Lifted From The Guttermost, Saved To The Uttermost

"He pulled me out of a horrible pit" (Psalm 40:2).

There are two things that we need to hear about - our own situation and God's salvation..

* Our own situation is hopeless. We need to be saved by the Lord.

* The Lord is able to lift us up. He is able to lift from the guttermost - and save to the uttermost" (Hebrews 7:25).

Your redemption, Lord, is more than rules and regulations.

Exodus 20:21-21:32

Your redemption, Lord, is more than rules and regulations. It's not about the things that we do for You. It's about all that You have done for us. Jesus died for us - This is what inspires us to live for Him. What a great thing Jesus has done for us! Help us, Lord, to do great things for Him. Help us, Lord, to receive Your great salvation - and to give all the glory to You.

Do You Love God?

Jesus was speaking to men who practised a a very high-brow kind of religion. As far as they were concerned, they did all the right things. They regarded themselves as the people of God. From this high vantage-point of religious observance, these men became proud and arrogant. They looked down on others. Rather than looking deeply into their own sinful hearts and confessing their own sin to God, these men were preoccupied with outward appearances and insisted on passing judgment on the lives of others. Although these men had plenty of religion, Jesus hit the nail on the head when He said to them: "But I know that you have not the love of God within you" (John 5:42).

Jesus' words, in John 5:42, begin with the word, "But." Jesus is saying to these proud, religious men, "I know all about your religion, all about your religious traditions, all about the power and the glory of your religion, all about your knowledge of the Scriptures, but there is something else I know about you - "I know that you have not the love the love of God within you."

How did Jesus know this - because He sees what is in the heart. He sees what is in our hearts!

We really need to hear Jesus' words as a personal challenge. They put before us a serious question: Do I love God or do I not love God?

The Lord Jesus Christ knows all about our church membership and church attendance.He knows about our outward profession of the Christian religion. He knows how often we have sat at the Lord's Table. He knows how often we have heard God's Word. Yet, the Lord, who looks not at outward appearances but at the heart, persists in asking us a most disturbing and extremely challenging question; Do you love God or do you not love God?

Let's think together about this most important question. Let's look deeply into our own hearts, examining ourselves closely in the presence of God, who searches our hearts with the all-seeing eye of His holy Word. Let's think about our attitudes - attitudes towards the creation of God, the blessing of God, the people of God , the Word of God and, above all, the Son of God. We're not speaking here about outward appearances, which can be very deceiving. God looks at the heart. What does He see? Does He see that He is not in all our thoughts, or does He see a real hungering and thirsting for God and righteousness? does He see an attitude which says, "I'm content with a self-centred life, or does He see a God-centred commitment which is determined "to be the best that I can be for truth and righteousness and God"? These are very personal questions. I cannot answer them for you. You cannot answer them for me. Each one of us must answer them for ourselves. we must give our answer to God.

(1) The creation of God

Do we take the created world for granted - hardly ever thinking of God the Creator? When we look at the created world with our own eyes, we see nothing but the things which are seen, the things which are temporal. When we look at God's creation with the eyes of faith, our hearts go out to God in praise and worship, giving thanks to Him that He, the God who created all that we see before us, should come to us in love, giving His Son to be our Saviour.

A modern song, entitled, "I can't wait to get to heaven", expresses well what it means to look at the created world with believing eyes: "Seaside, sunset, silver lining round the clouds; Birds fly, singing, making such a joyful sound. Thoughts of heaven somehow seem to fill my mind. I can't wait to get to heaven. Deep green forest, mountains reaching for the sky; Grasslands and deserts, Your creation fills my eyes. Thank You, thank You, Jesus! though this beauty is just a taste of all Your glory I'll see when I pass through these gates - I can't wait to get to heaven" (Keith Green).

The Lord Jesus Christ is preparing a place for all who love Him. Don't let the earthbound thinking of this present world keep you from loving, trusting, thanking, praising and following Jesus.

(2) The blessings of God

There's an old song which says, "Count your blessings; name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done" (Johnson Oatman Jr,). How often do you think of the many good things the Lord has done for you? How often do you give thanks to Him? The Lord's blessings are so many and varied that we could never manage to count them all. One thing we can say is this: Thank You for Jesus.

When you hear Jesus' words: "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My words who sent Me has eternal life", is your heart filled with joyful thanksgiving? Don't let the "take it for granted" attitude of today's society keep you from thanking God for the greatest blessing of all - Jesus.

(3) The people of God

Before Jesus the Saviour, there was John the Baptist. Jesus gives us a great description of John: "He was a burning and shining lamp." John was a man of God, a man on fire for God. How did the proud, religious men of Jesus' day respond to the preaching of John? Jesus tells us that "they were willing to rejoice for a while in his light" (John 5:35). The important words here are the three words: "for a while."They rejoiced in his light for a while, but now they had given up on rejoicing in the preaching of this faithful and fearless man of God. The proud, religious men of Jesus' day were willing to give a hearing to a new preacher. No doubt, they said, "Great preacher! Great sermon!" They said this for a while - but, when the initial enthusiasm wore off, it really wore off, and, then, there was nothing left but an arrogant rejection. Wherever we see that there is a faithful and fearless stand taken for Christ, we must say, "Yes, I will stand with you, I will encourage you. Together, we will serve the Lord."

Remember, commitment to the Lord and to His Church belong together. We cannot live in a wee world of our own, We must be faithful in encouraging others to serve the Lord.

(4) The Word of God

It is the Bible - God's Word - which teaches us the truth of God

We began by asking about our love for God. As we think about our love for Him, we must never forget that our love for Him is grounded in His love for us. We love Him because He has first loved us. All who truly love God will love His Word and will spend time reading His Word. If we neglect the Bible, this is a sure sign that we are neglecting God. When God is truly at work in a someone's life, there will be a real love for the Word of God. Look at your life in the light of the Bible. What do you see? Do you see how much you have failed God, how often you have let Him down? Do you not see how little you love God, how little praise and thanksgiving there is in your heart? Do you not see your weakness? Do you not see your sinfulness and disobedience? Yes! we see all of these things, but - and this is absolutely amazing - in the midst of all this, we see Someone who loves us. As we think about our love for God, we must never forget that our love for Him is always grounded in His love for us. We love Him because He first loved us.

(5) The Son of God

Jesus says, "He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent Him" (John 5:230. How can there be love for God where there is no love for Jesus? we should be humbled and alarmed by our lack of love for Jesus. we must rejoice that jesus is "the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6).

You have heard God's Word. Make sure that you don't refuse to come to Christ who alone can give you eternal life. he invites you to come. He promises you eternal life. He loves you. He died for you.

Sometimes, Lord, we face opposition ...

Psalms 54:1-55:23 

Sometimes, Lord, we face opposition from people who are outside of Your Church: “Strangers are attacking me; ruthless men seek my life – men with no regard for God” (Psalm 54:3). Sometimes, the opposition comes from people we know very well: “my close friend, with whom I enjoyed sweet fellowship, as we worshipped together at the House of God” (Psalm 55:13-14). What are we to do? Are we to run away from it all – “I would flee far away … far from the tempest and storm” (Psalm 55:6-8)? Would it not be better to remember this: “God is my Helper” (Psalm 54:4). Help us, Lord, to remember Your promise: “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you.” Help us to say, “I will call upon God, and the Lord will save me” (Psalm 55:16,22).

Joy, Pleasure, Satisfaction ...

