Wednesday, March 30, 2011

30 March 2011 - Darkness and light

Two topics were discussed in BSF just last night
The multi-faceted concepts of darkness and light
The text was from Isaiah chapters eight through ten
From TL to three hundred interested men

Darkness is the absence of light but also a void
It’s also a state of ignorance that should be destroyed
And per John chapter three verse nineteen
Man’s preference for darkness has long been seen
But with God’s word this void needs to be filled
If the enemy’s advances are to be stilled
For “darkness is not the remedy for darkness”, TL said
Per Philippians 4:8, look at godly things instead

But no matter what, a light will appear
So we really have nothing to fear
The child will be more powerful than anything
Including of course, death’s supposed sting
He will be called four names (and lots more)
Starting with Mighty God, Wonderful Counsellor
Plus Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
Praises to Him should never cease
We then heard that “light is the remedy for darkness”
“And the light of the world is Jesus”, TL did profess

The people of Israel faced consequences for all their sin
God even removed leaders from positions they were in
But remember that entirely justified was His wrath
For the people strayed very far from His path
For “darkness earns God’s wrath” and is a disgrace
But TL concluded that “light is a gift of God’s grace”

So dear God, let me live in (and with) the light
Choosing every moment and day to do what is right

Monday, March 28, 2011

28 March 2011 - Our Father

God is my father, of that I am sure
His intentions are nothing if not pure
So even when things seem to be somewhat bad
I remind myself not to be overly sad
For in terms of my future I really must
Believe in God and in His ways trust
Everything He does is for a good reason
To think otherwise would be treason
And even if I want to do it my way
I really should listen to what He doth say
So when with a direction I may disagree
From undue concern please let me be free
For God wants no harm to come to me
Even if His plan is not plain to see

Sunday, March 27, 2011

27 March 2011 - ENCS

Pastor Larry’s sermon was titled “Connect”
2 Corinthians 5:19-20 we should not neglect
It talks of a message of reconciliation
We are Christ’s ambassadors for every nation
To be reconciled with God is to be connected
To do so, His commands must be respected
Of connection types, Pastor talked about three
They are with God, people, and our city

To connect with God is the first thing to do
Pastor read from Daniel 11 verse 32
To have energy, we need God’s power
If we don’t get it, we will be dour
From this connection, the enemy holds us back
A variety of tools and weapons he does not lack
But we must not be tempted or so gullible
For once we are connected, nothing is impossible
To Matthew 24:6 Pastor again referred
By global events we should not be deterred
And by the enemy’s temptations we should not be enticed
For nothing should separate us from the love of Christ
Over our own lives we should declare the word of God
To the spiritual (not the natural) we should give the nod

As part of Christ’s body we must connect to people
Ephesians 4:16 talks of working together under the steeple
We each have roles and work to do
The burden is not just on the full time few
We all have power and authority
To walk God’s talk for all to see
We were put together for a purpose
We should rejoice, not make a fuss
With unbelievers we should not be yoked
For then our sinful nature may get stoked
That does not mean that from others we be isolated
Just that by others’ sins we should not be baited
Instead of being influenced, we should be influencing
As to the world, God’s word we should bring
We must connect with people, not sin
For that is how good works may begin
“Bad company corrupts good morals” we were advised
From our hearts let God’s love not be prised
We then saw how a life group multiplies
Thanks to the actions of two godly guys

Pastor then talked of connecting to the city
Which we should do out of love, not pity
We do it to serve God, not man
For the is all part of a bigger plan

Friday, March 25, 2011

25 March 2011 - Repentance and forgiveness

Feeling bad about my sins is feeling remorse
That probably prevents me from doing worse
But what God wants when down a sinful road I went
Is for me to honestly and earnestly repent
In the same way, it is often easy to forgive
As that makes it easier with others to live
But it is very difficult to completely forget such things
Even though doing so leaves me with bad feelings

Dear God, I know that better I must do
If to your stated will I am to be true
So please allow your love to cleanse my heart
And enable your words to do their part

Thursday, March 24, 2011

24 March 2011 - Jeremiah 17:5-8

The Lord says “cursed is the man who trusts in man
And makes his flesh his strength”, even if he can
For he “whose heart departs from the Lord
Shall be like a shrub in the desert” says the word
He “shall not see when good comes” to others bless
But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
And in the Lord his hope is restored
For he shall be like a tree planted by the river
And will not fear when heat comes” to deliver
For it will be easily seen
That “its leaf will be green
And will not be anxious in the year of drought
Nor will cease from yielding fruit” throughout

