/IWEDnd11

Inspiring Women

NOV/DEC 2011

Every Day

NOVEMber

Journeying through Mark’s Gospel Heather Coupland DECEMber

Love came down at Christmas Helena Wilkinson Plus … Special Article, Ministry Report and CWR Events Page

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Jo

Heather Coupland Heather loves working alongside her husband Simon, who is a vicar in Surrey. She heads up the women’s ministry at their church as well as co-leading two thriving mums and toddlers groups and leading services and preaching. She worked as the Caterer at Lee Abbey Christian conference centre in Devon for nearly three years and while she was there she attended a journalling workshop where she discovered a real love of writing. She now writes devotional articles and Bible-reading notes. She has catered for about 14 Alpha courses and still enjoys cooking in her spare time as well as walking in Richmond Park with her daughter Pippa.

Helena Wilkinson Helena Wilkinson trained in counselling at CWR and subsequently joined the staff as a tutor, counsellor and editor of The Christian Counsellor. She is the author of nine books including the bestseller Puppet on a String, her personal account of overcoming anorexia, written when she was a teenager.

In 1994 she founded Kainos Trust, a charity for eating disorder sufferers, of which she was Director. In January 2004 the charity merged with Swansea City Mission. Helena is now based at the mission’s retreat centre, Nicholaston House, on the Gower Peninsula where she runs courses.

She is a freelance writer and international speaker. For further information visit her website www.helenawilkinson.co.uk

Copyright © CWR 2011. Published by CWR, Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8EP, UK. Tel: 01252 784700 Email: mail@cwr.org.uk Registered Charity No. 294387. Registered Limited Company No. 1990308.

Front cover image: Getty Images/Vetta/ knape. Concept development, editing, design and production

by CWR. Printed in England by Linney Print. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of CWR. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from the Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV), copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society.

Other versions used: NASB: New American Standard Bible , © 1977, Lockman Corporation Message: Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

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Journeying through Mark’s Gospel

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ark’s Gospel is an exciting, action-packed adventure right from the start. In verses 2 and 3 we are told that a messenger from God is coming and in verse 4 John the Baptist arrives!

He is like an envoy sent ahead of a royal visit to make sure that everything is ready for the arrival of the king.

When I visited a friend in Morocco I was intrigued that on some streets the buildings had been given a fresh coat of bright pink paint. When I asked why this was, she told me that it was in readiness for a visit from the king! John’s message is about more than a superficial coat of paint. It is a call to repentance so that people are ready to meet the King of kings!

John the Baptist and his message must have come as quite a shock! Many were looking for a political Messiah to rise up and lead the people to conquer the Romans but no one anticipated that a prophet would come out of the desert calling them to repent! The fact that he baptised people would have been shocking too.

Baptism was generally the way Gentiles adopted the Jewish religion as their own, but here is John baptising Jews! What is going on? John’s astounding message was that a person’s Jewishness was no guarantee that they were right with God. Everyone needed to repent, Jews and Gentiles alike. Everyone needed to be prepared for the One who was coming.

This month I encourage you to read the whole of Mark’s Gospel – not just the set passages. As you do so, you will have plenty of opportunities to meet the King who arrived 2,000 years ago and is still alive today.

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Tues Nov 1 Mark 1:1–8 ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ (v.3)

For prayer and reflection Prepare my heart, Lord Jesus, to meet You afresh this month. Open my eyes to see new things in Your Word and speak to my heart by Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Wed Nov 2

My dear child

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grew up with a father who was born in the 1920s, and who was very uncomfortable talking about his feelings. I was secure in his care for me because, ‘You are my Son, whom I love; in his role as my father, he was always there as my with you I am provider. I had enough to eat and drink, and clothes to well pleased.’ (v.11) wear, but I was never really sure whether he liked me very much. In my teens I would pointedly tell him how much I loved him to see what his response would be. The curt, ‘And of course I love you, too,’ never really satisfied the need for his unconditional love that my insecure heart needed.

