We managed to livestream on Zoom and Facebook simultaneously tonight, a real step forward! Our thanks to all who gathered with us; it was lovely to see your smiling faces. Our thanks to Tim for the message below:
At these difficult times, we often feel a mixture of emotions, including anxiety and fear, and need to be honest with ourselves and God about this. We have to speak out God’s word at all times so that we are living by what He says rather than simply by how we feel. Ultimately, we know God is in control and is working for our good in all circumstances (Rom 8:28); Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33) and is still able to give us abundant life, even in lockdown! (John 10:10)
God is in control but chooses to work through His people. Because we are created in the image of God, we need to understand that words are powerful and have creative power. Matt 21:21 reminds us we can speak to the mountain and see it move; we have authority to bind and loose (Matt 18:18) We need to learn to speak out the word of God; there is power in doing this (speak out Psalm 91, for example, personalising the pronouns in the psalm to realise that this is God speaking to us.) Adam and Eve were given dominion over the earth and although sin has caused a disruption to God’s original order, Jesus has defeated the enemy and Satan’s only power now lies in deception and lies. Col 2:15 tells us ‘having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.‘ Jesus is the One to whom all authority has been given in heaven and earth and therefore we need to focus not on chaos or trouble but on the God who has overcome the world. As we speak God’s word aloud, we find that there is a spiritual law at work which we may not understand but which has power to change situations.
This is a time when we can effectively hit the ‘re-set’ button on our lives. We can take time out to re-evaluate our priorities and see how the world’s culture has perhaps influenced us more than the word of God. We can re-commit ourselves to God and seek His renewal and revival. Many feel fearful, wondering if these are the ‘last days’, but we are in a win-win situation: ‘to live is Christ; to die is gain.’ (Phil 1:21) We can be immunised against fear as we speak the truth of God’s word into our lives and we can be sure that if it’s not good yet, it’s not the end! God has so much more for all of us and we can trust in His protection, provision and providence.
