NHCF Blog

by Luke KincaidLast night Cammie and I watched a documentary on one of the first successful game streamers who went by the name of Reckful. It was one of those documentaries that made you feel as if you knew the person by the end of it. Byron "Reckful" Bernstein sadly took his own life on 2 July at the age of 31 after struggling with depression for a large portion of his life as a result of the tragic suicide of his older brother when Byron was very young.One of the saddest parts of this happening is that he seemed to be doing so much better in recent months and this honestly seemed to come as a shock to those closest to him. The reason I wanted to share this with you is that just because people seem to be doing alright on the outside it doesn’t always mean they are. I sometimes go through down patches in life and there are days when it is easier to say things are okay even when they are not. The problem with this is that it is only detrimental to try and go through difficult times by yourself. It’s essential to share our burdens with those closest to us. We all need a friend to talk to and if you find yourself going through an emotionally difficult time and are not wanting to speak to anyone you know – start by speaking to Jesus. He is the friend we all need, who can help us through difficult times. I love how Got Questions says the following about Jesus fulfilling this role in our lives:“The Lord Jesus Christ gave us the definition of a true friend: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:13-15). Jesus is the pure example of a true friend, for He laid down His life for His "friends." What is more, anyone may become His friend by trusting in Him as his personal savior, being born again and receiving new life in Him.” Upon believing in and following Jesus He is there to help. So please if you are going through an emotionally difficult time and need to chat to someone – don’t try and go through it alone – reach out to a close family member or friend you can trust or one of the pastors and we will try our best to help. But also, right now in this very moment, reach out to Jesus and speak to Him as He is already there with you in this trying time. Much love,Luke

by Dave GriffithsEarly at the start of 2020, the world as we know it, began to change. Normal has been replaced by the “new normal”, whatever that is, and the essential need for leadership is apparent to any thinking person.But what is a leader? What makes a leader? Is it Rank, Status, Clout, or Style? Is leadership automatically the CEO, or President, or Head of State?According to Jesus, the truest kind of leadership demands service, sacrifice, and selflessness. He said, “The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many,” (Matt. 20:25-28). Today, these are not characteristics most people associate with leadership, but they are essential qualities of a biblical approach to leadership.  A biblical approach is the only approach that Christians should consider.Most people fear the end of the world is coming when a virus of this magnitude affects the entire world, but they have no idea what the word Eschatology means! And our world leaders aren’t going to elaborate or suggest that we should be waiting for the glorious return of our Saviour.Our culture today, is crying out for solutions, formulas, one, two or three-step programs to answer every human need. Jesus said “I am the Way” the only way. (John 14:6).  We can count on Him in every situation.All Christians in every kind of leadership, are called to remember that the leadership role is a spiritual responsibility, and will one day be called to give an account (Matt. 25:14-30).To put it simply, leadership is influence. The ideal leader is someone whose life and character motivate people to believe and to follow. The apostle Paul was a dynamic leader, and still leads, having written most of the New Testament. Acts 27 and 2 Corinthians show Paul at his best as a leader. He was a true example of a Christlike leader.A real leader is an example to follow, not just believe, and the best example to follow, as Paul knew, is the one who follows Christ. Paul measured his own success as a leader by a single criterion: he had kept the faith, meaning that he had remained faithful in following Christ, and that he had kept the Gospel intact. He had proclaimed the Word of God faithfully wherever he went.I take this opportunity to thank you, New Harvest, for your leadership characteristics. Leadership that is all about character, honour, decency and faithfulness. Leaders that are Christlike. Love to all our fellowship. One day we will meet again, together, and it will be wonderful to lift our voices in praise and thankfulness. Dave.

by Graham MolOn Sunday 24 May, a few minutes before we started the live stream of the Sunday service my wife told me to smile as she took a picture (which you can see included this blog post). After she took the picture I asked her why she had done that to which she simply replied, "For the memories." I remember being so touched by that. I really appreciated what she had done. As it turned out, this was the last time I preached from my lounge as the lockdown level restrictions on churches would change the following month and we'd be back streaming the services from NHCF again. This part of the adventure, the figuring out how to set this all up and having Candice step in as my "technical team" has ended now but I will always treasure those memories. Never in my life would I have ever thought I'd preach from my own living room!It seems odd to say that I have memories to treasure from this difficult time we as a nation are facing. I'm not saying that it's all good, in fact so much of it is really bad, upsetting and traumatic. The pandemic and the lockdown it necessitated have been heavy burdens to bear and I know that many have struggled far more than I could even imagine. Yet in the midst of all the sadness, fear and turmoil, we all have special moments to treasure. The "silver lining" in the dark clouds that is so often spoken about. It is good that we treasure these small blessings. Maybe for you it has been the extra time you've spent with your family or the opportunity to really dive deeply into God's word, enjoying His presence even in the solitude. Maybe you've found a new sense of peace in having to slow down, only now acknowledging the frantic, unsustainable pace that was ruling your life. In Philippians 4:8 Paul has this to say:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.It is good for us to remember the positive things. To keep hold and treasure those special moments. To look for and appreciate the blessings amidst the storm, the little glowing lights in the gloom. When we humans remember the past, we tend to dwell on the good things and forget the bad. That is why the "old days" always seem to be the "good old days". While we should heed the wisdom of the Teacher in Eccelsiastes as he says, "Do not say, 'Why were the old days better than these?' For it is not wise to ask such questions," (7:10); it is not necessarily a bad thing that we tend to remember the good rather than the bad. The good things, the treasured moments, can be a wonderful reminder of God's faithfulness, goodness and kindness to us. The fact that…

by Calven CelliersIt is with a heavy heart that I write today’s blog post. Very dear friends of mine in Sydney, Australia tragically lost their beautiful daughter in a car accident 5 weeks ago. I have been trying to be present to them in the midst of their grief, and to support them as best I can from afar. But right now I am feeling so completely frustrated at my seeming inability to take away their pain and suffering and it has once again highlighted for me the reality of how in such situations, we stand the risk of saying and doing the wrong things, all because we don’t actually know what to say or do. We sometimes believe it is our job to fix people’s problems by giving them pat answers to painful experiences, or by trying to get them to overcome their pain. And because this is so real to me right now, I thought I might jot down some things that I’ve learnt (and said or done) along the way.The reality of life on this side of eternity is that there is only one thing that you and I can be absolutely certain of, and that is the fact that we are all going to die. We’re part of what they call a dissolving world. Death is part of life, and as such we all have to face up to it and deal with it at various intersections along the way.Wise King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3,“1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens … 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…” (Ecclesiastes 3: 1 & 4NIV). The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Church at Rome, “15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15NIV)I hope the following suggestions might help you to know what to do (or not do) and what to say (or not say) when supporting others who are going through times of personal tragedy. This is not an exhaustive list by any stretch of the imagination, and I know that not all of these suggestions will apply to every person and every situation. But in my own experience these sorts of things are commonly mentioned as being helpful (or unhelpful) for those people who face tragedy, grief, and pain.Don’t intentionally blame God when tragedy strikes. It’s not helpful to tell people that God is responsible for taking their child, their husband, or their parent. We say things like, “This is all in God’s perfect plan. God has something better in store for you. His ways are higher than our ways. It was her time. God needed him more than you do.” When talking with people in their pain, make sure that not a single cliché comes out of your mouth.Along with blaming God, sometimes we utter things that unintentionally come across as if we’re blaming the person who is hurting. The…