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Ecclesiastes a book of the Old Testament is believed to have been written by king Solomon, in the later years of his life.  The book is full of advice and reflection from a man who had learned a lot about a life when lived, without being true to the principles of God.  Now in his mature years, he often writes to youth, hoping they will not follow his wasted years of chasing women, worshipping the many different idols of his hundreds of wives and concubines, along with a lavish life style, with a legacy of significant wealth and buildings and cities built.  Ecclesiastes 12: 1 “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, ‘I have no pleasure in them.’”  Verse 13, 14 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God and keep His commandment, for this is man’s all.  For God will bring every work into judgement, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”  How good it would be if we could save others from making the mistakes we have made, but rarely does that happen, because each of us like to live life our way and hopefully learn our own lesions in our way and time: if we recognize our part in our mistakes, at all?

There is another Bible story that illustrates, that there are many young people who do not ‘sow their wild oats” when they are young.  Thankfully there have always been some who do not need to rebel and depart from what they have been taught and held dear.  Such was the case with some of the princes who were deported by Nebuchadnezzar from Jerusalem, to walk over a thousand miles to Babylon.  Naturally it could be a dangerous experience living in Babylon and all the while standing up for God and their beliefs, as the next text illustrates.  Daniel 3: 16 – 18 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.  ‘If this is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the great image which you have set up.’”  It is wonderful to read of their total trusting love and faithfulness toward God, when facing death by intense heat in a very hot furnace.  These young men, had been taught well when young boys in their homes, and they did not depart from believing and trusting in God when older in a foreign land.

Upon reflection I can see that King Solomon started out fully believing in God and worshipping Him with a clean heart and hands, but gradually wealth, prestige and other human influences led him to compromise, until he no longer lived a good life.  Daniel and his three friends from Jerusalem, had not compromised at the first test, and instead refused to eat food associated with idol worship, and that was so unhealthful and rich it would have benumbed their minds, so they no longer could clearly understand or walk in the way of God.  They preferred a simple life and food, without sinful inducements, and so became strengthened in body, intellect and trust in God to a degree that they could withstand great temptation and pressure without revoking their standards in order to save their own lives.  To the astonishment of the king and all the others gathered, these three men were saved by divine intervention: it is not always so.  Daniel 3: 25 “Look!” he answered, ‘I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.’”  Then the king and all with him could only acknowledge the greatness of God Almighty.  This apparently was the purpose of the divine intervention.  V 28 “Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God.”

There are many today who are being tested because of their faith in the God of heaven.  There are and have been great numbers of people being persecuted and killed for their faith in God over recent years as well in this year, 2017.  Many of us will never be faced with such a great temptation to compromise, or be asked to sacrifice our life and all for our beliefs in God.   The point however is, do we compromise or do we not, because God has always wanted people who can stand up and stay true to Him and His principles in all situations.  Compromise in small things can condition us to relinquish our love and allegiance to God, when the severe test comes.

I am strengthened in my resolve to be true to God in the everyday challenges of life.  I trust God to prepare me and bring me through any severe test of and for my faith.   Luke 16: 10 “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.”  Verse 13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will have the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon.”

To contemplate the words, works and miracles of Jesus is a wonderful exercise in challenging me to become more like Jesus as and drawing me into a closer worship of Him.  Children always had a special place in the heart of Jesus, as He related to their simple faith and love for Him.  Rarely are they self-opinionated, self-seeking and prideful as we adults can be.  Matthew 18: 1-4 “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”  I wonder if I have really thought deeply enough about how important it is to Jesus, the manner in which we receive and deal with little children.  I have been so blessed to work with mothers, babies and children over many years; and even these days in my supposed retirement, I have the frequent privilege of bonding with and helping needy foster children.  V 5 “Whoever receives one little child like this in my name receives Me.”  V 14 “Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”

Unlike so many leaders and teachers of His time, Jesus not only valued and listened to children, but to their mothers as well.  Both were naturally attracted to the loving and sympathetic Saviour.  Mark 10: 13-15 “Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means receive it.”  V 16 “And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them and blessed them.”

