Sometimes really important conversations happen when you least expect them.

Isaac is the fourth of our sons and is ten years old. The two of us were chatting in the car last weekend and he told me about a school friend whose father had died and before we knew it we were talking about what we’d want to say to each other if we knew we had just a day to live. I recalled the conversation as I read in yesterday’s Times that 75% of the UK population don’t talk about death, which is surely unhealthy; we must be open about these things and best start young.

Isaac went first and I was touched when he told me that he’d want to say that he loved me and would miss me. Then it was my turn. Instead of telling Isaac what I’d say, I told him there were two things I would want to say – and could he guess what they were? So he started where he’d left off with me – and said he thought I’d want to tell him that I loved him. I agreed.

That was the first thing I would want him to know and be sure of. That I loved him very much and would always want him to know that for the rest of his life. He was my son and I appreciated him deeply. I would want him to know for the rest of his life that his father really really loved him. And I told him that I hoped he knew that right now! To my relief, he said he did!

What about the second thing? He didn’t take very long on that one and launched straight in, telling me he’d thought I’d want him to know that Jesus loved him. And he was right!

I told him that’s exactly what I’d say because I want him to know that forever. I told him that was actually the most important thing he needed to know in life – and that the best thing he could do with his life is love Jesus back and follow him all his days and into eternity. If he knew that and did that, then I could die at peace. Again he told me in a very natural, down-to-earth way that he did!

I was pleased. Pleased to be able to tell Isaac again about my love for him and the even deeper and more perfect love of Jesus Christ for him (Eph 3:16-19) . Pleased that he seemed to say these things naturally and honestly, without any sense of wanting to say ‘the right thing’ to please his dad. And pleased that we could talk openly about love, faith and death – because we must.

But the thing I was most pleased about were his answers. Because at the age of ten Isaac has grasped the two crucial things a father should tell his child. And for that, I am sincerely thankful.

Today I was in a leadership seminar where church leaders were asked whether church leaders should work hard. Interestingly, some felt the answer was no – because in their minds working ‘hard’ meant becoming a workaholic. I disagreed. For me the Scriptures are clear that church leaders should work hard, otherwise why would St Paul, in the context of a passage about leaders, tell Christians in Thessalonica ‘to acknowledge those who work hard among you’ (1 Thess 5:12)?

Working hard is something church leaders are supposed to do. They’re meant to give their best. They’re called to give their time, energy and resources to the task of church leadership as they model themselves on Jesus, who came to serve and give his best, ultimately giving up his very life (John 15:12-15).

But working hard is not just for church leaders. It’s what we all should do, making the most of the time God has given us. After all, life is short and we only get one shot at it – so work hard at whatever you put your hand to. But don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely not commending workaholism. If you try to work hard you can easily end up as a workaholic, just doing too much and neglecting not only your own well-being, but also that of your family and friends. I know from experience that it’s easy to over-work because you want things to go well but it actually backfires and in the end you become less productive and less effective – in every area of life.

So, how do those who seek to honour the biblical imperative to ‘work hard’ avoid workaholism and potential burn-out? The answer isn’t not working hard. The answer is resting hard.

Resting hard is making sure you rest well. It’s about creating space each day, normally early in the morning, for quality time resting with God in prayer and reading the bible. If you’re married it includes finding some space ideally each day to rest with your spouse.Resting hard involves having at least one day each week for rest rather than work. It’s also about making sure you spend quality time with loved ones each week. It includes planning and taking good holidays and ideally having an intentional season each year of slowing down (which could be during Lent or perhaps during August). This is resting hard.

It’s beautifully modelled for us in Genesis 1 and 2 when, after creating humans the very first thing God gets them to do is rest – with him – before they work. That tells us that humans are created to work from rest, as opposed to rest from work. It may seem like a subtle difference but it’s important as rest now becomes what we do before we work, rather than after.

For me, I always need to keep reassessing my working and resting. What helps is being accountable to both my wife and to others about these things. I am grateful that I have people around me who keep challenging me.

How about you? Do you need to make some readjustments to enable you to be both working hard and resting hard?

When being interviewed to work at St Michael le Belfrey I was asked if there was a bible character with whom I particularly identified, and why. If you were asked that, what would you say?

When we moved into our present home nearly three years ago we discovered that for a number of years the only garden work the previous occupant had done was mow the lawn. Everything else had been left. We could just see a path from the back door down the right hand side of the garden, which was overgrown. So we spent time lopping trees and cutting back bushes until a nice straight path was usable again. On the other side there was quite a large border which was quite wide with all sorts of undergrowth and overhanging vegetation. So I began cutting it all back and suddenly discovered that it wasn’t one wide border but two, with a path in between, identical to the one on the other side. It was very exciting to uncover and clean up! So now we have a restored garden and you can find a way down both sides because there’s a straight way. An open road. A clear path.

The bible character who was called to clear the path was John the Baptist. You can read about him in Matthew 3:1-3. His job was to make a way and get things ready for the Lord to come. To make it easy. To make it simple. So that when he came, people were ready.

John the Baptist found that all sorts of things were in the way. Sin. Bad habits. Religiosity. All sorts of stuff needed to be hacked away, so the path was straight. So Jesus could have a straight run. So that’s what John the Baptist did.

Since I was a teenager, I’ve found myself strangely attracted to John the Baptist. Not for his love of itchy clothes, or his ‘Bear Grylls’-style desire for eating wild insects. It was more of an identification with his purpose and his role, for his job was to help people be ready for the ministry of Jesus. And that’s really what I’m trying to do with my life. Getting people ready, so they can meet with the Saviour.

John the Baptist told people they needed to change. To ‘repent’. To turn around. Why? Because God had better things for them. And ‘the kingdom of heaven was near’, which meant his presence, power and love was close. God wanted to come close, in the person of Jesus Christ. And I want to say the same to the people of York and the North: ‘God is close. He is near, in the person of Jesus Christ. He is real and relevant and ready to come.’

In fact I believe he wants to come to many, many people. And I want to make it easy for Jesus Christ to do that. I what to be a help to his ministry. Not a hindrance. I’m happy to play that John the Baptist role. So that he can increase. He can get the praise. Because he is the Saviour of the world.

Now what about you? Is there a bible character you particularly identify with? Because the bible is full of ordinary, fallible people who the Lord used to do God-inspired things. If there’s someone who stands out for you,why not try to find a few minutes today – maybe even right now – to go back to the bible and read about them, asking the Holy Spirit to speak to you. God may well want to speak to you through them, about your life and your call and your future.

If it’s not John the Baptist, who is it for you?

Martin Luther, the great reformer of the early 16th Century had a number of favourite bible passages. One of them was Psalm 46. He liked it so much he even wrote a hymn based on the very first line. He and his colleague Philip Melancthon would sometimes sing this psalm on dark days when they were discouraged and needed uplifting.

Psalm 46 is a beautiful psalm.

It is beautifully written. It is carefully constructed as a piece of literature. It uses adventurous adjectives; moving metaphors; and – I understand – literary devices like: allegory; alliteration (with repeated first letters of words) and assonance (repeated vowel sounds).

It is beautifully God-focussed. God is the main player. It begins with him: ‘God is…’ and it ends with: ‘the God of Jacob is…’ And it has a central chorus, repeated twice: ‘The Lord almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress’.

It is beautifully realistic. It describes the hard times of life and the good times. It talks of ‘times of trouble’ (v.1); of feeling like the very earth we’re stand on is ‘giving way’ (v.2). And yet it talks of ‘finding help’ ( v.2); of standing firm and ‘not being moved (v.5) and of God bringing good out of bad (v.9). So it is realistic about the ups and downs of life.

It’s beautifully meditative. It guides the singer (for don’t forget it would have been sung) to do something that we all need to hear when life gets hectic and busy: to ‘Be still and know that I am God’ (v.10).

Because of is beauty, many people have found, with Martin Luther that Psalm 46 is a source of great strength, assurance and inspiration. And yet, the psalm as a whole makes a claim that to some would be preposterous. That claim is perhaps best expressed in the summary found in Study Bible of the ESV translation – the English Standard Version. This is what it says:
‘The psalm is a hymn celebrating Zion as the special city,
to which God has pledged himself and through which he will bless the world.’

So in this psalm God’s people claim that they are the ones through whom God wants to bless the world.  ‘What a preposterous claim!’ some might say: ‘Who do they think they are?!’

Yet that’s what the Old Testament people of God believed. And they were right, for that is the consistent teaching of Scripture. Isn’t that what the call of Abraham was all about? For God told Abraham: ‘through you all nations will be blessed’ (Gen 22). And it’s even more clear in the New Testament because Jesus Christ came to embody God’s blessing to the whole world. To make a way to the Father. To open the gate of heaven. Which is why the people of Christ are called in the Great Commission of Matthew 28 to ‘Go into all the world’ (to all people groups) and proclaim the good news.

Since it was written some 3000 years ago, the people of God, inspired by this beautiful psalm, have believed that through them God wants to bring his kingdom. They’ve believed that through them God wants to bring his transforming power. They’ve believed that through them God wants to change lives, bring hope, and bring freedom. Through them!!!

