. The child is comforted, the wound bathed and cleaned and made better. There may even be a discussion on how it happened and how to avoid it happening again.

In this simple straight forward action there is an acceptance that something is wrong, a complete trust in the parent that it will be healed and also a degree of desperation.

We sometimes need to get desperate. Like when I crushed my thumb or when a large rock fell on our son’s hand or when my wife developed a life-threatening condition in a foreign country. In each case, mustering whatever faith I had, I reached out to God with every fibre of my being, until I was assured that I had made connection, He had heard and it was in hand. In each case healing was manifest. I believe God always answers our heart cries.

With long term illness it can seem more compicated. But is it possible that sometimes we have to get desperate before we turn to God and really mean business? For some reason we may have been in denial or thought ‘this is as good as it gets.’ We may have tried all medical avenues, followed any number of special diets, dabbled in various alternative practices, but the illness still persists. Do we have to get desperate before we go all the way on a healing journey God's way, no matter what?

More to come - -

“Give praise to the LORD; he has heard my cry for help. Psalm 28:6 Good News Bible

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Giving From Where We Are

What would I say to someone in distress? What would I do, if I was in a hurry, but I could see that they were hurting inside?

Such 'God opportunities' always seem to come when I least expect them! But I hope that I would have the grace to lay aside my 'important' agenda and give them my whole attention. As a Christian I believe that I have something special to give, but at the same time I have to stay within my limits. It's no good trying to give what I have not yet received or I would be in danger of trying to 'fix' their problems with empty words.

I always think that to quote Scripture at someone may not be helpful. To say "Jesus loves you," may fall on deaf ears, especially if my own experience of God's love is lacking. My lack of compassion will be obvious. Similarly, if I quote to someone who has recently lost a loved one, "God uses all things to the good -" may not be appropriate. On the other hand, if I have 'been there' and identify with their suffering, it will show.

There are two things I am very sure of:

To listen is a wonderful thing. By this I mean, to put myself out of the picture and really listen to what a person's heart is saying and hopefully hear what God says about it. This can be a really healing gift to someone who is hurting. Also:

I have found that an offer to pray simply with someone is powerful and nearly always well received. I know I should do this more often.

Be bold and sensitive and give what we have.

"One day Peter and John were going up to the temple - Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. - Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Acts 3:1 New International Version

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The Burden Bearer

When walking in wild places I always went well prepared. I filled my backpack with all the essentials: maps, compass, emergency rations, extra clothing and waterproofs and much more, just in case. I had difficulty cramming everything into the bulging sack. It felt heavy to start with, but once I was into my stride I got used to it. When, after several hours of walking I was slowed down and the straps chafed my shoulders, I just reminded myself to get a bigger and better sack and forged on!

On one memorable hot day in the mountains, I began to wonder whether we would ever make it back to base. When we eventually arrived back, worn out and dehydrated, it was such a relief and joy to remove my pack and bathe in the cool clear waters of the lake. It was an exquisite joyful feeling of freedom.

A burden can be a responsibility laid upon us by others, a wrong attitude, or just the weariness of life's circumstances that we didn't choose. Whatever, it can creep upon us almost without notice. We may even feel that it is our lot and think, "this is as good as it gets" and grit our teeth and keep going. We may look for diversions to take our mind of the pain, but the weariness of it all can wear us down and effect our well-being and health. There may come a time when deep inside we are really saying, "I can't take any more!"

Scripture makes it clear that Jesus wishes to carry our burdens for us. He longs for us just to come as we are and hand them over. I often imagine, that when we offer them, He snatches them away with glee and they are gone for ever. In Biblical parlance, we have laid them at the foot of the Cross and left them there.

It may be difficult to do this if the burden seems to be crushing us. We may need help, such as a trusted friend or minister to listen. I have found it helpful to write it all down as a letter to Jesus and even afterwards burning it. Such symbolic actions can help. Once, when I realised I was carrying a heavy responsibility that wasn't for me, I picked a large rock to represent the burden and heaved it into a deep lake, never to be seen again.