Jesus had gone with His disciples over the Sea of Galilee to seek a little ‘away time’ for Himself and disciples.  It was not to be, for the people found out where they had gone and followed.  John 6: 2 “Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.”  Jesus initiated a discussion about how the multitude were to be fed, and finally one of the disciples said V 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”  I can imagine this boy who had been lovingly provided for by his mother, and then the boy not understanding why suddenly his food was taken away, and then his query turning to awe and wonder when his lunch became part of a great miracle of creation and provision.  V 10-12 “Then Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down.’  Now there was much grass in the place.  So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.  And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, ‘Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” 

I am impressed by the order of it all, the hungry ‘followers’ were seated in rows, and the men numbered. As was constituent with the cultural ways of the times, the woman and children were not counted, but I am sure they were also given food.  I just love the fact that a mother prepared for her child and then that little child was part of this wonderful miracle performed by Jesus.  V 13 “Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.”  Did Jesus also create the baskets that the fragments were placed into, or were they just available by chance?  But that is unlikely, for all through scriptures there are examples of events, that could be counted to be chance, but God said they were from Him.  Then the people were to take portions of the fragments home, thus distributing the knowledge of this miracle, and the blessing of this miracle far and wide.

My prayer is that Jesus will fill us with His love, so that we can especially love and respect the innocence and trusting nature of children, and so distribute God’s blessing on them, far and wide.  And always thank Him daily for the children that share or come into our lives, for they are a creation of God (as we are also).  That we will also daily give thanks for God’s provision of good and healthful food and more often share of what we have with others in need.

 

Apparently the sleep of the good and honest man is sweet and the dishonest troubled.  I think this is generally true, though it is also true that for some they do not sleep as well as they get older, even though they have no great sinful deed weighing them down.  It is also true that an unconfessed wrong deed committed is more likely ‘bug’ the mind in times of wakefulness.

It was not wrong doing that kept Job awake; instead, Job had been verbally chastised as being a great sinner by his self-righteous friends, because as they saw it, there could be no other reason for the deep afflictions and disasters that had suddenly happened to him in succession. Job 31: 2 – 6 “For what is the allotment of God from above, and the inheritance of the Almighty from on High?  Is it not destruction for the wicked, and disaster for the workers of iniquity?  Does He not see my ways, and count all my steps?  If I have walked with falsehood, or if my foot has hastened to deceit, let me be weighed on honest scales, that God may know my integrity.”  Job knew he had not committed the heinous crimes attributed to him by his friends, and that he had confessed his sins before God and been forgiven; and God then does not keep record of confessed sins.

In the scriptures it has been made very clear, that all people on earth have sinned and stand in need of the forgiveness of their Saviour.  Some people compare themselves against the record of others, and say ‘I am a good person’, never thinking of how God counts the so called little transgressions, or ‘white lies’.  God’s word also tell us that all sins, whether socially accepted or not, or seen as small or large always separate us from God.  When we acknowledge this, God will give us repentance, and has promised His forgiveness then also.  1 John 1: 8, 9 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

God’s chosen, anointed King David, had walked closely with God in heart and right doing, but now after having committed adultery and murder, had no weight on his conscience until God sent him a message through Nathan the prophet; then David saw his great sin, and greatly repented and in contrition prayed to God, assured of a hearing; as any of us can also do.  Psalm 51: 1-3 “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.  For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.”  Once forgiven, only God could change his sinful heart and restore a right relationship between them.  Verse 10, 11 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”  The Holy Spirit is with us, but cannot dwell in us when we have a sinful heart.  O the weight that goes from our spirit and the joy that comes, when we have confessed all sin, believe we are forgiven, as we are assured we will be!  V 12 “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

Over and over in the scriptures, people give testament of how they have found God merciful and ready to forgive them, and the joy and happiness that came to them then and thereafter when they kept God in their heart and walked in His way.  Lamentations 3: 22- 26 “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.  ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I hope in Him!’  The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.  It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

Thank You dear merciful, loving Almighty God, that the unmindful sins of the day, or any other wrong doing, need keep me from being Your forgiven child.  I pray that I or no other will delay to confess their sins, thinking the sin/s to grievous and heavy to be forgiven; for You have shown in the past and assure us still, that the true repentant will always be forgiven and restored to their God and right doing.  Amen and amen.

