The Bible is Wisdom & Hope

I think we know, that above anything else, this world needs hope. Hope underpins, it gives confidence to the mind and brings peace to the heart. Where there is no hope there is discouragement, fear, anxiety, and despair.

I looked up the meaning of hope on the internet. Here are just a few things I learned.  

• Hope is NOT just passive wishing, but rather an active mindset made up of goals, pathways and also the willpower to act.
• Hope is a powerful buffer against stress and trauma.  
• Hope gives resilience and the ability to cope.
• Hope gives a sense of meaning which combats helplessness which can lead to despair and burnout.
• It has been found that where there is hope it brings a faster recovery to healing.

So, how can we attain this active mindset of hope that will sustain us? Certainly not from looking at the world around us and hoping that things will get better, and definitely not by relying on world leaders to come up with a permanent solution to problems. Hope needs to be in something that is rock solid. so that when everything falls to pieces around us, it is still there, our firm anchor.  That anchor is faith in God who never changes, God who is the creator and sustainer of this universe, the one who holds all things together and is eternal, knowing the end from the beginning.  

Hope is found in the Bible, but it takes wisdom to find it! Psalm 111 vs 10 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments."  Proverbs

9:10 also says similar, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.  And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." 

For some people it is easier to just "hope against hope" rather than put some effort in to search for real hope.  It takes a certain humility to pick up a Bible and read, or to seek out a person or group where you can ask questions about faith and hope. This is the only way to find that anchor of hope.  Even church attendance alone will not give you that. Real hope is only to be found in relationship with Jesus Christ who laid down his life so that we could have peace with God, our creator.  

The knowledge of God is freely available in his word, the Bible.  This is the kind of wisdom to be found there......"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." James 3:17.

 The Bible tells us that three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love.  Will you seek out the wisdom which will lead you into these wonderful gifts?

MY PRAYER FOR YOU:  Gracious God, my heavenly Father, I pray that you will give a strong desire to this reader to seek out your wisdom which will lead them to anchor their hope in you that they might find peace and eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

The Bible is Instruction and Rebuke

 Over the years I have often referred to the Bible as “the Manufacturer’s Handbook”. It gives us all that we need to know so we can lead a rich and fulfilling life. However..... it’s so much more.  It is God‘s word to his creation so that we might live in way that will benefit us and give us peace. More importantly, it tells us how to have relationship with our Creator, not only in this world but for eternity! Now that, to me, is Good News!

The Bible has been the object of much criticism and misunderstanding; however it is still a world best seller. In 2025 it is reported that’s over 19 million Bibles were sold in the US alone representing a 12% increase over the previous year. Sales were also up in the UK showing a 19% increase over the previous year.  One report said that this move was because “young people are searching for meaning”. I hope so!

Unfortunately, in many churches, the Bible has been misused.  This could have been because it was not understood correctly, taken out of context, or in order to control. In one of his letters to church leaders the apostle Peter said this of the apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament......"Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction." 2 Peter 3:16. That is why the Bible tells us to study it for ourselves and check out what we hear.  (2 Timothy 2:15, and an example of this in Acts 17:11 (NLT) . 

Followers of Jesus Christ need instruction because we are supposed to learn how to live as Jesus lived. We are not to just 'talk the talk', but to 'walk the walk'. We don't have to earn our way to heaven by being 'rule-keepers'.  Instead we are to behave in a way that is honouring to God, and to show God's love in the way we live our lives.

There are times that we also need rebuke or correction.  The Bible instructs our leaders to address sins in the church such as dishonesty, sexual immorality, bitterness and others.  You can check this out in Galatians 5:19-24.

As one who has lived as a follower of Jesus for more than 60 years, I can say that God knows what is best for us.  He knows how we can live a happy and satisfying life and that way is found in the Bible.

Life presents us with many challenges, BUT if we will follow His Word and His ways we will find peace. Check out these 2 verses - Proverbs 3:5-6.  Following these instructions has worked for me.

Prayer: Father in heaven, please help me to give time to fellowship with other Christians, and to studying your word for myself.  Amen

The Bible Inspires Faith

 

How does the Bible inspire faith? Obviously it has to be read or studied to do that! When we do make ourselves familiar with the Bible we read many accounts of God's faithful working in the lives of his people.  Just take a read through Hebrews 11 which lists many of what we call the 'heroes of faith'. From there you can look back on stories about these people and see how their faith formed and blessed their lives.

What then is faith?  The first verse of Hebrews describes it as 'Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.' In The Message version says it this way, 'The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living.' 

