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30/09/2021

A prayer about Doubt
When I ponder how God responds to my doubts
Lord Jesus,
I confess I am sometimes filled with doubt. In anxious moments, I doubt that you will really provide. When tragedy strikes, I doubt that you really care. In times of despair, I doubt that you are there at all. But you have promised in your Word that if I seek you, I will find you, and I cling to your promise. Thank you for the example of John the Baptist, who struggled with doubts about whether you were really the Messiah. You were gracious to reassure him, and I sense that compassion extended to me as well. Bring me through my times of doubting with a deeper faith, a better understanding of you, and a greater trust in your goodness. In my doubting, may I not sin against you—I never want my doubts to lead me into cynicism or hard-heartedness. Rather, may they always lead me to trust you more fully.
John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, 3 "Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?" 4 Jesus told them, "Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen- 5 the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor." Matthew 11:2-5

30/08/2021

Bringing the Law to Life
I came to accomplish [the law’s] purpose.
Matthew 5:17
Once you understand the uniqueness of Jesus, you will be better able to grasp what he has done. When Jesus announced what he would accomplish through his ministry, he made it clear that he came to fulfill not only the writings of the prophets, but also the law.
If the writings of the prophets represented God’s to-do list, then the law, including the Ten Commandments and all the other commands given to Moses, represents our to-do list. In it God tells us what he requires us to do. This law will stand until heaven and earth disappear (see Matthew 5:18), and that hasn’t happened yet!
So it would be a great mistake to think that God was concerned about the law and righteousness in the Old Testament but that somehow he changed his focus and switched to grace and forgiveness in the New Testament. The whole Bible is one story. God has always been gracious and forgiving, and his law stands forever.
The law of God is still our to-do list. But Jesus says that he came to fulfill the law. In other words, he came to move the law from the to-do list to the done list. The law is not an arbitrary set of moral rules but a description of God’s character and glory. The reason we should not lie is that God is truth. The reason we should not commit adultery is that God is faithful.
The law tells us what God is like and describes his calling for our lives—how we’re to live in this world. But consider the long list of names at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel. Not one of them fulfilled the law of God—and neither have you or I. Jesus came to live the life that God has put on your to-do list. He lifted the words of God’s law off of the page and expressed them fully in his perfect life. That is why Jesus could say, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
When Jesus came, he gave full expression to God’s law—it was done.
For further reading, see Matthew 5

24/08/2021

Advice And Success
Read Proverbs 8
Common sense and success belong to me. Insight and strength are mine.
Proverbs 8:14
Proverbs 8 gives one of the richest, most vivid personifications in the Bible: the traditionally abstract concept of Wisdom presented as a woman. She describes her creation so long ago, before anything else was created, and her appointment to a timeless role for the benefit of all humankind. Yet what she offers in this verse is so needed today. Indeed, we might mistake these words for the promises on the dust jacket of a self-help book: common sense, success, insight, strength.
Many people read the Bible—or, if they are honest, comment on the Bible without having read it—and say that God is inscrutable. They think that he enjoys confusing his people, that no one can even begin to know his ways. Yet here is Wisdom offering the insights of the ages, making herself visible and accessible. She foreshadows the clear teaching and godly advice of Jesus, the ultimate teacher. We would do well to read, listen, and humble ourselves before the wisdom of God.
A WORD FOR TODAY
Wisdom doesn’t hoard her riches.
Lord, I thank you for your willingness to teach and guide me. Give me an open mind and a devoted heart

19/08/2021

Heartbreak
I’ve been deeply hurt. How do I recover from a broken heart?
God’s Response
From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, Psalm 61:2
Their insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. If only one person would show some pity; if only one would turn and comfort me. 33 For the LORD hears the cries of the needy; he does not despise his imprisoned people. Psalm 69:20, 33
Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:23
There is no quick antidote for a broken heart. No pill, taken twice a day for two weeks, will cure it. Only God is the Master Healer; others can help, but no one can touch your broken heart and heal it as he can. When you are hurting, move toward God and not away from him, for he is the great source of joy and healing. His mercy is fresh every morning.
God’s Promise
Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. 2 Corinthians 6:10

