A Personal Update

You may have been following my blog for a while and have questions to ask about some of the things I have written. If so, please feel free to contact me through my own email address at erikretallick@yahoo.co.uk or erik@worldprayr.org. It is my intention to include some further thoughts and observations on this personal website, in addition to the official World Prayr blogs which I publish, so that you may see that I am an ordinary person like the next man or woman, wrestling with the same issues in our very sad and troubled world from October 2014 onwards. Like most people, I often feel bewildered, angry, frustrated and helpless in my encounters with the news, beauracracy and the huge corporations and political forces which seem to work against our best interests day by day. I always try and remind myself that God is ultimately in control of all that happens, and that everything is ultimately guided and directed by Him! One thing we need to remind ourselves, is that God's grace and love is still extended to everyone, regardless of their race,gender, their past life and seeming insignificance or lack of status in the world in which they live. My prayer in these days is that many may find the source of all peace and comfort in their lives, through accepting Jesus Christ as their Saviour, believing that He died on the cross about 2000 years ago, and that He rose from the dead to give us salvation through faith in Him, plus the sure hope of Eternal life, as He was raised from the dead. As many older Christians who know these things deep in my heart, there are times when I experience doubt, anger and frustration as I look at the world around me. Nevertheless, God in His grace brings me back to His word, the Bible, and I realize that my eternal hope of forgiveness for all the wrongs that I have done as well the great hope of eternal life, serving and worshipping Him in heaven, are only the result of His saving power and grace (undeserved kindness) in my life. Like most of you, I have good days and bad days, but deep down in my heart I know that God loves and cares for me, even though I am nothing special and can only offer back to Him the gifts which He has given me. It is the same for you, you may feel worthless, beyond help and have experienced many difficulties in your life. Nevertheless I want to bring you the only good news that there is today. It is not about becoming rich and famous, but putting your faith and trust in the only person who can lead you to God, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). He loves you so much and cares for you more than anyone else can (John 3:16-17). I would love to hear from you if you have any questions about my blogs or this one, so that I can guide and help you and lead you to the true source of hope and deliverance from sin (wrong-doing), God's one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

Do your mornings need Reforming?

Do your mornings need Reforming? [Translate] ​Do your mornings need Reforming? By Erik Retallick “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” ~ Lamentations 3:22-23Open in Logos Bible Software (if available) I don’t know what you are like when you wake up, first thing in the morning? Except for a short spell at school when I used to do a newspaper delivery job and got up at 5.45am, mornings have never been the time of day when I am at my peak performance (to say the least!). Even at the age of 13-14 I think I must have done it on automatic pilot. There is a tea mug available to buy here in the UK which has a picture on it and some writing with it which says “I hate people who sing in the mornings!” I think I may buy one at some time, just to drop a hint. Our old Pastor who has now moved to another Church used to really emphasise how it is so important to get each day off to a great start with Prayer and Bible reading, and for me this is still a constant struggle. No matter how early I go to bed the night before, this formula doesn’t work for me. However, looking at and reading Psalm 139 tells me that we are individually made, and I think that after God made me, He must have thrown away the mould, thinking, “there isn’t room in the world for two people like that!” There is a verse I love in Proverbs which says, ”If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.” I think you know from what I have already revealed which of the two people I would be in this illustration! It is because of my weak point, that is, when I awake in the morning, that I take great comfort from the verses in Lamentations quoted at the beginning of this article. These thoughts and words stand out like light from a lighthouse at sea, in this tiny book, squeezed between Jeremiah and Ezekiel in the Old Testament. The book, written by Jeremiah most probably, because of its similarity in literary style to the book of Jeremiah, shares his overwhelming sense of loss that accompanied the destruction of Jerusalem, its temple and temple worship, to which Jeremiah was an eye-witness in 586 BC. This date was the earliest it could have been written, the latest date being 516 BC, when the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem was dedicated, after the Jews’ return from captivity. To suddenly see Jeremiah’s affirmation, written as he was led by the Holy Spirit in chapter 3 verses 22-23, gives the sign in the midst of darkness and hopelessness there is hope and future prospects of change in the circumstances of ruin and captivity of Judah by the Babylonians in 586 BC. I see a parallel sign of hope in my personal situation, my attitude in relation to the beginning of each new day. After all, our faith is based on facts not feelings. The great fact stated in these verses, which I cling on to for dear life, is that God’s love, mercy, grace and compassion are renewed every morning. It is because of His love, grace and compassion that I have even woken up to see a new day in the first instance. Everything else is a bonus and a great blessing to me, knowing that I am saved by Jesus’s death on the cross, have new life as a result and am blessed by God’s great grace and love! I pray that I am also enabled by His Holy Spirit dwelling within me to be a blessing to others I meet and contact during the day. Yes, I know that my life needs reforming in the morning, (I like things with rhymes, they are useful sometimes!) but I know that God loves me now, just the way I am. Maybe one day I will walk out on the street early in the morning and greet my neighbours in a loud and hearty voice, but knowing what it feels like to be on the receiving end of such friendly gestures from others, maybe I will turn the volume and heartiness down a little and save it for later in the day! Eugene Peterson expresses Proverbs 27:14Open in Logos Bible Software (if available) in this way. “If you wake your friend in the early morning by shouting “Rise and Shine!” it will sound to him more like a curse than a blessing (The Message). Photo credit: Jean-Francois Phillips / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND Erik Retallick serves as Sr Pastor and President of World Prayr Ministries. He lives in Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK with his wife Hazel. He has two grown children, daughter in law and two grandchildren. A Speaker, Teacher and Musician. Leads an extremely varied life with many challenges and blessings, full of tears, laughter and great fulfillment!