We all have faith in different things on an everyday level.  We believe that our salary will be paid, we believe that an aeroplane will take us where we want to go, we believe that the chair we are about to sit on will hold our weight.  Most of those things we don't even give a thought to because we have an expectation that it will happen.

Faith in God, as The Message Bible says, gives us a firm foundation for life, making it worth living. Faith in God gives meaning to life itself.  It also gives us an assurance of eternal life forever with God.  That's why it is important to pursue and grow our faith through reading the Bible.

Faith is NOT about God answering every prayer we pray.  We cannot manipulate God with our faith.

The Bible tells me that my/our faith in God is a gift of his grace.  He gave us the grace to believe that God is God, our creator, maker and sustainer.  Hebrews 11:6 says this,  'without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.'

What does it mean to diligently seek God? I believe it is to make God the centrepiece of our life.  When we do that, we will want to find out how to please him.  We can only find that out by reading his Word, the Bible, by spending time with other believers in fellowship and by making church attendance and service a regular part of our life.

How does God reward his people?  By giving them a peace about future. I believe He is in control. We trust our lives into his hands.  This in turn gives us joy and for me, it fills me with thanksgiving.  It also makes me feel secure in knowing that he loves me and wants the best for me.  

I hope you will make it your purpose to study God's word, by yourself and with others.  If you do, your faith will definitely be inspired.

PRAYER: Great and mighty creator God, I thank you for (or perhaps ask you for) the gift of faith that I might have the peace and joy of believing and trusting in you.  Amen

The Bible is Comfort and Encouragement

 As I look at the title of this blog I feel it should read 'the Bible offers comfort and encouragement', for it certainly does.  When people are going through difficulties, sickness, grief, feeling overwhelmed, they often turn to the Bible for comfort.  We have probably all been to funerals where Psalm 23 was read or sung.  And probably been to weddings where 1 Corinthians 13 which speaks of the greatness of love and what real love is was read.  We had it at our wedding!

You may know that it has been the mission of Gideons International https://gideons.org/ to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout 190+ countries. One way they do this is by giving Bibles and New Testaments to students. They also put Bibles in hotel and motel rooms throughout the world.  You may have received one of these in your high school days.  Why do they do this?  Because the Bible contains a message of comfort and encouragement for every stage of life.

I have heard of people at their wits end in a hotel room in a city far from home, who pick up a Bible and find help for their present need and are comforted, encouraged and transformed. It works! (The Gideon Bibles usually have special pages to lead you to certain Bible passages for certain needs.)  

Here are just a few examples of the comfort you can find in the Bible.....New Living Translation (NLT)

"God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort......." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me to bring good news to the poor, to comfort the brokenhearted..." Isaiah 61:1

" ...those who die in the Lord will live; their bodies will rise again!"......Isaiah 26:19

"God is a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows...." Psalm 68:5

I remember back to the week of 9/11, as we know it, when the twin towers in New York City were deliberately struck by commercial aircraft, killing many people and shocking the world.  We were living in Hong Kong at the time and a few days after this I was due to fly out to the USA to attend a Women's Christian Convention.  

It didn't look at all hopeful and airlines stopped flying to the USA for a few days and then when they began again there was a huge backlog of passengers waiting to leave Hong Kong.  Added to this was the fact that I was travelling on a staff standby ticket.  Hopeless??  I turned to the Lord for wisdom and encouragement.  My eyes alighted on this verse.... "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." Proverbs 3:5  

So I set about putting the impossibilities aside and prayed for God to lead me.  On the day I was planning to travel I fronted up to the staff check in desk and a sign confronted me "No Staff Travel at this time."  I handed over my ticket anyway and said a quiet prayer, remembering to 'not depend on my own understanding'.  The check in girl looked at my ticket,  consulted with her associate in Chinese, and gave me a time to return to the desk.  

It was always a nerve-wracking time, waiting to see if we would get seats on a flight or not.  Most times, (in those days) it was pretty good but now was a different scene entirely.  I returned to the desk at the appointed time and after a loooong wait they called my name and gave me a ticket for one of the last 2 seats available on that flight.  Whew!!  And lots of praise to God!

In Hebrews 4:12 is says this...."The word of God is alive and powerful......".  It surely is.  Do take some time to look into it for your own comfort and encouragement. Ask God to speak to you.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, God of all comfort, would you draw me to reading your word. Would you speak to me about the things that I am concerned about and give me your wisdom. Amen

The Bible Is Truth

In my last post I encouraged you toward daily Bible reading.  Here it is 6 weeks later and I wonder if you have begun to develop that habit. I'm not asking for confessions!  That will be between you and God.  However, since I wrote that I have jotted down a few headings on what the Bible is so I will make the next 4 blogs about different things that the Bible is.

