A call to pray, a call to seek God's glory

“You do not have because you do not ask God” (James 4:2) - This is a call to prayer.

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:3) - This is a call to seek God's glory.

Found by Grace

‘Noah found grace’ (Genesis 6:8). ‘Grace found Noah’ – ‘Amazing grace…I once was lost but now am found.’

"Great is Your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22).

Day by day, we learn more about our own human failure. Day by day, we learn also of God's divine faithfulness.
"We are faithless. He remains faithful" (2 Timothy 2:13).
Day by day, let's praise God for His wonderful love, His amazing grace and His superabundant marvellous mercy.
"The grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant ... Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners ... I obtained mercy ... Now to the King eternal ... be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen" (1 Timothy 1:14-17).

From "No Condemnation" To "More Than Conquerors" (Romans 8)

 * "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

Job thinks that God is ‘against’ him. He thinks that he is condemned by God (Job 10:2). Where do these negative thoughts come from? Do they come from God? No! God has a very positive view of Job - ‘My servant Job’ (Job 1:8). Job is being attacked by Satan, ‘the accuser’ of God’s people (Revelation 12:10). Satan puts negative thoughts into Job’s mind. What are we to do when Satan attacks us in this way? Look to the Cross of Christ, rejoicing in God’s love for us (Romans 5:8).Take our stand in Jesus Christ - ‘There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 8:1). Remind Satan of Christ’s victory - ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against’ us. Resist Satan - ‘Get behind me, Satan!’ - , confident that ‘we are more than conquerors through Christ’ (Matthew 16:18,23; Romans 8:37).

The Psalmist prays with an earnest desire to walk with God, to have a close walk with God in the centre of His will (Psalm 17:5). His prayer is sincere. It ‘does not rise from deceitful lips’(Psalm 17:1). He is painfully aware of ‘the onslaughts of the wicked’. His ‘enemies cluster round him, breathing hostility’(Psalm 17:9). Whatever troubles we may encounter, we must learn to pray with the Psalmist: ‘Hear, O Lord, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer’(Psalm 17:1). As we call upon the Lord, He gives the assurance of His protection. Through His Word and Spirit, He assures us that He will ‘keep us as the apple of His eye’(Psalm 17:8). We are precious in His sight. He looks upon us in love. He does not see our sin. He sees us ‘in Christ’- ‘accepted in the Beloved’, ‘no condemnation’(Psalm 32:1; Ephesians 1:6; Romans 8:1).

‘You are beautiful... How beautiful you are’ (Song of Solomon 6:4; Song of Solomon 7:6). What beauty can the Lord possibly see in us? We are sinners - ‘We have all strayed like sheep. Each one of us has turned to go his own way’. There’s nothing beautiful about that! Is this the whole story? Thank God! - There’s something more. Christ died for sinners - ‘the Lord laid all our sins on Him’ (Isaiah 53:6). When God looks on us, He does not see our sin. He sees our Saviour, His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He looks at us, and this is what He sees: ‘The blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from  all sin’ (1 John 1:7). Through faith in Christ, we are sinners, saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8). This is the beauty the Lord sees in us: ‘There is, therefore, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 8:1). This is not our beauty. It’s His beauty!

 * "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace" (Romans 8:5-6).

‘Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; whoever is led astray by it is not wise’ (Proverbs 20:1). We need to learn the truth of these words - before it’s too late! There is a better way than the way of drunkenness. It is the way of being filled with the Holy Spirit: ‘Don’t get drunk on wine, which leads to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Spirit’ (Ephesians 5:18). We must not ‘live according to the flesh’. God calls us to ‘live according to the Spirit’. He warns us against making the wrong choice: ‘To set the mind on the flesh is death’. He shows us the way of blessing: ‘To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace’. ‘Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth’. May God help us to turn from ‘the works of the flesh’ and seek ‘the fruit of the Spirit’ (Romans 8:5-6; Colossians 3:2; Galatians 5:19-23).

 * "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).

‘The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms’ (Deuteronomy 33:27): This is no guarantee of peaceful tranquillity. For Israel, there was conflict. ‘Saved by the Lord’, Israel had found true happiness. Still, there were ‘enemies’ to be ‘thrust out’ and ‘trampled down’ (Deuteronomy 33:27,29). Knowing the blessing of God’s salvation is no guarantee that life will be easy. When the enemies of the Gospel see a believer intent on glorifying the Lord, they do all they can to create problems. We have ‘enemies’ in ‘high places’ (Deuteronomy 33:29; Ephesians 6:12). Their argument is not with us. It is with God. If God’s work is to do well, there needs to be spiritual leadership. Moses had led God’s people in his day. Joshua was to take his place (Deuteronomy 34:9). Moses was important. Joshua was important. The Lord is more important - ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’ (Romans 8:31).

