Barnabas Ministries UK

PUTTING IN A PEAK PERFORMANCE – Rev. E. Anderson

Reading Hebrews 11: 8-19

Text Genesis 25: 7, 8

Introduction

A great question to ask and seek to answer at the commencement of a New Year: What is to be expected of you in the months ahead as they unfold? It is that you achieve a Peak Performance, that you attain those things that the Lord has destined should be wrought in and through you. A truly Peak Performance is brought about by a succession of ‘peak performances’ wrought in a constant fashion. It is imperative that you have it in your mind and heart that you are going to achieve much more than you have ever done. The past is but the preparation for much more.

In reviewing and studying the lives of Bible characters, men and women, they put in some amazing peak performances by the favour of God and serve as an encouragement to succeeding generations. For example, Enoch had a close walk with God for 300 years before he was translated. Noah achieved the massive task of building an ark to save posterity. Joseph remained loyal to God, to faith and integrity and became a real saviour in his day. Moses put in a peak performance and became Israel’s leader and deliverer. Ruth rose to a challenging situation and turned out to be a forerunner of Israel’s future Messiah. Esther accepted the situation she was confronted with and became salvation to her people. And so on.

It can be said they served with faith, distinction and honour and left inspired examples for others to follow. Ordinary people became extraordinary. They were different and made an amazing difference thus proving it is possible to achieve things of an outstanding order that will go down in history and provoke others to exploits.

Abraham is one of the persons to look at more closely and see his vast contribution to his day and posterity. Because he put in peak performances that underlined that his life was ultimately a true Peak Performance. Over a long period of time he did not let up but stood out for the Lord and became a shining pattern for Israel, the Christian Church and the world at large. What were the things that enabled him to become the man that he was and achieve all that he did and so was commended by heaven?

1/ HIS LOVE FOR GOD

For almost 75 years he had been a worshipper of idols just like all the other people of his day. He had been born and reared in idolatry and known nothing of a relationship with the One and True Living God. But the revelation came of God and he embraced such and became from the outset a genuine lover of God. This was to become the driving force of his inward spirit-being. In coming to know God in a personal sense he realised God was to be the first love of his life and he would maintain this all his remaining days. The real reason for his peak performance can be put down to His ardent love and passion for the LORD. The objective within was always to please God and this expresses his fervour and ardour for Him – see Christ’s example John 8:29. Tdeut 6:5.he first commandment is: “Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . .”

2/. HIS FAITH IN GOD

Abraham was to discover the principle that the Lord wanted to create and cultivate within him to an ever increasing degree, it is the presence of faith and its dynamic and directive rule. He was to come to truly believe in the Lord and then to believe what the Lord had purposed for him. He was to learn and know the secret of trust in Him and to discover that the Lord had much for Him as he trusted His words of promise.

First, he had to move out of the Ur of the Chaldees and trust the Lord with his whole future. There had to be the readiness to leave the seeming security of the city with its strong dwellings and take up residence in a tent – see Genesis 12:1; Hebrews 11:8-11. He did not hesitate but reckoned that his prospects were better with the Lord than anyone else. The Lord would be His protector and provider right from the onset. This was a peak moment in his life and affairs.

Second, he was called to believe for a miracle of an extraordinary nature regarding his wife Sarah. She was childless and passed the state of bearing but the Lord called him to believe even when she reached the aged of 90. The Lord seemed to keep him waiting for years but He was up to doing it and Abraham came through this experience in believing – Romans 4: 19-21. It was a peak moment when Isaac arrived on the scene!

Third, he believed the Lord to he point where he was prepared to sacrifice his son and expect his resurrection – Genesis – 22; Hebrews 11: 17-19. He was ready and glad to prove to the Lord that he loved the Lord and could trust Him with this immense challenge and he put in a peak performance.

3/ HIS SPIRITUAL OBEDIENCE

The reason why he realized peak performances and an altogether Peak Performance can be put down to his complete subservience and obedience to the LORD. He was always ready to refer and defer to the Lord and acted in simple and immediate accord. From beginning to end he made it as a principle and procedure of life to swiftly respond to any directive that came from above. Whether leaving his homeland, offering his son in sacrifice etc., the Lord must have supreme control and say. He never felt he should really question once the Lord had spoken and conveyed his mind. The will has to be surrendered in total obedience and abandonment.

The prayer and song of George Matheson
“Make me a captive , Lord, And then I shall be free; Force me t render up my sword, And I shall conqueror be
My will is not my own, Till I have made it thine.
If it would reach a monarch’s throne, It must its crown resign;
It only stands unbent, Amid the clashing strife, When on Thy bosom it has leant And found in Thee its life”.