Recently I half-jokingly suggested to a friend that he might like to read the Bible to his poor-sighted wife.  She is a believer and he is not, and every now and then I 'push his button' just to tease, but also to get him to think.  That day his cheeky response was, "I don't read novels!" 

If there is one thing I absolutely know for sure it is that the Bible is NOT a novel.  The (Protestant) Holy Bible is an amazing collection of 66 books, by almost as many writers, spanning centuries.  It is divided into 2 parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament.  

The Old Testament covers the story of God's chosen people, the Israelites, who were direct descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  It also contains elements of history, poetry and prophecy.  The New Testament is the story of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and his followers.  It finishes with the Revelation of Jesus Christ to the apostle John and tells of how this world will pass away and be replaced by a new earth ruled by Jesus Christ.  

In recent years many people have worked on various translations of the Bible in order to make it more easy to read.  Some are good, others are not so good.  I generally use the New King James Version (NKJV), New International Version (NIV) and the New Living Translation (NLT). 

Why do I say that the Bible is truth?  Because I believe that it is the Word of God;  the God who created the heavens and the earth and gave us a written account of it.  The God who created us (and all who have walked this earth before us), who has given us his words to instruct and guide us in how to live a full and satisfying life on this earth.  

Not only that, he is God who promised to send his Son to this earth as a sacrifice for the sin of the world. From the moment Adam and Eve disobeyed God's one command to them, sin became a barrier between us and God.  From that time sin was part of every person born.  We were separated from God by the barrier of sin which could only be broken down by a perfect man, one who never sinned. That man was Jesus Christ. For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT)

There are so many reasons why I believe that the Bible is Truth; one of the main ones is because so many prophecies given in both the Old and New Testaments have been fulfilled, to the letter, in amazing ways through the centuries.  There are 351 Old Testament prophecies that have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ alone.  Check this out https://www.newtestamentchristians.com/bible-study-resources/351-old-testament-prophecies-fulfilled-in-jesus-christ/

Next time I will give you some more of what the Bible is and what it contains.  Happy reading!

Prayer: Dear God, please help me to have a desire to study and understand your Word. Amen

Hope

 

Tomorrow it will be Christmas Day, and soon the arrival of another new year!  Do you, like me, say (again), 'where did that year go?' The time passes by so quickly, and we have had yet another tumultuous year in our world. A year of wars, famines, floods, earthquakes, disruptions and death.

It has been a year when people we love have died through sickness, by accident, through massacre, and some by their own hand. A year that many would rather forget, as they hope for better days to come.  

The very real Hope of the world, is Jesus Christ.  He is the one who will eventually bring the peace we hope for......if our hope is founded in Him. I am continually thankful that His word, the Bible tells us what lies ahead for the world, and it is that there is much tribulation to come before Jesus finally comes again to rule and reign in a restored heavens and earth.  

Many, in fact most of the Bible prophecies have already come to pass, in amazingly precise ways.  The most important one being the arrival of Jesus Christ whose birth we remember tomorrow.  If you haven't been used to reading the Bible, may I suggest you start to do so in this coming year.  Find a friend or a group you can read/study it with.....and be amazed at the message of life, peace, hope and joy it brings.  

Don't stop when you get to the book of Revelation at the end of the New Testament.  That is like reading a book and stopping before the last chapter!  Revelation is the ONLY book in the Bible that promises a blessing to those who read it......Revelation 1:3 says "God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near."

If we have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his revelation to those who will believe, we have no reason to be afraid of what lies ahead only a joyful anticipation of what is to come.  My aim for 2026 is this......

"I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." Philippians 3:14.  I pray that you will too.  Come Lord Jesus!

Prayer:  Heavenly Father it is my prayer that you give me, and all your people, a stronger desire to search out your truth in the Bible that you have given us in this coming year.  Amen

God Has A Plan!

                                                                                                            Photo: Barry Doig

                                                                                                                                                                  

God has a plan that, so often, we don’t understand

But oh, what peace and comfort comes our way

When we can trust him with it all.....

Our loved ones, our health or circumstances.

The One who holds together this universe that he created

Who sees everything……before…. now…..later…. and forever.

The Eternal One, who, with wisdom watches over all

To bring about his great purpose for us, and for our world….

Through Jesus Christ, his Son

Who gave his life for me……and for us all

To free us from the load of sin and shame

To give us joy and hope amidst the pain.

He is faithful, he is love and I will trust him 

For God has a plan and he will see it through!

