Reaping what we have not sown !

“Wherever there is reaping”, Evangelist Roger Carson says, “The hard work of sowing has been done first. Labour and reward are permanently linked in nature and evangelism”.

Gardening was Jude’s “Thing”, and about six years ago she set about remodelling the side of the front garden with passion. She loved tools & wood and her creative ability went right back to her days studying art at school. Using scaffolding boards, she set about on this new project and I was happy to watch from a distance!

What I had noticed nearly three years later after a little tidy it was looking incredible. All the beautiful grasses and plants had matured, the old cut down trunks of a tree were weathered and it was all looking fabulous. And of course, Mr Cockerill was still looking in charge, all I had to do was paint his beak!

Fast forward to May 2025 Jude’s earlier project was looking a bit sad after winter & needed a refurb! What amazed me was the compost heap she built & covered several years ago was ready to be used so I was able to transfer new soil to replenish the area. I couldn’t help think that in a practical way I was still, “Reaping what I had not sown”. It touched my heart and I thanked God again for Jude’s sowing all those years ago.

I couldn’t help stand back again today and say, “There you go Jude, your labour of love which has produced lasting fruit that remains. Even though you are with the LORD, you are still speaking through this and I thanked God for you”

Prayer

Dear Father, Jude is now in your presence, but as I looked at the garden project she did nearly six years ago, she is still speaking. As we sow both physically & spiritually, we know it can take time for the fruit to come but when it does it makes it all worth it.

Father, help me leave something that people will remember & enjoy.

Amen

The Stone of Departure

A group of us are preparing to walk part of the Camino de Santiago in late May and we have been busy preparing here in Northern Ireland with some wonderful walks and building relationships with each other.

Yesterday we walked up the side of Slieve Croob, County Down as a circular route, the weather patchy but probably nothing compared to the Pyrenees!

The views on a clear day are breath taking, (but not today). You can normally see Scotland, The Isle of Man, Lough Neagh etc etc. It’s an area I have personally come to love over many years and with Jude we used to have picnics at the top & fall asleep under the summer sun.

I have written about the Stone of Departure in the past but I can’t seem to find my original notes. I felt yesterday for a few moments to take the lads to a rather large granite stone just slightly over from the summit and share a few words.

Earlier in the week I had been reminded of the Stone of Ezel in 1 Samuel 20:19. David was waiting to hear from Jonathan about whether or not it was safe for David to return to King Saul. King Saul was very jealous of David & he was plagued by an evil spirit sent by God. He was on the war path to eliminate David, who was destined to become Israel’s next king.

David was hiding by the Stone Ezel to await the outcome. Jonathan on his return from his father would get a young boy to collect some arrows he had shot in the direction of the stone. The boy didn’t know David was there but the landing of the arrows gave David the sign whether he was welcome back or not. The arrows went ahead of the stone which meant Saul was looking to have David’s head if he caught him. David had to depart, leave the area and go on the run.

Nothing is wasted in the scriptures. The Stone Ezel means Departure or Showing the Way, and for a few moments I shared some practical aspects of this word and how we can find ourselves sometimes in a tight spot looking for Direction. These times can come while under severe pressure but because of the Providence of God we can trust Him in guiding our footsteps if we simply acknowledge Him in all our ways. Prov 3:5-6

It takes courage to step out even if it seems we are on the run like David……BUT what a Destiny awaits !!

It’s Only Half Time !

It was Tom’s first day in full time school. At lunchtime, he began to pack his small rucksack and head home, His teacher stopped him and said, “It’s time for lunch, Tom, why aren’t you with the other children?”

Tom said to the teacher, “I always go home at lunchtime, but I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Realizing what was happening, the teacher said, “Last year Tom you were in in a playgroup but this year you are full time, your only half way through your school day.”

Tom stared in disbelief and in frustration said, “Who signed me up for that?”

The above is a great analogy of those who have been bereaved and have entered the,” second half” of their lives this time without precious loved ones. I don’t believe any of us wanted to, “sign up” for that!.

But all is not lost as we navigate through a place we have never been before and it reminds me of The LORD’s words to Joshua after the death of Moses;

“After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land, I swore to their ancestors to give them.” Joshua 1 1-6

To develop this theme a bit more I was reminded of an excellent book I read by Gracia Burnham called, “To Fly Again”.

Gracia was widowed when after a long spell of abduction by Islamic terrorists, her husband was mistakenly shot dead by those attempting to liberate them. The account of coming to terms with bereavement and bringing up young children is an inspiring read.

She speaks of a basketball coach at a missionary children’s academy and how he was incredible at motivating his teams.