4/. HIS CONCERN FOR OTHERS

He stands out as a person who could reveal his true concern and commitment to others. He was up to serving those around him at expense and sacrifice. There was a real selflessness about his relationships. Self did not rule.

He treated his nephew with tremendous watchfulness and service and made him see that he really counted for something. He was prepared to take him along with him in the first instance. When both grew in flocks etc, it was needful to separate, and Abraham, the older, gave Lot the preference of where to be – Genesis 13:6-8. Abraham quelled any bad spirit and conflict. When Lot and his goods were taken captive it is Abraham that goes after him to rescue him and his goods – – Genesis 14:12 and rescued them – v16. When Lot is in deep trouble in Sodom he again takes it on himself to plead for divine intervention – Genesis 19.

He treated the angelic visitors in a gracious manner, possibly not knowing their real status – Genesis 18. He was quick and insistent to welcome three seeming men that appeared at his tent door and wanted to show immense hospitality and care. Inborn and expressive of his being was this lovely attitude of doing all he could do bless others. The Christian is called upon to be no less in his life and ministry – Galatians 6:9,10. See Hebrews 13:2.

5/. HIS TOTAL COMMITMENT

Peak performances and ultimate triumph arise out of complete dedication and devotion and this was so with Abraham. Nothing was held back by way of reserve just in case did not develop to advantage. What was required was all for all time and he did not hesitate to do this. He was never to call back anything but went from strength to strength in his dedication and enthusiasm. Late life did not take the keenness away but was present more than every.

It was a long-standing engagement carried on for over 100 years. He passed out of this life at 175 and there was no abatement whatsoever in His commitment to the Lord and His expectations of him. The passing of the years did not sap away his enthusiasm but only intensified it. He finished as a person jubilant with his personal triumph. He could say with Paul: “I have finished my course” – 2 Cor 4:6. The record concerning his death was: “”The Abraham’s spirit was released, and he died at a good (ample, full) old age, an old man, satisfied and satiated, and was gathered to his people” –Gen 25;8 – Amplified Version.

CONCLUSION

If you are to have many peak performances and make a peak performance of your life altogether you require:

• An understanding of what the Lord desires and requires of you and He is ready to make it known if you seek such with all your being.

• The readiness to believe and trust the Lord at all times and to allow your faith to grow to its maximum.

• The will to stick with it so that all is realized and you conclude with a divine sense of accomplishment.

• The ultimate honour is to be bestowed by the Lord who will acknowledge those who have truly attained His designs for their lives.

Dec 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 130,000 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 Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Wisdom that Works by Bob Stevenson, Choice Quotations and daily Meditations, working through the whole Bible. 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 GOLDEN PROMISE

“He has swallowed up death forever! The Lord Yahweh will wipe away tears from off all faces. He will take the reproach of his people away from off all the earth,
for Yahweh has spoken it” – Isaiah 25:8

As followers of Christ, we have an amazing hope. The hope of eternal life and the hope that one day we will see our God and Father face to face. On that day, when death is swallowed up, He will wipe every tear away from our face.

Today’s promise is also spoken of in Revelation 21:4 which says…. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (NIV)

My prayer today is that we would all be strengthened with the hope that we have in Christ. No matter how difficult your circumstances, no matter how hopeless your situation, may divine hope flood your heart so that you would know that one day God will wipe away every tear from your eyes and take away all of the pain that you suffered on this earth.

Romans 15:13
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (NLT)

WISDOM THAT WORKS
THE ULTIMATE REFUGE – Rev. Bob Stevenson

“The godly have a refuge when they die, but the wicked are crushed by their sins. Wisdom is enshrined in the hearts of men of common sense, but it must shout loudly before fools will hear it” Read: Proverbs 14:32-33 The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death but the gif t of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom 3:26).

The older I get the more amazed I am at why more and more people do not take advantage of this priceless gift which God has so graciously provided for us. I remember so well my first encounter as a young person of eighteen years of age, with a man who really believed emphatically in the lost state of all humanity and the universality of sin. He made it quite clear to me that any inaction on my part in regard to this knowledge could result in my being eternally separated from a loving God.

I shall ever be grateful to Pastor Harold Jones for his willingness to persist in refuting my many objections so that I eventually surrendered my life to the claims of Jesus Christ. Here I am fifty eight years later enjoying the peace and serenity which comes when you know you have, through Jesus, an ultimate refuge of protection from those wages of sin mentioned above.
If you haven’t yet received this wonderful gift of eternal life be sure to do so today. Believe me, you will never regret it!

