It’s all about person. Grammatically incorrect, people would be better, but Street Pastors are not about people. The Pastors are interested in the person. Everyone individually is important, personal safety comes high on the Pastor’s agenda as does a listening ear. On a Saturday night Street Pastors probably spend 50% of their time being a friendly, approachable, non-judgemental face for individuals who need to talk.

Personal safety and, ‘party smartness,’ is encouraged. Spikies, a simple device that stops bottled drinks being spiked have been distributed free to all town centre pubs. Party people are encouraged to ask for their free Spikey when ordering bottles of drink in Chard town centre.

Pastors also clean up broken glass, remove bottles and glasses, (potential weapons), to make the streets of Chard safer. Many in Chard will remember the Pastors who have offered them flip flops when they could no longer walk in their three inch heels! Water and lollipops are also distributed to those who are dehydrated or suffering from low blood sugar.

The Pastors have all received extensive training and are all currently trained first aiders. They carry foil blankets and basic first aid equipment, which has come in handy for patching up minor injuries.

All in all over the last year, Street Pastors have spoken to and spent time with more than 660 individuals in Chard, cleaned up hundreds of incidents of broken glass, called 999 twice for ambulance support and handed out 132 pairs of flip flops protecting tired feet on the way home.

The motivator for these men and women who give up their free time on a Saturday night is God’s love for the person. Their hope is that this is conveyed through their patrols. There is much that goes on behind the scenes to ensure that patrols are out each week. Also and most importantly behind the scenes are the Prayer Pastors diligently praying for each person that the Street Pastors come into contact with. The message from Street and Prayer Pastors alike, it’s all about person……

If you would like to get involved, or for more information, contact us on;

chard@streetpastors.org.uk

www.chard.streetpastors.org.uk

Chard Street Pastors, on Facebook @chardstpastors on Twitter

Or 07846710176 to speak to our coordinator- Nat Thomson.

Initially written as a family history for her children, Margaret felt that others could be blessed by the book and it could be used to reach out to those who don’t know God’s love. It is an easy read, full of simple and enjoyable stories and would make a good gift for a friend or relative who may have questions about their life or the situation in which they find themselves.

Are the stories merely a long string of co-incidences, or are they proof of the work of a loving God? Decide for yourself by reading “What a Co-incidence: A frank account of an unusual life” by Margaret Hall.  The book is priced at £7.50, and it is available from many online book retailers including Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Coincidence-Margaret-Hall/dp/1848768001  There is a website to accompany the book at www.whatacoincidence.co.uk

Some time ago, whilst doing some work in our garden, Jenny and I noticed a bird sitting on top of our garden fence. It was perfectly still and for a split second I wondered if it was a real bird or a life like imitation, until … it moved!

Movement is something that helps us to identify whether life is present or not. When I was a child, hanging around the local park with my friends, if we saw an animal or a bug that looked like it was dead, somebody would say … “Give it a poke and see if it moves”, if it moved we knew it was alive.

If something isn’t moving we fear the worst, we fear it’s dead. Even when we sit perfectly still, our bodies are constantly moving, our hearts are pumping, blood is freely flowing around our bodies. If your heart was to stop moving right now, your life would come to a sudden end.  Without movement you can’t stay alive because movement keeps you alive.

Movement is a sign of life and life is created in movement, it was when God moved His mouth and spoke that the world was created, and although not everything that moves produces or maintains life, we can be sure that life is never produced without movement.

If you want to bring some life and vitality into your world, you have to introduce some movement … try something, take a risk, give yourself a poke and see if you move. Try something new, change something and allow yourself the risk of movement. You never know you might just produce something wonderful!

Righteousness, peace & joy.

Neil

According to the prophet Hosea this is nothing new. The book of Hosea was written in approximately  715BC and records events from about 753-715BC. Hosea began his ministry during the end of the prosperous but morally degenerate reign of Jeroboam II. Archaeological evidence confirms the biblical account of his reign as the most prosperous that Israel had ever known. This prosperity was built on trade in olive oil, wine, and possibly horses, with Egypt and especially Assyria providing the markets. The upper classes were doing well, but they were selfish, materialistic and were oppressing the poor.  Sounds pretty much like our own society today, doesn’t it?