But time and time again God’s people have qualified any claim to arrogance by saying: ‘that’s because it’s not really about us. It’s all about him. It’s about God being our refuge and strength (v1); God being our very present help (v.1); God being in our midst (v.5); God uttering his voice (v.6); God making wars cease (v.9); God being exalted (v.10). It’s all about him. And us being his people. Serving him. Following him. Rejoicing in him. Loving him. Knowing him. Joining in his work. And telling of what he has done.’

Telling of what he has done is what’s at the heart of this psalm, and is what God’s people are told to do in verse 8: ‘Come and see what the Lord has done’.

It’s about story. It’s about testimony. Telling the stories so people can see. And inviting others to find out. There at the heart of the psalm we’re supposed to sing to each other: ‘Come and see what God has done’.

As I taught The Belfrey staff about this yesterday, I got Simon Bray (our Director of Music & Worship) to sing this verse over us. He did a great job, with no notice, beckoning us to ‘Come and see what the Lord has done’ - and then, as we do each week we told some stories. We heard some great things that God had been doing in our midst – of people discovering faith in Christ, of answered prayer, of financial provision, of people struggling and yet discovering God’s presence in worship.

So when life is tough (which this psalm talks about), and when war is around us (which this psalm talks about), and when it feels like the world around us is crumbling (which this psalm talks about) you are called to tell others of what God has done. You are called to encourage others and draw them towards God through story. With testimony.

Are you doing that? If not, pray for an opportunity to do so this week. Because as you do, you will help others to see how amazing God is – so they too can say: ‘The Lord Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress.’ 

Let’s hear those God-stories.

Lego was my favourite toy when I was 10. Family would often give me and my brothers presents of lego at birthdays or Christmas and so over the years we seemed to accumulate quite a lot. I loved building things – sometimes small things like tiny cars which would involve choosing just the right piece so every detail would be right – and sometimes bigger things, like a whole towns with buildings, roads, an airport and a harbour. The bigger things were more of a challenge. They would stretch my imagination as I thought of things that could be created. Sometimes I would lay awake at night and think of grand lego-ideas. The problem came next morning when I would sit there and wonder where to begin. What do I do first? Will it ever get done? What if I run our of time? What if mum wants to clean my bedroom when I’m half way through?! What I learned was that you just have to make a start.

If we go back in history some 2,500 years or so, we find the Israelites returning to the promised land, after 70 years of exile. It’s time to rebuild things. Not just their lives, but their homes, their businesses – and now the temple. The idea of building again the temple is a vast one. It’s a massive vision. For some the thought filled them with both joy and fear. Could it be done? Would they have the time, and the energy and the resources? In their hearts they knew God had called them to do this, so they make a decision – like I did with my lego landscape but on a much bigger and more serious scale – they decide to make a start. We read about this in the book of Ezra chapter 3.

The task seems too great. And there’s opposition (v.3). But they’re making a start.

The task seems too great. It involves giving money (v.7) and giving things (v.7). But they’re making a start.

The task seems too great. They need to find skilled people to oversee the building work (v.9). But they’re making a start.

A big day for these returning exiles is the laying of the temple’s foundation stone (v.10). That was important because it showed they were serious. It was a physical sign that this was going to happen. It was a sign to each other. A sign to the people around them. A sign to God. And they marked the occasion with music (v.10) – with a fanfare of trumpets and cymbals.

And as the music played so there was a refrain – a chorus – which they sang. It was a chorus found in many songs of their old temple hymnbook – what we now call ‘The Book of Psalms’. It was a chorus that was simple and memorable. It was a chorus which motivated them and inspired them to keep keep going having decided to make a start. It was a chorus which they’d used time and time again, probably even during the difficult years of exile. It was (v.11): ‘he is good & his love endures forever’.

These words were basic and foundational to their belief in who God is. And it’s the same for us. Our God is like this. He is good. And his love endures forever.

Have you discovered that?

Maybe like me you answer ‘yes’. But if so, why do we sometimes not live and act like it’s true? When bad things seem to come our way, why do we think that God is not good? Or at least not good to me? Either he is good, or he isn’t. Which is it?

When we’re feeling down, or low, why do we think that God doesn’t love us any more? Either his love does endure for ever, or it doesn’t. Which is it?

The answer is that two foundational things about the character of God are true, all the time. They are not dependent on your circumstances, or mine.

The Israelites had learned that the hard way. They had just gone through 70 years of exile. And yet they could still say of God that ‘he is good’. No doubt there’d been days when it was hard to say that. We know they’d asked, ‘how can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?’ And it can be the same for us as we find it hard sometimes to declare the goodness of God in the the midst of struggle. But they had come through and learned that even when they felt abandoned, God was still good.

Now they were home. But it still wasn’t easy. They were trying to do something good, and yet were being ridiculed with even the risk of martyrdom. They were trying to do the right thing. Trying to see the kingdom re-established. You can imagine them questioning: ‘Shouldn’t this be easier? Is God good? Does his love endure for ever?’ And yet the answer they came to, even in the midst of opposition was: ‘God is good. Every time. All the time’.

Have you discovered that?

I find the writings of the author Philip Yancey really helpful. I’ve read most of his books. But one I haven’t yet read is called ‘What – God is good?’ It has 10 chapters, all telling a different true story of people who go through tough times. And yet behind each story of struggle and suffering and pain and endurance they discover the goodness of God. I’m looking forward to reading it.

I want to encourage you to do just that. To discover again the goodness of God. When, in the coming weeks and months you doubt the goodness of God and that his love endures for ever… stand back and pray. And ask the Holy Spirit to show you the goodness of God in that situation. And the Holy Spirit will show you. And as he does, you’ll see things with a whole new perspective.

What the Lord may do is take you to the cross to show you how he went through struggle and pain in order to allow you to fully experience his goodness and love. Jesus Christ went through the most terrible ordeal in order to forgive you and liberate you and allow you to experience that he really is good and his love does endure forever.

Have you discovered that?

About 10 years ago my mother found she had breast cancer. I think she thought she was going to die. This was a difficult period in her life. It was painful and stressful. She was a believer in Christ and so knew if she died where she was going, but nevertheless it was not an easy time. She had surgery and I recall seeing her in hospital. And on this particular day she seemed much more peaceful than before. There was a joy and a radiance about her. What had happened is she’d found the goodness of God in her suffering. She’d come to a settled place. Secure in the presence of Jesus and his love. She’d found as she’d shared something of her faith with the other patients and nurses, that Jesus Christ had given her a renewed vision of his goodness and love. She’d discovered that, even when times are hard, God is good and his love goes on and on and on and on…

Have you discovered that?

Queen Elizabeth II comes to York tomorrow. It’s going to be a royal visitation. York will look even cleaner, smarter and pictureque than ever. It’s involved much planning and preparation, and there’ll be increased security. Thousands of people will line the streets to welcome her on Maundy Thursday. It will be a special day.

No doubt the Queen has her faults. She is human like me and like you. And more than ever we know that the royal family make mistakes and are fallible. But nevertheless the Queen is a great woman. She literally is a national treasure.

The Queen has a strong faith in Jesus Christ, modelled to her from a young age by her mother. This comes across clearly in her annual Christmas message which points to Jesus Christ more strongly each year. Last Christmas the clocked reached 3pm in our household between the turkey and the Christmas pudding courses, so those gathered with us for lunch paused eating and we went into the living room to listen to the Queen. By the end a number of us, myself included, were close to tears, sensing the anointing of God’s Spirit on her powerful and clear message of hope to the nation.

You see, the Queen – the person with the greatest authority in the land -  is a woman who herself is under authority. She knows that there is a higher power. A greater monarch. And his name is Jesus Christ.

So whilst it’s great to have a visit from the Queen of England in York tomorrow, what we need even more is a royal visitation from the King of Kings! If it’s not his second coming here to earth, then let him come and visit us by his Spirit in revival power. Because it’s his presence that we particularly need in our city, in our region and in our nation.

Psalm 24 is helpful here. It’s a prayer for ‘the king of glory to come in’ to a city. It’s a prayer for a fresh visit from the great king-God. It’s a proclamation to gates and ancient doors to be opened, which is very pertinent to a city like York, which still has its walls and gates. Psalm 24 is a prayer for the great divine King to be welcomed and to be given access. It’s a prayer for God’s presence to come.

Rather like we’ve got ready for the visit of the Queen, we need to be ready for a divine visitation. Are you ready?

Ready to Stand

The lifting up of heads (in v.7) applies to us and means that God wants us to be able to stand confident in his presence when he visits us. That means there should be nothing embarrassing or shameful about our lives that should cause us to hang our heads. If there is, we need to repent of it and receive God’s forgiveness. If we don’t, we wont be able to stand tall. We won’t be ready.

Ready to Speak

According to Psalm 24, when our God-king enters, many will not know him but they’ll want to, because he’ll be seen to be ‘glorious’ – which basically means amazing! People will be asking ‘who is he, this amazing king?’ – ‘who is this king of glory?’ (v.8) Those who know will clearly say: ‘he is the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. He is the Lord Almighty’ (v.8 & 10).

People will be inquisitive. They will ask questions – and followers of Jesus must be ready to speak (rather like we’re told in 1 Peter 3:15 ‘always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give  the reasons for the hope that you have’).

