Barnabas Ministries UK

July 31st – 2015
Rev. E. Anderson
WELCOME TO THIS CHRISTIAN WEBSITE

Welcome to this Christian Website which has now been going for a number of years. Over 128,000 people have visited it since 2006. On the left hand side of the introductory page is a host of subjects and material that have been placed during this time and is there for your interest, study and perusal.

I feel it is time and right to change the format and to present day by day something a little simpler and trust will benefit and bless those who visit it. It will consist of a Prophetic Word for Today, A Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Just a Thought by Aaron Linford. Choice Quotations and something to Focus your mind on are included that can be developed more fully by you. I trust you will find such refreshing and helpful

A PROPHETIC WORD FOR YOU

There are occasions that you need to consolidate your spiritual situation in and by the help of the LORD. Having brought you forward into greater faith and living there is the demand that you make sure that these become well established for such is the greater basis for receiving more and accomplish even greater things. The LORD is guiding you steadily forward so that you can move ahead with confidence and expectation. Looking back you can observe where He has led and provided and such is to be the guarantee that there is much more ahead as you go along with Him at His rate. His appointments will not turn out to be disappointments but the inspiration to the expectation and experience of a more opportune and boundless existence. So your life and service will turn out to be a great testimony to Him.

A GOLDEN PROMISE

”They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads” – Rev. 22:4

In the book of Genesis, the story begins with our God and Father creating the heavens and the earth and all that is in it. In the book of Revelation, the Bible ends with the promise that we will see God face to face and His name will be written on our foreheads. What an amazing hope that we all have to look forward to.

In the Old Testament, no man could see God and live. When we get to heaven, we will be able to look face to face into His loving eyes and have His name imprinted upon us. I pray that God will open the eyes of our hearts today so that by faith we will be able to look forward to that day when He will wipe all our tears away.

This is our destiny. This is where we are headed if we have received the free gift of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ’s life. We have nothing to fear. We have nothing to dread. Just an eternity of glorious bliss, gazing into the eyes of the One who loved us before the creation of the world. Hallelujah!

JUST A THOUGHT by Aaron Linford
SUNSHINE IS ENERGY

Solar energy is becoming an increasing reality in commercial and domestic spheres. Solar panels transform light into energy.

This is no new thing. From the beginning of creation plant-life, by means of photo-synthesis, has turned light into life. The chlorophyll that resides in green vegetation turns the light of day into life-sustaining elements that feed and sustain plant life.

And here is an ecological miracle. In this process green vegetation absorbs carbon dioxide and exudes oxygen. We live by breathing in oxygen and breathing out carbon dioxide. What a wonderful balance – a God-arranged pattern of life. That is why we must preserve tropical rain-forests, and maintain our green zones.

The sun is our life. lt keeps our earth in orbit, it establishes and regulates our times and seasons, it orders our tides and weather. Its warmth sustains us, its light promotes growth, its actinic rays produce chemical changes. We could not exist without it.

And Jesus is “the Sun of Righteousness with healing in His wings (or rays)” (Mal 4:2). He is “the Light of the world (John 8:12) beaming blessings upon men. To those who accept His saving grace there dawns a new day. As old Zacharias said “the Dayspring from on high has visited us” (Luke 1:78). What a blessed experience to feel the warmth of His love, the radiance of His presence, the “health of His countenance”. To be in the orbit of His will is “life more abundant”.

CHOICE QUOTATIONS

“Evil is wrought by want of thought as well as want of heart” – Hood

“It is not more strange that there should be evil spirits than evil men- evil unembodied spirits than evil embodied spirits” — Samuel Johnson

“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil” -Max Lerner

“Evil as such is the only thing I am able to do without God” – Jacques Maritain

“Many have puzzled themselves about the origin of evil. I am content that there is evil, and that there is a way to escape from it, and with this I begin and end” –Newton

FOCUS – SOMETHING TO REALLY THINK ABOUT
SELF-CENTERED PRAYING – Thomas Addington

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on pleasures.” James 4:3

It has been said that God responds to our prayers with three different answers: “Yes,” “N0,” and “You’ve got to be kidding.” He affirms some prayers with a yes. He says no to others. But then there are those prayers that cause Him to smile and say, “\Wh0m are you trying to fool?”

James makes the case that many times, although we utter words that sound like prayers, they actually are rooted in a self-cantered agenda. Rather than being directed to God, they have a selfish ambition at their core. If you want a clue about the motivation behind such prayers, examine the personal pronouns used in James 4:3. The word you is used no fewer than five times. Instead of being cantered on God, the prayers are all about us. ‘

The debaters among us would step back and quote Matthew 7:7: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Certainly that promise is available to followers of Christ, but it is not an iron-clad pledge that functions like a slot machine with God. We can’t just plug our prayers in to God and expect Him to respond automatically and immediately.

Rather, we must attune our hearts to the heart of God. But that car1 be difficult. Ours is a culture of sophisticated and well-developed role-playing. We are so used to plastering smiles on our faces when we are anything but happy inside. Our culture has discouraged authenticity and transparency. This has had a detrimental effect on the way we pray. We think we can put on a facade before we come to God; but we forget that He knows what we want before we ask. We forget that He knows our innermost thoughts before we even think them.

Next time you pray, remember that God already knows your heart. So don’t come to Him with a list of self-centred requests. Don’t put the spotlight on your- self. Just talk to Him as if He were your loving Father. Because He is.

July 30th – 2015
Rev. E. Anderson
WELCOME TO THIS CHRISTIAN WEBSITE

Welcome to this Christian Website which has now been going for a number of years. Over 128,000 people have visited it since 2006. On the left hand side of the introductory page is a host of subjects and material that have been placed during this time and is there for your interest, study and perusal.