These verses from Chapter 4 of Hosea could almost have been written by the Essex Centre for the Study of Integrity:

“There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgement of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery.” (Hosea 4 vs 1-2 NIV).

Hosea’s ministry was a living example of the love God bears for His people – even when they are unfaithful to Him. Hosea was instructed by God to marry Gomer, a prostitute, and was told that she would be unfaithful to him, would leave him and that some of the children born from the marriage would not be his own.  Despite her unfaithfulness God instructs Hosea to remain faithful to Gomer to forgive and redeem her and bring her back home to be reconciled with him.  Hosea’s faithfulness to God and his wife developed into a prophetic and dramatic example of God’s steadfast and faithful love for his people Israel, who at the time were rejecting their first love and turning to other gods.

And are we not the same today?  Are we not sometimes unfaithful to God – even without meaning to be?  Is the church today losing its integrity? Are our standards – like those of the world around us – slipping?  Do we find ourselves justifying behaviours that we know aren’t right – explaining to friends that you haven’t been to church for a while because you’ve “been really busy with other things.” Or, we haven’t tithed this month (or for a few months really) because the sales were on and “that handbag/coat/set of golf clubs was a really good bargain.” We might not pray as much as we used to because we want to catch up on that really good drama on telly. As we tut over the headlines about society’s standards falling, should we not look at the planks in our own eyes and see if we’re not all in the same boat.

Please don’t misunderstand me.  I point the finger at myself more than anyone else. It is hard to be in the world and not of it. We are every day faced with deceit, unfaithfulness, lying, cheating, all behaviours that are contrary to the Kingdom of Light in which we now live. The more we see of that sort of thing the easier it is to be tainted by the standards of the society in which we live, especially if the morality of that society is already on the slide. It’s easy to tell ourselves that it’s OK – everyone’s doing it.

In Matthew 5 v 13 Jesus called his believers “the salt of the earth”.  Salt not only flavours food, but it also preserves things from decay.  Possibly the first thing to mention is that you don’t put salt on a living thing.  You put salt on a dead thing to stop it rotting.  So, what Jesus is saying is:

“Without my purity, society is dead.  You who have believed my message must stop the rot by being holy as I am holy.”

In the same verse Jesus also warns of a time such as now, when society’s corruption can rub off on us:

“But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” (NIV)

The salt we use today in this country is a chemical compound – sodium chloride – and if the “saltiness” were to be lost there would be nothing left.  But to Jesus original listeners the salt used was impure, or mingled with earthy substances so that it might lose all of its “saltiness” and there would be a lot of earthy stuff left. How perfect is that as a description of us! We are impure and mingled with earthy substances. If we lose all our saltiness or integrity what is left except the earthly and earthy values we started with?

This kind of salt was still common in the Middle East even comparatively recently.  It can be found in the earth in veins or layers, but when exposed to the sun and the rain loses its saltiness entirely.  It was described by clergyman Henry Maundrell in his travel guide “Journey to Jerusalem” around 1701.    He says:

“I broke a piece of it, that part that was exposed to the rain, sun and air, though it had the sparks and particles of salt, yet it had perfectly lost its savour.  The inner part, which was connected to the rock, retained its savour.”

In his description is our answer.  The inner part of the piece of salt, that which was closest to or actually connected to the rock retained its savour.  To retain your saltiness, to keep your integrity in these failing moral times, keep close and be connected to the rock.

Returning to the book of Hosea we can take comfort from its message. For in the last book of the prophet’s message we see that God promises blessing if we repent. Verse 4 shows us the compassion and mercy of our God who loves us even when we wander:

“I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.”

We see that God chooses to turn his anger away from us.  He chooses to love us freely.  We serve a generous, awesome and loving God. When we understand the true nature of God’s love and compassion for us we will not want to wander off and copy the world’s values. Staying close to our loving saviour, our rock, will keep us salty!

