NHCF Blog

I have experienced quite a few positives while living in the reality of our current lockdown. One area that has been a bit of a struggle is working consistently in this time. Some days go really well but then there are days like yesterday, when I don’t get nearly as much done as I should’ve. When chatting to Cammie about what I could possibly write about she made the point that I am probably not the only one struggling. Cammie mentioned that it can be quite challenging to work when there isn’t always someone to answer to directly in an office setting. I was reminded once again of the biblical principle regarding who disciples of Jesus actually work for regardless of whatever task we are attempting to accomplish:22 Slaves, obey your human masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, 24 knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for whatever wrong he has done, and there is no favouritism. 4 1 Masters, deal with your slaves justly and fairly, since you know that you too have a Master in heaven. – Colossians 3:18-4:1 Now I am in no way saying that I feel like a slave and my slave master is NHCF or wanting to get into a theological discourse on the topic of slavery. What I take from this passage, interpreting it in the modern world we live in, is more in the way of an employee/employer relationship. With this interpretation in mind, it only makes sense that I must work as hard as possible as it is an absolute honour to serve as a pastor to the New Harvest Family and to those God has brought my way. And at the end of the day the main person I have to answer for in regards to how well I work is to God Himself. So when we are facing a day when we don’t really feel like working, we must remember that God is who we ultimately work for and we should honour Him with our work, even when we don’t feel like it.Paul, on another occasion, put it like this:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God – 1 Corinthians 10:2This scripture takes it a step further in that we must glorify God not only in our work but in everything we do. To glorify God is to honor him with our lives and we are to do this in everything we do. This has been such an encouraging reminder that I know that tomorrow will be a better day as I try my best, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to live out these life giving truths.Much love,Luke

 This morning I sat down to read through some chapters of the Gospel of John, as we've being reading one chapter of John a day as a congregation since the beginning of the lockdown. I'd missed doing yesterday's reading so I started at chapter 17 and moved on to 18... and then I carried on to the next chapter without thinking... and then I just read through the remaining two chapters. I know the story, and yet even in reading it again I was captivated by it. The Gospel story has that effect, no matter how many times we read it or hear it, it retains its captivating power.We've just come out of Easter Week, a time where the focus is on Jesus life, death and resurrection. A time where we hear the old, old story once again. And once again, God has used the Gospel story to touch our lives. It really is the greatest story ever told!The words to the hymn Tell Me the Old, Old Story highlight the relevance that the Gospel has for our lives to this very day.  Tell me the old, old story,Of unseen things above,Of Jesus and His glory,Of Jesus and His love;Tell me the story simply,As to a little child,For I am weak and weary,And helpless and defiled.Tell me the story slowly,That I may take it in—That wonderful redemption,God’s remedy for sin;Tell me the story often,For I forget so soon,The “early dew” of morningHas passed away at noon.Tell me the story softly,With earnest tones and grave;Remember I’m the sinnerWhom Jesus came to save;Tell me the story always,If you would really be,In any time of trouble,A comforter to me.Tell me the same old story,When you have cause to fearThat this world’s empty gloryIs costing me too dear;And when the Lord’s bright gloryIs dawning on my soul,Tell me the old, old story:“Christ Jesus makes thee whole.”So let us continue to read and listen to the old story, let us continue to tell and retell it to others. There are those who desperately need to hear about God's remedy for sin, that Jesus came to save us. There are those who need reminding of the truth. There are those who need to receive the comfort the Gospel story brings. There are those who need to see the glory of the Lord that will always outshine the empty glory of the world.Tell them the old, old story of Jesus and His love.God BlessGraham

Today I fell asleep on the trampoline. After a jumping session with Cammie and Seth, they went inside and I stayed behind and had a lie down on the trampoline for a bit. I was thinking about a few random things and the next thing I was in and out of sleep. My amazing wife brought me a blanket and pillow so I could have a nap. After lying outside for a bit I got cold so I went inside and had a nice long nap and woke up feeling super energized! What I realised while reflecting on these events is that I have been very content recently.The simplicity of life has led me to be way more content than I usually am. I really enjoy my hobbies and that means I like to spend money on them when I can so this often leads me to doing a lot of research on what I may like to do or spend some money on. But since the lockdown began I haven’t really done that because instant gratification in many ways has been put on hold because nothing is open! What this has done has led me to be content with what I have in these current circumstances. I have found that I have been taking more pleasure from simply sitting around and playing with Seth, chatting to Cammie and my parents, or having some chill time alone playing some games. Today I was reminded once again of these words of Paul:11 I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. 12 I know both how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. – Philippians 4:11-12.The lesson that I need to learn from this new found contentment is how to take it back home with me after lockdown ends. Being content is super important because regardless of whatever situation we find ourselves in contentment is possible. At the end of the day we can always find contentment in Jesus – He is always enough – and He always will be.Much love,Luke

When we were first going into the lockdown, as many other countries had already done so or were going to, there were some "helpful" messages going around suggesting that people should be using the extra time to develop new skills or learn new things, to do some self-improvement. I'm sure the people sending out these messages had good intentions, they wanted to lift people's spirits by motivating them, and I am sure that there are those who appreciated the challenge. Yet I wonder, how many people have learnt that new skill? How many have actually achieved those "quarantine goals"?Now this isn't a big problem, until people start coming down on themselves for not achieving those goals. When they start feeling disappointed in their lack of motivation. A hugely unhelpful phrase that has been going around in various forms is the following: "If you don't come out of this quarantine with a new skill, you never lacked time, you lacked discipline." To make such a statement is to grossly ignore the extreme situation and difficulties we all face during this time.  In an article I came across this week they had a trauma psychologist weigh in on this motivational pressure that people face during this time of quarantine and there was a part of her assessement that really stood out to me as she spoke about the real challenges that people are facing:People are trying to survive poverty, fear, retriggering of trauma, retriggering of other mental health difficulties. Yet, someone has the nerve to accuse someone of lack of discipline for not learning a new skill... This cultural obsession with [capitalistic] 'productivity' and always spending time in a 'productive,' 'fruitful' way is absolutely maddening. What we need is more self-compassion, more gentle acceptance of all the difficult emotions coming up for us now, more focus on gentle ways to soothe ourselves and our pain and the pain of loved ones around us...I love it when someone, from a secular perspective actually affirms the wisdom of Scripture. In many ways the world is enslaved to this concept of capitalistic productivity, that your worth is tied up in how much you can do. Busyness is worn as a badge of honour. So many people have forgotten the importance of the Sabbath, God's command for us to take a break. To rest.12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 5:12-15)Do you know who doesn't…