Author: Heather Henson

I'm a woman happily married to the man I love. We produced two amazing children who each found a soul-mate. I now have three delightful granddaughters! I'm learning more about who I am so that I can let others be and be who they are becoming. I follow Jesus Christ, sent by God to reveal His Father's heart of love to the world. He saved me into a life of community, not one of isolation!

Friendship!

On By Heather HensonIn Devotionals, Personal Reflections, Sharing from my Journal4 Comments

Another New Year’s Day, with all its hopes and dreams, was just a calendar entry away…

Reflecting back on 2002 while peering into 2023, I wondered if there might be a defining theme for this next year. 

I turned to Jesus asking him for the gift of a word or phrase that would, like a compass, provide direction for me. Such theme-words have impacted me in life-giving ways in past years, so I really wanted to know! 

I waited, curious, resting in the sense of his presence that was within and all around me. The word floated in like a gentle breath of air that filled my being with joy and peace and wonder. 

Friendship

As I let the word rest in my soul I wondered, Jesus, would you please show me or tell me more about ‘friendship‘?

It was then that a verse—Jesus’s words—from the Bible came to mind (italics mine):

“I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father.”

John 15:15 (CSB)

There is so much for me to explore in the words of Jesus, not least the thing of identity—in the light of how God sees me in Christ. How I am to him, and to others. 

It feels like I’m embarking on a mission—a journey of discovery and adventure—with Jesus who calls me “friend” and shares secrets from the Father’s heart with me!

On another level, I celebrate those ones I call friend. I have met them throughout the world— Papua New Guinea and Greece (where I have lived); New Zealand, Philippines, Malaysia, Zambia, South Africa, Hong Kong, England, France, the USA … 

On another level I see that Daddy (it was Father God who asked me, to call him, ‘Daddy’) has heard the deep, mostly silent, cries of my heart in 2022. I finally recognised and admitted to him that I have felt lonely for meaningful friendship. 

In the most remarkable, gracious and unexpected (to me) ways, he has been connecting me with people who are becoming friends to me. What joy is this!

Even in the oft-maligned space of social media there are those with common bonds—writing is one of them—with whom I am developing a friendship. 

Some friendships are just for a season though their aroma remains in the fabric of who I am. 

Some friendships are close while others are on the edges—but equally precious in some way. 

My friendship with Jesus is a gift from the Father initiated by him. By the power of his Holy Spirit, he will continue transforming me into someone worthy of being called HIS friend.

And out of this friendship room in my heart, I will become a true (and truer) friend to the people in my life and those I am yet to meet. 

All this will happen as I keep hold of HIS hand and walk with HIM, following in the footsteps of Jesus—one step at time. 

As I think of you, friend, and ask God for a gift from his heart for you, I seem to hear these words;

“I invite you into a life of friendship. Come to Jesus and take My hand. I will fill the deepest parts of your heart that secretly long for connection. You will find that in me. I will not be a ‘fair-weather’ friend. I will not judge you, talk about you behind your back, abandon you for someone else, or even be disappointed when you don’t live up to those unreal expectations that haunt you. 

Trust me, beloved! Surrender to my love for you that saw me send my beloved, only begotten Son—Jesus—to the world. I am the friend of the outcast, the maligned, the sinner. I am a true Friend who will lead you into life eternal! 

Taste and see that I, the Good Shepherd, am GOOD!”

Heather Henson

Written December 31, 2022

Hush!

On By Heather HensonIn Devotionals, Personal Reflections, Sharing from my Journal3 Comments

“Hush

Do you hear the whisper of My voice? 

Amidst the din, the cacophony of the loud hustle and bustle noise of the world, listen… 

Listen for my powerfully-gentle voice! 

I AM peace 

I AM joy  

I AM love

I AM the truth 

I AM wisdom

I AM the way!

I invite you to come to Me and rest in the glory-cloud of My goodness. 

Take My hand and walk with Me—one step at a time. 

I AM your Helper who never leaves you or forsakes you. 

My name is Jesus, the only begotten Son of the most-high God!

I came to seek the lost and bring them back to My Father who redeems all things for the sake of His holy, pure and glorious Name which is above all and before all and beyond all things. 

Surrender it all to Me. Where your treasure is, there also is your heart… so let Me hold it all.” 

