http://groups.msn.com/CharlesCameron-StudiesintheBibleandTheology

Thank you to all who have visited this blog.
A Happy New Year to all of you.
From now on, I will not be posting new articles on this blog.
You will still find everything that has been posted here.
For new articles, please visit Christ in all the Scriptures / The Theology of G C Berkouwer.

Thought for the Day: “From the Lord … “

Thought for the Day: “Jesus is suffering … “

Thought for the Day - “Our sufferings … “

Thought for the Day: “When Satan attacks … “

Second Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12

Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) I – Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) II – Isaiah 62:6-12; Psalm 97; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2: (1-7), 8-20

Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) III – Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1:1-4, (5-12); John 1:1-14

Two Weeks on Becoming a Christian: Day 1 - The first sin creates a need (Genesis 3) (This is the first article in a series of fourteen posts).

Two weeks on the Old Testament: Day 1 - The story of creation (Genesis 1) (This is the first article in a series of fourteen posts).

Interpreting Genesis 1-3: Some thoughts from Bruce Milne’s book, “Know the Truth”

A Framework for Understanding Genesis to Deuteronomy (from Eugene Peterson’s ‘Introduction’ to ‘The Message’)

As well as the ongoing series - “Thought for the Day” and the sermons based on the Revised Common Lectionary, there are also some new “Two Weeks” series - the Holy Spirit, Women of the Bible, Men of the Old Testament.

At my “Christ in all the Scriptures / The Theology of G C Berkouwer”, I have just posted a new series - ‘Two Weeks on Prayers of the Bible’. Here’s a link to Day 1.

Two weeks on Prayers of the Bible: Day 1 - Abraham’s plea for Sodom (Genesis 1

Filed under: Downloads, Scripture, Theology

Bible Reading Notes - Year One

Bible Reading Notes - Year Two

Bible Reading Notes - Year Three

Commentary on the Whole Bible

Theological Articles

Theology of G C Berkouwer

I am stopping posting articles at this “Share the Good News” blog.

I have transferred all of the posts from my Blogger blog - “Let’s Share the Good News” (www.charlescameron.blogspot.com) - to my other WordPress.blog - “Christ in all the Scriptures / The Theology of G C Berkouwer” blog (http://charlescameron.wordpress.com).

While the title of my other WordPress blog remains the same, the “Share the Good News” emphasis will continue in that blog.

Do we have faith? – Let us commit ourselves to a life of holiness.

What blessings are given to those who draw near to God - ‘Your God… will come and save you’ (Isaiah 35:4).

The Good News of Christ comes to us as a call to faith - ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved’ (Acts 16:31).

We have been saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot remain the same. We are called to live a new life. We must travel on the Lord’s ‘highway’- ‘the Way of Holiness’ (Isaiah 35:8). This is ‘the Way’ which leads to ‘everlasting joy’ (Isaiah 35:10).

This ‘Way’ is so different from the world’s way. The world has no time for those who seek to live a holy life. This is what Jesus says about the world’s way of life: ‘the gate is wide and the way is wide that leads to destruction’ (Matthew 7:13).

Whatever the world may say, we must never forget this: ‘Without holiness, no-one will see the Lord’ (Hebrews 12:14).

Do we have faith? – Let us commit ourselves to a life of worship.

‘I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live’ (Psalm 146:2).

Praising the Lord our God: This is a lifelong commitment. We cannot maintain this lifelong commitment in our own strength.

We need the Lord’s help. We must never forget this: ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain’ (Psalm 127:1). We are not expected to maintain this lifelong commitment in our own strength.

We have the Lord’s help. We must always remember this: ‘Our help is in the Name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth’ (Psalm 124:8).

‘Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, the Lord who remains faithful for ever’(Psalm 146:5-6).

Let us join with Mary in saying, ‘My soul praises the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour’ (Luke 1:46-47).

Do we have faith? – Let us commit ourselves to a life of listening to God’s Word.

Much is said about John the Baptist here, yet the whole purpose is to draw attention to Jesus the Saviour. Jesus is superior to John. He is the One to whom John pointed. There are two responses to Jesus.

- We can take offence at Him: ‘Blessed is he who takes no offence at Me’(Matthew 11:6).

- We can hear what He says, receiving Him with faith: ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear’ (Matthew 11:15).

