Over this Lenten period, we will be looking at things we should eschew and things we should embrace. To eschew means to abstain from something, to deliberately avoid doing something. To embrace means to hold something close, to accept something enthusiastically. There are always two sides to a life of faith: things we must let go of in order to receive God’s good gifts. Jesus said, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.’ (Mark 8:34-35)

It’s hard for us to accept this teaching, for it cuts at our selfishness and self-centred approach to life, but Jesus often spoke in radical terms: ‘if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.’ (Matt 18:9) We need to take our spiritual walk seriously and understand that there has to be a letting go of the old as well as an embracing of new attitudes. The writer to the Hebrews said, ‘let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.’ (Heb 12:1) and goes on to urge us to ‘run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.’ (Heb 12:1-2) We need to both eschew and embrace if we are to grow spiritually.

Lent is the season before Easter, the 40 days preceding our celebration of Jesus’s death and resurrection. It’s traditionally a time of reflection and renunciation as we prepare our hearts for the greatest revelation of love and power the world has ever known.

Many focus on ‘giving up’ foods or bad habits for Lent. Any form of self-denial can be helpful to people who generally indulge themselves far too easily. It can be helpful to practise self-control in specific measurable ways. What is more challenging, however, is giving up these aspects of our character which are holding us back spiritually or learning to grow spiritual fruit which will last. We want more than the ‘quick fix’ of short-term renunciation; we are looking for long-term transformation (see 2 Cor 3:18).

Over these forty days, let’s take a good hard look at the kind of people God wants us to be and to seek to grow in grace and a knowledge of the Lord Jesus. (2 Pet 3:18)

J-P spoke tonight about life as a forest, looking at what we have inherited and what we pass on to the next generations. Deforestation is a big topic these days and we often think about the effects of cutting down trees on our environment and how trees are part of the chain of life. Adam and Eve started life in a garden which they failed to maintain because of their sin. We too need to think about how we are living and what kind of ‘forest’ we are passing on to our children.

Spiritually speaking, we may think about the forest we have inherited in different ways. We might feel our lives have trees of love, knowledge, wisdom, prayer, praise, forgiveness and protection and are grateful for the legacy handed down to us, but others may feel they have inherited only trees of shame, mistreatment and intolerance and have no good examples to follow. Josiah, one of the kings of Judah, did not have a good heritage in that his grandfather (Manasseh) was a murderer who led people into idolatry and his father (Amon) was also an idolater. Nonetheless, Josiah, from a young age, resolved to do what was right: ‘He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.‘ (2 Kings 22:2)

We may not have inherited a good ‘forest’, but we can break the chains of the past, for we can refuse to let our pasts define us and only be defined by our identity as God’s children. Josiah chose to follow the example of David rather than of his father or grandfather. He devoted himself to reforming his nation, tearing down the altars built to Baal and the Asherah poles and reforming the religious worship. We too can break free from the chains of the past, for we are no longer slaves to sin but are God’s children (Gal 4:7). We can choose to follow God’s example (see Eph 5:1) and can walk with Him in the silence of the forest, listening to HIs voice and enjoying fellowship with Him (as Adam did originally in the Garden of Eden.) If we do this, we can then follow God’s purposes for our lives and can plant trees of love, peace, knowledge and wisdom from which our children can learn. Our trees can be fed by the water of God and we can cultivate forests which will last for future generations.

The theme of revival is one that is recurring frequently at our church as God lays this topic on our hearts and moves us to pray. Dave spoke this morning from 2 Chronicles 7:6-15. The context of this passage is the dedication of the temple built by Solomon at which the glory of God was visible and God assured Solomon He would be present with them. 2 Chron 7:13-14 contain both a warning and a promise. If God’s people turned their backs on Him, the result would be consequences they would not like (no rain, locusts and plagues), but if they repented, prayed, sought His face and turned from their wicked ways, then He promised to hear and answer and heal their land.

We might feel this passage has little relevance to 21st century Britain, but God’s word is always relevant and if God is to be true to His word, there will still be consequences to our actions. Whatever we may think of local and international disasters, we need to seek God for our society and pray for revival. We are God’s people; we belong to Him and are His possession.

