The Lightfoot Lane Blog

So what do you think? I’m probably biased, but I think the 6th and latest issue of our magazine Heart is the best yet! A big thank you to my team who for the last 3 years have worked so hard to produce such a quality magazine.

For those of you who weren’t aware, we produce 5500 copies of Heart 2-3 times a year, and people who are part of our church distribute around 5000 copies to their neighbours. The latest issue has the theme “21st Century Church”, because at Fulwood Free Methodist Church we believe that Jesus Christ is as relevant to the 21st Century as ever, and we want to show our community that as a church, we too are part of the 21st Century!

But what I’d really like to know is what you think? Do you think Jesus Christ is relevant to today? Could he have something to say to you? Do you believe he ever existed? What do you think of church?

Boring? Irrelevant? Untrue? All these are questions people regularly ask of us, and of God. But as many people are discovering, Christianity is certainly not boring! In a messy, mucky world looking for meaning, it’s certainly relevant. And as for untrue, we believe that there is enough historical, physical and scientific evidence to say that faith in Jesus Christ is not a blind leap of faith, but a reasonable step of faith.

Please, post some comments to this here and tell me what you think! Ask me your questions! Or if you are local, why not come along to our next enquirers group, Christianity Explored, in a local pub/restaurant in the Autumn and explore for yourself!

I hope you enjoy reading our magazine. If you have missed any of the back issues, you can find out more and how to request a copy at Heart Magazine.

It’s been a month or so since I last blogged on Linda and myself, and since many of you are praying and supporting us I thought it was time I’d give you another update, as I promised I would!

We are doing OK at the moment, things in our house are “normal”, which for us is a good thing! Linda is on chemo 2 out of every 3 weeks, but has only one more cycle (starting today) to go before we have to agree/decide what to do next. There are a few options, one of which involves traveling once every 3 weeks to wherever in the country a particular new drug is being trialled, which they are thinking of putting Linda on. The other is starting a new type of chemo longer term.

The bottom line is Linda is very good at the moment – to use our consultant’s words having been very ill at the start of the year, her bloods have returned to “normal” (in a cancer sort of way!) We were told then that half her liver (the right lobe) no longer worked, and the left had started to fail Then this chemo began, as did a Sunday night prayer meeting after the evening service here at Fulwood. Now she is back “to normal” being mum, doing school runs etc. Her hair has even returned curly since this photo was taken! We had a good half term last week, getting out to the lakes for a short walk and picnic one day and a drive up to Stocks Reservoir and the edges of Yorkshire another.

So thank you for your prayers - God does hear - and please don’t stop! When she is not on treatment, her tumour grows rapidly and experience has been that we progress to the next stage. So we really need to know a clear sense of “what next” when we see our consultant on Thursday.

Continuing our series on Secure in…your faith, on 20th May I am speaking on Is “His” Story History? and in support of my message, please find below some links to the evidences I refer!

1. Biblical Archaeology,
2. Dinosaurs,
3. King Solomon-Gezer 1, King Solomon-Gezer 2,
4. Belshazzar,
5. Capernaum,
6. Evidence for Jesus Christ - Outside the Bible

In preparing this message, to quote from someone much more well known than myself, “I felt my heart strangely warmed!” I woke up in the middle of my night with the excitement of speaking on this, and found myself on my knees praising and worshipping God at 1:30 in the morning with tears streaming down my face in thanks to Him for truth!

Those of you who know me know I have some pet sayings - one of which is “we do not have a blind faith!” Our faith is based upon evidence that stands the test. And once we realise that our faith is not just something we believe because of feelings, or hope that we have “backed the right horse for eternity!” but instead is based upon historically verified evidence that IT REALLY HAPPENNED, God’s truth can finally travel from our heads to our hearts and transform our lives!

It’s been a while since I last posted here on this subject - but my thoughts are still bubbling around the verses I wrote on last time from Mark, and how farmers intentionally sow and nurture their crops rather than trying to harvest what grows by itself. This is drawing me back again to encouraging us each to think intentionally again who we might reach.

Something that we have been encouraging for a while is the idea of 5 in focus - praying regularly for 5 people who we would like to see share our relationship with God. But maybe 5 seems too many - how about starting with one? If you could reach one person, who would it be?

As the summer is starting early and promises to be a good one, we dusted off our barbecue at the weekend for the first time. It reminded me of what a fantastic opportunity it is to invite friends/neighbours round to spend time with us - and I always intend to invite them round.  But like me and washing up, there’s nothing wrong with intending to do it, it’s the lack of action that’s a problem!!! Since people often need to belong before they want to believe, how about intentionally setting a date in the next two months to finally invite those people round you’ve been meaning to invite for sometime?