CHOICE QUOTATIONS
NEW YEAR

The New Year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals – Melody Beattie

And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been – Rainer Maria Rilke

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year – Ralph Waldo Emerson

New Year’s Day. A fresh start. A new chapter in life waiting to be written. New questions to be asked, embraced, and loved. Answers to be discovered and then lived in this transformative year of delight and self-discovery. Today carve out a quiet interlude for yourself in which to dream, pen in hand. Only dreams give birth to change – Sarah Ban Breathnach

DAILY MEDITATIONS – A COURSE THROUGH THE BIBLE
GOD TURNS UP – Exodus 2: 1-10

One never knows when it is going to happen! That is, God turning up and manifesting Himself in a unique way. Take note, this had never taken place before. Of course, the Lord had made Himself known to Moses’ forefathers but this was to be different. This shepherd was about his routine business looking after sheep in a way-out place and suddenly he is confronted with God in an outstanding fashion.

He had seen many bushes on fire in his life’s work. They had blazed quite quickly but soon the fire had devoured them, but not this one! The amazing thing was, it didn’t, and this is to be especially noted when one realizes that the burning presence of God was in it! It had the effect of switching him on and he becomes aware of the majestic and awesome presence of God. This was the first thing he found out right at the onset. And was the basis of more to follow that would ignite his being in a holy fashion.

You will know it when the Lord moves in on your lives and experiences, and He will do it in His way. He is not tied to time or schedules or even procedures. Look out in these days for some extraordinary action in your life as He seeks to outwork His major plans. Today could spell for you a divine interruption in your life and work as He seeks to encounter you. Be ready for what He will do in your situation. Let the excitement and inspiration of faith dominate so that there is a blessed anticipation for the movement of God in your affairs.

Dec 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 130,000 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 Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Wisdom that Works by Bob Stevenson, Choice Quotations and daily Meditations, working through the whole Bible. 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 GOLDEN PROMISE

“So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ2 – Galatians 4:7

When God looks at you, He doesn’t see a servant… He sees a son or daughter. When Jesus Christ exchanged His life for our life, something miraculous happened in the heavens. He opened up the way for us to be born into His amazing family. As today’s promise says, we are not servants, but children of God and co-heirs with Jesus.

When the prodigal son came home to his father’s house (Luke 15) he no longer felt worthy to be a son because of all the feelings of shame that he struggled with. When he met his father, he said “I am no longer worthy to be a son, so let me serve…”

Because of his feelings of inadequacy and shame, he felt that the only way he could justify his place in his father’s house was through serving. Many people do the same thing today. And like the father in the prodigal son story, God does not see His kids as servants, but as sons and daughters…no matter what they have done.

My prayer today is that each one of us would know that God has not given us a spirit that makes us afraid, but He has given us the Spirit of Sonship where we can cry out Abba, Father (Romans 8:15). May the Holy Spirit give each one of us more revelation on what it means to be an heir of God and a joint heir with our elder brother, Jesus!
heavens. He opened up the way for us to be born into His amazing family. As today’s promise says, we are not servants, but children of God and co-heirs with Jesus.

WISDOM THAT WORKS
TEMPER-TEMPER – Rev. Bob Stevenson

“A growing population is a kings glory; a dwindling nation is his doom. A wise man controls his temper. He knows W that anger causes mistakes” – Read: Proverbs 14:28-29

How easy it is to lose your cool, when a certain set of circumstances arise and you get swept along in the downward spiral of lost control. Then, when control of our own spirit is abrogated, we find ourselves open to all kinds of influences, spiritual as well as emotional. That then leads us into a maelstrom of mistaken choices which then eventuate into unwanted and possibly hurtful repercussions.

We use the actual word temper in a negative connotation as if temper in itself is the problem. It’s not the temper that is the issue, it’s the loss of it. In the same way that steel, if it is overheated loses its strength, so our human spirit , if it gets overheated will also lose its strength. We lose the strength to control natural reactions and impetuous responses. We also become blind to the warning signs which always precede the loss of control.
If we allow ourselves to be subject to any form of emotional over heating by not being able to extract ourselves from such overheating, our character, like the steel, will lose its tension. A wise man therefore avoids overheating and thereby stays sharp and keeps his edge.

CHOICE QUOTATIONS
POSITIVE

Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose – Lyndon B. Johnson

in order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision -Dalai Lama

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow – Helen Keller

Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results – Willie Nelson

DAILY MEDITATIONS – A COURSE THROUGH THE BIBLE
FACING A HARD TIME – Exodus 1

It isn’t easy to accept sudden change for the worse, especially when it is least expected. Israel had settled down in Egypt to become quite a considerable unit of people and power. They had multiplied greatly – v7 and seemingly presented a problem to the king of Egypt. Instead of making a treaty with them and forming a healthy alliance he decided to make things extremely difficult for God’s household. A forgetfulness and hardness appears and the consequence was that God’s people were to be put through the mill over a long passage of time.

