That One Book

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Genres of reading vary during the decades. Looking at the shelves of bookshops today I see a very large selection of ‘How To’, books which were not around in my younger days. ‘How to Make the Most of Yourself,’ ‘How to Achieve Anything you Want.’ We now teach our children that they can achieve anything, so long as they try hard enough. There will be great disappointment in this attitude. It’s not true. We all have a ceiling of capability and we can’t exceed that however hard we try. .

I would suggest that to learn how to live well we only need one book, although it’s actually 66 books, all bound together. We have many brilliant writers in the world producing excellent books but they are all limited. The thought is that by reading as many as possible we can pull ourselves up ‘by our own shoe laces.’ Have you ever tried it, it’s impossible. To pull ourselves up we need some external help. There is Someone who can help us. because He is so much higher than we are and He can pull us up to Himself.

This book, the Bible, is full of wisdom, look at the Proverb, full of help and comfort, see the Gospels and the epistles letters and the book that indicates a final success (Revelation) The Bible is so much more, our limited space can’t explain it all. The author of the Bible can see everything from every point of view. So save your money and buy and read the Book of Holy Scriptures today, let it be your guide.

In God’s Eyes

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We don’t see anything as God does, our minds are too finite. We don’t see people as God does, we are too judgmental. How often do we write people off without knowing all the facts about their lives. Someone we think of as unimportant could be the very best person for the job. There is a good example of this in the 16th chapter of 1 Samuel.

Samuel has the job of anointing a new king of Israel because King Saul has fallen from grace in Gods eyes. This is an extremely important and difficult task as Samuel doesn’t know who God has chosen.

Off he goes to the household of Jessie, the Benjaminite. Jessie has eight sons, all strapping young lads and in Samuel’s eyes, all eminently suitable to be the next king. When he sees the eldest, Eliab, he thinks he has found the man, but he is not God’s chosen one. Nor were the next six. God had chosen David, the youngest. I love it when I read that when David had been anointed, ‘the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.’ verse 3.

From this I learn that even I, or you can be used by God. As the saying goes, ‘God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called.’ From this we learn that God doesn’t judge as we do. We are not in a position to judge when we don’t know the full story of someone’s life. We will never know their soul’s longings. It is up to us to try to love them as God does.

Now

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At the Last Supper Jesus is ready to give His final tutorial to His disciples. There are only a few hours left for Him to share with them all they need to be prepared for. There must have been so many things He wanted to tell them and so little time.

But first there was the momentous problem of Judas ‘s betrayal to be dealt with. Jesus knew that this disciple was the tool of His destruction. His final words were not to be for Judas but to His loyal disciples. Judas had to be dismissed. ”What you are about to do, do quickly.’ Judas left, immediately after having taken the bread representing Christ’s body.

Verse 31of tells us, ‘When he was gone, Jesus said, ‘Now.’ It was as if the mammoth problem had been coped with and now Jesus could get on with the teaching and comforting of the disciples. I can imagine Jesus giving a sigh of dismissal.

The Last will be First

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Any good preacher will know if they can give an illustration to make their point, it is more likely to be remembered. Thinking of His many parables, Jesus was the greatest illustration-giver. In Matthew 20 we have the story of the labourers in the vineyard. Whether they had worked one hour or eleven they received the same wages.

The calling of my church is to help those who are homeless. My part in the team is to pray. The response has been so great that we are near a revival. Having been brought up in a Christian home and having accepted Jesus as my Saviour in my late teens, I am like the labourers who have worked for the eleven hours. During those ‘eleven hours’ I’ve had the privilege of knowing God’s comfort, guidance and love. Our homeless guests who are now flooding into our church haven’t known this comfort during their up-bringing. Now at their eleventh hour they are aware of God’s blessings into their lives. In their ‘one hour’ they are working hard for the Lord. They are taking part in various activities of the church – making tea, tidying up and other tasks. They are so happy to be completely accepted and part of the church and God’s blessings. You can see it in their eyes and lives.

In Matthew 9 we have the story of the labourers in the vineyard. Whether a man had worked one hour or eleven they all received the same wages.

The special calling of my church is to help those who are homeless. It used to be that I could physically help but now it is my role to prayer. We are witnessing a mini revival. Having been brought up in Christian home and giving my life to Jesus as an older teenager, I am like the labours who have given many hours of Christian service. During my ‘eleven house’ I’ve had the privelege pf knowing God’s comfort, guidance and love. Mine has been a life of blessing.

Our homeless guests who are flooding into our church have not known this blessing. Often their up-bringing has been tramatic , they have not know etability and security. Now at the eleventh hour they are open to God’s blessings in their lives.

Human, yet Divine

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We know throughout the Bible that God is divine, but when we meet Jesus in the New Testament we learn that He also became human.