Jesus, I see a picture of someone who is holding so very much. Their arms are more than full and it looks so heavy. As I watch, they are trying to protect what looks like gift-wrapped boxes from those who come, one after the other, to take for themselves. 

Jesus, the burden of trying to protect what they have collected, and are now working so very hard to protect, looks like such a heavy burden. I see the frustration and anger building in their eyes. I see desperation rising as they work to protect what they are holding.

What will they do? Who will help them? What will happen? 

Jesus, I hear you say;

“Come to Me. All of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, come to Me. I will give you rest. 

Lay it all down so that you are free to receive the gifts that I have for you. One at a time. 

What I give you is life-giving and is light to carry. And you will never be alone. My Spirit is (and will always be) your Helper, wise Counsellor, all-knowing Guide, and your Advocate. 

As you rest in Me, your weariness is washed away. Peace envelops you filling every part of your being. Joy is your everyday strength that builds you up. My loving-kindness fills you with hope that never leaves. You are now free to sing and dance as we walk together. 

One step at a time directed and empowered by My grace. 

Beloved, in Me, you are home—forever and wonderfully home! 

Welcome!“

‘… Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”‘ – Matthew 11:28-29 (NLT)

All is Well

On By Heather HensonIn Personal Reflections, Sharing from my Journal2 Comments

“Beloved, I see your heart—your beautiful and tender heart!

I long to be THE ONE who, alone, gathers you up and draws you into the shelter of My presence. 

Within the beauty and serenity of My peaceful and joyful presence, the reign of My holiness creates an atmosphere where all is still. 

All is calm. 

It seems like the pause button is on and the endless hurry and driven rush and bustle of the world is silenced. 

In this ethereal silence—filled with the sound of My love and majesty—you breathe deeply of My hope, wisdom, confidence and joy carried in an endless stream of loving grace and mercy.

In this place, you are secure in your identity in Christ.

In this place, you are free to explore life, hand-in-hand with Jesus.

In this place, fear takes a back seat because courage inspired by a kingdom-of-God mindset fills and floods the room in your heart where Hope now reigns.”

And I turn to You, Jesus and know that all is well!

There is a future that beckons me to enter—confident and assured of Your ever and very present moment-by-moment help and guidance through the stream of Your empowering presence. 

You, the only wise God magnificent and holy in all Your ways, is for me. Your plans for my wellbeing are always excellent and trustworthy in harmony with Your heart. 

And I hear You say…

“Be still and rest in My eternal goodness, and together, we will continue to walk through life—hand-in-hand—one step at a time!”

Transition

On By Heather HensonIn Life's Lessons, Personal ReflectionsLeave a comment

Where have I come from? Where am I now? Where am I going?

It’s been two years and seven months and twenty-nine days, but who’s counting?

It’s not that I haven’t been writing. It just didn’t make it on to my blog…

While living in Greece, I wrote a lot – journal entries, emails, messages, social media posts, newsletters. It was all personal work and necessary to keep the vital highways of communication open with our (my husband Ross and I) family, friends, and partnership support team. Added to this, there was my (volunteer) work of writing, compiling, proofreading and editing as a member of the Hellenic Ministries’ Media and Communications Team. Beyond all of it was the business of living in a cross-cultural context complete with learning a new language, adapting to driving on the ‘other’ side of the road / car, and moving apartments in Athens four times in two and a half years which also meant new shop, streets etc.

So that was Greece.

Now this is Australia.

Then there was Papua New Guinea.

When I scan memories of my 60-plus years of life, I see that transitions happened from early childhood with a frequency that didn’t allow any moss to gather under this rolling stone!

One evening during the three years my family and I lived in Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the 1990s, I had a strong ‘aha’ moment. As if I was the first person to know this, I told Ross, “I don’t think Jesus likes our comfort zones!” We agreed to be watchful and prayerful in the hope of avoiding settling into those ‘familiar, safe, comfortable, confining and predictable’ zones in life where a dull, sleepy spirit might resist exploring an invitation…

In between living away from Australia during our years in PNG and Greece came a long list of international itinerant work-related and missional adventures. Ross and I travelled to destinations I had only dreamed about: Zambia, Hong Kong, Cambodia, China, Philippines, South Africa, Malaysia, Thailand and New Zealand.

It felt like I was on a fast-moving train that regularly paused at stations all called “Transition“.

