Random Devotional Thoughts, Uncategorized

How Do You Stack Up?

BAPTIZ_FWe had a baptismal service at our church this morning when four young people were baptised. Each of them gave very clear testimonies as to why they wanted to be baptised, and how they had come to know the Lord for themselves. To them God was not just a force “up there”, but He was personally their Father in Heaven. How many people say the Lord’s prayer today starting with “Our Father which art in Heaven”, and they don’t know God as their Father at all! We wouldn’t dream of approaching just any man out there, and calling him “Father”  and asking Him to supply our daily food. Yet so many people do this without even thinking what they are saying. Let’s hope you aren’t one of these!

The speaker after the baptismal service, made it quite clear to the congregation that what these young people had done was not to gain favour with God to get them to heaven, but were going through this rite in obedience to what God had asked them to do. It is something that Jesus Christ told His disciples to do before He left this earth….”Go and teach all nations,  baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and see, I will be with you always”.

What a wonderful promise this is, that He gives to all who do as He asks!

Morning Musings

Anchor of Hope.

      Anchor  We had gone into a quiet bay for some rest and relaxation after a day of sailing, and dropped the anchor. But after a while we could see that we weren’t in quite the same place as we had been when the anchor went down. Somehow we had drifted, and were much further out in the bay. So we lifted the anchor, went forwards again, and put out more rope this time, pulling back on it to make sure that it had a good grip in the mud on the bottom.

It’s a lot like that in life at times. There will be times when we think we have a good hold on things and then we find that the winds of life have picked us up and carried us where we don’t want to be. It is in times like this that as we stop and take stock of what is happening around us; we are to go forwards once more and drop our anchor into the hope that God gives us in His Word, the Bible.

It is no use merely dropping the anchor; it is not the anchor that does the holding, it is what the anchor is sitting on. If the bottom has a lot of weed on it, the anchor will just slide along the top of it allowing our boat to drift. It is only as we put out more rope and pull back on it making sure that there is a good grip on the bottom, going through the weeds into the mud beneath, that we can rest in staying in one place. The rope is like the rope of faith in our life… the longer it is, the better the grip. The more we trust God in our difficulties, the stronger our faith becomes, and the firmer grip we have in the storms of life.

Without hope in our life, everything seems pointless, and we tend to get depressed. So it is that without the hope of God’s salvation, we have nothing to look forwards to. God doesn’t intend His people to be swayed around in the storms, but we must do our part by digging deep into His Word for ourselves

Morning Musings

Have You Ever Thought of This???

Quinn Joy aWhen a child is born it is totally dependent on its parents for all its needs. As it grows older, so this dependence is taught to turn to independence until the child is able to look after itself and ultimately leave home.

But in the spiritual life, it should be the other way around. We so often  loudly declare, “I’m not having anyone tell ME what to do!” The sign of a truly spiritual person is that of growing dependence on the Lord as they go through life. We are to learn to depend on the Lord for our decisions and our behaviour more and more as we go through life …the Lord said “Unless you become as a little child, you cannot have part in the kingdom of heaven”.

It doesn’t mean that we behave childishly, just the opposite in fact. The more mature a Christian becomes, the more he will depend on his Heavenly Father. Just as a small child depends on its father for its daily needs, so we have to learn to depend on our Heavenly Father for our spiritual needs. Without this dependence, we will surely make a mess of things in our life.

We remember that Jesus called Himself the “Good Shepherd”, and a shepherd’s job is to look after his sheep. He only allows what is for the ultimate good of the sheep, and sometimes we take ourselves out of the shepherd’s care. Then we have to endure the consequences of our foolish and independent actions. The trouble is that we often take those we love with us into this maze of trouble that we have deliberately  gone into.

Daily Devotionals

Lessons from Fishing

12f  We sometimes go fishing. It’s a wonderfully relaxing pastime unless there are no fish around in which case one can feel rather frustrated. However, if it is a nice day, just being on the water is relaxation in itself.

When the fish are biting well, and one or two come into the boat, all the trouble seems worthwhile. That reminds us that nothing worthwhile in life just happens without some effort. Nothing tried is nothing gained just as in other phases of life.

Sometimes only undersized fish get caught. This is when one has to just throw them back to grow some more We have to be honest in this and not keep them. If one is caught by the inspector, a  heavy fine and sometimes even the confiscation of the boat.

Other times, a big one might get on and be brought right up to the side of the boat, only to have it give a final flick of the head  and get away. At times like this it doesn’t seem fair…..after all that effort to have it get away! That reminds us that life isn’t always fair. At times it is grossly unfair. But this is how we learn to cope with disappointments…..things won’t always go our way!

Another lesson to learn is to kill the fish immediately they are brought into the boat. It is not fair to let creatures suffer unnecessarily, and to die of  slow suffocation is anything but kind.

Learning to cast with the rod doesn’t just come naturally. As with most things, there is a certain knack to learn to get the line far enough out. The same principle applies here as with other things….practice makes perfect! If at first you don’t succeed, try again as the old saying goes.