I feel it is time and right to change the format and to present day by day something a little simpler and trust will benefit and bless those who visit it. It will consist of a Prophetic Word for Today, A Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Just a Thought by Aaron Linford. Choice Quotations and something to Focus your mind on are included that can be developed more fully by you. I trust you will find such refreshing and helpful

A PROPHETIC WORD FOR YOU

There is a great art to be discovered in life in your relationship with the LORD: it is that of listening. Be sure of this, His ears are always open and attentive to your words and takes note of them. In fact, He waits in order to hear your conversations and prayers. But it is essential that you find time in the busyness of life to spend moments with Him that you may hear what He has to say to you. What He has to utter is of major note and needs to be known. Do not be merely switched on this world but tune in to Him today because He wants to share things of relevance and importance. Be like a Samuel who having come to discern His voice said; “Speak, LORD, for your servant heareth”. It led to a successful life, ministry and mission. The same came be true for you.

A GOLDEN PROMISE

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him;
for we will see him just as he is” – 1 John 3:2

When Jesus returns, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is. This Scripture tells us that at this point, we don’t know what that will look like. All we know is that when we fix our eyes on Jesus, there will be a final transformation that will take place to conform us into His image completely.

While this promise gives us hope for the future, it also speaks directly into our present situation. The Apostle John encourages us that we are sons of God now! We do not have to wait until we see Jesus face to face to experience the tangible reality of being God’s kids. We are His children now, and one day, we will see all of the human trappings of our flesh consumed in the fire of the presence of Jesus when we see him face to face.

But until then, we have an amazing promise that we are already the children of God right now! May each one of us be able to see with our spiritual eyes today that the promise of God is not only for the future, but for the present!

JUST A THOUGHT by Aaron Linford
SHINING MIRROR

In 2 Corinthians 3:13-18, Paul cites the Old Testament story of Moses veiling his face to hide its shining glory from the people. He turns it into an allegory.
When they of Israel read “Moses” (the written law of God) all they see is “letters” – the real glory of the divine mind and purpose is hidden from them, their minds are “veiled” from the glory of God’s plan of salvation. But it is not the same for Christians. We read of the word of God with clear vision, the “face” of Christ is unveiled, His glory shines forth from the word of the Gospel.

He later speaks of our “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord”. If we liken this with James 1:23 we see the scriptures likened unto a looking-glass. In James we see ourselves reflected – the Bible shows us what we are. From Paul we see the same “mirror” reflecting God, a shining mirror bright with heavenly glory. As we gaze into it our own faces, not veiled with unbelief but open with simple faith, are lit up with the glory of God, a glory which transforms us into its own likeness.

The glory of God in the face (or character) of Jesus Christ shines brightly in the Holy Book. As our faith in Him is stimulated by this vision, the Holy Spirit, whose power is latent in the Book, transforms us into the image of Christ “from glory to glory”. As we see Jesus with believing eyes we become like Him.

CHOICE QUOTATIONS

“To be free from evil thoughts is God’s best gift” – Aeschylus

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing” – Edmund Burke

“We are no more responsible for the evil thoughts that pass through our minds than a scarecrow for the birds that fly over the seedplot, he has to guard. The sole responsibility in each case is to prevent them from settling” – Collins

“Evil is not to be explained away, but to be accepted; and accepted not to be endured, but to be conquered. It is a challenge to our courage” – John H. Holmes

FOCUS – SOMETHING TO REALLY THINK ABOUT
THE BATTLE INSIDE – Thomas Addington

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” – James 4:1

Conflict is a fact of life. It comes in all sizes, shapes, and degrees of intensity. It occurs between siblings, between spouses, between workers, between companies, and between nations.

James connects all external conflict with a battle that is raging inside the hearts of men. Whether it’s chronic hostility, a misunderstanding, a grudge, or a quarrel that will not go away, the source of the tension is within our own selves. This reminds us of when Jesus humorously pointed out that although we are so concerned about the speck of sawdust in our brother’s eye, we should be more focused on the large planks in our own eyes (Matthew 7:3—5).

The battleground of conflict is within our own minds and hearts. Achieving victory in this area doesn’t require an external arranging of life and circumstances; it involves coming to peace and settlement within our own hearts. Jesus warned us that We would have trouble in this world, but He also promised that we could still have peace in our hearts because He has already overcome the World (John 16:33).

When we rest in that promise, the desires that battle within us—those selfish attitudes and actions that draw us into conflict with our friends, family members, and co-workers—lose some of their attractiveness. They’re still there, of course. But when we trust in Jesus and allow His desires to become our desires, we are less likely to engage in conflict. Peace, not strife, becomes our priority.

Check your heart. Is it full of envy, bitterness, tension, and all the other things that lead to conflict? Or is it brimming over with the peace that only God can bring?

July 29th – 2015
Rev. E. Anderson
WELCOME TO THIS CHRISTIAN WEBSITE

Welcome to this Christian Website which has now been going for a number of years. Over 128,000 people have visited it since 2006. On the left hand side of the introductory page is a host of subjects and material that have been placed during this time and is there for your interest, study and perusal.

I feel it is time and right to change the format and to present day by day something a little simpler and trust will benefit and bless those who visit it. It will consist of a Prophetic Word for Today, A Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Just a Thought by Aaron Linford. Choice Quotations and something to Focus your mind on are included that can be developed more fully by you. I trust you will find such refreshing and helpful.

A PROPHETIC WORD FOR YOU

One of the main things you have to do to know a fruitful and blessed relationship with the LORD is to learn to wait on and for Him. You will discover that He is never in a hurry neither does He have to sweat it out over anything.. As you wait on Him you will find He can and will put you in the frame of mind and spirit that all is being worked out perfectly in faultless timing for your good and interest, even to intricate and intimate detail. He knows the best and right time and always has the resources to meet any given circumstance. He has no emergency stations because He is never in dilemma or difficulty. So learn the art of waiting on Him and discover with countless others that waiting for Him is the best procedure to adopt.

