SEARCHLIGHT

  ACT 23: AT YOUR TABLE APRIL 1, 2022 Let's begin today with a song. Have a listen to the words, and the song's message and then read on into today's post. Imagine a long, beautifully prepared table where everyone has a seat. You find your name card and sit between two people you’ve never met before. The cutlery glistens in the light of flickering candelabras, as the slowly building chatter of conversation begins. After introductions, bread is broken and passed around. Gradually, laughter and easy conversation flows. As you eat, the woman beside you, a recent refugee, tells a story about her young daughter’s first day of school and how she cried while watching her enter the building. Over dessert, the man on your other side talks about growing up in Ghana, West Africa. He says he remembers the smell of home—cocoa and bonfire smoke—and tells you how much he misses it. You share your story, too, finding it easier than you anticipated to tell two strangers your thoughts and f

  ACT 22: POWER of STORY March 31, 2022 Some of you reading this will remember years ago in Church life a regular event called Testimony Time in a worship service. They were moments during a service in which people would stand up and share their experience of God, and the signs of God at work in their lives, the overwhelming kindness and generosity of God’s miracles. I don’t know if this is still a practice in some churches or not, but I wonder if something has been lost to the community of faith by not hearing each other’s story. Our testimonies (Stories) are often the best advertisements for Jesus. Here is the profound part of our stories, you don't have to have a perfect life. You don't have to have everything together. But being able to articulate how God changed your life is a generous act because it offers others hope. It says to them, “If he can do it for me, he'll do it for you too.” Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. (Psa

  ACT 21: DYNAMITE? MARCH 30, 2022 Some of us are great at memorising Bible verses. Some of us get them mixed up with Disney and Shakespeare quotes or even hymn texts. All of us, though, can probably remember a time when a Bible verse was a “light unto our path.” A moment when it seemed like God spoke directly into your life situation a word of hope or understanding. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11) I love the Bible! Does that surprise you? It is the inspired word of God and to be honest I don’t know how I would get through the experiences of life without its teaching and truth. People have risked life and limb for this book. I can remember reading the words of Mahatma Gandhi, who said this: “You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilisation to pieces, turn the world upside down and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of literature.”

ACT 20: LAST SMARTIE MARCH 29, 2022   It's often said that the way to tell whether someone loves you is to see whether they'll give you their last Smartie. Whether it's our last Smartie (the red one) or our favourite something else (fill in the blank), sometimes we get a bit clingy about the possessions we have. When the stuff we own starts to own us, it's time to re-evaluate the situation. Let us begin today with this. What are you holding onto too closely? Could it be your favourite articles of clothing, your second, third or fourth guitar, or a piece of jewellery, _______________? Or perhaps you have something smaller, a book(s), movie or music collection that has grown out of hand. [Jesus] said to them, ‘… life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’ (Luke 12:15) My Dad had a set of tires in our attic from an old vehicle, He kept the tires because they were still good, had some descent tread left, you know “Never know I might need them” kind of thing

ACT 19: WAGE PEACE MARCH 28, 2022 At the conclusion of 2021, there were 27 ongoing military conflicts in our world, the conflict in the Unkraine makes 28. Truth is, I was shocked to see that number, as we tend to only hear of a few of the conflicts in our daily news. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project ( ACLED ), (2021) Violence against civilians resulted in over 5,000 deaths worldwide Battle related deaths numbered over 18,000 Explosion/remote violence led to more than 4,000 deaths Riots resulted in over 600 fatalities Beyond the Ukraine, wars and conflicts exist in South Sudan, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan, Syria, India and Pakistan, to name a few. It goes without saying, I suppose, our world needs peace, "the peace of God that transcends our understanding." For our Act of Generosity today lets reflect on the Bible's viewpoint toward peace, and then let us pray for peace. Let's "Wage PEACE". Philippians 4:6-9 6 Do not be

ACT 18: DAILY GRIND   MARCH 25, 2022 Matthew 25:45 He will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”   This verse in Matthew 25 has always hit me hard. I do not want to be on the receiving end of these words. I would rather have said to me, the verse from Matthew 25:40 that reads “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Whichever verse we use, the message is the same, that we encounter Jesus in the people that we meet everyday, and how we treat them matters. Jesus drives home the message doesn’t he in these words? Matthew 25:42-43 “For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’” Let’s acknowledge the fact that our lives are often built around routi

ACT 17: WHEN YOU'RE SMILING    MARCH 24, 2022   I don’t know how many of you are willing to date yourself to say you remember the TV show FANTASY ISLAND. If you do remember it, you likely remember that as they were getting ready to welcome new guests each week, Mr Rourke, would say to his staff, “Smiles, Everyone Smiles!” A smile is a great greeting isn’t it. A Smile – it’s free, it's contagious, and it brings feelings of warmth and happiness. Share your smile with everyone you meet today. Even smiling on your own is known to release endorphins and bring a sense of joy, so “flash those gnashers and get your grin on.” I read an article recently that talked about the personal benefits of a smile. Here are a few benefits it mentioned. Relieves Stress - A simple smile will help keep you from looking drained, worn out, and overwhelmed. Helps You Remain Positive - Smiling can impact your feelings of positivity, it sends a signal to your brain and, eventually, the rest of