We read in Mark 4 that He was tired. What a human reaction. We are often tired and weary but Jesus said ‘Come to me you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.’ Matthew 11:28 .’ Jesus was tempted by the devil in Matthew 4:6 ‘If You are the Son of God command that these stones become loaves of bread.’ A temptation to use His heavenly powers to satisfied a human need. Forty days fasting in the wilderness was a hungry business. On another occasion when Jesus was in the temple He saw His house of worship being used by shop keepers and those out to exploit the poor. He was humanly angry and overturned the table of money. On behalf of His heavenly Father He was outraged.

At His trial he was beaten and scourged, being the Son of God, didn’t stop Him from bleeding and great pain being inflicted on His body. When He was whipped and scourged, He bled. His feet were sore after much walking. He washed His disciples feet, but I wonder who washed His. They were human feet, dirty and sore. His discomfort was as bad as His disciples. After His resurrection he cooked His disciples breakfast on the beach. How wonderful that fish must have tasted!

Jesus was divine yet very human.

Storms

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With our weather becoming more unpredictable, we are getting used to having storms. I have a friend who because of her decreased mobility can’t go out in the windy weather. I now check the wind speed each day and notice the days she will have to stay indoors. I try to phone or visit.

When the winds do abate we seem to take extra notice of the calm and stillness. Maybe we would never appreciate the quiet days if we hadn’t had the boisterous ones. Our natures are so feeble that we don’t appreciate things until we lose them.

Storms in nature, storms in life, both will arise, but our spiritual upsets don’t have to be faced alone. The psalms are full of God’s assurances that He is always with us. If we could only take one book on our ‘Desert Island’ surely the Book of Psalms would be enough. We could meditate one psalm each day and five months would be filled with blessings. Then we could start again!

‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1. ‘Blessed are all who take refuge in Him,’ Ps 2:12. What a lovely word is ‘refuge.’ Maybe we don’t use it so much today, but our refuge in God is absolutely secure.

A New Body

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Oh dear, another part of my body not working well; another limb that needs medical intervention. The overall name for it is old age but I need to look at it with God’s eyes. I’m not going to need this body for ever, it has a limited ‘shelf life.’ God has a new one waiting for me and that will last for ever. My limited mind doesn’t completely understand or grasp it, my mind is so cluttered with this life.

I take hope from the scriptures 2 Corinthians 4:16 ‘So we do not lose heart, though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.’ I have these words on a piece of paper tucked inside my mobile phone case, maybe I should read them more often.

‘For this light moment any affliction is preparing us for an eternal glory for a life of glory beyond all comprehension, as we look at the things ‘not seen but to the things that are unseen.’ 2 Corinthians 4:17. In heaven I won’t have my bad leg, failing eyesight or irregular heartbeat and nor will you. Whatever your failing health problem is now, it will all be swept away.

Our troubles here are limited to 70, 80, 90 or even 100 years. What is that compared to eternity? It’s so wonderful that we can’t fully comprehend. Lord, we’re on our way.

Dim Lights

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A few weeks ago we had another storm which uprooted trees and brought down fences. Fortunately my property didn’t suffer any damage nor did my neighbours. The main problem for me was that a fine sand had blown onto all my windows causing the light to be obscured. I was glad when the window cleaners came to clean my windows, though they moaned that everyone’s windows were extra dirty.

It was a few weeks after that that I got round to cleaning my car windows. I found my shammy leather came away absolutely yellow. When I cleaned my lights I realised that they had been obscured as well. I had been driving round with severely dimmed head lights. Are the Christian lights of my life dimmed and ineffective by sin? Is my ‘light on a hill’ diminished by selfishness, pride and lethargy?

I’d better get out my spiritual cleaning rag, using the spirit of repentance and obedience. With the help of the Holy Spirit may I reach into the corners. of my soul.

‘You are the light of the world, city set on a hill cannot be hid. Matthew 5::14

My Prayer Chair

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I now have one and maybe you do too. It wasn’t my idea but it was a new idea to me. I gave it some thought, which chair should I use and where should it be. What purpose did I plan for it and where did I plan it to be. I became quite exited just thinking about it.

Firstly during warm weather it would be in the garden. I have a suitable table and chair which I can place in the sun or shade as I wish. But that is only for the summer months. For other times I chose one particular chair. It couldn’t be the armchair I use for watching television. Nor could it the one I sometimes had a rest in. The chosen chair was one which a friend had described as giving one a hug. I suppose it’s a smaller armchair than some and maybe her and my proportions are increasing. It is placed so that I can also look out at the garden which is so important to me. It will be used to commune and spend time with God. I might just sit and look at the flowers in the garden and birds and give thanks. I will have a suitable pen and Bible beside me; I might read a little or nothing. I might just sit and pray or not pray. There will be no set pattern or ‘must do’ things. No plans, no rules, only time spent with God.