In addition to being available here on the net, you could have the Word of God e-mailed every week. If you have an e-mail address or access to a friend's and would like to receive a word of encouragement, all you need to do is e-mail CCM at office@ccm-international.org with the subject Word of God. 23rd JUNE 2008 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who believe on him and receive eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:12-16 It seems that I have something in common with the great apostle Paul, maybe there is hope for me after all. What an incredible letter it is that Paul writes to Timothy, confessing what kind of person he was and what Jesus had done for him. I find it amazing when you read passages such as this, and how so much can be said with so few words. Also when you read the words of old hymns or some of the new worship songs, and I think “Why can’t I put my thoughts and feelings into such wonderfully clear, meaningful words?” But is not that what make the scriptures and such like so special? When I look at how my life used to be, and how it is now, I have so many mixed emotions and thoughts. I feel relieved, relieved that I have got away with out having to serve the punishment of my wrongdoings, relieved that I no longer have to carry the weight of my guilt. I feel so blessed that God should think of me as He does. Don’t you feel the same? To know His forgiveness, to know His Love, grace, mercy and much more. I am sure, that like me, you too know there are times when we let him down, and we’re still not the person He wants us to be, but as Paul says, We were shown mercy that in us, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who believe on him and receive eternal life. Lord Jesus, thank you that you are always patient with us, ready and willing to forgive a truly repentant heart. We are sorry that we continue to sin, sometimes we are just not strong enough to resist the temptation. Thank you that you forgive us and strengthen us to go on, little by little becoming more like you. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we will be stronger in our faith, more steadfast in faith. Thank you for pouring out your grace on us abundantly. Lord Jesus help us, sinners all, to grow more like you, to persevere and to share your gospel with those who don’t know you. By your Holy Spirit, help us to bring glory to your name, and all this we ask for your dear namesake. Amen   Back 9th JUNE 2008 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him: He is of age he will speak for himself.” …… A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know, I was blind but now I see!” …. “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” they asked. He answered “I have told you already and you did not listen, why do you want to hear again,? Do you want to become his disciples too? …… We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from” they said.   John 9:20-34 What a brilliant reply the man gives to this, I wish I could be so quick and wise with my responses to people. Consider who he was talking to (the Pharisees, teachers of the Law). He said “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. (This guy knows his scriptures better than the Pharisees do. He was taking them to their own scrolls Psalm 34:15-16, Psalm 145:19-20, Isaiah 59:1-2) Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” What a difference having a clean window makes. Whether it’s in your house or in your car, a dirty window prevents clear vision. A dirty soul prevents clear vision too. When Jesus comes and washes away your sins, everything becomes so clear. I too was blind. Blind to the reality of the gospel. Blind to who Jesus is. Blind to how much of a sinner I was. Blind to the spiritual aspect of life on earth. Blind to how much Jesus loved me. Blind to how important faith in Him is. Blind to how much I needed Jesus in my life! Blind to much, much more, but, for whatever reason, and at the right time, Jesus opened my eyes, Hallelujah! Now I can see! Praise God! What a Saviour! I remember my baptism, some 22 years ago, when I came up out of the water, I remember the wonderful feeling of being clean, on the inside, an amazing experience. Father God, You are truly wonderful. Thank you for all you have done for us, your created. Thank you for opening our eyes and helping us to see clearly. Thank you Jesus, that you took each one of, born sinners, born blind, and you washed us through your blood shed on the cross. We can never repay you, but give our lives back to you, for you to use us as you see fit. Help us to bring glory to your name, the name that is above all other names, that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue confess, you are Lord. Amen.   Back 2nd JUNE 2008 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. James 3:7-13 Who can keep their tongue in check? Certainly not me and I’m sure you’re probably the same. It must be one of the most powerful things in the universe with the ability to make someone feel so good yet the ability to cut someone down, to scar people for life and destroy them. The tongue, what a vicious part of the body! James describes it as a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire and is itself set on fire by hell. He also says if you harbour bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast about it. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. (that’s straight talking isn’t it?) For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. He then tells us what is correct, But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. Oh to have such wisdom! What wonderful people we would be. What a difference we could make in our communities. What amazing witnesses we would be to Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. As it is, I’m sure that many people in our communities look at us, look at our lives and just see more hypocrites. How important it is that we watch what we say, that we don’t gossip and moan about other people, but that we either say something positive about a person or don’t say anything at all. How important also that when we do say wrong things we go straight before our God and ask forgiveness. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Lord God, please forgive me for how I use my tongue; for all the nasty things I say. By your Holy Spirit, give me the wisdom that comes from you, wisdom that is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit. Help me to impartial and sincere. It’s my hearts desire to come closer to you and understand your heart more and more. By your Holy Spirit, help me to draw closer to you. I submit myself to you totally, you are my Lord and Saviour, my master and friend. Fill me with your Holy Spirit until I overflow and help me to keep a tight rein on my tongue, using it more and more to build others up and to encourage them in whatever way I can. In the amazing name of Jesus I ask, Amen.   