Malcolm Cox

The Joy and the Pain Flow Together

Our daughter is getting married on Saturday! Hence a short newsletter and sent ahead of normal schedule.

Just a couple of things to mention.

First of which is to reflect briefly on the companionship of joy and grief. Lydia our daughter has been staying with us for the last few weeks. She left the parental home for the final time yesterday lunchtime. Off she went to Bristol to make final preparations for the big day on Saturday.

My wife and I stood outside and waved until she was round the corner. Then I put on my walking shoes and went for a prayer walk. Boy did I need it! This time of my life is one of the most confusing ever. I'm delighted for her. She's getting married, starting a new life, opening a new chapter, fulfilling her dreams and, indeed, mine. Yet.  The grief!

As I prayed down the country lane I told God that I felt as if part of me had been ripped away.  Never before have I felt such a mixture of elation and desperation. No doubt, God understands. Although it is not of the same order, Jesus fulfilling his destiny on the cross must have given our heavenly Father a tremendous sense of joyful anticipation for the good this would bring to humankind. Whilst at the same time, a powerful experience of the pain of loss.

Please pray for me and Penny as we process and embrace both the joy and the grief.

Secondly, and on a very different note, the value of community for refining focus. I'm blessed to be part of a wonderful 'Apollos' group. On our most recent Skype call one of the members, Toye, gave me some feedback on the project I've have mentioned elsewhere of a teaching day for the Watford church - coming up this November.  I've been struggling to fix on a topic. Toye suggested that before deciding on the topic it would be good to clarify the focus of the teaching day. In other words, who is it for? At least, primarily?

I was so glad for the input because I already knew that's what I should do. But I needed to be asked the question such that then I would take action. And take action I did. I sent a WhatsApp to the Watford church, and then had a brief discussion on Sunday. We found the necessary clarity of the focus. Which is, by the way, that the Watford church would like it to be primarily of benefit to their friends of faith.  Do you have people in your life you can help you refine your focus? It's something we need if we going to have the kind of impact that God has in mind for us. Right. I'm off to do a few last-minute pre-wedding jobs. 

I hope my posts this week will help you to grow in your confidence of and enjoyment of your unfettered, unlimited, unconditional access to our great Father.

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Prayer request

Please pray that all will go well at the wedding. Especially, please pray that we can bond deeply with Bintesh and his immediate family. We look forward to paying them many a visit in Bristol over the years to come. If any of you know the Gujarati for "Congratulations to the bride and groom", then please pass it on to me!

_______________________________________________________________________

Teaching Day Update

 I'm continuing to consider the book of Colossians for the teaching day in November. Do you have any favourite commentaries or books on that Epistle?

_______________________________________________________________________

Thank you for reading this far, and encouraging me in my endeavours to support our times of quiet with God, our corporate worship experiences, and the effectiveness of our preaching and teaching.

If you know anyone who might enjoy these materials, please send them a link to my website (http://www.malcolmcox.org) and encourage them to sign up for this newsletter.

God bless, Malcolm

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) .

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John

mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, Coach.me, coaching,  coach me, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox,

These podcasts are my attempts to think through how to have a deeper walk with God. To enjoy more satisfying and meaningful times of quiet with him. As I explore topics on these recordings I hope they help you, and that you can reflect back what you are learning so that we can all grow and learn together.

Today I’m in Buckinghamshire on one of my prayer walks and I’ve come across a sign.

The sign reads:

“This is a protected site under section 128 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. Trespass on this site is a criminal offence.”

The sign has a picture of a man with a red line across his body, indicating no admittance.

Underneath it continues: 

“The Chequers Estate is monitored by security cameras. Thames Valley Police.”

What is going on here? I had found myself walking along a footpath crossing the borders of Chequers. For those of you who don’t know, Chequers is the location of the country residence of the British Prime Minister, currently Boris Johnson. This is where he might come to entertain heads of state or notable people visiting our country, perhaps wishing to do business or discuss diplomatic issues.

As you can imagine, with a sign like that on the tree, I’m not going down that track. I'm clearly not meant to be going beyond that point. I don’t want to test the sign of no admittance. I have no desire to be jumped upon by soldiers or police. It’s not the place for me.