His inspirational point was at half time, “You’ve got to stay in the game!”

His analogy to life was, “Wherever you are in the world, and whatever you’re doing, the game is not over yet, there’s another half to go. My challenge to you today is this: stay in the game! keep pressing on, as Paul says in Philippians 3:14, ‘to reach the end….and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven”

I think after reading this most of us can identify with this analogy.

Gracia went onto say about her own life experience;

“The first half was long. It went well for the most part. But the last two minutes was very hard. I lost my all-star teammate. I had to fight like everything to stay in the game. Now-I’ve had my rest break. I’ve heard the halftime pep talk, I’ve gotten a cold drink, and the second half of my life is ready to begin”

Are you ready?

Some useful links;

Bereavement Journey Course Click Here

To Fly Again by Gracia Burnham, Click Here

The Dawn Of A New Day !

The release of the Israeli hostages over the weeks has been both sweet & sour. The joy & ecstasy of families re-united coupled with the hard news for some of the death of loved ones. What an emotional roller coaster which will take a long time to heal. But it is good news for many and I would just like to share about the Dekel-Chen family in particular.

Avital Dekel-Chen was eight months pregnant when her husband Sagui was abducted by Hamas. What caught my eye was the child was to be called Shachar which means dawn or sunrise. Sagui certainly had been sitting in darkness in the shadow of death before the sunrise of release, such joy! His daughters name certainly prophetic, holding out in a time of darkness until the light came flooding in.

It took me back to the day Jude took her last breath, 2^nd September 2021 at 6.30am which was the time of the sunrise in Belfast.

Zechariah, John the Baptists priestly Father prophesied after the birth of John of the Christ and referred to Him as the Dayspring, which means the sunrise.

“Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:78-79

One of the greatest blessings I have received through bereavement are the writings of the Scottish divine Samuel Rutherford. One of his biographers quoted about the closing moments of Rutherford’s life into glory.

“With the dawn of the 29^th March 1661, “it was said unto him, ‘Come up hither’: and the renowned eagle took his flight unto the Mountain of Spices.”

For believers in Christ, this Jesus the Daystar should give us much hope when we are in a dark place or about to take our last breath. He can be trusted to do what’s best.

David Watson whose book “Fear no Evil”, outlines his battle with cancer said regarding our last breath,

“Death is only putting out the lamp at the rise of a new dawn”.

We thank God again for the amazing reunion of the Dekel-Chen family.

I would recommend the following books for encouragement.

Fear No Evil by David Watson Click Here

The Inspirational Treasury of Samuel Rutherford Click Here

Tender Mercies

“Heavenly Father, thankyou that whatever this life may throw at us your right beside us, and some of the circumstances we encounter are the finger prints of God. Give us eyes to see you LORD in the good and the bad and remember to give you thanks in everything. Amen”

This is the prayer Jude ended with when she gave a talk on the first five verses of Psalm 103 just a few months before being diagnosed with Leukemia.

The Church at St Johns, Hillsborough like so many others were in the midst of the Covid outbreak so Pastor Raj asked Jude to do a few recordings to benefit the congregation during a difficult time.

Some of her opening words on this incredible Psalm written by King David were as follows;

“There are times when we need a good dose of Psalm 103 to wash out that complaining spirit & replace it with a heart of gratitude to The LORD”

Regarding the benefits outlined in the Psalm Jude quotes Spurgeon;

“God selects a few of the choicest pearls, from a casket of divine love, threads them on a string of memory, and hangs them about the neck of gratitude”

Just for a moment, I want to focus on the latter part of verse 3, “….and heals all your diseases”, Jude said:

“Healing is another one of God’s great benefits to our bodies, He brings healing to us in this life through natural & miraculous ways, He promises ultimate healing for all His people in the age to come”

Jude had already said that she had received a miraculous healing, (from the menopause). Read the account by Clicking Here.

Also, and prophetically she would later fulfil ultimate healing. Read the story by Clicking Here.

I came across Jude’s notes recently on this talk and was blessed to be able to watch a short video which is still ministering to saints today.

If you would like to watch Jude give this talk it will encourage & challenge you.

Tender Mercies: A talk by Jude Gray based on the first five verses of Psalm 105.

Click Here

May The LORD bless you with His benefits.

Mizpah !!

Bangor Harbour, Northern Ireland is such a beautiful spot when the sun is shining !!.

I couldn’t help notice the boat in the centre, its name Mizpah which reminded me of the encounter Jacob had with Laban in Genesis 31.