Our complete joy, pleasure and satisfaction is found in the Lord. We say, with the Psalmist, “Complete joy is in Your presence. Pleasures are by Your side forever ... I will be satisfied with seeing You” (Psalm 16:11; Psalm 17:15). We join, with the hymnwriter, in singing praise to our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: “O Christ, in Thee my soul hath found, And found in Thee alone, The peace, the joy I sought so long, the bliss till now unknown. Now none but Christ can satisfy, None other Name for me. There’s love and life, and lasting joy, Lord Jesus, found in Thee.”

The Great Power Of The Lord

Exodus 14:1-15:27 

Here, we see “the great power of the Lord” (Exodus 14:31). This leads to worship – “I will sing to the Lord. He has won a glorious victory … The Lord is my strength and my song. He is my Saviour. This is my God and I will praise Him … ” (Exodus 15:1-2). In the work of God’s redemption, we see His love and power – “Lovingly You will lead the people You have saved. Powerfully, You will guide them to Your holy dwelling” (Exodus 15:13). This is the greatness of God’s power – it is power which serves the purpose of His love. The Lord is King – “The Lord will rule as King forever and ever” (Exodus 15:18). He is not a tyrant. He is not a dictator. He is the King of love. He loves us. we are to love Him, living for Him and looking to Him to fulfil His promises in our lives.

Great God, Great Love, Great Faithfulness

Psalm 145:1-21 

‘Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised. His greatness is beyond understanding’. We worship You, Lord - our great God: ‘I will exalt You, my God the King. I will praise Your Name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise You and extol Your Name for ever and ever’ (Psalm 145:1-3). You, Lord, are the God whom we worship. You are so much greater than the worship we bring to You. Our worship is to be a ‘joyful celebration’. We celebrate Your great love: ‘The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love’. We rejoice in Your great faithfulness: ‘The Lord is faithful to all His promises’. Here on earth, we have only begun to worship You, our great God. Our worship will continue in Your ‘everlasting Kingdom’. There, we will ‘praise Your Name for ever and ever’ (Psalm 145:7-8,13,21). 

Lord, help us to listen to Your Word ...

Exodus 40:1-38

Lord, help us to listen to Your Word, walk in Your way and "worship You in Spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). These are the things that matter most. Are they our priorities? We know, Lord, that they should be our priorities - but we are often distracted. We lose our focus. Other things become more important to us. "Restore our souls and lead us in the paths of righteousness for Your Name's sake" (Psalm 23:3).

Lord, we thank You for Your Holy Spirit. He leads us to Jesus, our Saviour.

Numbers 24:1-25

Lord, we thank You for Your Holy Spirit. He leads us to Jesus, our Saviour (John 15:26). Help us, Lord, to "hear what the Spirit is saying" to us (Revelation 3:22). He calls us to hear the voice of Jesus - "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him ... "(Revelation 3:20). He calls us to receive us the new life which begins, for each one of us, when we say, "Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Come in today. Come in to stay. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus."

“Give to the Lord glory and power.”

“Give to the Lord glory and power” (Psalm 29:1) - God is calling us to worship Him. “O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever” (Psalm 30:12) - We respond to His call. “Thank the Lord!... Love the Lord, all you godly ones!... Be strong, all who wait with hope for the Lord, and let your heart be courageous!” (Psalm 31:21,23-24). We, who have heard God’s call to worship and are learning to worship Him, are to call upon others to join with us in worshipping the Lord. Worship is to lead to witness, which will bring others to worship.

God's Perfect Plan

Numbers 35:1-36:13

The whole of life is to be arranged according to God’s perfect plan. This principle underlies all the detailed instructions given here. We see it, first, in Numbers 35:1 – “The Lord spoke to Moses … ” It is repeated in Numbers 35:9 – “The Lord said to Moses … ” It is emphasized in Numbers 36:5-6 – “So Moses gave the Israelites a command from the Lord … This is what the Lord commands … ” It is seen in the response of “Zelophedad’s daugthers” who “did as the Lord commanded Moses.” It is found in the concluding verse of the book of Numbers: “These are the commands and rules the Lord gave the Israelites … ” (Numbers 36:13). Life may be very different today. Still, the spiritual principle remains the same: Our life is to be lived according to the teaching of God’s Word.

Lord, You send Your blessing when Your people gather together for worship.

Psalms 133:1-134:3 

Lord, You send ‘Your blessing’ when Your people gather together for worship: ‘How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!’ (Psalm 133:1,3). Many people like to think of themselves as ‘believers’, yet they show no interest in worshipping together with Your people. What does Your Word say about this? - ‘Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another...’ (Hebrews 10:25). ‘Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the House of the Lord’ (Psalm 133:1; Psalm134:1). Lord, there are some people never miss a Sunday morning service - but they always miss the Sunday evening services! They are missing out on so much of Your blessing. Lord, help us to seek Your blessing on Sunday evenings as well as Sunday mornings (Psalm 134:2)!

God's Grace Is Stronger Than Our Sin.

"O God, you have rejected us. ... Restore us!" (Psalm 60:1).

Because of our sin, we are rejected by God. Because of our Saviour, we are restored by God. Thank God - His grace is stronger than our sin.

Lord, help us to put You first in our lives.

Genesis 38:1-30
Lord, help us to put You first in our lives. No-one is more important than You. Why do we forget this - again and again. When we forget You, Lord, bring us back to the Cross of Christ. Show us - all over again - that You have not forgotten us, that You never will forget us.

Lord, we give up so easily ...

2 Kings 18:1-37

Lord, we give up so easily. We start well – then, we lose our way. we don’t stick at it. How are we to keep on going – when the going gets tough? You keep on going – when we feel like giving up. Keep us by Your power (1 Peter 1:5). Keep us from falling (Jude 24). Keep us – looking to Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Enthroned

“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 Word of God - Spoken In The Power Of The Spirit Of God

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul” (Psalm 19:7).
God’s Word does not return to Him empty. It accomplishes the purpose for which He sent it (Isaiah 55:11). Often, we feel like God’s Word returns to us empty. It never returns to Him empty. Wherever God’s Word is preached in the power of the Holy Spirit, God is at work. He is doing more than we realize. Some may refuse to listen to the voice of the Spirit – but the Spirit keeps on speaking to them, calling them to return to the Lord and receive His free gift of salvation: “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will freely pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7). Let us pray that the Word of God will be spoken in the power of the Spirit of God: The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul (Psalm 19:7).
Psalm 19:14
Pray that ‘the meditation of your heart’ and ‘the words of your mouth’ will be filled with the Spirit of love.

The voice of fear - and the voice of faith

Proverbs 26:1-28

‘There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!’ (Proverbs 26:13). This, Lord, is the voice of fear speaking. Give to us the voice of faith – ‘I believed, and so I spoke’ (2 Corinthians 4:13). When ‘the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour’, he can fill us with fear. Help us not to not let him do this. Help us to face him with faith – ‘Resist him, standing firm in the faith’ (1 Peter 5:8-9). When we ‘resist the devil’, standing firm in the faith, ‘he will flee from us’ (James 4:7). Help us, Lord, Let us face the ‘roaring lion’ with faith in an even more powerful ‘Lion’. Jesus Christ – ‘the Lion of Judah’ – ‘has conquered’ Satan. He ‘has triumphed’ over him (Revelation 5:5). May Christ’s ‘perfect love drive out our fear’ (1 John 4:18).

Be Wise. Win Souls.