God had no such hang ups, and wasn’t so reticent about letting His Son Jesus know exactly how He felt about Him. This wasn’t just a whisper in Jesus’ ear but a voice thundering from the heavens to make sure it was something He would never forget!

We need to hear God’s voice saying to us: ‘You are my beloved child, I am pleased with you.’ As I have got older and God has healed the hurt places in my heart that the lack of a father’s love caused, I have come to be excited about God’s love for me in a whole new way. I have realised that God is the perfect Father to me and instead of thinking that my heavenly Father has For prayer and to be like my earthly father I know that He is the exact reflection opposite. He is always there to listen and is always interested in me. He doesn’t sulk and I never have to walk around on eggshells wondering why He is cross ‘You are my daughter, whom I with me. If I have done something wrong He wants me love.’ Meditate on to come to Him and say sorry, but He never withholds these words from forgiveness or love in order to make me suffer; rather He rejoices in my desire to be close to Him. your heavenly Mark 1:9–13

Father to you.

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The approachable Saviour

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love this story because it’s so completely outrageous. We often hear preachers exhorting us to imitate the early Christians in the fervency of their faith, but I’ve never heard anyone advocating breaking down walls or digging through ceilings to get the attention of a particularly anointed preacher!

Jesus is rapidly gaining a reputation as an exciting person to be around. He has already performed many healings and exorcisms, and people are flocking to hear Him speak. Here we find Him preaching to a crowd at a home in Capernaum. There are people everywhere.

Many of us might have gone to hear Jesus speak, we might even have taken a sick friend with us, but would we have turned back when we saw the crowds?

Nothing is going to stop the men in this story from getting their friend as near to Jesus as possible. They aren’t deterred by the crowd but simply go up onto the roof and start to dig. It probably wasn’t too difficult to make a hole in the mixture of twigs and earth but an awful lot of debris must have fallen onto Jesus and His listeners in the room below! They might have expected a rebuke for their destructive enthusiasm but all we hear are words of compassion. Jesus didn’t rush forward to lecture them on health and safety or complain about the damage. Their efforts are rewarded with healing and forgiveness for their friend.

How determined are we to meet with Jesus? Do we give up when things get hard or when obstacles are in our way? Let’s not settle for standing on the edge of the crowd – let’s be determined to push through and see the look of welcome on Jesus’ face.

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Thurs Nov 3 Mark 2:1–12 ‘Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof … ’ (v.4)

For prayer and reflection Lord, please help me to be determined to come to You each day. Thank You that You are always ready to welcome me.

Amen.

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Fri Nov 4

Being with Jesus

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ountains in the Bible are often special places of divine encounter or revelation.

Think of Moses receiving the Ten ‘He appointed twelve – Commandments; or of the Transfiguration (which designating them we read about further on in Mark) where Jesus is apostles – that they transformed in front of Peter, James and John and they might be with meet Moses and Elijah on top of ‘a high mountain’ him … ’ (v.14) (9:2–13). Mark wants his readers to know that something significant is about to happen. The choosing of the 12 disciples isn’t just a story of close friendship between a rabbi and his followers. The calling of these men is about the selection of a task force on whom the extension of the kingdom of God depends.

Every Jew knew that there were originally 12 tribes in Israel and that the prophets had spoken of a restoration of Israel for which many were longing. Jesus was pointing to the restoration that He was going to bring, and was introducing the men who were going to be by His side to help Him! What I particularly love about the way Mark writes For prayer and is that the call to preach and drive out demons takes reflection second place to the vital task of simply ‘being’ with Jesus (v.14). Everything they say or do rests on this Lord Jesus, I pray foundation. The same emphasis is surely true for us today. We may long to do great things for God; that You would help me not to get to see people healed and converted, to work in our communities to bring social and moral transformation, so caught up in to help people grow in their faith. All these activities doing things for are wonderful and echo what is in Jesus’ heart too, but You that I forget to spend time just before we step out to do any of these things our priority must simply be spending time with Jesus. being with You. Mark 3:13–19

Amen.

