FASTING, FORTY DAYS AND FORGIVENESS – In Genesis 3 the first sin is recorded and also the subsequent judgement by GOD. As the human capacity for sin is not reduced in any way, GOD determines to wipe out humanity from His creation. Noah is instructed to build an ark to survive the ensuing flood. GOD intends to begin again with Noah and make a new covenant with him ‒ to never again destroy the earth by flood. Covenants always have signs; and, in this case, GOD commits Himself to the sign of the rainbow.
Noah and his family were saved by water ‒ symbolising baptism as a symbol of GODʼs grace. It saves us now and acts as a sign of GODʼs promise of ultimate salvation. The risen CHRIST, sitting at the right hand of GOD, is ample reassurance ‒ better even than a rainbow in the sky.
After 40 days of fasting and prayer in the desert, JESUS confronted temptations to deny His mission and emerged with a much clearer commitment to His mission.

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The Power of Prayer. I love that definition right at the start – PRAYER IS THE SOUL’s SINCERE DESIRE – UTTERED OR UNEXPRESSED.
Our prayer needs to be sincere – not simply rattled off in rote fashion but spoken as a sincere conversation WITH GOD. Prayer is a part of our relationship with GOD. It is something upon which JESUS placed much emphasis.
The apostle Paul urges us, in 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 to:
‘Rejoice always pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you’.

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Crosswalk.com, an online Christian living magazine gives an explanation on its website that Praying without ceasing is:
Impossible, right? Maybe in the olden days, when every task directly affected your family’s survival—of course they prayed, because if the crop died, they’d starve. If someone got sick, there was no medicine to help. Life was dangerous and fragile, and people weren’t distracted by social media and cell phones. But today? Who could be expected to keep their mind on God at all times? Surely God wouldn’t expect that of us, because He knows more than anyone how flawed we are, and how short our attention spans are.
Except that nowhere in the Bible is there an asterisk after that verse that says, “*unless you’re really busy.”
Here’s the good news. Not only is it possible to pray without ceasing, but it’s possible to do so without making any significant changes to your schedule or time commitments. It’s all about shifting your thought process and turning everyday moments into prayer. Someone once suggested that it’s like keeping the radio playing in the background. Keep that connection open and talk to God as you go through your day.

On Wednesday 8 July, the Gospel reading was from Matthew 10: 1-7.
JESUS had already called His 12 disciples. He didn’t draft them, force them, or ask them to volunteer; He chose them to serve Him in a special way. JESUS calls us today. He doesn’t twist our arms and make us do something we don’t want to do. We can choose to join Him, or we can choose to remain behind.

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This list of JESUS’ 12 disciples doesn’t give us many details – probably because there aren’t many impressive details to tell. JESUS called people from all walks of life – fishermen, political activists, and tax collectors. He called common people and uncommon leaders; rich and poor, educated, and uneducated.
Today, many people think only certain people are fit to follow CHRIST; but this is not the attitude of the Master Himself. GOD can use anyone, no matter how insignificant he or she appears or thinks they appear. GOD calls ordinary people to do extraordinary work. He doesn’t call the equipped – He equips the called.
JESUS sent his disciples to go only to the Jews because He came first to the Jews. GOD chose the Jews to tell the rest of
the world about Him. Jewish disciples and apostles then preached the Gospel of the Risen CHRIST all around the Roman Empire – and soon Gentiles were pouring into the Church. The Bible clearly teaches that GOD’s message of salvation is for ALL people – regardless of race, sex, or national origin.
The Jews were waiting for the Messiah to usher in His kingdom.
JESUS spoke of a spiritual kingdom, not a military one as the
people thought. JESUS the Messiah, has already begun His kingdom
on earth in the hearts of His followers. One day this kingdom will
be fully realised. The evil will be destroyed, and all people will live
in peace with one another.
Everyday, is a new opportunity to seek the LORD. We can always pause and ask: Where is GOD in this? Like His disciples, we, too, have been given the authority and the ability to proclaim the Gospel in our everyday lives. When we start each day by seeking FROM OUR DIOCESAN SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR

GOD with our whole heart, spending time with Him in the Word and allowing Him to fill us with His grace and love, we are better able to serve Him and offer up our whole day for Him. Regardless of what may be going on in our personal lives, now is the time to seek the LORD. Never feel as though you aren’t good enough.