In His time, Jesus asked the question, ‘To whom shall I compare this generation?’, giving the answer, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn’ (Matthew 11:16-17).

The promise of the Gospel is preached, yet many will not rejoice. The warning of the Gospel is preached, yet many will not repent. This is the story of our generation.

May God help us to lead people of this generation to Christ, the ‘Friend of sinners’ (Matthew 11:19).

Do we have faith? – Let us commit ourselves to a life of obeying God’s Word.

Don’t worry about ‘what will happen tomorrow’. It’s in the Lord’s hands (James 4:14-15).

We must not lose sight of ‘the purpose of the Lord’. We must remember that ‘the Lord is full of compassion and mercy’(James 5:11).

We look forward to ‘the Lord’s Coming’as the great Day of our salvation (James 5:7-8).

We must not, however, forget God’s words of warning: ‘The Judge is standing at the door’. God speaks to us concerning ‘the misery that is coming upon you’. What is He saying to us here? - He is warning us: Be careful how you live - Don’t trust in riches. ‘Don’t grumble against each other’(James 5:1-3, 9).

The warning and the promise belong together. Those who are facing judgment can be brought to the Saviour. May God help us to speak His Word - the warning as well as the promise - , always praying that sinners will be saved (James 5:16, 19-20).

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The Bible Readings are based on the Revised Common Lectionary – Year A.

1:1-2:11

Do you feel like you can`t go on? Do you feel like giving up? Here`s God`s Word of encouragement for you: ‘He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the Day of Jesus Christ’(1:6). God finishes what He starts - ‘He didn’t bring us this far to leave us. He didn`t teach us to swim to let us drown. He didn’t build His home in us to move away. He didn`t lift us up to let us down’. In all the changes of life, we must remember this: God is faithful. His love is unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable. We don`t keep going because weare strong. We are ‘kept by the power of God’(1 Peter 1:5). In ‘humility’ let us live ‘to the glory and praise of God’(2:3; 1:11). ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’(2:11) - He will give you the strength to keep going when you feel like giving up.

2:12-3:11

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

Recently on Christ in all the Scriptures / The Theology of G C Berkouwer…

Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Jesus: Day 13 - Paul’s summary of his mission (Ephesians 3)

Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 12 - Freedom in Christ (Galatians 5)

Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 11- Thoughts on the afterlife (1 Corinthians 15)

Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 10 - Paul’s description of love (1 Corinthians 13)

Labels: 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatatians, Paul, Philippians

Each of us must choose. We can ‘live according to the flesh’ or we can ‘live according to the Spirit’. We can ‘set the mind on the flesh’ or we can ‘set the mind on the Spirit’(5-6). The new life in the Spirit is just the beginning. God is preparing us for the greater ‘glory that will be revealed in us’(18). We have ‘the first fruits of the Spirit’. The Holy Spirit is ‘the guarantee of our inheritance’. He is the starter which whets our appetite for the main course! With Him in our hearts, we long for more - ‘an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you’, ‘the redemption of our bodies’, ‘the glorious liberty of the children of God’(21-23; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:3-5). Led by the Spirit, strong in the Spirit, we press on to glory (14,26,17).

Recently on Christ in all the Scriptures / The Theology of G C Berkouwer…

Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 8 - Struuggle with sin (Romans 7)

Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 7 - Paul’s theology in a nutshell (Romans 3)

Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 6 - Paul’s arrival in Rome (Acts 2

Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 5 - Shipwreck on the way to Rome (Acts 27)

Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 4 - Paul tells his life story to a king (Acts 26)

Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 3 - Scenes from Paul’s Missionary Journay (Acts 17)

Labels: Acts, Paul, Romans

15:36-16:40

Notice the importance of prayer in the advance of the Gospel. They were looking for a prayer meeting when Lydia was saved (13-14). They were going to a prayer meeting when the girl was saved (16-18). They were having a prayer meeting when the jailer was saved (25-34). They had gone to Philippi ‘to preach the Gospel to them’(10). Even when they were ‘in chains’, the Gospel proved itself to be ‘the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith’(Ephesians 6:20; Romans 1:16). ‘The Word of God is not bound’. It is ‘living and active’. ‘Sharper than any two-edged sword’, it is ‘the sword of the Spirit’(2 Timothy 2:9; Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17). Do you want people to ask the Salvation question and heed the Gospel answer (30-31)? ‘Pray at all times in the Spirit… with all perseverance’(Ephesians 6:18).