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Nov 5/6

weekend The wilderness – a place of new beginnings

For reflection: Deuteronomy 8:1–18

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e saw yesterday that the top of a mountain can be a very exciting place to be, but what about a desert? I visited the Namib Desert last year and was awestruck by its beauty and sheer vastness. It’s not a place where I would relish spending 40 days and nights on my own (see Mark 1:12–13)!

Deserts in the Bible are often harsh places where there is discipline and testing (Deut. 8). Strangely, though, deserts can also be places of hope and restoration (Isa. 35), where the voice of God can be heard (Isa. 40:3; Mark 1:2).

The desert can be a place of great intimacy with our heavenly Father because there is nothing to distract our attention and no one else to turn to.

Because I am prone to depression I can be fearful of being in a spiritual or emotional desert; but if I feed on God’s words in the desert, just as the children of Israel fed on manna, then surprising things can happen! The desert can sometimes become a place of renewed hope and new beginnings.

Optional further reading Wasteland?: Encountering God in the Desert by Mike Pilavachi (Eastbourne: Kingsway, 2003) Hosea 2:14–23 ; Isaiah 35; 40:3–5

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ThUrs Dec 1

Love came down at Christmas

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uring December we are going to explore love. Love goes far deeper than just feelings. The apostle John reminds us that ‘The Word became ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:7). It’s awesome to think that love flesh and made his actually came down to earth in the Person of Jesus, dwelling among God’s only Son. God could have given us written or us.’ (v.14) verbal instructions explaining love, but instead He sent love itself. To grow in love we need to follow Jesus’ example and know Him intimately. By sending His Son, God gave us a clear message – love is not a series of instructions but an imprint of Him in us, which needs to be nurtured and outpoured.

Advent provides the opportunity to focus our attention once more on the long-awaited Messiah – Jesus. The infant born in an animal stall who grew to be a man, fully human and fully divine, bringing salvation to a people separated from God by their sin. As we follow the theme of love, ask Jesus to fill your heart For prayer and afresh with His love; to heal, restore, revive and change reflection you; and to help you reach out to others.

Our capacity to give and receive love is one of the ways in which we are created in the image of Thank You for sending Your Son, God, but we are so easily drawn away from loving Jesus, to reveal others. Society emphasises personal satisfaction and more of You. I achievement, and my experience is that this is all too pray for a greater often at the expense of sacrificial love. Let’s learn outpouring of to love, modelled on the love of God, shall we? The Your Holy Spirit apostle John declares, ‘Dear friends, since God so to renew my loved us, we also ought to love one another. No-one mind, that I may has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God encounter Your lives in us and his love is made complete in us’ love in a new way. (1 John 4:11–12).

John 1:1–14, 29–34

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24/6/11 13:29:41

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Love is merciful

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ercy is God’s overwhelming kindness when least deserved, and receiving it brings wellbeing to our souls. God is spoken of as being rich in mercy (Eph. 2:4); His mercies are tender (Luke 1:78) and new every morning (Lam. 3:23). It is God’s grace that is offered for the forgiveness of sins and His mercy which is extended for the alleviation of the consequences of sin.

Today’s story of the unmerciful servant powerfully portrays the message of mercy given but not extended.

It tells the story of a man whose large debt was cancelled because his master had mercy on him, but sadly this failed to transform his heart and cause him to reciprocate. We need to take heed. When we encounter the goodness of God and of other people, let’s ensure that we reach out to others with the same loving attitude.

I’m sure that God allows certain people to cross our paths to teach us how to act differently. Can you think of anyone who has evidenced mercy, kindness and consideration towards you and, as a result, your own attitudes changed? Is there anyone in your life whom God is, perhaps, challenging you to show a little more mercy towards – a relative, friend or colleague?

Mercy isn’t us endeavouring to be kind because we feel sorry for someone. It is an act of deep compassion and generosity which grows out of empathising with a person in their pain. Had the servant in our story today let the man off his debt, his expression of mercy would have been even greater than that shown by his own master.

Why? Because he knew from personal experience the fear and pain of being out of his depth in debt.