The way we live our lives is sometimes the only Gospel some
people experience. Do we stay connected to Him? What areas
of life do we need to open up in order to deepen our relationship
with Him?
De Colores
Fr Steve

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The Gospel passage for 7th Sunday after Epiphany came from Matthew 5: 38-48.
In it, JESUS teaches us about revenge. GOD’s purpose behind this law was an expression of mercy. The law was given to the judges and said, in effect, “Make the punishment fit the crime.”
It was not a guide for personal revenge – such as might be thought of in terms of the “like-for-like” in Exodus 21 23-25:

If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

These laws were given to LIMIT vengeance and to help the court administer punishment that was neither too strict nor too lenient. Some people, however, were using this phrase to justify their vendettas against others. People still try to excuse their acts of revenge by saying: “I was just doing to him what he did to me.”

The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12. 19:
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of  God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’

GOD originally gave this instruction in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy 32. 35: Vengeance is mine.

When we are wronged, often our first reaction is to get even. JESUS said that we should do GOOD to those who wrong us. In the passion translation of the Bible under the heading of TRANSFORMED RELATIONSHIPS the Apostle Paul in Romans 12 tells us:
Let the inner movement of your heart always be to love one another
Our desire should NOT be to keep score; but to love and forgive. This is not natural to us as humans – it is SUPER-natural. Only GOD can give us the strength to love as He does. So, instead of planning vengeance, pray for those who hurt you.
By telling us not to retaliate, JESUS keeps us from taking the law into our own hands. By loving and praying for our enemies, we can overcome evil with GOOD.
If we love our enemies and treat them well, we will truly show that JESUS is the LORD of our lives. This is possible only for those who give themselves fully to GOD, because only He can deliver people from natural selfishness. We must trust the Holy Spirit to help us SHOW love for those whom we may not feel love.
JESUS tells us in the final verse of our Gospel for today to:  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
How can we do that? We can try to be perfect in:
CHARACTER. In this life we cannot be flawless, but we can aspire to be as much like CHRIST as possible.
HOLINESS. Like the Pharisees, we are to separate ourselves rom the world’s sinful values. But unlike the Pharisees, we are to be devoted to GOD’s desires rather than our own; and carry His love and mercy into the world.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12. 19:
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of  God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’

MATURITY. We cannot achieve CHRISTLIKE character and holy iving all at once; but we must endeavour to grow toward maturity and wholeness. Just as we expect different behaviour from a baby, a child, a teenager, and an adult, so GOD expects different behaviour from us, depending on our stage of spiritual development.

LOVE. We can seek to love others as completely as GOD loves us.
We can be as perfect as possible if our behaviour is appropriate for our maturity level. There will always be much room in which to grow. Our tendency to sin must never deter us from striving to be more like JESUS. JESUS calls all His disciples to excel, to rise above mediocrity, and to mature in as many ways as possible to become more like Him.
De Colores
Fr Steve

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Psalm 46 is a wonderful psalm. I looked it up in the
Passion Translation of the Bible and it was headed up
as ‘GOD ON OUR SIDE’. That’s always a good start.
Allow me to share the first 3 verses from this translation:
1 God, you’re such a safe and powerful place to find refuge! You’re a proven
help in time of trouble—more than enough and always available whenever I
need you. 2 So we will never fear even if every structure of support were to
crumble away. We will not fear even when the earth quakes and shakes,
moving mountains and casting them into the sea. 3 For the raging roar of
stormy winds and crashing waves cannot erode our faith in you.
Then we are told to ‘Pause in his presence.’
How comforting and re-assuring are these words? Words that have led you,
Gary into a deeper relationship with our LORD and Saviour. When your kidneys
began to fail it was your faith that pulled you through – it was one of those
times in your life that is described in no better way than in the Footprints
prayer.
The Lord replied, “My precious, precious child. I love you, and I would never,
never leave you during your times of trial and suffering. When you saw only
one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”
You trusted GOD to find you a new kidney and He did. You needed to touch
the hem of JESUS’ garment in the same way as the woman in Matthew 9:20
did: Again, from the Passion Translation:
20 Suddenly, a woman came from behind Jesus and touched the tassel of
his prayer shawl for healing. She had been suffering from continual bleeding
for twelve years (and here’s the important bit) but had faith that Jesus
could heal her. 21 For she kept saying to herself, “If I could only touch his
prayer shawl I would be healed.” 22 Just then Jesus turned around and
looked at her and said, “My daughter, be encouraged. Your faith has
healed you.” And instantly she was healed!