After 20 years of serving Jacob, The LORD finally told him to return to the land of his fathers and God promised He would be with him. (vs3). The LORD had also warned Laban to be careful when catching up with Jacob. (vs24). On paper it looked like there was going to be a showdown but, in the end, the two parties made a covenant sealed with a heap of stones as they went their separate ways saying, “May The LORD keep watch between you & me when we are away from each other”. The word Mizpah literally means ‘Watchtower’. I suggest if you’re not familiar with the whole context to read Genesis Ch 31.

Certainly, in Victorian times, there was an interest in Mizpah jewellery and the language turned more emotional to describe the bond between two people who were separated either by distance or death. This is a far cry from the original context as Laban and Jacob were not really in love with each other !!. But it spoke to my broken heart that day I saw the boat and ministered to me in a way that only God knows-thankyou LORD.

I write this on what would have been Jude’s 61^st birthday and I miss her incredibly more than words can say, but I am so glad I know where she is, “absent from the body but present with The LORD”, and birthday free !!.

As a token, I visited the ‘closet’ today and placed a stone, a very special one with the inscription ‘Mizpah’.

A Sudden Movement…….

On 8 June 2024, after 245 days in captivity, Noa Argamani and three other hostages were rescued from Gaza in a joint operation by the Israel Defence Forces, Shin Bet, and the Israel Police. Her name in Hebrew means, “movement”, and after those awful 245 days it was definitely a sudden one!

I think it was about February 2024 I began to feel a burden from The LORD about this particular girl. I knew her mother Liora was battling brain cancer and I knew her outlook was poor. I could only think of the word, reunion, and so I set about praying along those lines.

I have learnt over the years that having prayer lists are a good thing but what we really need when it comes to intercession is direction from The LORD, what does He want us to pray about?

I had been attending a church meeting on Saturday 8^th June and to be honest I had come away a bit discouraged with some conflicting thoughts about what had been shared by the preacher. I had no sooner left the meeting when a text came through four hostages had been released and one of them was Noa. All the disappointment from the meeting just disappeared and I was filled with ecstatic joy! Immediately I thanked The LORD, I’m sure amongst the many others who had been praying.

I wept when I heard she went straight to see her mum and the reunion had come to pass even though at this stage Liora was very sick. The doctors had been working hard with her over those months and they were confident that she could hear her daughter’s voice. Yesterday Liora passed away but her prayer had been answered.

At the funeral Noa speaking of her mother said:

“Thank you for being strong and holding on all this time, just so I could see you at least one more time.”

Being alongside Jude in hospital even up to her last breath was the greatest privilege a husband could receive. It is though I entered into Noa and her mum & dad’s situation personally because of my own life experiences.

The Apostle Paul said to the Corinthian Church:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.“ 2 Cor 1: 3-4

Ask God for a burden & be faithful to follow it through, it might change your walk and life forever.

Spared from the evil to come !

“The righteous perish, and no-one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death” Isaiah 57:1

Taken many years ago, this is a picture of Jude and the wee dogs walking in the direction of St Malachi’s, Hillsborough Parish Church. It hangs on my living room wall and has recently took on a whole new meaning of the journey we are all taking as believers to heaven. Notice the door open in the church, when the time comes we enter from time into eternity & into the presence of The LORD.

A few days after Jude’s promotion I received a letter from a friend in Scotland quoting the above scripture from Isaiah. I have often pondered on this because the days are waxing worse, The LORD is shaking the heavens & the earth once more. (Hebrews 12:26-29). Chaos in the Middle East lies at the root of biblical prophecy for instead of Shalom their is war. But one day there will be peace in Jerusalem and we are to pray for it. (Psalm 122:6-7). The LORD is about to return and His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives.(Zechariah 14:4).

In a way, Jude has been blessed by going away before the end time events really kick in and spared from any further evil. My friends realise that all those you love in Christ who have gone before you are spared the evil to come. Whatever their condition when they breathed their last breath be assured their days of suffering & pain are over.

Just to cement these comments, I have been reading the autobiography of Elizabeth Elliott, the wife of Jim Elliott who was martyred for his faith. While a student she wrote about the death of her science teachers brother at twenty five years of age.

“……when Betty’s science teacher learned that his twenty-five-year-old brother died of a pulmonary embolism they believed to be connected to his Army Air Corps training she said, “it was a great shock”. She wrote to her family, “but the Lord has a perfect plan, and we never know what He may have been saving him from”. Elizabeth Elliott A Life Pg32

So my friends, your tomorrow is not promised, there is a Gospel to live & preach so I close with a final word for you today;

“Be very careful, then, how you live, not as unwise but wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15)