Monday, 29 July 2024
Practicing the Art of Mindfulness
Saturday, 27 July 2024
You are Responsible for your Life.
Friday, 26 July 2024
The Book of Life.
Wednesday, 24 July 2024
All Consuming Eyes of Fire.
Tuesday, 23 July 2024
The Sovereignty of God.
Monday, 22 July 2024
The Truth of the Word.
Saturday, 20 July 2024
The Aftermath!
The Aftermath!
Acts Chapter 1.
The “field of blood’ where Judas hung himself, where his insides split open as he fell upon the ground, was also the place of Jewish child sacrifice to the god moloch. Today a Greek Orthodox monastery stands on the site.
Judas wanted to purchase that field, but another did in the way of the priests. Judas’s place needed to also be filled within the disciples ranks. A bringing back the number of disciples to 12 – a fulfilment of the word brought about in Acts 1:20 (Let another take his office), from the proceeding words written in Psalm 109:8. The number 12 being symbolic of the 12 tribes of Israel in the Old Testament; a knitting together of the old (not to be forgotten) and the new.
That Judas tried to exult himself before the priests, but was brought to nothing. That Judas’ place was also filled amongst the remaining disciples, is a telling reminder that we should not consider ourselves greater than we are, but that we are to remain humble at all times.
Even the enemies of God will be brought down for Jesus knew Judas would betray Him and God worked into this part of the story, a reminder of what happens when we don’t do what’s right in the eyes of God; the lawless disobedience of men is their downfall.
There are many reminders of this kind within the bible. This is particularly important, as it is a continuation from the old into the new, right at the start of the new in Acts 1.
Only when roots are sunk deeply into the word of God, as we consider the deeds of Jesus and His reason for coming to this earth, can we be preserved. As our roots sink and our branches grow, let His words be your hope and strength during the days of trial. Let us keep an invincible, unwavering zeal towards each member of our precious Trinity. Let us not lose our flavour, nor our light, as we encompass all He has for us.
It’s only one step back to repentance. Had Judas repented of his betrayal, God would have forgiven him. But he didn’t repent. Instead he committed suicide. After a misstep, just take that one step back and repent and you will be forgiven and you will go on to live a fruitful life.
Friday, 19 July 2024
Perfection after Death and Resurrection.
Saturday, 13 July 2024
To Hear From God - Part 2.
To Hear From God – Part
2.
I listened to a you tube clip this morning, just a random
one on Facebook, which spoke of people who have no knowledge; that they will
not learn from the past.
My bible study today, just happened to be Isaiah 5:13; therefore,
my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge. As it often
does, these seemingly random coincidences, are perhaps not so random, if God is
trying to get a message through to you.
It stands to reason then, both of the above being true, that
knowledge is a rather valuable tool to have in your tool kit.
Both the you tube clip and the bible verse mentioned Sheol
(evil, hell) enlarging itself and the people shall be brought down.
Both went on to talk about God's provision for His lambs.
Both talked about the evil taking over.
Both spoke of the Lord lifting His people that no one should
stumble – His people, note, not all people.
Both spoke of the Lord having our backs, of having our
iniquity taken away. Have you noticed when the bible talks about the armour of
God, there’s no mention of armour to your back? You have the shoes, the belt of
truth girded about your loins, the breastplate of righteousness, etc, but
nothing from behind. That’s because God is at your back, guiding you and
protecting you.
You’re to continually move forward, using your forward
protective gear, while God brings up the rear. Our back is never exposed, for
we’re always moving forward, never to turn and run during our time of battle.
Revelation, interpretation, application; what is said, what
it means and what we do about it. That’s the question. Do not add to or take
away anything the Lord gives you. Move in those dimensions; move in revelation,
interpretation and application. Keep reading God’s word, as He reveals what He
wants you to know. Gain a greater interpretation of His word and apply what
that interpretation of God is telling you to do.
To find the answer to your questions, to understand what He
wants, always write down what the Lord tells/shows you; dreams, visions,
insights, for these will form a narrative which may come over time, rather than
all at once. I did hear of a minister once, who got the first half of a
message, but the second half wasn’t revealed to him until ten years later. You
need to write down what God tells you.
We mustn't get into pride, for it is to the humble of heart
that God speaks, not necessarily nor always to the best in the field or the
most intelligent.
Proverbs; the book of wisdom, also known as proverbs of
Solomon. It pays to understand that many of the proverbs are an enigma and
difficult to understand. Thankfully we have the internet. I found a PDF file
today, explaining in great detail Psalm 91. 300 pages in this file, on just
this one Psalm. Don’t think, just because you know the verse, you have the full
and deeper meaning of it.
We’re told to meditate on the scriptures. It pays for you to
take a verse and mull over it for a week or two. You’ll be surprised at how
meaningful one verse can be, at how much further is God’s knowledge than ours.
He, the Lord, will be a staff to the just, a light to the
nations and a hope of those who are sick in their hearts. A staff; a support,
an axis connecting God and man, a guiding tool. Allow His staff to draw you
close. Read His word. Listen to what He’s telling you. God is speaking all the
time however we don’t pause long enough to hear Him. Those soft and gentle
thoughts, before, during and after your quiet time with the Lord, can be
extremely revealing.
I had a word from God recently. One word; longsuffering. You
wouldn’t think too much of that, if the word randomly popped into your head,
but as I was spending time with the Lord, I wrote it down. Throughout the next
few days I found myself drawn to that word often, as a challenge had arisen. It
was so much easier to go through the challenge, as I continued to draw my mind
to this one word the Lord had given me and before I knew it, the challenge was
done. It was a great aid to my getting through at this time.
So, if a word, or a sentence comes to mind while doing your
bible study, write it down. Mull over it and dig a little deeper. Draw a full
and complete meaning to what you’ve heard. Get on the internet and look it up.
See if any other passages in the bible relate to it. This is how you hear from
God.