Prayer has comforted us in sorrow

"Prayer has comforted us in sorrow
and will help strengthen us for the journey ahead."
- GWB

"The LORD has heard my cry for mercy;
the LORD accepts my prayer."
Psalm 6:9

Hear my cry for mercy, oh God.
Understand me and hear me.
Let my prayers come  to you
and let them make my wishes clear.
Hear and accept my prayers
and allow them to strengthen me.
God, I am grateful that the prayer could comfort me in my grief
and that it can give me hope,
because I know that you want to listen to me
and that you want to accept my prayers.

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Gebed heeft ons getroost in ons verdriet

Hasekura in prayer, following his conversion to Christianity in Madrid in 1615. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

2013 update:

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Be not afraid of those trials which God may see fit to send upon thee

Dutch version / Nederlandse versie > Wees niet bang van die proeven die God op u wenst af te sturen

"Be not afraid of those trials which God may see fit to send upon thee. It is with the wind and storm of tribulation that God separates the true wheat from the chaff. Always remember, therefore, that God comes to thee in thy sorrows, as really as in thy joys. He lays low, and He builds up. Thou wilt find thyself far from perfection, if thou dost not find God in everything."
- M. De Molinos (c. 1628­-1697)

"Behold we count them happy which endure."
James 5:2

"If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons."
Hebrew 12:7

Christ had much to endure, let me follow his example.
Lord God give me strength to go through the many difficulties.
Let me defy them in a full faith.
Assist me in all my difficulties
and save me from evil, amen.

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Compassion and Discipline

"But suppose the sinner persists in his way or seeks to defend it so as to be injurious to the harmony of the whole assembly. What then? The counsel and commandment of the apostles are quite clear. The line is to be drawn in order to preserve the spirit and practice of the Lord Jesus in the congregation. In this connection it is worthwhile remembering an Old Testament word which runs:

"These ... things doth the Lord hate ... a proud look ... and he that soweth discord among brethren." (Proverbs 6:16-19)

Under the rule of Christ, as in Old Testament times, the time comes when the recalcitrant person must cease to be regarded as a member of the congregation. Fellowship cannot be sustained because, in effect, it has already been severed by the persistence in error of the person concerned. This is the final resort and a source of great sorrow. The Scripture which enjoins this action reads as follows:

"Now we command you, brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us ... and if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." (2 Thessalonians 3:6-15)

"Now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat." (1 Corinthians 5:11)

"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself." (1 Timothy 6:3-5)"

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Brother Harry Tennant
Fellowship
The Christadelphians - What they Believe and Preach

Change

CHANGE

Do you remember when you were a child, school holidays seemed to go on forever, chewing gum never lost its flavour and when on a long journey the destination never seemed to come! Parents always got exasperated with comments like ‘I’m bored! How much further? Are we there yet? Parents also got fed up with putting their hands on age old chewing gum stuck to chairs and bed heads! Childhood just went on and on, but imperceptibly we grew and matured until the day came when the first tentative steps were taken to live alone. It may have been when going to college or university or just wanting independence, but sooner or later we left home and the first major change occurred in our lives. Sadly, there are children who through tragedy experience life changes and insecurity at earlier ages, but by and large our awareness of change comes as we reach young adulthood. But even as the moves towards independence come and changes occur, somehow they are made with the knowledge [even if not admitted] that not so far away the stability of home is still there.

Our seventy years of life is very brief and as we grow older, changes come with increasing rapidity. The passage of time is marked by changes in life both good and bad; marriage, birth of our own children, kindnesses and loving care from others bring joy. Yet that joy is tainted by sorrow as we lose through death the company of those whom we love, the unexpected always happens and we sometimes hit a physical or spiritual brick wall, in the sense that illness, disease, disability or the unkind and ill thought actions of others take their toll. We come know our own weakening and ageing. Old age comes to all and we realise all too quickly our own mortality.

In a well know hymn we sing that ”change is our portion now.” How true this statement is. Some changes come so quickly others imperceptibly. Just like the second and minute hands on a clock, the rising and setting of the sun and the changing of the seasons are marks on the clock of life signalling the passage of time and change. But at the same time, we can stare at the hour hand of a clock and not see it move, yet it does in time, but that movement is slow and imperceptible to our eye. So also, many life changes occur imperceptibly. The changes we need to watch are the spiritual changes and such changes can be both good and bad. Life has many paths and crossroads always come. The path we choose is not always of necessity right or wrong, but the choices will lead to different outcomes and those outcomes will have an effect for good or ill upon our spiritual well being.

We are constantly changing even if we cannot see it. We react to stressors in life and the changes that occur can gradually debilitate or strengthen faith. Those changes are happening and constantly will happen. What we need to do is to make sure that we are changing in the right direction.

So how do we measure spiritual change? Well, just ask yourself do I know more about the scriptures now than say last year? Do I read the Bible more or read less frequently than a year ago? What have I learned over the past few months? Do I attend the meetings and meet with my brethren and sisters as often as last year? How often do I pray?
These things are a sort of spiritual barometer of change. If the mercury falls then we read less often, learn less, become less motivated and apathy sets in. If we read more and take in what we read, then we will learn. The more knowledge increases the more our zeal and enthusiasm will grow and the barometer goes up. Change occurs in the right direction and faith is stronger.

Similarly, we need to review the circumstances that trigger prayer. Ask yourself, does prayer come only when I am in need, or do I actively seek contact with Yahweh through prayer in times of joy, to express thanksgiving, but also to commune and meditate upon the wonderful, glorious characteristics and purpose of Yahweh?
Life is in a constant flux of change and much of that change is beyond our control, but we do have control over how we respond to change. We also have a measure of control over what changes we initiate ourselves. Response to change will be governed by faith and by our mental characteristics. That hymn rightly states ‘change is our portion now’ but equally as correctly says: ‘Faithful is Yahweh’s word, I will be with thee saith the Lord’.  The words of scripture are truth indeed and are unchanging. If God be for us who can be against us!

We maybe recall King Asa was told, "Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.” Equally, Paul’s words of exhortation and encouragement come ringing through the years:

“The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light.” Rom 13:11-12

So let us resolve today, NOW, to seek God while He may be found, to make changes that are likely to enhance and strengthen faith, to respond to changes in a way that will please Yahweh and to follow the principles of scripture day by day.
Andy P.

Give your tears to God

"We can give our tears to God because He is our COMFORTER
Our disappointments because He is our CONFIDENCE
Our pains because He is our HEALER
Our stress because He is our PEACE
Our heaviness because He is our JOY"
- Roy Lessin

"Sorrow may bring us to the earth, and death may bring us to the grave,
but lower we cannot sink, and out of the lowest of all we shall arise to the highest of all."
- C.H. Spurgeon

"Often the clouds of sorrow
reveal the sunshine of His face."
- Hilys Jasper

"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.
He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him."
Psalm 126:5-6

"The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way.
When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the LORD is the One who holds his hand."
Psalms 37:23-24

"Therefore, having been justified by FAITH,
We have PEACE with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…
And REJOICE in the HOPE of the GLORY of GOD."
Romans 5:1-2

Comfort me, heal me, give me strength and confidence.
Give that I grow everyday and come closer to you,
finding peace and joy,
in Jesus name, Amen..

Dutch version / Nederlands > Geef je tranen aan God
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2013 update:

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• The Secret Place of the Most High : The Veil and the Holy of Holies (Holy Place) - Prayer
• "Where do you put your trust?" by Pastor Johanna Mukhavhuli, Wednesday Service, the 23rd of January 2013.