Humanly speaking, Israel seemed to be ‘no hopers’ (1 Samuel 13:22). There was, however, something else. The Lord was with His people and He would give them the victory (1 Samuel 14:6,19,12,23). There is a very important lesson for us here: ‘The weapons of our warfare are not worldly’. We are to ‘put on the whole armour of God’ (2 Corinthians 10:3-6; Ephesians 6:11-13). The victory does not come from our own strength. It comes from the Lord (Psalms 21:16; 21:7). In all our difficulties, we say, with faith, ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?... In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us’ (Romans 8:31,37). Do you want to have this strong faith which rejoices in the Lord, even when life is very difficult? - ‘Wait on the Lord and renew your strength’ (Isaiah 40:31).

The Psalmist prays, ‘Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!’(Psalm 35:1). Jesus says, ‘In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’(John 16:33). Paul rejoices in the Lord`s victory - ‘If God be for us, who can be against us?’(Romans 8:31). How do we know that God is for us? How do we know that the victory is ours in Christ? We read the words of John 3:16 - ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only Son...’- and we say, with the Psalmist, ‘Then my soul shall rejoice in the Lord, exulting in His deliverance’(Psalm 35:9). We read the words of 1 Corinthians 15:57 - ‘Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’- and we say, with the Psalmist, ‘I will thank Thee...I will praise Thee...all the day long’(Psalm 35:18,2,8).

‘The Lord’ is not only ‘the Holy One of Israel’. He is ‘the God of the whole earth’ (Isaiah 54:5). The Gospel is for ‘all nations’. The ministry of Christ’s apostles began in ‘Jerusalem’, but it did not end there. The Gospel was to be taken ‘to the ends of the earth’ (Luke 24:46-47; Acts 1:8). Taking the Gospel out from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth was not easy. The apostles faced much opposition. They stood upon God’s promise: ‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper’ (Isaiah 54:17). When we face opposition, we must take our stand on the Word of God: ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’ (Romans 8:31). Even when our words seem to fall on stony ground, we must keep on speaking the Word of God’s love: ‘With everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer’ (Isaiah 54:8).

To those who refuse to live in obedience to Him, God speaks His Word of judgment: ‘I am against you’ (Nahum 2:13; Nahum 3:5). Those who refuse to listen to God’s Word of salvation - ‘The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him’ - will hear a very different Word from the Lord. It will be a Word of judgment. God’s Word will come like ‘an overwhelming flood’: ‘He will pursue His foes into darkness’ (Nahum 1:7-8). None of us needs to face this ‘overwhelming flood’ and hear the words, ‘I am against you’. Each of us can come to Christ and hear His Word of ‘overwhelming victory’: ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?... Nothing wiIl be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:31,37-39).

 * "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? ... Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35-39) .

‘There is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure’ (Job 16:17). Is this no more than Job’s own opinion of himself? No! It is much more than that. It is also God’s view of Job: ‘my witness is in heaven, and He that vouches for me is on high’ (Job 16:19). When suffering comes our way, we can become bitter - blaming God and turning away from Him - or we can become better - ‘the righteous holds to his way, and he that has clean hands grows stronger and stronger’ (Job 17:9). What makes the difference? - It is ‘God’s love...poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit’ (Romans 5:3-5). Seeing our suffering in the light of God’s love, we say, with faith, ‘Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:35-39). Let His love lead you from the bitter way to the better way.

‘Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your Name be the glory because of Your love and faithfulness’(Psalm 115:1). God loves us. He loves us with a faithful love, ‘an everlasting love’, a ‘love that will not let us go’. His love ‘never comes to an end’. Nothing can separate us from His love (Jeremiah 31:3; Lamentations 3:22-23; Romans 8:38-39; Church Hymnary, 677). What have we done to deserve such love? Absolutely nothing! We are ‘sinners’. We do not deserve to be loved by God. We have done nothing to earn His love. Love begins with God. It comes from Him. How do we know that He loves us? Have we proved ourselves worthy of His love? No! - ‘God shows His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us’. ‘To God be the glory!’(Romans 5:8; Church Hymnary, 374).