It needs to be understood that God’s people needed to be unsettled so that they would not become too comfortable in Egypt. The Lord had something better in mind for them but they would have to confront and negotiate an extreme period of rigour and brutality before such would come to realisation. It would be a real testing time that would require grace and perseverance. One of the products of this difficult phase would be that God’s people would become toughened up. It would have to be a era where awful things would have to encountered and negotiated but they would survive and come through ready for the fulfilment of the divine plan.

Nobody likes it when a new, evil regime comes in and alters the procedure of life. There has to come a sorting and sifting out of our faith, values and future. No longer can things be taken for granted instead there has to be a fresh assessment made with regard to life and destiny. Traumatic periods of life may lead to the undoing of some. However it needs to be understood, as far as God is concerned, that these experiences can become the basis of re-shaping us into something finer and bigger. Maybe there are changes happening that are threatening, which cause you to feel vulnerable and exposed. Be assured, the Lord is with you to see you through to a worthy and noble prophetic destiny.

Dec 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 130,000 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 Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Wisdom that Works by Bob Stevenson, Choice Quotations and daily Meditations, working through the whole Bible. 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 GOLDEN PROMISE

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Even as it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” – Romans 8: 35-39

Paul the Apostle said he was convinced that nothing could separate him from the love of God. Then he went on to list many things that could try and separate him. Death, life, angels, principalities, powers, things in the present, things in the future, etc. But something happened in Paul’s life that convinced him that no matter what happened, nothing would ever keep the love of God away.

This is a man who was ship wrecked, stoned, persecuted at every turn and eventually martyred. If Paul needed to be convinced of the closeness of God’s love, I think we do too. The Bible says that God’s tender mercies are new every morning, so every morning is a new opportunity for each one of us to be persuaded that we are loved beyond measure.

No matter what trials you are facing, nothing can ever separate you from God’s love. Life can’t separate you. Death can’t. Angels or demons can’t. Nothing in the present or in the future will ever separate you. No height, no depth nor any other creature will keep the love of God from overflowing and surrounding you… right now!

WISDOM THAT WORKS
A HEALTHY RESPECT – Rev. Bob Stevenson

“Reverence for God gives a man deep strength; his children have a place of refuge and security. Reverence for the Lord is a fountain of life; its waters keep a man from death. – Read: Proverb 14:26—2

In a world that is increasingly becoming more and more odept in their questioning of anything and anybody that should be shown respect, the concept of reverence is light years away from most people’s minds. Even a reverence for a God of ultimate purity and truth is disappearing from day to day living of the vast majority in our world today. They defensively point out all the wrong doing of so called religious people, who they say, ought to behave better,

Unfortunately there are members of the established church clergy who give God a bad name whilst even carrying the very title ‘Reverend’.

However in spite of all this negative press there are millions of ordinary believers more than ready to give rightful honour, respect and homage to the GOD of the Bible and to His son Jesus Christ. I like what the Word of God says about the benefits that accrue from having a healthy reverence for God. It gives a man or a woman deep strength. It has impact on our offspring in developing a sense of security in them.

A healthy reverence for God will give you an ultimate right standing with the Almighty upon whom you have happily lavished such a respect.

CHOICE QUOTATIONS
FRIENDSHIP

I believe that two people are connected at the heart, and it doesn’t matter what you do, or who you are or where you live; there are no boundaries or barriers if two people are destined to be together – Julia Roberts

If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they’re yours; if they don’t they never were – Richard Bach

Truth is everybody is going to hurt you: you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for – Bob Marley

One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood – Lucius Annaeus Seneca

DAILY MEDITATIONS – A COURSE THROUGH THE BIBLE
GOD WILL VISIT YOU – Genesis 50

Joseph spoke out these words from the depth of the experiences he had in his life. He had been very successful in managing Egypt’s economy through very good and bad seasons. Everything had gone amazingly well for him but he did not forget where his real roots were. He had been born into a family that were destined to be the people of God and this was what concerned him above all else. All that Egypt could offer in terms of position, programme and prosperity was nothing to what God had in mind for Israel. The passage of time and success had not eroded the things that truly mattered to him above all else. He had managed to keep spiritually alert and his mind divinely focused.

They had come into Egypt under God’s direction but there was also to be the time when they would move out, and Joseph was aware of that. Besides making prophecy of what was to be, he stated what should be done in relation to his bones. They must be transported out of Egypt and be buried in Canaan. Joseph desired that his final resting place would be in the Promised Land. He died in faith and his bones were buried in divine hope. Moses made sure that his desire was fulfilled when they moved out in spite of the hurried departure – Exodus 13: 19.

It is possible to die in faith and revelation. We may not see everything fulfilled in our short spell of life but we can pass on inspired truth and declare to the next generation as to what is to be. Death can be faced with an optimism knowing that God will continue to work out His plan until all is accomplished. He will continue to visit and achieve great things until the final exodus of the Christian Church out of this world. When that occurs, it will be more than our bones that will be taken! – See 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18.