1. Have some God-and-you-time

This isn’t to try and sound like some odd self help book, but the Bible clearly says: “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.” Isa. 40:31. Spending some specific time with God every day will do wonders for you, your Christian walk and your general well-being. I try and have a cup of tea with Him every morning and sort the day out before it begins. It might seem like a chore sometimes, but once you get into the habit you will start to look forward to your time with God and the great feeling it leaves you with.

2. Catch some Zzzz’s!

Its true and your mother was right! You need to get to bed on time. Lack of sleep can make you irritable, moody and can also affect your health. The average adult needs between 7-8 hours sleep a night, with consistent bedtimes and waking hours! (I direct this to myself!) As lovely as those 12 hour sleep binges at the weekend seem they can actually leave you feeling more tired. Apparently the Spanish have it right and 10-30 minute afternoon siestas can help re-energise you.

3. Don’t worry!  

I know this is easier said than done but the Bible tells us: ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 4:6-7) If you’re a worrier, the bad news is that not worrying is a command. Hand your problems, worries and anxieties over God and trust him to sort them, don’t take them back once you have given them to him and try to remind yourself that you are not the General Manager of the universe!

4. Walk in the light

Did you know getting into the sunlight is important? Not only does sunlight contain vitamin D but exposure to it also releases neurotransmitters. This is why many people become more depressed during winter – the days are shorter and the cold weather means we venture outside less. The answer is obviously to get out more, wrap up warm and go for a brisk walk, keep your curtains open and try to sit near a window if you are indoors. There are also light bulbs called “full spectrum” bulbs, which mimic natural light and affect your mind just like the real thing.

5. Count your blessings!

“Bless the Lord, Oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” (Psalm 103:2) It’s strange but when you start to count all the blessings God has given you in your life and thank him, it really starts to make all the negative things seem to fade in to inconsequence. One of my favourite films is Pollyanna. Pollyanna is an orphan whose missionary parents have died and she is sent to live with her rather stern Aunt. When bad things happen, Pollyanna plays the Glad Game, where she tries to think of something to be glad about in whatever circumstance she is in. For example when she is given a crutch instead of a doll, she is glad that she doesn’t have to use the crutch – you get the idea!

6. Get some exercise

Just like sunlight, exercise also releases endorphins into the blood stream making you feel more positive as well as relieving your body’s natural reaction to stress (nausea, racing heart etc). If you really don’t want to grab your trainers and get all sweaty, try singing.  It’s a little known fact but singing also releases those important happy endorphins as well exercising the abdominal and intercostal muscles, and stimulating the circulation.

7. Speak in tongues

Prayer has already been mentioned, but speaking in tongues is so important I think it deserves its own category! The bible specifically says “One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself “(1 Corinthians 14:4). I read recently that brain specialists at the City of Faith Hospital in Oklahoma discovered that when you speak in tongues, your brain releases two chemicals directly into your immune system, boosting it by an amazing 35 – 40 percent. What is even more incredible is that these secretions are triggered by a part of our brains that has no other apparent purpose and is only activated when we pray in tongues! So for a happy healthy body, soul and spirit try speaking in tongues for 15 minutes every day.

8. Avoid binge drinking

Whilst a glass of red wine may be considered good for you – 6 or 7 really won’t do you any good at all! Not only will it lessen your inhibitions, making you act in a way you may regret later, but alcohol is also actually a depressant – so rather than improving your mood, it’s really only going to leave you feeling low, sick and tired. We think a better spirit, (with fantastic side effects) to get drunk on is the Holy one. Just ask Pastor Neil!

9. You are what you eat

It’s common sense: if you eat rubbish, you will feel rubbish. It is hard especially when it’s cold outside and your body demands comfort food, but processed foods, (like white bread, rice and sugar) are not only low in nutrients but also zap energy and affect your mood (causing depression and lack of concentration). Eating more complex carbohydrates (such as brown rice, bread and five portion of fruit and veg a day) will stabilise your blood sugar and energy as well as providing much needed nutrients.