Recently on Christ in all the Scriptures / The Theology of G C Berkouwer…

Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 1 - The Conversion of Saul (Acts 9)

Labels: Acts, Paul

Awaiting Christ’s Return , let us worship God and walk in His ways.

God calls us to worship Him - ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord…’- and walk in His ways - ‘Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord’ (Isaiah 2:3, 5).

We are moving towards the Day when ‘the pride of men shall be humbled and brought low’, the Day when ‘the Lord alone will be exalted’ (Isaiah 2:11, 12, 17).

How are we to get ready for the Return of our Lord Jesus Christ? God calls us to keep on worshipping Him. We are to encourage one another to keep on walking with God. ‘Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching’(Hebrews 10:25).

Let our pride be humbled and let the Lord be exalted as we await Christ’s Return in ‘faith’, looking to Him alone for our ‘salvation’(1 Peter 1:7-9).

Worshipping the Lord with joy

‘I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the House of the Lord”’ (Psalm 122:2).

Why do we go to the House of the Lord? We go ‘to give thanks to the Name of the Lord’ (Psalm 122:4).

We seek His mercy for our past sins: ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us!’(Psalm 123:3).

We seek His help for our future temptations: ‘Our help is in the Name of the Lord…’ (Psalm 124:8).

As we receive mercy and help from the Lord, we worship Him: ‘Blessed be the Lord’ (Psalm 124:6).

In our worship, we ‘look to the Lord our God’, drawing encouragement from His Word: ‘The Lord is on our side’- In Him we have the victory (Psalms 123:2; 124:1-5).

Rejoicing in God’s blessing, we pray for others: ‘May they prosper who love You’ (Psalm 122:6).

Walking with the Lord in love

Awaiting the Return of Christ – our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed - , let us clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:11, 14).

Clothed with our Lord Jesus Christ, let us ‘walk in love’. We must not fall out over matters in which difference of opinion is allowed (Romans 14:5, 15).

There can be a lot of bitterness over ‘the Sabbath’. There can be so much pride. For some, this is the ‘be-all and end-all’of Christian faith. They say, ‘We are the Sabbath keepers. They are not!’. Others react, ‘We rejoice in our Christian liberty. They are legalists’. ‘Pharisees’are preoccupied with ‘the Sabbath’. We must remember that Jesus is ‘the Lord of the Sabbath’.

We must let His love flow (Matthew 12:2, 10, 8, 11-12).

Let faith be real- not just keeping on the right side of narrow-minded people (Romans 14:23; Colossians 2:16; 1 Corinthians 2:15).

Let there be ‘peace and joy in the Holy Spirit’.

Don’t think too highly of yourself. ‘Count others better than yourself’(Romans 14:17; 12:3; Philippians 2:3).

Worshipping with joy and walking in love, we await Christ’s Return.

‘The times they are-a-changing’. There is, however, one thing that remains constant. Jesus says, ‘My words will not pass away’(Matthew 24:35).

In an age of unbelief, our faith is often under threat. We must stand upon this solid Rock: ‘The Word of the Lord stands forever’(1 Peter 1:25).

The scoffers will say, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’(2 Peter 3:3-4). We are to believe that ‘He is near’(Matthew 24:33).

Christ has risen. He will return (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

When He returns need not concern us: ‘the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect’(Matthew 24:44).

We are to be ready at all times (Matthew 25:13) - doing the Lord’s will (Matthew 24:46).

We are to be ‘faithful and wise’(Matthew 24:45).

As ‘the bride of Christ’(Revelation 19:7; 21:2), we await the Return of Christ our Bridegroom: ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet Him’(Matthew 25:6).

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The Bible Readings are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary – Year A.

‘O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your Name… You have done marvellous things’(Isaiah 25:1).

We remember what God has done for us. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Saviour. We rejoice in Jesus Christ who died for us. We rejoice in Jesus Christ who rose again for us. We look forward to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. We look forward to the Day when ‘He will swallow up death for ever’. On that Day, ‘the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces’. On that Day, we will look back and say, ‘Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us’. On that Day, we will ‘rejoice and be glad in His salvation’(8-9). Here and now, let us learn to ‘trust in the Lord’. We can trust in Him ‘for ever’. He is ‘the everlasting Rock’- ‘the Rock of our salvation’(4; Psalm 95:1).

