With my cup running over, - bountiful blessings

So many times, without a word to anyone, needs have been met, blessings have been showered down by the God of all Creation, and we are humbled and grateful.  We have received, and recognise that He is the Giver. May those He uses as benefactors be blessed a hundredfold.

Praise the Lord, I tell myself; O Lord my God, how great you are!

How well I remember singing that song of praise on deserted beaches, lonely mountains, and isolated paths through woods and parks. In such places I can sing loud and strong, and only the Lord, who gave me my tone-deaf voice, and the birds and animals, are around to listen!

You are robed with honour and with majesty; You are dressed in a robe of light. You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens; You lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds. You make the clouds your chariots; You ride upon the wings of the wind. The winds are your messengers; flames of fire are your servants.

Do you sometimes wonder where beautiful thoughts of peace and pleasure come from? You may enjoy a brief moment of ease in the midst of a busy working day and a whisper, borne on the breeze of love, reminds you, you are special. Someone cares for you. He knows your name. He called you from before time began.

You placed the world on its foundation so it would never be moved. You clothed the earth with floods of water, water that covered even the mountains. At the sound of your rebuke, the water fled; at the sound of your thunder, it fled away. Mountains rose and valleys sank to the levels you decreed. Then you set a firm boundary for the seas, so they would never again cover the earth.

Yes, He still sets limits, and preserves a remnant.

You make the springs pour water into ravines, so streams gush down from the mountains. They provide water for all the animals, and the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds nest beside the streams and sing among the branches of the trees. You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home, and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labour. You cause grass to grow for the cattle. You cause plants to grow for people to use. You allow them to produce food from the earth – wine to make them glad, olive oil as lotion for their skin, and bread to give them strength.

Indeed how great You are, O God, meeting our every need, supplying even food for thought, and leading us down paths of righteousness, for your Name’s sake.

The trees of the Lord are well cared for – the cedars of Lebanon that He planted. There the birds make their nests, and the storks make their homes in the firs. High in the mountains are pastures for the wild goats, and the rocks form a refuge for rock badgers.

I remember walking on the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, and watching the rock badgers scurrying between the rocks, knowing exactly where their homes were; on another occasion watching a Gnu prancing in a dance of delight, just enjoying his day. And the Lord God made them all.

You made the moon to mark the seasons and the sun that knows where to set. You send the darkness, and it becomes night, when all the forest animals prowl about. Then the young lions roar for their food, but they are dependant on God. At dawn they slink back into their dens to rest. Then people go off to their work; they labour until the evening shadows fall again.

Watch the DVD’s by Louie Giglio, Indescribable and Alive and see the wonders of the heavens, and their relationship to mankind. Be amazed at God’s handiwork.

O Lord, what a variety of things You have made! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both great and small. See the ships sailing along, and Leviathan, which You made to play in the sea; Every one of these depends in You to give them their food as they need it. When you supply it, they gather it. You open Your hand to feed them, and they are satisfied. But if You turn away from them, they panic. When You take away their breath, they die and turn again to dust.  When You send Your Spirit, new life is born to replenish all the living of the earth.

May the glory of the Lord last forever! The Lord rejoices in all He has made! The earth trembles at His glance; the mountains burst into flame at His touch.

You may have realised I am awed by the Lord’s provision. I am blessed by His Presence, His guidance, His wisdom and His beauty. I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath! May He be pleased by all these thoughts about Him, for I rejoice in the Lord.

That is the beauty of reading the Psalms, but there is a grim reminder!

Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth; let the wicked disappear forever.

That is what makes me fall on my knees. It is not His will that any should be lost, but that all would cry out to Him and be saved.

As for me – I will praise the Lord. Psalm 104 TLB

Living Under the Circumstances.

People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord. Proverbs 19:3 (TLB)

Several times of late people who are disappointed with life have been brought to my attention. Usually it has not been because of what life has thrown at them so much as a disappointment with themselves because of their reactions to circumstances. So often we make a wrong decision and then have to live with the consequences.

I was speaking to a guy living under the circumstances of his addiction. Whether to drugs, alcohol, gambling, crime, or whatever it may be, a first wrong choice leads to a compulsion driven craving that drives the addict ever deeper under the circumstances.