10. Laugh, laugh and laugh some more

Some Christians have a tendency to take life and faith far too gravely and of course there are things in our journey that we must regard earnestly and seriously, but laughter and joy are heavenly gifts and part of the kingdom of God. “Merry heart doeth good like a medicine” (Proverbs 17:22). So don’t feel guilty – watch a silly film, play some games with family and friends, laugh, relax and let yourself go a bit!

11. Develop a forgiving attitude

I heard a preacher once say, that not forgiving someone was like taking poison yourself and hoping it would kill your enemy. Un-forgiveness will only fester inside you if not dealt with swiftly, and will leave you full of bitterness and resentment. Forgiving can be hard, it’s a choice – one you may have to actively choose to take daily for a while in some cases. Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is ourselves, but if God can forgive and forget everything you have ever done instantly, you really must free and forgive yourself too – and not hold on to it.

12. Get Involved

It’s great to have interests and hobbies, outside of work and family. It makes you feel relaxed, rewarded and useful. This is of course an unashamed and unapologetic plug, but there are loads of jobs to be done around church at the moment. It really is great fun to be on a team and an excellent way to get to know people and make friends, as well as making a real difference.

13. Live within your budget

Money (or rather lack of it) is one of the most stressful and worrying things we face in life, especially in this time of financial uncertainty. The Bible has lots of great guidelines on money and spiritual laws on tithing, plus there are some fantastic biblical based courses on managing money such as the Crown Course, which we ran at church a while ago. If you are facing debt there are some great Christian organisations that can help you. If you are just a bit bad with money think: do I need it? Will I use it? Can I afford it? Another tip someone shared with me was to freeze your credit card in a block of ice, when you want to purchase something you will need to defrost the card first, giving you time to think before you buy!

14. Forget the past

“…but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13, 14). As 2012 starts, you may not be where you thought you would be in your life, but if you are walking with God, remember His  thoughts are not your thoughts and His ways are not your ways, He sees the big picture so take comfort from Romans 8:28, He works all things for your good. Look forward to the year, with all the great and exciting things God has in store for you.

15. Watch what you say

A lot of sadness can come from things people say to you (if this happens – check out point 11 above!) or the things you say about yourself or to others. Words are one of the most powerful weapons we have, and used well bring joy and peace, used badly cause carnage and damage. The Bible says: “Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body”. (Proverbs 16:24)  and that “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech” (1 Peter 3:10). My advice: don’t speak negatively over yourself or anyone else and if you can’t think of anything nice to say – don’t say anything at all!

We are delighted that Jonathan Conrathe is coming back to South Chard  for a special one-off evening meeting on Sunday 5th February at 6.30pm.  Anyone who was with us at the end of November when Jonathan visited us, will know what a good time we had and how strongly we all felt the presence of God.  The house was full of joy and we all had trouble leaving the meeting to go home!  Jonathan has a special annointing and a powerful ministry.  He has not only seen people raised from the dead, visions of Christ Himself and many miraculous healings, but he also radiates the warmth and love. peace and joy of God.

If you have not felt the presence and power of God in your life for a while – or perhaps never at all – now is the time to get back into the fire and come to this meeting.  We can assure you of a great time of fun, fellowship and challenging learning.  Jonathan has an incredible healing ministry and his testimonies of miraculous healings and  evangelistic success will be inspirational and make you feel uplifted and victorious!

Admission is free, although an offering will be taken to support Jonathan’s work, and the meeting is open to everyone, so please feel free to come along and invite your friends.

The following weekend on 11th February we have regular Thrive Conference. The very word Thrive suggests the growth, energy and vitality that springtime brings and this is exactly what you’ll find at the conference.  Our own Pastor Neil Reid will be speaking, joined by South Chard regular visitor Hugh Osgood.  Often called the Pastor’s Pastor, Hugh has great wisdom and a gift of the prophetic which is exciting in its accuracy.  Hugh speaks from a deep well of knowledge that is refreshing and encouraging.  There will be refreshments all day and lunch – all included in the ticket price. Tickets for the Conference cost £15 and are available from the South Chard website http://southchard.org/thriveconf or by calling the church office on 01460 221215.