A GOLDEN PROMISE

“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will go out from there no more. I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name” – Rev 3: 12

The Bible says that life is but a vapour. The span of a person’s life is but a twinkle of the eye in the perspective of all eternity. That is why it is so important for us to have an eternal mindset rather than a temporal one. In 2 Corinthians 4:18, the NIV Bible says … So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (NIV)

When the pressures of life are too much. When the worries of an uncertain future cloud our thought life. When we are discouraged with the circumstances around us. No matter what situation you find yourself in today, take a moment, and think about eternity. In today’s Scripture, Jesus Himself, promises that He is going to make us as pillars in the temple of His God forever and write on each one of us a new name!

When all around us begins to shake, be encouraged that God is giving us a kingdom that cannot be shaken. One day, all those who belong to Jesus will stand firm forever in the city of our God, the New Jerusalem!

JUST A THOUGHT by Aaron Linford

CHRIST IS RISEN

Why confine our thoughts of the resurrection of Jesus to Easter? “NOW is Christ risen from the dead”, wrote Paul (1 Cor 15:20) and this “now” is an eternal now fixed in the Chronicles of Heaven and not confined to the almanac of earth. He is risen!

Dr Billy Graham in his book WORLD AFLAME (pg 133) relates the following: ‘When I was in Russia, I heard a story about a Russian village. After the Bolshevik revolution, the local Communist leader had been sent to tell the people the virtues of Communism, and to take their minds away from religion which Karl Marx called ‘the opium of the people”.

After the Communist had harangued them for a long time, he said to the local Christian pastor rather contemptuously, “I will give you five minutes to reply”. The pastor replied, “I do not need five minutes, only five seconds”. He came to the platform and gave the Easter greeting “The Lord is risen!” As one man the villagers thundered back, “He is risen indeed!””

And that is the answer. What no political system, philosophical concept or earthly power can do, Jesus can. He is alive today to meet our needs, forgive our sins, reconcile to God, teach us to love our neighbour. Above all, because He is alive He is able to give us power to accomplish these things – because He lives we too can live the life that pleases Him.

CHOICE QUOTATIONS

“Eternity is not something that begins after you are dead. It is going on all the time. We are in it now” – Gilman

“Every natural longing has its natural satisfaction. If we thirst, God has created liquids to gratify thirst. If we are susceptible of attachment, there are beings to gratify the love. If we thirst for life and love eternal, it is likely that there are an eternal life and an eternal love to satisfy that craving” -Robertson

“Learn to hold loosely all that is not eternal” – Royden

“That only is worth my having which I can have forever. That only is worth my grasping which death cannot tear out of my hand” Spurgeon

FOCUS – SOMETHING TO REALLY THINK ABOUT
THE WISE AND OTHERWISE (PART TWO) – Thomas Addington

“Who is wise and understanding among you” – James 3:13

Wisdom is a rich biblical word. One of its earliest references in Scripture is built around the personality and life of Solomon. We usually remember Solomon as the man with a thousand wives. But he also was an author, diplomat, engineer, financier, king, philanthropist, philosopher, poet, theologian, and writer of songs (and those are just a few highlights from his résumé).

Second Chronicles tells us that Solomon had one of the most unique opportunities that any human could ever have. God allowed him to ask for anything he wanted—-and committed to providing it. And what did Solomon do? He asked for wisdom and knowledge so he could lead the p

The wisdom Solomon asked for wasn’t theoretical. It wasn’t simply textbook knowledge, intellectual horsepower, or even a high IQ. It wasn’t persuasion, logic, or rhetoric. What Solomon needed was practical insight into his life and into the lives of people who were within his circle and sphere of responsibility. We’re not talking about a small team here. It is estimated that Solomon managed 160,000 people when he was overseeing the construction of the great Temple at Mount Moriah.

Solomon wanted to lead this large group of people effectively, so he asked God for wisdom. Why? He understood that true wisdom is a gift we receive from the Lord, not a capability we develop.
We all should follow Solomon’s example in praying for the gift of wisdom. Parents should pray that their kids become wise. Employers should pray that they will be wise and that their employees will receive wisdom.

We may not have to manage 160,000 people every day, but, like Solomon, we do have people continually around us who require our leadership.

Consequently, we also have a great need for wisdom. Here’s an assignment. Get out a piece of paper and Write the words spouse, parents, kids, boss, co-workers, and friends down the left side of the page. On the right side, write,

What must I do to demonstrate wisdom?
Then, prayerfully fill it out.

July 28th – 2015
Rev. E. Anderson
WELCOME TO THIS CHRISTIAN WEBSITE

Welcome to this Christian Website which has now been going for a number of years. Over 128,000 people have visited it since 2006. On the left hand side of the introductory page is a host of subjects and material that have been placed during this time and is there for your interest, study and perusal.

I feel it is time and right to change the format and to present day by day something a little simpler and trust will benefit and bless those who visit it. It will consist of a Prophetic Word for Today, A Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Just a Thought by Aaron Linford. Choice Quotations and something to Focus your mind on are included that can be developed more fully by you. I trust you will find such refreshing and helpful.

A PROPHETIC WORD FOR YOU

Learn to be wise, seeking knowledge and understanding that will develop your character and service and so enhance your usefulness and worth. You can rely on your LORD, as you seek Him, because He is the Fountain-Head of all that is right, good and best. He affords the finest counsel that is able to save you from many pitfalls and disaster but to educate and promote you and keep you in a secure position. Those who have looked to Him in the past and have received and taken note of His instruction, they have been blessed and benefited not only themselves but the day and generation in which you lived. So today, the LORD is at hand to give you revelation that is clear and simple and that will enrich you and all who you associate with.