One can understand why heads of state need a high level of security and protection. Seeing the sign reminded me that no such barriers exist between us and God. Ephesians 2.18:

“For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:18 NIV11)

I love the way that we have all three aspects of God in this verse. Through him (Christ) we have access to the Father by one Spirit. Christ, Father, Spirit. 

It is because of their cooperative work that we have access to the Father. An access that we can’t buy, earn, or deserve. 

We often feel separated from people who are prominent in our society, but there is no separation between us and the Father. What an amazing thought. We have access to Him at all times. The word “access” is in the present continuous tense in the Greek. It’s impossible for a believer to exist outside of God’s presence. We always have access to His presence no matter what’s going on. 

Consider Hebrews 4.16:

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 NIV11)

Access is always ours. We can approach the Father. We can go to him, we can speak to him. There’s no reason to believe that anything can stand in the way of unlimited, permanent access.

A commentary I read puts it this way:

“We have access because we are those who desire to walk with the Spirit, those with whom the Spirit has chosen to walk.” Warrington, “The Holy Spirit", The Bible Speaks Today, p217.

The Spirit has decided, "I’m walking with you.” I’m in a field at the moment in Buckinghamshire, and the Spirit is walking with me! What a thought. I am walking with the Spirit right now at this very moment as I record this. The Spirit is with you as you listen to this today, or in 10 years down the line. We are walking together because he has chosen to walk with us despite his divine status and our lack of it.

The quote goes on:

“Despite his divine status, the Spirit is presented as undertaking a service for believers, resulting in their being presented to God in a superlative fashion; they are located in the very presence of God himself.” Warrington, “The Holy Spirit", The Bible Speaks Today, p216.

When you pray, when you consciously enter the presence of God, when you spend that time of quiet with him, you are being  presented to Him as one who deserves to be there. You are not approaching him in despair, not crawling in, nor walking backwards, or bowing low as if you have some kind of subservient position. You have the same position before God as Jesus. The Spirit presents us to God the Father in the same way Jesus is presented - as the one who is victorious, the one who is glorious, the one who is perfected. That’s the way we are presented. 

How does that affect the way that you pray? How does that affect the way that you approach God? Let me know what these thoughts stir in you today.  

I am glad I had that unplanned encounter with the sign today.  It has made me grateful for the glorious access I have with God.

Scriptures referred to or you might find useful: Hebrews 4.16; Ephesians 2.18

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) .

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John

mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, Coach.me, coaching,  coach me, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox,

“Abba, Father”: Romans 8.15-27

Praying in the Spirit - Part 2

Intro

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.” John 14:16–17

“When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13–14 NIV11)

“And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22 NIV11)

1. “Abba”

dadda 

A Christian is someone who wants God 

“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” Jn 14:23

Matt 6 - hypocrites pray to be seen 

2. “Father”

Not starting with “Lord” etc. 

God honours you as if you have done everything Jesus has done 

Start with “Our father” to remember your position

Conclusion

What do each of these four points mean for you & your ‘group’?

We - communal

Cry - real

Abba - relationship

Father - safe

How will you adjust the way you pray as a result of what the Spirit has made possible?

Suggestion: Use Romans 8.15 as a prayer frame for a week - “We cry, “Abba, Father.””

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) .

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John

mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, Coach.me, coaching,  coach me, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox,

Just a short one this week because my daughter is getting married this weekend. Exciting and busy!

I want to share with you something I learned from a lesson I taught this last Sunday for the Watford Church of Christ. It’s about the significance of asking good questions. 

I taught from Romans 15 about “Abba, Father”.  It was a sermon with a good proportion of discussion and sharing -  interactive. As part of getting the discussion going I asked a couple of questions. You can have a look at those in the video of the sermon or by listening to the podcast version.

The first question was something along the lines of, “What does ‘abba' mean to you?”  You will notice in the recording that I had to keep repeating and rephrasing the question many times before I got responses. This happened when I asked a similar question about the word ‘father’. 

On reflection, I realised that I’d been lazy about framing the question. It wasn’t precise enough. It didn’t immediately engage the heart and/or the mind. It was too general, bland and vague. 