Hugh will also be joining us at South Chard on the morning of Sunday 12th February at 11am, so please join us for a service that will leave you spiritually refreshed and fulfilled!

If you have not felt the presence and power of God in your life for a while – or perhaps never at all – now is the time to get back into the fire and come to this meeting.  We can assure you of a great time of fun, fellowship and challenging learning.  Jonathan has an incredible healing ministry and his testimonies of miraculous healings and  evangelistic success will be inspirational and make you feel uplifted and victorious!

Admission is free, although an offering will be taken to support Jonathan’s work, and the meeting is open to everyone, so please feel free to come along and invite your friends.

We also had a great message from Alan Scotland about living life to the full and living life in the power of blessing.  God doesn’t want us merely to survive He wants us to live in the power of blessing.  We have to break out of the cycle of negativity and live an undiminished life.  We have to recognise that God is at work in the dust of our lives, when things aren’t working out as we thought God is still there at work in the dust and the darkness.

Our carol service on 18^th was supremely good with songs and sketches performed by the amazingly talented Ministry School students and a lovely solo by Faith Nadeau.  It has set the standard for all carol services in the future!  It was great to see the church full – let’s pray that this year the church is that full every Sunday!

Thrive Conference 2011
In just over a month we will be holding Thrive Conference 2011 on Saturday 11^th February from 9am.  We will be joined by the much loved Hugh Osgood who will also be joining us on Sunday 12^th February for our morning service.  No doubt he will have a special message for us again and for other pastors and leaders in the South West.  Known as a Pastor to Pastors Hugh has a special ministry to those in leadership, so be sure to encourage anyone you know who is in ministry to come and hear him speak. Our very own Pastor Neil will also be speaking at the Conference and worship will again be led by the talented Gill Bough and Mikey Powell.  Tickets are available online from the website for £15 including lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

Make a Gift to Yourself and Sing!
Make a New Year’s Resolution and have some fun singing with a friendly, welcoming Community Choir.  Don’t know if you will burn off enough calories to ease the festive excesses but you could certainly make yourself feel joyful and meet some new friends. Join Meeting Voices Community Choir. We are a group of local people from Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster and surrounding villages who come together to sing exciting harmonies and songs from all around the world. Rehearsals take place on Wednesday evenings (7.30pm to 9.15pm) upstairs in Chard Town Hall.  Term starts 11^th January and the first session is a free ‘Taster’ – so come along and see if it suits you. You’ve nothing to lose but the ‘New Year Blues’. Forget the resolutions that involve losing weight, jogging and weight training in order to feel good.  Singing will give you a zip in your step and make you feel GREAT. No need to read music and no auditions.  You don’t need a ‘good’ voice either – if you can speak you can sing! To find out more contact Secretary on 01460 78995 or look at our website www.meetingvoices.org.uk

South Chard Church Website
The South Chard Church website has been re-designed and is now more of a ‘magazine’-style format.  This means that we can load more testimonies, stories of what God is doing in people’s lives, articles and news items.  The weekly sermons are also loaded onto the site so if you miss a meeting you can still hear the message. The site is already having an impact.  More and more people from outside the church are finding it and connecting with South Chard.  There have been a number of stories of people who’ve read some of the testimonies on the site and it has made a real impact on them.  Please take some time to have a look at the website this week and if there is an article you’d like to write or a testimony you’d like to share please see Bridget Trayling.

What a Coincidence!
Margaret Hall has written a book, a series of wonderful stories and testimonies of how God has moved in her life.  The book is on sale for £7.50 in the bookshop or directly from Margaret herself.  All proceeds are going towards church funds, so please buy one to support the work of the church here and encourage Margaret.

And Finally…
If there is anything you want to put in the February 2012 bulletin, please let Bridget Trayling know by 27^th January.