Dear Lord, in you alone I want to trust
Until the day my body turns to dust
For with you I will have hope, not fear
No matter what challenges may appear

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

23 March 2011 - Faith and fear

These are thoughts from BSF last night
When talking of King Ahaz’s plight
We were studying Isaiah chapters 7 and 8
But finished on time, not a minute late

We all must have faith in something or someone
So faith is an issue from which we can not run
Hebrews 11:1 says that “faith is being sure of what we hope for”
It is also “being certain of what we do not see” come before
Incompatible are the concepts of faith and fear
The latter should not exist if God’s word we hold dear
For God only has one plan for mankind
Which the Bible so often seems to remind
So I don’t think I am really going out on a limb
Saying there is nothing to fear if we have faith in Him
We need to stand firm in faith or not stand at all
This is a key component of God’s clarion call
Living by faith in God is a moment-by-moment lifelong choice
Making the right decisions means that He will rejoice

So dear God, please let these words take root in me
And let my faith in you be plain to see

Sunday, March 20, 2011

20 March 2011 - ENCS

Pastor Larry brought the "Grace Works" series to an end
After a video showing that both Lego and our souls need to mend
"Grace Works to live godly lives" was the topic
Titus 2:11-12 was the passage Pastor did pick
To ungodliness and worldly passions we should say no
Being self-controlled and upright is the way to go
For no matter what challenges we may face
We can live godly lives due to God's grace
Three ways to do this Pastor then shared
He spoke fast so his sermon would not be pared

"God's grace gives us purpose" was the first one
1 Peter 2:9-10 is where Pastor begun
God called us out of darkness into His light
We are a people of God, blessed by His mercy and might
God gives us direction which leads to discipline
Both of these are keys to staying away from sin
Pastor then read from Proverbs 29:18
We all need a sense of direction, it does mean

"God's grace brings His presence" was number two
Approaching God's throne of grace is what we should do
For we can receive mercy in our time of need
That is what from Hebrews 4:16 we did read
1 Peter 1:15-16 also makes a lot of sense
We can only be holy in His presence
From Romans 5:20-21 Pastor said with a roar
Where sin increases, grace increases even more
John 8 told of the adulteress receiving Jesus' grace
In the end, nobody would charge her to her face
For Jesus' heart wants to help not condemn
In response to that we should all say "amen"
Matthew 24 says "the love of most will grow cold"
To be saved, to this pressure we should not fold

"God's grace releases His power" was the third
From 1 Peter 1 several verses we then heard
For God's power and grace give us everything we need
From 1 Corinthians 2 verses 8 and 9 we did read
2 Peter 1:5-8 talks of qualities in increasing measure
From goodness through to love, all we should treasure
And if we can do all of these things, we will never fail
So of self-control and perseverance we should avail
Pastor then shared from 1 Timothy chapter three
That terrible times in the last days there will be
For the people he mentioned, we should avoid
Focusing on godliness will make God overjoyed

In conclusion, Pastor repeated the three key words
Purpose, presence, and power are grace's rewards
For they give us direction, confidence, and strength
And ensure that with God, our walk will be at length

Friday, March 18, 2011

18 March 2011 - 1 John 4:16-18 (redux)

In another country this one I did write
Probably in the middle of a fretful night
The passage appeared on my desk today
As if my calendar knew exactly what to say
I need to know and rely on the love
That only comes from God above
For it is this love that drives out fear
Of things be they far away or near
So dear God, please let me be so blessed
Giving me your peace and allowing me to rest

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us"
"God is love"; that is not to debate or discuss
"Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him"
There is therefore no good reason to feel grim
"Love is made complete...so that we will have confidence"
When the "day of judgment" does commence
"Because in this world we are like him" per verse seventeen
Even if God's loving face remains unseen
"There is no fear in love but perfect love drives out fear"
"Because fear has to do with punishment" oft severe
"The one who fears is not made perfect in love"
Because he does not have a relationship with God above

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

16 March 2011 - Isaiah 6

Isaiah saw the Lord in verses one to four
The seraphs' praises to God did outpour
They said "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord"
The temple shook at the sound of their word
And then Isaiah, in verses five to seven
Confessed his sins to God in heaven
A seraph touched Isaiah's mouth with a live coal
Taking away guilt, atoning his sins was the goal
The rest of the chapter, starting with verse eight
Talks of Isaiah's commissioning that could not wait
Isaiah responded with "Here I am. Send me!"
Not knowing how tough his mission would be
Isaiah was to tell the people the true story
His prophecy ignored, the devastation would be gory
But a remnant would always remain
Those who not not treat God with disdain
And from that remnant would come a holy seed
Keeping God's promise and giving us what we need