The drama surrounding the move our family made to the PNG provincial capital of Mt Hagen after one year of life in the rural Baiyer Valley remains a strong memory. That transition, which came after months of serious law and order problems (23 people were killed around us in tribal conflicts), culminated in a third armed ‘hold-up’. This time it wasn’t Ross in the middle of it all – it was our six year-old son and I. This distressing situation was not what any mother would knowingly choose for her son. But Jesus, our redemptive God, had the final amazing word. But that’s a story for another time… 

How am I going to land this plane?

Transitions of all sorts have come and gone in my life, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s this: they will come again. How do I make sense of them? How do I live, and thrive, while I’m in the uncertainty and stress of transition?

Jesus is the answer! Our heavenly Father has promised that the Spirit of Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5b) There is no good reason why we have to make our way through life on our own, or on our own terms. The ‘Ancient of Days’ (see Daniel 7) always keeps His promises. After all, He is the Truth, so it is impossible for Him to lie. Jesus is a proven help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1), something which I continue to experience as I abide in His empowering Presence.

In a life-changing experiential encounter with Jesus in 2002, words that came to mind opened up a new space in my heart that I’ve been exploring with the help and guidance of His Spirit ever since.

“Think of the highest mountain you can!”

Going to my memories of PNG, I was just about to look up at the huge mountains that had made the little aeroplane in which I was a passenger seem even smaller when the Spirit of Jesus spoke again…

“But don’t look up. It’s too high. Take My hand, and we’ll walk one step at a time.”

More than a decade later, I was in a much larger aircraft flying at high altitude when these words came to mind as I focused my mind on to Jesus: “In every footstep of Jesus, there is so much to explore.“

In every footstep of Jesus, there is so much to explore.

A transition might be just a word that describes the process of exploring the adventure of moving from one divine footstep into another.

I know where I have come from. I know where I am now. I don’t know what lies ahead of me, but I do know the One who holds me secure in the uncertainty. I can choose to keep hold of my heavenly Daddy’s hand (agree with and yield to God’s wisdom and will) freely extended to me by His grace with such love, always confident that He knows the way forward – one step at a time – viewed through the lens of eternity spread out before Him!

Points to consider:

  • Do you fear change and transition? Why?
  • Some of my transitions have been rougher than others. The smoother ones have come as I have connected with, and being surrounded by, a supportive and loving community, including the help of a professional counsellor.
  • You and I won’t usually know what is around a corner on the path of life, but God knows it all. And in Jesus Christ, we are secure. Turning to He who is Love – choosing to focus on Jesus and coming close to Him – gives me the freedom to explore life with joy, and in peace.

Letters From Greece—#1

On By Heather HensonIn Letters From Greece9 Comments

Dear Reader,

It’s been a year—exactly a year today in fact—since my husband Ross and I moved to live in Athens, Greece. And what a year it has been!

Culture stress is a well-known phenomena experienced by anyone who moves to live in a culture new to them. Someone once briefly described to me how the human brain (or is it the mind?) reacts in relation to a new and unfamiliar culture; it made sense and helped explain what I was going through. In a fairly normal, everyday sort of situation in my new life, I automatically head off down a well-worn pathway in my brain only to find that I can’t go that way. All the familiar signposts don’t work here! The process of developing new pathways can be a confusing and exhausting one, even if the adventure of it adds a wonderful myriad of colour to my life!

So, you might ask, what are some highlights of this first year in Greece for me?

The food. Most local areas in Athens, like the rest of Greece, host a weekly farmer’s market known locally as the ‘laiki’ or more technically, the ‘laiki agora’; literally, it means the people’s market. Imagine table upon table of the freshest fruit and vegetables—and you’d be correct! Not only is the food fresh, but it is also seasonal. I remember the time I forgot about the lettuce in my fridge. I expected to find it wilted and sad; but no, I found a lettuce which looked fresher than I would’ve found in the supermarkets of Melbourne!

The people. (Maybe they should’ve come first!) This is a nation of people who are strong and resilient and creative… a people who have learned to persevere in the face of one trial and crisis after another—both historically and more recently. Hospitable, friendly, helpful, delightful, kind-hearted, passionate, encouraging. These are all words which might generally describe the Greek people I have encountered. Of course, there are exceptions, but aren’t there anywhere?