Here are three tips for asking good questions which will generate discussion:

Avoid ’yes/no’ questions. Closed questions do not create discussion, they simply give you an answer. Sometimes that’s what you want, but if you are hoping to generate sharing it’s important to avoid such questions.

Engage the imagination. In Sunday's context it could have looked something like this: “Imagine you’re sitting down with your father. You want to have a deep conversation with him.  You sense he is willing to have this kind of conversation. What would you say to him? What would you ask him? Now, imagine doing the same thing with your father God.  What would that look like? What would you ask him? What are the barriers that prevent this from happening?"

‘When’ questions.  Ask people to think back to the past and times when they have had particularly meaningful intimate times with God. What was going on then? What prompted that intimacy? How did it feel?  When you ask ‘when’ questions you are helping people to access past experiences which may help them discover the contemporary application of what the Bible is teaching.

There’s much more that can be said about asking good questions, but this is a short tip because of the busy week ahead! However, I would like to know what you think. What tips do you have?  What questions are you using? What principles do you use for selecting questions? What’s been your experience of asking questions as part of a lesson?

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) .

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John

mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, Coach.me, coaching,  coach me, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox,

Access All Areas

August began last week, but for me it began this Monday. On the first Monday of each month I take more of the day to pray, read and plan. It helps me to reflect on what God has been teaching me over the previous month, and fix my spiritual eyes on the right priorities for the month ahead. 

This week I made a trip to a place called Ellesborough in Buckinghamshire. I parked by the side of the road and went for a walk along some marked footpaths. I ascended a hill with a tremendous view over the Vale of Aylesbury and spent some good time praying and praising. 

Walking on from there I came across a sign (detailed in my quiet time coaching episode for next week).  It indicated that access was barred beyond the point at which I was standing. I had unwittingly stumbled across Chequers - the countryside residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

The encounter reminded me of all the ways in which access is restricted. I've come across a few of those recently. The recent hospitalisations of my mother, my mother-in-law and my son had taken me into restricted areas. I've stretched the boundaries of visiting times to be able to comfort my sick relatives. I've been pushy with some of the medical staff to get the information I feel we needed. It's uncomfortable to bump up against those limits (even if they are there for good reason). But again and again I'm reminded of how fortunate I am that there are no limits on my access to the Father:

“...through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:18 NIV11)

As much as I strive to grow in my assertiveness with human officials, it seems to me also that I could grow in my spiritual assertiveness, or perhaps the word is confidence, in enjoying the status that God has declared I enjoy in his eyes. Status equal in value to that of his son, Jesus.

I hope my posts this week will help you to grow in your confidence of and enjoyment of your unfettered, unlimited, unconditional access to our great Father.

Prayer request

Once again - my mother's continued recovery from hip surgery.  Thank you for praying for my mother-in-law. She is finally back home from hospital.  Also, thank you for praying for my son.  He is also out of hospital and staying with us. Please continue to keep the wedding preparations in your prayers.  This time next week we will be celebrating the union of our daughter, Lydia, with her fiancé, Bintesh. Pray for me as I make my speech!

Teaching Day Update

I'm continuing to consider the book of Colossians for the teaching day in November. Do you have any favourite commentaries or books on that Epistle?

Thank you for reading this far, and encouraging me in my endeavours to support our times of quiet with God, our corporate worship experiences, and the effectiveness of our preaching and teaching.

If you know anyone who might enjoy these materials, please send them a link to my website (http://www.malcolmcox.org) and encourage them to sign up for this newsletter.

God bless, Malcolm

mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, Coach.me, coaching,  coach me, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox,

This last Sunday we tried something a little different. We had a song service with no instruments. Actually, that’s not quite correct. The only instruments in use were human. Vocal cords were vibrating, but no guitar strings etc.

It was a good example of a situation enforced upon us leading to a refreshing change. For some reason we were not able to get into our usual venue in time to set up for the use of instruments. Therefore we decided to go for voices only. What a  delightful alteration to what we normally do!

Have you tried a voices only Sunday recently? The tradition in which I’ve been ministering for many years has an a cappella background. We moved away from that a number of years ago. But, those of us who knew that tradition well also know that we have lost something. There’s a special sound the congregation makes when it is fully dependent on the voice for producing the sound of corporate musical worship. And there’s a special sound that comes when people are singing from the heart.