1. Humility

The first thing we are required to do is humble ourselves. Many shun humility, equating it with weakness, but a humble person is strong, understanding his worth and value but not boasting or puffing himself up with self-importance.

2. Pray

We need to learn to seek God and pray, not only ‘gimme prayers’ but prayers which focus on the greatness of God where we declare who He is and what He has done.

3. Seek God’s Face

We need to learn to persevere in prayer: asking, knocking and seeking (see Luke 11). We cannot afford to pay lip service to prayer, but must learn to acknowledge God’s sovereignty and seek His face for everything, including the wisdom and guidance we so desperately need in life.

4. Turn from wicked ways

Most of us do not like to think of ourselves as wicked, but Rom 3:23 reminds us that we have all sinned. We have to learn to confess our sins (Js 5:16). Evan Roberts, one of the men God used in the Welsh Revival, used to say that for God to move, the past must be cleared through confession, every doubt must be put away, our obedience must be prompt and we must be unafraid to confess Christ publicly. Only then can we be prepared to receive the revival which is heaven-sent.

If we do these things, then God promises to heal, repair and restore. He promises to hear our prayers, to forgive and to heal. God is calling us to pray for revival, and though this vision may tarry (Hab 2:3), we can be sure that God will fulfil every promise He has made.

February, although the shortest month of the year, can still seem arduous and gruelling. Winter continues its relentless hold on us with gales, rain, sleet and snow reminding us that it’s not yet spring. The barrenness of winter can be depressing, with grey skies and darkness robbing us of joy and vitality.

And yet February is pointing forward to spring. Snowdrops and daffodils are reminders that colour is coming. The mornings are lighter; dark doesn’t descend quite so early. We are moving towards spring, a season of burgeoning life and hope.

Just as there are predictable seasons of the year, set in place by God Himself, there are seasons of the soul. There are times of radiant joy, bursting faith, wide-eyed smiles and gladness of heart, but there are also times of darkness and sorrow where we cannot see fruitfulness at all.

Every week I walk past blackberry bushes with my granddaughter, who is now old enough to remember gathering fruit and eating delicious, wild blackberries on our walks last year. Every week she tells me there are no blackberries to be eaten now, but every week I remind her that blackberries are seasonal. They will return. We will have the joy of eating them again, for God is faithful.

This weekly walk has become a parable for my soul. If you are in the season of winter spiritually, if you are in a dry and barren place, hold on. Spring is coming. (Song of Songs 2:10-13) Fruitfulness actually thrives on the period of rest known as winter. Nothing may yet be visible, but God will surely bring forth fresh fruit at the appointed time.

It’s been a busy half-term week, but there are other things coming up soon.

We will be attending the Christian Life & WItness Training Course on Saturday 29th February at Maltby Full Life Church. This is part of the Franklin Graham mission to the UK and is designed to equip Christians to effectively share their faith with others. It is a free and easy three-hour session open to all people. Please do come along to this course between 9.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. and if you need a lift, just let us know! Even if you don’t want to be part of the actual mission in Sheffield (venue still to be announced, but the date is Saturday 6th June), the course is very useful in giving you the Scriptural assurance and skills to share the gospel with friends and family.

Please pray also for 4FrontTheatre as they return to Goldthorpe to bring their show ‘Fisherman’s Tail’ to Goldthorpe Primary School and Sacred Heart School on Tuesday 3rd March. The show was seen by Thurnscoe and Bolton-on-Dearne schools last year as well as members of the community, so we’re excited to be able to give local children the opportunity to learn about the life of Jesus through the eyes of those fishermen disciples.

The Women’s World Day of Prayer will be on Friday 6th March at 11.15 a.m. at Goldthorpe Parish Church on Lockwood Road. The service is open to all – not just women! Written by Christians from Zimbabwe, this year’s service looks at the healing of a paralysed man: ‘Rise! Take up your mat and walk.’

Looking further ahead, the next ‘Churches Together’ Day of Prayer will be on Friday 3rd April at Furlong Road Methodist Church between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. There will be many prayer stations and opportunities to pray individually, with others and in different creative forms.