A GOLDEN PROMISE

“Therefore, I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?\” –Matt 6:25,26

This is a relatively short promise compared to the lengthy corresponding Bible text. But if you look at the simple message that Jesus is saying, the promise is short and sweet. When I was growing up, I was taught that worry was a sign of being responsible. If I didn’t worry, then I didn’t care.

As I get older, I am learning that many of the things that I was told were actually not the truth. Worry is not helpful to us. Worry is not a sign of responsibility. While worry cannot extend our lives, studies show that it can shorten our lives because over 70% of illnesses are stress related. This only goes to show that our bodies were not created to deal with a lot of stress.

Jesus encourages us to ‘take no thought for our life’…period. The reason we don’t have to worry is because we have a Father in heaven who has promised to take care of us all of the days of our lives. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus tells how His Father cares for the birds of the air who do not sow or reap or store into barns. He then asks the question… How much more valuable are you than the birds?

Worry is a sign that we are not yet convinced of our value to God. Don’t worry about how much you worry though! Just ask God to give you a deeper revelation of your worth to Him. Fathers provide for their children. Children don’t have to beg for their provision, they can just rest in the knowledge that they are being cared for by a loving Dad. Don’t worry… God will take care of you!

JUST A THOUGHT by Aaron Linford
SPIRITUAL MYOPIA

Short-sightedness can impair vision, both in the natural and spiritual realms. Peter speaks of those who, failing to develop their spiritual lives become myopic. They “cannot see afar off” (2 Peter 1:9). This defective vision applies three ways.

Backward — having “forgotten that he was purged from his old sins”. To forget “the pit when we were digged” is to lose any sense of gratitude for the grace that saved us. Paul never forgot the time when Jesus met him on the Damascus road. Neither should we forget our beginnings.

Inward — myopics find it difficult to focus on near things, their peripheral vision is often misty. lf our spiritual vision is well-focused we will understand God’s present dealings and his ways. They may be “past finding out”, but we will see the outline with clarify, and grasp His purposes.

Forward -the short-sighted person is blind to distant vision; even so, the spiritual myopic loses his grip on the Bible revelation of things to come. Eschatology, the doctrine of the last things, becomes a vague hope rather than a living expectation – the “now-world” takes precedence.

Jesus exhorted the “blind” Laodiceans to “anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see” (Rev. 3:18). Our heavenly Optician can not only diagnose our complaint, he can cure it. Come to Him and your vision can be restored.

CHOICE QUOTATIONS

“Eternity is not something that begins after you are dead. It is going on all the time. We are in it now” – Gilman

“very natural longing has its natural satisfaction. If we thirst, God has created liquids to gratify thirst. If we are susceptible of attachment, there are beings to gratify the love. If we thirst for life and love eternal, it is likely that there are an eternal life and an eternal love to satisfy that craving” -Robertson

“Learn to hold loosely all that is not eternal” – Royden

“hat only is worth my having which I can have forever. That only is worth my grasping which death cannot tear out of my hand” – Spurgeon

FOCUS – SOMETHING TO REALLY THINK ABOUT
THE WISE AND OTHERWISE (PART ONE) – Thomas Addington

“Who is wise and understanding among you? James 3:13

What is wisdom? Is it the ability to think on your feet, answer clever riddles, and handle hard questions? Is it being street-smart? Is it being able to read people easily? Is it raw intelligence or academic book knowledge? Is it the ability to roll Mark Twain like proverbs off the tip of your tongue?

The answer, according to Scripture, is none of the above. In God’s view, wisdom is relational. It’s about relationships, not about intelligence. .

James explains that wisdom can be either authentic or counterfeit. Like so many other godly traits, there is a counterfeit that often appears alongside the genuine article. The counterfeit of faith is presumption. The counterfeit of humility is false humility and self-deprecation. The counterfeit of confidence is self-driven pride. And the counterfeit of wisdom is envy and selfish ambition.
Read what James to say about that: “But if you harbour bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:14-17).

Examine your heart. Does the wisdom you possess come from heaven, or is it counterfeit?

July 27th – 2015
Rev. E. Anderson
WELCOME TO THIS CHRISTIAN WEBSITE

Welcome to this Christian Website which has now been going for a number of years. Over 128,000 people have visited it since 2006. On the left hand side of the introductory page is a host of subjects and material that have been placed during this time and is there for your interest, study and perusal.

I feel it is time and right to change the format and to present day by day something a little simpler and trust will benefit and bless those who visit it. It will consist of a Prophetic Word for Today, A Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Just a Thought by Aaron Linford. Choice Quotations and something to Focus your mind on are included that can be developed more fully by you. I trust you will find such refreshing and helpful.

A PROPHETIC WORD FOR YOU

In your relationship with God and in the exercising of your life and ministry, you need to be spiritually strong in order to receive from Him and to exhibit His energy and potency. He is able to impart might and vigour so that you are more than sufficient to deal with all that you are to encounter today. Instead of feeling a sense of totally inadequacy and ineptitude, you are to know that you are altogether capable of answering all, whoever and whatever. In a humble fashion you are able, like a David, to master any giant that would intimidate. Instead of being a victim you are the victor and are able to declare the One who caused such to be so. Today your testimony is to be, that ‘when you were weak you became strong’. You were in a position to bring about resounding triumph and so glorify your LORD in a magnificent way.

A GOLDEN PROMISE

“In the day of my trouble I will call on you, for you will answer me” –Psalm 86: 7

Jesus told us that in the world, we would have trouble. He went on to encourage us that we could be cheerful because He had overcome the world. In this Psalm, David is calling out to God to help him. David is aware of the many promises that God made to Israel and was confident that when trouble came, God would answer him.