Why don’t we do it more often? Perhaps because we think the congregation won’t enjoy it. Maybe we are worried that people won’t sing out when the people around them can hear them sing (or squawk!) more clearly than when the instruments are covering the sound of what comes out of their mouth!

Perhaps we don’t know enough songs that will sound good without instruments. You’d be surprised. Many more people know the old songs than we might realise.

When’s the last time you did a voices only Sunday service? Not a devotional, nor a small group gathering, but a standard Sunday service? What stops you from doing it? Give it a go. Here are the songs we used:

How majestic is your name

Holy, holy, holy

In the kingdom

Stand in awe

Jesus, keep me near the cross

What a friend we have in Jesus

I hear God singing to me

There’s nothing wrong with using instruments. I enjoy playing my piano and I believe it and the other instruments we often use enhance our worship much of the time. But, what about a change?

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) .

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John

mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, Coach.me, coaching,  coach me, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox,

Today I am out and about on the first Monday of August.

I spend a bit more time on the first Monday of each month praying and planning and thinking about last month's lessons. I ask myself what God has taught me, and do some planning for the month ahead - looking at what’s coming up and what God might want me to be focusing on in my personal life, my relationship with him and my ministry responsibilities. 

So I’m walking around Butler Hill near Aylesbury and reflecting on something I heard yesterday from my good old friend Tony Heath. He preached in Lower Early on Sunday on the topic of spiritual maturity. One verse in particular stood out to me -  it’s Hebrews 5.14, 

“Solid food is for the mature who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil”. 

The key phrase there is "constant use”. 

Spiritual disciplines is at least part of what he is talking about here. This is how we gain spiritual maturity. Implementing God’s commands in our daily life, and in our times of quiet with God. The phrase in the Greek translated “constant use" can also be translated ‘constitution’, ’skill’, ‘outward appearance’. In other words it’s about who we are becoming. Not only on the outside, but something deeper as well. 

We grow as we become a person of trained habits which then affect the outward appearance, our whole constitution. Not only that, but we master skills that glorify God and benefit people. 

Our question today is, “Which is your favourite spiritual discipline? One you have practised regularly.” 

Maybe ‘favourite’ isn't quite the right word. But which discipline have you found to be effective through constant use? Why has it worked for you, and why would you recommend its use to others?

It might be a discipline like fasting or something like a prayer phrase. One I’ve been praying over the past five weeks is, “We cry, “ abba, Father””, from Romans 8.15. It helps me tremendously to remember that I am not praying in isolation, that I can be honest with God, that I have a ‘dadda’ whose face I crave, and a father I can trust. 

This week’s quiet time coaching episode is a short one because I have two relatives in hospital and my daughter is getting married soon. There is quite a lot going on, but I would really like to know your thoughts on spiritual disciples you have employed regularly because perhaps I could use that discipline myself more effectively.

Scriptures referred to or you might find useful: Hebrews 5.14, Romans 8.15

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) .

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John

mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, Coach.me, coaching,  coach me, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox,

Self-deprecating humour can be marvellously useful in effective speaking.  On the other hand, it has the potential to be unhelpfully distracting if used poorly.

Let me me bring you some tips about how to use self-deprecating humour from someone who may be the master of this genre, my friend Tony Heath.  He preached one of his typically straightforward and human lessons this last Sunday in Thames Valley.  He spoke on the topic of “spiritual maturity” from Hebrews chapter 5 and 6.

I’m going to use one of his illustrations as an example of the effective use of self-deprecating humour.  This illustration about playing badminton was used to bring his point, "Able to teach/Able to learn, Hebrews 5.11-12) to life. Have a look at this clip and then we will tease apart what makes it work.

I believe there are three aspects to self-deprecating humour which make it work.

Emotionally engaging not overwhelming.   Tony helped us to understand how we felt, and we were able to feel his embarrassment along with him. He came alongside us and we came alongside him. The feelings were real and reasonably strong. But they were not overwhelming. Self-deprecating humour is affected when it causes an emotional reaction, but it must not leave the listener feeling so sorry for the speaker that it stops them listening.