The language. One of the best things I chose to do was to more formally learn Greek. A lesson with Kiki (my teacher is Greek and she teaches Greek!) is a weekly adventure. Each new grammar rule expands the capacity of my brain, even if it does sometime ache with the effort! (Note to school students: it’s worth paying attention to those grammar lessons!) Each new word and phrase learned and practised, serves to open up a new avenue of communication! It’s an exciting new world, and one in which I have encouraging and enthusiastic language helpers most places I go to; supermarkets, the local church, market, neighbours… And just a note on language dear Reader; if you ask me to say something to you in Greek, in my experience, all my words seem to disappear somewhere I can’t access ‘on the spot’!

The roads. Oh, the roads! One of the major victories I have had during the last year in Greece, is to learn to drive on the ‘other side’ of the car, on the ‘other side’ of the road! Another has been to learn to expect the unexpected! That time when the woman crashed into the rear of our (borrowed car), I was so very thankful that Ross was with me, no one was hurt, she spoke English and she admitted fault! On a more general note, it seems to me that switching on the hazard lights of a car means its driver can pretty well do anything—even stopping unexpectedly right there on the road in front of you! I might add here that the many motorbike riders without helmets worries me. I’ve worked in a major hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. Enough said…

The weather. Living in Greece has allowed me to experience every season. Summers are long and hot made even hotter by heat waves! Anyone who can do so, escapes Athens in summer, especially in August. Winter was cold but not as cold as I imagined it might be. There was a brief covering of snow on the mountains just before Christmas which made for some super-cold winds but spectacular scenery! Springtime has possibly been my favourite season with its mild weather, and such treasures as the wildflowers. On my daily walks, to see the rich display of red poppies together with their neighbours all dressed up in blue, yellow and purple in a riot of colour, has been wonderfully life-giving.

The Celebrations. Christmas, Easter… It has been such an experience to be here and experience the various celebrations that are familiar to me but are celebrated in different ways. Maybe I’ll tell you about the red coloured Easter eggs another time (by the way, I didn’t see any hot-cross buns and very few chocolate products which was refreshing!). Other celebrations or remembrance days unique to Greece, have spoken into my love of culture and history.

Transition and Home. Dear Reader, Ross and I don’t regret leaving ‘home’ to come to live in Greece but we do miss our family and friends, not to mention all the familiar support structures that we took for granted. We treasure your communication with us and gifts of encouragement to us, as we continue to navigate our way through one transition after another. We’re gradually making new friends and learning how to thrive in our adopted home.

We began our adventure in Athens staying for a few weeks in an apartment in central Athens. From there, we moved to the foothills of one of the mountains surrounding Athens to ‘house-sit’ a property for eleven months (we sub-leased the fully furnished house). The cat, whose care was entrusted to us, will be joyfully handed over to her family soon! (We’re not ‘cat-lovers’—apologies if you are!) The coming three months will see us staying in different places whilst we wait for an ‘inner-city’ apartment to be ready for us.

May you and I know through faith and experience—especially in the winds of change and uncertainty—the reality of being held secure, at peace, in the sure and strong and wise grip of Jesus who is magnificently one with the Father.

Until next time,

With love from Heather

PS, What’s a letter without a few photos? Here are a few of my favourites in a slideshow…

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

The path

On By Heather HensonIn Devotionals, Life's Lessons, Personal Reflections2 Comments

IMG_1290

Imagine with me for a moment as together, we stand on the path…

Look! I see Jesus… He is standing there up ahead at the bend in the pathway! 

Of course Jesus has been with you all along! Did you know that? Or did you not recognise that it was Jesus who was with you all this time? Is it possible that you have been so intent on just getting to where you think you must be, that you paid no attention to Who it was that has been offering to equip you, help you and guide you on your journey in life?

Did you not know that if only you would come close to God, He promises to come close to you?

Or have you been so focused on the path itself—trying to work out how and where every part might fit in (does it even have a place?), that you lost sight of Jesus?

In perfect and loving harmony with God the Father, Jesus has not lost sight of you.

Did you notice the wonder and the beauty of the unfolding story contained within the path?

Did you see that even the smallest piece of rock has its own place and is held securely together in the cement?

Or did you think He did not care?

Did you think He did not treasure even the smallest part of your life that you thought would not matter? Did you think He was just watching—from a distance? 

You are loved by the Father-heart of God! He sees you. He knows you. Intimately. 