‘You will walk on your way securely... for the Lord will be your confidence’ (Proverbs 3:23,26). Trusting in the Lord, we are to say, ‘He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold’ (Job 23:10). Our faith is under threat. There is the danger of ‘sudden panic’ (Proverbs 3:25). We are faced with the ‘man of violence... the perverse man... the wicked... the scorners... fools’ (Proverbs 3:31-35). What are we to do? Even in the most testing and trying times, we must hold on to this: God is at work for our holiness -  ‘Refiner’s fire, my heart’s one desire is to be holy. Set apart for You, Lord, I choose to be holy, set apart for You, my Master, ready to do Your will’ (Songs of Fellowship, 475). Submitted to God’s holy purpose, we rejoice in this: Nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:39).

'Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you' (Proverbs 4:25).  Living the Christian life is like 'walking a tightrope' - We must 'not swerve to the right or to the left' (Proverbs 4:27; Deuteronomy 28:14; Joshua 1:7; 23:6).  Looking straight ahead, 'let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...'(Hebrews 12:2).  In the face of life's many difficulties, you may ask, "Can I 'run with perseverance the race marked out for me' (Hebrews 12:1)?".  Keep your eyes on your own capacity for perseverance - and you will be filled with thoughts of your own weakness.  Keep your eyes on Christ and His preserving power (1 Peter 1:5; John 10:27-29; Philippians 1:6; Romans 8:37-39).  You will grow strong - strengthened by Christ's Word: 'My grace is sufficient for you' (2 Corinthians 12:9).

‘Love is as strong as death... It burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it’ (Song of Solomon 8:6-7). Here, we see the greatest love of all, the love of God: ‘Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future... nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:38-39). How can we have the love of God, burning in our hearts ‘like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame’? We cannot buy His love - ‘If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly scorned’ (Song of Solomon 8:7). We must receive His love as a gift: ‘So freely flows the endless love You give to me... So easy, I receive the love You give to me... Flowing out to me - the love within Your heart’ (Mission Praise, 603).

 * "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). 

How do we react when things don’t seem to be going very well? We all need the encouragement of God’s Word: ‘Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph’ (2 Corinthians 2:14). When everything seems to be going wrong, we need to be reminded of God’s Word: ‘In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us’ (Romans 8:37). When we feel so weak, we receive strength ‘from God’. We are strengthened by ‘the Spirit of the living God’ (2 Corinthians 3:5,3). We must learn to look beyond our circumstances to our Saviour. In Him, we see ‘the surpassing glory’. As we look upon ‘the glory of the Lord’, we are ‘changed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory’ (2 Corinthians 3:18). In life’s many hard times, may God help us to see what He is doing in our lives and not only what we think is happening to us.

We live in an unbelieving and rebellious world - ‘they refused to repent and glorify Him’. In an increasingly hostile environment, we must seek to maintain our faithful’testimony’. There are many who take delight in sin. They rebel against God. They take pleasure in persecuting the people of God: ‘They will make war against the Lamb’. What are we to do when we face such determined opposition? - We must remind our enemies that they will be defeated by Christ: ‘the Lamb will overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings’. We must remind them that Christ has given us the victory: ‘with Him will be His called, chosen and faithful followers’. ‘We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Nothing will be able to separate us from’ His love (Revelation 16:9,11; 17:5-6,14; Romans 8:37-39).

Pray for the faith which says, ‘We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us’(Romans 8:37).

God's Word For This Week

Prestongrange Church

Prestongrange Church

One Year Bible: March 13-19

March 13

Leviticus 26:14-27:34; Luke 1:1-25; Proverbs 7:1-5

In Leviticus, there are many commands given by the Lord so that the people of God, walking in obedience to His Word, might enjoy His blessing. This principle is taught throughout the Word of God - the way of obedience is the way of life: "Keep My commands and you will live" (Proverbs 7:2). This is not a shallow legalism. It is the result of the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Luke 1:15-17).

March 14

Numbers 1:1-2:9; Luke 1:26-38; Psalm 33:12-22

"The Israelites did all this just as the Lord commanded Moses" (Numbers 1:54). "'I am the Lord's servant', Mary answered, 'May it be to me as You have said'" (Luke 1:38). Obedience to the Lord's Word - this is emphasized throughout Scripture: "the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope in His unfailing love" (Psalm 33:18). Obedience to God is set within the context of both fearing the Lord and knowing the reality of His love.

March 15

Numbers 2:10-3:51; Luke 1:39-56; Psalm 34:1-10

The detailed instructions given in the early chapters of Numbers arise out of Moses' communion with God - "the Lord talked with Moses on Mount Sinai" (Numbers 3:1). God speaks to us, and we - in response to His Word - speak to Him. 'Mary's song', in Luke 1:46-55, is a great example of a soul, touched by the Lord, responding to Him in worship: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour" (Luke 1:46-47). Mary echoes the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 34:1 - "I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips."