Sometimes I think that God is there for the really big problems, but He is leaving me to my own resources for the little problems that pop up in every day life. I believe that God is ready, willing and able to help me in whatever problems I face today. Big or small. He promised to be a Father to me (2 Corinthians 6:18) and fathers are there for their children all the time.

Whatever trouble you might face today, be encouraged in knowing that when problems do arise, you can call out to your Heavenly Father and He will answer you.

JUST A THOUGHT by Aaron Linford
VANTAGE POINT
Deut 34:1 -7

From the top of Pisgah Moses viewed the Promised Land. In the clear air he saw as far as the Mediterranean Sea, taking in his panoramic scope of vision the hills and plains of this “land of milk and honey”.

But, alas, he would not enter this Holy Land (at least, not in this life). First, he had fatally flawed his hopes by a temporary lapse, secondly, God’s holiness must be honoured. Even spiritual leaders are not exempt from discipline when they let God down.

However, “mercy rejoiced against justice” when nearly 1,500 years later, Moses appeared with Elijah as they met Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.
But may we not be granted vantage points in our Christian experience? Moses was 120 years old before Canaan was spread before him like a living atlas. How much better when youth sees “the Promised Land” in spiritual vision. What prospects lie before us as we consider the possibilities outlined in Holy Scripture! The Bible presents to all believers – young and old – a picture of sublime possessions. Treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ, priceless blessings are available to faith and glorious prospects to hope. When we become sons of Godm by faith in Christ, “all things are ours”,

We need not wait, for our Lord has made all this available. But we must needs ascend our “Pisgah”. The discipline of discipleship will lift us to a vantage point from which we can see the fullness of our salvation.

CHOICE QUOTATIONS

“The whole purpose of life in time is to gain merit for life in eternity” – St. Augustine

“The created world is but a small parenthesis in eternity” – Browne

“He who has no vision of eternity has no hold on time” – Carlyle

“Eternity looks grander and kinder if time grows meaner and more hostile” -Carlyle

FOCUS – SOMETHING TO REALLY THINK ABOUT
THE POWER OF PERSONAL ETHIC – Thomas Addington

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” – James 3:13

The power of one good deed is hard to measure.

Jesus explored this idea in what we have come to know as the Sermon on the Mount. He urged his followers to spread their influence by sewing as “salt” and “light” in a dark world. “In the same way,” He told them, “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

We must be careful not to misinterpret Jesus’ words as “works theology” or a “social gospel.” It is neither. He is discussing influence, not salvation; and He is making the point that the greatest instrument of influence to another individual is personal, ethical behaviour.

In the Greek language, there are two words for good. Agathos denotes high quality, and kalas means that something is not only good in quality, but also is winsome, beautiful, and attractive. This goodness has a magnetic appeal to it. It invites people to participate. That is what a good life does.

No matter our age, spiritual maturity, or situation in life, continually stand at the intersection of right and wrong. Sometimes our decisions are private; sometimes they are public. But they are always individual choices. Choosing the right thing, over and over, results in the power of one—one individual demonstrating good deeds and-personal ethic to a dark and questioning world.

The marketplace is an ideal place for followers of Christ to use their personal ethic to spread godly influence. W/hen one employee continually makes ethically correct decisions at work, it isn’t going to automatically triple the company’s stock, nor is it going to turn the work-week into a time, the practice of individual ethics will have an impact. It will make a difference.

It will provide salt to create thirst in unbelievers and release light to a paralyzed, dark world. Doing the right thing is a raw demonstration of goodness.

July 26th – 2015
Rev. E. Anderson
WELCOME TO THIS CHRISTIAN WEBSITE

Welcome to this Christian Website which has now been going for a number of years. Over 128,000 people have visited it since 2006. On the left hand side of the introductory page is a host of subjects and material that have been placed during this time and is there for your interest, study and perusal.

I feel it is time and right to change the format and to present day by day something a little simpler and trust will benefit and bless those who visit it. It will consist of a Prophetic Word for Today, A Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Just a Thought by Aaron Linford. Choice Quotations and something to Focus your mind on are included that can be developed more fully by you. I trust you will find such refreshing and helpful.

A PROPHETIC WORD FOR YOU

In the course of life you have made many mistakes which to you are regrettable. Be sure of this, the LORD that you love and serve freely and fully forgives such, and your sins, so that you can move on and not in the memory of failure. By His wisdom and enabling you can greatly learn from these factors and move on to being someone bigger and better and do something bigger and better. Do not become hamstrung to anyone or anything that has beset you of a negative order. Be one with the people around you and with your LORD and live ever learning and discovering you can expand in your gift and calling and be taught even in those negative things that have happened. Forgive yourself and others, seek the forgiveness and good-will of others and life will open to you in a blessed manner.

A GOLDEN PROMISE

”For what great nation is there, that has a god so near to them, as Yahweh our God is whenever we call on him?” – Deut 4: 7

In this particular Bible verse, the nation of Israel is marvelling that there is no other nation on the earth that has a God that is so close to them that He is near whenever they cry out. What an advantage over every other nation of the day! They worshipped a God who was near and attentive to the cries of His people.
And that was the Old Covenant relationship with God. In the New Covenant, God is even closer! He lives within those who have accepted the free gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. We are the very temple of the living God! He is closer to each one of us than we could possibly imagine.

My prayer today is that each one of us would be aware of the tangible presence that dwells within us and that we would know that our God is really close to us when we cry out to Him.

JUST A THOUGHT by Aaron Linford
LET THE MASTER TAKE OVER

Beethoven, out walking one day, heard his “Moonlight Sonata” being pounded out on an old piano. He looked through the open door of the cottage and saw a blind girl trying to finger this wonderful melody. He tapped the door, walked in – “Move up“, he said, “let me have a go”; and played as only he could His own composition.
“Marvellous!” said the enraptured maiden. “The master himself could not have done better!” “I am the master’, said Beethoven, and quietly slid away.