 

 Prayer: Jesus, I believe, help my unbelief.  Amen

Do Yourself a Favour!

 

It's lemon season here and how lovely it is to see such an abundant crop around the village this year.  Last year my tree decided to take a rest but it's sure making up for it this year!

Thinking about these lemons and how lovely they look, caused me to think about their sour taste.  Anyone who was offered a lemon but who hadn't seen one before might get a shock and pull a face once they tasted its bitterness or sourness.  Having said this I do have a friend in Macau who loves to chew on lemons.  

There are things in life that can bring bitterness to our spirit.  I think of Hannah in the Old Testament who was unable to conceive a child.  Her bitterness caused her to go to God with weeping and prayers for a child which God graciously gave her. In the New Testament there was Simon in the city of Samaria.  He had been practising witchcraft and claiming his own greatness but he came to faith in Jesus Christ and began following the disciples.  When he saw the gifts of the Holy Spirit being given to others he offered money to be enable him to do what the apostles were doing. Peter rebuked him saying, "For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity."Vs 23.

Simon had become a believer in Jesus but there was still some work to be done in his life - just as there is in us too.  His thinking needed to be straightened out, and Peter's strong rebuke shocked him into asking for prayer. Left unchecked sin would probably have led to him 'going off the rails' and possibly leading others astray into thinking that God's divine gifts were for sale.

Bitterness can be our response to many things; being treated unfairly, losing our job or health, knowing that people are criticising us, abandonment of different kinds.  Sometimes we feel very justified in our bitterness but it is never worth the price we pay.  Some wise person has said that "Bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die!"

Paul in his writing to the Ephesians instructs very clearly on things which should not be allowed to remain in our lives. Bitterness is one of those things.  If we harbour bitterness in our hearts it leads to pollution of those around us. It robs us of our joy and peace in the Lord.  It warps our thinking and can even make us sick.  

Do yourself a favour today; examine your heart, ask God to show you if you are harbouring anything in your heart that is stunting your growth in Christ and robbing you of your peace.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please help me to come to you with an open mind. Please show me if I am holding bitterness or any other negative thoughts or emotions that are blocking my fellowship with you and stunting my spiritual growth.  Help me to grow in grace and so that my joy and peace-filled life will glorify you.  Amen

Lord You Are

                                                       

Over the years I have written a few poems,  though none lately.  As I was spending time with God this morning I expressed that thought to him, and as I sat quietly meditating on his goodness and glory these words came to mind.  

            Lord you are my morning joy

            Forever you are near

            You are a spring of water

            Gushing up, refreshing here.

            Lord you are my hiding place 

            In darkness or in fear

            You are my rock and my strong tower

            My Saviour oh so dear.

            Lord lead me in your mercy

            In paths so true and right

            Until I see you face to face 

            In everlasting light.

I hope this is, or will become, your prayer too.  For to know him brings such peace and joy into our life, such security when our world in shaky.

PRAYER:  Father God, may your peace flood my life today and I put my trust in you.

Be my rock and strong tower, my refreshing and my joy.  Amen

Entrances and Exits

I have been reading about Ezekiel’s vision of the future temple. I love the Old Testament because it tells us so much about God and his ways.  I believe that we should always be looking at both the Old & New Testaments of the Bible in order to have a proper understanding of God.  The Old Testament contains hundreds of prophecies that pertain to the New Testament, many of which have already been fulfilled.

In Hebrews 4:12 the writer says that the word of God is "a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart'.  God can speak to us in different ways through his word at various times.  So what caught my eye in Ezekiel 44:5 that could possibly have meaning for us today? This is how it spoke to me.

In his vision God spoke to Ezekiel about how things are to work in the temple.  Some of the temple staff had sinned against God in times past by worshipping idols while still offering sacrifices in the temple. They had also broken God's laws in other ways. These words at the end of Ezekiel 44:5 struck me......"Give attention to the entrance to the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary."

What does the temple have to do with a believer today?  In the New Testament Paul says, "...do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" 1 Corinthians 6:19. In this passage Paul is telling the believers to be careful what they allow into their body, specifically regarding sexual purity.  However there are other ways to 'pollute' our temple.  That is why we have to guard the gate in.....that could also be the 'eye gate' or the 'ear gate'.  We have to be careful about what we watch and what we listen to.

Then there is guarding the exit which is the 'mouth' gate. In Colossians 3 Paul writes to the believers....."But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.  Do not lie to one another......".  He expands on the reason for this in Ephesians 4...."Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers."

Let us be mindful of guarding 'the gates' of our bodies that we may live to please God.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding me that I should live my life in such a way as to bless others and glorify you.  Please help me to do this. Amen

Believe it......or Not!