Ready to Serve

When Queen Elizabeth II comes tomorrow, the day is about her. She will be the focus. And rightly so, for she is the Queen. Men will bow and women will curtsey. Eyes will be off others, and on to her. Similarly, when the Great King visits us, the focus will be on him, and women and men will kneel and adore – pleased to be his subjects. That’s because he is who this psalm tells us he is. He is the creator (vv.1-2). The holy one (vv.3-4). The one who blesses and saves (v.5). Whose favour we rightly seek (v6). He is ‘the King’ (v.7). He is ‘strong and mighty’ (v8). He is ‘mighty in battle’ (v.8). He is ‘the King of glory’ (v.9). He is ‘the Lord Almighty’ (v.10). And his name is Jesus Christ (Phil 2:9-10; Col 1:15-20).

If God is like that, then we should willingly submit to him. That is the God that I certainly want the people of York and the North to know, experience and embrace. That is the God worthy of our service.

So come Lord Jesus! Come and visit us with your presence. Come, king of glory! You are welcome.

But are God’s people ready?

Most of us have a vision that’s too narrow. We find it difficult to look beyond the possibilities of the here and now and we end up settling for something that’s ok, rather than the best. That’s true of our relationships – especially in our families and our marriages – and also of our relationship with God. It’s also true too of how we view our workplaces, our studies, our churches and communities. As we look around at how life is, it’s difficult to believe that something even better, wider and more influential is possible – and that God could do that kind of thing through us. But that’s how great things normally happen as ordinary people get gripped by an alternative picture of the future, that sparks fresh passion, persistent prayer and focussed action.

That was Jesus’ perspective. So one day he’s in the Galilean town of Capernaum teaching and healing. Exciting but probably tiring. And yet the very next day (Luke 4:42) he’s up early praying to his Father, pressing on and undergirding everything he does with prayer. His work is going well and the locals want him to stay. But despite popularity Jesus moves on. Why? Jesus is gives a very clear reason: ‘I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent’ (v.43). Clearly Jesus feels a sense of responsibility not just for that locality but for his region. His vision is broad. His horizons are wide. And that’s something I’ve been emphasising at The Belfrey – to have a real sense of responsibility for our locality: the City of York, but also to feel an increasing responsibility for our region: the North.

We need to have a strategic eye for what the Lord is doing in our region. To pray for key cities and churches. To see where there may be gaps in provision. To train people. To send people. To plant churches. To be a resource church for our region. When I spoke about being a resource church at end of our Refresh weekend a couple of weeks ago I ended up saying that the people of The Belfrey are not called to change the world. That’s the job of whole church. We are called (like every local church) to change our locality, which for us is York. But – unusually for most local churches – we’re also called to play our part in changing our region: the North of England. For many of us to see that requires an expanding of horizons.

I am a parent and I want my kids to have a broad understanding of life. I don’t want them to think too small, or narrow. I want them to appreciate God’s great world with its breadth of cultures; diversity of people; range of music styles and multiplicity of food tastes and flavours. And one of the best way for them to grasp that is through travel. So our second son Joel is going for 4 weeks to Borneo this summer, our Luke, our third son is going to Kenya for 12 days too. They’ve been saving and making plans. And it should be great. It will broaden their horizons.

Mark Twain, the American author who died around 100 yrs ago, agreed. He said this about travel:

‘Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.’

Do you travel? Do you seize opportunities to see new places and meet new people? If you can, go. Go to places like Borneo, or Kenya – but don’t forget that there’s also benefit in going to less exotic places, like Newcastle, Chester, Thirsk, Otley, Hull, Selby, or Bradford. As you visit places like that, there’s also much to learn and many people to meet. In those places the Holy Spirit can expand your horizons of what he is doing and still wants to do in our region.

Last Friday there was an important gathering in our region of the 24/7 Prayer Partners. It was held at the new YWAM base in the Leeman Road area of York. Roger Ellis from Revelation Fellowship in Chichester was there and he stayed overnight with us. One of my brothers, William, was there as were other key 24/7 Prayer leaders, and some of us from The Belfrey. As I heard stories of what God was doing in terms of prayer on a wider canvas, I sensed vision stirring within as my horizons were expanding.

Roger Ellis gave me a copy of his new book, Essence (which includes a small section written by Luke Smith) and in it he quotes a lovely prayer of Sir Francis Drake. Drake was of the great travellers of old. He knew that travel expanded one’s horizons. He was the son of Edmund Drake, a man of deep Puritan faith. When Francis was a child Edmund moved the family to Kent, where Edmund became a Church of England minister. His son Francis went on to become a famous sea captain and politician during the reign of Elizabeth I and was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.

Sir Francis Drake was not perfect, but he was man of prayer and of great vision. And his prayer is a prayer I’ve been praying on a number of occasions this week – for myself, for us at The Belfrey, for our Diocese and for the people of our region. You might want to pray it for yourself and those around you.

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity. And in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of the land, we shall find the stars.

We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push into the future in strength, courage, hope and love.                                  

This we ask in the name of our Captain, who is Jesus Christ. Amen. 

I bought Sam a present yesterday – some bunting. It’s funny how something so simple can be so effective. This particular bunting is made up of string with some heart-shaped painted bits of wood dangling every 10cm or so. I’m not sure where she’ll put them, but in the summer they’ll look good outside or hanging across a window – a kind of laid-back, beach-house look with a celebratory feel.

There’s going to be lots of bunting going up in the coming months, as we celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. We’re going to see Union Jacks cut into various shapes and sizes, hanging from bits of string and rope. Simple but effective. For the purpose of celebration.

It’s funny that we celebrate by dangling things from on high. But we do. And it works. We like it. We do it at Christmas: in our homes and in our streets with twinkly lights. We celebrate with dangly bits.

Of course there are many other ways to celebrate. Many other ways to be thankful. Many other ways to rejoice. What’s important is that we really do celebrate, because there’s something deep inside of us that wants to express thank for things that are good. In the end, that’s what celebration is all about: being thankful for good things. And there are so many good things in life to celebrate: people, achievements, milestones, community things, birthdays, changed lives, homecomings, festivals, God. In fact it’s all about God, really. Because he is good. He is a good God. And celebration is about being thankful for all that is good.

The goodness of God is crucial to God’s nature and to our celebration. The bible is crystal clear on that (eg. Psalm 100:5). Many people know that. But not everyone, including some who claim to follow Jesus. Quite often I come across people who think that God is good to most people – apart from them. That can’t be true. Either he is good, or he’s not. Which is it?

Bill Johnson is helpful on this. He puts it like this:

‘Let’s get this straight: God is good all the time. The devil is bad all the time’

Pretty black and white – but actually very helpful. If God is good, all the time, which he is, then he deserves to be praised and celebrated. So start now. Today. Celebrate with your life. Celebrate with your praise. But find other creative ways to do so, especially as Easter approaches – the greatest Christian festival. Even consider using dangly bits to celebrate. Because God is good. All the time.

In my last blog I wrote about revival bringing change in society, suggesting that the hard evidence for that – other than stories of changed lives – would be seeing the reversal of many social trends. Having that kind of measurement will be really helpful. But society will only change through the changed lives of people – changed by the gospel of Christ. So how will be able to measure that? What will be the hard evidence showing that people really are coming to faith in Jesus?

For us at The Belfrey this question is timely as we’ve just had a great Refresh weekend away with fantastic input from Richard Jones who’s been helping us consider how we can effectively reach out to more and more people with the good news of Jesus Christ.

So, how can we measure effective evangelism? Well, no doubt one piece of evidence will be churches filling up. The number of worshippers will rise. But there’s another crucial measure that I’m looking for, and that’s this: an increase in baptisms.

As more folk come to faith in Jesus Christ, and want to publically commit their lives to him, we’ll see more baptisms. A boost in baptisms. A bountiful number of baptisms.

Let me paint a picture of what that might look like, gaining some inspiration from the very first church baptisms ever recorded, in Acts 2:37-47.

1.  Numbers

In a revived North there’ll be occasions when we baptise in large numbers. The most people I’ve presently baptised  in one go is twelve. My father was doing twenty at a time with the Iranians in Doncaster seven years ago. Ian Birkinshaw from Huntington, who’s just back from leading a Global Alpha Training team in India was telling me the other day  that he spoke to someone in India  who had recently baptised 1,400 in one day! In Acts 2:41 we’re told they baptised 3000 on the Day of Pentecost!!

2.  Regularity

In a revived North baptisms will take place regularly. And there’ll be some churches – and I hope St Michael le Belfrey will be one of them where they’ll need to baptise every week. They’ll have to, to keep up with the number of people coming to faith. These baptism services will take place mainly in the context of worship services where people will invite family and friends to witness the event, and they will share their story of what the Lord has done in their life. However there’ll also be a place for spontaneous baptisms too, like we read of in Acts 9, where Philip baptised an Ethiopian  in a pond. I’ve been involved in a few spontaneous baptisms in the past, and sometimes it’s right to do them like that.