Last but not least, is that time spent with family or friends is never time wasted. Let’s make sure we take the time to enjoy the things that God has given us to freely enjoy. It would be sad indeed to have to face Him one day and hear Him say, “ I  made all that beauty for you to experience, and you never took the time to enjoy it!”

Random Devotional Thoughts

Helmet of Hope

Helmet

David, the Psalmist in the Bible, could say… “For You are my hope, O Lord GOD: You are my trust from my youth” (Psalm 71:5).

I was listening to a preacher the other day who was talking about hope. Not hope with the thought of it may or may not happen, but hope as a confidence and certainty. There is another verse in the Bible where it says to put on the helmet of the hope of salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:8). Once we have this helmet firmly on our head, no matter how many darts of doubt and fear Satan fires at us, we can overcome them.

The law in New Zealand says that it is compulsory for every cyclist to wear a helmet while riding their bike on the road. It is no use carrying it on the handlebars of the bike, because that won’t keep us safe if we have an accident. We have to have it on our head  to be safe. Every time we have an impact, we have to adjust it and wear it properly again.

So it is when troubles hit us on our ride through life, we have to adjust our helmet of hope and get on our bike and go on again. Every negative thought that Satan gives us, we have to counteract with our helmet of hope, and count our many blessings.

It is no use counting our blessings on our fingers and our troubles on the calculator, we are to do it the other way around. Every new morning we are to put on our helmet of hope and count our blessings; we are to firmly fasten it with thanksgiving to God, and to resist negative thoughts which come from the Evil One. We will then be able to face the new day with a positive and confident “hope” as we go to work.

Random Devotional Thoughts

What is Life?

Quinn Joy aI  was watching a young Mum with her newborn baby the other day, and got to thinking how this little life is there for ever. Everything that the child will grow into is already in place except its attitudes, and these are up to the parents to teach and show as the child develops. What an awesome responsibility, and one that so many people take so lightly!

Life has a beginning at conception and then grows as the child is born and takes its first breath. This life does not end at death, it just begins! What we have been on earth lays the foundation for what we will be in the next life…just as Jesus said, “What we bind on earth will be bound in heaven.”

This life is just the beginning of eternity. Every baby that takes a breath exists for ever, for eternity….life on earth is just a dot, and what we do with it is up to us!

Jesus said….”I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly!”  and…

“This is life eternal…that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ  Who You sent.”

Morning Musings

Go, All Blacks!

All Blacks UniformThe All Blacks are the New Zealand National rugby team, and as such are very special to New Zealanders. At the moment with the world rugby games on in UK, the teams’ results make news most days. Thinking about this and the distinctive uniforms that each team wears brought several thoughts to mind.

Firstly, each member of the team is chosen. In the same way each person who belongs to God has been invited, chosen and called. The only difference in this analogy is that ALL are called by God, but not all choose to respond to Him positively.

Secondly, all wear the uniform with pride. How much pride do we have in wearing the uniform that marks us out as different when we belong to God? Do we hide our light or do we wear our uniform openly?

Thirdly, our uniform and belonging to the team, shows commitment. We must live up to what the uniform stands for, and any member of the team who disgraces the uniform is dealt with immediately. How thankful we can be that God has patience with His people when we let Him down!

Fourthly, all members of the team wear it, and are responsible to each other. We cannot take it off and sneak into doubtful places to have “fun” which only brings shame in the end. Whenever a member of the national team gets into trouble when on tour, it makes the headlines at home in the papers. Let’s make sure we hold God’s standard high above reproach.

Fifthly,  members of the team need daily training, there can be no slacking off. In the same way we need to keep up our daily training in God’s Word. It is only as we do this that we can keep our spiritual strength up.

Lastly, team members depend on each other to get the ball to winning goal. We are told to pray for one another, and to bear each other’s burdens when things go wrong for them. It doesn’t take much effort to make a phone call to encourage those who are part of your fellowship. We must remember the owner of the team and keep our eyes on Him….

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)

Morning Musings

Looking Ahead

2015-09-20 23.49.47How this year has flown! As you get older, so the time seems to go quicker. What once seemed endless, now seems to have the end come too quickly. At the beginning of holidays, they seem to have no end, then suddenly the end has come. This is just like one’s life.

When we are growing up, the years stretch ahead of us endlessly.

When we are middle aged, they are still there…we think ten, twenty years, even thirty years still to go to do things in.

When we get older at retirement, now is the time to get things done, plenty of time and leisure.

When we reach our eighties, what is left? Looks have gone, health has gone, strength is not there, can’t be bothered, how much has been left unaccomplished? What remains?

Without the assurance of a life to come, nothing is left, there is no hope. But for someone who knows the Lord Jesus Christ, there is everything to look forwards to. Not only will we see Him face to face, but there will be so much more to discover. The Bible tells us that “eye has not seen, nor the ear heard, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

    Did you notice that phrase….”for those who love Him”? If we don’t love Him enough to get to know Him while here on earth, how are we going to love Him in a time to come? It is never too late to come to Him…He is calling to all….”Come until Me all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  What a wonderful invitation!

See what God has to say to YOU.