We sometimes fumble our way in our endeavour to live the Christian life. But often it doesn’t sound right. What should be melody seems tuneless. What shall we do? St. Paul found a better way. He said, “l live, yet not l, but Christ liveth in me” (Gal 2:20). What human nature could not produce, the life of Christ could. As he yielded himself by faith to a living Lord, the harmonies of spiritual life became possible.
Even so we may find melody and harmony. The “score” of holy living may seem difficult to interpret in the music of godly experience, but if we let the Master take over it can be done.

CHOICE QUOTATIONS

“The cautious seldom err.” – Confucius

“All men are liable to error; and most men are, in many points, by passion or interest, under temptation to it” – Locke

“Nature does not require that we be perfect; it requires only that we grow, and we can do this as well from a mistake as from a success” -May

“To err is human, to forgive divine” – Pope

“From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own” – Syrus

FOCUS – SOMETHING TO REALLY THINK ABOUT
TAMING THE WILDEST OF BEASTS – Thomas Addington

“All kinds of animals . . . have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue” – James 3:7-8

So many things in God’s creation lead us to curiosity, fascination, even awe. For example, have you ever been to Sea World, the circus, or a zoo? It is amazing to observe a huge whale escorting a trainer across the pool, a Siberian tiger jumping through hoops, or an enormous elephant walking on its back legs.
Our ability to tame and train wild animals is amazing. But there is one beast that none of us can train alone, no matter how hard we try. That beast is the tongue. “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness,” James writes. “Gut of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be” flames 3:9—l0).

The tongue is the great betrayer. It relentlessly tells others what is going on inside of us. In Matthew 12:34, Jesus says, “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” In some ways, to tame the tongue is to tame the heart. A change of heart promises the possibility of a change of speech.

A friend once said, “Whatever is in us comes out when we are squeezed.” If envy, anger, deception, or arrogance is in our hearts, it will come out when we are squeezed. On the other hand, if our hearts are full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, those, too, will come out when we’re under pressure.

All real speech therapy must start with heart training. And heart training is best achieved under the guidance of the Master heart surgeon, Jesus. Concentrate on this prayer today: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).
What comes out when you are squeezed by the trials and pressures you face at work?

July 24th – 2015
Rev. E. Anderson
WELCOME TO THIS CHRISTIAN WEBSITE

Welcome to this Christian Website which has now been going for a number of years. Over 128,000 people have visited it since 2006. On the left hand side of the introductory page is a host of subjects and material that have been placed during this time and is there for your interest, study and perusal.

I feel it is time and right to change the format and to present day by day something a little simpler and trust will benefit and bless those who visit it. It will consist of a Prophetic Word for Today, A Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Just a Thought by Aaron Linford. Choice Quotations and something to Focus your mind on are included that can be developed more fully by you. I trust you will find such refreshing and helpful

A PROPHETIC WORD FOR YOU

If you are too really accomplish anything of significance that is to be highly regarded and rated by the LORD, then you must fulfil His plans and purpose through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. The word given by the prophet of old to God’s people is relevant to you: “It is not by might nor by power but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts” – Zechariah 4: 6. You are not to engage in the LORD’S kingdom and enterprise by your own wisdom, strength and abilities but learn to draw upon His infinite resources in these areas. If you would succeed and have His approbation then you must have a close, working partnership with Him. It is He that ensures the lasting and worthwhile success of mission and ministry and He waits at hand to link up with you in these things. The impossible becomes possible because of His inspiration and input.

A GOLDEN PROMISE

“Isn’t it to distribute your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor who are cast out to your house? When you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth as the morning, and your healing shall spring forth speedily; and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of Yahweh shall be your rear guard” – Isaiah 58: 7-8

God’s heart is always for the poor and those who are in need. It is simply a foundational part of the heart of God. He protects the widows and the orphans. He says that the poor of this world are called to inherit the riches of His everlasting kingdom.

In this promise, God says that if we look after the needs of the poor and our own family, there are many benefits that will come our way. Our light will break forth like the dawn, healing will quickly appear, righteousness will go before us, and the glory of the Lord will be our rear guard. I love how the NLT Bible says verse 8… “Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. (NLT)

God’s heart is always for the underdog. He is always thinking of those who are need. When we really connect to the heart of our God and Father, we will share His concern for those around us. The stronger His heart beat becomes in us, the more we will share what we have with others and the more His glory will guard our back. May each one of us become more aware of the immediate needs of those around us today.

JUST A THOUGHT by Aaron Linford
MORAL SUSTENANCE

“Your words have kept men on their feet” Eliphaz said to Job (Job 4:4. Moffat’s version). What was meant as a criticism was really a compliment.

A business-man who regularly attended the ministry of Dr. Alexander Whyte once said to him: “your greatest work has been to put heart into men to face the coming week”. Thisis the test of preaching: does it inspire the hearers‘?
Doctrine has its place in preaching ministry, for it is scriptural exposition that gives it its authority; delivery is vital, for what is not heard and understood is lost; but what gives preaching a prime place in Christian worship is not only authority and acceptance, it is also, and greatly, appeal – the Holy Spirit impacting on the human spirit inspiring courage, assurance and moral animation.

In a hard, cynical and difficult world, we all need the sound of words that give us strength and hope. Remember the great speeches of Winston Churchill in the last war‘? His “bulldog growl” his indomitable faith in the cause of right, his word of defiant courage put heart into a struggling nation.

So should preaching speak to those who wait upon such ministry. We should leave ‘ a divine service with a determination to triumph over evil, inspired by the mighty concept that God is over all.