In this short story, Paco had become estranged from his father leaving home and cutting off all family ties. This troubled the father greatly and he completed a thorough search of all of Pacos known haunts, speaking to as many of his friends as possible all to no avail. The father was at a loss as to know what to do next so as a last resort took the bold step to put a full spread advertisement in the local newspaper.

This advertisement simply read in bold type;

Dear Paco,
Meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. From your father.

At noon on the requested Saturday eight hundred Pacos turned up expecting to meet their estranged father.

This simple story of the eight hundred and one Pacos (or Franks to their English friends) and one father highlights the sad reality that many people are missing the benefits of a father and/or a mother in their lives. However there is a solution to this sad reality that can be found with Father God and members of the family of believers being spiritual mothers and fathers to each other.

Father God is the best example of a parent that is available to the world. It is an unhappy observation that it is often true that people’s impression of God as father to them is clouded by the memory of how their parents interacted or interact with them. But the Bible communicates to us many of His characteristics that make him the ultimate expression of fatherhood. Take a moment to read just a few.

1. His love for us endures forever – Psalm 136
2. He forgives us when we ask for it – Psalm 130, He laughs – Psalm 2
3. He has compassion on us when we fall – Psalm 86:15
4. He is gives even when it hurts – John 3:16
5. He even disciplines us when we need it – Hebrews 12

Here in South Chard we have been enjoying the teachings of Pastor Neil about the call to evangelism. The members of the leadership team and congregation are expecting there to be a wave of new believers coming into our family throughout 2012. These new believers will be like babies who have just been born, many of them will know little about God and they will need mature believers to come alongside them and parent them into a position of strength in their walk with Jesus and in their spiritual lives.

Spiritual fathering and mothering is about taking the time to nurture another so that their progression from milk to solids (1 Corinthians 3:1-3) is swift. Spiritual parenting is not age specific but heart specific. It is not to do with the age of the person but the maturity and depth of that parent’s relationship with God.

The Apostle Paul wrote In 1 Corinthians 4:14-16,

I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

Paul did not have biological children but seems to have understood how children learn and realised the need for spiritual parenting in the rapid expansion of the early church. You have probably noticed that when a child learns to talk they progress at a greater speed when they are encouraged to make their first few words in conversation with an adult. This is the same with new believers – they grow the quickest when they have formed close, healthy and strong relationships with a mature Christian.

Like members of the 21st century church, Paul knew that for individuals to grow in strength, they need less Christian celebrities that seem unreachable and more people who they are in relationship with that they can glean knowledge from. Mature members of the body of Christ need to copy Paul’s attitude towards new converts and allow others to imitate us.

One of the most frequently preached on stories in the Old Testament is the story of Hannah crying out in desperation to God for a son. Hannah was so desperate in her actions and prayers that Eli (the High Priest) thought she was drunk and rebuked her until Hannah revealed the truth to him. The story tells us that God was moved by her desperation and He led Eli to prophecy that she would have a son a year later. Hannah was so filled with hope and excitement that she promised to God that she would give him back the son. The conclusion to this Old Testament story can be found in 1 Samuel 1:21-28.

21 When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfil his vow, 22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always.” 23 “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. 24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. 25 When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, 26 and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. 27 I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.

We are unsure how Eli felt about Hannah leaving Samuel with him especially as he was an older man who had adult children. However we do know that he heard from God, loved the Lord and understood the ways of God. He might have even wanted another chance at being a good father. His sons, Hophni and Phinehas didn’t turn out that well and were described as wicked men in 1 Samuel 2:12. It is clear that he understood three principles;

1. That God entrusts a child to a parent
2. A parent does not get to choose his own children, but they are given to him by God
3. Likewise, a child does not get to choose their father

Like biological children, spiritual children are a gift from God and are given to us under direction of the Holy Spirit. We would be mistaken to claim a person as a child from God just because we can see the giftings and abilities that God has placed in them. We accept spiritual children from God as a gift from him and parent them with His help.