The Father’s plans are all about Jesus. He loves you with the same love He has for His Son Jesus! There is no other pathway to God except through Jesus.

Beloved, just like every one of your tears and sorrows is lovingly, carefully collected and treasured in the heart of God, so has every one of the steps you have taken this far in life been lovingly, intentionally and creatively brought together.

It is all there and there is more yet to come! 

Worked together. Held together in the embrace of Jesus who is The Way. The Truth. The life!

It is the only wise thing we can do. Leave everything to be where Jesus is. Go where He is going. Choose to partner with His Spirit wholly surrendered to God’s plans!

It is all for the glory of our redemptive and sin-forgiving God who is love and has the gift of life to freely give and invites us to join Him!

Through Jesus. For the fame of the name of Jesus Christ!

By the way… did you notice in the picture that the day is drawing to a close? The mercies of God—who is I AM—are new every morning.

“… we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. God knew what he was doing from the very beginning.

He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.

After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself.

And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.” (Romans 8:28-30 The Message) 

What else might the Holy Spirit want to speak to you about or show you as you reflect on my photo (taken in Athens, Greece)?

I see something different every time.

I see that there are gum trees and I am comforted by the grace of my compassionate God who has transplanted me into another land and gives me visible memories of my home in Australia.

I see the dry ground scorched by the summer heat and am reminded that by God’s grace, I am like a tree planted along a riverbank—with roots that reach deep down into the water. Such a tree is not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. The leaves of such a tree stays green and never stops producing fruit. (Jeremiah 17:8 NLT—paraphrased)

God has so much to show you. Get your journal out. Take the time to be still with Jesus and listen to His Spirit and receive all that He has to give you. 

Peace. Hope. Freedom in Christ. Healing from the inside out.

To love God is to trust and obey.

All for Jesus!

Home

On By Heather HensonIn Life's Lessons, Personal Reflections, Uncategorized1 Comment

So I’ve been thinking about home a lot lately. But where is my home? Is my home in Eltham in Australia? Is it in Athens in Greece? Or is it found in all of the places in which I’ve lived during my 58 years of life? Maybe home is where I was born…

What does ‘home’ mean to you? It might be a haven of security and belonging that even now draws you back to an atmosphere wherein love, peace and rest prevail. On the other hand, it might be somewhere you dread being even in the distant shadowy memories of long ago years shoved away in a dusty ‘don’t go there’ room in your mind.

I need home to be a haven where I get to relax having tuned out the cacophony of the voices in the world all clamouring to exert their influence on my mind.

After a day spent navigating my way through life with its accompanying intersections each demanding a decision (which way is the right way?) or deciding what to do about the roadblocks, detours and confusing one-way streets where my forward momentum seems somehow even temporarily threatened… I just want to go home!

But what if ‘home’ no longer feels like home?

What do I do? Where do I go?

Maybe the better question is, “To whom do I turn?”. I discovered long ago that I am a traveller on a sojourn passing through this world with all of its brokenness and beauty…

My real home is in Jesus in the heart of God—the great I Am who asked me to call Him “Daddy”.

So it doesn’t matter where I am in the world when I practice resting back into His presence. It doesn’t matter who I’m with… or not with. It doesn’t matter whether the language is different. It doesn’t matter.

It’s in God where my place of security and belonging rests. The guarantee of an eternity lived ‘at home’—one with Jesus where I am forever healed, forever content, forever fulfilled and satisfied, forever tuned in to the sound of heaven—is the beloved Holy Spirit who made His home in me when He drew me to Jesus.

That day when I believed what I was hearing within the hidden depths of my being—that Jesus loved me and wanted to make His home in me—that day when I said “yes” was the day that I found out where my real, forever home is…

No matter where I am in the world.

Heather Henson

20th July 2017

 

Ross and me

Where?

On By Heather HensonIn Life's Lessons2 Comments

Have you ever wondered where all the people are going? Have you ever sat in the safety of your dwelling place and wondered…?

Here I am on ‘day 3’ in Greece—downtown Athens— and I’m wondering. How do I do life in this place mostly unfamiliar to me? The explorer in me is weary from all the preparations of just getting here. The courageous part in me wants to hide for a few minutes, maybe even a few days. The observer within me is watchful and alert, working hard to interpret and process all that I see around me through the lens of my personality and experience of life.

