Hands Held High

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I used to be in a Christian school’s work drama team and we performed many different sketches in our time. Some really good, others quite cheesy.

One that we performed was called ‘Hands’. It spoke of how we can use our hands to build and create or damage & destroy. To love or to hate. To welcome or reject. It spoke of how man had chosen the darkness, disconnection & death when Adam turned away from God; and how Jesus the second Adam came to forgive and redeem us. How His hands were pierced by our hands nailing Him to the cross.

Now as redeemed believers we can lift our hands to Jesus in worship and adoration. Listen to Kari Jobe’s song Hands to the Heavens below.

Indeed in the Bible 2 of the words used for worship, involve the lifting of the hands: they are Yadah & Towdah. With the word Yadah (יָדָה) we get the image of throwing out the hands to God in confession and thanksgiving. We are raising our hands in a sign of surrender and casting our cares on Him. Aknowledging that He is God and we are not. That we are totally dependent on Him for our victory and indeed everything.

Saying that makes me think of Moses with Aaron & Hur; In Exodus 17 the Israelites were fighting the Amalekites and when Moses hands were lifted high with the staff God had given him above his head, then they were victorious; but when his arms were down they were pushed back, so Aaron & Hur helped Moses by holding his hands up. This links in well with last week’s blog post about ‘We’re in this together’. Moses was tired and he needed his hands lifting up. The battle had worn him out so he needed the support of his friends.

Sometimes were are that way too; we are tired and battle-worn and need the support of friends and family to lift our hands up to God for us to see the victory.

This Sunday the 25th March at Ty Llywelyn Community Centre from 7pm we are holding our monthly prayer meeting for the work of Llandudno Youth for Christ. To pray together that God would impact young people’s lives and for us to see their lies changed by Jesus. Please join us and let us lift each others hands up to God and see many victories won for His kingdom and His glory.

Be blessed!

PS: I found this image for how to use our hands as a reminder in prayer. 

We’re in this together.

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I wanted to write in today’s blog post about how, as Christians, we are not designed or made to do life alone. God is a triune God. He is Father, Son & Holy Spirit.

Before anything had been spoken into life by God, He was in perfect relationship, the 3 in 1 God of all creation. We see that in Genesis “Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”- Genesis 1:26-28. When creating man, God said let us make human beings in our image. He wasn’t talking to the angels, but was talking to Himself. I love that. God is a relational God. He wants to be in relationship with us.

Jesus came to restore our broken relationship with God. “For this is how much God loved the world—he gave his one and only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life. “God did not send his Son into the world to judge and condemn the world, but to be its Saviour and rescue it! So now there is no longer any condemnation for those who believe in him, but the unbeliever already lives under condemnation because they do not believe in the name of God’s beloved Son.” God has done everything we need to restore relationship with us, His heart is for relationship, and as we are made in His image, we are designed for relationship with one another. To walk together hand in hand with each other and God.

In the book of James we are told to “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” – James 5:16 and in Galatians we are told “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2

We are not strong enough to do this alone. We are called to do life with God and each other.

So if you are struggling in an area of your life, don’t go it alone. Speak to another Christian and pray together, inviting God into the situation, and see Him bring the victory.

Also, I just want to remind everyone that on Sunday 25th March we will be meeting again at the Ty Llywelyn Community Centre to pray together for the work of Llandudno Youth for Christ. Starting at 7pm and meeting until 8pm. Let’s come together and pray for this great work, lifting up our hands to God, for us to see Him move.

Be blessed!