March 16

Numbers 4:1-5:10; Luke 1:57-80; Psalm 34:11-22

Numbers 4 speaks about the work which the various tribes were to do in the Tent of Meeting. Above all, the work we are called to do is worship. We are to say from our hearts, "Praise be to the Lord" (Luke 1:68). Part of this worship will be the proclamation of God's Word - the Word through which we receive salvation (Luke 1:76-77). As the Word of God comes to us, God Himself says, "Come, My children, listen to Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord" (Psalm 34:11).

March 17

Numbers 5:11-6:27; Luke 2:1-20; Proverbs 7:6-20

"The Lord bless you ... " (Numbers 6:24). The Lord's blessing comes to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. In Him, there is "good news of great joy ... for all the people." He is the "Saviour"; "Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11). "The Lord ... keep you" (Numbers 6:24). In Christ, we are kept in the face of the kind of temptations described in Proverbs 7:6-20.

March 18

Numbers 7:1-65; Luke 2:21-40; Psalm 35:1-10

In Numbers 7, we read of the various offerings which were brought to the Lord at the dedication of the Tabernacle. In Luke 2, we read of Joseph and Mary taking Jesus "to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord" (Luke 2:22). All that the people brought to the Lord had first been given to them by the Lord. Jesus has been to us by the Lord. All that we give to the Lord is given as our response to His great gift of Jesus. As we consider Jesus Christ who has tabernacled Himself among us ("the Word became flesh and dwelt among us"), we will say, with the Psalmist, "my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in His salvation" (Psalm 35:9).

March 19

Numbers 7:66-9:14; Luke 2:41-52; Psalm 35:11-18

At the time of the book of Numbers, worship took place in the Tent of Meeting. By the time of Jesus, worship took place in the Temple. The Passover was being celebrated in the Desert of Sinai in the the days of Moses. The Passover was being celebrated in Jerusalem in the days of Jesus. The important thing is not the place where we worship. It is the Person whom we worship. In Luke 2:49, Jesus says, "Didn't you know that I had to be in My Father's House (or about My Father's business)?" The important thing is being in the centre of the Father's will. Many are in the Father's House, but they are not about the Father's business. we need both - in the Father's House and about the Father's business. When we say, with the Psalmist, "I will give thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise You" (Psalm 35:18), it must not be mere words, being in the place of worship without being in the spirit of worship, uttering the words of worship yet missing the power of worship. True worship is always more than just words. It is an offering of ourselves to the Lord. 

Walking with God on His pathway of grace - His pathway to glory

"Show me your ways, Lord; Teach me Your paths ... Guide me in your truth ... for you are God my Saviour ... " (Psalm 25:4-5).

When we pray, "Show me your ways, Lord", we must always remember that God's ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9). God says to us, "Let the wicked forsake his way." There is a better way - "Let him return to the Lord." When we return to the Lord, we are led into His better way - "He will have mercy on him ... our God ... will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:7).

When we pray, "Guide me in Your truth", God leads us to His Son, Jesus Christ, who is "the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6). We look to Jesus and we say, with the Psalmist, "You are the God of my salvation."

When we pray, "Teach me your paths", we must always remember that Jesus is our Saviour. Our walk with God may be summed up in the words of the hymnwriter, "All the way my Saviour leads me." As we walk with God, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus our Saviour, we will say, with thanksgiving, "O the fulness of His love!" We will rejoice in the Lord. He is leading us on His pathway to glory: "This, my song through endless ages: Jesus led me all the way!"

There is more than a "cloudy and dark day."

" ... so will I seek out My sheep ... on a cloudy and dark day" (Ezekiel 34:12).

Our life on earth is " a cloudy and dark day." Left to ourselves, we always lose our way. We cannot find our way back on to the way of the Lord without the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus does not leave us to stumble around on a "cloudy and dark day." He has come "to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10). He is "the Light of the world" (John 8:12). His Light is still shining brightly. The darkness can't put it out (John 1:5). We look to Jesus, and we see beyond "the cloudy and dark day." We look to Him, and we say, "The Lord is my light and my salvation" (Psalm 27:1).

Keep the obedience going. Look to God for His blessing.

"You have ... obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul. So Joshua blessed them ... " (Joshua 22:2,5,6).