CHOICE QUOTATIONS

“The men who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than criticize”- Elizabeth Harrison

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm” – Emerson

“Envy slays itself by its own arrows” – Anonymous

“As a moth gnaws a garment, so doth envy consume a man” – St. Chrysostom

FOCUS – SOMETHING TO REALLY THINK ABOUT
PROMOTION WITH CAUTION – Thomas Addington

“Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” – James 3:1

The mature believer aspires to achieve his or her leadership goals cautiously because such roles of influence carry with them increasing levels of accountability to God. If you are applying for God to use you as an instructor, guide, mentor, tutor, coach, or trainer in someone else’s spiritual life, be cautious. Don’t impulsively volunteer your hand.

Remember that leading and teaching are not just formal positions. They include casual phone calls and conversations about life’s big issues with people who trust and follow your opinion.’ They often include life-on-life mentoring of those around you. That’s why, according to James, a desire for greater influence must be tempered with the reality that there will be stricter judgment for those who find themselves in leading roles.

James is not proposing that we do away with teachers, but he is calling for mature leaders and teachers. He is not saying that no one should teach, but rather that everyone sh0uldn’t try to teach. He is not telling us not to lead at all, but rather to be careful and cautious if we desire to lead.

He offers these words of caution because he knows the human condition: “We all stumble in many ways,” he writes in James 3:2. No, leaders and teachers aren’t exempt.

James doesn’t say that a person who stumbles is disqualified to teach. Nor does he imply that we have to become perfect before we can teach. What he is saying is this: Go ahead and start, but promote with caution. Take the lead with prudence. Be circumspect and attentive. Keep both eyes wide open.

July 23rd – 2015
Rev. E. Anderson
WELCOME TO THIS CHRISTIAN WEBSITE

Welcome to this Christian Website which has now been going for a number of years. Over 128,000 people have visited it since 2006. On the left hand side of the introductory page is a host of subjects and material that have been placed during this time and is there for your interest, study and perusal.

I feel it is time and right to change the format and to present day by day something a little simpler and trust will benefit and bless those who visit it. It will consist of a Prophetic Word for Today, A Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Just a Thought by Aaron Linford. Choice Quotations and something to Focus your mind on are included that can be developed more fully by you. I trust you will find such refreshing and helpful.

A PROPHETIC WORD FOR YOU

Your Heavenly Father always has in His mind and heart the desire to see each one of sons upgraded in every way and to see them making headway and making a mark for Him of note. Promotion to a quality posting and ministry is ever in His being. It is by the process of tests and trials that much of this takes place. They are not to be regarded as stumbling blocks but stepping stones that develop your character and make your more effective and able to serve and succeed in higher programmes. So regard today as a further opportunity of pleasing him and falling in with His eternal design for your life and calling. He is alongside to encourage you to achieve that which is good and edifying.

A GOLDEN PROMISE

”Yahweh, the Lord, is my strength. He e makes my feet like deer’s feet,
and enables me to go in high place” – Habakkuk 3:14.

Have you ever watched a deer or a mountain goat walk on the side of a mountain? It is really quite an amazing sight to see. They are so sure-footed that they can walk on ledges so thin that it would seem impossible in the natural.

In this promise, Habakkuk says that since the Lord is his strength, God will make his feet as steady as those of a deer so he can walk in high places. I believe that God wants to take us all to greater heights and walk in the sure-footedness that only comes from walking not in our own power or self-effort, but from the strength from Almighty God.

In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul says that eye has not seen, nor has ear heard what God has prepared for those who love Him, but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. There is a great adventure calling each and every one of us to come up higher in the Spirit.

May we not allow our fear of heights to prevent us to go today where He is calling. He will equip us with the strength we need to go where He is calling us to go. All we have to be is willing vessels.

JUST A THOUGHT by Aaron Linford
THE LOVE OF CHRIST

In Ephesians 3:18 Paul speaks of “the breadth, and length, and depth, and height” of the love of Christ. Then he poses a paradox – “‘to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge”. What a contradiction? yet true! No human thought or language can grasp or explain Christ’s love – it
is, as far as human knowledge is concerned, ultra dimensional.

But what we cannot explain we can experience; what the mind cannot grasp, the heart can know. The love of Christ is as spacious as the universe, it extends in all directions. It is more lasting than time, it is redolent of eternity, it is the very nature of God Himself.

It is broader than liberalism and embraces all mankind: it is longer than traditionalism, and extends beyond all man’s conceptions, for it is truth: it is deeper than fundamentalism, for it is the basis of all bases, no emotion can plumb deeper depths, here is the mystery of God: it is higher than mysticism, for man’s quest for “the beatific vision” is more than fulfilled in Jesus, the Son of God, the glorified Christ.

The love of Christ is a spiritual reservoir we can never exhaust, a potent passion we can never fully absorb, an ideal we can never completely grasp. But we can accept it, we can enjoy it, and by His help, reflect it in our daily living.

CHOICE QUOTATIONS

“One whose only good feature is that he seldom gossips about other people”- Anonymous

“One who’s always me-deep in conversation” – Bertolotti

“ A self-made man who worships his creator” – Bright

“Do you wish men to speak well of you? Then never speak well of yourself” – Pascal

FOCUS – SOMETHING TO REALLY THINK ABOUT
FAITH THAT WORKS – Thomas Addington

“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. James 2:26 .
Faith and works actually are two sides of the same coin. To best understand their synergistic connection, we must remember Paul’s teachings connected to faith, as well as the truth that James outlines. For example, in Galatians 2:16, Paul writes, “Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in
Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.”

To best understand faith and works, they must be tied together, back to back. Paul calls attention to faith as the root; James looks at faith as the fruit. Paul looks at what happens at the moment of salvation, while James looks at what happens after salvation. Paul focuses on God’s part, and James focuses on man’s part. Paul deals with justification, and James deals with validation. Paul is against legalism, and James is against a lazy, presumptive lifestyle.