3.  Public

In a revived North baptisms will take place where-ever possible in public. They won’t be hidden. That’s what would have happened in Acts 2.  Public baptisms put faith in the public domain with the candidates openly confessing faith in Christ. I believe we’ll see much more of that in the future. At St Michael le Belfrey we regularly baptise on our forecourt if we can and when we soon re-order the church building  we’re planning to install a permanent outside baptistery. If I have it my way I’ll make sure it’s plumbed to warm!

4.  Early

In a revived North baptisms will happen early in people’s faith journey. You will not need to have done an Alpha course. (It might help, but it’s not crucial) You will not need to have been around church for very long. You will not need to understand everything about God and faith and church. What you willneed, is to know that Jesus died for you and that you want to follow him for the rest of your life. That will be enough. Because that was enough in New Testament times. People will be able to learn more about the faith later. That’s what happened in Acts 2. They were baptised on the very day they came to Jesus Christ.

5.  Transformative

In a revived North baptisms will be transformative. As people identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus – going down into the water and coming up again, so they will mark an end to their old life and the beginning of their new life. Baptism will place a marker in time for them. It will be like a sign saying: ‘This is a New Life!’ We get a picture in Ac 2:42-47 of what that new life looks like for the transformed people of God, as people shared faith, love, time, possessions and all sorts together.

In the future I suspect we’ll see more deliverance from evil spirits taking place during baptisms – as happens today in revival contexts in parts of Africa and Asia. As people are cleansed in the water and filled with the Holy Spirit, demons will manifest and be cast out, with some fleeing spontaneously in the very act of baptism. This will not be weird. Just normal, as people are transformed by the power of Jesus Christ.

6.  Testimony

In a revived North baptisms will include story-telling  as people speak of how Jesus has saved them, loved them and forgiven them. Many of these will be recorded on video and will posted online – as we do now. These baptism stories will play a big part in helping others come to faith in Christ as the testimonies release faith.

7.  More

In a revived North baptisms will result in more baptisms. Some people will come to baptism services to support a family member or friend, and will end up there and then giving their life to Jesus Christ, and maybe  getting baptised in the same water on the same day! That will happen because of the power of the Spirit’s presence, the power of the testimonies and the power of the anointed preaching. I find  it easy to preach at a baptism service because the atmosphere is always positive and celebratory and people are excited, full of anticipation and faith. I love it! Baptising people is one of my favourite things in life. Seriously!

I’m praying that in York we’ll see at least 365 people each year come to faith in Jesus Christ. That’s one each day. That’s what they saw happening in Ac 2:47 – ‘the Lord adding daily to their number.’  We could easily see that inYork. In fact we could easily see that in St Michael le Belfrey Church.

So in a revived North baptisms will be the main measure of conversion. Do pray with me for more and more baptisms. In the future. But starting now. In our day. In our time.

I was encouraging The Belfrey’s staff team this morning to continue to use their imaginations to think about regional revival. What might the North of England look like, transformed by the good news of Jesus Christ? And in particular what might it look like in terms of social action? How might society be strengthened in a transformed North?

We get a picture of that in Romans 12:9-21, where Paul paints a fantastic picture of community life that is compelling and attractive. Where people are kind. Where they’re looking out for others. Working hard at relationships. Being hospitable. Feeding the hungry and overcoming evil with good.

One of the main signs that major social transformation is taking place will be seeing a reversal of many social trends. Over my lifetime, I’ve observed the yearly publication of increasingly depressing social statistics. And I’ve subconsciously believed the lie that ‘that’s just how it is’, and that trends will continue in that direction. But I have been challenged recently to think differently. To think God wants to bring change. Social change. A social change that comes from a spiritual change.

We see that time and again in the bible as revival came in days of old.  So men who used to choose their marriage partners in a particular way (Neh 13) stopped doing that and did things differently . People who used to educate their children in certain ways and even sacrifice them in fire (Jer 19:5) stopped and did things differently. People who used to perform unhelpful sexual practices (Jer 3&5) stopped and did things differently. Social trends changed.

If that kind of thing happened in the past, could it not happen today? And if so, what might it look like in terms of reversing some of our contemporary social trends?

1.  Work

Work is crucial in seeing poverty reduced and society changed. So in a revived North we will see unemployment fall and employment rise.

We’ll see new businesses begin. We’ll see sharp business people starting businesses not just to make money but also to make a difference in their community. Adding value. Improving the quality of life. Like Joseph Rowntree did with Rowntrees here in York in the 1880s, and like Blake Mycoskie is doing now with TOMS Shoes, where with every product sold, TOMS donates a pair to a person in need.

2. Money

Wealth doesn’t make us happy. Nor is it a good master. But it is a good servant. And in a revived North people will take more care with their money. Living responsibly with it. So in a revived North we will see crime fall and charitable giving rise.

We’ll see new charities beginning. Maybe we as a church, as well as training pioneer ministers (to plant new churches & renew old ones) can also train social action pioneers in best practice in starting fantastic charities. Wouldn’t that be great?

3. Relationships

In a revived North people will work hard at human relationships, following the wise teaching of the bible. So in a revived North we will see divorce rates fall and marriage numbers rise, and abortion numbers fall and the number of wanted and loved children rise.

That’s not because there’s a moral police force wagging the finger at people who get divorced or have abortions. It’ll be because people begin to return to the values that come from the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’ll be because the church loves and cares and models another way. It’ll be because people genuinely will choose another way. They’ll be working harder at their marriages. And asking the Spirit of God for help. They’ll be less promiscuous, having less drunken sex and making wiser choices about their relationships and their sexual habits.

4. Community

In a revived North people will look out for each other more. Not just in families, but caring for people on their streets. So in a revived North we will see loneliness fall and neighbourliness rise.

I expect we’ll see more street parties. More community events. More talking over garden fences. And more people looking out for the vulnerable on their road.

5. Addictions

In a revived North people will rely less on stimulants, drugs and alcoholic highs. So in a revived North we will see drug-related incidents fall and sobriety rise.

I suspect we’ll see not all, but some pubs closing, not just because people are drinking alcohol at home but because people will be drinking less alcohol. They won’t need so much. They now have God, who gives them peace so they don’t need the weekend high any more. If there is a high to be had, it will come from the Holy Spirit who pours his love into open hearts.

Do you see? Can you imagine it? Many social trends will begin to reverse. As we pray and work and love and care for our communities. As we, the people of the North of England are awakened by the Lord and begin to see God calling us to a better life. A kingdom-of-God life. With Jesus Christ ruling as King.

This will require radically different kinds of churches to the ones we now know. It will require courage. And faith. And much prayer. It will require Spirit-inspired action. And mature, wise teaching in these matters that effect the wider society. We mustn’t be afraid to teach, because we all need to be guided.

When my dad was leading an Iranian congregation in Doncaster, a newly converted man and wife came up to him one day and said, ‘Richard, will you show us how to live?’ My father asked them what they meant, to which they replied: ‘We want to know how to live. We’re now following Jesus. We want to know how to live life. In our family. With our friends. At work.’ My dad was taken aback. He thought that this revival amongst the Iranians was just about leading them to Christ but now he realised that it was more than that. It was about transformation of life and transformation of society. Starting with them. One by one. One family at a time.

If we are praying and working for the transformation of the North it will affect every area of life. And it should mean, over time, a reversal of many social trends. What a great legacy to leave the future children of the North.

Sam and I are writing a diary entry every day for Lent. It’s a kind of joint journal for 40 Days (or 46 days if you count the Sundays). We’re finding it fascinating reading each other’s comments. Here’s something I wrote earlier this morning.

Prayer is basically communication with God. Talking with him and listening to him. If we don’t pray, we won’t get to know him or his ways, and nothing of lasting significance will happen. If we don’t communicate then our relationship with him will struggle. Just like in a marriage. Relationships experts tell us that most marriages struggle and eventually fail due to a lack of communication. Sam and I know that’s true. When we talk and share and basically hang out, things are so much better. That’s true not just of human relationships but of our relationship with God too. As a nation, and as a region, so many have tried to live without God and neglected prayer and we wonder why God seems distant. Prayer is where it all starts. So I’m teaching that to the people of St Michael le Belfrey, trying to model that and just encourage folk to talk to God. If we do that, then anything is possible.

I asked at last night’s Evening of Prayer what we expected the North to be like in 25 years time – in a generation. What are we praying for? What are we working towards? I am 43 today. So by the time I reach my 68th birthday, what will the North look like? Will the churches be full to overflowing? Will crime be down? Will employment be virtually non-existent and businesses thriving? Will people be much more neighbourly, parks be safe for children to play and old people feel they don’t have to keep their doors locked all the time? Will the bible be respected again as the Word of God and prayer be normal and natural and good? That’s what I’m working towards. That’s what I’m praying for. I know it seems impossible, but you only live once, and that’s what I’m shooting for. Lord, will you do that? In our day? In our time?