We don't earn God's blessing as a reward for our obedience. His blessing is always His gift - but we must never forget this: He gives His blessing to those who are walking with Him in obedience. 
Remembering that God's blessing is given by Him and not earned by us, we must not forget to give thanks to Him when we are blessed by Him. We must also remember that we dare not take His blessing for granted. We dare not presume that He will continue to bless us if we do not continue to walk with Him on the pathway of obedience.

"Not everyone has faith, but the Lord is faithful" (2 Thessalonians 3:2-3).

"We wish to see Jesus ... The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified ... I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself ...  although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him ... they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:21,23,32,37-43).

When we say, "We want to see Jesus", we are led by the Holy Spirit to the Cross of Christ. In the Cross of Christ, we see love that appeals to all people, calling them to come to the Saviour and receive His salvation. Sadly, there are many who refuse to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. There are some who find themselves drawn to the Saviour. They "believe in Him" but  "they do not confess Him" because "they love the praise of men more than the praise of God." What are we to say when the love that makes its appeal to all is rejected by many? - "Not everyone has faith, but the Lord is faithful" (2 Thessalonians 3:2-3). When we are surrounded by so much unbelief, let us hold on to this: The Lord is faithful. Whatever the unbelieving world  may say about the Lord, may the Lord's people always say, "The Lord is faithful."

Pray that God will raise up faithful preachers of His Word.

"Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls ... Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words ... Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord" (Acts 15:24,32,35).

There was a problem. There needed to be a response. Whenever God's people are being "troubled" and "unsettled" by those who speak their own "words" rather than the Word of the Lord, what are we to do? We must pray that God will raise up "prophets" who will preach the Gospel and teach the Word of God, strengthening the faith of God's people and leading them into a closer walk with God.

Building our life on Jesus Christ, the Rock of our salvation

"Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you, which I spoke to your father David" (1 Kings 6:12).

Building a temple for God means nothing if it isn't accompanied by building the 'temple' of a godly life.  We must remember that "our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 6:19). If the place of worship looks great and our lives are a mess, we need to hear what God is saying to us here. He's speaking to us about godly living. How are we to live a godly life? - We must build our life on Jesus Christ - "whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock ... it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock" (Matthew 7:24-25). Whenever we start to attach too much importance to the place where we worship, let us remember the words of Jesus: "In three days I will raise up the temple of my body" and let us build our faith on Jesus Christ, "risen from the dead" (John 2:19-22). He is the Person whom we worship. May He always be more important to us than the place where we worship Him.

The Lord is King. Let us crown Him as our King.

"You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel" (Psalm 22:3).

God is not enthroned because we enthrone Him. We enthrone Him because He is enthroned.

The blessing comes from the Lord - To Him be all the glory!

"I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God" (Romans 15:17).

Where has the blessing come from? Does it say something about how worthy we are? No! It's not about us. We haven't done anything to deserve God's blessing. The blessing comes from the Lord. To Him be all the glory!

Let us sing the song of the Lord - the song of His salvation.

"I will sing a new song to You, O God ... the One who gives salvation ... Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving. Sing praises ... to our God" (Psalm 144:9-10; Psalm 147:7).

The world sings its songs. They do not sing the song of the Lord. There is a song which can only be sung by those who have been saved by the Lord. It is "a new song." It is the song of "salvation." Saved by the Lord, we sing to Him our song of "thanksgiving." We think of what the Lord has done for us and we say, "Praise the Lord!" (Psalm 149:1).

Hear the Word of the Lord - and grow strong in the Lord.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, you who have been hearing in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, who spoke ... '" (Zechariah 8:9). 

We hear the Word of the Lord so that we might become strong in the Lord. God's Word is not to go in one ear and out the other hand. When that happens, Satan is winning a great victory over us - "When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts" (Mark 4:15). When we "hear the Word of God", let us pray that we will "accept it and bear fruit" (Mark 4:20).

A journey of revelation

"Show Your marvelous lovingkindness ...  O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer" (Psalm 17:7; Psalm 19:14).

The lessons that we discover in the Word of God are lessons that are given to us by revelation. God shows us His "marvellous lovingkindness." He shows us His salvation. Learning about God's love and His salvation - There is nothing more wonderful than this. To know that we are loved by the Lord and have been saved by Him - This is what gives us strength to keep on loving and praising Him as we travel with Him towards His glorious Kingdom.

A journey of discovery

"Jesus said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old” (Matthew 13:52).

We are travelling towards "the kingdom of heaven." As we journey towards God's Kingdom, He is teaching us many lessons. We are to treasure the lessons which come to us from the Word of God in the power of the Spirit of God. There is nothing more precious than this: "We have received ... the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God" (1 Corinthians 2:12).