Don't give up, but give over and let Jesus take the strain.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 New International Version

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A Servant Heart

We watched a remake of the musical, the "King and I," the other day. In this, Anna the governess, was told that she must always keep her head lower than the king's. It was just one of the ways he used to remind his subjects, that they were his servants. As king, he had to remain and be seen as 'top dog!'

This is just the opposite to how it is in God's Kingdom, where Jesus comes right down to our level as a Servant King!

At a low time in my life, when I was in great need and desperately reaching out to God for help, I suddenly became aware - and I can put it no other way - that Jesus was kneeling at my feet, looking up to me. Immediately, I felt Him ask, "What can I do for you?" This just stunned me and touched me to the core of my being! This was my God, kneeling at my feet, desiring to meet my needs.

I have always felt that I am somewhat lacking in a servant heart. But what I am learning, is that as we humble ourselves and allow Jesus to wash away the dirt in our lives; when we allow Him to minister to our deepest needs, something happens at the heart level. Our compassion and capacity to be available to God for others is increased and we are given something more than words, to pass on.

Jesus identifies with where we are, stoops down and waits for our response.

"After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. - - "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet." John 13:5-14 New International Version

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Just Do It!

We have just returned from a week away at a Christian retreat. Apart from anything spiritual, it was so good to get away from routine, relax in beautiful surroundings and be catered for. There were some fixed teaching and prayer sessions, but I had no fixed agenda and I was open to what God wanted to show me. I am never surprised at the ways and means He uses to get through to me.

This is just one simple example from the time:

One morning we were outside the conference room waiting for our session. Rather than walk round to the main entrance we waited at the side doors. We knew the doors would be opened as soon as they were finished inside and ready for us. We chatted amongst ourselves for a while, until we realised that it was past the start time and the doors were still closed. Almost as an afterthought, I suggested we try the doors and look inside. As we nudged them open, we saw that nearly everyone was seated and ready to start.

The double doors were plain white and very big - the biggest I had ever seen - but the shiny brass door knob was tiny. One slight smooth turn of the knob and all was revealed and began to happen. Now you may think so what? But I knew this was significant.

How many times have we believed for something we have longed for, prayed for, but have waited for God or someone else to act and make it happen? When all the time God was waiting for us to make an initial move of faith. It may be a very small action, but it would release the power of God in the situation.

I know the key to this, is keeping a close walk with Father, but there are times when we dither. There was a time when I knew it was right to move my mother from the other side of the country, into a nursing home near us. I wasn't sure what to due and waited and delayed any decision and of course God knew this. With this on my mind, I was driving along one day, when I saw a poster in the rear window of the car in front, saying "Just Do It!" And so I did and after that first action everything unfolded without a hitch.

"- faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:17 New International Version

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"I Am With You!"

My journey with Father has been very much up and down, over the years. Perhaps there were too many peaks and troughs? There have been periods when the sense of His presence was so great, that I kept saying, "I never knew he was so close!" and "I will never be the same again!"

The last statement was true, because not long afterwards, that sense and feeling of His presence left me. It was taken from me. It was as if God knew what was on my heart and so wanted to raise the game. I was pitched into a dry 'wilderness' and for a long time it felt as if God just was not there. I felt bereft! I had to learn a very important lesson the hard way - is there any other way? - that His presence does not depend upon our senses or feelings or perception. I discovered that, if anything, He is even closer and available during those lonely, difficult times, than when everything appears rosy.

My journey of discovery continues.

When we become a Christian there is one absolutely amazing truth that is set in concrete and will never ever change. God, our loving Jesus, is with us. It may seem at times that He is hiding Himself from us, but I believe that is only because He longs for this intimate closeness to be more of a reality within us.

To know and know with concrete certainty on an on-going basis, that Jesus is with us, is absolutely life-changing and mind-blowing. This truth and reality is - He is - our security, our comfort, our strength, our life and our future.