Back 27th MAY 2008 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt..  &;James 1:2-6 Problems, who needs them!? Don’t they come along at alarming rates and all without being asked too? That’s most rude! But James tells us to consider it pure joy whenever we face them. That’s because he has the wisdom to see beyond them and see that they develop perseverance. I suppose it’s not much different than the athlete and his training, or the body builder and his training. All that effort, pain, discomfort, often injuries, all to see a better end product. What is it they say, no pain, no gain? But what of us and our Christian walk? We too are in training which is often painful and uncomfortable. It is necessary, James says, to pump up the perseverance muscles. Perseverance needs to finish its work so that we can be mature and complete, not needing anything. If you don’t understand the principle of this, ask God for wisdom, He gives generously because God loves a cheerful giver. Is that not amazing? He says you will suffer trials, of many kinds, but, if you have the wisdom to understand these trails, problems, are actually just another exercise in life, helping to make perseverance stronger to enable you to be more mature and closer to being complete. It’s tough going through trails and even though we may have people around us to help us, they don’t have to go through the problems we have, they may be able to help us in small way with our trial but we all have to go through our own trials. Our friends have to go through theirs too. If we can get through our trials without it having a detrimental effect on our relationship with God we come through stronger, with a deeper faith and the outcome? Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 Lord God, thank you for trials of many kinds that I go through. At the time, it is very difficult and some trials are more painful than others, but I thank you because I know you are with me through all the pain because you have promised never to leave me nor to forsake me. Thank you for helping me through my problems and to come through them stronger and wiser. Thank you for helping my faith to grow and mature. I ask you Lord, to give me wisdom so I will be able to understand all things better, and I look forward to receiving the crown of life you have promised to me. Help me by your Holy Spirit to persevere through any trials that come my way this week, and help me, through them to bring glory to the name of Jesus. Amen   Back 12th MAY 2008 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb. “Great and marvellous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the Ages. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” Revelation 15:2-4 The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings – and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers. Revelation 17:12-14 Did you watch the programmes on the royal family? I did and I found the more I saw of them the more I understood them, actually I found the Queen especially endearing. She reigns from Buckingham Palace and we don’t really know what she does, how she fills her days or how she thinks, but spending time with her on the programmes allowed us to get closer to her. Jesus however has told us how he reigns in Scripture, and if we spend more time with him we will come to understand better how he works, how he thinks, how he reigns. I know many of you reading this won’t share my love for the monarchy, however, she is the Queen and there is nothing we can do about that. Unless, you actively work to bring the monarchy down. But isn’t that the opposite of what God tells us to do? He tells us to pray for those in authority. Why do you think he says that? Because He is in authority and if we can not accept the authority around us, how can we accept his authority? It is all about submission! I had a great conversation with a mechanic last week who was adamant that there is no God. He told me how he loved to argue with the Jehovah’s Witnesses when they knock at his door. For over 45 minutes in the office of the garage he scorned and ridiculed with me, all in good fun of course, but then he had to do an MOT on the charity van. After a few minutes he called me over saying he needed my help. When I got there in the corner of the workshop and out of ear of his colleagues he began to ask some very pertinent and direct questions about Jesus and the crucifixion. I had a wonderful opportunity to share the gospel with him and why God had the need to send Jesus. Although I have learned a little more about the Queen I actually still know very little about her. So how am I able to make a judgement on her? You know, there are millions of people who know nothing about God but, because they know better than God or any other person on earth, have already made up their mind about him, if that applies to you, my advise is, that with an open heart and mind, you find out more about him first, then make your mind up. Then the angel said to me. “Write. Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added “These are the true words of God.” On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:9,16. Lord God Almighty, I humbly come before you now to give you praise and thanks. I worship you and bow down to your authority. I submit to you my King, my Lord, my Saviour. I am your servant and eagerly await your command. Help me by the power of your Holy Spirit to go out to share the gospel of Jesus, and make disciples of all nations, the nations you alone rule over. Forgive me, your created, for trying to tell you how things should be. Fill me with your Holy Spirit until I overflow, continue to fill me so I continue to overflow. Send me out in your power and under your anointing. Help me to know and sense your presence at all times. Help me to bring glory to the amazing name of Jesus. Amen.   Back 5th MAY 2008 Praise the LORD! I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures for ever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate. He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant for ever. He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations. The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness. He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant for ever – holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.To him belongs eternal Praise. Psalm 111. An elderly lady was well-known for her faith in God and for her boldness in talking about it. She would stand on her front porch every day and shout, "PRAISE THE LORD!". Next door to her lived an atheist who would get so angry at her proclamations he would shout, "There is no Lord!". Hard times set in on the elderly lady and she prayed for GOD to send her some help. Once again, she stood on her porch and shouted, "PRAISE THE LORD ... GOD I NEED FOOD! I AM HAVING A HARD TIME. PLEASE LORD, SEND ME SOME GROCERIES!". The next morning the lady went out on her porch and found a large bag of groceries and shouted, "PRAISE THE LORD!!". The neighbour jumped out from behind a bush and said, "Ha..Ha. I told you there was no Lord. I bought those groceries. God didn't!". The lady started jumping up and down and clapping her hands and saying, "PRAISE THE LORD! He not only sent me groceries but He made the devil pay for them!