Mark 14: 38 “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  The recorded words of Jesus by His disciples always reveal His deep love for all men, women and children.  They also reveal a sincere desire to make life better for all He met.  But over and above that, he always sought to bring to them the way of salvation from sin, with the hope of eternal life in heaven.  His activities included much teaching, healing and other miracles.  His source of spiritual strength came from the many hours spent in prayer to His own Father in heaven, and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit.  Often His teaching included mention of the necessity of prayer for each believer, so they too could have spiritual strength to withstand temptation and other influences which could draw each away from salvation.

Luke 11: 1 “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples’. 

Luke does not record the last line given in Matthew 6: 9 – 13

“In this manner, therefore pray:

‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen”

The Lord’s Prayer is truly beautiful in completeness, yet brevity.

How amazing that finite sinful earthly people, are invited to come and pray to the God of the universe, with the assurance of being received.  Matthew 7: 7, 8 “Ask, and it will be given to you, seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”  The problem often is that we doubt, and do not ask often enough or large enough, for God loves to show His love in largeness when we trustingly come.  That does not mean times will always be easy, just that we will be taken through them to His glory, to share His love and story with others.

Jesus returned to heaven victoriously, having never sinned.  He had arisen from the grave, having previously being been put to death on a cross.  Now later, from heaven He did not stop from trying educate God’s faithful followers on earth, and gave His beloved disciple John instruction, warnings and promises in a revelation and prophecy, whilst John was banished to Patmos for being a faithful Christian.  Revelation 11, 12 “Behold, I am coming quickly!  Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.  He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more.  I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God.  And I will write on him My new name.” 

Dear Jesus, again today we sit at Your feet asking to be taught as your disciples to truly pray in truth and sincerity and be strengthened so we never give up loving You and bringing Your message and actions of love to others; with the anticipation of eternal life, very soon.

By God’s grace, we have almost come to the end of another week, with a special day of worship and spiritual infilling just around the corner.  What a blessed anticipation that is!  There will no need to go at a frantic pace through the everyday tasks, but instead a chance to give my body and mind, to extra praise, worship, Biblical study, rest and prayerful meditation on our lovely Lord; allowing Him speak into my now quieted and made ready, mind and soul.

It is Jesus Himself, who gifts people with various talents, for the proclamation of His gospel, and the building up of various people and church, so they are enabled to do the ‘work of ministry’ and enhance the church fellowship as a whole, through spiritual and personal growth.  Ephesians 4: 13-15 “Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the statue of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things unto Him who is the head—Christ—“  I truly pray that I and all, will more often allow ourselves the time and opportunity to pray and learn of Jesus in personal quiet time; and when coming together as His people, will be in like mindedness to seek Him and do His will personally and in group fellowship.   Not forgetting Jesus will provide strength and opportunity for outreach to others who do not know and love Him.

Believing the words of God, I can pray in assurance that I am heard, as said by Jesus in Matthew 21:22 “Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”  I can now see that many of my prayers could not be answered how I wanted them to be, because they were not in accordance with the spoken word of God, and there was still a little element of doubt in me that God would attend or answer my prayer.  Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts You. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord is everlasting strength.”  Isaiah 26: 3 is a text that I have often prayed, and believe with all my mind and heart, and therefore at a time of extreme need, I was often in distress at night, when the prayed for peace did not come immediately.  Thankfully peace and quiet did come to my mind and body, after repeated prayer and claiming of His promises.  I have learned how important it is to remember the little phrase ‘whose mind is stayed on You’.  I have also learned how important it is to remember that it is always Gods will for me to be in His peace, and the devils desire that I not be in peace.

