Mercy is defined as ‘compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.’ We’re often keen to embrace justice and right, but justice needs to be tempered with mercy. The tale is often told of the judge whose friend was in court and found guilty, resulting in a fine which he could not afford to pay. The judge did not ignore the law, but stepped in to pay the fine himself, showing mercy to his friend as well as following the demands of justice. This is a small picture of what Christ has done for us on the cross. We deserved God’s punishment and wrath, but Christ stepped in to take our sins on Himself and therefore God’s mercy reached out to us, even though we did not deserve it (see Eph 2:1-5).

One of the things the Bible repeatedly teaches us is that we who have received mercy and forgiveness should therefore be quick to dispense these things. A failure to do so indicates that we have not really understood the mercy and forgiveness of God.

Meditate today on God’s mercy towards you (listen to Matt Redman’s song ‘Mercy’) and from that place of awed gratitude, let mercy flow from you too.

The story of Jesus calming the storm is found in three of the four Gospels (Mark 4:25-41, Luke 8:22-25, Matthew 8:23-27) and was vividly brought to life for us by 4FrontTheatre in their show ‘Fisherman’s Tail.’

It’s a story with which most Christians are very familiar and shows us not only Jesus’s complete mastery over the elements but the disciples’ fear. We can relate to their panic, and I particularly like the detail in Mark’s Gospel (possibly supplied by Peter) where the disciples wake Jesus and say, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’ (Mark 4:38) That, it seems to me, is a very human response to ‘storms’. We often feel as though God is absent from our suffering: indifferent, aloof, distant.

Of course, Easter demonstrates to us that this thinking is deeply flawed. God is not absent in our suffering (or even ‘asleep on the job,’ as Jesus seemed to be.) Jesus took on human flesh to show us once and for all that God is not indifferent, aloof or distant. He is Immanuel, God with us.

But I’m also intrigued by Jesus’s response to the disciples after the storm. ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ (Mark 4:40) I believe we need to ask these questions to our own souls at this present stormy time. In Luke’s Gospel, the question is phrased differently: ‘Where is your faith?’ (Luke 8:28)

Fear and faith are two things which ought not to live side by side in harmony. Often, they co-exist in us (and we needn’t beat ourselves up over our inconsistencies, but instead simply bring these to God.) These are pertinent questions, however, which must be faced and answered by us if we are to grow in faith and let go of fear.

Why are we so afraid? What do we really fear? Do we fear illness and death? Do we fear uncertainty and unfamiliarity? Do we fear financial problems? We need to name our fears and then bring them to Jesus, because whatever our fears, and whatever lies behind them, He is more than able to cast them out with His perfect love.

Where is our faith? Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Heb 11:1) Faith looks beyond our present circumstances to the assurance God gives us that He is the victor and it will all work out for good. As we read God’s word, hear His word and speak His word, faith is built up in our hearts and fear has to go.

Consideration is defined as ‘careful thought’ and implies a weighing of thought before action. There is a proverb which says, ‘fools rush in where angels fear to tread’, and often that describes much of our daily action. We open our mouths before engaging our brains, so to speak, or we hasten to do something without realising that it’s wise to look before you leap!

Consideration – taking the time to think before we speak and act – will lead to us becoming more considerate people (being careful not to hurt others.) It’s so easy these days to type a furious text or Facebook post in the heat of the moment or to lash out with hurtful comments and then have to spend time repairing the damage we’ve done or regaining the confidence of someone we’ve wounded unnecessarily. Much better to embrace consideration, slow down and cool down before we speak or act. Prov 11:12 says, ‘the one who has understanding holds their tongue.’ Someone has commented that God has given us two ears but only one mouth; therefore, we should listen twice as much as we speak. Let’s learn to embrace consideration and think before we speak and act.

It was good to gather together virtually yesterday for our services, and there will be further opportunities to do that this week. On Thursday at 7 p.m. our Bible study will be online via Zoom and Facebook Live and we will be looking at Acts 12 – lots for us to ponder there! You could read the chapter beforehand and ask God to speak to you through it. Links will be posted later this week.

Friday 3rd April was scheduled to be the ‘Churches Together’ Day of Prayer and although we can’t meet together to pray at Furlong Road Methodist Church, we can still meet together to pray! We are investigating a way of doing this online with other churches, but we are calling all Christians to pray at 11 a.m. on the Friday. We will be saying 2 Chronicles 7:14 aloud and using this prayer for revival, which has featured so predominantly in sermons prior to the lockdown, as our focus. May this be a time of humble repentance and trusting God to bring healing and revival to our nation.

On Saturday 4th April we will still be holding our ‘Take Back the Streets!’ prayer campaign between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. If we’re still allowed to take our daily walk by then, we would encourage people to do that wherever they are and pray as you walk outside. Those that can’t do that are encouraged to pray at home. In particular, let’s pray for the streets of Goldthorpe (use maps online -this one or this one)

We can do a ‘virtual’ walk using maps, praying for streets by name and asking God to bring hope and peace to the people living in these streets. We can pray for our local shops at these difficult times and for protection. We can pray for the people we know and ask God to use this time to bring people to know Him. There’s so much we can pray for.

If you can, please email photos to Julie of the places you pray for as you walk (at safe distances from others, obviously!) and we will try to build up a picture of our area. If you can’t walk in Goldthorpe, pray for the streets where you live too. Prayer knows no boundaries and no barriers!

One of the things Jesus did on the cross was to bring about reconciliation between people and God: ‘God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.’ (2 Cor 5:19) Sin created a chasm between mankind and God which the cross of Christ bridges, enabling us now to come into God’s presence with confidence. (Heb 4:16) Not only that, but because of the cross, we can now have reconciliation with other people, exemplified by the reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles: ‘he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.’ (Eph 2:14)

This has profound implications for us. We still live in a world divided by race, gender, age, sexuality and a whole host of other things. Every day, we face the choice to live shunning others for a whole myriad of reasons, or to embrace others, offering them this message of reconciliation. (2 Cor 5:17-21) James urges us to embrace heavenly wisdom, one characteristic of which is to be peace-loving. (Js 3:17-18) Jesus told us that peacemakers are blessed (Matt 5:9). They will be called children of God – a God whose name is the Prince of Peace. (Is 9:6)

Pray for opportunities to be a peacemaker today – to bring together instead of to drive apart. The world desperately needs such people – even if we have to do this online for now! Praying for all you parents who may have to be peacemakers between fractious children too. It’s not easy, but it is worth doing.

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.