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!". God is truly amazing! How he provides for his people can often be almost unbelievable. I remember one lady in Romania telling us of a time when she received two bags of sugar from one of CCM’s Relief Aid deliveries. She told us how she actually felt guilty for having two bags so she prayed and asked what should she do with the second bag. God told her to take it to a particular neighbour of hers and so this is what she did. When she arrived at her neighbours and handed the sugar over to her, the neighbour broke into floods of tears. When she composed herself she explained why she was so emotional. It was her daughters birthday and not having any money to buy her a present she wanted to bake a birthday cake for her. She had all the ingredients except the sugar and had just at that moment prayed to ask God to provide some sugar so she could bake the cake. How often we miss out on God’s blessings because we trust in ourselves to provide our needs. I suppose that comes from having too much and not having to depend on God to provide. Father God, in one way it is good that we have all we need, but in another way, it is a shame that we no longer have that deep need to depend and trust you for even the smallest of things. Even so Lord we look to you as Jehovah Jireh, our provider, and thank you for all we have and are, please help us to share that which you have blessed us with, with those who have less than us. We pray Lord that in the coming weeks, you will use us as your instruments to bring your blessing to someone who has greater needs than we have. Help us bring glory to the name of Jesus, and ultimately to bring glory to you. In Jesus Precious name we ask. Amen.   Back 28th April 2008 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is Light, in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make God out to be liar and his word has no place in our lives. 1John 1: 5-10 Jesus said… Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth you do not believe me! … If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? John 8: 43-47 WHAT IS TRUTH? What do you do, men, when your wife comes home from a day's shopping and shows the new dress she’s just bought? And it looks awful! Do you tell her that, or just say, 'very nice dear'? Now, far be it for me to go any further with this scenario, suffice to say it’s an age old tricky one. But what is truth? And why is it, that a lie seems so much easier to believe than the truth does? Quite often, people only want to hear what they want to hear, whether it is true or not becomes irrelevant. A lie can be more comforting than the truth and so the lie becomes more believable. It is often said that the truth hurts. (That’s why we should never listen in to other people’s conversations, in case we hear something said about ourselves). Before I became a Christian, God, the Bible, Jesus just didn’t ring true to me. I couldn’t understand because, as we read the other week I was God’s enemy. So it was easier to believe the lie that what I believed to be the truth was in fact truth. Because it was my truth, it was truth. Isn’t that the way of the world now? Your truth is truth! My truth is truth! But if what we believe is diametrically opposed to each other, one of those truths has to be a lie. So where do these lies come from? Who is the one main enemy of God and all he stands for? Yes, the father of lies (and the enemy of truth) the devil. When we come to know the real truth, that God is real and exists, that He can not lie and therefore is only able to tell the truth, that He says Jesus is the Truth, the Way the Life, that Jesus died on the cross so we can be forgiven, that Jesus is alive, that no-one can approach God except through Jesus, that our good works are as filthy rags to God, that we did nothing to earn our Salvation, that salvation is a FREE GIFT from God, that God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by Grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the free gift of God – not by works, so that no-one can boast. Ephesians 2: 6-10 Thank you Lord that the Truth is alive and well, literally. Thank you for your great love for us, for you are rich in mercy and have made us alive with Jesus. Thank you that in your grace you sent Jesus and have saved us. Thank you that you have made it possible for us enter into your presence and into your throne room in confidence knowing you have seated us in the heavenly realms with him our glorious, wonderful Lord and Saviour. Thank you that because of Jesus you choose not to remember our sins anymore. We are so grateful Lord and give our lives back to you and ask that by your Holy Spirit you will anoint and empower us to serve you to the glory of Jesus name. Amen.   Back 21st APRIL 2008 The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear, though war break out against me, even then will I be confident. PSALM 27:1-3. We live in a nation where personal choice seems to be god. The current philosophy says, if it’s truth for you then it’s truth, but if your truth impinges on my truth, what right have you got to say I am wrong. How has the Church allowed the gospel to be watered down? Are we now so afraid to tell it like it is for fear of being ridiculed? I have been called a bigot many times, as well as other things, why? Simply for repeating words written in the Bible. God’s words! Right now as you read this, many of our Brothers and Sisters around the world are suffering terrible injuries, right now at this very moment! Suffering terrible torture and abuse, and even death, for the sake of their faith in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord. Only a few weeks ago, three Ethiopian Christians were killed by Islamic militants solely because they were Christian. Murdered for no other reason but that they believed Jesus to be Saviour and Lord. With the way the Political Correctness is going, the right of Christians to preach the gospel of Jesus may well be taken from us ‘in case we offend the other religions’. What will we do then? I know this is not a ‘nice’ message for many people, but reality is reality. Because we don’t see these terrible things happening, it’s so easy for us to bury our head in the sand and say they are not happening. Read the Newsletters from Barnabas Fund, it’s heartbreaking to read of what is happening to the body of Christ, our Christian family, around the world. (see the website at www.barnabasfund.org) It maybe that even you, as you read this now, may be offended on behalf of others, but why? If we believe Jesus to be the Truth (capital T) as He himself declares to be, how can we accept anything less than that? I ask the question why is it that political correctness tells us to tolerate the offenders yet says nothing about the victims? I know of one church minister who believes that when Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth and Life” what He really meant was “I am the best way.” If Jesus meant that, would He not have say that? How long will it be before the Church wakes up from her slumber? When she does, will it be too late? Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us for living the comfortable life when others are suffering for your name. Fill us with your Holy Spirit. Empower us to go out into the world to share your message of repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation through your name. Give us the words to say and to boldness to say them in love to those who do not know you. Lord we know you want all men to saved, we know that your word will not return void, and so as we speak to those we meet, give us the confidence, help us to take strength, in the knowledge that we are in your will, your good and perfect will. Help us bring glory to your name and ultimately to the name of the Father. Amen.   Back 14th APRIL 2008 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again; Rejoice!....... Do not be anxious about anything, but in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  PHILIPPIANS 4:4 How incredible it is to know what God has done for us! For 36 years I didn’t have a clue what He had done! Actually, to be totally honest, I wasn’t interested too much about God. And then suddenly for some reason that only He knows, He started to move in my family and reveal Himself to us. Isn’t that amazing? We didn’t ask Him to, but He did anyway. Of course, He gave us a choice and we could easily have rejected Him but we didn’t and, thankfully, we made the right choice. Before that, if you would have asked me the question “ Are you God’s friend or His enemy?” I would have said “His friend of course.” But that is not how the Bible sees it and ultimately, because the Bible is God’s word, how God sees it. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation – if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.   Colossians 1:21. The Good News edition says Once you were God’s enemy but He has made you friends again. The whole point of this is that we did not do anything to restore our relationship with God, He made the first move, He provided the sacrifice, He makes us Holy, He makes us clean. The death of Jesus ensures much more for us than simply making it possible for us to be forgiven. But that’s a terrific start! For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.  Colossians 1:19-20. In Jesus, God the Father sees you as Holy, clean, spotless, without blemish. Praise God! Does that give you more confidence in being able to come before God in prayer? It should! Father in Heaven, thank you for making the first move in reaching out to us, making it possible for us to be friends again through Jesus. Now our relationship is restored, help us, by the power of your Holy Spirit to live out our lives as the Holy, clean, spotless, blemish free sons that you see us as. Thank you we are able to come into your presence with confidence, and present our prayers to you. Fill us with Holy Spirit and help us to live out our lives boldly sharing the gospel as you provide opportunity to. In the wonderful name of Jesus we ask it. Amen   Back 7th APRIL 2008 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive and left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord for ever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.  1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-18 Several years ago a friend lent my wife a book, I can’t remember the title, but the author (an American of course) claimed he had worked out from the scriptures the exact day that Jesus would return to earth and that date was Tuesday May 14th ( I can’t remember what year either but that’s irrelevant) we both read the book early in May and so the 14th was only about 10 days away. It had quite an impact on us and we could not get the possibility out of our heads that Jesus could come back ‘next week.’ The challenge for us both was, were we living our Christian lives in the way that we knew we should be? Pauline even thought twice about bothering to do the weeks shopping, after all why go to the bother just to leave it all behind? Each day that came we felt guilty because we were just going out to work as usual and we knew we should really be telling everyone about Jesus. May 13th arrived and we went to bed with some very strange feelings about the coming day. I woke up about 7.30am and seeing that I was alone in my bed I called out, “Pauline?” Thankfully I heard her reassuring reply from another room, “It’s alright love, I’m still here too!” We had a laugh about it and just then the telephone rang, Pauline answered it and it was our daughter Vicky, ‘just checking that we were still here’ We laugh about it even now, but the challenge is still with us. What if Jesus was to return tomorrow? Does my life reflect that? The answer for me, is a resounding NO, to my shame. (Why do we forget about such important issues? Has the pace of life got something to with it? I do believe that the lives we lead nowadays are too fast and furious, I am certain it is not the way God intended us to live.) No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of man.  MATTHEW 24: 36-37 That being the case, is it possible that Jesus could return next week? If that is possible, what a challenge for us to live this next week with that at the forefront of out hearts and minds? Lord God, in the chaos and busyness of everyday life, remind me by your Holy Spirit, to rest in your loving arms. Teach me to be still and know that you are God, to enable you to recharge my batteries. Help me to let your Holy Spirit move through me and prevent me from doing things in my own strength. Help me this coming week, to show the love of Jesus more and more to my family, to my friends and neighbours who do not know you. Help me bring glory to the name of Jesus. Amen.   Back 31st MARCH 2008 (with tomorrow in mind) April 1st National Atheists Day (think about it?) The fool says in his heart “There is no God.”  Psalm 14:1 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written; “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”  (Isaiah 29:14) 1 Corinthians 1:18-19 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.   