11/07/2021

This Is Not the End
I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.
Job 19:25
Job turned to his friends: “You have seen the tough situation I’m in, but I’m absolutely sure of two things: I have a Redeemer, and I know that my Redeemer lives.”
If they had asked him who this Redeemer was, he wouldn’t have been able to answer. All he knew was that God had somebody somewhere who would have the will and the means to do whatever was necessary to deliver Job from this mess.
Job’s physical condition was getting so bad he was beginning to feel he might well die before this Redeemer appeared on the scene. But that would make no difference. He was convinced that this Redeemer would come, and even if he did not come until long after Job had died, he would still be able to deliver Job from ultimate loss.
Can you imagine the Son of God listening to this? There were at least another two thousand years before Jesus Christ came into the world. But here was a man already looking for him, staking his life on it.
After Adam and Eve sinned, God promised that someone would come to get men and women out of the mess they were in, and Job held on to that promise. He believed that the pain, suffering, and loss of life in this fallen world would not be the end.
God looked at this sinful world and said, “I can’t leave them there like this. I must go down and rescue them.” That took God giving up his Son. The cross tells us that when the Redeemer came, he did something more difficult than anything else God had done in all the history of the world.
The Redeemer has come and paid the price. “God paid a ransom to save you. . . . And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19). And on the third day, he rose again. So even through your tears, you can say with absolute confidence, “I know that my Redeemer lives.”

10/07/2021

Strong Confidence
In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,And His children will have a place of refuge.
Proverbs 14:26 (NKJV)

In other words, those who have an awesome reverence for God the Father, Jehovah, are safe and secure and bold—not because they have confidence in themselves, but because they have an awe and an unshakable trust in the God who loves them.
Romans 8:15-17 reminds us, “You did not receive the spirit of bo***ge again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ”(NKJV).
Recently I watched a YouTube video with Michael W. Smith leading a huge crowd to sing “Our God Is an Awesome God.” Over and over again they sang the same stanza. As I watched the faces, each worshiper seemed to sink into some really deep place. Eyes were closed; hands were lifted. Strength and peace seemed to envelop everyone. Maybe you, too, need to reflect on these words and let them wash over your soul to give you confidence and hope.

Our God is an awesome God.
He reigns from heaven above
with wisdom, power, and love.
Our God is an awesome God.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!
Our proverb today speaks of strong confidence and a place of refuge. If you are battling fear right now, these words are just what you need. We often think we will never have peace and confidence unless our circumstances change and our problems are solved. But as it’s been said, peace is not an absence of problems; it’s the presence of God. Jesus said, “In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” (John 16:33, AMP). Those are pretty strong words, spoken by a very strong Savior. Will you trust him?

08/07/2021

Life On Purpose
Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
Hebrews 5:8
If John 3:16 is the most recognizable verse in the entire Bible, then Romans 8:28 is surely next: “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Christians love this verse because it says that everything—the good and the bad—that happens in our lives will be used by God for a good purpose.
While that is comforting, Romans 8:28 doesn’t tell us what the good purpose is. For what purpose is God orchestrating all the events of our lives? Fortunately, we are told in the next verse, Romans 8:29: “Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” God’s purpose is to conform us to “the image of His Son.” Our lives follow the same pattern of testing that Jesus followed: “He learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). As Jesus proved His Sonship by His obedience, we are conformed to His image by ours.
Whether this day is good or bad in your sight, it has moved you closer to the image of Jesus.
God is working out his eternal purpose, not only in spite of human and satanic opposition, but by means of them.
A. W. PINK

07/06/2021

Please make plans to attend, it's going to be great.

30/05/2021

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01/05/2021

Stand
Stand firm in the Lord. . . . Stand firm and let him fight your battle. Do not try to fight alone.
Francine Rivers
Be bold and courageous in your faith. In this world you will fall into many kinds of trials—persecution, disease, criticism, false accusations, and discouragement. Through all of these challenges, stand up for truth. Be on guard against cynicism, pessimism, and doubt. You will develop strong faith when you stand firm against harsh adversity. But don’t do this in your own strength. Ask Me to fight for you. Center your heart and mind on victory as you face today’s mental and spiritual battles. “Stand firm, and you will win life” (Luke 21:19, NIV).
When you face trials, remain steadfast in your commitment to Me. You are never alone because I am with you. Keep your eyes on Me, not on the fearful circumstances trying to occupy your mind. You will be blessed if you stand strong amid these temporary difficulties, and I will reward you for your courageous faith. “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13