NEWSLETTER - DECEMBER 2007

VERSE OF THE MONTH:
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." (Deuteronomy 33:27)

IN THIS EDITION:
Daddy’s in Control
Christmas Gifts With a Difference
Events

Daddy’s in Control
One of my favourite songs is “When it Thunders” by Jason Upton. Here are some of the words:

So I need for you to know
Whenever I go
God is in control
And you are in His arms

Daddy don’t sleep
Daddy don’t slumber
I don’t wonder when it thunders
If I’m safe in Daddy’s arms

(© Jason Upton - http://www.jasonupton.net/com/)

There is nowhere we can go or nothing that we can do which puts us outside of the love of God. There is no situation we face where He is not with us!

His promise to us is that He will always carry us; whether that is through the dessert, through the wilderness or on into the promised land (Deuteronomy 1:29-31). In fact, He promises to carry us ALL the way. He promises that whatever happens He will always be our refuge and underneath our lives are His safe, everlasting arms.

Sometimes though, we try and take control. When Satan was cast from God’s presence he became the ultimate orphan. He has sown something of that spirit into the heart of man and each of us is tainted with the desire to try and make it on our own. When God came to Cain after he had killed Abel He described his plight as a “restless wanderer”. He had no place to call his own, no place to make a home – nothing belonged to him. We, too, try and make a name for ourselves. We make an identity for ourselves based on what we have achieved.

This “restless wandering” has conditioned the heart of man. Yet there is a promise of redemption for us. When we are born again we are given a spirit of sonship and once again our hearts can cry “Abba, Father”. Jesus shows us how we can end the emptiness of an orphan life in Matthew 11:25-30. He shows us through His own example that the secrets of heaven are revealed to “little children”. His yoke is one of relationship, rest and fruitfulness.

As we come to know and rely on the love that God has for us (1 John 4:16-19) we are made complete in Him. We become like Him as He plants His spirit in our hearts. We start to live in Him and He becomes a Father to us. It is a very safe place when we put our lives in His control and allow Him to carry us.

Whatever you are going through I encourage you to choose His everlasting arms rather than relying on restless nature of the human heart.

Christmas Gifts With a Difference
Are you stuck for ideas of what to give this Christmas? Do you ever wonder what to give the person who has everything? Well, you may be interested in Helping Hands in Uganda – a small UK charity seeking to take the Father’s love to the children of the Kamuli District of Uganda. See http://www.helpinghands-uk.org and follow the link for Christmas Gifts.

Events
The Events page will be updated again soon – please keep visiting the website for information of events in the UK. If you are interested in events in Europe you may want to visit Jeff Scaldwell’s website and look at the itinerary there. http://www.fathershouseeurope.com

And finally....
Our very best wishes to you all as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour. May His love and peace fill your homes and families this Christmas season.

In His Love

Mark Gyde