1 Corinthians 2:14 For those of us who became Christians in adulthood the memories of not being able to understand the Bible are quite fresh. When Christian friends used to try to share their faith with me everything they said seemed unbelievably pathetic. We argued our case against God, very well I thought, and certainly after the hours and hours of debate we were absolutely no nearer to knowing what they were talking about, we just didn’t get it! Have you ever been there? I mean on the other end, arguing the case for God? Sharing the gospel, sharing what Jesus has done for you? And seemingly almost everything you say goes straight over the heads of those you’re talking to. Well, it may well have done, for it is foolishness to them. But don’t you come away thinking ‘that didn’t go too well, but at least I told them this or that’. You have sowed a seed! That’s so important! That’s all we can do most of the time. God says; As the rain and the snow come from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.  Isaish 55:10-11. Remember, it is not our responsibility to save people, in fact we can’t! Only God Himself can do that and He will do in HIS timing. It IS however, our responsibility to be witnesses to Jesus and what He has done for us! Thank you Lord that you do not give me the responsibility to save people. Help me Father to share the love of Jesus with those who don’t know you. Help me, by the working of your Holy Spirit within me, to live the life you want me to live, and to be the person you want me to be. Thank you Lord that you love so much that you want to change me and to continue to change me. Amen.   Back 25th MARCH 2008 This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge, and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.   ACTS 2:24 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me. ‘Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.’ And he added, ‘These are the true words of God’   REVELATION 19:6-9 Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to go through the gates into the city.  REVELATION 22:12-14 I love a wedding don’t you? Here we are the bride of Jesus Christ enjoying our betrothal to Him. What a wonderful day for us to look forward to our wedding to the Lamb of God. The feasting on that day will be like we have never tasted before! Like every wedding, there are so many things to prepare, but wait a minute, it’s all been done, the tables are laid, the bride is ready. Fine linen, bright and clean she wears, beautifully dressed for her husband. No peal of church bells here, a multitude shouting like so loud you could hardly hear yourself think, like the white water river, hundreds of times louder than the Niagara Falls, like magnificent peals of thunder, declaring, Hallelujah! And the Groom, what of the groom? Yes, a knight in shining armour, coming to rescue His bride. His eyes like blazing fire.. His name is the Word of God.. On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written; KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And He will not arrive in a taxi to wait for His bride at the church. So much does He love His bride that He goes to collect her, to take her, to gather her and to scoop her up into His strong arms to hold her, embrace her, love her, provide for her, take care of her. No wonder the angel said to John, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ And he added “These are the true words of God.” The Spirit and the bride say “Come!” And let him who hears say “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. He who testifies to these things says “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Yes, I love a good wedding! Maranatha!   Back 21st MARCH 2008 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head…So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the skull…. Here they crucified him….Jesus said “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit….. Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a Sabbath….The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus…. But when they came to Jesus and found he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear.  JOHN 19   Back 17th MARCH 2008 Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. “I have spoken openly to the world” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.” When Jesus said this, one of the officials near by struck him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded. “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?”  JOHN 18 : 19-23 It seems strange to me that while Jesus was being questioned (and abused) His old friend Simon Peter was warming himself by a big fire. Quite comfortable he was too, until he too was questioned, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it saying, “I am not” Then, once more he was asked the question, “Didn’t I see you with him in the olive grove?” Again Peter denied it, and that moment the cock began to crow. What a coward! It was only a few hours earlier, in that same olive grove, that he had cut off a mans ear with his sword, and been chastised by Jesus for doing so. So what had changed to put Peter on his guard? Well, maybe he thought Jesus would do more than allow himself to be arrested, after all, was He not The Messiah, the Saviour of Israel. Now with Jesus in captivity, maybe his bravado deserted him, yes, perhaps he was having second thoughts and his defence mechanism had kicked in. We probably would have done the same thing. Of course, later, Peter received the Holy Spirit and then boldly spoke about his Messiah. We too have the Holy Spirit but how many of us boldly speak about our Messiah? No-one at that time realised or knew what Jesus had to go through to complete the job The Father gave Him to do. But here was a young man, 33 years old, being obedient, to His Father and although He tried to tell his followers what He had to do, they could not yet understand. Here was a man, “Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  PHILIPIANS 2:6-11 As we look forward through this week towards the crucifixion of Jesus, let us recognise that this time will, and should be, a mixture of emotions for each of us. We can meditate on and consider the horrors, mental and physical, experienced by Jesus at the cross, but we can also celebrate and rejoice in the fact that He was raised to life three days later, Hallelujah! He Lives! Our God Reigns!   Back 10th MARCH 2008 Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.  JOHN 17: 1-5 Jesus knew the time for his suffering on the cross had now arrived, and so he prays to his Father, the only true God. If you read the rest of Jesus’ prayer, you will see how He lays out before His Father, that He done all that He was requested to do. To reveal the Father to the world. To make known the true nature of God. I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.  