With Hope 08 coming up, if we really want to see our friends and family becoming Christians next year, then I guess we need to start further back and begin clearing the ground in readiness now.

Thank you for your continued prayers for us, and your encouragement - it means a lot to us.

For those of you who have been following our blog, you might be interested to know that as part of the seeker service here at FFMC on Saturday May 5th, Linda will be sharing some of her experiences, thoughts and story. We just pray that something of her experiences and circumstances will help others to be able to trust God in whatever they are facing.

Thank you all so much for your continuing prayer and practical support - we appreciate you all so much. For the last month or so, Fulwood have begun meeting to pray for us as a family on a Sunday night after the evening service, and when they began Linda was really quite rough. Since then, she has felt so much better, so much so that the last couple of weeks have been some of the best she has had for a long time, and for us as a family, almost normal!!! Thank you.

Last Sunday night we were able to go together to Lancaster FMC where I was preaching in the evening, and the folk there asked for a picture of us as a family so that they could pray for us - and know who they were praying for! We’re not great at family pictures, but here is a couple for you!

Anyone who knows our kids know they are a real scream! Well, a week ago I had to do my first funeral…we will really miss that hamster! It was really interesting watching our kid’s reactions to the death of a pet. Kids are remarkable, and listening to them and their comments was quite revealing. When they told me that Squeaky was now in hamster heaven, the Pastor in me wanted to correct their theology. The father in me on the other hand felt completely different as I watched their faces, and just wanted to hug them and assure them how loved they were. What a picture of our Heavenly Father - not someone far away who is oblivious to how we feel, but rather a good loving Father who just wants to hold us tight when we hurt, a Father who understands pain.

Mind you, when Tim asked if Squeaky had died because he’d thrown him across the room………..(he hadn’t it was old age!)

Thank you all for your prayers. It is truly humbling to know people across the world, many whom we have never met or know of, are praying for us. Thank you so much. Last week saw Linda have a blood transfusion, and as a result she is a bit perkier. The chemo has helped as well, and so we are trying to make the most of a rest in this before resuming again next week - the medical emphasis now seems to be emphasising quality of live more than anything else.

Cancer Research say that more than one in three of us will get some form of cancer at some point in our lives. The thing is, you never think it will be you.

When Linda was diagnosed in 2002 with a grade 3 aggressive breast cancer, that’s what we thought. Linda was expecting our 4th child at the time, and had been told in the August by our GP that as she was too young to have cancer it was probably just a cyst. Imagine our shock when she was finally seen by the hospital 4 months later, 10 days before Christmas and we were told something different. And so the emotional rollercoaster began. 

I’ve talked before about how God stepped in but what lessons have I learnt? Is it possible to cope? I think sometimes people are waiting for me to fall apart as if coping were not possible! Linda and I took a vital decision together right at the beginning that helps us cope; we agreed to take the decisions of faith and leave the medical decisions to the doctors. The release that this brought has been incredible, as we have discovered that although doctors want the best for you, treatment is more often cause and effect than a scientific certainty. Having released this, we do not have to chase after every medical wind that blows to find hope, especially when they admit that they cannot cure her cancer.

I believe that mankind was never meant to do life on its own, and placing our hope in God has brought a peace in the middle of the storm that is tangible. I never understood Psalm 23 before -

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Your rod and your staff they comfort me.”

When we read the Bible, do we actually believe what is written? Is it true, or just nice homilies that get trotted out by someone on a Sunday? Can it really transform your life? I’m just an ordinary bloke who said OK to God. I never knew that I’d face this. Yet as I’ve said before, “If God is who he says he is, then I can stand.” I don’t know how you cope with the storms that life throws up - we all have them, I’m not unique. But I appreciate in hindsight how valuable it has been getting my relationship with God right, putting my armour on, in a time of peace. I don’t have to pull the arrows out before I can lift up my shield of faith. That’s why I say to anyone who will listen, put your trust in God in a time of peace, so that you can face the tough times with someone alongside you who cares. It doesn’t mean you don’t feel pain, but you have someone with you who can give you real peace and security.

They say you should preach messages that impact you first, and in preaching on Fighting your Giants With Faith this was certainly true for me. There were many things that come out of this passage, but for me one of the most helpful came from comparing the reactions to Goliath of the Israelite armies and David. (1 Samuel 17:25&26)

Linda and Tim just before her cancer returned

It’s an old chestnut I guess, but one that takes on greater urgency when you are facing giants. The Israelites compared their giant to themselves. David compared his giant to God. Who had the right perspective?