“He that winneth souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30).
Be wise. Win souls.

“Those are the best educated ministers, who win the most souls” (Charles Finney) – It is estimated that over 250,000 souls were converted as the result of Finney’s preaching!
“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever” (Daniel 12:3).

Thanksgiving And Hope

"This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes" (Psalm 118:23).
When we think of all that the Lord has done for us, let us think also of what He will do for us.

Let us look back with thanksgiving. Let us look forward with hope.

Amazing Love! What Will Our Response Be?

John 12:1-11

Mary was the sister of "Lazarus ... whom Jesus raised from the dead" (John 12:1; John 11:2). The anointing of Jesus came after the raising of Lazarus.

The Lord Jesus had raised Mary's brother from the dead. Only Jesus could have done this for her. Only Jesus had done this for her. in view of this remarkable act of divine power and love, Mary now had a sense of inestimable debt.  She felt that she owed her all to Jesus.

 * She had been in the darkness of sorrow, and Jesus brought her the light of life.

 * She had been in the pit of deep despair, and Jesus brought her into new hope.

 * She had been in the depths of grief, and Jesus brought her unspeakable joy.

To the man who does not understand the grace of God (Judas Iscariot), her action seems very strange. To the Man who embodies the grace of God (Jesus), her action is seen as a deeply spiritual response to the grace of God.

If there's one word that describes Mary's act, it is this word - love.

 * The motive of Mary's action was love.

 * The manner of Mary's action was love.

 * The lesson from Mary's action is love.

 (1) The Motive

In this unusual action, Mary gave a gift. Like any other gift, this gift came from someone and was given to someone. Mary's action was done from the heart, and it was done to Christ and for Christ.

This is the two-sided beauty of Mary's action - it was done from the heart, and it was done for Christ.

 (2) The Manner

Here, we notice the costliness of Mary's gift and the un-selfconscious nature of her giving. Mary's gift was given at great expense to herself. In the giving of this gift, Mary pointed away from herself to Christ. Mary's action didn't say, "Look at Mary. Look at how spiritual I am." Her action said, "Look at Christ. He is worthy of all your worship. Let Him be the centre of attention."

 (3) The Lesson

   (a) Giving from the heart and doing from the heart is the kind of giving and doing that the Lord seeks - e.g. visit the sick, visit the poor and needy. Think how much more would be done for the Lord, if we did what He puts into our hearts to do for Him. When you find, in your heart, a desire to do something for Christ, don't let your mind talk you out of it. Don't let a 'Judas Iscariot' dampen your heartfelt zeal (John 12:5).

   (b) Give to Christ, and live for Him. the centrality of Christ in the Christian life - this is something that we can never emphasize too strongly. A great deal of what is done in the name of religion turns out to be useless, because it is not done for Christ. Don't try to do holy work while you're thinking, "What am I going to get out of this?" This is what Judas Iscariot was thinking (John 12:6) - and look at the mess he made of his life! Make this your one aim - to glorify Christ.

   (c) As you give yourself to Christ, give Him your best, give Him yourself, give Him your heart. There is such a difference between our best and our second-best. We give our best to Jesus when we believe that He is the best, that He is worthy of nothing less than our best. We give our second-best to Jesus when we believe that He is the second-best - coming a poor second to our real No. 1 (ourselves). Give your heart to Jesus. If you don't give your heart to Him, what you give to Him will never be anything more than your second-best. We give our best to Jesus when we believe that He is the best - that He is worthy of nothing less than the best. we give our second-best to Jesus when we believe that He is the second-best - a poor second to our real No.1 (ourselves)."To be the best that I can be for truth and righteousness and Thee" - may this be the great goal of our life. Judas Iscariot gave his second-best to Jesus. He associated himself with Jesus and His disciples - but he remained master of his own life. Judas did what Judas wanted - not what Jesus wanted. How true this is of so many today. We are Church people, but are we Christ's people?

 * Let us love like Mary loved 

  - with a love that comes from the heart;

  - with a love that is love for Jesus;

  - with a love that thinks of privilege rather than cost;

  - with a love that finds its pleasure in giving and doing;

  - with a love that points away from ourselves to Christ;

  - with a love that gives our best - not our second-best;

  - with a love that gives ourselves to Christ.

Amazing love! Where do we find such love? - At Calvary. it is the love of Christ. What will our response be? 

"Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small. Love, so amazing, so divine, demands (shall have) my soul, my life, my all" (Charles Wesley).

Touch our hearts, Lord, with Your love.

Exodus 10:1-29

Touch our hearts, Lord, with Your love. So often, our hearts are hard. How can this hardness be broken down? You must do it. We can't do this for ourselves. We can't do this by ourselves. It's Your love that changes us. It's Your love that makes us new. Open our hearts to Your love. Fill our hearts with Your love.

So often, Lord, we start out well - and then something goes wrong.

2 Samuel 1:1-27

So often, Lord, we start out well - and then something goes wrong. Our heads go down. We lose our way. We fall away from You. Where does this spirit of defeat, this spirit of giving up, come from? - It comes from Satan. He sweeps in. He sweeps us off our feet. He sweeps us away from You. When Satan attacks us, help us, Lord, to remember Your promise: You are "able to keep us from falling" (Jude 24-25). Help us to hear Your Word: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Lord - What a great God You are. Your love is greater than our sin.

Nehemiah 9:6-38

What a great God You are – “You are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Nehemiah 9:17). Your love is greater than our sin. We look at ourselves – and everything seems to be hopeless. We look to You - and everything changes. We see Your grace and Your mercy. Your love fills us with hope.When everything seems to be getting too much for us, we remember that Jesus died for us – and we rejoice: “His blood cleanses us from all sin” (1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 John 1:7).

How much do the things of this world really matter – if we don’t have Jesus as our Saviour?

1 Kings 10:1-11:13

We look, Lord, at “King Solomon” – and we see ourselves! “He was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth” (1 Kings 10:23). We like to think that we’re ‘getting on in the world.’ There was something seriously wrong with Solomon – “His heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God …he did not follow the Lord completely” (1 Kings 11:4,6). This is our problem. There’s too much of the world in our way of life – and not enough of You, Lord! How much do the things of this world really matter – if we don’t have Jesus as our Saviour (Mark 8:36)?

The Light Of God's Love, Truth And Holiness

“You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light” (Psalm 18:28).
Without You, Lord, we’re stumbling around in the dark. With You, we’re walking in the light – the light of Your love, the light of Your truth, the light of Your holiness.

God's Way Is The Best Way.

“As for God, His way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30).
The Lord knows what He has planned for each one of us. There are no surprises for Him. The Lord doesn’t leave us to travel on our own. He’s with us every step of the way. When we wonder about what’s happening in our lives, He is there, teaching us to say from the heart, “As for God, His way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30; 2 Samuel 22:31). He’s leading us to His Son, Jesus. He’s showing us our suffering Saviour. He’s showing us our risen Lord. He’s showing us that there is a way of peace, joy and love. It’s the way of Jesus. It’s the way of trusting Him. Keep your eyes on Jesus. He will lead you in His way. God’s blessing will surround you each day.

The Fruitless Life? or The Fruitful Life?