JOHN 17 :13-15 He was declaring before God, that He was ready to do what was before Him. I am coming to you now (v13), I am ready to do the difficult bit. Knowing that He was about to experience the horrors of the cross, not just the physical pain, but also the mental anguish and pain, the weight of the sin of the whole world on his shoulders, He prays so that we may have the full measure of His joy. He prays that God would protect us from the evil one. What a Saviour! What a Saviour! Sanctify them by the truth, your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.  JOHN 17 :17-19 Sanctify, means to bless, consecrate, make holy, make sacred, purify, approve. What does it feel like to know that you are blessed by God? That you are consecrated, holy, sacred, purified, and approved of. We read a few weeks ago about our inner beauty. God approves of you, why? because of Jesus. How incredible is that? I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. I in them and you in me.  JOHN 17:20,23 What a wonderful reminder to us, we are one with the Father and Son! Father God, thank you for sending Jesus, what a Saviour. I believe that you hear and answer my prayers, how much more, my Lord, that you would answer the prayers of your only begotten, beloved Son’s. Thank you that Jesus wants me to share in the fullness of His Joy, help me by the power of your Holy Spirit to live fully in the Joy of Jesus. Thank you for your protection against the evil one. Loving Father, help me to live my life knowing your protective hand is upon me. Help me by your Holy Spirit to be bold in my calling to be a disciple and servant. Please forgive me for the times when I let you down. Above all my Lord, may my life reflect the glory of Jesus. In His Precious Name. Amen.   Back 25th FEBRUARY 2008 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily tangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, And do not lose heart when he rebukes you, Because the Lord disciplines those he loves, And he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Endure hardship as a discipline, God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?  HEBREWS 12 : 1-7 No-one really likes to be disciplined, and certainly no-one likes to be punished. I know that some of you may have had fathers who ill treated you, I was fortunate, my dad certainly punished me but did not go overboard with it. Now on the other hand, my mum… she wouldn’t hesitate to give a good smack around the back of my head. In fact, on one occasion she chased me around and around my bed because I had done something wrong and she wanted to ‘give me a good hiding’ but I was quicker and she couldn’t catch me. She started laughing, her anger subsided and she forgot what she wanted to smack me for anyway, so I got off with it that time! We all do wrong, everyday, don’t we, and I would question the person that says otherwise! We are inherently sinful. Said something you shouldn’t about someone? You Done wrong! Accept it as sinful and ask for forgiveness and the help of the Holy Spirit not to do it again. The problem is of course, that we are only human and we wake up the next day and do exactly the same thing. Do you get as frustrated with yourself as I do? Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions (mercy) never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:22-23 Don’t just accept that you will ‘always be the same’ and that you can ‘never change,’ KEEP taking everything back to God. His mercies are NEW, EVERY morning. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.  HEBREWS 12 : 7-11 Our parents disciplined us, it’s their duty to do so. As a parent, I disciplined my daughter. We were punished by our parents as they thought best for us. All of us punished our children as we thought best for them. Notice that God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in his holiness, so that we might reap a harvest of righteousness and peace. Discipline teaches us, we learn from our punishments that there are consequences for our actions. It is what makes us who we are. My youngest grandson had done something wrong and his mum gave him an option for his punishment. His choice? Either no Nintendo game for the weekend or a smack. He chose the smack. A good sharp smack to the back of his leg ensued. Shocked, he looked at his mum and said “That hurt! If I’d had known it was going to hurt I would have chosen not to have my Nintendo!” He learns quick! But does he still do wrong, of course he does, He’s a lad! Thank God that He sent Jesus! On the cross, He took the punishment for our sins on His shoulders. We are now sons of the most high God, dearly loved and treasured. Lord God, Loving Heavenly Father, help us to be more like your Son Jesus. Thank you for all you have done for us. Thank you for all you continue to do for us. Help us to learn quickly from your discipline. Take us on further, deeper in the knowledge of what it means to be your son. Help us to encourage those around us who are struggling with their faith, who are struggling with who they are in Jesus. Fill us with your Holy Spirit until we overflow with your Love, your Grace, your Mercy. In the wonderful name of Jesus. Amen.   Back 15th FEBRUARY 2008 February 14th Valentine’s Day, it came and went. I hope you sent your loved one a message. I got one, would you like to read it? FROM THE LOVER (MALE) How beautiful your sandaled feet, O prince’s daughter. Your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of a craftsman’s hands. Your navel is a rounded goblet that never lacks blended wine. Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by lilies. Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle. Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking towards Damascus. Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel. Your hair is like royal tapestry; the king is held captive by its tresses. How beautiful you are and how pleasing, O love, with your delights! Your stature is like that of the palm tree; I will take hold of it’s fruit. I said, “I will climb the palm tree ; I will take hold of it’s fruit.” May your breasts be like clusters of the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples, and your mouth like best wine.  SONG OF SONGS 7:1-9 FROM THE BELOVED (FEMALE) May the wine go straight to my lover, flowing gently over lips and teeth. I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me. Come my lover, let us go to the countryside, let us spend the night in the villages. Let us go early to the vineyard to see if the vines have budded, if their blossoms have opened, and if the pomegranates are in bloom – there I will give you my love.  SONG OF SONGS 7:9-12 WOW! If ever you had misgivings about whether God loves you or not, surely you’re persuaded now. I know He is talking about His love for Israel here, His chosen people, but we are now grafted on the same vine and this is how God sees us, His chosen! It brings to my mind the film called “Shallow Hal” about a guy whose only priority in life was to pick up the most beautiful girl he could. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the best looking guy and none of the really beautiful girls wanted anything to do with him. After being hypnotised (please do not think I agree with hypnotism, it is a very dangerous and silly thing to get involved with), this guy begins to see so many beautiful girls and surprisingly, they all like him and think he’s great. Then he meets this really beautiful blonde (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) with a figure he could only dream of and falls in love with her. In reality she is a 21 stone eating machine and not very pretty. But all he can see is this fantastic looking blonde! He can’t understand why other men laugh at her and make fun of her, or why chairs keep collapsing under her. After being de-hypnotised, he sees her as she really is, the 21 stone eating machine, and he now faces the battle of making his mind up what to do. He realises of course that he has fallen in love with who she really is, with her inner beauty. He realises that if he could see past her physical appearance, he could have a wonderful relationship with her. Of course, in the end they get married and live happily ever after. Why am I telling you this? Well, quite simply, so that I can also tell you that God does not look at the physical person as we do, He is not interested if we have a few folds of flesh here and there, or if we are good looking or not, He looks at our inmost selves, our hearts, our inner beauty. For those who feel they might not have much inner beauty, I want you to know that God sees you as beautiful. No matter how much we may brow beat ourselves, when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, when we repented and asked God to forgive us for our sins, we were cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Now, because of that, God sees us as his beautiful, precious children, beautiful and pleasing with delights. (above) Lord, as I read your word, I see how much you love me and want to have such a close and intimate relationship with me. Thank you that you love me so much you gave your only Son in order for me to spend eternity with you. I want thank you for your loving kindness and say right now, that I give you, my love. Amen.   Back 11th FEBRUARY 2008 If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more; circumcised on the eighth day, of the people Israel, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard of the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church, as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing his sufferings, becoming like him in death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.  PHILIPPIANS 3:4-11 Paul had spent his life doing what he thought and believed to be right. That is until he met with Jesus while on his way to Damascus. Dazzled by a bright light He talked with Jesus and found that when he opened his eyes he was blind. For 3 days (significant) he was in darkness and didn’t eat or drink anything. A man called Ananias prayed for him Placing his hands on Saul (as he was at that time) he said “Brother Saul, the Lord – Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here – has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  ACTS 9:17 Interesting is it not, that Paul, who thought he knew it all, had now been enabled to see things properly, through the Holy Spirit. So much so that he saw his life not as work well done, or even a good experience of life, but as loss, even as rubbish, that which is thrown away and rots to nothings on a smelly dump. How much more so do we then need the Holy Spirit to help us to know more of Jesus, to enable us to understand what God is saying to us when we read the scriptures. How much time do we waste during the week of an evening time, or at the weekends? If only we would listen more to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, to turn the TV off and to sit and pray awhile for the friend in need, or to read a few chapters of God’s word? Lord, help us to know more of Jesus and what He wants of our lives. To let Him work through us and show His love to those around us. How can anything in this life compare with Him who gave His life for us, that we can receive an abundant and eternal life? Bless and Praise His name forever!   Back 1st FEBRUARY 2008 Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and authorities, against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  EPHESIANS 6:10-18 So much has been said and preached about this passage of scripture that I couldn’t possibly improve or even bring anything new about it. Needless to say these verses are often the most quoted and best loved by many people. All that I would like to say about them is to ask that you read and re-read them as often as you can. Most of us have, or have had, someone in our lives, either at work or even in the family, who don’t agree with our faith and are not backward at coming forward with their thoughts and opinions. Our struggle is not against them but the spiritual forces of evil! Once we grasp that (about that person) and hang on to that, it becomes much easier to love them and be more patient and understanding with them. The problem is we too often forget this and ill feeling can creep into the relationship and spoil everything. But, beware! Take your stand, do not compromise your faith, don’t allow yourself to water it down to make it more palatable. The truth is the truth, and the Truth is Jesus the Messiah. Acts 4:12 says “Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul says "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. When you have the opportunity to share the gospel, do you do it fearlessly? Maybe some of us need to be put into chains to give us an idea of what it is like to suffer for the gospel. I was challenged as a young Christian by a mentor with the question, “If it was not legal to be a Christian, would there be sufficient evidence to convict you in a Court?” Paul was an ordinary guy, no different than you and me, Saved by the grace of God, like you and me, forgiven by Jesus’ death on the cross, like you and me. Chosen by God, like you and me. He had problems, like you and me (read Romans 7). Lord I’m grateful that I am not in chains, help me, by your Holy Spirit, to fearlessly make the gospel known and to share your love with those around me. Amen   Back 28th JANUARY 2008 John saw Jesus coming towards him and said “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptising with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” Then John gave this testimony; “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain on is he who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”  JOHN 1:29-34 What a hard life John the Baptist must have had. The Bible tells us that as a child he grew and became strong in spirit and that he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly in Israel. (Luke 