I find that facing the cancer giant is tough, scary and hard work. It saps my energy, strength and battles my will, forcing me to have to make conscious decisions and choices. There are also no guarantees - David could have been killed! Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego could have burnt in the ovens (Daniel 3) but chose to say instead “We know our God can save us, but even if he doesn’t…” Choosing to fight giants means counting the cost of authentic Christianity, living in the battle with faith, hope and love. We say we want to see God move in power, but to engage in a battle means we will get battle scarred before we get battle hardened. If you don’t believe me, just read through the book of Acts! 

My giants may not be your giants, but your giants are still giant to you. Don’t put yourself under even more pressure by comparing your giant to your situation, or even to someone else’s giant. Instead, try looking at them through eyes of faith that compares them to God and says instead “Still my heart will say, blessed be your name.” “Come Lord Jesus, come.”

It’s exciting when you see God at work. It’s REALLY exciting when you see God at work among people you know and care about!!! It makes you think that this God stuff really works…………!

Each One Reach One picks up this excitement by encouraging us to INTENTIONALLY walk and journey with those we care about towards the cross and beyond into the church. Taking responsibility for our friends is at its heart, recognising that your friends actually like you (!) and are more likely to be interested in what is important to you if you are interested in what is important to them!

But isn’t being intentional cold? Is it wrong to have an agenda? What if my friends turn round and say “You are only my friend because you want me to be a Christian?” Surely we should just let things happen?

I was reading Mark 4:26-29 (the parable of the growing seed) recently and this intentionality struck me afresh. As churches across the UK, we don’t have hundreds of people breaking our doors down wanting to become Christians, our expectations are more likely to be to “eat what grows by itself.” I’m not a farmer, however, if a farmer’s approach to his crops was to harvest what grew by itself, he’d go out of business quickly! No, a farmer intentionally sows seed, nurtures and cares for it (fertilises it!) and then harvests it. God may well make it grow, but the farmer has a part to play!

So being intentional in walking with our friends far from being cold and uncaring is actually the most loving thing we can do for people we care about. Loving unconditionally means that if our friends do turn round and say “You are only my friend because you want me to become a Christian” we can reply ”Whether you respond or not, I’ll still be your friend! But the Jesus I know is so amazing that how could I be a true friend and not share him with you?”

“Blessed be Your name, On the road marked with suffering,
Though there’s pain in the offering, Blessed be Your name.

You give and take away, You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say: Lord, blessed be Your name”

For a while now I’ve been encouraged to write a blog about Linda and facing her cancer together; the words of this song sum up a lot of how I feel! After a great weekend together in London, this week has been especially hard, being told that her cancer has progressed and her liver is now beginning to fail. With 4 young kids, that’s tough.

Linda on the London Eye Sat 27^th Jan

Sunday night I’m preaching in our David series on Fighting your Giants with Faith and for me, and I guess many, giants don’t come much bigger than terminal cancer. That’s my giant, but I know I’m not alone. And then when you try and give answers to the “why does God allow this to happen” question, anything you say ends up sounding trite.

In living with cancer I have learnt a few lessons, which I’ll try and explain in time. For now, a few lessons I’ve learnt as a starter for ten…

• We all face giants, and my giants may not be yours, but yours are still giant to you
• Better to face them with God than on your own
• We were never meant to try and do life on our own
• Faith isn’t faith until its all you’ve got to hang on to
• Better to put the armour of God on in a time of peace before the battles start
• Better to get yourself straight with God in a time of peace than when the bullets are flying
• Christians weren’t saved to be safe, but secure
• God is very, very real and worth trusting
• With those you love, intentionally and deliberately create special, memory times

Yesterday at a minister’s fraternal we looked at Colossians 1 v15-23, the whole passage is great but v17 jumped out at me – “In him [that’s Jesus] all things hold together.” For me, in tough times I have learnt that for real peace, I have to choose Jesus, to drive back into him, place my trust and hope in him. In all of that Jesus is no fair weather friend, and I have learnt that my faith is not dependent on whether or not he comes through for me.

“Blessed be Your name, On the road marked with suffering,
Though there’s pain in the offering, Blessed be Your name.

You give and take away, You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say: Lord, blessed be Your name”

[If you don’t know this song, see

http://shop.kingswaysongs.com/product_info.php?products_id=22  

For those not familiar with our story see my testimony http://www.fulwoodfmc.net/content/view/17/26/ or the second issue of our magazine "Heart" (copies available on request!)]