Dec 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 130,000 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 Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Wisdom that Works by Bob Stevenson, Choice Quotations and daily Meditations, working through the whole Bible. 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 GOLDEN PROMISE

“He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things?” – Romans 8:32

Christmas marks the one day in the year where gifts are given and received around the world. I could not think of a more appropriate day to talk about the greatest gift that our Father could give. On a day that we celebrate the birth of God’s only begotten Son, may we also be reminded of the reason why Jesus came to earth.

In John 3:16 we read that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son… It was the Father who gave us everything He could possibly give when He sacrificed the life of His treasured possession. In today’s promise, Paul the Apostle reminds us of this incredible gift. God did not spare His Son, but delivered Him up to the most excruciating death on a cross in order that we could be born into His family.

The greatest gift that you could receive this Christmas day, is a deeper revelation of just how much our God and Father loves you. He gave up everything He loved in order to gain your love. May the revelation of His love go even deeper into your heart today and may the cross of Jesus Christ always be the ultimate symbol of our Father’s greatest gift to you. Have a blessed Christmas.

WISDOM THAT WORKS
THE JUSTICE SYSTEM – Rev. Bob Stevenson

”A witness who tells the truth saves good men from being sentenced to death, but a false witness is a traitor”. Read: Proverbs 14:25

We do have to acknowledge that the justice system is not always just. Wrong convictions are given to totally innocent people because a case is made against them with dodgy evidence and untruthful witnesses.

The tragedy is, that only now and again a case comes to light that uncovers false testimony and then suspicions begin to be raised about the trustworthiness of witnesses who are supposed to be beyond reproach.

Right here in Western Australia there have been a number of cases of wrongful convictions where people have served many years of a prison term only to have it revealed that crucial evidence has been withheld, which later resulted in their sentences being quashed.

Here in this proverb we are told that a false witness is a traitor. Certainly they are traitors to themselves, because they destroy their own credibility and integrity. Then they are traitors to the society in which they live because they can never be trusted to do the right thing by their fellow man.

And lastly they are traitors to TRUTH without which there is no basis for justice.
Jesus said he was the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE and the ultimate faithful witness to all who call on Him for help. Hallelujah! (see John 14:6)

CHOICE QUOTATIONS
FRIENDSHIP

Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light – Helen Keller

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.- Walter Winchell

Friends are the siblings God never gave us. – Mencius

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.- Martin Luther King, Jr.

DAILY MEDITATIONS – A COURSE THROUGH THE BIBLE
FRUITFULNESS OF LIFE – Genesis 49

The patriarch knew that he had come to the final stage of his life and that it was needful to confront his sons with a word from the Lord. On his deathbed Jacob is filled with divine inspiration and so is able to speak something of note into each one. God had outworked so much in his life and he knew that God had much to achieve through his family of a great order in the future. They needed to be made aware of this so that they had something to expect from God.

As Joseph appears before him he is greatly moved upon as he reflects upon his character and the developments that have taken place. He sees what he has become – ” a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall” – v21. One individual life had made great impact and contributed enormously to
the well being of everyone. So many had been blessed and enriched through this person who had lived so devotedly to God and the right principles of life.

There is no doubt that God wants to make your life fruitful in every way. This is the plan that God has for you and the experiences you are passing through now are a process by which this can be brought to pass. In the making of your quality character it is with this in mind: that your life will be full of good fruit and abound in every way. Like Joseph, God can be the wellspring of your life and from Him you can derive all that is needed to achieve His supreme purpose for your life.

Dec 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 130,000 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 Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Wisdom that Works by Bob Stevenson, Choice Quotations and daily Meditations, working through the whole Bible. 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 GOLDEN PROMISE

“for he says, “At an acceptable time I listened to you, in a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation” – 2 Cor 6:2

The New Living Translation Bible translates 2 Corinthians 6:2 this way… For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. (NLT)

In Isaiah 61, the prophetic declaration of God’s good news says that we are to proclaim the Year of the Lord’s Favour. Adding to that, in 2 Corinthians 6:2, the Apostle Paul says that today is the day of salvation. Both scriptural references are now words. Words for today. Not tomorrow. Not next year. Today.

Today is the day of salvation. Right now we are living in the year of the Lord’s favour. May the immediacy of this promise impact your heart right NOW. My prayer is that faith would rise up in our hearts so that we would be able to appropriate the promises God has made for us right now. Today is the day of salvation!

WISDOM THAT WORKS
TALK-TALK-TALK – Rev. Bob Stevenson

“Those who plot evil shall wander away and be lost, but those who plan good shall be granted mercy and quietness. Work brings profit; talk bring poverty Wise men are praised for their wisdom; fools are despised for their folly”.

