graham blog

by Graham MolA young boy makes his way down into the dusty valley. Before him stands a mountain of a man, tall and thick as an oak, and as fierce as a rabid dog. Thousands of eyes are turned upon this remarkable sight. One stands in gleaming armour too heavy for most men to carry, a broad imposing javelin strung to his back, an intimidating colossus. The other in simple shepherd boy clothes, unarmed except for a leather sling. The wager on the upcoming battle was the lives of each army, and the odds looked to be unfairly stacked. This iconic battle is familiar to many of us. The battle of David and Goliath. A young shepherd boy versus the towering Philistine giant. Knowing the outcome we sometimes lose sight of how incredible David's victory was over his foe, and just how bizarre it must have been to see a humble shepherd boy step forward as the chosen champion to fight for Israel. At that moment, before the battle was decided, which army would you have preferred to be in? The boy did not even have any armour on, it looked like a futile fight.Despite this David approached the giant with confidence. How on earth could he not be quailing in fear? We find the answer in his reply to Goliath's taunts:45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:45-47 NIV)Over a thousand years later we would come across a similar placing of confidence, as the Apostle Paul wrote that those who trust in Jesus "put no confidence in the flesh". Many trust in their resources, their own strength and competence, just as Goliath was secure in his vast size and power, and shining armour and weapons and yet have fallen before some plucky believer, who had no right to win the battle and yet did because of the unlimited strength and power of the One to whom he prayed.28 Do you not know? Have you not heard?The Lord is the everlasting God,    the Creator of the ends of the earth.He will not grow tired or weary,    and his understanding no one can fathom.29 He gives strength to the weary    and increases the power of the weak.30 Even youths grow tired and weary,    and young men stumble and fall;31 but those who hope in the Lord    will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles;    they will run and not grow weary,    they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)There is tremendous encouragement in the story of David…

by Graham MolToday as I was listening to music in the car I heard a worship song called He's Always Been Faithful. It was clear from the words and some of the melody line that the song-writer took inspiration from the great classic hymn: Great is Thy Faithfulness. In that moment of listening to this song I was once again reminded of God's incredible faithfulness and what it means for us in the ups and downs of life. Here are the beautiful lyrics from He's Always Been Faithful:Morning by morning, I wake up to findThe power and comfort of God's hand in mineSeason by season, I watch Him, amazedIn awe of the mystery of His perfect waysAll I have need of, His hand will provideHe's always been faithful to me I can't remember a trial or a painHe did not recycle to bring me gainI can't remember one single regretIn serving God only and trusting His handAll I have need of, His hand will provideHe's always been faithful to me This is my anthem, this is my songThe theme of the stories I've heard for so longGod has been faithful, He will be againHis loving compassion, it knows no endAll I have need of, His hand will provideHe's alwaysHe's always been faithfulHe's always been faithful to me These words remind me of the incredible blessing that God's faithfulness is in my life. What a wonderful source of encouragement it is to know that no matter what each day brings - the good, the bad, the peaceful, the difficult - in it all and through it all He is faithful. He will not abandon me, I will not walk alone. In any challenge I face, I know that I can go to Him. He will give me wisdom, He will guide me, He will carry me through.Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful, (Hebrews 10:23)When I have doubt, when I have fear, it means everything to me to know that He is there. Even in the darkest moment, the light of the hope that I have in Him shines through. He is my God, He will deliver me. Great is His faithfulness.God BlessGraham

by Graham MolThe ongoing load shedding this week caused by a  lack of power got me thinking about a different kind of power altogether. You might be familiar with the following words written by the Apostle Paul:For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power, (1 Corinthians 4:20) To gain a better understanding of what Paul means when he writes this I had a look at the context of the passage. In this part of his letter to the Church in Corinth Paul has stern words to say to those who would not listen to his instructions for them to change their attitudes and behaviour in Christ that were causing issues. Some of their arrogance stemmed from the fact that they didn't think Paul would actually come visit in person. Paul states that he will indeed come, if it is the Lord's will, and that he would not come with mere words but in the power of the Spirit, just as he had ministered before (see 1 Corinthians 2:1-5). It was up to the members of the Church to decide if Paul would have to come as disciplinarian or gentle encourager.The question is, what can we learn from what Paul is saying here? The following commentary provides a great insight:God's kingdom is not about talk, Paul declares. It is about power. That's easy for all of us to forget. So much of our practice of Christianity focuses on words being preached, read, or prayed. All that talk, though, is meaningless without the legitimate power of God behind it (James 2:26). Paul does not want the Corinthians to forget that he did not just introduce them to big ideas that can be captured and manipulated with words. He introduced them to the power of God available only through faith in Christ and the Holy Spirit. (BIBLEREF)This is such an important reminder. With all the different opinions, ideas and ideologies being thrown around these days it is vital for us to remember that only Jesus has the power to save. Only God has the power to deliver on every promise that He makes. Our faith is not based in mere talk and ideas but in the glory, power and goodness of our Lord. We believe in a Kingdom of transformed lives. Those who were lost and under oppression in the darkness being delivered into the healing light of freedom in Christ.We believe in a Kingdom of power! God BlessGraham

by Graham MolToday something brought to mind an inscription that had caught my eye during a tour to Israel that we did with a group from the Church in 2013. Here is a photo of it: "May the Lord guard your coming in and going out." This phrase refers to Psalm 121:8"The Lord will guard your going out and your coming inFrom this time and forever" (NASB)I remember thinking at the time, what a wonderful blessing! Today I feel that I have an even deeper appreciation. These words were a prayer over our family during the hard lockdown last year, when leaving the house to go out to the shops felt like an expedition into the unknown. We were all so mindful of the risk of leaving the safe isolation of home to go out among others, potentially exposing ourselves to catching the dreaded coronavirus while we shopped for essential supplies.As we've come through the first and second wave, and restrictions have loosened up, life has settled into a sense of normal where we go out without too much apprehension anymore. We forget what it was like at the worst times last year. Pausing to reflect, as I consider the words of Psalm 121:8, I am grateful that the Lord did guard our coming in and going out. We were shielded from the dreaded infection.As the potential "third wave" looms, I can be at peace as I trust the Lord for continuing to keep watch over us as a family.And so, I say to you, dear reader,"May the Lord guard your coming in and going out." God BlessGraham