An Adventure in Ministry

Recently I have been spending some time in Paul's letters to the church in Thessalonica. The letters are believed to be the oldest of Paul and they are so rich in truth and wisdom. As I was reading 1 Thessalonians in the passage translation, I came across a verse of 6 words that encouraged me, floored me and challenges me all at once! Chapter 5 v 16 says this: Let Joy be your continual feast These words encouraged me as it showed me that a supernatural Joy is possible for God's people. Joy is something spoken about throughout the scriptures. Nehemiah 8:10 declares that “The joy of the Lord is my strength” and we are told in Galatians that Joy is a fruit of the spirit. As christians we are called to be a people of Joy as Romans 14:17 says: “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of rules about food and drink but is in the realm of the Holy Spirit filled with righteousness, peace and joy.” Joy is kingdom business and feasting of Joy is something we should take the time to do.  Th...

  We have just come back from a beautiful summer holiday travelling around Norfolk in our newly converted van that I affectionately have named ‘Tristan!!’ It was a much needed time away, but I must admit I struggled, at times, to get into the rhythm of rest and find my peace. While spending time in prayer and reflection one morning while enjoying my morning cup of coffee, I felt God whisper a phrase to me. The phrase was ‘Fight for peace’ ‘Fight For Peace’  Initially the phrase made me feel uncomfortable. They seem to be the antithesis of one another! But as I spent some time considering this in line with the scriptures, I began to see the wisdom in the phrase.  I began to read scriptures about peace and see them in a completely new way. For example: "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests t...