For some, thinking that way is unrealistic and nonsensical. If you were to look in from the outside and see some of things we were praying for last night, you might have thought that. In fact at one point I stood back from what was going on, and imagined what it must have looked like to someone who didn’t get what we were doing. But then I thought of Noah building his ark ready for rains that no-one expected (Gen 6). He looked foolish; but wasn’t. I thought of Moses gathering thirsty people in the wilderness to stand by a rock trusting that unseen water was about to be released (Num 20). He looked foolish; but wasn’t. I thought of the widow gathering jars to fill with oil that didn’t exist (2 Kings 4). She looked foolish; but wasn’t. I thought of Jesus standing by the tomb of Lazarus, telling the dead man to come out (John 11). He looked foolish; but wasn’t.    When we pray prayers of faith, we can look foolish. Seem foolish. Even feel foolish. But we’re not. What we’re doing is just praying for that which is humanly impossible. We’re doing what the great saint AW Tozer encouraged us to do – in a phrase I have next to my desk: ‘God is looking for people through whom he can do the impossible – what a pity that we plan only the things we can do by ourselves.’ So ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, and then pray big prayers. The kind of prayers you find in Scripture. Pray the seemingly impossible. Then live in the light of your prayers. And then watch and see what God does.

I heard a sound this morning that got my attention. I had left the house in a slight hurry, concerned when I looked at the clock that time was a bit tight as I had to drive into York, park up, walk to the train station and then pick up my ticket – and I didn’t want to miss the train to London. Anyway, in the end I found myself standing on the platform, ticket in hand with 8 minutes to spare. That was good. But then I realised I’d forgotten to do something before I left. It was something I do on auto-pilot every day, but in the rush it was something I’d missed. I’d not brushed my teeth. So I went to the gents washroom on Platform 3, pulled out my washbag and gave those molars a good old scrub and freshened up my mouth for the day.

And it was then, as I was brushing my teeth that I heard it. The sound. I looked around to see where it was coming from. But at first I couldn’t work it out. It was not loud, but it seemed to fill the room. As far as I could tell, I was the only person in the washroom, so I don’t think was coming from anyone’s phone or MP3 player. It might have been coming through the roof speakers, but that didn’t seem right. I suspect the sound was coming from behind a locked door at the end of the room, which looked like a cleaning cupboard that I suppose could have been some kind of rest room or base for the janitor. From there, pervading through the air of the gents washroom on Platform 3, was the sound.

The sound got my attention. I could hear it above the noise of me brushing my teeth. It was the sound of singing. Of people singing. Of happy joyful singing. I listened more carefully and as I listened I began to recognise the song. It was a song of praise. A song of thanksgiving and adoration to Jesus Christ. It was a song I couldn’t name but I know I’d heard it a few days before somewhere. And here it was, quietly but confidently filling the air space of York station’s gents washroom on Platform 3.

A number of thoughts went through my mind. First, it was not the usual sound in the gents loo! Second, I liked it. I liked it a lot. It was a beautiful sound. A lovely, glorious sound. Third, it didn’t feel inappropriate or out of place. Someone who didn’t know what it was wouldn’t have been troubled by it. It wasn’t blasting out, and unless someone was concentrating they might not even have been able to make out the words. So it wasn’t offensive. But it was nevertheless very much there. The sound of praise in York station’s gents washroom on Platform 3.

I returned to the platform, to be ready for the approaching train, and as I did so I was reminded of a line in a song that I do remember. It’s the second verse of Brenton Brown’s Praise is Rising, where we sing: ‘Hear the sound of hearts returning to you’. When I sing that I sometimes ask myself ‘what does the sound of people coming back to God actually sound like?’ I often feel I get a glimpse of that sound when I’m at a prayer meeting and people break into small groups and begin to pray, and I step back and listen. And I hear this sound of lots of people talking to God. Calling out to him. Asking for his help. His blessing. His intervention. His forgiveness. His power. That prayer-sound is a beautiful sound. Beautiful to me, and beautiful I think to God. I think praise-sound is similar. It’s good. Right. Natural. Normal.

Psalm 66:8 calls all peoples of the earth to ‘let the sound of God’s praise be heard’. I suspect that, despite forces of secularism that would want to privatise that sound and hide it away in sound-proofed church buildings ‘for those who like that kind of thing’… in a transformed North of England, it will be increasingly normal to hear the sound of praise outside of church. In homes. In parks. In concert venues. Maybe even on buses and trains. Even in York station’s gents washroom on Platform 3.

We’re in the season of Lent – a season of prayer. So this is a good time to think about what prayer might look like in a transformed North of England – in a region changed by the gospel of Christ. In future blogs I will explore areas like like values, politics, social action, evangelism, family life, education, business and leadership. But today: prayer.

We get a picture of prayer in revival in Acts 4:23-31 where, after the Spirit of God is poured out at Pentecost, the disciples gather. Peter and John have been hauled before the Jewish authorities and told not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. And now they return to the believers and they pray. In the midst of Holy Spirit revival, we’re given a snapshot of believers at prayer.

I have 7 words about prayer in a transformed North, that are evident in this passage.

1. In a revived North, prayer will be PRIMARY.

It will be restored to its primary place, as the engine that drives all of God’s work – fueling mission; evangelism; church planting; social action; everything!

In the 1880s, five young college students went to hear the famed preacher Charles Spurgeon. They arrived early and were greeted by a man on the door who asked them if they wanted to see the heating plant of the church. They weren’t very interested and it was a warm day in July, but not wanting to offend, they agreed and were taken downstairs. ‘This is our boiler room’ said the man as he opened a door into a room filled with 700 people bowed in prayer, seeking God’s blessing on the service soon to begin. Softly closing the door, the man took them back upstairs, and politely introduced himself as Charles Spurgeon.

In Acts 4 we similarly see that prayer is primary in the life of the church. This continued in much of the early church as the Holy Spirit was poured out on the people. No doubt some of the prayer was spontaneous and some planned. Some in small gatherings and some in larger ones.

In the future I’d like to think that the North of England could become known  as a region where people pray. When I think of a part of the world where people pray, I think of Nigeria. I have a clergy friend who every year flies out to Nigeria to attend an annual New Year’s prayer meeting where over one million people gather for prayer. And that’s not the largest prayer meeting in Lagos. Others have had up to 3 million people at one prayer event! Wouldn’t it be good if, in the future, Christians from other parts of the world say that the North of England is a place where people really know how to pray!

So in a revived North, prayer will be primary and restored to its central place. People get the idea that nothing of significance happens without prayer,

2. In a revived North, prayer will be PRIORITISED

In Acts 4, the first thing they do after Peter and John tell their story, is pray. Prayer is prioritised.

Most churches in the North – St Michael le Belfrey included – get about 20% of the church turning up to the church’s main prayer meeting. I suspect that in a revived North that figure might go up to 80+%. In a revived North, prayer will become one of the things that we all do. It will be something that really unites us as God’s people. We see that in Ac 4:24 as ‘they raised their voices together in prayer to God’. In a revived North the prayer meeting will be the most imp meeting of the week rather than it being an afterthought or something that’s done it there’s time. People will build their diaries around the prayer meeting. It will be prioritised.

In fact that’s been true in every true Christian revival. Kathie Walters expresses this really helpful when she says:

Every revival that has broken upon the face of the earth has been preceded by men and women upon their knees travailing before God. Undeterred by cold and the discomforts of the barn … undeterred by the fact that no-one else seemed concerned about revival and the world was as godless as ever, they travailed and prayed. Kneeling upon the straw or upon their faces in agony of soul, they cried before the throne.

3. In a revived North, prayer will begin with PRAISE

Starting with praising God – for who he is and what he’s done – will become the normal prayer pattern. We see that in Acts 4:24. Even though they had threats from the authorities and could have begun by asking for God’s help they actually begin by telling God how great he is. That’s often how we begin our prayer meetings at the Belfrey – like Dynamic Prayer and our Evenings of Prayer. We begin with praise. And rightly so.

4. In a revived North, prayer will be PASSIONATE

It will be from the heart. Gutsy. Honest and true. We see that in Acts 4 as they tell God how it is and what’s on their heart.

Prayer will not be passive. People will enter in to God’s presence. They will, as St Paul says (in Colossians 4:2) ‘devote themselves to prayer’. It will involve noise – and silence. Laughing – and weeping. I got a glimpse of this the very first time I went to St Nic’s Church in Nottingham in 1987, when the person next to me prayed the Lord’s Prayer which such passion and enthusiasm that I saw the prayer in a whole new light!

Passionate prayer in a revived North will involve much standing up. People will go home from a prayer meeting with tired legs. But it’ll be ok. And it will involve much kneeling down too. In fact kneeling will probably become the dominate prayer position. It certainly isn’t that at present in the UK. As that happens it may well be one distinguishing characteristic of Christians is their worn patches on their trousers!

5. In a revived North, prayer will be PARTICULAR

Prayer will be ‘particular’ in that people won’t be afraid to ask God for specific things. There’ll be less ‘if it’s your will, Lord’ prayers and more specific prayers as we come boldly and confidently before God’s throne and ask of him in faith. When I twisted my ankle last year and had instant shooting pains up my tendons, I immediately said to Sam who was next to me in the back garden, ‘speak healing to my ankle’ and she did. In Jesus’ name she spoke healing to my foot and within seconds the pain left and I was fine. We see something similar in Acts 4:29-30 as they specifically ask God for help to speak God’s word boldly, and for miracles. In a revived North we will not hold back from asking God for what we need.

6. In a revived North, prayer will be POWERFUL

As people pray they will be filled with the Holy Spirit, empowered and sent out in mission. That’s just what we see in Acts 4:31: ‘After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.’