He knows we need Him because that's the way we are made. But in a way that I don't understand, He needs us, although much of the time He has to do without us. He longs for our response.

"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20 New International Version

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Walking With God

Before I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue I had strong legs and walked for miles. I really loved the thrill and excitement of walking in the hills and mountains. There I found stunningly beautiful scenery, contrasting with the solitude and adventure of the scary wild places. I couldn't get enough.

I miss it now of course and letting it go was difficult at first. I have since however, discovered even more of the thrill of walking with God. Walking in fellowship with Father beats it all hands down and surpasses any mountain experience. There is no greater challenge, with a surprise around every bend. Nothing is more beautiful and brings satisfaction that goes deeper than anything I have ever known. Yes, it is frightening at times, but nothing compares with it.

When we walk with God
there is peace and joy within

When we walk with God
there is life in abundance

When we walk with God
there is freedom

When we walk with God
there is contentment and rest for our soul

When we walk with God
there is beauty and intimacy

When we walk with God
there is adventure and challenge

When we walk with God
we discover who we really are

When we walk with God
there is so much more -

Let us take His hand today and walk with Him

"Enoch walked with God" Genesis 5:24 New International Version

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Praise Ye The Lord!

We can learn so much from children. One of our little granddaughters came up to me the other day and said "I love you Grandad." The next day when I came down for breakfast the other said, "You do look handsome!" It warmed me and I responded in kind. All this is natural I'm sure, but it made me think about the subject of praise and I offer these very random thoughts.

The word 'praise' appears nearly 300 times in the Bible, mostly urging or inviting us to praise God. It's also written into the liturgies of our historic churches. I remember attending services where the minister announced, "Praise ye the Lord" and the congregation's ragged monotone response came, "The Lord's name be praised!" You could be forgiven for thinking it was the milkman being welcomed. On the other extreme we have been in meetings where the response came in the form of a spontaneous personal outburst of cheering and tumultuous applause, for an awesome and loving God.

But what about praise in our personal walk with God?

I've often held back through a fear of pretending, because I wanted my praise to be an honest heart response. But sometimes I just speak out what I know to be true. Sometimes I've felt my love didn't amount to much, but offered God what I saw as my puny capacity to love. After all I was only giving back to Him what He had given me. We are instructed to praise God in all things. But when my wife was carted off to hospital with a broken leg and arm and goodness knows what else, I didn't thank God for what was happening because that just wouldn't have been honest. But I did thank Him in faith - and desperation - that He was with us in the situation and would see us through. And He did, in an amazing way!

Once, during a lunch break at work, I met with a colleague in a small room, just to share and pray. We didn't know how to start, but made seemingly childlike offerings. Almost immediately we experienced a great warmth spreading through us. So much so, that we felt we ought to open the window to cool things off, until we realised what was happening. We just knew He was with us and what followed was a precious time of sharing.

Praise changes things. When we acknowledge God, express our appreciation, make a heart response to His love, things happen in the spiritual realm. We enter into a realisation of His presence, all enemy opposition is demolished, Father God is warmed, we are encouraged, our faith is built up and power is released. Perhaps we should do it more often?

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:4-5 New International Version

"Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in." Psalm 24:7 New International Version

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The Master Builder

I'm quite handy, so when we needed to alter the lighting in our living room, I decided to do it myself.

I climbed into the loft and checked out the circuits to make sure I knew what was what. Everything seemed to be going fine, except that there was more to it than I expected and I was running late. When I came to switch the power back on the fuse blew, so I double checked. The fuse blew again. I mulled over what I had done and could see nothing wrong. I kept going through it over and over in my mind, until I couldn't switch off - pardon the pun. In the end, feeling washed out, I had to leave it, without lights in part of the house.

I called an electrician the next morning and amazingly, he came in under two hours. He checked everything through and said there was nothing wrong, I'd done a good job. However, further investigation discovered a completely unrelated coincidental problem, that he put right.