In the early chapters of Revelation, John writes down messages given by Jesus in a prophetic dream.  The churches were all literal places at the time, but also have application for different church groups and down through all time periods.  A more faithful church than some was Philadelphia and Jesus acknowledged their faith and deeds for Him.  Some of their characteristics we all need today and should actively pray for them, and share in their promised heavenly reward.  Revelation 3: 8 “I know your works.  See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it, for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied my Name.  V 11, 12 “Behold, I am coming quickly!  Hold fast that you have, that no one may take your crown.  He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more.  I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God.  And I will write on him My new name.”

Jesus invites me to surrender my all to Him and has asked that I invite Him to have control of my mind, heart, plans, activities, as well as concerns and troubles, and then He can fulfil all His promises for and in me, as I persevere with my mind stayed upon Him throughout the day.  In accordance with His words and promises this is my joyful, expectant prayer request again today.

 

Jesus the Saviour of all mankind, the One of a matchless and beautiful character; humbled Himself for everyone.  Why do so many say no, when to experience Him, is to love Him?  When Jesus has come into any heart, He is then the most precious treasure, that none ever plan to lose.

Jesus invites us to unite with Him, John 15: 1 – 4 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”  To be a branch of ‘the true vine’ necessitates a close connection.  It is amazing that this connection is with Jesus my Saviour, and I will then bear His fruit.  I am so glad for His invitation, and that He makes this connection possible.  He does not promise a spiritual life without pruning cuts that bleed.  I notice with relief that such cuts are only so that I will bear more of His fruit, such as love, joy, peace and right doing to name just a few.  1 Peter 3: 14, 15 “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. ‘And do not be afraid of their treats, nor be troubled.’  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.  It is only when closely connected to Jesus as a branch is to a vine that we can be as we should be as a Christian.

Because we live on this sinful world, bad things happen in varying degrees upon the followers and those who do not follow God.  The future for the believer and the non-believer will be different, God says!  God is always trying to save each person from eternal death, and bring them to Himself, and eternal life.  Deuteronomy 33: 25, 27, 29 “…………As your days, so shall your strength be. 27 The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will trust out the enemy from before you, and will say. ‘Destroy’! 29 Happy are you, O Israel!  Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help and the sword of your majesty!  And you shall tread down their high places.”

I make the old hymn “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” (written from Deuteronomy 33: 27, by E. A. Hoffman, 1887) my praise today.

1. “What a fellow-ship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms; what a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms.”

Refrain, for 1 and 2: “Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

2. O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way, leaning on the everlasting arms; O how bright the path grows from day to day, leaning on the everlasting arms.

Refrain:

3. What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms.

Refrain 3: Leaning on Jesus, leaning on Jesus, safe and secure from all alarms, leaning on Jesus, leaning on Jesus, leaning on the everlasting arms.

It is another glorious autumn day, when I feel at peace with the world around, and have thoughts of praise and thanksgiving in my mind.  I give thanks to God for my life and His love for me and all mankind: manifested.  Psalm 119 is a good place to start in revealing what God means to me, through the words written long ago, by another who had love and wisdom about God to express.  Psalm 119: 89-93 “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. 90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides; 91 They continue this day according to Your ordinances, for all are Your servants. 92 Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction. 93 I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life.”  The laws of nature, and how all creation operates is a mystery and so very essential to all life; mine included.  I wonder why many of us do not stop to praise God more often for life and Gods magnificent, power, love and generosity.

The joy in loving God and all His laws and precepts, is a common theme of the Psalms.  To follow their example and the words of Jesus and many New Testament authors, brings deep joy to all who are faithful in love and obedience to them.  Galatians 2: 19 NKJ “For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God” or the Clear Word Translation “When I first saw the true meaning of the laws God had given us and realized, that I was still a sinner because I was keeping these laws as a means of salvation, the legalist in me died.  This was good because it made me look to Christ as my Saviour instead of depending on what I could do.”