Following their collective example, we shouldn’t try to cut faith and works
apart. Instead, we should wrap them together.

The great theologian John Calvin once wrote, “It is faith alone that justifies, but faith that justifies can never be alone.” James doesn’t match faith against works. Rather, he states with confidence that biblical faith works. Together, faith and works comprise a harmonious blend of sound theology, and they should be a compatible combination in the life of every follower of Jesus.

July 22nd – 2015
Rev. E. Anderson
WELCOME TO THIS CHRISTIAN WEBSITE

Welcome to this Christian Website which has now been going for a number of years. Over 128,000 people have visited it since 2006. On the left hand side of the introductory page is a host of subjects and material that have been placed during this time and is there for your interest, study and perusal.

I feel it is time and right to change the format and to present day by day something a little simpler and trust will benefit and bless those who visit it. It will consist of a Prophetic Word for Today, A Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Just a Thought by Aaron Linford. Choice Quotations and something to Focus your mind on are included that can be developed more fully by you. I trust you will find such refreshing and helpful

A PROPHETIC WORD FOR YOU

Not only must you be always at your best in character with the qualities of Christ being daily manifest in you, but there must also be the devotion to doing your best every day so that you contribute greatly to the well-being of the world in which you reside. Your life is to be well blessed and well spent so that it yields the maximum for the glory of God, the good of the people and the ultimate accreditation of the LORD upon both your life and labours. Every detail for good is noted and recorded by Him who has such a personal and vital interest in you and all that you do. So buy up the opportunities presented in the next hours of serving in a gracious and glorious manner so that many are impacted by the best from one who is at their best in and through Christ.

A GOLDEN PROMISE

“For I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds, says Yahweh; because they have called you an outcast, saying, It is Zion, whom no man seeks after” – Jer 30:17

In this fallen orphan world that we live in, sickness is part of every day life. We all know someone who is struggling with some form of infirmity, or we ourselves may be struggling. When Jesus taught us to pray the Lord’s Prayer, He said for us to ask our Father to bring His kingdom to this world. Since there is no sickness in heaven, we can receive comfort in knowing that healing is part of the good news of the gospel.

In today’s promise, God promises to restore health to our bodies and to bring healing to all our wounds. How the fulfillment of that promise applies to us personally is as unique as each one of us is different. God’s ways are not our ways and the fulfillment of this promise is tailored uniquely to our own circumstance.

Personally, I have suffered partial deafness as a result of a childhood ear infection. I can’t count the number of times that I have received prayer for healing. While the healing has not yet manifested itself, I still hold on to the promise that God is faithful and healing is part of the New Covenant, bought and paid for by Jesus Christ.

Though there are times when I feel disappointment for not yet receiving my healing, I continue to open up my heart for more prayer. Sometimes that feeling of disappointment can open the door to disillusionment about healing. It is times like this that I need healing for the wounds of my soul.

In Jeremiah 30:17, God promises to bring health to our bodies and healing to all the wounds we suffer in our heart. I pray that whatever your circumstance is today, that faith would rise up in your heart and you would believe God for the healing you need for both your body and your soul.

JUST A THOUGHT by Aaron Linford
“MY CUP RUNNETH OVER”

Ps 23:5

So wrote David in his best-known of all psalms. And what a statement it is! From this brief text I draw three thoughts.

First; the privilege of knowing God, thus emphasising what pervades the whole of Scripture – the personalism of God’s salvation. He loves me as an individual – it is “my cup”. I am not just a number, I am a name, an intimate of God, not just a digit in a census, but a distinct personality.

Secondly, they pleasure of enjoying God. “My cup runneth over”. The bountiful munificence of God not only fills me with His love, He overflows my heart with benefits. And all God’s people can say the same. The Lord is not exhausted by His abundant giving, He overflows to each trusting saint. When the Lord is our Shepherd, “I shall not want”.

Thirdly, the possibility of containing God – “My God made man with a capacity for Himself, an innate ability to absorb spiritual things. We do not just have a body, we are also “spirit and soul” – a pneumatico-psycho-somatic entity. More simply, we have a physical life – “body”, a mental life, – “soul”, and a spiritual life – “spirit”. It is only when each part is active that we really live. It is then that “my cup runneth over”.

CHOICE QUOTATIONS

“Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous” – Confucius

“Respect for the fragility and importance of an individual life is still the mark of the educated man” – Norman Cousins

“Education is nothing if it is not the methodical creation of the habit of thinking” – Dimnet

“Education is being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don’t. It’s knowing where to go to find out what you need to know; and it’s knowing how to use the information once you get it” -William Feather

“The best and most important part of every man’s education is that which he gives himself” – Gibbon

FOCUS – SOMETHING TO REALLY THINK ABOUT
FAITH VERSUS WORKS – Thomas Addington

“But someone will say “You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without your deeds and I will show you m faith by what I do” – James 2:18

So what role do works play in the life of a follower of Jesus? If they cannot save us, are they of any value at all? Jesus talked about good deeds when He was leading His first coaching session with his twelve disciples.

“You are the salt of the earth,” He said in Matthew 5:13-16. “But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (emphasis added).

One of the primary roles of good deeds is to positively and effectively convince a disbelieving world that a God exists Who can make a distinctive difference in someone’s life. Many people will never go to church, open a Bible, or say a prayer. But all of humanity is in search for meaning and purpose. Most people don’t doubt the existence of God; they simply are not certain of the relevance of God.

When other people see our good deeds—_—when they observe a pattern of ethical behaviour and philanthropy in our lives—they question our motivation. What could possibly motivate such action? The answer, of course, is our faith—our warm personal trust in Jesus Christ. That is the reason for our good deeds—not to gain God’s favor but to show that we already know Him.

What’s the motivation behind your good deeds?