Read: Proverbs 14:22-24

I like the King James Version translation of this proverb which goes like this, ‘In all LABOUR there is profit but the talk of the lips tends only to penury’. However, whether it’s the King James Version or the Living Bible Translation, the message is the same, Don’t just talk about doing something -get it done!

How nauseating are those folk who always seem to be talking about what they intend to do someday soon, but alas it is all talk, talk, talk. inevitably these characters never succeed at anything and seldom finish what they start out to do.

You see LABOUR implies effort of some sort or another. My observation of those who are only talkers is that they are usually just sitting around waiting for something to happen, rather than making something happen! Then there is this other word for poverty in the King James Version — PENURY. This is not just to be poor, but to have a disposition of miserly tightfistedness which robs you of the chance to have a go at anything.

We need not only to TALK the TALK but to WALK the WALK!

CHOICE QUOTATIONS
WISDOM

Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful – John Wooden

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment – Jim Rohn

We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future – George Bernard Shaw

A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them – John C. Maxwell

DAILY MEDITATIONS – A COURSE THROUGH THE BIBLE
VISITATION MINISTRY – Genesis 48

News reached Joseph that Jacob was not very well and he took time out immediately to go and see him. It was at a time when he was busily engaged in the interests of the kingdom and he could have opted not to go. But he had his dear father in great respect. On this occasion he took his two sons with him also to let them gather something from this godly patriarch. When Jacob heard that he had come, he drew on extra strength to make the occasion memorable.

Jacob knew he could talk freely with this son on a spiritual basis and so shared some of his testimony to God’s workings in his life and blessing – vv3, 4. Although he had been greatly advanced and promoted, Joseph never lost sight of the more important divine values and assets. His mind and heart was open to those things that related to the future for God’s elect family. He must have been thrilled at the prospects held in relation to his sons in it all. This visitation of his infirm father was turning out to be quite a revelation There was also to be the special blessing conferred on his sons – vv13-16.

Who knows when you make it your concern and business to go visiting the sick what will occur, especially when those being visited are in touch with God? Whilst you may go to bless them, you could come away with a greater blessing and revelation from God. There is a loving task for you to be able to do for others and as you go with good will and God’s blessing you will be used by Him in special ways. Do not neglect the opportunity of the moment.

Dec 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 130,000 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 Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Wisdom that Works by Bob Stevenson, Choice Quotations and daily Meditations, working through the whole Bible. 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 GOLDEN PROMISE

“Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” – Romans 2:4

I love this promise. Romans 2:4 basically says it is the very goodness of God that leads people to repent. Many times, when we think of repentance, we think of it as a shame based response to some form of judgment in our lives. But really, it means to go in another direction or to change our mind.

When Jesus said, ‘Repent for the kingdom is near’, He was calling people to go in a new direction, a new way of thinking where they would know the truth and the truth would set them free. For too long, the word repentance has had far too many negative connotations.

There may be a place for a fire and brimstone, or a turn or burn message in the proclaiming of the gospel. But there is also a place when we simply proclaim God’s goodness and His love and the result is that people will respond by going in a new direction… towards their loving Father through Christ. I believe that it is the love of God that will cause people to truly repent. In John 4:19, it says…We love because He first loved us.

God loved us while we were still His enemy (Romans 5:6-10). I believe it is the love of the Father that will melt the hearts of humanity and draw each one into His bosom through the free gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is our Papa’s goodness that will lead us to change our minds and go in a new direction.

WISDOM THAT WORKS
LIVING AN ILLUSION – Rev. Bob Stevenson

“A short tempered man is a fool. He hates the man who is patient. The simpleton is crowned with folly; the wise man is crowned with knowledge. Evil men shall bow before the godly.

Read: Proverbs 14: 1 7- 19

The simpleton or foolish dreamers of this world are crowned with folly because they live in a world of illusion. They believe in luck and are ever dreaming of the day when their lucky number will come up. Hollywood is the past master of illusion. They can make things look so real when in actual fact it is all a matter of trick photography. The sad part of it all is that there are multitudes of poor foolish dreamers who believe that all they see on the screen is for real, when in reality it is all an illusion.

On the other hand the genuine realists, of this same world, get another crown. This is the crown that comes by understanding what is for real and what is fake and having the wisdom to know the difference. This position of strength and security does not come by living in some illusionary dream world, but by being guided by the best of all knowledge — the Word of an all wise God- The Bible. –
N0! We can‘t keep living in the make believe world of ‘what might have been’, or ‘if only I had just struck lucky’. Dread the thought! Someone aptly described luck by the following; “The harder I work, the luckier I become”. Now that’s a reality not an illusion!

CHOICE QUOTATIONS
HISTORY

Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it – Edmund Burke

I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past – Thomas Jefferson

History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamour of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people – Martin Luther King, Jr.