"The Lord spoke His Word through the prophet Haggai" (Haggai 1:1). The prophet is only the messenger. It is the Lord who speaks His Word. God's Word challenges our way of thinking and our way of living. We say, "Everything is okay." God says, "Everything is not okay." There is a problem. God says to us, "Carefully consider your ways" (Haggai 1:5). Our way of thinking and living is self-centred. It should be God-centred (Haggai 1:4). When we respond to God's Word, He says to us, "I am with you" (Haggai 1:13). We are not left to do the work in our own strength. He gives us the strength that we need.
First, the Lord speaks to Haggai (Haggai 2:1). Then, Haggai speaks for God (Haggai 2:2). "The faithful few who returned from Babylon" (Haggai 2:2) - Even if we are few, let us remain faithful. God calls us to "be strong" (Haggai 2:4). He says to us, "Work, because I am with you" (Haggai 2:4). He gives us His strength. He calls us to use His strength in His service. God looks beyond what we are in ourselves. He looks on to what we will become through His strength. He says to us, "Is there any seed left in the barn? The vines, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree still haven't produced" - This is the fruitless life, the life that is lived in our own strength. "But from now on, I will bless you" - This is the fruitful life, the life that is lived in the strength of the Lord. For the work of the Lord to be established, there needs to be the tearing down of the work of man - "I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of nations. I will overthrow chariots and their riders, and the horses will fall along with their riders" (Haggai 2:22). When the work of Satan is torn down, the work of the Lord begins - "a new creation. All things have passed away. All things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The storm is raging. Jesus draws near. There is peace.

The storm is raging: ‘they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them’ (Mark 6:48). Jesus draws near, and there is peace: ‘the wind ceased’ (Mark 6:51). Another ‘storm’ continues to rage: ‘Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders...?’ (Mark 7:5). How did Jesus respond to this ‘storm’ of criticism? - He exposed the hypocrisy of those who made the tradition of men more important than the Word of God (Mark 7:7-9,13). He invited ‘the people’ to come ‘to Him’, to ‘hear’, to ‘understand’. His Word was addressed to ‘all’ of them (Mark 7:14). Jesus emphasizes this point: ‘man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart’ (1 Samuel 16:7). The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. Which will it be? - ‘Their hearts were hardened’ (Mark 7:52) or ‘Loving the Lord your God with all your heart’ (Mark 12:30).

Great is Thy faithfulness ...

The title ― Lamentations ― suggests human sadness. There is, however, something else here ― divine faithfulness. At the heart of this short book, we find this great declaration ― ‘Great is thy faithfulness’ (3:23). Knowing God as the God of great faithfulness involves looking beyond our circumstances and our feelings.
Israel’s circumstances were depressing. Jerusalem had fallen. The Temple had been destroyed. Depression seemed to be the mood of the moment. Humanly speaking, things did not look good. Israel had known better times. The Lord’s people had wandered from the Lord. The people of God knew little of the power of God. This was not, however, the whole story. The faithful God had not given up on his wayward people. He assured them that they would again have good reason to say ― ‘Great is thy faithfulness’. We could easily miss the five chapters of Lamentations. Hidden away between the fifty two chapters of Jeremiah and the forty eight chapters of Ezekiel, they hardly catch the eye. The title ― Lamentations ― hardly grabs our attention. It would be a great pity ― for us ― if we overlooked this testimony to God’s faithfulness. Here, we have a message of great contemporary relevance. Lamentations was written at a time, strikingly similar to our own day. God’s people had been taken captive. They lived in an alien environment. This is the story of our own nation in the twenty-first century. We live in a secularized society, a society in which there is little sense of God’s presence. Our society is a materialistic society, a society which has made money its ‘god’. The people of God are a people under pressure. We are tempted to become prisoners of our circumstances, prisoners of our feelings. We look at our circumstances, and we feel ‘desolate’ (1:4) and ‘despised’ (1:11). In our discouragement, we cry to God: ‘O Lord, behold my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!’ (1:9). What did God say to Israel in their time of distress? He spoke to them of his great faithfulness, his readiness to revive his work. This is the message which we must hear in our day. It is a message which will draw out from our hearts that great confession of faith ― ‘Great is thy faithfulness’. How are we to live for Christ in the twenty-first century? We must live with realism, and we must live by faith. We need realism if we are to look honestly at our present circumstances. Looking beyond those circumstances calls for faith ― faith in the God of great faithfulness. The Church’s present situation is aptly yet sadly described in the words ― ‘How the gold has grown dim’ (4:1). We can come to God only in confession of sin ― ‘O Lord ... see our disgrace’ (5:1). We look at our secularized society, and we acknowledge that ‘our inheritance has been turned over to strangers’ (5:2). We look at the secularization of the Church, and we acknowledge that ‘our homes (have been turned over) to aliens’ (5:2).
We look into our own hearts and lives, and we acknowledge that ‘the joy of our hearts has ceased; (and) our dancing has been turned to mourning’ (5:15). In the world of today and the Church of today, it is not easy to rejoice in our hearts. It is even more difficult to be joyful in testifying for the Lord. We must seek a positive answer to the question, ‘How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?’ (Psalm 137:4).
Israel’s difficulty in singing the Lord’s song is emphasized by the sad fact that ‘Mount Zion ... lies desolate’ (5:8). This is the situation, which is described in Psalm 137:1 ― ‘By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion’. In this situation, the ‘tormentors’ of God’s people mockingly say, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ (Psalm 137:3). When we are faced with similar circumstances, we are forced to ask, ‘How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?’ How are we to do this? Are we to hide our heads in the sand, run away from our difficult circumstances and escape into pious emotion? This is what we must not do. We must face our circumstances honestly. This is realism.
We dare not ignore the reality of our situation. There is, however, another reality of which we must take account ― the reality of God, the God concerning whom we say, with faith, ‘Great is thy faithfulness’. By faith, we look beyond our circumstances to our God: ‘But thou, O Lord, dost reign for ever; thy throne endures to all generations’ (5:19). To believe in God’s faithfulness is to believe that his ‘throne endures to all generations’. God is still on the throne. There is no question of ‘God used to be on the throne, but now he is no lnger on the throne’. We have heard what the so-called ‘Death of God’ theologians have had to say for themselves.
We have also heard what the book of Lamentations says for God: ‘Great is thy faithfulness’. Having heard the voice of God, in the midst of the voices of unbelief, we affirm our faith in the living God. God is still on the throne. For ever, he reigns. His throne endures to all generations. This is the faith which inspired Israel in their captivity. This is the faith with which we move forward in the twenty-first century. It is the faith which transforms our feelings. By faith, we bring our feelings to God. Like Israel, we may feel forgotten and forsaken (5:20). In God’s presence, we exchange our feelings ― forgotten and forsaken ― for his blessings ― restoration and renewal: ‘Restore us to thyself, O Lord ... Renew our days as of old!’ (5:21).

In the Lord’s presence, we become convinced of God’s faithfulness. He has not forgotten us, and he will not forget us. He has not forsaken us, and he will not forsake us. In our prayer for restoration and renewal, we bring our circumstances and feelings to God, refusing to be overwhelmed by them.
We pray with urgency, conscious of our great need of restoration and renewal. Prisoners of circumstances and feelings, we pray ― with faith ― that the chains will start falling and the changes will start happening. In prayer, we look back ― with thanksgiving ― to past blessings, and we look forward ― in hope ― to future blessing. We remember what God has done in ‘days ... of old’, and our faith grows ― God reigns for ever and his throne endures to all generations. Strengthened in faith, we pray, ‘Renew our days as of old!’ The restoration and renewal for which we must pray is the restoration of our walk with God ― 'He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake’ (Psalm 23:3) ― and the renewal of our witness for God ― ‘Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee?’ (Psalm 85:6). Walking with God and witnessing for God, we are sustained by the joy of the Lord. In this Book with such an unpromising name ― ‘Lamentations’ ― the joy of the Lord comes shining through. Looking beyond our circumstances to the Lord, we are able, with joy, to affirm our faith: ‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end’ (3:22). The steadfast love of the Lord may also be described as his faithful love. His love is love, unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable. Rejoicing in such love, we praise God’s faithfulness: ‘Great is thy faithfulness’ (3:23).