 

Today I'm concerned about a topic that is becoming increasingly important for all of us to consider. With the development of artificial intelligence we cannot always believe what we see or hear.  I'm reminded of the words of dear Thomas the disciple of Jesus. When the other disciples told him that that had seen Jesus' after his crucifixion said ......."Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." John 20:25.  

These words have caused this poor man to be called 'doubting Thomas' from that time forth. He was being very honest, and God was kind to him; for Jesus did appear again when Thomas was present and offered evidence to him that Thomas too might believe.

Today I feel to offer a warning about what our eyes may be seeing in the future, hence my title "Believe it ...or Not".  In both of his letters to Timothy Paul warns him about deception. He says that in the future  many will turn away from the truth of God's word and be taken in by doctrines of demons. 1 Timothy 4:1. In 2 Timothy 3:13 he adds that people will deceive many because they themselves are deceived.

If you keep up with the news you will have noticed, more recently, the warnings about AI-generated images of people that look real but are definitely not.  This is a timely warning that we cannot now believe everything we see and hear. That not only applies to the secular but also to the Christian world.  

I think most of us know that there are many religious groups that are deceived into believing lies about how Christians should live.  Not only are they deceived, but they 'deceive many' others into cultish faiths. These may sound good but are to be avoided because they bring us into legalistic bondage. 

I was recently watching a Christian YouTube channel warning about the dangers of AI.  This person had himself created very realistic AI clips of 3 different men preaching deceptive teaching. For one who knows the Bible, the words spoken were clearly "off the mark" BUT to some people they would be very attractive. Why?  Because they are being told what they want to hear!

Again in 2 Timothy 4:3-4 Paul writes that there would come a time when people would have "itching ears".  They would not want to hear 'sound doctrine' and so they would be carried away with fables (false teaching).  There would be plenty of people saying what sounded good to them.

God's word is Truth and if we don't want to be 'fed with fables' and deceived into believing lies, we had better be giving time to reading and understanding our Bibles. We should also be seeking understanding from trusted spiritual leaders, and asking God for wisdom to discern between good and evil.  King Solomon, was renowned for his wisdom. He was commended by God because as he became King he didn't ask God for riches , but for wisdom to lead God's people, 1 Kings 3:9. Check it out and pray your own prayer daily for God to give you the wisdom, so that you may know what to believe, what is true and what is not.  This will become increasingly important as time goes by.

PRAYER: Father God, please give me a desire to read and understand your Word so that I might have wisdom to discern good from evil, truth from lies. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen

Rest & Refreshment

 

Autumn has definitely arrived, and it is beautiful! The trees are showing off their wonderful  colours, the evenings are longer, and there is just a slight chill in the air morning and evening but the days are warm. We are definitely having a very lovely March, always my sister's favourite month, and now mine too.  I enjoy New Zealand's definite change of seasons after living many years in tropical countries. Autumn heralds that winter's coming and winter is a time of rest for much of nature in which  God has created a wonderful rhythm.

This week I was listening to one of my favourite preachers, Canon J John, speaking about rest and how God gave us an example of rest to follow when he created our world for 6 days, and then he rested.  J John's challenge was for us to recognise our need for regular rest and refreshment.

In the Old Testament law God's people were told to keep the sabbath holy by resting from their work (Exodus 20:8-11).  They were reminded of this in Exodus 35:2. It was a punishable offence to work on the sabbath.  They were even told to 'rest' the land in the seventh year.  It was to be a rhythm which God told them how manage (Exodus 1-7).

Today many people have forgotten how to rest, to their own detriment. The 5 day week of trading has turned into 6 or 7.  This is a particular challenge for Christians. If they have to work 6 days a week, there is little time for chores at home, and no time for sport except on Sundays. But rest we must.  

As well as rest, we need refreshment in the form of something that nourishes our soul and spirit.  Joining with other Christians and listening to the reading and preaching of God's word will give us the balance that we need.  The writer to the Hebrews said this "And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

The times are becoming more uncertain, temptations and pressures abound.  God's wisdom is not for his benefit, but for ours and we neglect it at our own peril.  Either we give our body and mind what it needs or we will suffer, and that suffering can take many forms.  Extreme stress, sickness, mental or emotional breakdown.  Our Creator made us to require rest.....do take it!

PRAYER: Oh God, help me to be wise in my life activities so that I can be kind to my body and my mind.  Amen 

Coming, Ready or Not!