Der God, thank you for Isaiah's prophetic word
It is as powerful as any I have heard
So when daily my many sins I do confess
Please forgive me, although I deserve much less
And please give me strength and the will power
To do your will every day and every hour

Monday, March 14, 2011

14 March 2011 - Guidance and patience

Dear God, there are two things that I really need
If from this ongoing bondage I am to be freed
The first is to receive your guidance
The other is to have more patience
I know that your guidance is there for me
But I don't always seem to hear or to see
Other times I don't wait long enough
As I get caught up with other stuff
The combination of not listening and not waiting
Ensures that the angst is growing, not abating
It also serves to affect relationships with others
And means I am a poor witness for potential brothers
So dear God, please help me to have patience and to follow
Letting your words tell me what to do and where to go

Sunday, March 13, 2011

13 March 2011 - ENCS

Today's sermon Pastor Charles did give
The title was "The Grace to Forgive"
Colossians 4:6 was the first passage he did read
Grace-filled conversations include forgiveness, he said
Then he referred to Ephesians one verse seven
About forgiveness that comes to us from heaven
We then learned the definition of Aphesis, a word in Greek
An act of pardoning or release from imprisonment that one does seek
Followed by a phrase about justification
"Just as if I ever sinned" was the definition

Pastor then shared points about human forgiveness
The point of all three is to reduce our ongoing stress
First, forgiveness is not merely an event but is a decision
Accepting God's grace to let go of resentment is the mission
Second, forgiveness is a decision not to seek revenge or to retaliate
Third, forgiveness may require a process to set things straight
Remember that revenge never obtains what it desires
There is no satisfaction and it only fans the fires
That is not to say that justice should not be sought
A "fair and moral accounting" is apt, Pastor taught
For an act of human forgiveness, as we often see
Does not release others from moral responsibility
Pastor mentioned the Hatfield and McCoy family feud
In light of eternity, these matter little he then argued
He referred to Luke 17 verse 4 and 5 where Jesus did say
To forgive a repentant sinner seven times each and every day
Matthew 18:20-21 also talked about forgiveness
Responding to Peter, Jesus said it should be limitless
An anonymous quote Pastor then did impart
"Forgiveness is the evidence of God's grace in our heart"
If imitating God's nature is how we want to live
Then it should be natural to choose to forgive

Pastor then shared of forgiveness' benefits and blessings
By not letting small things turn into big things
Forgiveness unlocks the prison of the soul
Bringing it freedom, which should be a goal
To both parties forgiveness also brings joy
(A lot more than the gift of a little toy)
"Forgiveness is Christianity at its highest level"
It is clearly not something consistent with the devil
In 1999, when Australian missionaries were burned to death
The widow forgave the perpetrators with her next breath
This allowed her to share God's loving grace
With the Indian nation, standing in one place

About forgiving ourselves, Pastor then did talk
It is something at which many people balk
But shouldn't we believers be enticed?
It is effectively receiving forgiveness from Christ
Carrying our sins with us should not be our fate
For Jesus is there to carry all the weight

In summary, Pastor could have used the old line
That "to err is human, to forgive divine"
Our lives would be better and so would the earth
If there was a surplus of forgiveness instead of a dearth

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

8 March 2011 - 1 John 2:1-3

At the start of chapter two John did begin
"I write this to you so that you will not sin"
But we have one who can defend if sin we have done
His name is "Jesus Christ, the Righteous One"
For our collective sins, "he is the atoning sacrifice"
For the sins of the world, his actions did suffice

Dear God, thank you for this reminder twofold
About sin and atonement as John's letter told
For I know that try as hard as I might
I will still do things that are not right
Knowing that Jesus paid such a high price
Makes me feel both contrite and nice
Contrite for all my errants ways
Nice for upon me his loving eyes gaze
And dear God, let these words encourage me
To follow your ways so that others may see

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

2 March 2011 - Isaiah 1-4

Turning your back on God to live as you want is sin
Not doing wrong is not enough, we must do right to win
But doing right is often tough
For we are distracted by other stuff
We must still try to follow His will
And let His spirit our hearts fill
Creation can not outdo the creator
So what do we have so much pride for?
Remember that God humbles those with pride
Because He alone sees through our outside

This is some of what the first chapters of Isaiah are telling
So, dear God, let me now repent instead of rebelling
For then when judgement day doth come
From your deserved wrath I will be saved from
I know I can trust you, based on what you have done in the past
So help me follow your path until I breathe my last
And as I conclude this short rhyme
Help me to reprioritise my time