How is God preparing us for His glorious future?

"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).

How does the Lord keep us walking in His way? - He keeps on bringing to our attention the glorious future which He is preparing for us. He keeps on reminding us that we are being prepared for His eternal glory. How is He preparing us for "praise,  glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed"? - He is teaching us to "love Him. " The more we are learning to love Him, the more we will look forward, "with an inexpressible and glorious joy" to  "the end result of our faith, the salvation of our souls" (1 Peter 1:7-9).

A word of judgment - a call to repentance

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! ... it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades" (Luke 10:13-15).

What is Christ saying to us as we read His strong words of judgment? He's calling us to change direction. Stop walking on "the broad road that leads to destruction." Start walking on "the narrow road that leads to life" (Matthew 7:13-14). Stop walking away from Christ. Start walking with Him.

Be strong in the strength of the Lord.

"Be strong and of good courage ... the Lord your God ... goes with you ..." (Deuteronomy 31:6).

As well as providing atonement for our sins, the Lord provides us with strength to live to His glory.  We give thanks for God's gift of forgiveness - "In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Ephesians 1:7). We also give thanks that God has given the strength that we need to live for Him - "strengthened with power through His Spirit in our inner being" (Ephesians 3:16).

God's purpose was moving on ...

"His dominion shall be ... to the ends of the earth" (Zechariah 9:10).

God's purpose was moving on. He had begun with Israel. Their deliverance from bondage in Egypt was a mighty demonstration of His saving power. This was only the beginning. God was moving on to Jesus - "the Saviour of the world" (John 4:42). In Jesus Christ, crucified for us, God was reaching out, in love, to "the whole world" (1 John 2:2). The Gospel is not only for the Jews: "It is it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek" (Romans 1:16). Jesus is calling us, His redeemed people - empowered by the Holy Spirit - to take His message of salvation to the ends of the earth: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

Serving the Lord begins with being saved by Him.

"Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant ... For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43,45).

Do you want to be the Lord's servant? Remember that He is your Saviour. Do you want to serve the Lord? - You must be saved by Him before you can even begin to serve Him. When we think of Jesus as God's servant and say, "I will serve God the way Jesus served Him", we have missed the point of Jesus' words: "the Son of Man" came "to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Jesus' service is defined by the giving of His life as a ransom for many. We can never give our life as a ransom for many. Only Jesus can do that for us. Where does our life of service begin? - It begins at the Cross of Christ. It begins when we say, "I cannot serve You. I can only be saved by You." That's where the life of service begins. It begins with being saved by the Lord. "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). Get things right at this point - and then your life of service is ready to begin.

God is working - even when we don't realize it!

" ... the seed shall sprout and grow, he himsef does not know how ... " (Mark 4:27).

God has given us a great promise - "my word that goes out from my mouth ... will not return to me empty" (Isaiah 55:11). When we feel that God's Word is returning to us empty, we have this Word of encouragement: God's Word will not return to Him empty. God gives us His great promise "my word ... will accomplishwhat I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." We do not see all that God's Word is doing as the Spirit of God brings Christ to the people. God sees the full impact of His Word. That is why He says that His Word will not return to Him empty. When we have preached the Word, we must say, with the hymnwriter, "I know not how the Spirit moves, convincing men of sin; revealing Jesus through the word, creating faith in Him." We don't understand all that God is doing as His Word is preached. We do know that He is at work. How do we know this? - We know Him - "I know whom I have believed." We know that we can trust His promise - His Word will achieve the purpose for which He sends it. When the "seed" of God's Word is sown in the hearts of men and women, it will "sprout and grow" - even if we are barely aware of all that is happening. The salvation of sinners - it may be beyond our understanding, but it's not beyond God's power: "the gospel ... is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16).

Keep on praying!

"Many warned him to be quiet, but he cried out all the more ... " (Mark 10:48).

There were many people who tried to silence blind Bartimaeus. Here was the voice of prayer - and they were saying, "Shut up'! Thank God - he didn't shut up. He shouted out. They more they said, "Shut up", the more he shouted out.

Because our praise is loud, that doesn't mean that it's real - but what kind of worship if we can hardly burst a paper bag! Let's lift up our voices to the Lord. Why? Because we want to be loud? - No! There's something much more important than how loud we're singing. It's this - how much we are lifiting up our hearts to the Lord.

We read the story of blind Bartimaeus, and we ask the question: Who was really blind - Bartimaeus or the people who were trying to shut him up?