 

                                            Photo by Barry Doig

Do you remember playing hide and seek in your childhood, or with your kids?  It was such fun, I don't know if it's still played but I suspect it is.  We would cover our eyes and count down from 30, 20 or 10, giving time for the others to find a hidey hole, then the hunt was on as we sang out "coming ready or not!"

I remembered that game this week as we got news of the death of our neighbour.  She had been in hospital, had surgery and was recovering well, until suddenly she suffered complications and within a few days she was gone.  She had been a lovely neighbour and we will miss her bright smile.  I am comforted by the lovely memory I have of serving communion to her at our village church service last month.  I like to think she was ready.

This morning on my way back from my cycling in the gym (it feels safer than being out on the road!), I called in to see one of my favourite ladies in the serviced apartments in our village.  She is in her 90's and lost her dear husband suddenly some time ago.  We always have a good laugh together and she always tells me she is very ready to join him in heaven.  

One thing we all know is that death knocks at our door whenever it is 'our time', and, whether we are ready or not.  I was certainly not ready to lose my father suddenly when I was 18.  Perhaps I would never have been ready.  But we all know that there are 2 things  in this world that are certain, death and taxes!

The Psalmist wrote, "You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."  Psalm 139:16  (Read the whole psalm to see how God watches over us, his creation.)

You see, we cannot hide from God. He is there whether we believe in him or not.  He was there before the creation of the world, he was there before our birth. He was watching over us being formed in our mother's womb, he was there as we were being born. He is watching us  live our lives, wether we are living to please God or to please ourselves.  Then, when our days are over we will come face to face with him whether we are ready or not.

The Bible says, "And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment" Hebrews 9:27.  The judgment will not be based on whether we have been good enough because not one of us can ever be good enough for God.  Really?!!  Yes!  That is why Jesus Christ had to bear our sins on the cross and give his life a ransom for us. He said so himself.  (Mark 10:45. ) You and I will be judged upon whether we lived our lives, by faith, to please Jesus Christ, or wether we lived to please ourselves.  

My choice to believe, or not, determines whether I am ready or not.  I hope you have or will choose faith in Jesus Christ,  because he is the Lord and giver of life, our hope, our peace, and our joy.  He is most certainly my peace in these very uncertain times in which we live, because he has told us how it all ends.

 PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for your gift of life, and the assurance that it is only by faith in you that we can inherit eternal life.  Amen

Thinking about Grace

Grace is not a word that comes often into regular conversation.  We might think of grace as elegance, poise or charm, a graceful person, a ballerina.  It could also be used of politeness or good manners, or maybe a student being allowed a couple of days grace to finish an assignment.

For Christians, however, it is a common and important word to us because first of all it describes the God we worship...... He is the God of all grace.  The word 'grace' appears around 140 times in my Bible.  Why am I thinking about it today?  Well it came up in my reading of Acts 15 when Paul of was speaking to the Council of Apostles in Jerusalem about how God had been working in the lives of gentiles on their first missionary journey.  The Law, and grace, had become an issue that needed to be resolved.

Gentiles had never followed the Jewish laws, unless they had converted to the Jewish faith.  But now that the Holy Spirit was moving among the gentiles and bringing them to faith in Jesus Christ, some of the legalistic Jews were trying to make the gentile Christians follow Jewish Law, especially they were insisting that they must be circumcised. This contentious issue needed to be sorted out and so it was.  God's grace was applied to the situation, because it is only by grace that we are saved (to eternal life). No good works that we do can earn salvation. (Ephesians 2:8-9)  It is only by faith in Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul had been a very legalistic Jew, obeying all the laws, knowing all the scriptures and chasing down the new Christians to 'bring them to justice and punishment.'  There was no grace in his life at all until Jesus appeared to him in a great light on his 'get the Christians mission'.  Jesus spoke to him, graciously corrected him, and changed him into one who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as his Messiah.  

Paul wrote much of the New Testament of the Bible, and he wrote much about grace because he had experienced God's grace touching him personally.  In 1 Corinthians 15:10 he wrote, "By the grace of God, I am what I am." He did not boast in the great knowledge and heritage he had, or by all the law keeping he had done, he called that foolishness. 

Evangelist J John says, there are 2 reasons why people don't want to be a Christian.  The first reason is that they haven't met one, the second reason is that they HAVE met one!  We laugh nervously and agree. But there is another reason that people may not want to become a Christian and that is that they think Christianity is a whole list of 'thou shalt nots.....'. That is so not true!

God wants us to live joy-filled lives so he tells us how to do that.  He wants our lives show his love, his mercy and his grace to those we meet. He doesn't promise a trouble-free life, but he does promise strength and grace, and peace for each trial. He is waiting to pour out his great Fatherly love into empty hearts and lives.