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The Coming of the Holy Spirit
The account of the Holy Spirit coming on the day of Pentecost in the Acts of the Apostles is a very familiar one. When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples a few days later, their transformation was immediate and lasting – changing from a cowering, frightened group of men hiding in the upper room into a band of confident evangelists, telling everyone the good news about JESUS. JESUS had promised them that the Spirit was coming. The Spirit, unlike JESUS, would always be with
them – and by extension, with us.
But the Spirit also brought the inward effects of helping, teaching, convicting of sin and peace-bringing. This outpouring was not just for a select few disciples – it was for all people of every language and race. In the book of Genesis, for example, we are told how people of the world were scattered and confused after trying to become like GOD. At Pentecost,
we see people coming back together again in GOD’s way and in GOD’s timing.

The Spirit – who was involved in the creation of the earth – now returns to renew the face of the earth. In doing so He gives courage to JESUS’ followers to ‘declare the wonders of GOD.
JESUS’ work on earth was complete; but the Spirit came, not as a replacement for JESUS, but to perform a parallel role as guide, comforter and counsellor – so that all of us down the centuries could have the benefit of GOD’s presence in our lives. The Spirit is given equally to everyone – all of us are filled. The Holy Spirit is a gift of love to everyone who calls on the name of the LORD.
This year’s Gospel for Pentecost – from John 14: 8-17 – provides us with a toolbox of reminders of how the Holy Spirit helps us:
• The first item in our toolbox is a pair of working boots – they help us to be strong and protect us from harm. They help us to walk boldly. The Holy Spirit gives us the strength to do whatever GOD requires.
• The next item is a wedding ring – when a couple get married, the exchanging of rings signifies a promise made to be always faithful to each other. JESUS promised that the Holy Spirit wouldn’t just come and visit occasionally to see how we are getting on. Instead, He promised that the Holy Spirit would always be with us.
• The third item in our toolbox is a map and a compass. Like a map and a compass, the Holy Spirit shows us the right way to go; and helps us to know the truth about GOD.
• The next item is a heart – that lives in us. JESUS lived on the earth as a human; so, it wasn’t physically possible for Him to be with everybody all at the same time. By the Holy Spirit, JESUS is always inside us – prompting us to do things GOD’s way and to follow His example.
• The fifth item is a textbook – that can teach what we seek to learn. The Holy Spirit teaches us everything we need to know to follow GOD. He helps us understand what we read in the Bible. He helps us to be obedient. Without the Holy Spirit, we would struggle to do things GOD’s way; but He teaches us everything.
• The final item is a diary – to remind us of what JESUS said. The Holy Spirit reminded the disciples of what JESUS taught them and He reminds us of the things we’ve learnt. I think most, if not, all of us would have experienced this at some time during our lives. The Holy Spirit also reminds us of GOD’s love at times when life is tough; and He encourages us to do the right thing when we’re tempted to go wrong.

This is what the Spirit does for us.

This is why GOD gives us His Spirit. But what effect should the Holy Spirit have upon us?