  ACT 16: OFFERING MARCH 23, 2022 Here is a prayer I have been using lately that I believe helps us offer ourselves to God and leads us to "Doing Lent Generously."  Let me suggest you read the prayer slowly, and let the words sink in, and listen to what the Holy Spirit says to you. Perhaps, pray it a few times.  PRAYER Loving God, here are my hands. What do you want me to create or build today? Who do you want me to serve? What activities should I keep my hands away from? May these small hands help build your kingdom. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23, 24 NIV) Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29 NIV) Loving God, here is my vo

ACT 15: WILDERNESS BREAK MARCH 22, 2022 So far, our Lent Devotions have offered, if my count is correct 28 Acts of Generosity. Here is what I want to suggest let’s take today and tomorrow and put one or two of those suggestions into play. That’s OUR challenge. _____________________________________________________________________ Since the First Sunday in Lent, when we looked at Jesus in the wilderness being tempted, I have been doing a good deal of reflection on the “Wilderness” theme in the Bible. We generally view times in life of experiencing the wilderness or desert as negative, as a time of barrenness, difficulty and a lack of growth, but that’s only half the message in scripture. In Hebrew, the word for wilderness is "midbar." It is interesting that the root of midbar has the meaning of “speak” or “word.” God speaks to us in the wilderness. We saw this in Jesus story in Matthew 4:1-10. My reflection has resulted in my thoughts wondering if the wilderness times

 ACT 14: MORE MARCH 21, 2022 I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need. I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfil His purpose – I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.] (Philippians 4:12–13 Amplified Translation) ______________________    It is easy to do the bare minimum, isn't it? Or even to simply “just” get the job done. I have worked with people that live their lives this way: Just doing the bare minimum. Even when doing a little extra would help a co-worker or family member. I have been that person too. Our time is precious, after all, and our energy is li

  ACT 13: SECOND FIDDLE? MARCH 18, 2022 Romans 12:10     The Message Love from the centre of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. _________________________ I remember reading of Leonard Bernstein, legendary conductor of the New York Philharmonic, giving an interview following a televised performance, he was asked: "Mr. Bernstein, what is the most difficult instrument to play?" With humour and without even a thought he replied: "Second fiddle. I can get plenty of first violinists, but to find one who plays second violin with as much enthusiasm . . . now that's a problem. And yet if no one plays second, we have no harmony." For some of us, I’m included in that us, surrendering control (looking out for # 1), and sacrificing our own agendas or plans is difficult. It means, first, that we don't get our own way and secondly, we must trust someone

ACT 12: Chocolate. Everywhere. Romans 15:2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. Romans 13:10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 1 Thessalonians 3:12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. _____________________________ I thought that title might get your attention. 😄 We are in the season of LENT, where many say they are giving up chocolate. We have been suggesting that maybe a proper response to Lent is generosity. What I am about to share suggests what we might do with the Chocolate we are surrendering. I came across this story, and I just had to share it with you all. What if everyone reading this decided to do something like this in their community. The Story. Dan Usher writes “Back in 2013 I had a little idea

  ACT 11: ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE MARCH 16, 2022 Romans 5:8 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 1 Corinthians 13:13 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 John 4:9-10 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 3:1 1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. John 3:16 God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son. _________________________ Love means different things to different people. It might look like hanging up the bathroom towels after you use them, instead of leaving them on the floor. It might look like a speci

  ACT 10: GOLDEN APPLES MARCH 15, 2022 We have talked about this before, but reminders are always worthwhile. Our words have immense capacity for good. When we use them encouragingly, generously, and genuinely, there are few things that have more power. A timely word can change the course of someone's day, or even someone's life. Use words wisely. Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Proverbs 16:24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. Proverbs 15:4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life …. Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. _______________________ "A word fitly spoken," says Proverbs 25:11, ’is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.’ Other

ACT 9: GENEROUS PRAYER MARCH 14, 2022 Acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you 1 Timothy 2:1-3 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. We begin this week’s devotions with a story about Helen. Helen was a member of a previous church that I Pastored, and each week at our Wednesday night Prayer meeting, when we were putting our prayer request list together for our prayer time, she would often request prayer for some unknown person. What I mean is, not even Helen knew the person.

  ACT 8: DIRTY CASH? MARCH 11, 2022 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.  Some people, eager for money,  have wandered from the faith  and pierced themselves with many griefs. (I Timothy 6:10 NIV) Interestingly, the Bible in general and Jesus in particular have a lot to say about money The Bible is full of wisdom about saving, investment, insurance, debt, budgeting and, of course, generosity. The overwhelming message of scripture is God’s grace to an undeserving creation. And the consistent application of that grace for us is to challenge Jesus followers to analyze how we use our resources generously. Our verse today needs to be read carefully, please notice it is not the cash that is the root of evil; it is rather our love of cash that is called the “root of evil.” What we encounter in the scriptures is that we are the recipients of the amazing and overwhelming grace and generosity of God, and our response to this grace and generosity is gratitude. Out of this than

  ACT 7: ALL EARS        MARCH 10, 2022     ‘Whoever has ears to hear,  let them hear.’ (Luke 8:8) It's tempting sometimes to make our conversations a means for making ourselves heard rather than genuine consideration for what another person is saying. Can I suggest, this is for me too, that we remove interruptions/distractions and that natural inclination to thinking up what you are going to say next, and actually listen to people. The first step might be simply to be disciplined in removing distractions. Try to switch off devices or screens if you're around others today. Call someone for a chat today. Except, try to do less talking than them; make a point of asking questions about their life and be genuinely interested in their answers. If you have a little more time, make a point of having a Coffee/Tea break with someone. It could be someone you haven't spent time with in a while, or the colleague you sit next to. Take half an hour to really listen to them