A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history – Mahatma Gandhi

DAILY MEDITATIONS – A COURSE THROUGH THE BIBLE
GOOD NEWS – Genesis 45: 16-28

What a different story the sons of Jacob had to relate as they returned after the second trip! It would certainly have caused some embarrassment as the truth was out with regard to Joseph the brother, but they had the delight of seeing the impact of the news upon their father. They had seen him crushed and broken over the past years but now they were to witness a dramatic alteration. As Jacob heard the message and saw the wagons, he was convinced that his son was alive. It was like resurrection from the dead!

The expression of Jacob is noteworthy – v28 “I will go down and see him before I die.” It is both an optimistic and pessimistic declaration. He expects to see him and then his life to be brief. Did he but know it, the Lord was to add a further 20 years to his life! He was not only to see his son but his grandsons, too, and then to enjoy knowing the providential care of God under Joseph’s administration. The Lord had worked out His purpose and brought about a miracle of grace that he could bask in for the remaining of his days on earth.

The Good News for us is that Jesus is alive. The One that God the Father has invested our future with is now alive and exalted. We can enjoy living under His continued watchful eye and loving concern. Jesus Christ is alive and in control. This should make all the difference to our faith, fortune and future. We can truly live knowing our expectations will not fail but come to pass through Him.

Dec 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 130,000 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 Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Wisdom that Works by Bob Stevenson, Choice Quotations and daily Meditations, working through the whole Bible. 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 GOLDEN PROMISE

“Cast your burden on Yahweh, and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved” – Psalm 55:22

There are many places in the Bible where we are encouraged to cast all our cares on God. In today’s promise, King David invites us in Psalm 55:22 to cast all our burdens on the Lord and He will look after us. The New Living Translation Bible says Psalm 55:22 this way… Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. (NLT)

When I think about this promise, I envision someone carrying a backpack full of rocks with each rock representing a care or concern. God invites us to take all of our rocks out of the backpack we are carrying and throw each one of them onto His big, strong shoulders. The reality is that we were not created to carry such burdens.

Medical studies tell us that up to 80% of all illnesses are stress-related in some way. This statistic further demonstrates that the human body was never created to carry such stress in our backpack. So what can we do in response to today’s promise? Empty your backpack of all your cares and cast each one of them upon God and He will look after you.

WISDOM THAT WORKS
PRUDENCE – Rev. Bob. Stevenson

“Only a simpleton believes everything he is told! A prudent man understands the need for reproof. A wise man is cautious and avoids danger; a fool plunges ahead with great confidence”Read: Proverbs 14: 15,16

I had to look in the dictionary for the meaning of this word prudence. It is a word which is not in common use in today’s vocabulary, which could be due to the fact that the very opposite of this word’s meaning seems to be the order of the day in today’s society.

To be prudent is to exercise caution, to be careful. Prudence is the act of not being rash or reckless. So you can see how such a word would lose its edge in today’s world of extreme everything.

Today’s wisdom portrays two dispositions. One describes the benefits of prudence, the other the pitfalls of reckless abandon. The Bible says that the simpleton believes everything he is told—that is reckless ignorance for which there is no excuse. The fool plunges ahead with great confidence —That is adventurism that takes no account of the consequence of such actions either on themselves or others who may be damaged by their foolhardiness.

On the other hand there are common sense approaches to life where prudence is the better part of valour.

Being prudent will help you to be guided by caution and where necessary, accept reproof when at times our own judgement might be suspect!

CHOICE QUOTATIONS
Christmas

Christmas is joy, religious joy, an inner joy of light and peace – Pope Francis

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas – Dale Evans

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree – Roy L. Smith

The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value. – Charles Dudley Warner

DAILY MEDITATIONS – A COURSE THROUGH THE BIBLE
RECONCILITION – Genesis 45

It is always encouraging to hear of things ending well. It certainly happened here. Joseph was discerning enough to realise that God was in all this and He had been working out His procedures in spite of all the crises and problems and it was time to sort everything out. Reconciliation had to take place. He could not afford to take revenge although he had all these within his power. God had brought him to this place so that he could demonstrate his grace and kindness in an outstanding manner.

It happened with his brothers first of all when he disclosed his identity vv1-15. It states that “he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.” What a moment that must have been – reconciled! They knew that they would have to spell the truth out to the father but at least the load of guilt had gone and that God had worked majestically in spite of their evil. Joseph and his divine dreams were now completely justified.

There was yet to be a greater recognition by Jacob. He became reconciled to the fact that God had ably and amply took care of Joseph and had brought him forth to serve His day and the household of God. All of his worry had been needless in the evidence of God’s supernatural protection, guidance and interventions. The Lord had kept this wonderful surprise to the last but it was one that would bless Jacob for the rest of his days. He would rejoice in the fact that the Lord had been in control all the way.