They could see Bartimaeus, but they couldn't see that he was doing the one thing that really mattered. He was calling upon the Lord. They were busy criticizing him. He kept on calling on the Lord. They were so busy trying to put Bartimaeus right that they hardly even noticed Jesus.

Who was really blind - Bartimaeus or his critics? What did Jesus say? - Jesus spoke by His actions.

Here, we learn from what Jesus didn't do before we learn from what He did do.

If Jesus had been on the side of the silencers, He would have joined them in telling Bartimaeus to shut up. Did Jesus do that? No! He didn't. He did something much better than that.

Jesus' miracle was about more than giving Bartimaeus his sight. It was about faith - "Your faith has made you well." It was about following Jesus - "he followed Jesus" (Mark 10:52).

Bartimaeus had faith. He followed Jesus. What was the problem with his critics? Their problem was quite simple. They were not men of faith. They were not following Jesus. May God help us to be like Bartimaeus - men and women of faith and followers of Jesus.

The glory of the Lord ...

"The glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord" (1 Kings 8:11).

The house of the Lord is never to be the chief focus of our attention. The Lord of the house is to be the focus of all that we do when we gather together for worship.

When we look, with admiration, at the grand cathedrals, we may wonder, "Who were they trying to impress when they built this?" When we see two hugely impressive examples of Chucrh architecture located very close to each other, we may wonder, "Is there more than a bit of the 'keeping up with the Joneses' thing going on here?"

We may wonder, "What goes on in these places?" Are they places of which it can be said, "The glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord"? or Have they become places that are not really much more than tourist attractions?

When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem, He found that life in the Jerusalem Temple was busy with activity, but it was empty - God was not there.

At the end of the book of Ezekiel, there are these simple yet very wonderful words: "The Lord is there" (Ezekiel 48:35).

When we hear these words, we know that this is what really matters: "The Lord is there."

"The glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord" - What does this mean?　

- We are to be "in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day" (Revelation 1:10).

- We are to "worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).

- We are to "pray in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18).

- We are to pray that we will "hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches" (Revelation 2:7).

- We are to pray that our preachers will speak with the authority and power of God: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel ... " (Luke 4:18).

Listening to God’s Word – and being corrected by His Word

“I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected” (Habakkuk 2:1).

Habakkuk doesn’t say to God, “Let me hear what you have to say to me – and I’ll go away and think about it and see if I agree with what you have said.” No! He says something very different. He says, “Let me hear what you have to say to me – and I will be corrected by Your Word to me.” It’s our thinking that needs to be corrected by God’s Word – not God’s Word that needs to be corrected by us. The moment we speak about our thinking being corrected by God’s Word, we hear voices being raised – “The Bible was written such a long time ago. The world is very different now.” Yes! The world is very different now – but we must ask the awkward question, “How many of the changes have come from the fact that we have stopped listening to what the Bible has to say to us?” Have we stopped listening to what the Bible has to say to us? We may read the Bible – especially the passages that we like – but what happens when the Bible challenges us to change our way of thinking? Do we dig our heels in and end up in the situation where “everyone does what is right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25)? There’s a better way than this. It’s the way of listening to what the Lord has to say to us. It’s the way of being corrected by the Word of the Lord.

"Now Is The Day Of Salvation."

In our thinking about the Lord’s Return, it is very important that we do not forget that the decision between salvation and judgment is one which must be made here and now. The Bible speaks of the Day of the Lord’s Return as a Day of salvation for the Lord’s believing people. The Lord’s Return will also bring a Day of judgment for all who turn their backs on the Saviour. The Bible also speaks of another day of salvation, another day of judgment. That day is today. This is precisely what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:2 - “Now is the day of salvation.” Now is the time for making your decision for Christ. Now is the time for faith in the Saviour. Jesus underlines the importance of our present response to Him. He does this, in John 3:18, when He speaks of those who are already under judgment because of their unbelief: “he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God.” The Lord awaits for our response now. May God help us to put our trust in His Son, Jesus Christ. May God help us to await Christ’s Return with joyful expectation.

Jesus died for us - and for God.

" ... O God of our salvation, For the glory of Your name ... provide atonement for our sins, For Your name’s sake!" (Psalm 79:9).

Beyond our salvation, there is God's glory. When we think about Christ's atoning sacrifice for sin, we must not think only of the "for us" blessing - the forgiveness of our sins. We must also think of the "for God" character of the atonment which has been provided for us by God. We rejoice in the forgiveness of our sins.  We also rejoice in this: God's holiness is proclaimed in the death of Christ for sinners. We may think first of the blessing that has come to us through the the shedding of Christ's precious blood. Scripture speaks first of the "for God" character of the atonement - God is "just" - before speaking of the "for us" blessing - God is "the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:26).