1:80) Even then he worked in the desert region baptising and preaching a baptism of repentance. He wore clothes made of camel hair (very comfortable!), a leather belt and sandals. His diet was more like that found on ‘I’m a Celebrity, Get Me out of Here,’ it was locust and wild honey to sweeten them up. ? He knew what his job was and he got on with it, I’m sure that each man he baptised he was waiting with eager anticipation he might see the Holy Spirit descend on him. Years of baptising people, and as yet nothing had happened. Yet another stranger comes to him and asks to be baptised and the thing he had been waiting for suddenly happens. Down came the Holy Spirit! I remember sometime in the 1970’s I knocked on the door of a house in Lymm, Cheshire, to look at a 3 pce suite we were thinking of buying. To my shock and amazement Bobby Charlton the footballer answered the door. I turned to tell Pauline, my wife but my chest just tightened up, I couldn’t breath properly and certainly couldn’t talk properly. Here was my hero right in front of me and all I could manage was “ It’s Bobboba Bobboba, Bobbobboba, It’s Bobboba” By this time my Pauline had come closer and could see for herself who it was who had put me into this state of moronic shock. It was very embarrassing and the legendry Bobby Charlton handled in wonderfully. He simply stood there quiet and let me compose myself before I could explain the circumstances. We had gone to the wrong house but he gracious invited us in use his telephone to get directions to the right house. How would John have felt, here before him was the ‘Son of God who had come to take away the sins of the world’ The Saviour had arrived! “Look” he said, “he’s here”, “this is the one”, “that’s him”, “this is the Son of God!”, “Look everybody, he’s here!” What a wonderful testimony to be able to say “I’ve seen Him” In fact it happened twice to John, the next day when he was with two fellow workers and they saw Jesus passing by and he said to them, “Look, The Lamb of God!” How incredibly privileged we are because we too can (or should be able to) say, “I’ve seen Him, the Lamb of God, who has taken away my sins!” Not only that, but it is He who continues daily to forgive a broken, repentant, contrite heart. How can we ever repay? We can’t can we? But we CAN give Him all that we are, all that we do, in total surrender. Give Him everything! What a Saviour! Look, He’s here, in our hearts, the Lamb of God! May our lives reflect that throughout this coming week.   Back 21st JANUARY 2008 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out. Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.  Romans 11:33-36 This is God! He owes us nothing! We all have opinions about many things, we, all have our individual opinion of who God is. But no matter what our thoughts and preconceived ideas of him are, He is who He says He is! Nothing or no-one can change that, say what you will, God is God! (I the Lord do not change. Malachi 3:6). If and when we get to grasp who God is and what He has done for us, we can begin to understand why Paul wrote to the church in Rome saying: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of my of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.Romans 12:1-2 He goes on to say: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement…Romans 12:3 As we stand before Almighty God this week, let us look at ourselves, our habits, our behaviour, our words and especially our attitude towards other people around us, and then compare how do we fit in with God’s character, we all have to confess that we fall mighty short. HOWEVER! HE STILL LOVES US EVEN SO (as we read last week). While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8 So, with humble hearts, as we look to the week ahead, let’s offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is our spiritual act of worship and let’s pray, for each other, that God will enable us to share something of His Love to others who don’t know Him. May He bless and empower us as we step out in faith.   Back 14th JANUARY 2008 If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written; “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” (Psalm 44:22) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:31-39 This has to be one of the most amazing truths you could ever read! Nothing shall separate us from the love of God. The Christian life is often difficult (mine is anyway). Fraught with doubts, trials and tribulations, and the constant inner battle between the self and what we want and the Holy Spirit prompting us of Godly ways. I can bring to mind several people who have been so close to God in the past and who, for various reasons, have wandered from the path and are now living lives that leave their families distraught, not knowing how to pray or what to pray for. If you have someone you love in this situation, please let me reassure you from v34, Christ Jesus Himself is interceding from the right hand of God! How amazing is that? Not only that, but if you need further encouragement, read v26-27 We do not know what we ought to pray for , but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. The Holy Spirit is also presenting prayers before the Father on our behalf! What an amazing God we have and serve.   Back 4th JANUARY 2008 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive Salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.  1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 How incredibly amazing it is that God should send Jesus to die on the cross for us. For what purpose? In what way did that benefit God? None whatsoever except to show what a benevolent and merciful God and Father He is. Jesus, the Son of Almighty God, came born as a baby, born as part of His own creation to show us how we should live, to love one another, to care and to help one another. He came with His main purpose to die on the cross to make it possible for us to be with Him and to share in His eternity. He did it not for His sake but purely for our sake, incredible! If that’s not mind blowing I don’t know what is. For the coming week, why not give thanks, each morning and each evening, to God for all that He has done for us? Take it one step further and do something to help/encourage someone you know who needs it. Don’t do it just to do a good deed, but do it in deliberate consideration for what Jesus did for you on the cross. Because of His death we have the means of Forgiveness, (through Repentance) we have Healing, (by His Stripes we are healed) We have Restoration (made friends again) we have Salvation, ( no more the threat of eternal punishment). Thank you Jesus! I pray that this coming week you come to understand the Lord’s Love for you more than ever before. May He continue to bless you as you continue to seek His will.   Back Copyright © 2008 Christian Community Ministries Website Templates by BoxedArt.com