Through the faithful love of God, we are given a testimony: ‘The Lord is my portion’. With this testimony, we face the future with the courage of faith: ‘I will hope in him’ (3:24). In our walk with God, this testimony ― ‘The Lord is my portion’ ― is an expression of the joyful faith which finds its true satisfaction in the Lord. We speak of  'a good portion’ and ‘a satisfying meal’. Those who have found that ‘none but Christ can satisfy’ have this testimony: ‘The Lord is my portion’. Assured of God’s faithful love ― a love which is completely trustworthy, utterly reliable and entirely dependable, we confidently affirm, ‘The Lord is my portion’. This faith is no secondhand faith. It may be a faith which reflects on the Lord’s dealing with the whole body of his people but it is, nevertheless, a personal faith ―‘The Lord is my portion’. In Christ, we have received the full portion of God’s blessing. As ‘his sons (and daughters) through Jesus Christ’, we have received ‘every spiritual blessing’ (Ephesians 1:4-5). For once, the ‘child’s portion’ is the ‘full portion!’ Knowing Christ as ‘the bread of life’ (John 6:35) and ‘the living water’ (John 4:10, 13-14 and John 7:37-38), we gladly say ‘The Lord is my portion’. Those who have begun to walk with God are also to witness for him. Those who have the personal testimony ‘The Lord is my portion’ ― are to say to others, ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good’ (Psalm 34:8). We have found Christ. We are to share him with others. We have come to know Christ. We are to make him known Surprising though it may seem, the Book of Lamentations can be of some value in the preaching of the gospel. A book bearing the unlikely title ― ‘Lamentations’ ― hardly creates the impression that it will be
of any real use in the proclamation of ‘good news’. The desolation of God’s people in the twenty first century is so reminiscent of the desolation of which we read in Lamentations. Many watch what is going on in our generation, and they wonder, ‘Where is the Word of the Lord’ in all this? (Jeremiah 17:15) The sadness which pervades so much of Lamentations reflects the mood of many of the Lord’s people in our day ― longing for better times, for the ‘days ... of old’ (5:21). Ours is an age of many questions and, so it seems, few answers. Lamentations is a book which ends with questions, ‘Why dost thou forget us for ever, why dost thou so long forsake us? ... Or hast thou utterly rjected us? Art thou exceedingly angry with us?’ (5:20, 22). So often, modern man expects no answer to his questions. In Lamentations, these questions are set in the context of believing affirmation ― ‘But thou, O Lord, dost reign for ever; thy throne endures to all generations’ (5:19) ― and earnest prayer ― ‘Restore us to thyself, O Lord, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old!’ (5:21). How are we to bring good news to a world that is living with questions, a world that shows little inclination to believe the confession of faith ― ‘Thou, O Lord, doest reign for ever’ ― and little interest in praying the fervent prayer ― ‘Restore us to thyself, O Lord’? This is a question which calls for a practical response. It demands a response which will take into account the questions which men and women are asking in this generation. To speak of questions ― some spoken in the context of prayer and faith, and others asked with little expectation of an answer ― is to acknowledge that there are many different types of questions.
This may be brought out clearly through a brief review of the questions asked in the Book of Lamentations. In 1:12, we have a question put to those who despise the Lord’s people, ‘Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?’. In 2:12, there is the question asked by ‘infants and babes faint(ing) in the streets of the city’(2:11) -  ‘Where is bread and wine?’ In 2:13, there are questions which raise the question of the comfort and restoration of a fallen people: ‘What can I say for you, to what compare you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What can I liken to you that may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For vast as the sea is your ruin; who can restore you?’ The question of the cynics who ‘hiss and wag their heads at the daughter of Jerusalem’ is found in 2:15 ― ‘Is this the city which was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?’ In 2:20, we have questions asked in the mood of prayerful moral indignation: ‘Look, O Lord, and see! With whom hast thou dealt thus? Should women eat their offspring, the children of their tender care? Should priest and prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?’

Moving into the third chapter, we find this triology of questions at vs. 37-39: ‘Who has commanded and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and evil come? Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins?’ There are so many different questions being asked today.
They are being asked by different people. They are being asked in different ways and with different expectations. What do the question of  Lamentations have to say to our day, a day of many questions? They may prompt the modern questioner to think about the question he’s not asking as well as the questions he is asking ― ‘Perhaps, there is a God who has his own questions to put to me.’ Lamentations asks its questions within the context of the great declaration of faith : ‘Great is thy faithfulness’ (3:23). This combination of intense questioning and confident faith might well increase the questioner’s expectation of an answer ― an answer which while it may leave some questions unresolved, opens the doors to faith. As we face modern man’s questions, we must ‘be ready always to give an answer to every man who asks us to give a reason for our hope’ (1 Peter 3:15). In giving an answer, we dare not imagine that we can ever hope to give a complete answer to every question. We must always remember that ‘the secret things belong to the Lord our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us’ (Deuteronomy 29:29). The answer which we give is not our answer. It is God’s answer.
Man’s question has been answered by God. He has answered it in person. The God of faithfulness ― the Word made flesh (John 1:1, 14) ― is God’s answer to mans question. The answer which we give must always be a Christ-centred answer. We may now focus special attention on two of the questions asked in Lamentations ‘Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?’ (1:12), and ‘Where is bread and wine?’ (2:12). We read these questions in connection with two other questions, the first two questions asked in the Bible: ‘the serpent ... said to the woman, “Did God say ... ?” ’ (Genesis 3:1), and ‘the Lord God called to the man..., “Where are you?” ‘ (Genesis 3:9). Taking these four questions together, we may find a helpful pattern for thinking about Christian witness in today’s world. The Bible’s first question was asked by neither God nor man. It was asked by ‘the serpent’ ― ‘that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan’ (Revelation 20:2). We do not introduce the devil here in order to provide ourselves with an excuse for our unbelief. After all, Scripture tells us that ‘each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire’ (James 1:14). Rather, we speak of Satan’s question ― ‘Did God say?’ in order to emphasize that many of today’s questions arise from unbelief, and not from faith seeking understanding. We speak of the Satanic origin of the Bible’s first question in order to stress that, in today’s world, we are involved in spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:12), when we seek to bring the modern questioner from one form of questioning ― the questioning of unbelief ― to another very different form of questioning ― faith seeking understanding. We must  eckon with the activity of Satan when we encounter the questioning which arises from unbelief‘the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4;4). How is the problem of unbelief to be overcome? Unbelief gives way to faith, only when God is at work in the human heart: ‘it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the glory of God in the face of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4:6). The emergence of faith in the human heart is the work of ‘the Lord, who made heaven and earth’ (Psalm 121:2). If we are to combat unbelief effectively, our evangelism must be God―centred. We proclaim the God of love, the God who sent his Son ‘to seek and to save the lost’ (Luke 19:10). God has not changed. He is still the God of love. He still calls out to the lost, ‘Where are you?’. In love, he still invites the sinner to return to him. His love is a yearning love, a passionate love, a love which says to the indifferent: ‘Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?’. His love for us is a love which draws out from our hearts a returning love ― ’Loving him who first loved me’. Touched by the love of God, the modern questioner finds that the character of his questioning begins to change. The question of the unbeliever gives way to the question of the seeker: ‘Where is bread and wine?’. There is a hunger and thirst which the world cannot satisfy, a hunger and thirst which can be satisfied only by the One whose body was broken for us and whose blood was shed for us. ‘Where is bread and wine?’ It is not the ‘bread’ and ‘wine’ of this world, which satisfies the deepest need of the human heart. It is Jesus Christ ‘the bread of Life’ (John 6:48), ‘the true vine’ (John 15:1). ‘Where is bread and wine?’ This is the question of the seeking heart. To those who are truly seeking, Jesus says, ‘You will find’ (Matthew 7:7). Why do we start asking the seeker’s question? His love lays hold on us. What do we find when we truly seek? His love. The love which prompted us to seek is the love which we find in Jesus Christ. Evangelism, when it is truly God-centred, will also be Christ-centred. Evangelism, which is both God―centred and Christ-centred, becomes effective through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is witness for Christ, which is grounded in walking in the Spirit. True evangelism is grounded in care and prayer. If we truly desire to see the mighty blessing of God in our day, we must care for those who are living without Christ, and we must pray for them. Caring and praying ― both are vital if we are to be really used by the Lord to bring his blessing into the lives of others. Caring for those who have yet to find the Saviour, we invite them to consider the question of 1:12 ― ‘Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?’. Praying for them, we pray that they will ask the seeker’s question ― ‘Where is bread and wine?’ (2:12). Caring and praying, we are ― by our lives and our words ― to invite men and women to consider Jesus Christ and to discover for themselves what w e can do in their lives. As we seek to be faithful to God in our Christian walk and witness, we will discover ― despite all the difficulties facing the Christian Faith and the Christian Church ― the great truth which lies at the heart of Lamentations ― ‘Great is thy faithfulness’.