Prayers: "Lord, help us to walk with You."

Lord, help us to walk with You.

When all's said and done, this is all that really matters.

How can we keep on walking with You when so many other people are walking away from You? 

Your Word shows us the way: "By grace you have been saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8).  

 * Where does our walk with You come from? - It comes from Your wonderful grace.

 * Where does our faith come from? - It comes from Your amazing grace.

 * Where does our obedience come from ? - It comes from Your superabundant grace.

It's all about You, Lord. 

If we try to walk with You in our own strength, we will stumble and fall. 

You, Lord, are the God of grace.

Help us never to forget this.

Help us to stand in our true strength - the strength that comes to us from outside of ourselves, the strength that comes to us from above, the strength that comes to us from You. 

"Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Break me, melt me, mould me, fill me." 

Prayers: "Lord, You have blessed us so much."

Lord, You have blessed us so much.

We try to count our blessings  - and we soon lose count.

There is just so much.

Thank You, Lord.

When we count our blessings, help us not to forget Jesus.

He's Your greatest blessing.

Without Him, nothing else matters.

Without Him, nothing makes sense.

With Him, everything comes together.

We look at our many blessings.

We name them one-by-one - and we say, "Thank You for Jesus." 

Prayers: "Lord, we have wandered away from You."

Lord, we have wandered away from You.

We're so easily distracted.

We begin well - but we lose our way.

How does this happen?

We may not like the answer - it doesn't do much for our pride!

We take our eyes off You.

We lose our bearings.

We're no longer living in the bright shining light of Your love.

We're staggering around in the fog.

Help us, Jesus, to turn our eyes on You.

Help us to look full on Your wonderful face - then we'll see what really matters!
The things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of Your glory and grace.

Prayers: "Lord, it seems like our world is going from bad to worse."

Lord, it seems like our world is going from bad to worse.
It's all downhill!
We wonder, "Can things be turned around?"
We watch the news. We read the papers.
It seems like there's nothing else but bad news - bad news that's getting worse all the time. 
Is there any Good News, Lord?
Do You have an answer to our question?
Lord, You hear our question - and You answer it with a question of Your own: Are you listening to Me - or has My voice been drowned out by all the other voices that are shouting at you all the time?
Lord, it seems like the voice of Satan is never silent.
He's trying so hard to make us think that he's more powerful than he really is. 
The devil is a determined enemy.
We thank You, Lord, that he's also a defeated enemy: "the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work" (1 John 3:8).
"The devil's work"? What about the devil himself?
There is no escape for Him.
The destruction of the devil - This is why Your Son died.
He died to "destroy him who holds the power of death - that is the devil" (Hebrews 2:14).  
When Your Son, Jesus, died for us, He won the decisive victory over Satan.
No matter how hard Satan may try to turn things around, He will never change the final outcome.
The final victory is still to come  - but it will come!
Lord, we look forward to the Day when the devil's defeat will be complete (Revelation 20:10).
We look forward to the Day when all Your people will say, "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and give Him glory!" (Revelation 19:6-7).

Prayers: "Lord, we live in a world, filled with unbelief and disobedience."

Lord, we live in a world, filled with unbelief and disobedience.
We see it everywhere we look - but, more disturbingly, we see it in ourselves.
Everywhere we look, there are traps. There are pitfalls.
They're out there - out there in "the big, bad world."
Is it just "the world" that needs to be changed?
No, Lord - we need to be changed.
We can't change ourselves. We need to be changed by You, Lord.
We try to change ourselves - but we don't really change very much.
Is there a way in which we can be changed - really changed? 
Real change comes from You, Lord.

Real change comes from this: "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

Prayers: "Lord, we feel like we're making a right mess of things."

Lord, we feel like we're making a right mess of things.
Everything's going wrong.
This is the story of today's world.
It's not just everybody else's story. It's our story.
None of us can escape the truth - we're sinners.
Thank You, Lord - That's only part of the truth concerning us.
We are loved by You.
We hear this, Lord - but still we wonder, "Can You do anything with us?"Has this world reached the end of the road?
Is our situation hopeless?
Is there any hope for any of us?
We feel ourselves being dragged into a black hole - then we hear Your Word speaking to us: ‘the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 6:23).
Gift? - It's not earned by us. It's given to us.

Hope? Where does it come from? - From Jesus Christ our Lord!