Jesus came to earth, many, many years after the Psalmist expressed his faith in God earned through faithful dependence, upon Almighty God and His message; supported what God had revealed of Himself so many years before.  God, His message, along with Jesus and what He said whilst He was on earth, has not changed for us in these times.  A knowledge of this brings such comfort and anchor point for all who believe, with faith in the living God.  John 14: 15 – 18 “If you love Me, keep My commandments; 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever- 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” The Holy Spirit has been with earth from the beginning – Genesis 1: 2”……..And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”  Jesus tells the disciples in the above verses, that the Holy Spirit already dwells with them and will be in them.  Jesus also knows the loss and anguish the disciples will feel when He returns to heaven, and this same Holy Spirit, will be their ‘Helper’ or ‘Comforter’ when Jesus Himself will no longer be with them to fill this role.

The hard times and the attractions and distractions of everyday life and the world in which we live, can rob us of the blessings that God has in store for all who believe Him.  Jesus, to whom His Father revealed all things needful, during His long hours of solitary prayers to His Father, knew what was ahead for His every follower.  1 John 5: 4, 5 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.  And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.  Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?  These verses are a good place to finish as I give thanks for all that has been given me, and that the ‘Helper’ is with me, and in my desire to grow closer and closer to Jesus and His likeness, and leave my worldly ways behind.

I give thanks to God, for a new day and a new week and my life.  I ask for wisdom to live this day, in His joy and wisdom, so I can be His type of person, and bring joy to other people.

I am contemplating scriptures from different writers, experiences and perspectives this morning and seek instruction and a deeper understanding of the ways of God, through His Holy Spirit.  Firstly Jeremiah, the prophet who was often woeful, as he dealt with perverse people and delivered stern and dire messages from God to people who wanted to do away with Jeremiah and so stop the messages.  How like we humans, to take no responsibility for our own actions, and instead ‘shoot this messenger’, thinking the consequences for our actions will just go away.  In the end things turned out to be just as God said they would be for the people.  Jeremiah was ever faithful to God, no matter the privation and rejection from his own people; may we always be faithful to God, though the ‘heavens fall’.  Jeremiah 15: 15, 16 “O lord, You know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors.  In Your enduring patience, do not take me away.  Know that for Your sake I have suffered rebuke.  Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.”  Jeremiah listened to the words of God that he was asked to deliver to the nation, and he at least believed and drew direction and comfort from them, and so can we when reviled for believing and speaking Gods word to people.  V 20 “………. But they will not prevail against you;” says the Lord, “I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem you from the grip of the terrible.”

Though my first response to having my wrong doing or errors pointed out is often to reject the thought or message, I have often found on reflection that I am wrong and need to change; and so this can be with the instruction and challengers found in God’s word.  Psalm 19: 12 – 14 “Who can understand his errors?  Cleanse me from secret faults. 13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me.  Then I shall be blameless, and shall be innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”  To be in right doing, with God and my fellow man, in thought and deed, for me is more precious than much material wealth. The answer, as always can be found with God and His recorded spoken word, Psalm 19: 7, 8 “The law or the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes”  V 10 “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”  This is truly so, when we assimilate Gods word into the mind and very person, as is the taking in and digesting food and water is to every part of the body and its workings.

Jesus warned of those who come with a false representation of Himself and Gods word, and so rob us of His blessing and reward.  May we all give heed to the words, of Jesus Christ, and be protected and nurtured by them.  Matthew 24: 24, 25 “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ‘See, I have told you beforehand.’”  V 17 “For as lightening comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”  His coming Jesus foretells is not a quiet or secret event taking place in various parts of the world, but a very public, cataclysmic supernatural event for all to see.  Makes me ponder what Satan will do to impersonate Christ, with christs and false prophets?  V 30, 31 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Thank You dear Jesus for these words and warning, to keep us from being deceived by imposters, that appear in glorious light, looking like You, but do not actually fulfil the prophecies about Your way of coming again in entirety.  However our senses may be almost convinced, it is only knowledge of Your word that will save us from delusion.  Please open my heart and mind to take in all your words, so they are part of me.