I first sang in tongues in a prayer meeting when I was 18 or 19 yrs old. As I approached the building people were already beginning to worship and pray, and I was filled with the Holy Spirit as I entered. And I began to sing in tongues. It felt like it was just flowing out of me. And this was at a prayer meeting! Prayer meetings can be powerful. They certainly will be in a revived North.

7. In a revived North, prayer will be PERSISTENT

We don’t see that specifically in Acts 4, but we see it as this church advances, in the rest of the pages of the book of Acts, so much so that Paul later says (in 1 Thessalonians 5:17) ‘pray without ceasing’. He means – keep going. And, in all things, keep prayerful. That’s because God wants prayer to be happening everywhere, as people discover they can call out to him any time, any place, any where. You won’t have to be in a church or religious setting.

And yet, having said that I suspect we’ll also see more specialist Houses of Prayer established in the North for the sake of persistent prayer. All the main cities will have one – a specialist prayer centre where gifted intercessors pray 24/7 for their city and region and nation and world. If you’ve never been to one or seen one, and are ever in the vicinity of Stoke on Trent, check out Beacon House in Sandyford, run by my brother William & his wife Karen. People in these Houses of Prayer know how to pray. And they know how to fast. If I’m one of the ‘infantry’ in terms of God’s prayer-warriors, these guys are the SAS!

There will be lots of these. And I hope there’ll be one in York soon. I’m asking the Lord for that at the moment. It’s on my long-term prayer list.

Finally, let me make something very clear. Whilst only God sovereignly brings revival, prayer is crucial in initiating and sustaining revival. That means it’s God’s work, but he calls us to co-operate with him. To fan into flame his work, through our prayer. And to keep the fire burning, through persistent prayer. That’s why the growing 24/7 Prayer movement is fascinating and really important. That’s why the Global Day of Prayer events – and especially the one in London at Wembley Stadium on Sat 29th Sept – are so important. And that’s why at The Belfrey one our key strategic emphases for 2012 is ‘persistent prayer’.

So, please pray with me, for God’s transformation in the North.

So we’re in Lent – the 40 day period running up to Easter.

We had an Ash Wednesday service last night at St Michael le Belfrey at which I shared four things about Lent. But first I told my best Lent joke, which goes like this:

An Irishman walks into a Dublin bar, orders three pints of Guinness and sits in the corner, taking a sip out of each glass in turn. When all three are empty, he returns to the bar and orders three more. The bartender advises him: ‘You know, a pint goes flat after it’s drawn. It would taste better if you bought one at a time.’ The Irishman replies ‘Well, I have two brothers – one in America & one in Australia, and I’m here in Dublin. When we all left home, we promised to always drink this way to remember the days when we drank together.’ The bartender admits this is a touching custom and leaves it at that. Over the next few wks the Irishman becomes a regular in the bar, always drinking the same way: ordering three pints of Guinness at a time and drinking them in turn, & then returning for a second round. Then one day, he comes in and orders only two pints.The other regulars notice and fall silent. When he returns to the bar for the second round, the bartender says: ‘I don’t want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolencesnand those of our regulars, on your sad loss’. The Irishman looks confused for a moment, before the light dawns and he laughs. ‘Oh no’ he says, ‘everyone’s fine. It’s just that I’ve stopped drinking for Lent.’

So is Lent about stopping things? I think:

1) Lent is less about stopping and more about starting

Most people think Lent is about stopping things. So when I was interviewed on Radio York on Tuesday about Lent, the very first question asked of me was: ‘what am I giving up for Lent?’ Often people do stop things but more important is what you’re going to start, because in Lent you’re encouraged to start some serious disciplines. Three basic ones which Jesus taught all his followers to practice are: giving, praying and fasting (Mt 6:2,5,16). If you don’t do much in one or all of those areas, may I strongly advise that you make a start in at least one of them this Lent.

2) Lent is less about superficiality and more about honesty

Many people think Lent is about suddenly becoming un-naturally ‘holy’. They think it’s about spending a long time looking inside of yourself, becoming intense and perhaps self-obsessed and rather boring! I’ve met people like that, and they tend to put you off God and faith. It can all seem so serious. So deadly. So life-draining, rather than life-enhancing. However Lent is not about being superficial. It’s actually the opposite. It’s about being real and honest. Honest about what you find inside of yourself – even if you don’t like what you find! Honest about your lifestyle – about your priorities and values and about how you spend your time and your money. For example, if you’re trying to fast at times in Lent but realise you’re neglecting doing something basic things like caring for the poor, then you should be honest about these things, and make some changes.  (That’s why one of the classic passages about fasting in Isaiah 58 talks about the priority of social justice above ritual fasting).

3) Lent is less about complexity and more about simplicity

Some people would love to practice Lent more fully but don’t, thinking: ‘oh no, it’s something else to do It’s another thing to add on to my busy life.’ They think that Lent will make life more complex. And it will, unless you use Lent to deliberately slow down and intentionally choose to do less, for a season. So our Archbishop, John Sentamu, schedules no church meetings in Lent. For him, life becomes more simple in Lent. And he’s got it right. It’s not about complexity. It’s about simplicity. It’s about asking: ‘what important? Let’s do those things and nothing more.’

4) Lent is less about weakness and more about strength

Finally, some see Lent as awkward and embarrassing, as it’s a season that highlights our weaknesses. Let’s be honest: we find it hard to give, to pray and to fast. And so Lent exposes our frailty – and we don’t like that. But actually if Lent is supposed to be about honesty and it makes us realise that we’re weak then that can be good, as long as we then turn to the Spirit of Jesus for help and strength. It’s the Holy Spirit who, according to 2 Timothy 1:7 ‘gives us power, love and self-discipline’.

The whole point of Lent, in the end, is to prepare us for Easter, where we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the amazing power released breaking the power of sin and death and hell and enabling us to know God’s forgiveness, a transformed life and eternal life beyond the grave. So don’t get bogged down in your weakness at Lent. We’re all weak. Every one of us. Rather, focus on God’s strength that we especially celebrate at the end of Lent, at Easter.

So Lent is a season where we particularly aim to ‘store up treasures not here on earth, but in heaven’ (Mt 6:20). So invest in heavenly things this Lent. Start to get disciplined. Be honest with yourself and God about what you find inside of yourself. Keep Lent simple, not complicated: enjoying the more of doing less. And look forward to Easter, receiving the strength that flows to you from the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Last week I received the latest Arab World Ministries booklet, and on the back was an article entitled: ‘Will you help change a region for Christ?’

Changing a Region

The headline stood out for me because it could have said: ‘will you help change an individual for Christ?’ … or a family, a street, or a town. It could even have said the world – but it didn’t. It actually suggested that people like you and me could change a region. That is the challenge I believe the Lord has laid upon St Michael le Belfrey Church: ‘Will you help change a region for Christ?’

So – will you? Will you help in serving God’s transformation of our region - of the North of England? To play our part in that, we’re going to have to see more clearly what that transformation might look like. So over these coming weeks I’m going to blog and paint a picture of what a transformed North might look like, so we can begin to imagine it. You see, once you can imagine it, you can begin to grasp it, pray it, live it and finally see it happen in our lifetime.

The Power of Imagination

Imagining is important. Paul Yonggi Cho (emeritus pastor of the largest church in the world in South Korea, with over one million members) advises that we use our imagination much more creatively in prayer. For instance, when you find it hard to pray for someone to become a believer, Cho suggests you use your imagination. He advocates that you imagine them doing something overtly Christian, and then ask the Lord for that scene to become reality. So you might imagine them sitting at a table and intently reading the bible, or with hands raised in heartfelt praise and worship. Cho rightly says that the imagination can be helpful in building faith in us, in causing us to pray and then in seeing those prayers fulfilled.

Now, how about doing that for the North of England? Let’s begin to imagine the North of England transformed in worship. What might that look like? Can you imagine it?

You might find it informative to read 2 Chronicles 30, which is the story of King Hezekiah re-starting the Passover in Israel. It’s a story of a people renewed in worship, as Israel turns back to the Lord. It has much to say about transformed worship.

Churches Not Empty

A revived North would mean that most churches in the North were full. Not empty. Most of us expect UK churches to be virtually empty because that is our experience and that’s what we imagine as normative. But in a revived North churches that were once quiet and sleepy will be full to overflowing. With multiple congregations. I saw a glimpse of that during my curacy in Dore in Sheffield in the 1990’s. A small semi-rural parish church that would normally seat just 140 was often full to overflowing time and time again, sometimes with 300+ people crammed in, with people standing round the walls and even sitting on the floor in the centre aisle. We see that in 2 Chronicles 30, where renewed worship results in the gathering of ‘a very large crowd of people’ (v13).

Joyful Worship

A revived North would see crowds worshipping in great celebration with much joy and thanksgiving. That is always a mark of revival. Hezekiah saw it in his time too, with the Chronicler describing is as follows: ‘There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon … there had been nothing like this’ (v.26).