We can only come to God through His grace and mercy reaching down to us, we can only walk with God day by day by His grace.  We can do nothing to earn God's favour.  We can only please him by bowing our knee and acknowledging that it is His grace working in us that we can live for His glory.

BLESSING: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  Amen 

It's a Whole New Year!

 

                                                                                                
                                                       NZ Christmas Tree - Pohutukawa

Today is not only a whole new day, but it's a whole new year!  Are you filled with anticipation for what you have planned this year? Are you filled with anxiety, wondering what it will hold for you, your family, or for others close to you? Perhaps you filled with awe at what you have survived this year.  You probably know people in all three of these categories.  I do!

I just took a moment to check out what I wrote around this time last year and it still stands true.  I could write it all again but you can just go read it here! http://daydrops4you.blogspot.com/2023/ 

This past year we have proved again, that by God's grace we can be comforted in great losses, mourn with those who mourn, rejoice with others in their successes, new life directions and opportunities, and to sit with those who wait to meet their Maker. God surely is our very help in every situation.

Life is filled with opportunities to draw on God's strength in challenges, to experience his comfort in losses, to rest in his love when we feel a bit lost, and to hope in his Word when we don't understand what is happening in our life or in our world. Knowing that I can bring all my uncertainties to his feet and leave them there brings me such peace.  I don't have to stress, but just trust that God will fulfil his purposes for me and those I love. I leave you with these words from Psalm 134:6-8.....

Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble,

but he keeps his distance from the proud.

Though I am surrounded by troubles,

you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.

You reach out your hand,

and the power of your right hand saves me.

The LORD will work out his plans for my life—

for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever.

Don’t abandon me, for you made me.

May God bless you with peace as you believe and trust in him in 2025.

PRAYER: Lord your word is true, you are faithful, you will work out your purposes for those who love you and walk through life in step with you.  Keep us faithful to you this year. Amen

Memories of Friendship

Dear Roy & Barbara,

It is 5:15 am on 6th December as I write.  In the last few years I have taken advantage of ‘retirement’ and taken to sleeping late….mainly because I go to bed late then listen to Christian podcasts.  So around 8 - 9 am is my rising time and I now have my time with God mid morning.

Today is different because at 4:50 am (yes I checked the time), one of our local blackbirds, who comes to bathe in our bird bath daily, and joins the sparrows and green finches in a morning breakfast ritual on our lawn (thanks to Col), decided it’s time to sing it’s pretty song.  At first I was irritated and then I thought, "no, I am thankful for the blessing of being able to hear that bird."  So began my early morning prayers and after 30 mins I decided to get up and have my quiet time so I brewed my coffee.

As I poured the amber liquid into my mug, my thoughts rolled back to many happy stays in your home.  The blackbirds didn’t wake me there, but the wonderful smell of your coffee brewing used to fill the air when I rose to have my time with God.  Often you had beaten me to the coffee and were already reading your Bible and writing in your journal in the lounge where I would join you in quiet fellowship.  

What wonderful memories I have of my times with you in Vero Beach, Florida…..Roy’s Cuban coffee, lunch in one of Roy’s ‘holes in the wall’ as you called them, fabulous mall shopping, floating in your pool, visiting Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, eating at beach restaurants, visiting Roy’s sister, 'Miss Emily' and so on. 

Then there were Women’s Refuge events, planning, teaching times, fundraising lunch (or was it breakfast?),  counselling sessions, training sessions, meeting God’s wounded women who were finding healing and wholeness through your wisdom and counsel. 

There were long Sunday drives to Dunklin Memorial Rehab Camp to have Bible Study before church with Pastor Micky, then church with the men, often preceded by breakfast in the cornfields on the way, then ‘all you can eat’ chicken lunch somewhere else. If I look back through my journals I know I would find so much more of rich times we have spent together. Sometimes just me after a conference in the USA, and sometimes with Col as well.

Tomorrow (our time) will be Mr Roy’s' 90 something birthday' and I want to wish him a wonderfully happy birthday and to thank you both for the wonderful gift of your friendship and mentoring for over 40 years. Since our first meeting in Papua New Guinea in the early ‘80s we have shared so many happy times together not only in the USA but also in various places in Australia, perhaps in Hong Kong too.  How blessed we have been in the times we’ve shared.  

Now, sometime in the not too distant future, we can look forward to sharing eternity together because of our faith in Jesus Christ, our Saviour,  whose birth we will celebrate in less than 3 weeks time.  How blessed we are to have such hope! 

God bless you our dear ‘forever friends’,

Much love,

Jackie xx

Growth!