Now all this may seem unimportant, but I had something to learn, because God is into small things. It wasn’t the fact I had done it wrong, but I had not done it God’s way. I may be able to do a variety of things, but God made me for a specific purpose. That evening we had a very important 'God-arranged' appointment and that was my top priority. In the event everything went fine, but only just!

I used to quote this verse "If the Lord builds the house - " thinking that so long as you are a Christian that's all that's needed. But of course it has to be worked out, we have to walk the walk. If we put God first in complete surrender, so that He is in control of our marriages, families and relationships, then we open ourselves to His magnificent efficient provision, otherwise we wear ourselves out to no avail.

It's the same in church life. Some years ago mission events and activities had been held in our area. Although they were well organised and had been successful on other cities, they were not working for us. They were not bearing fruit. Several of us met in prayer to seek what God had to say about it. The reply came loud and clear, that God was not in our good ideas:

"You have worn yourselves out doing it your way, now let it all go and try My way!"

"Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labour in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat — for he grants sleep to those he loves." Psalm 127:1-2 New International Version

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The Husband's Challenge!

Getting married was the best thing I ever did. It has brought real fulfilment and happiness, but of course it hasn't all been married bliss. I didn't expect it to bring to the surface all my inadequacies, failings and above all my own emotional wounds. At times it has seemed more like a battlefield and it was only Jesus who has brought us through so far. I can now honestly say, that after so many years, we are closer together than ever.

So why the other day, did we suddenly have a such wordy confrontation, a spat, mini-row or whatever you may call it? I couldn't remember the last time that happened! What my wife said hurt me and I reacted strongly with words I regret. I was holding a chair at the time and just for a split second I could have thrown it across the room. For an hour or so I reverted to my old behaviour pattern and retreated to my den to nurse my hurt. The temporary rift was so painful, I just wanted to blank out the feelings.

Of course I know that attitude just doesn't work and anyway, I was not going to let the enemy have his way. I brought out the feelings with Father and worked them through with Him, before going to find my wife. We both knew that we hadn't spoken to hurt one another, but were speaking out of our own pain and frustration at the time, through tiredness and illness. We talked it through, listened to one another and forgave. That felt so good!

I once asked my wife what she looked for in a husband. The qualities didn't come as a surprise; courage, boldness, kindness, honesty and romance were just a few. But her answers and what I have gleaned from other women, lead me to the conclusion that the two qualities a Christian wife values above all others is submission and intimacy.

I believe a wife feels secure and close with a husband who is walking with God in surrender and obedience to Him and also is in touch with his own feelings and thoughts, which he will openly share with her and listen to hers. I know there's a lot more than that, but I go back to these two things time and again.

Getting to know God, getting to know ourselves, getting to know our wives -- getting there!

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up - In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. - For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." Ephesians 5:25-31 New International Version

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No Other God Like This

We are called to be tolerant, compassionate and respectful of those who think differently to us. This is especially true of those who follow another faith. It does not mean however, that we should compromise our fundamental beliefs as Christians.

Sitting quietly this morning, as the sun was rising, I was taken up with thoughts of such a wonderful God we have. There is no other god like Him.

We don't have to go looking for Him, because He actually comes looking for us, as if we were the only person in the whole world. He pursues us as a lover. There is no other god like that.

Even though we are constantly making a mess of things He still accepts us as we are. He so loves us, that He even made Himself as nothing, so that we can be one of His family for ever and ever.

Although He is so powerful and mighty, He bends right down to our level and listens to our heart whispers. There is no other god like this.

There is so much, very much more ....

How do I know this? The Bible tells me so and I have tasted and He is good! I love Him and He loves me more than I can imagine. There is no other god like that.

What can our response be to such love but to abandon ourselves to Him?

"To whom will you compare me?" says the LORD. "Is there anyone else like me? Isaiah 46:5 Good News Bible

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