Finding Forgiveness

In a revived North you will see people finding deep and lasting forgiveness – a forgiveness that heals the soul. As people survey the wondrous cross of Christ, they will experience his cleansing and saving power. And hearing stories of forgiven and changed lives will be a regular occurrence. Back in 2 Chronicles 30 we read of Hezekiah praying for this forgiveness to be known by his people: ‘May the Lord who is good, pardon everyone who set their hearts on seeking God’ (v.18). So in a revived North, many will find peace with God in the context of worship, as God pours out his Spirit in convicting and reviving power.

Queueing to Worship

A revived North would result in snakes of people forming outside churches, sometimes hours before doors open, as men and women queue for the best seats. Some of us have seen a foretaste of that in the queue that develops each year outside of York Minster before The Belfrey’s Carol Service. Passers-by always ask ‘what is this queue for?’ – and it’s great to be able to say ‘they’re queueing to get into church!’ That kind of thing will be common.

Worship on the Streets

A revived North would be a place where the presence of the living God is tangibly felt, known, experienced and appreciated – in church worship services but also in homes, in workplaces, in schools, in shopping centres and on the streets. Things like Healing on the Streets would be much more common, and would often happen spontaneously and naturally. I was walking with someone in the summer and we were having a conversation about what it means to be fully devoted to God, and I said that it was important to be able to say ‘God, I’ll go wherever you send me, and I’ll do whatever you tell me. I am yours’. When I added that I felt this person needed to be able to say that to God, they replied, ‘can I do it now?’ to which I replied ‘Now would be good’. And so they knelt down exactly where we were – which was on tarmac in middle of a carpark – and I knelt down with them, and there they wept as they gave themselves wholeheartedly to God. It was a wonderful moment! Now in a revived North that kind of thing will be much more common. Much more normal. Out in the streets. And those who aren’t Christians will see that kind of thing and even if they don’t fully understand it, they will not think it’s abnormal, because it’ll happen quite often. We see something of that in 2 Chronicles 30 where the foreigners, who don’t share the faith see it all happening and are even caught up in the rejoicing (v25).

Strong Local Churches

A revived North will mean that every community would have at least one strong local church. And in that church the profile of the people will normally reflect the age, ethnic and social background of the local population. Skilled and anointed musicians will lead people in exuberant praise, as they discover new songs, new sounds and new creative ways to worship Almighty God. We see this in 2 Chronicles 30 with those leading the worship praising God ‘with resounding instruments dedicated to God’ (v21).

Young People

This praise will involve many young people – excited about the life-call to follow Jesus Christ and pleased to give themselves to God’s service. The young were certainly included in the revived worship in Hezekiah’s day (v.9). In a revived North young people will trail the way and not be ashamed of singing about their good God and his good news.

Noisier Local Churches

A revived North will create noisier churches. That doesn’t mean there’ll be no space for quiet and reflection; there will be certainly be times like that. But it does mean there’ll be times when worship will be very noisy, as people find themselves ‘lost in wonder, love and praise’ – as in the days of Wesley and Whitefield. In 2 Chronicles 30 we’re told ‘for seven days they celebrated joyfully‘ (v.23). In a revived North the roofs of churches will be raised, as God’s people are caught up in strong praise to the King of kings.

Families Worship

In a revived North you’ll hear the sound of prayer and praise not just in large church gatherings, but within family homes. Maybe that’s what happened in 2 Chronicles 31:1 when the people ‘returned home’. In the winter in a revived North you will walk down quiet streets in the early mornings or during the evenings and hear the muffled sound of families praying and singing to God from behind closed doors. And in the summer, when the windows are flung open you’ll hear more clearly the sound of families rejoicing together in prayer and praise to their Saviour and Lord.

So even from this brief sketch, can you imagine something of the revived worship of a region? Can you sense it? Can you see it in your mind’s eye? If so, come with me into the future. Pray the future in. That’s what we want to see.

I invite you to pray with me: ‘Please Lord, we cry out to you to bring your kingdom transfomation to the North of England. Do it in our day. In our time. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.’

Today David Cameron addresses hospital staff on how to change the culture of binge drinking that’s become established in the UK. That’s a tough subject with no short-term easy-fix solutions. But there are some answers that can bring real change, if we’re prepared to tackle the heart of the issue. Our Prime Minister knows this is a huge problem in society, with massive economic and social costs.

The cost to the economy is staggering, costing the taxpayer through the NHS £2.7billion a year, including £1billion on accident and emergency services. This is part of a wider cost to society, which has been put at between £17billion and £22billion a year when road accidents, health problems, crime and lost productivity are taken into account.

Aric Sigman’s book Alcohol Nation presents further alarming evidence, showing that in 2010 one person every seven minutes was admitted to hospital for a health problem directly attributed to alcohol, and this figure has increase by 54% in the last 10 years. That excludes people with conditions merely exacerbated by drink, such as diabetes or most types of heart disease. So almost one million people a year clog up the NHS specifically because of alcohol; add to that people injured when drunk or victims of alcohol-related violence and the numbers are far higher.

But perhaps the greater cost is to people: to families that break up and to children who are brought up from a young age thinking that excessive drinking is fun and fine. A 2010 report by ChildWise showed that half of 10-14 year olds interviewed had seen their parents drunk; 8 out of 10 had seen a change in the way they behaved; girls over 11 were asked why adults drank until they lost control and vomited and several responded saying it was part of having ‘a good night out’.

Drinking has become ingrained in our culture and for the majority excessive drinking is linked to celebration. So for most people the thought of Christmas without alcohol would be bizarre. And listen to interviews of sports stars who’ve won a cup: they almost always talk of going out and ‘having a good time’ – synonymous with getting legless – to the smiles of the pundits back in the studio, and so the nation gets the message that such behaviour is a good and acceptable part of celebrating. Unless the Prime Minister can change that kind of subtle but pervasive message, he’s not going to change our drinking habits.

Of course some would say that we should adopt a more relaxed approach to alcohol, introducing children to alcohol slowly at a young age, to encourage responsible drinking. Surveys show that 70% of UK parents think is is the best approach. However all the research show this has the opposite effect, and that children are twice as likely to drink excessively outside the home if they are allowed to drink at home. Interestingly the French – who’ve been seen as positive role-models of this approach for many years – presently die of alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver at twice the rate of people in the UK. Add to all this the fact that pubs are part of the social fabric of many communities, especially villages, and that alcohol is widely available to buy at a cheap price, and the PM has a tough job on his hands.

On the other side of the argument are those who say that we shouldn’t deprive people of their right to get tipsy. After all, so many people lead dull and mundane lives, why should the PM, or anyone else for that matter, stop them having a good time? After all, isn’t everyone allowed a little ‘high’ every now and then? But the problem with that view is that it’s justifying the wrong solution to the problem. If the diagnosis is that many people live pointless lives, surely the answer is not to encourage them to drown their sorrows but to help them find meaning and purpose.

And that’s why the heart of this nation’s alcohol problem is a spiritual one. Most religious leaders can see it, but are often afraid to say so, because it can sound so pious, so simplistic and – for those like me who choose not to drink at all – so self-righteous. But it’s true.

When people find meaning and purpose in life, their need of alcohol diminishes. That is so clearly charted in UK statistics from the 18th and 19th centuries during the so-called Evangelical Revival. As more people received forgiveness and the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ, so alcohol sales decreased and pubs closed. Fascinating.

Last week I met a woman from Scarborough who had become a Christian after  a number of years of addiction to alcohol. She told me that following her conversion she had the ability to say ‘no’ although the desire for alcohol didn’t diminish until someone prayed for her to be released from the ties that drink had to her life. After that she told me, the addiction was gone. Now she, like many others, finds that the ‘high’ that comes from being filled with the Holy Spirit is much greater than any artificial stimulant.

It is no coincidence that when the bible says (in Ephesians 5:18) ‘do not get drunk’ it then says ‘instead be filled with the Holy Spirit’. God has a better plan for human beings than having to simply struggle through from one Friday or Saturday night to the next, hoping to find some happiness in excessive drinking. Instead he wants us to invite the Spirit of Jesus Christ to be a work in us, transforming us, empowering us and shaping us into people who love him and love others.

Changing our binge drinking nation can only partly be achieved by politicians. Lasting social change involves spiritual transformation. And real spiritual transformation comes from being filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

There were two stories in the media last week that annoyed me. Not because they’re not worth reporting, but because of how they’ve been reported.

One was the TV coverage of the protest outside York Minster earlier in the week, in response to the comments of the Archbishop of York about civil partnership and marriage. I watched the tv news coverage later that day and, from the filming and the way it was reported it looked like hundreds of people had gathered and that the demonstration was massive and had been the biggest event in York on the day. Given that my office is across the road I’d gone out earlier in the day to see what was going on. The truth is that the protest was small and fairly feeble. There were perhaps 50 students with small home-made cardboard placards swamped by the vastness of the Gothic Minster, with more press and reporters than them. The fact that the protest had not caught the imagination of many people was not the story reported – rather that some kind of  major protest had taken place.

Then later in the week we heard that the Football Association had told John Terry that he would have to step down from his role as England Captain, pending his trial in July for allegedly racially abusing Anton Ferdinand. The charges are serious and I am not challenging the FA’s decision, but the FA carefully worded their statement so that they in no way prejudice a fair trial, proceeding on the basis of ‘innocent until proven guilty’. All day, however, the radio reported that ‘John Terry has been stripped of his England captaincy’. ‘Stripped’ is a very strong and emotive word. ‘Stripped’ speaks of a dressing down – of being hauled in front of authorities and being told off and having privileges taken away due to some misdemeanour. That is not what has happened to John Terry. He has had his captaincy removed pending the hearing. Simple as that.