How many times have you asked someone how they are, and the reply is, “Fine, thanks, under the circumstances.”

Prevention being better than cure, how does one live a life that is less likely to lead to a heavy burden of circumstance? How many health problems are caused by a wrong dietary decision, or a burden of compulsion like smoking, drinking or gluttony? Does a sedentary lifestyle contribute to later circulation problems? When can a solution begin to be applied? The saying, “where there is life, there is hope,” holds true. Now is the right time. Now, is the time to get out from under the circumstances. Now is the time to commit to right living, and to find the rules and regulations for a new freedom! Is that an Oxymoron? Rules? And freedom?

Let’s get real!

There is a way that seems right to a person, but in the end it leads to death. (Proverbs14:12)  

There is a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again – it leads straight to hell. Sure those people appear to be having a good time, but all that laughter will end in heartbreak. (The Message – The Bible in contemporary language)

Simplistically, there are two kinds of people in this world, - the “right” and the “wrong.” Most think they are right. Many don’t care. Some are content anyway. All live under the circumstances of their decisions.  

When Moses led the Israelites out from Egypt, it was because of his decision to be obedient to God’s  instructions. The people rebelled, and complained about their circumstances. They had seen many miracles which had led to the preservation of their lives, but yet they complained.  

The Israelites said (to Moses and Aaron) “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Exodus 16:3

 “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna.” Numbers 11:5

How short their memories; they said they would rather go back to Egypt where there was garlic and meat, and yet in Egypt they had been ill-treated and under the circumstances of slavery.

Their rebellion led to their death in the wilderness. Only the obedient saw the Promised Land.

God’s Word says; If you hear God speak today, don’t be stubborn. Don’t be stubborn like those who rebelled. Hebrews 3:15.

Getting out from under starts with coming under the authority of God. The “right” have realised this, the “wrong” are following their own way of rebellion.

If what you believe is not true, do you want to know, or not?

For many years I lived under the circumstances of ignorance, lack of commitment and discipline, false teachings that had led to apathy and indifference. I was lost, and amongst the “wrong.” I was a fool.

The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; He looks to see if there is even one with real understanding, anyone who seeks for God. Psalm 14:2.

Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” Psalm 14:1

Fear of the Lord gives life, security, and protection from harm. Proverbs 19:23.

I now live under the circumstances of having made a commitment to honour the Lord Jesus Christ, who promised “for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30.

I can now rely on two precious promises: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Now those are circumstances worth living under!

 

Safety is a perception.

I would be interested to know of any place where one can feel wholly secure and unthreatened by nature, unrest or any instability. Men carrying placards “Repent, for the End is Near” have been seen in every location, though strangely, I haven’t seen any lately. Perhaps because of the lethargy of modern society, who would merely smile and pass on. Every generation since Christ has had believers and scoffers. There have been wars and rumours of wars through the centuries, as also floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and other disasters.

For days I have been playing with notes on Heaven and Hell, and have had long arguments with myself as to whether this is honouring the Lord or not. A minister shared with me about the parents of a child in his Sunday School class who had complained that he had mentioned Hell in a lesson. They felt that it was wrong to frighten a child with such a concept, so he had spent some time in convincing them of Satan’s existence and the possibility of Hell as a final destination. Afterwards he had congratulated himself on giving such a winning testimony until the Lord confronted his conscience. You did well to tell them about the enemy, but what about Me?

Well, my inclination is to speak about Heaven, because that is where I am going one day. Presumptuous of me, you may say, but true none-the-less because I repented of my sins, recognised that Jesus Christ paid a price for me so I could enjoy eternal life, and I accepted Him as Saviour and Lord of my life, where He reigns. I shall save what I know of Heaven for another day, though, because my concern is for those who have no idea where they will go, or what happens after death. So many live in hope, but it is only hope, not assurance. Assurance is needed in these dangerous days, when earthquakes and tsunamis have become an almost daily occurrence, and when “the real danger is wickedness in the city. Murder and robbery are everywhere; threats and cheating are rampant in the streets.” Psalm 55:10b &11 (TLB)

There are passages in the Bible that I would like to discard, for they are so scary, I do not like to consider them. Even less though, do I like to consider that people I love, or indeed even those I don’t know, are in danger of Hell, many simply because they do not want to consider for themselves the very same passages I speak of.