 

Today I have been dragging myself around, as the result of insufficient sleep and many recent tasks; even so it is a day when I have known I was supported by God.  I am so grateful that God, in answer to my prayers, filled my heart with a sense of happiness and praises for Him.  I have enjoyed socialization with dear friends, as well as the opportunity to hear some thought provoking speaking and fine music.  Psalm 33: 18 “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy.”  V 21, 22 “For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.  Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.”    

God spoke to Moses, and told him to speak to his brother Aaron and sons and request that they speak the following blessing upon the Israelite’s.  I love the fact that it is an oft spoken blessing upon those assembled at many Christian functions: down through the ages, unto these times.  Numbers 6: 24 – 26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”  I find  the reason  given for this blessing very meaningful, as it must have been for those people who came out of Egypt,  1000’s of years ago.  V 27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”  This was also precious in the mind of Paul of the early church, and I acknowledge the blessing of God upon myself and all who believe and claim His offered blessings, Ephesians 1: 3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”

There is no doubt about it for most people, even though we can find things and happenings to be grateful about, and much to thank and praise God for; that life on this earth is often hard and not always a lot of fun.  I believe we can come through and endure more positively, when we have an expectation for better times, and a hope that is anchored on a bright future with Christ in heaven.  Isaiah 57: 15 “For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

John consolidates the hopes all who believe, when he relates what he was shown by an angel sent from heaven.   Revelation 22: 1-5 “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and the Lamb.  In the middle of the street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.  The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.  They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.  There shall be no night there: they need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light.  And they shall reign forever and ever.”

I am so grateful to God for His abundant blessings and care, and for the hope of eternal life, based on the many revelations from God to His prophets and faithful servants.  Heaven is not only portrayed as beautiful, but pure, for sin will not be taken to heaven.  How I long for the day when Jesus comes again.  As well as the day, when the devil and his angels can no longer perpetuate sin and temptation upon all of earth.

 

The message that comes through over and over again, in the different epistles written by the apostle Paul, is what Christ did for every individual by His life and sacrificial death and that He should be first for every believer and every congregational group.  Paul wanted the message in Colossians  read to the Laodicean group, as they were nearby.  Interestingly, Laodicea was referred to as the lukewarm church, when Jesus gave His revelations to John.  Revelation 3: 16, 17 “’So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,’ I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked –‘” 

It is the last day church that is named ‘lukewarm’ so I can see that Paul’s admonition is even more pertinent for the followers of God, at this time.  Colossians 2: 1 – 3 “For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”  We also are surrounded by much V 8……. “philosophy and empty deceit, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”  When reviewing history and how we are going in this era, it is still the teachings of Christ and He in the life, which brings stability; above any ‘spin’ a human can come up with!  V 6, 7 “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”  I just love the word abounding, it denotes such fulsome belief and whole hearted activity, that just asks for all words and actions, be done with thanksgiving.  For how could ‘abounding’ be accompanied by halfheartedness or being lukewarm’?  I ask God, that if I am spiritually lukewarm in some areas, to please reveal this to me, and fill me with His Spirit, so that I desire and am enabled to change, and thereby be truly ‘abounding’.

Psalm 119 is a Psalm that reveals whole hearted searching for God, so as to be His complete and whole hearted follower, and serves as an enduring example for all us.  V 10, 11 “With my whole heart I have sought You; oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!  11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. V 14 – 17 “I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. 16 I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. 17 Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live and keep Your word.” V28 “My soul melts from heaviness; strengthen me according to Your word. 37 “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.”

It is apparent in the words of Gods own, in scripture and for those who have lived since then, that truly Jesus is our ‘all in all’; the ‘beginning and the end’,  the answer for us personally and for every spiritual need for everyone who accepts Him.  We are to take comfort that He came as predicted, and has promised, to come again, for those who follow Him with all their heart.  Isaiah 9: 6, 7 “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Thank You Lord Jesus, please come soon.