Meaningful, but not long.  Tony gives us enough information to be able to enter into his world. We understand how he felt. We can picture it. But, it was not too long with too much detail which would then distract from his point.

Closely tied to the point.  You will notice that the personal sharing about his badminton humiliation fits well into his main point.  He has not shoehorned it in just because it’s a good story.

What do you think are the most important aspects of self-deprecating humour? What makes it work? What prevents it from working well? Please share your own tips on this topic.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) .

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John

mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, Coach.me, coaching,  coach me, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox,

“We Cry”: Romans 8:15–27

Praying in the Spirit - Part 1

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth.” John 14:16–17

“When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13–14 NIV11)

“And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22 NIV11)

1. “We” 

“our father”, not “my father”, Matthew 6.9

Ephesians 2:22; 1 Corinthians 12.26; Acts 4; 2 Thessalonians 3.1; James 5.16

“How does the “we cry” help your life of prayer?”

“What is meaningful for you from this point?”

2. “Cry”

“cry” - deep emotion, in distress (see all NT refs to ‘kratzo' below)* 

Matthew 14.30; 9.27; Mark 6.49; John 19.12; Luke 19.40

Creation groans, Romans 8.22 

We groan, 8:23

Spirit groans, 8:26–27

“What kinds of life situations have we encountered that have caused us to “cry” to God in the Spirit?”

“What is the difference between moaning and groaning?

For what purpose? 8:28–29. Groan to grow.

Conclusion

What do these two points mean for you and your ‘group’?

We - communal

Cry - real

How will you adjust the way you pray as a result of what the Spirit has made possible?

Suggestion: Use Romans 8.15 as a prayer frame for a week - “We cry, “Abba, Father.””

*“Cry” (katzo): Matt. 8:29; 9:27; 14:26, 30; 15:22–23; 20:30–31; 21:9, 15; 27:23, 50; Mark 3:11; 5:5, 7; 9:24, 26; 10:47–48; 11:9; 15:13–14; Luke 4:41; 9:39; 18:39; 19:40; John 1:15; 7:28, 37; 12:44; Acts 7:57, 60; 14:14; 16:17; 19:28, 32, 34; 21:28, 36; 23:6; 24:21; Rom. 8:15; 9:27; Gal. 4:6; James 5:4; Rev. 6:10; 7:2, 10; 10:3; 12:2; 14:15; 18:2, 18–19; 19:17

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) .

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“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John

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The Power and Pain of "threes"

When I was a youngster I vividly remember my father complaining that bad luck always came in "threes". On that occasion it was the freezer, television and washing machine which all broke down at the same time.

This week the Cox household had its own version of the same phenomenon. The difference being that this was people, not household appliances. On Saturday my son went into hospital via A & E. On Monday my mother went into hospital for a hip replacement. On Tuesday my mother-in-law went into hospital for treatment on an infected foot. All are on the mend, but It's been a bit crazy round here as a result.

For a day or two we had three different relatives in three different hospitals in three different counties. Shuttling between them became quite the art for Penny and I. 

As a result, this week's newsletter is shorter than normal. Please forgive the brevity, but I'm sure you understand. Due to pre-recording a number of posts last week, I have managed to put up material on the usual topics.

Have you been dealing with a set of "threes"? I pray the one-in-three and the three-in-one we worship will bring you strength, comfort and wisdom.

Prayer request

You've guessed it - my mother's continued recovery from hip surgery, my mother-in-law's recovery from her foot infection and my son's recovery from his health challenge. Also, please keep the wedding preparations in your prayers. It's all systems go for two weeks today!

Teaching Day Update

I've made enquiries about using a Quaker meeting hall (http://www.watfordquakers.org.uk/) for the teaching day on Colossians (probably) in Watford on 16 November. Please pray we get the OK to use it if that is God's will. 

Thank you for reading this far, and encouraging me in my endeavours to support our times of quiet with God, our corporate worship experiences, and the effectiveness of our preaching and teaching.

If you know anyone who might enjoy these materials, please send them a link to my website (http://www.malcolmcox.org) and encourage them to sign up for this newsletter.

God bless, Malcolm