There was a man in the Bible who had a perception about his life that was set in concrete. If you had tried to convince him that things were not as they seemed, he would not have believed you. He had a beautiful home; all that he desired was available to him at a flick of his fingers and security was an assurance that needed no confirmation. If you had told him his safety was an illusion he would have laughed you off the planet. Then wake-up time happened! He woke up knowing who he was, but in a place of torment that he would have scoffed about in his earlier life. Life was going on, but not as he had known it, in comfort and affluence. He had died to his old life and woken to the start of the rest of eternity. He was in a place where there was no comfort, and he is still there, waiting for judgment!

There was hope, he thought, when his conscious mind, or spirit, recognised far off, someone he knew. There was the beggar who had always sat outside his gate, hoping to receive some of the left-overs from the sumptuously laden tables. Now he seemed to be well provided for, and he seemed to be with someone else who was recognisable, for somehow the man knew it was Father Abraham, The beggar’s name was Lazarus, and perhaps he would be able to cross the great chasm that separated them with a little cooling water. That was not to be.

Father Abraham’s response was not encouraging. In today’s idiom, he told the now poor rich man, “You made your bed, son, and now you must lie on it.” Not an atom of hope did he give, even refusing to send a message to the man’s brothers, “For”, he said, “all knowledge is available to them, from Moses and all the prophets. If they don’t learn from them, then they are unteachable. Even someone from the dead will not reach them.”

The rich man’s perception of life had drastically changed, but now it was too late for him to change.

You can read the story in Luke, chapter 16, verses 19 to 31, as it is related by Jesus Christ Himself.

We can listen to those who say that if you live a good life you should be OK. You can turn your ear to those who proclaim that this life is all there is, and you can give credence to the scoffers all around us. But is it worth the risk?

In the book of Revelation, many woes and troubles are prophesied for the future, but alongside many of the frightening warnings including “But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury because he knows that his time is short” (Revelation 12:12) is the invitation from Jesus Christ.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20

Now to Him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey Him – to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ. Amen, Romans 16:25-27.

Daily Light in the Evening!

I loved this evening reading selection from Daily Light, and can’t resist sharing it!

I know whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able. 2 Timothy 1:12

Able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. Ephesians 3:20

Able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

Able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:18

Able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them. 24 Hebrews 7:25

Able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy. Jude 24 Jude

Able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day. 2 Timothy 1:12

Who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body. Philippians 3:21

“Do you believe that I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied… “According to your faith will it be done to you.” Matthew 9:28-29

He is indeed ABLE. Trust in Him.

Where is your Treasure?

I am praying to You because I know You will answer, O God. Psalm 17:6

In my daily reading there is so often a challenging verse that just does not let go. Matthew 6:19-21 is a case in point, and set off a train of thought that went beyond where I would have expected!

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

What worries me is if you still cling to your treasure on earth, what then lies ahead? If things in life are more important than eternity, eternity will be more frightening than anything that imagination can envision.

When my reading sets me to wondering, I set off on a journey, step by step, and as I go, I stop on occasion to dig, and I am reminded of  days gone by, lessons learnt, and information, or evidence, stored. Perhaps it is that old police background that recalls the plodding through mounds of material to reach the crucial evidence that nails a case for court.

We can say Christianity is a crutch.

We can say hell is figurative.

We can say Jesus was just a good man, or a prophet, or we can say He was a liar.

We can say that Satan does not exist, or that he cannot influence our lives.

We can say that “hopefully” we will get to heaven, (if we believe such a place exists) because we have led relatively good lives, so a good God could not possibly condemn us.

We can say the moon is blue cheese, but it doesn’t make it true.

How many condemned prisoners started out by saying “It wasn’t me. I am innocent.”? Evidence proved them wrong, and circumstantial evidence is often crucial.