It is normal, and expected that a child should grow up and mature, both in body and in understanding. We all have our own unique experience of this process, probably both the painful and the funny.  As a child grows into adulthood, the body changes, behaviour changes, thoughts and ideas change.  The process is not without pain!  Both parents and doctors would be concerned if a child did not follow a normal physical and mental growth pattern.  In such a case medical support and other help is given.God also expects growth in our spiritual life. 

This week I was reading John 3 where the religious leader Nicodemus came to ask Jesus about the things he was teaching and the miracles he was doing.  Jesus had a confronting word for him.  "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again you cannot see the Kingdom of God."  Nicodemus, understandably confused, asked how could such a thing happen when one was old. Jesus explained that this birth was one that came only by the Holy Spirit, and the revelation he brings to those who want to know God.

So how does spiritual growth take place for a new believer, sometimes referred to as a "baby in Christ"?  Just as a child has to go to school to learn how to read, to understand and to grow, so growth in faith only happens through studying God's word, hearing good teaching, and joining with others in worship.

Even Nicodemus, and later the apostle Paul, had much to learn and mindsets to change, even though they had both been thoroughly schooled in the Jewish faith and Law.  Jesus posed a threat to the teachers of the Law of Moses because he came with a new interpretation of the Law. He challenged them as he explained the spirit of the Law that God had given to Moses. Jesus' teaching was for the heart as well as the mind.

The writer to the Hebrews expressed a certain frustration with the people to whom he wrote in Hebrews 5:.....12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.  And later in Hebrews 6:1...... "So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again.  Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding.

So how do we mature in our Christian faith and understanding?  By reading God's word, discussing it in fellowship with other believers, hearing the word taught through church attendance, and allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us.  Jesus said this - "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. John 16:13.

One of the joys of the Christian life for me is that there is always something more to learn of God's ways, always new challenges to my thoughts and actions, always new growth to be had.  We should always be a work in progress, as our dear friend Gordon said to his pastor in the last week of his life on this earth. That is exactly the attitude that Christ wants us to have.

Prayer:  Father God, will you please help me to have a humble and teachable heart, always ready to hear your truth and alter my thoughts and ways to line up with your Word, that I might grow into maturity in my faith and understanding of You.  Amen

Clear the Clutter & Make Space

 

This morning in our devotional time the words of a worship song were used. They said 'make space..'.  I was struck with these words as I looked at the clutter around me.  I have been playing at painting with water colours....with very mixed results!  (This pic is not one of them!)

In doing this I have surrounded myself, (in my lounge room I have to confess), with a lot of painting paraphernalia so that it is near to hand and reminds me to 'just do it'.  Practice makes perfect my mother used to say.  I was never very good at practising! This clutter is okay until I'm expecting visitors, then I quickly clear it away, cover it up and make space for my guests.  It's not all just to look good, it's to literally make space as half of one couch is, (right now), littered with paintboxes, paint charts and visual journals. 

The clutter that surrounds us can be so varied.  It can be busyness, pressure of work, demands of family, or physical clutter because "I just might need that one day".  The 'clutter'  may be in our lives out of a need to be liked, to please others, to look good or just to 'have stuff'.  There sometimes comes a time when we have to look objectively at the 'stuff' and ask "Is this hindering me or is it helping me?" However, there is other clutter that really hinders us that I want to address.

My thoughts, as I listened to this song about making space for Jesus, went to the Apostle Peter's words where he says "Get rid of all evil behaviour. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy and all unkind speech." 1 Peter 2:1 This is the kind of clutter is a real blockage to knowing the peace,  and the presence of God. 

Peter was writing to new believers who had been born again into the family of God and who now have a 'priceless inheritance which is kept in heaven for us'.  For this reason they were to get rid of all the corrupt behaviour from their old life. The Apostle Paul spoke similarly to the Colossians of putting off the old life and putting on  'the new you' and become more like your Creator.

If we are going to walk with Jesus Christ, we must clear the clutter in our lives which does not reflect him. We have to make space for him in our lives.  Space for reading the Bible, for fellowshipping with others, for worshipping together and being instructed and encouraged, and for praying - alone, and together.

Is there emotional, or physical clutter in your life which needs to be cleared to make space for Jesus? It will cost you something, maybe a lot, but it will be worth it.  The Apostle Paul wrote this, "Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ." Philippians 3:8. May God make us hungry for that infinite value of knowing Jesus.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for the priceless gift of new life in Christ.  Show me the clutter in my life that needs to go so that I can make space for you.  Help me to see the great value in knowing you and loving you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength." Amen