From my personal reading and studying, I have found some clear parallels between successful spiritual and biological parenting. The goal of parenting is to enable another to stand on their own two feet and become independent decision makers with their own opinions. It is also about providing for them the ability to have their own strong relationship with God.

Spiritual parenting is about

A. Mentoring: allowing them to learn from us so that they can be used in the Kingdom of God.
B. Helping them to move forward in their calling by listening to their desires and providing for their success.
C. Loving the child through the trials that will inevitably happen in their life
D. Speaking the truth in love to them, pointing out errors and failings from an attitude of care.
E. Praying with and for the child.

This last point is such an important aspect of spiritual fathering -prayer, which should be the central aspect of any Godly relationship. There is an email that is currently being sent around Christian communities about a man called George McCluskey whose children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren all had strong relationships with God as a result of his prayers.

When George started a family he decided to invest one hour every day in prayer because he wanted his children to follow Christ. Then he expanded his prayers to include his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Every day between 11am and noon he prayed for the next three generations.

As the years went by his two daughters committed their lives to Christ and married men who went into the ministry. These two couples produced four girls and one boy. Each of the girls married a minister and the boy became a pastor. The first two children born to this generation were both boys.

After leaving secondary school, the two cousins chose the same college and became roommates. During their second year one boy decided to go into the ministry. The other didn’t and he undoubtedly felt lots of pressure to continue the family legacy, but he chose instead to go his own way and pursue his interest in psychology. The young man earned his doctorate and eventually wrote books for parents that became bestsellers. Eventually he started a radio programme that was heard around the world each day. What was the man’s name? James Dobson.
So now you know the story of George McCluskey! He was just an ordinary man, but his prayers had an extraordinary effect on much of the western world.

Spiritual parenting is clearly not about;

A. Forcing ourselves, our own wishes, or gifting’s on the child.
B. Trying to control the desires or wishes of the child.
C. Trying to seize the role of their natural parents.

There are many books, including those written by George McCluskey’s grandson about parenthood. A different book will exhort different keys to successful parenthood. The first lesson to learn from the Bible about parenthood is that it is a blessing from God and is something to be cherished. This is the same with spiritual parenthood.

The writer of Psalm 127:3-5 wrote;

Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.

There are eight main pillars of parenthood that enable us to be successful in the role of a parent which are each as important;

1. Loving no matter whatever the situation
2. Giving positive attention to the child
3. Respect
4. Being consistent
5. Providing support
6. Teaching through actions
7. Listening to the needs of the child
8. Adapting ourselves to be able to release them

As we enter 2012 consider asking the Lord if he wants you to become a spiritual father or mother to the many people who are going to be born again this year into the family of God. Start preparing yourself like an expectant mother or father would in the nine months of pregnancy and wait for God to reveal who your child will be!

It’s easy at this time of the year to be swept up in the images conjured up by “Away in a Manger”.  There’s the baby Jesus; clean, warm and cosy in the stable.  His mother Mary, angelic and smiling. Joseph gazing wonderously into the crib with donkeys, cattle, oxen around lit by a warm glow of candlelight.  Even those who don’t consider themselves ‘religious’ like the heart-warming story of the nativity. A baby born at the end of a difficult journey; a massive star and multitudes of angels appearing in the sky, gifts from exotic visitors. It’s all very lovely, safe, warm and as cosy as chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

Then by Boxing Day it’s forgotten.  Within a couple of weeks the tree comes down, the decorations are put back into the loft for another year and half the presents are packed up ready to be returned to the shops and exchanged for things we really wanted. We all get on with life and forget about the baby in the manger.

I find it fascinating that we quite often leave Jesus as a baby.  We forget that he learned to walk, talk, grew up, had a childhood with brothers and sisters, made friends, played games, cried, laughed, climbed trees, swam in rivers, sat in the sun, maybe took cover from the rain, learned a trade and for 30 years lived a life of obscurity in a small town effectively in the middle of nowhere.

In my mind I can’t divorce the Nativity in the gospels from Chapter 53 of Isaiah which speaks of Jesus’ later years and the reason he came to earth.