So all this frustrates me. It frustrates me because the way we use words and pictures is so powerful and influential. They need to be used carefully by anyone with influence. The media know this, and yet words have been used of the John Terry situation that are very unhelpful, and pictures used of the York protest to show something that was more influential that it really was. Can we not do better?

The best advice I’ve ever come across on communication is this: ‘speak the truth in love’. That succinct piece of advice, found in the bible in Ephesians 4:15 can be applied to any form of media. Communicate truthfully, in love.

So truth is really important. Accurate coverage. Getting it right. Asking the reporters questions of who, what, when, why, how, etc.. It’s all crucial.

And doing so in love - which means you have people in mind. Not just the people to whom you’re communicating, but also any people you’re reporting about. Given that so much news these days is along the lines of human interest, it’s crucial that the person you’re writing about is borne in mind. Am I being fair to them? In particular is there any exaggeration or misrepresentation?

As a Vicar, bible teacher, writer and blogger, I am aware of the great power and influence of language. I know I sometimes get it wrong and at times things don’t always come out quite right. I’m also aware that sometimes in today’s pressurised world there is demand for instant reporting and comment, which can lead to hasty communication. Which is all the more reason why we all have to work on our communication.

‘Truth in love’ is not a maxim that deals with every media issue, but it’s a good start. It’s a helpful foundational philosophy of communication for everyone - because we all communicate – all the time. At home. At work. On facebook and twitter. We’re made to communicate. That’s what human beings do. So can we work hard at doing it better?

Winston Churchill famously said: ‘We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give’. That’s why where, how and what we give is really important.

This week many people at The Belfrey are renewing their financial giving to church. And on Sunday we’ll be dedicating our pledges to God, and asking him to help us to be faithful in giving, and for him to give us all we need.

Many churches do this kind of thing around this time of year. This is not a one-off Gift Day. It’s more about planning. Planning to give regularly. Generously. And gladly.

Last Sunday was Vision Sunday and I spoke at four of our congregations about plans for the year ahead – and it’s great to have had really positive feedback during the week. I also spoke about how our giving is one of the key ways we get behind vision and plans. In preparing, some things came to me really clearly about ‘planning to give’. For instance:

· The bible tells us to give first before we spend. (1 Cor 16:2)

For many of us that’s a whole new way to handle our money. It means that giving becomes top of our list when we do any financial planning. If you hope to give the left-overs after you’ve paid your mortgage, rent, bills, etc, you’ll never manage it. Much better to plan to give and then continue to pray that the leftovers is more than enough to live on. That’s why a ‘tithe’, according to the bible is giving the first 10%. Giving first is something I learned to do when I was a student and it’s what we’ve done as a family for the last 20-something years and we’ve always had more than enough. Always.

· God will always give you enough to be a generous giver. (2 Cor 9:11)

When things are tight, as they are for many people at present, we can think we have nothing to give. But God can’t multiply nothing. He needs something to work with – and you always have something. There are a number of stories in the bible of people who are asked to give and their first reaction is they can’t, as they think they don’t have anything. That’s what the disciples thought before the feeding of the 5,000 in Mt 14:13.  The widow who gathered jars of oil in 2 Kings 4 also thought that. But actually they had something. We all do. We never have nothing. So the disciples found a boy who had 5 loaves and 2 fish, and that became more than enough. The widow found she had a small jar of oil from which God filled many jars. We never have nothing. God wants to take what seems to us like a small offering and multiply it into something great.

John Wimber discovered that when he first became a believer. Here’s what he said:

‘I remember when I had been a Christian for about a year and clearly desiring to do something for the needy and praying for direction about it.  At the time I could have been thought of as poor.  Carol and I had four small babies, all under age six, and I had been out of work for several months.  I did have a job at the time, but I was only bringing home $87 a week, and I was already tithing on that.

 As I prayed God showed me a picture of a hand, which was closed at first, but then it opened up.  He then seemed to say, “The world tells you to have a tight-fisted hand, particularly if you are in need yourself.  It says you’ve got to cling to everything you’ve got.  It advocates a logical and sensible economy; but that economy is not mine.  I want you to see that everything is in my control and to live your life with an open hand.  If you do that, I will give you ample resources both for yourself and for others”.’

· God gives to you, so you can give again, and again, and again. (2 Cor 9:11)

This is not the so-called ‘prosperity gospel’. The prosperity gospel says: give and God will give back to you so you can become wealthy. The bible doesn’t teach that. The bible teaches that if we are prayerfully generous, God will look after us so we can give again. It’s like God is looking for somewhere where he can invest his resources, and if he sees you investing wisely in people with the time, things and money that he gives, he will want to put more resources into you. Surely that’s the simple message of the parable of the talents:

Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

 After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.

 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

 So – may I strongly encourage you to plan to give. Do that prayerfully and with a generous heart, and you will be wonderfully surprised at the results.

In recent years there’s been lots of research done on what makes people happy. Some of it has been written up in popular books like The Book of Happiness by Heather Summers and Anne Watson. Summers & Watson point to research that says the happiest people are normally those who know and are secure in their purpose, which for many comes from their spirituality. So secular research recognises that it’s usually people with a clear faith who are the happiest people on the planet. Fascinating!

Last year, the National Organisation for Research at the University of Chicago produced a list of the 10 Happiest Jobs – presumably in the United States. Going from Number 10, they are:

10        Operating engineers

9          Financial Services Sale Agents

8          Psychologists

7          Artists

6          Teachers

5          Special Education Teachers

4          Authors

3          Physiotherapists

2          Firefighters

1          Church Leaders

Now, I’m not suggesting everyone should get ordained to be happy! … but all this is a challenge to the strong secular voices making out that faith does us no good.

I know of a man who thought he’d understood the secret to happiness. In any situation he could be positive. He found he could always look on the bright side of life. Even if life was tough and difficult. Even if people were against him at times. Even if money was tight. This man reckoned he had found real, true, deep, lasting happiness. His name? It was Paul.

We read about his secret in Philippians 4:10-13 .                                                                             I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Paul says two simple but important things in this passage about happiness that we’d all do well to embrace.

1.  Happiness is NOT dependent on circumstances

Paul is very clear that happiness doesn’t depend on the money in his pocket. Whilst money is useful, Paul acknowledges that it doesn’t make him happy. And neither should our happiness be based on money. Paul says  he knows ‘what it is to be in need, & what it is to have plenty.’ Either way, he’s contented.

His happiness also doesn’t depend on the food in his stomach. I love that feeling after a nice Sunday lunch. I’ve just had roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with roast potatoes, vegetables and gravy. I love it! Food is good. It feeds the body, but it doesn’t make Paul happy. And neither should our happiness be based on what we eat. Paul says that he can be ‘well fed or hungry’. Either way, he’s contented.

So Paul is saying that true happiness – that feeling of deep down contentedness – is not dependent on his life circumstances, because they can easily change.

These days we could add other things to St Paul’s list of things that people think will make them happy. So we might add beauty. Many people want to be good looking, thinking that will make them happy. When I was a teenager one of the women regarded to be really beautiful was Kim Basinger. Here’s what she says about her life back then: ‘I had long blonde hair and blue eyes. I was great and could do anything – and I was in absolute misery’.

Or we could add fame. Many think that being famous makes you happy, until you hear someone like Ralph Fiennes, the famous actor saying – so starkly – ‘Being famous has not made me happy’.

Most people know this. They know that happiness is not found in having  good money, good food, great looks or great fame. But what they don’t know is where to go to find true happiness. Paul tells us. It’s not based on circumstances. Or external things. It’s found elsewhere. Which is the other thing this passage tells us about happiness:

2.  Happiness is dependent on Jesus Christ.

That’s what he means when he says ‘I can do all this through him who gives me strength’, because the ‘him’ is Jesus Christ. Paul’s contentedness is based on his relationship with Christ,who is full of grace and gives him all he needs for all the circumstances of life. So that means that whatever he faces, it’s going to be ok. And that means that whatever you face, it’s going to be ok.

So you might be struggling with tight finances, or even being unable to properly feed your family. Or maybe something else, like stress. Or a relationship difficulty. Or health issues. Or an issue at work, with a neighbour or in church. Whatever it is, you can know contentedness even in the midst of uncertainty, because of Jesus Christ – the one who strengthens you.

In these days of recession, know that Christ will strengthen you. In these dark wintry weeks of murky mornings & often dull days, know that your happiness is based on something much more substantial and reassuring than the weather. Your happiness is based on knowing the love, forgiveness, care and strength of Jesus Christ.

That means there should be many signs of contentedness among God’s people. There should be much evidence of happiness in our midst and much smiling going on! Not false smiles, but smiles that God has put in our hearts that show in our faces – because of Jesus Christ, who strengthens us.

The world is crying out for happiness and contentedness. We have been graciously given that, in Jesus Christ. So let’s show that contentedness. And give it away. In massive doses. Let’s do it today.