About this Blog Seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.
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By Philologus, on 29th April 2012 We know that only running a car for infrequent short journeys, perhaps just round the corner to the local shops once a week, doesn’t do the car’s battery a whole lot of good. The battery charges when the engine is running, but using a car for only very short journeys tends to use more of the stored energy in the battery than what is put back through recharging. While the battery might be perfectly okay, after a while the negative balance of each journey begins to tell and the car becomes reluctant to start. A knock on the neighbours door and a set of jump leads might be required to get it going again, but this is only a quick fix. What the car really needs is an extended run, a long journey to recharge the battery fully.
Our spiritual life can be like this. We need the Word of God continually to recharge our spiritual battery. The time we spend in church is only a small period of time each week, and while undoubtedly it can give us a great boost, much like the jump leads, it is only a quick fix for our spiritual well-being. We need more than just a Sunday morning to achieve our full spiritual potential, we can perhaps wait until later in the week for Bible study group, but again that’s just another short period of time. The key issue for us is whether when we leave the church after the service, do we take God with us, or do we leave him behind? To keep our spiritual battery fully charged we must be journeying with Christ continually, not just on a Sunday.
Remember, it was said that where two or three meet together in Christ’s name, Christ is there with them, but what about later? Will we still be thinking of Jesus afterwards? Will he get pushed to the side? We will never fully recharge spiritually if we only spend a short time with God each week. The Psalmist said, “O how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalms 119:97).
We must do all we can to make those periods with God as long as possible and take Him wherever we go. Perhaps we should be praying more often, maybe reading our Bible more. We have so much to be joyful about and the Word of God should be burning within our hearts.
So those who received his word were baptised, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers…. and day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Act 2:41-47)
The Word of God was certainly burning within the hearts of the early followers. We often make great efforts to include material and worldly things in our lives and become spiritually drained when we leave God behind… what can you do to keep your spiritual battery fully charged?
By Anushka, on 14th April 2012 Do you ever get a feeling when you are studying something that the more you study the more you realize you don’t know? Common sense tells you that your knowledge is increasing but you also become more aware of the vast breadth and depth of information on whatever topic you’re looking at. You end up feeling like you are just scratching the surface.
Science in particular is like this. Think of the enormous strides that have been made in science in the last one hundred years, and yet everyday new discoveries are made which change current thinking. We humans can’t even decide how many eggs we should eat a day for optimal health. Just this week I read an article that states we may have finally found out what the point of the appendix is, after being told for years that it’s part of the body which does nothing at all. It seems it may be a receptacle for stockpiling good bacteria to top up the intestine in case of infection.
So what’s my point?
Firstly, relying on human knowledge, even with a suitable amount of skepticism, is not wise. Humans really don’t know everything. New knowledge changes the prevailing opinion from week to week.
Secondly, it may feel that there are times in life when things are not clear. You may worry about the meaning of life, and what the point of it all is. No-one has an ultimate fail-safe plan. No-one knows all the answers to scientific questions. No-one can tell you exactly how life began, or how to eat for perfect health, or how to achieve a long life.
What does this mean for us spiritually?
It means that we can’t rely on our own minds and judgments to tell us how to worship God. We should be worshiping God the way He tells us to, not the way we feel inside is right. History tells us that in the long term we can’t rely on our intuition to get things right all the time. But how do we know what Gods way is? As Christians we believe that the Bible is the only true source of external knowledge from God, which was written by man under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If we read the Bible we will understand what God wants from us.
This also solves my second point. God DOES know all the answers. So don’t worry that world leaders and scientists can’t solve problems or give answers because in fullness of time Gods plan for the world will come to fruition.
God knew all along what the appendix did. It’s taken us thousands of years to find out. If you wait a while and trust in Him all will be made clear.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55 v 8-9)
“Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?…Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions?” (Job 38 v 2,4,5)
Let us pray for greater knowledge and read the Bible for answers, knowing that soon Jesus will return to make all things new.
By Philologus, on 9th April 2012 We’ve added a new Bible study on the third of the letters to the churches in Revelation looking at how the members of the church in Pergamum compromised their faith for an easier life.
By Anushka, on 7th April 2012 New Life
Spring is here what a relief
The Winter time is past
It means we can look forward
To the lighter nights at last
There is New Life all around us
Wherever we cast our eye
The bulbs are out what beauty
We behold as we walk by
Their colours are so many
White, yellow pink and blue
Purple, orange, red all shades
Giving gardens life anew
The little lambs are bleating
Oh what a lovely sound
There are baby chicks enjoying
The new freedom they have found
This New Life is not limited
To nature, don’t you see
We too can have a New Life
If we come to Calvary
And lay our sins on Jesus
Who died for you and me
He suffered death upon the cross
A spotless lamb was He
We all can be his little lambs
And He our Shepherd, Friend
Who never will forsake us
On that we can depend
So let’s celebrate this Easter Day
The Lord is Risen indeed
He has paid the price for all our sin
Halleluiah we’ve been freed.
(c) Sue Towler
By Anushka, on 30th March 2012 Bitesize Bible Study – The Book of 2 Chronicles
What is covered in this book?
- 2 Chronicles commences with the reign of Solomon, and finishes with the carrying away into captivity of Judah.
- Much of the material in 2 Chronicles is also covered by 1 and 2 Kings.
- The emphasis in 2 Chronicles is spiritual and focuses on the worship of God, whereas 1 and 2 Kings have greater emphasis on the political and military activities of the kings.
- Like 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles only deals with the southern kingdom of Judah.
- In chapters 1-9 Solomon becomes king and builds the temple.
- In chapters 10-12 the reign of Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, is covered.
- The remainder of the chapters follow through subsequent events in the lives of the kings, from Abijah through to Zedekiah, the last king of Judah.
What are the themes in this book?
- The temple is completed by Solomon and becomes the center of worship in Jerusalem.
- There is a pattern of blessings on Judah when the king encouraged the people to do what was right, and periods of wickedness which lead to war and defeat.
- Various kings were reformers, and tried to set to right the poor examples of previous kings.
- Ultimately the people failed the Lord and were taken into captivity.
What reformations took place in Judah?
- Chapter 15: King Asa held a great religious festival
- Chapter 17: King Jehoshaphat sent religious leaders through the land to teach the people.
- Chapter 24: King Joash, under the influence of Jehoiada the priest, repaired the temple.
- Chapter 29: King Hezekiah restored the temple worship.
- Chapter 34: King Josiah found the book of the law and restored true worship.
What can we learn from this book?
- The people of Judah are encouraged to seek the Lord and rewarded when they worship Him. This is the same in our lives, although not quite as directly as it was in those days.
- Ultimately God wants us to worship Him and not forsake Him, to gain true spiritual benefits.
- The best endeavors of man cannot save us, human nature is easily led and drawn into wicked behaviors, especially when a strong leader is lacking.
- This points forward to the leader we await from heaven, the Lord Jesus.
Next Time: Bitesize Book of Ezra!
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