On the day of Pentecost, the disciples couldn’t help but talk about GOD. They told others of the wonderful things GOD had done. In fact, they couldn’t keep all this amazing news inside them. It was a case of it just bursting out of them. The Holy Spirit helps us respond excitedly to the wonderful things GOD has done. He will help us tell others the news – just like the first disciples.
The presence of the HOLY SPIRIT was heralded by the breath of JESUS, the sound of a mighty wind and the appearance of tongues of fire. Like fire, the Spirit both destroys and creates. Being the Spirit of Christ, which is a Spirit of love coming from the Father, it burns the sins of humanity through forgiveness. From Pentecost, the Church took on its missionary role. The timid and frightened Apostles, transformed by the Spirit, burst forth onto the streets and fearlessly preached the Good News about the mighty acts of
God. Ever since, the Holy Spirit has been a permanent presence and a tower of strength in guiding, guarding and directing the Church.

The Holy Spirit is a gift of the Father and of the Son to us this Pentecost.
De Colores
Fr Steve

I think we’ve all seen someone’s face light up – usually when they see someone they love and that someone loves them.

Consider Moses who has just come back through the “I’ve been to Mount Sinai” door. Moses’ face was radiant after He had spent time with GOD.

The people could clearly see GOD’s presence in Him. How often do we spend time alone with GOD? Although our faces may not light up a room, time spent in prayer, reading the Bible and meditating should have such an effect on our lives that people will recognise that we have been with GOD.
If we claim GOD as our Father, we need to live worthy of this family name – respecting GOD’s name and giving Him praise by both our words and our lives.
GOD’s holiness is terribly frightening for non-believers; but a wonderful comfort for believers.

GOD is morally perfect and is set apart from people and sin. He has no weaknesses or shortcomings. For sinners this is frightening because all their inadequacies and evil are exposed by the light of GOD’s holiness. GOD cannot tolerate, ignore, or excuse sin.

For believers, GOD’s holiness gives comfort because, as we worship Him, we are lifted from the mire of sin. As we believe in Him and humble ourselves before Him, we are made holy.

When anyone becomes a Christian, Christ removes the veil – giving eternal life, and freedom from trying to be saved by keeping laws. And without the veil, we can be like mirrors reflecting GOD’s glory.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments, his face glowed from being in GOD’s presence. Moses had to put on a veil to keep the people being terrified by the brightness of his face. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul adds that this veil kept them from seeing the radiance fade away. Moses and his veil illustrate the fading of the old system and the veiling of the people’s minds and understanding by their pride, hardness of heart and refusal to repent. The veil kept them from understanding the references to CHRIST in the Scriptures.

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Dancing with JESUS – the idea is simply wonderful – and to do it when life seems to be throwing plenty of curve-balls is even more appealing. In the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 3:4 it says:  
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
In Psalm 149:3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
And in Psalm 30:11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.

AB Facey has certainly inspired many with his book “A Fortunate Life”. As Lyn suggested: do we dance or sit it out? She also said that While Facey was not a religious man, he did have a strong faith. How richer are we who believe in GOD our heavenly Father, and call JESUS our friend; and can feel the strength of the Holy Spirit working in and through us.

Whether we have a good day or a bad day, we still need to give thanks to GOD for it. We need to continue to trust GOD that, everything that happens, happens for our good. As Christians we need to spend time with GOD and pray daily, read our bibles daily, listen to Him; and give thanks to Him for our faith and His love that we can share with others.

Lyn also spoke of the trust she has in GOD and how it has seen her through many difficult experiences – and will do so in the future. Like Lyn, we can all listen to GOD better, stick to the path GOD would have us take and accept that His guidance is 100% correct. Thankfully He loves us and when we look at the footprints in the sand and see only one set, acknowledge that He carries us through many more situations than we realise.

Martha and Mary provide us with a great example of how we should prioritise our lives. We need to keep things in balance as best as we can. There are times when we need to sit at the feet of JESUS and soak up all He has to offer; and, of course, there are times when things have to be done.
The 3 passages Lyn mentioned from Paul’s letter to the Romans are significant here today:
Chapter 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

The Apostle Paul divides people into 2 categories – those who are dominated by their sinful nature; and those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit. All of us would be in the first category if JESUS hadn’t offered us a way out. Once we have said YES to JESUS, we will want to continue to follow Him – because His way brings life and peace.
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