So many questions with an accompanying cacophony of emotions… What is happening around me? How do they do it? How do I do it? What do you call that? How much is that? Where does it go? What does that mean? What must I do? How do I ask for that?

I don’t fit in. Yet. Will I ever?

I witness the uninhibited joyful response of the woman behind the counter as I use her language to say “Thank you for your help” and I know I will keep going…

Life. It really is all about relationship and not so much about the task after all.

And I know I will explore—one step at a time. Where the people are. How they get there. Where they are going. I will join them on their journey even if my steps are a little tentative at first.

My dwelling place is a safe and secure one. In this place of belonging I am daily prepared and equipped for exploring the world around me.

I go out. I come back in. I go out… The very air I breathe—the very atmosphere in which I have my being—in this place I am utterly loved and accepted.

So I will remember to live and love well for life is not a guarantee but a gift. And I remember.

I follow Jesus and when I follow Jesus, life happens…

Man in alley

A journey with Stephen…

On By Heather HensonIn Devotionals, Monday Morning Minute, Personal Reflections, UncategorizedLeave a comment

So what is it, that the Father might be saying to us at a time such as this? It seems to me that it is as simple and as profound as a story of glory—the triumphant glory of God that has not been and will never be, extinguished by the darkness!

Imagine that you’re present—in this story recorded for us in the book of Acts 6-7. You are there living the journey with Stephen—working alongside him, helping him.

How exciting it was to be present that day when he was chosen by the community of Jesus-followers to serve them in the distribution of food to the widows of the Greek and Hebrew speaking believers? It was like you could feel the atmosphere was charged with the holiness and passion of God!

You had heard that Stephen had a reputation for being ‘a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit’. (Acts 6:5) and now you realised that Stephen was not just serving food to the people in need. Important though the task is, you have been recognising that it is never all about that. It is about relationship. Whenever authentic community is allowed to exist and is practised, God’s goodness and grace and mercy and compassion are on display for all to see! 

Whenever the Word of God speaks, you have been learning that we do well to listen. But not just to listen because it is when we believe God and put what we have heard into action that it becomes life… And life charged and empowered by the power of the Holy Spirit changes everything! 

You saw—sometimes through your tears—that through Stephen’s life in-action, God had gifts to give to the ‘little ones’ who are so easily forgotten—marginalised by a world locked in an insane struggle for power.

Now of course you remember… Jesus always honoured the people who the world rejected. He only did what he saw the Father doing! He never treated the vulnerable—the ‘lepers’ of society, the ‘invisible’ people like they were victims and expendable— people to sweep out of his way.

Their needs were (are) opportunities… opportunities for God to reveal his glory, his majesty, his goodness and his eternal loving-kindness  to the world who was (is) watching. 

You stood with Stephen as he along with his colleagues was prayed for and commissioned by the twelve apostles. Then in the days to come, you watched as a principle was displayed for all to see and understand: in the hands of the author of our lives, a job description becomes something infinitely more than anything imagined, planned or authored by man alone. 

You watched in amazement as Stephen—full of God’s grace and power—performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. You had learned from history so you were not really surprised that he attracted opposition. It came this time, in the form of a group of Jews from a local Synagogue. But do you know what the worst thing was? These men couldn’t stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke so they persuaded others to tell lies about him. 

It was awful! Of course, the people always did become enraged in an instant whenever they imagined the law of Moses and the holy Temple were being blasphemed but the speed with which you saw the religious leaders became involved was incredible. 

That day, you heard truth! The very words of Jesus (yes, you heard him speak them with your own ears) were twisted and used with malicious intent against Stephen. You sensed evil at work that day—invisibly and visibly—bent on stealing, killing and destroying…

But the wonder of what happened next! You watched in awe when you saw Stephen’s face became as bright as an angel’s with the glory of God shining upon him, within him, all around him. Everyone just stared at him in amazement, their mouths wide open!

It was then that the priest in-charge spoke. You turned, this time to stare at him as he arrogantly asked Stephen if the accusations levelled against him were true! The way he asked made you wonder if he had already made up his mind about the matter.

The way Stephen replied was amazing and reminded you of the words Jesus said about a time of great persecution ahead. He said, “You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!” (Luke 21:12-15 NLT)

It looked to you like the religious leaders were pleased with what Stephen was saying… in fact it was like listening to the lesson for the day in the Synagogue. But all that changed when he pointed out to them that they were ‘heathen’ at heart and deaf to the truth! And then he asked if they were going to forever resist the Holy Spirit—which was what their ancestors did! 