Grace, Gratitude, Glory

Grace, Gratitude, Glory – These three words summarize the meaning of the Lord’s Supper, the preaching of the Gospel, the message of the Bible.

We live in an age where there is a great call for originality and novelty. Often, people lose their bearings. They don’t know what to believe. In such a time as this, we need teaching which is both simple and profound – simple enough to state clearly the message of the Lord’s Supper, the Gospel and the Bible; profound in a way that makes us conscious that, in the Lord’s Supper, the Gospel and the Bible, we are in contact with Someone greater than ourselves – the God of grace, the God of glory. As we consider this God – the God of grace, the God of glory, we must allow our hearts, and not only our minds, to be deeply affected, so that, from our hearts, there arises a song of thanksgiving.

• We have God’s call to thanksgiving.

“Give thanks with a grateful heart, Give thanks to the Holy One, Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son” (Power Praise, 39).

• There is also our response of thanksgiving.

“I’m forever grateful to You, I’m forever grateful for the cross, I’m forever grateful to You, That You came to seek and save the lost” (Power Praise, 195).

Grace, Gratitude, Glory

• (1) The first of these words speaks of what God has done. When we gather at the Lord’s Table, we remember what the lord has done done for us. When we hear the Gospel, we hear the message: This is what the Lord has done for you. The Gospel is more than a story about a great man. Jesus says, “I have come down from heaven” (John 6:38). When we read the Bible, we read the story of God – “In the beginning, God” (Genesis 1:1). God has taken the initiative. Our first step towards can never be any more than a response: gratitude.
• (2) In grace, He invites us to give thanks. In gratitude, we come to Him and our face is strengthened: “And now let the weak say, ‘I am strong’, Let the poor say, ‘I am rich’, Because of what the Lord has done for us” (Power Praise, 39).

How is our faith strengthened as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, reading the Bible, and hearing the preaching of the Gospel? We read John 6:53-55. We ask, “Are we to understand this literally?” No. Just as bread and water is needed to sustain physical life, so Jesus Christ is needed to sustain spiritual life or eternal life – “without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

• (3) Glory: God’s ultimate purpose is expressed in john 6:40. We look back to the day of grace – the Cross. We give thanks for the days of gratitude, the many times the Lord has strengthened our faith. We look forward to the day of glory – “the last day”: “I will raise him up at the last day” – “He whoo eats this bread (Christ) will live forever” (John 6:58).

We thank You, Lord, that Jesus is our Light. He’s “the Light of the world.”

“The light of the righteous rejoices” (Proverbs 13:9). We thank You, Lord, that Jesus is our Light. He’s “the Light of the world” (John 8:12). In Him, we rejoice (Romans 5:11 – “the blood Of Jesus, Your Son, cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). We thank You that, through Jesus, You have “called us out of darkness into Your marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9). When, Lord, we’re going through hard times, help us to see the light at the end of the tunnel – “the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:6-9).

Holiness And Wholeness

Mark 9:14-41

If we are to walk with the Lord in His way of holiness and wholeness,

(a) our life must be based on Jesus Christ - His death for us and His resurrection for us (Mark 9:31);

(b) our life is to be a life of faith (Mark 9:23); (c) our life is to be a life of service (Mark 9:35);

(d) our  life is to be a life of love (Mark 9:40).

Where do we learn of faith, service and love? We learn from Christ, our Saviour and Lord. He shows us how to live. He shapes our life. How does Jesus show us how to live? How does He shape our life? We begin with listening to Him. How can we learn from Him if we don't listen to Him?

Listen to Jesus. Learn from Jesus. Live for Jesus.

Listen to Him because you love Him.  Learn from Him because you love Him. Live for Him because you love Him.

How are we to love Jesus? Begin with His love. If we are to love Jesus, we must listen to the voice of His love, and we must learn how much He loves us.

If, Lord, we are to live for You, we must learn to die to self:

Numbers 30:1-31:20

If, Lord, we are to live for You, we must learn to die to self: "Put to death what is earthly in you ... put off the old nature .... put on the new nature" (Colossians 3:5-11). When there is less of self in us and more of Christ in us, there will be more blessing for others: "death is at work in us, but life in you" (2 Corinthians 4:12).

We thank You, Lord, that we have Your wonderful promise - "The Lord your God is with you" - as well as Your clear command - "Be strong."

Joshua 1:1-18

We thank You, Lord, that we have Your wonderful promise - "The Lord your God is with you" - as well as Your clear command - "Be strong" (Joshua 1:9). Without Your promise, the command is no use. Again and again, we fail to keep Your commands. Again and again, we need to be reassured. You are still with us. This is what we need to hear. This is where our strength comes from. It comes from Your promise. It comes from knowing that You never fail us. You have never failed us. You never will fail us.

Help us, Lord, to listen to all that You say to us - and not ‘only hear what we want to hear’!

Jeremiah 37:1-21

‘Is there any Word from the Lord?’ - ‘Yes! There is a Word from the Lord.’ Lord, Your Word wasn’t exactly what the king wanted to hear - ‘You will be handed over to the king of Babylon’ (Jeremiah 37:17). You were going to bless Your people - but they would have to be patient: Things were going to get an awful lot worse before they would get much better! Before their restoration - “I will bring them back and restore them to this place’, Your people faced captivity - ‘They will be taken to Babylon.’There was bad news - a captivity of  ‘seventy years.’There was good news - the captivity wouldn’t last forever (Jeremiah 37:27:22; 29:10-11)! Lord, You speak of Your blessing - ‘It will certainly come’, but You also say, ‘Wait for it’ (Habakkuk 2:3). Help us to listen to all that You say to us - and not ‘only hear what we want to hear’!