Looking at the more successful constitutions of the world, they are based on Biblical precepts. Perhaps that is a wide assumption, but everywhere in the world there are “religions” where men give some recognition to a power beyond themselves. Within every person is a need for a belief that they can cling to, even though it is not always thoroughly thought through! Strong relationship with the Bible can be found in many of the secular teachings, and certainly major cults use Biblical roots which are corrupted to suit their perceptions.  Even the Koran is Bible based but an historically doctored derivative. My concern is that unless one’s belief is based on a strong understanding of faith, the mind can be influenced by whatever strange ideas are current in society.

It is so much easier and more comfortable to believe that the way we live our lives will not impact on the way we die our death. With death a mere cessation of life, then life can be lived to the full with no worries about consequences. Attractive to some is the idea that life is a mere stepping stone to another chapter, or instalment, as in reincarnation, which actually leads to the utter contempt of human values. Another pleasant consideration is that we have no control over our lives; what will be, will be, and so why worry? Life happens, and life ceases. There may be a horned, red-suited goblin playing around as a threat for childish minds, but no danger to the intelligent elite.

Oh, the dangers of uninformed thinking.

In his introduction to the book “The Screwtape Letters” - a fictional account of demonic activity and starkly challenging – C S Lewis says, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”

So where am I going with all of these thoughts?

Where is your treasure? What is your belief? How sure are you of the facts at your disposal? Who is your teacher?

In the Bible, Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus compares humanity to sheep and goats, and speaks of two possibilities after death of the body.

When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.

Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world….’

Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels ….’

Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

In the foreword of Val Waldeck’s book, “Hell,The Unspoken Truth,” Charles Spurgeon is quoted – “You may knock at 1000 doors, you may cry and groan and agonise and sweat, even great drops of blood, but there is only one door to heaven, and that door is faith in Jesus Christ. If you do not enter by that Door, God Himself will not open another.”

Where is your treasure? Is it safe?

Seeking Balance in our Belief

Christians are a strange crowd, and most confusing to the unbeliever. We claim to be saved by grace, God’s unmerited favour, and then we burden our selves with guilt. I am an offender, for I went before the Lord with a sorry list. All the things I had done, or not done; all the failures as I saw them, with all the reasons and excuses hovering behind. Had I then forgotten Psalm 145:8? The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

If I was granted only one book of the Bible to take with me to a desert island, I would be sorely taxed in deciding which, but perhaps the one most needing to be memorised and studied would be Romans, with Chapter 8 at the top of the list. … There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me fee from the law of sin and death. (vv1 & 2)

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the presaent nor the future,, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39.

Why, then, do I want His commendation? Why do I seek praise? I know I don’t deserve it, but the humanity in us constantly desires encouragement. I was reminded of this when I read Proverbs 27:20. Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied. As inevitable as is death, so is our desire for more.

For what is your desire? More food? More money? More knowledge? More recognition? More souls for the Kingdom? More heart for worship? More love? More praise?

Man is tested by the praise he receives. Proverbs 27:21b How do we find balance?

It is easy to become riddled with guilt. It is easy to allow circumstances to drag us into depression. There are times when the downward spiral of our emotions weighs us down to a hurtling descent, and we need to remember our anchor. Three symbols identified early Christians, the Cross, the Fish, and the Anchor. Perhaps their encouragement, as they faced persecution and perils came from this verse.

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." (Hebrews 6:19-20)

It must certainly have been the inspiration for the hymn:

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love.

Words: Pris­cil­la J. Ow­ens, 1882.

Becoming a Christian does not guarantee a safe and comfortable passage through life. David, a man after God’s heart, recorded many of his sufferings and trials in the Psalms he wrote, which can cheer us in our own problems.

How do the folk of Christchurch feel as they struggle to come to terms with the disaster they have gone through? Our thoughts and prayers must be with them, and with those others throughout the world who suffer in these End Times.

Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginnings of birth pains. Matthew 24:7,8

Cling to the Anchor, fastened to the Rock.

If I don’t go through difficult times, whether of my own making, (causing guilt) or through circumstances, (causing depression) and learn about breaking through to the light of God’s Presence, provision and protection, how can I encourage others? If I don’t clamber out of the valley, how can I reach down to help another?

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comforts, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7