Labels: Isaiah

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Jesus Christ - risen and victorious (Matthew 28:1-10)

The resurrection declares Christ’s victory over evil, the triumph of His love. There is no need for fear: ‘He has risen’- His ‘perfect love casts out fear’(5-6; 1 John 4:18). There has to be a new beginning in faith. First, there was a new beginning ‘in fact- Christ has been raised from the dead’(1 Corinthians 15:20). Christ has won the victory over the grave. Christ has taken the sting out of death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). Between the new beginning in faith - making disciples (19) - and the new beginning in fact - Christ’s resurrection - , there is worship (9). The fact is not dependent on our feelings. ‘He has risen’(6-7) - the fact stands, even when many doubt and few worship (17). As we worship, we are strengthened in faith, strengthened for our task. We are to invite people to come to the place where ‘they will see’ Jesus (10). We are to ‘make disciples’(19). Run and tell - with great joy (8)!

Labels: Matthew

Loving, serving and following Jesus (John 21)

‘Fishers of men’(Matthew 4:19) - Set your goals lower than this, and you will take others with you. Together, you will discover the emptiness of life without Christ at its centre - ‘they caught nothing’(3). Note the contrast between the self-centered life (5) and the Christ-centered life (6, 8, 11). Loving, serving and following Jesus - These are the most important things in life (15-17, 22). Don’t look over your shoulder at someone else - ‘Lord, what about this man?’(21). Let it be personal - Jesus says, ‘Do you love Me?’(15-17). He asked Peter, ‘Do you love me more than these?’(15) - more than you love these other disciples, more than these other disciples love Me, more than your boats, nets and fishes? Look back and ask yourself, ‘Do I love Jesus more than I did a year ago?’.

Labels: John

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Let Leviticus 16 lead you to the Saviour

God is ‘holy’. We cannot ‘draw near’ and ‘come’ to Him without a ’sin offering’ (1-3). We cannot bring ‘a sin offering’ to Him. We can only bring our sin: Our righteousness is ‘like filthy rags’ (Isaiah 64:6). There is a ‘way’ for sinners to ‘draw near’ to God: Christ is the true and living Way (John 14:6; Hebrews 10:19-22). In verses 20-22, we have a great picture of Christ bearing the sin of the world: ‘Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned He stood… Full atonement, - Yes it is! Hallelujah! What a Saviour!’(Church Hymnary, 380). Atonement has been made for us…We have been cleansed from all our sins (30): What a perfect atonement! What a perfect Saviour! - ‘God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Galatians 6:14).

Labels: Leviticus

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Learning from God’s Word (Psalms 66 - 67)

‘Come and see what God has done’(66:5). God invites us to look into His Word, to read His Story, the Story of all that He has done for us. ‘Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what He has done for me’(66:16). God invites us to listen to the preaching of His Word, to let His Story become our story, to let His salvation become real in our lives. We read God’s Word. We hear His Word. This is our journey of discovery. We discover what the Lord has done for us. We discover how much He wants to bless us. He waits to hear our prayer - ‘May God be gracious to us and bless us…’. He answers our prayer - ‘God has blessed us’(67:1,6-7). He wants us to ‘be glad and sing for joy’. He wants us to call ‘all the ends of the earth’ to ‘worship Him’(67:4,7).

Labels: Psalms

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Let Christ fill you with His joy, His strength and His peace (Philippians 3:12-4:23).

‘Christ Jesus has made me His own’(3:12). In Paul`s words, we hear an echo of Jesus` words, ‘You did not choose Me… I chose you’(John 15:16). Christ has claimed us for Himself. He has laid claim to every part of our life. We are to ‘rejoice in the Lord always’(4). We are to bring ‘everything’ to Him in prayer (6). We are to be ‘content in all circumstances’(4:11-12). We are to face every challenge with confidence in His strength - ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’(4:13). We are to trust Him to ‘supply ’our ‘every need’(4:19). In every situation, we can come to the Lord, trusting in His promise: ‘the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’(7). Whatever is happening, take it to the Lord in prayer and let Him give you His peace.

Labels: Philippians

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‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness’(Jeremiah 31:3).