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Fri Dec 2 Matthew 18:21–35 ‘The servant’s master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.’ (v.27)

For prayer and reflection What stops us from showing mercy to others?

Could it be pride, selfishness or a hardened heart?

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DEC 3/4

weekend Seek to be consistent

For reflection: Matthew 22:15–22 ‘… “Teacher,” they said, “we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.”’ (v.16)

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hat qualities do you see in Jesus that you admire? One quality I see and for which I pray is integrity: being consistent, trustworthy, sound and honest. With Jesus, integrity was seen not only in what He did do, but also in what He didn’t do. He didn’t lie, give the wrong impression, play mind games, deceive or take advantage of people. He never compromised His morality, but instead demonstrated that it was never right to do wrong!

Most people find that there are times and situations in their lives when they are trustworthy and consistent, and hence demonstrate integrity, and other occasions when they lack consistency and their integrity is questioned by others.

In what way might this be the case with you? Are you always honest, or do you bend the truth a little to explain certain situations or make life a little more comfortable?

Why not spend some time this weekend considering how you come across to other people. What is it that threatens you and may lead you to be inconsistent?

Optional further reading Ephesians 4:25; Matthew 5:37; 1 Corinthians 13:6–7

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Love is dependable

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e serve a dependable God. The psalmist says, ‘The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold’ (Psa. 18:2). He is our rock in whom we have stability.

In order to feel secure and to trust others we need to see evidence of dependability and predictability.

Scripture equates dependability with faithfulness. The Greek word for faithful, pistos, means trustworthy, true, reliable and sure. Jesus displayed these characteristics in His interactions with others and people felt safe with Him. When we display similar characteristics, there is a positive effect on our relationships with others.

A dependable person is: • faithful in all circumstances; • truthful in all they say; • wise in their relationships; • trustworthy, keeping confidences; • consistent in their responses.

How dependable are you? When you give your word to do something, can others count on you to follow through, even if it is more challenging than you first thought? If you experience unexpected difficulties, do you use them as excuses for not finishing a task or do you push through? Can members of your family count on you to prioritise their needs at important times?

Would others describe you as reliable or somewhat unpredictable and inconsistent? Let’s work towards greater dependability, opening the door for more secure relationships, shall we?

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Mon Dec 5 Matthew 25:14–30 ‘You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.’ (v.21)

For prayer and reflection ‘Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life’ (Rev. 2:10).

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Tues Dec 6

Love is peaceful

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he Christmas season is the time of year when the word ‘peace’ is made significantly more visible. Cards arrive through our doors, ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I declaring ‘Peace on Earth, Goodwill to all men’; we sing give you. I do not of peace in Christmas carols and we speak of Jesus, give to you as the the Prince of Peace. Peace, a part of the word ‘shalom’ world gives.’ (v.27) often used in the Bible, is a state of tranquillity or calmness; freedom from disturbance, oppression, strife, conflict and disorder. Often, our work places or homes are anything but peaceful; our days are punctuated with tension, uncomfortable differences, misunderstandings, disagreements, pressure and stress. External stress can affect our internal peace, but it doesn’t have to. Peace from the Lord exists irrespective of circumstance.

If we are to live in love, we are to live in peace.

This highlights the importance of walking away from argumentative and chaotic situations, allowing tranquillity and calmness to be evident in our interactions with others. I know I can’t attain this in my For prayer and own strength; can you? In today’s verse, Jesus says reflection that He leaves His peace with us. Real peace comes to those who are at peace with God and open their hearts to Him. A study of the Greek word for ‘peace’ (Col. 3:15) ‘Let there be reveals that it comes from a root word which means ‘to peace on earth join’; it is in joining with God that real peace is achieved. and let it begin I have learnt that one way to be aware of God’s with me.’ If you can, why not listen guidance, especially when needing to make a decision, is to be aware of deep inner peace. Are you faced with to this beautiful a difficult choice at the moment? In which solution is song: www. there the greatest peace? Let’s become more aware of youtube.com/ that ‘still small voice’. watch?v=Km1John 14:15–31

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