Words For Singing, Words Of Living

Psalms 75:1-76:12

“We give thanks to You, O God … I will rejoice for ever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. Make your vows to the Lord your God, and perform them” (Psalm 785:1,9; Psalm 76:11). Teach us, Lord, that true rejoicing in You is more than singing praise to You. Teach us to live what we sing. “Fill Thou our life, O Lord our God, in every part with praise.” “Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.” Such words are not to be forgotten as soon as we leave the place of worship. They’re more than words for singing. They’re words for living. How, Lord, can we live a life of praise and consecration? – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Sometimes, Lord, it seems to us that some things just happen by chance.

Ruth 1:1-2:23

Sometimes, Lord, it seems to us that some things just happen by chance. You're saying to us, "No. It's more than that." You are working in us. You are showing us Your love. Day-by-day, You are showing us that You are the faithful God. You are the God of "amazing grace." Help us to say more than "These things just happened." Help us to say, "God has blessed us. Thank You, Lord."

Often, Lord, we come to Your House with so little expectation of Your blessing.

Exodus 29:10-46

Often, Lord, we come to Your House with so little expectation of Your blessing. Where does this attitude come from? - It doesn't come from You. You are the great God. You fill our hearts with 'great expectations.' When Satan comes to us, filling our hearts with apathy - the 'couldn't-care-less' attitude, help us to tell him that You are the great God (Psalm 135:5) - great in holiness, power and love, the faithful God who comes to us with great promises of blessing. When, Lord, we are blessed by You, help us to give all the glory to You.

The Lord Bless You And Keep You ...

Numbers 6:22-27

There’s nothing better than God’s blessing. It’s nice to have friends. People like you. It feels good. God’s blessing – That’s so much better. Friends come and go. God’s blessing remains. You can be surrounded by friends – and still feel very lonely. Sometimes, they’re great friends. Sometimes, they disappoint us. When you’re surrounded by God’s blessing, everything’s very different. God will never disappoint us. He’s our “always and forever” Friend. His blessing is an “every day” blessing. It’s not just a “now and again” thing. It’s an “all the days of our life” thing. Everywhere we look, we see God. We look to the hills. We see our Creator. We look to the cross. We see our Saviour. We are blessed by our Creator. We are blessed by our Saviour.

How do we enjoy God’s blessing?

Trust Him. Walk in His way. Wherever life’s journey takes us, He’s there. He’s our faithful Friend. He’s the Friend who’ll never let us down. In our happy times, He gives us His joy. In our hard times, He gives us His peace. Is there anything better than this? No! There isn’t. This is not about good things happening to us. It’s about the good God being with us, even when bad things are happening to us. Being blessed by the Lord doesn’t mean that we’ll never have hard times. What it does mean is this – God loves us in the hard times as well as the happy times. Put your trust in the Lord. Trust in His love. Walk in His way. Be changed by His love.

How are we to walk in the Lord’s way?

We must never imagine that walking with the Lord will be easy. It wasn’t easy for Jesus. It won’t be easy for us. Sin is always near. The devil sets many traps for us. He’s always trying to draw us away from Jesus. Sin may be very near – but the Lord comes even closer to us. Jesus is “God with us.” The devil is a powerful enemy. He’s also a defeated enemy. Christ has won the victory over Him. Christ has won the victory for us. He gives His victory to us. Why don’t we enjoy constant victory over sin? – We take our eyes off Jesus. We forget that He’s living in us. We forget that it’s from Him that we receive His peace and His joy. His peace is great. It passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). His joy is great. It’s “a great and glorious joy which words cannot express” (1 Peter 1:8). His peace and His joy give us strength for walking in His way.

God Is At Work In You.

Philippians 2:12-3:11
God’s command- ‘Work out your own salvation’- must never be separated from His promise - ‘God is at work in you’(12-13). We do not save ourselves - We ‘put no confidence in the flesh’. We are saved by the Lord - We ‘glory in Christ Jesus’(3). We are to ‘shine as lights in the world’, directing attention away from ourselves to Him who is ‘the Light of the world’- our Lord Jesus Christ (15; John 8:12). We have this testimony: “I have ‘no righteousness of my own’. ‘Through faith in Christ’, I have received ‘this righteousness from God’”(9). We are living in difficult times. This is ‘a crooked and perverse generation’(15). We are called to ‘hold fast the Word of life’(16). It will not be easy. We will face many difficulties. We must take encouragement from this: ‘God is at work in you’(13).

The Main Course!

“Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).
Here, on earth, we’re still at the ‘starter.’ When we’re in heaven, we’ll move on to the ‘main course.’ We won’t be disappointed!

When the Holy Spirit comes on you ... you will be My witnesses… to the ends of the earth’

‘When the Holy Spirit comes on you… you will be My witnesses… to the ends of the earth’(Acts 1:8). This great advance of the Gospel - Salvation reaches ‘the Gentiles’(Acts 10:45; Acts 11:1,18) - is a movement of ‘the Spirit’(Acts 11:12). The Spirit speaks through the Word (10:44; 11:15). In God’s Word, we read of (a) God’s love for the whole world (John 3:16); (b) God’s Son who died for ‘the sins of the whole world’(John 1:29; 1 John 2:2); (c) God’s command that ‘the Good News’ should be preached to ‘everyone’(Mark 16:15); (d) God’s purpose that there should be disciples of Christ in every nation (Matthew 28:19). ‘Every person in every nation, in each succeeding generation, has the right to hear the News that Christ can save… Here am I, send me’(Youth Praise,128). ‘Go forth and tell!’(Mission Praise, 178).

Where does true love come from?

1 Samuel 20:1-42

Where does true love come from? It comes from You, Lord. It comes from Your love. Give us real love. Give us Your love. When we know that we are loved by You, our love will grow strong - our love for You, our love for one another, our love for people who need You.

Teach us, Lord, to count our blessings.

Genesis 24:50-67
Teach us, Lord, to count our blessings.
We try to think of all the good things You have done for us, all the great gifts You have given to us.
We cannot keep up with You, Lord. There is so much to count, so much for which we can only say, ‘Thank You, Lord.’

The Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.

Proverbs 28:1-28

‘Blessed is the one who always fears the Lord. If you harden your heart, you will be ruined’ (Proverbs 28:14). Lord, Your blessing comes to us through the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Saviour: ‘The Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes’. To those who refuse to come to Christ and receive His salvation, You speak solemn words of warning: ‘Because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the Day of God’s wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed’ (Romans 1:16; Romans 2:5). You call us to receive ‘salvation’ through faith in Christ, ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’. May we not be among those who reject Christ and His salvation, those who  must face ‘the wrath of the Lamb’ (John 1:29; Revelation 7:10; 6:16).  

The Ten Commandments (1): " ... Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:1-3).

To understand the ten commandments, in Exodus 20, we need to listen to the whole story of the exodus. To understand the giving of the law at Mount Sinai, we need to go back to Egypt and discover the mighty act of redemption by which God had brought the people of Israel out of bondage and into freedom.