So often, we have been like ‘the prodigal son’(Luke 15:11-24). We have walked away from our Father’s House. We have wandered off into ‘the far country’. We feel that we are far from God, yet still He draws near to us. The Lord is at work in our hearts. He is bringing us ‘to our senses’. He is reminding us of His love. He is drawing us back to Himself. In love, He is calling us home again. He is speaking to our hearts. He is saying to us, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love’. As His love reaches our hearts, ‘the prodigal son’ becomes ‘the returning son’: ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son’. ‘Bring me back, let me come back, for you are the Lord my God!’(Jeremiah 31:18).

Labels: Jeremiah

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‘When I said, “My foot is slipping”, Your love, O Lord, supported me’(Psalm 94:18).

The Lord is ‘able to keep us from falling’. We are ‘kept by the power of God’. Putting our trust in the Lord, we may be confident of this: ‘God, who began His good work in us, will carry it through to completion on the Day of Christ Jesus’. We are called to ‘press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenwards in Christ Jesus’. As we ‘press on’, we must never forget this: ‘It is God who works in us to will and to work according to His good purpose’. ‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus’, trusting in His promise: ‘My sheep listen to My voice… I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of My hand…’(Jude 24-25; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Philippians 1:6; 3:14; 2:13; Hebrews 12:2; John 10:27-30).

Labels: Psalms

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God’s Word is to be shared (Ezekiel 40:1-4).

God was revealing Himself to Ezekiel. ‘The hand of the Lord was upon’ him. He received ‘visions of God’(Ezekiel 40:1-2). Ezekiel was not to keep this revelation to himself: ‘Tell the house of Israel everything you see’(Ezekiel 40:4). We are to learn from ‘the prophets who spoke in the Name of the Lord’. Like them, we are to seek to bring ‘sinners’ back to the Lord, showing them ‘the error of their ways’ and pointing them to God’s way of salvation. This work is to be done prayerfully, never forgetting that ‘the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective’(James 5:10,16,19-20). God promises great blessing to those who are faithful in this work of winning others for Him: ‘Those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars for ever and ever’(Daniel 12:3).

Labels: Ezekiel

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Let the Lord renew your strength (Isaiah 40:28-31).

‘The Lord is the everlasting God… He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak… those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…’(Isaiah 40:28-31). Far too often, we say, ‘I can’t’ when we really mean ‘I won’t’. ‘I can’t’- This is an insult to the power of God. The Lord calls us to do something special for Him. We say, ‘I can’t’. What are we really saying? This is what we are saying - ‘Lord, I don’t believe Your promise - “Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength”’. Don’t say, ‘I can’t’. Don’t get so busy with other things that you fail to wait upon the Lord and renew your strength. When the Lord calls you to serve Him, say, ‘Yes, Lord, I will wait upon You. I will renew my strength. I will do Your will’.

Labels: Isaiah

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‘Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord’(Psalm 64:10).

True joy in the Lord is not just a passing emotion, a feeling which doesn’t last for very long. When our ‘praise’ to the Lord is real, it leads to a changed life: ‘O God’, we will ‘keep our promises to You’(Psalm 65:1). Jesus shows us the great difference between a passing emotion, a feeling which doesn’t last, and a true conversion which leads to a changed life. He speaks of those who ‘receive the Word with joy,… endure for a while’ and then ‘fall away’. He speaks also of those who ‘hear the Word and accept it and bear fruit’(Mark 4:3-9,16-17,20). How do you worship the Lord? Are you looking for a good feeling - and nothing more than that? God is looking for more. He wants us to live as ‘a new creation’(2 Corinthians 5:17).

Labels: Psalms

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The Majesty of God in the eighth Psalm

‘The Lord is ‘majestic’(1,9). He does not remain remote. He does not keep His distance. He show us His greatness, the greatness of His love. We feel forgotten. He remembers us. We feel unloved. He cares for us (4). We are tempted. He will ‘still the enemy’(2). We look beyond our creation (5- to our salvation - ‘we see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone…that through death He might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil’(Hebrews 2:8-9,14). This is ‘Majesty’- ‘Jesus, who died, now glorified, King of all kings’. The Name of the Lord is majestic ‘in all the earth’(1, 9). To God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - we pray, ‘Glorify Your Name in all the earth’(Mission Praise. 454,142).

Labels: Psalms

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‘Salvation comes from the Lord’(Jonah 2:9).