Oh! He really gave it to them! The Truth would not be silenced! He said that their ancestors persecuted every one of the prophets that God sent to them but not only that, they even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One, the Messiah. He even told them that the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands! After all, who amongst men could build God a resting place when heaven is his throne and earth is his footstool! 

You wondered… is it possible that the Temple and the traditions of the law of Moses had tragically somehow become a form of idolatry reinforced time and time again? Had this idolatry hardened—even encapsulated—their hearts to the Father of our beloved Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ? 

It seemed like the Father was giving these people whom he loved so much, another opportunity to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus in faith. But they would have none of it that day. The power of the ‘story’ was too strong in them and it was like they served it. Anyone perceived as a threat to their story was being treated as ‘the enemy’.  They chose that moment, to become infuriated by Stephen’s accusation. They could have chosen to turn to God—truly remorseful and repentant. They had a choice but sadly, you recognised, they had made this choice so often that it was like it now owned them.

You watched with awestruck wonder as Stephen—full of the Holy Spirit—gazed unwavering into heaven and saw the glory of God! He saw Jesus standing in the place of honour at God’s right hand. He testified to what he saw even in that moment, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honour at God’s right hand!” (Acts 7:55-56)

The speed and violence with which the engaged religious leaders grabbed Stephen was awful and terrifying! You watched with horror when men took up one stone after another and with a deadly force borne out of self-righteous fury, struck him again and again…

With tears streaming down your face, you watched as Stephen—innocent of the charges brought against him—prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Falling to his knees, he shouted, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!”  (Acts 7:59-60) 

And you remembered Jesus… 

Oh… and the triumphant glory light of God? One of the witnesses who stood in agreement to the killing of Stephen, was a young man known as Saul who was soon to find himself in the very centre of the focus of that same glory! 

Oh merciful and great I AM! Keep us from the folly of resisting your Holy Spirit! Help us to more fully surrender (by faith with joy and thanksgiving) to Jesus and experience true and lasting freedom to live in unfettered abandonment to your ways and to your will… No matter the cost of the opposition that we will attract! For Jesus sake! For your glory! 

(References: This story was taken from the Bible book of Acts chapters 6-7 NLT.)

The Joy of Creation

On By Heather HensonIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Imagine! The Creator of the universe is standing with you. Right beside you… to your right. He turns to you and with a twinkle in his eyes says, “Watch this…” 

Looking up into the night sky, you watch as he flings a star into space. His throw was amazing to watch. There was no sense of randomness or trying hard to get it right.

This was the Creator having fun. Enjoying himself! 

You watch as the Creator of the universe paints a picture on the easel of the dark canvas of the night sky. But this is no ordinary work of art. This is life. But this is not the ‘still life’ sort of art you have seen artists in the world work to copy from a model set before them.

No. This unique art exhibition created by him is living, vibrant and joyful—singing in worship to the Creator—the One who spoke it all into being. The One who sustains it all by the power of his word!

This masterpiece—set high in the heavens by the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—testifies to the brilliance and power and majesty and love of our Creator.

“Did you like that? he exclaims as he turns to you looking into your eyes! The energy and loving kindness, the sense of ancient wisdom there—you see all of this and more—somehow mixed in together in the limitless depths of his eyes.

You know you are looking in to the face of the eternal I AM who I AM. The Ancient of days. The Author of life—your life and mine.

Rich and satisfying. Abundant life!

Resting his hands on your shoulders, the Creator speaks to you with an intensity that has every part of your being quivering. You know that you cannot contain this energy that is even now building within you. You begin to wonder, “What will it take? What is going to happen to release this energy? Am I going to explode?”

Suddenly, Jesus lifts one hand from your shoulder and turning, he looks up once more into the night sky. “Look what I did with that energy! Look what was created through me! By me. For you. To point you to me. You cannot contain my power… relax into me and let it flow. Let it flow through you. My Spirit will guide its flow according to our Daddy’s plans. And remember—the plans… they are all about me!” 

For the glory of God!

Let us worship the Lord—our God! Ascribe greatness to the Creator immersed in the beauty of his holiness…. in the splendour and wonder of his majesty!