“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

The first section reminds us that Jesus got out of the cradle and grew up “like a tender shoot”.  One’s youth is always described as tender.  Youth is something soft and beautiful, but we are given a glimpse of Jesus’ strength of character in that he is also described as a “root in dry ground”.  This speaks not only of the physical dryness of the land in which he lived – Israel has large areas of desert and dryness and those reading this passage would have immediately identified with the difficulties of finding roots in such dry soil – but it also speaks of a metaphoric drought, a drought of the soul or spirituality.  Jesus’ later teaching often talked of those who were “thirsty” and the fact that he was “living water”.  John 7 vs 37 – 39:

“If a person is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. If a person believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from his heart.

Roots also speak of growth, life and vitality, echoing his words in John 10 vs 10:

“I have come that you might have life.”

Possibly my favourite section is in the next few verses where we are told that Jesus was despised and rejected by men, that he was a man of suffering and familiar with pain.  This rejection started even before he was born.  I often wonder how it was that Mary and Joseph ended up in a stable.  We are told in Luke’s gospel that due to a census each man had to return to the town of his ancestors and so Joseph and Mary had that epic 70 mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem whilst she was heavily pregnant.  It’s pure circumspection on my part, but I imagine that Joseph might have still had family in Bethlehem and hoped to stay with them while the census was carried out.  But, on arrival, with his heavily pregnant wife perhaps they weren’t welcome.  Perhaps they weren’t welcome because everyone in the family had heard about Joseph’s betrothed being pregnant and wouldn’t accept or believe that she hadn’t been with another man. Today, this is also a common thought and harks right back to the first verse of Isaiah 53: “Who has believed our message?” The baby Mary was carrying was rejected and despised from the start, but it is this rejection, which makes Jesus so wonderful.  This rejection makes him “a man of suffering and familiar with pain”.  This gives Jesus a unique insight into humankind.  He knows our deepest hurts and therefore he’s totally able to empathise with our own emotions of upset and pain. Only someone who is both human and divine can both understand and heal those kinds of hurt.

And yet, today, we still hold him in low esteem just as the prophet Isaiah foretold thousands of years ago.  Today Jesus’ name is used as a casual throw-away word when someone stubs their toe or is mildly surprised by something.  Is this any way to treat someone who bore our punishment, as described in the next section of the chapter?  Jesus was pierced and crushed and punished for us!  He became the sacrifice for our sins, he chose to take the iniquity of us all, it was laid on him, so that we might be forgiven. His death was, in some way, the backdrop to his life on this earth.  There was a hint right at his birth, even in the stable, where one of the Wise Men brings myrrh as a gift. In those days, myrrh was used to embalm the dead bodies of the very wealthy –royalty- and so we see that even at his birth Jesus was a King whose death was important.

But one cannot think about Jesus’ birth, life and death on this earth without, of course, mentioning his resurrection, which I feel the final section of this chapter talks about:

“After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

To me, this speaks of Jesus’ resurrection – seeing the light of life after he has suffered.  He will justify many.  His death pays the price for our sins, so God looks on Jesus’ death as the punishment for us and we are therefore justified by his death and we get to share the spoils – we get Christmas presents every day of the year!  Simply by believing in him we get to share in his victory over death. Finally, Jesus is raised to be seated at God’s right hand – a portion among the great – because he poured out his life unto death.  Jesus came to this earth to die and justify us in God’s sight.  He was always willing to do it, he knew that was what he had come here to accomplish and that is why he cried out on the cross:

“IT is finished!”

What began in a wooden crib, finished on a wooden cross.  A most remarkable birth, life and death.  Don’t hide your face from Jesus and hold him in low esteem. Jesus lives today and wants to share the spoils with you. Jesus wants to give you the gift of eternal life – quite literally the gift that keeps on giving!  So, as you view the nativity scene again today, look past the manger, the animals and the straw. Don’t pack it all away with the baubles and tinsel.  Look and think about the baby born to live and die for you.