Dec 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 130,000 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 Golden Promise from the Scriptures, Wisdom that Works by Bob Stevenson, Choice Quotations and daily Meditations, working through the whole Bible. 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 GOLDEN PROMISE

“Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” – Romans 2:4
Promise #172: My goodness will lead you to a change of heart.

I love this promise. Romans 2:4 basically says it is the very goodness of God that leads people to repent. Many times, when we think of repentance, we think of it as a shame based response to some form of judgment in our lives. But really, it means to go in another direction or to change our mind.

When Jesus said, ‘Repent for the kingdom is near’, He was calling people to go in a new direction, a new way of thinking where they would know the truth and the truth would set them free. For too long, the word repentance has had far too many negative connotations.

There may be a place for a fire and brimstone, or a turn or burn message in the proclaiming of the gospel. But there is also a place when we simply proclaim God’s goodness and His love and the result is that people will respond by going in a new direction… towards their loving Father through Christ. I believe that it is the love of God that will cause people to truly repent. In John 4:19, it says…We love because He first loved us.

God loved us while we were still His enemy (Romans 5:6-10). I believe it is the love of the Father that will melt the hearts of humanity and draw each one into His bosom through the free gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is our Papa’s goodness that will lead us to change our minds and go in a new direction.

WISDOM THAT WORKS
NEVER A DULL MOMENT – Rev. Bob Stevenson

“Laughter cannot mask a heavy heart. When the 1 laughter ends, the grief remains. The backslider gets bored with himself; the godly, mans life is exciting”.
Read: Proverbs 14: 13- 14

At the time of writing I have been a Christian for more than fifty years, I gave my life to Jesus when I was eighteen years old. Now, as a born again believer, I am forced to admit that my life has been anything but dull or boring.

I am not saying that everything has gone smoothly or that I have always been my best for the Lord, but I can confidently assert that it has been, and even now is, very exciting to me. In my advancing years I get excited about things now that in my younger days I wouldn’t have rated them a mention.

Somebody once accused me of using my religion as a crutch to get me through life! My response was to literally laugh at such a suggestion. The very thought of Jesus or the Bible, being some kind of crutch to prop up my inadequacies or inabilities couldn’t be further from the truth. Far from propping me up I have found Jesus knocks all my crutches from under me to enable me to face life head on and in the process prepare me for eternity.

Backsliders get bored with themselves says our proverb, but never the believer – the challenges are so enormous they make life an incredible adventure. So if you are bored get to know Jesus and watch things change!

CHOICE QUOTATIONS
Christmas

Christmas is the day that holds all time together – Alexander Smith

God never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving. If he gives us the gift of Christmas, it is because we all have the ability to understand and receive it -Pope Francis

Finding the real joy of Christmas comes not in the hurrying and the scurrying to get more done, nor is it found in the purchasing of gifts. We find real joy when we make the Saviour the focus of the season – Thomas S. Monson

My brothers and sisters, true love is a reflection of the Savior’s love. In December of each year we call it the Christmas spirit. You can hear it. You can see it. You can feel it – Thomas S. Monson

DAILY MEDITATIONS – A COURSE THROUGH THE BIBLE
CONFESSION TIME – Genesis 44

It looked as if everything was going well for Jacob’s household as they were returning home with the full complement of brothers and with their provisions. They were quite relieved to be getting out of an awkward and difficult time. Father would be happy to see them back as a complete unit and with all safe and sound and they could get on with life and its demands. Looking back they must have felt fortunate to get out of this escapade! One can imagine the sense of relief that they were on the journey back to father. It was now over so they thought!

But then things rapidly are altered with the appearance of an Egyptian messenger
and the discovery of a cup in Benjamin’s sack. They had not bargained for this. One
moment they were very optimistic but now they were most pessimistic. They were now called upon to deal with an embarrassing situation. All of a sudden everything is dramatically changed and they are called to face an embarrassing scene. They had never expected this to take place as they are put on the spot from which there seems to be no escape.

It becomes obvious that changes had been wrought in them as they recognised the past had caught up with them and Judah is ready to make humble confession with regard to them all – vv18-34. The truth was out as to what had been told the father. The fact that Judah was prepared to pay the price for Benjamin’s freedom for Jacob’s sake showed a fundamental shift in nature. There had to come an essential breakdown in the nature of these men.

Sometimes it is essential for us to rectify wrongs that we have committed in the past to ensure a real future. It may be that, on reflection, you need to make confession and tidy things up in a relationship to make progress. Do not hesitate if this is the case. It is a major providence when the Lord allows the opportunity to get things properly sorted out so that a blessed and beneficial accord comes into being.