We can never save ourselves. We can only be saved - by the Lord. Left to our own devices, we ‘flee from the presence of the Lord’. We ‘run away from the Lord’(Jonah 1:3). Sin- This is the story of our life. Salvation- This is the story of what the Lord has done for us. We are sinners. We need to be saved. How can our life be turned around? How can we turn from the way of sin and seek the way of salvation? We cannot change ourselves. We need to be changed by God. We cannot forgive our own sins. We need to to be forgiven by the Lord. Where does the desire for forgiveness and change come from? Does it come from ourselves? No! It comes from the Lord: ‘He drew me, and I followed on…’(Mission Praise, 499).

Labels: Jonah

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‘The Lord is there’(Ezekiel 48:35).

He is with us when we gather for worship: ‘Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them’(Matthew 18:20). He loves to be among us when we are worshipping Him: ‘He looks down upon us, delight in His face, enjoying His children’s love, enthralled by our praise’. We are to come into the Lord’s presence with joyful praise- ‘The King is among us. His Spirit is near. Let’s draw near and worship. Let songs fill the air!’- and reverent fear- ‘Be still, for the presence of the Lord, the Holy One, is here. Come bow before Him now with reverence and fear’(Mission Praise, 650,50). When we leave the place of worship, let us take His promise with us: ‘I am with you always’(Matthew 28:20).

Labels: Ezekiel

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‘In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a Kingdom that will never be destroyed’(Daniel 2:44).

There is only one Kingdom which stands forever - the Kingdom of God. His Kingdom is eternal. Through Christ, ‘the Kingdom of God has come near to us’(Luke 10:9). Christ is the ‘King of kings’(Revelation 17:14;19:16). ‘His throne will last for ever and ever’. ‘His Kingdom will never end’. ‘He will reign for ever and ever’(Hebrews 1:8; Luke 1:33; Revelation 11:15). Christ is ‘triumphant… ever reigning… enthroned for ever’: ‘Sin and death and hell shall never stifle hymns of love. So, our hearts and voices raising through the ages long… this shall be our song: Yours the glory and the crown…’(Mission Praise, 77).

Labels: Daniel

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The Lord is King (Lamentations 5)

‘You, O Lord, reign for ever; Your throne endures from generation to generation’. We must remember this when we feel like we have been ‘forgotten’ by God. When we feel like God has ‘abandoned’ us, we must remember this: ‘You, O Lord, are King for ever, and will rule to the end of time’(19-20). We are not only to pay lip-service to the Lord our King. We are to crown Him as King of our heart and life. How are we to do this? We must pray, ‘Bring us back to You, Lord!’(21). God is looking for a real return to Him and a real difference in our lives. ‘In your hearts enthrone Him. There let Him subdue all that is not holy, all that is not true…’; ‘So let us learn how to serve and in our lives enthrone Him, each other’s needs to prefer, for it is Christ we’re serving’(Church Hymnary, 300; Mission Praise, 162).

Labels: Lamentations

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Receiving Strength from the Lord (Daniel 10:1-11:13)

Daniel came to God in great weakness- ‘I am helpless… My strength is gone…’(16-17). From the Lord, Daniel received great strength- ‘The One who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength… When He spoke to me, I was strengthened…’. Daniel’s strength came from the love of God and the peace of God. God assured Daniel of His love for him. He called Daniel a ‘man greatly beloved’. God spoke His Word of peace to Daniel: ‘Peace be with you’. As God revealed His love and peace to him, Daniel came to realize that there was no need to be afraid. He could ‘be strong’ in the Lord (18-19). When we are weak, let us come to God and receive His strength - ‘His grace is sufficient for us. His strength is made perfect in weakness’(2 Corinthians 12:9).

Labels: Daniel

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Discipline and forgiveness (Matthew 18:15-19:2).

Discipline and forgiveness are not opposites. They belong together. Discipline is to be part of our caring. If it is not carried out in a caring way, it is not the discipline of the Lord. It is the expression of human arrogance. Where there is a genuine desire to honour God and do His will, we have more than some human beings imposing their own will upon others. We have God at work, purifying His Church. The link between discipline (15-17) and forgiveness (21-35) is prayer (18-20). Without prayer, we will never achieve a true balance between discipline and forgiveness. We must avoid a harsh legalism which knows nothing of God’s love. We dare not soft-pedal the moral demands of discipleship. God is holy. God is love. We need both holiness and love - for the sake of the ‘large crowds’ who need the Saviour (2).

Labels: Matthew

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Let Lamentations 3:1-24 help you to trust in the God 0f loving faithfulness.