Why did God say to Moses, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me"? There was no other god who had redeemed them from their slavery in Egypt. He, alone, was their Saviour. No other god could even begin to compare with the God of salvation. The mighty God had delivered his people from their oppressors. Any attempt to compete with him was a complete non-starter. There were to be no other gods before the God of Israel because there could be no other gods before him. He, alone, was the Saviour. He, alone, was to receive the worship and praise of his people.

How are we to understand the ten commandments today? We must understand them within the context of the gospel. Before we turn to the law of God, which teaches us how we are to live, we must listen, first, to the gospel of god - the gospel which shows us the way to life - abundant life, eternal life, through faith in Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.

When the people of Israel were called to live according to the ten commandments, They were to remember that they were a redeemed people. They were never to forget that they had been redeemed by the Lord. When we are called to live according to the law of God, we must always remember that we are to live for the Lord because we have been saved by the Lord.

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." why do we affirm that Jesus Christ is "the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6)? Why do we insist that Jesus Christ stands head and shoulders above every other religious leader? Why do we proclaim that the Name of Jesus is "the Name that is above every name" (Philippians 2:9)? He is the Saviour. No-one else could even begin to compare with him.No-one else has loved us like Jesus. No-one else has died for our sins to bring us to God. No-one else brings to us the forgiveness of our sins. No-one else has been raised from the dead. No-one else gives to us the gift of eternal life. 

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." When you consider all that Jesus Christ has done for you, say, in your heart, "There will be no-one else for me, no-one else but Jesus: Jesus - my Saviour, Jesus - my Lord, Christ - my everything, Christ - my all.

The people of Israel looked back to the exodus - with pride in the God who had redeemed them. They remembered their deliverance from the Egyptians, and they give all the glory to God. We are to look back to the cross. We are to be proud of our Saviour. We are to  say, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ" (Romans 1:16). Through the gospel of Christ, we have been saved. We remember that Jesus Christ died on the cross for us, and we say, from our hearts, "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14).

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Who else can turn our bondage into freedom - who else but Jesus Christ?, our Saviour? Who else can turn our fear into faith, and our sadness into joy - who else but our Lord Jesus Christ?

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me."Unsure of ourselves, depressed because of our failure to live as we should, ashamed of our sinfulness, who can transform our lives, forgiving our sin, giving us assurance of salvation and giving us strength to live as we should - who else but Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord?

Why does God say to us, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me"? It is because he, alone, is our God. He, alone, is the god of our salvation. The gods of power, pleasure and popularity will fail us. Remember Saul, who looked back on his life, and said, "I have played the fool. I have erred exceedingly" (1 Samuel 26:21). Remember Solomon, who wrote, "Vanity, vanity, all is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 1:2).  Remember God's Word, spoken to Belshazzar, "You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting" (Daniel 5:27). A life, which is self-centred rather than God-centred is a life without meaning and purpose. There is only one who can fill our lives with meaning and purpose. His name is Jesus Christ, and he is our Saviour. Put him first in your life. He is the way to true life.

The Ten Commandments (2): "Thou shalt not make any graven image ... " (Exodus 20:4-6).

The ten commandments don’t begin with “Thou shalt … “. They begin with a statement concerning who God is – “I am the Lord your God” – and what God has done for his people – “I  … brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exodus 20:1). It is in this context – the God of salvation and his mighty work of salvation – that we’re to understand the ten commandments.

When we read the first commandment – “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”, we must understand that there can be no other gods before him, for he, alone, is the God of salvation. Similarly, when we read the claim that the New Testament makes for Jesus Christ – God has given him “the Name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9), we, gladly, acknowledge that no name can be exalted above the Name of Jesus Christ, for this Name, alone, is the Name of our salvation. We worship Jesus Christ as the Lord, whose “Name is above every name” because we rejoice in this Good News – “There is salvation in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

This is the great context in which we move from the first commandment – “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” – to the second commandment – “Thou shalt not make any graven images.”

Once you acknowledge that God, alone, is the God of salvation, that he is the only God whom you will worship and serve, you must learn what God is like. Who is this God, in whom we believe? It is vital that we turn to the Scriptures to learn of God – who he is and all that he has done for us. If you do not allow God’s Word to teach to teach you the truth concerning God, you will be led astray, drawn away from the true God, the God of salvation. It is so important that you learn what God is like, building your life on the truth, which is found in God’s Word.

Once you’ve received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you must seek to grow in your knowledge of him. You must let the teaching of the Bible – God’s written Word, concerning Jesus Christ, form the solid foundation for your life. What is the alternative to building on Jesus Christ? What is the alternative to building on God’s Word? What was the alternative which faced God’s people, Israel, as they travelled from Egypt to the promised land? – false gods, graven images. What happens when we take our eyes off Jesus Christ, when we stop learning of him, as we read the Word of God? Something else takes the place of Jesus Christ. Our way of thinking and our way of living will not be grounded in the written Word of God. We may continue to have our own ideas about God and Christ, but they will not be based on the teaching of God’s Word. We must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We must continue to feed our faith, as we read God’s written Word.

When we’re thinking about “graven images”, we should also think about mental images – misleading ideas about God and Jesus, ideas that are not grounded in the teaching of the Bible – God’s written Word. When we allow false views of God to get into our minds and influence our way of living, we will be led away from the Lord. We must not allow this to happen.

We must guard against the idea that God is like a heavenly Santa Claus, and we must, also, guard against the idea that he is like a heavenly policeman.

What are we to say about these ideas of God? How are we to guard against them?

* a heavenly Santa Claus

We rejoice in the fact that God loves us. He is “rich in mercy” (Ephesians 2:4). He saves us by his grace (Ephesians 2:5,8). We must never doubt that God loves us, but we must be clear about what we mean when we say, “God loves us.” Once we accept that God loves us, we must ask, “What does the Bible teach us about God’s love?” We should not imagine that God is like a heavenly Santa Claus, a wonderful old grandfather who always gives us exactly what we want at exactly the time we want it. Plenty of people would like to think that this is what God is like – but this is not what the Word of God teaches us to believe. God loves us. We should never doubt this – but there is something else that needs to be said: his love calls for our response. We are called to follow Jesus – to live as his disciples.

* a heavenly policeman

Is God like a heavenly policeman? – someone who is always watching us to see if we’re doing something wrong. We know that God see what we’re really like – but we should, also, emphasize that he’s more concerned with doing us good than catching us out. A good illustration is found in John 8:1-11, where the Pharisees concern themselves with catching out the woman, who was caught in adultery – but Jesus was very different – he forgave her and gave her a new start in life, When we think of God as a heavenly policeman, who’s trying to catch us out, we will complain when things aren’t going well for us. We will say, “It’s all God’s fault.” This is the way some people think about God. The Bible encourages us to believe that, when we turn to the Lord, he can make things so much better for us. He can turn burdens into blessings, obstacles into opportunities, problems into possibilities and tragedies into triumphs. Life can be so much better when we stop blaming God and start trusting him to do great things in and through us.

If you are going to have a true image of God, you must keep your eyes fixed on Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). As you look to Jesus, you will discover that he loves you and he calls for your love. As you receive his love and give your love to him, you will discover his wonderful purpose for you life; “Let go and let god have his wonderful way. Let go and let God have his way. Forsake all the idols and pleasures that sway. Let go and let God have his wonderful way”    (Baylus Benjamin McKinney).

If you let go and let God, your life will be transformed – renewed in the image of your Creator (Colossians 3:10) and conformed to the image of Christ, your Saviour (Romans 8:29).

Let your thinking about God be changed as you learn from his Word – and your life will be changed, as you learn to love your Saviour.