NHCF Blog

by Graham MolI was thinking about how we as Christians are to be shining lights in this world. Our vision at New Harvest for this year is: "Shine! A broken world in darkness waits for the light of Christ in you," based on Matthew 5:14. As I thought of the many different ways we can shine for Jesus, the virtue of perseverance came to mind.In Philippians  2:14-16a the apostle Paul says the following:14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life.It takes perseverance to "do everything without grumbling and arguing." I'm sure we all have days where we got out on the wrong side of the bed, we all have our "off" days. So it's not always possible to do everything without moaning or getting irritable, we're human after all. Yet for a believer this should be the exception and not the norm. For someone who has placed their hope in Christ and finds their joy in the Lord, tough times and difficult circumstances won't keep us down.This is one of the things that makes Christians stand out from the world, the fact that even though we face many of the same struggles and obstacles everyone else experiences, we keep going. Somehow we remain standing, somehow we still have joy in our hearts, somehow our hope is undiminished. Somehow we persevere.The Bible speaks a great deal about perseverance but one of the most beautiful and inspiring passages be found in Isaiah chapter 40: 30 Youths may become faint and weary,and young men stumble and fall,31 but those who trust in the Lordwill renew their strength;they will soar on wings like eagles;they will run and not become weary,they will walk and not faint."Those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength." This is how we can keep on loving, keep on sharing, keep on caring and praying and praising even when we go into day how-ever-much of lockdown (day 90 today!) Our perseverance is and will be a witness to God's power and glory. When people look at us somehow persevering, we can then point them to Christ who is our strength.I want to encourage you to persevere. Find your strength in your relationship with the Lord, allow the Holy Spirit to refresh and renew you, and shine!"Let us not grow weary or become discouraged in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap, if we do not give in," (Galatians 6:9 AMP) God BlessGraham

On February 19, 1519, the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés set sail for Mexico with an entourage of 11 ships, 13 horses, 110 sailors, and 553 soldiers … what Cortés is reported to have done after landing is an epic tale of mythic proportions. He issued an order that turned his mission into an all-or-nothing proposition:  Burn The Ships! As his crew watched their fleet of ships burn and sink, they came to terms with the fact that retreat was not an option.There are moments in life when we need to burn the ships to our past. We do this by making a defining decision that will eliminate the possibility of sailing back to the old world we left behind. We read in 1 Kings 19 that this is exactly what Elisha did when Elijah approached him as he was plowing his fields with 12 yoke of oxen – “21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.” (1 Kings 19:21NLT) Elisha said good-bye to his old life once and for all by throwing a party for his friends. He turned his plowing equipment into kindling and braai’d his oxen. It was no doubt the most meaningful and memorable night of his life up until that point because it symbolized the last day of his old life and the first day of his new life. By burning his plowing equipment Elisha couldn’t go back to his old way of life because he destroyed the time machine that would take him there. It was the end of Elisha the farmer and the beginning of Elisha the prophet. What does this Scriptural account mean in your life as a believer?  The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Colossians,“3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3NLT)Similarly in his letter to the Church at Ephesus he wrote, “22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4: 22 – 24NLT)In order to begin a new chapter, you must end an old chapter.While I obviously can’t generalise, I think that one of the fundamental problems with a lot of believers is that they, or dare I say we, want God to do something new while they keep on doing the same old thing. But, change is a two-sided coin. Out with the old is one side, in with the new is the other side. Albert Einstein said that insanity can be defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. In other words we’d be nothing…

by Graham MolNone of us set out to be a know-it-all. In fact, none of us would ever classify ourselves as someone who knows everything. And yet, that is not always how we act. This is especially so in areas that we've had a lot of experience in, areas that may have become "old news" "that same old thing" and "ordinary". We think we've seen or heard it all. We've made our mistakes and learn from them but then still make the mistake of thinking we have no more mistakes to make. Pride is a very subtle thing that can creep into our lives. This can happen in our spiritual life too. We get used to the way we do things, the way we pray, the way we worship, the way we serve the Lord. We'd never say our way is the best way, but when others share an insight or make a suggestion that challenges the way we've being doing things, how open are we to changing? How willing are we to learn from others? How teachable are we really?Proverbs 15:12 (GNT) has this to say:"Conceited people do not like to be corrected; they never ask for advice from those who are wiser."And Proverbs 13:18 (NLT) says: "If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept correction, you will be honoured."It takes humility to realise that we don't know it all. To realise that the more we learn it should open our eyes to how much we don't know. This is wisdom, to learn and grow in knowledge but still remain humble."Wisdom, from God’s perspective, lies in knowing how to take advice without being either defensive or condescending. Wisdom is evident when we humble ourselves to learn even from those who admittedly know less than we do and are perhaps not as experienced," (Dave Kraft, "True Leaders are Teachable")God has so much that He wants to teach us, about Himself and life. There is so much that we have to learn, and even in eternity we'll never stop learning. So let us not allow that subtle pride enter, where we start to act like we know it all and resist the lessons of others when they threaten the way we've always done things. Let us be humble. Let us be teachable, and always keep learning. God BlessGraham

Guest Post by Caryl MollAs the world folded in on us in mid-March, I wondered how I would cope. It was all so sudden: a world pandemic resulting in a national lockdown. Effectively, we had all been ordered into isolation as this novel virus took hold of our planet.In a flash, we were socially transformed: “No hugging! No physical contact! Quarantine! Masks! Sanitizing! No Church! …” As expected, fear, uncertainty and confusion prevailed. Everyone was scared as hopelessness descended. It was all overwhelming.How could I hold onto my Lord in this environment? Why was this happening? What was expected of me personally? How was I to be a disciple of Christ with this happening? It may sound crazy, but it was during those first few days of lockdown that I started exploring the ROOFTOP of our home. I suddenly discovered the “sunrise” … And God’s creation – things that had always been there but somehow went unnoticed. It was an incredibly beautiful experience.Nowadays, I rise when it’s still dark. The warmth of my bed no longer calls. I prepare my flask, grab my bible, climb the ladder and head for the “sky”. The rooftop has become one of my many sanctuaries at home (and yes, it is safe!) I have, inadvertently, discovered a new world - God’s world – and a new lens through which to observe it.I cannot begin to tell you how beautiful the sunrises are. Each one has been magically different. I find myself holding my breath as I wait for the dawn – listening to all the sounds and taking in the world’s ambience as we change seasons. I watch as birds fly across and herald in the new day. Small, intimate flocks soar upwards towards the early rays. They warm their wings and practically celebrate their ability to fly. (Shouldn’t we all?) The colours of the dawn are glorious – a heavenly palette - as God brushes over the skies. Everything is new and ready. The chill of the breeze is tangible too and the foliage almost dances as those first rays hit the earth.I’m not advocating for everyone to climb on their roof, but I’m rather encouraging readers to search for their own personal, private space with God. For me, these are magical moments – celebrating our Great Creator! I am in awe. Every day, as that golden sun peeps over the horizon, I realise more and more how much God is in control – TOTALLY in control! I also begin to understand how much he loves me and provides for me. Each morning I am reminded:“Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22,23)God uses all situations to His glory. In my case, I have discovered that I can, indeed, share these sunrises. Yes, I manage to “live-stream” them to my friends on Facebook. God has made a way. I know that the videos have uplifted…