There are times when it seems nothing is going right for us: ‘I am the man who has seen affliction…’(1-3). In such times, we must remember this: ‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end’. When we find ourselves in circumstances of great distress, we must learn to look beyond the things that are happening to us. We must learn to look to the Lord and say, ‘Great is Your faithfulness’. It will not be easy to see God at work in our lives when everything seems to be going wrong. We must be patient as we wait for the blessing of the Lord to return to our lives. We must put all our hope in the Lord, trusting in His precious promise: ‘The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord’(22-26).

Labels: Lamentations

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Let Jeremiah 33 lead you into God’s blessing.

‘I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against Me… Then this city will bring Me renown, joy, praise, and honour before all nations on earth…’(7-9). What great blessing lay ahead of God’s people! God was pointing His people to the place of blessing: Jesus Christ - ‘the righteous Branch from David’s line’(15-16). ‘In Christ’, we have ‘every spiritual blessing’: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him’(Ephesians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 2:9). God has so much blessing to give to us. Come to Him and receive His blessing: ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you; I will show you wonderful and marvellous things that you know nothing about’(3).

Labels: Jeremiah

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Let Psalm 103 help you to praise the Lord.

‘Praise the Lord’(1-2,20-22). Let’s praise Him for His ‘steadfast love’. He is ‘abounding in steadfast love’(8). How are we to respond to His ‘steadfast love’? Are we to say, ‘God loves me. I can do what I like’? No! We must not think like this. We’re not to say, ‘I’ll keep on sinning. God will keep on forgiving’(Romans 6:1-2). God’s Word tells us something very different. Loved by God, we learn to love Him. When God’s ‘steadfast love’ has really touched our hearts, it changes our lives. This is the great change which the Psalmist has in mind when he writes, ‘As the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him… The steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear Him’(11,17). Let’s thank God for His love - and live to please Him!

Labels: Psalms

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‘Those who trust in the Lord… cannot be moved…’ (Psalm 125:1).

When we put our trust in the Lord, we are like the ‘wise man who built his house on the rock’. His house ‘did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock’. When we do not put our trust in the Lord, we are like the ‘foolish man who built his house on sand’. His house ‘fell with a great crash’. ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain’(Psalms 125:1; 127:1; Matthew 7:24-27). ‘Jesus Christ’ is the ‘sure Foundation’ upon which our faith is built. He is ‘the solid Rock’, our ‘mighty Rock of spiritual refreshment’(1 Corinthians 3:11; 10:3-4; Church Hymnary, 10,411). ‘Christ died for our sins… He was raised on the third day’. Let us rejoice in Him: ‘The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy’(Psalm 126:3; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Labels: Psalms

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“Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved” (Joel 3:14).

Each of us is ‘in the valley of decision’. We must make sure that we are prepared for ‘the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord’. God has given us His promise: ‘Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved’(Joel 2:31-32; 3:14). The Lord promises great blessing to those who call upon Him. He ‘will pour out His Spirit’ upon us. He will do ‘great things’ for us. He will be our ‘Refuge’and ‘Stronghold’. He will fill us with ‘joy and gladness’. He will fill our hearts with ‘praise’(Joel 2:20-21, 23, 26, 28-29; 3:16). Make sure that you ‘call on the Name of the Lord’. Make sure that you do not miss out on the great blessings the Lord gives to those who call on His Name. Make your decision now - ‘I will call on the Name of the Lord’(1 Kings 18:24).

Labels: Joel

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‘Let us go to the Lord’s House; let us worship before His throne’(Psalm 132:7).

God is calling us to worship Him. We are to gather together as His worshipping people. As we gather for worship, we remember that ‘the Lord is King’. We do not only give Him the praise of our lips. We give Him the praise of our lives. We do not only sing to Him. We live for Him. We come ‘before His throne’ with this prayer, ‘Take my heart - it is Thine own; It shall be Thy royal throne’. God hears and answers our prayer. He gives us His strength. We rise to His challenge: ‘Rise up, O Church of God! Have done with lesser things; Give heart and soul and mind and strength to serve the King of kings’(Church Hymnary, 36, 462, 477). The service of worship comes to an end. Let our service of living begin - and never end!

Labels: Psalms

Labels: Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, John, Jonah, Lamentations, Leviticus, Matthew, Philippians, Psalms