PROTECTING OURSELVES
The Bible tells us that we have been sealed with a seal of identification and ownership:
When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13, 14)
WILL YOU BE A PRECIOUS METAL?
What was the point God was making to Jeremiah? God likens stiff-necked Israel to bronze and iron; a very strong metal used for building works, but in terms of value, nowhere near as great as silver.
SOME SAID IT THUNDERED
Imagine sitting in your garden on a fine Summer’s Day and hearing a low rumble somewhere in the distance. Our immediate reaction might be to believe we have just heard an airplane taking off or landing at East Midlands airport. What would it take before you realized that, actually, it was the sound of thunder?
OUR CERTAINTIES In An UNCERTAIN AGE
How do you respond when you witness increasing wholesale rejection of God’s ways in society?
DO YOU FEEL INSIGNIFICANT?
Imagine a procession of famous Bible characters parading Israel’s good and best. Who would you expect to see as the flag bearer? Well, undoubtedly, Jesus would be out in front. Closely following Jesus might be Moses, Elijah, Joshua, Gideon, Samson, David, Elisha, Peter, Paul ……………. All well-known personalities. The second-best “also-rans” from the Bible you would try to keep at the back, right…… or maybe wrong?
EXPECTATION
What do you expect today? The same as yesterday, and likely the same again tomorrow? The following story indicates how one man’s whole expectation in life changed with an encounter…………
RIGHTEOUS ANGER & HUMILITY
Have you ever prayed for something, and things have gone from bad to worse?
We Praise Him With Our Breath
Now is the time to give praise and thanks to God for all that He has done, for all that He is doing, and for all that He is still to do. Let's lift up our testimonies of praise to God. Let's use the breath that God has given us to worship Him
He fills Us With His Spirit
As much as we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit to edify ourselves, we also need to be filled so that we can minister to other people, especially people who do not yet know the Lord. God gives us His Spirit so that we can be effective witnesses for Him, taking healing and deliverance out onto the streets, demonstrating the power of God, and engaging in spiritual warfare in order for God's Kingdom to break through into our neighbourhoods, city and nation.
The Breath Of God Gives Us Life
The breath of God not only creates life; it also brings about new life. It gives new birth to our spiritual life as we are born again of God's Spirit (John 3:5-8). God's ability to recreate life can be seen in Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37). There is a moment in the vision where the dry bones are covered with skin, muscles and tissue, but they are still lifeless. It is not until God's breath comes into them that they come to life. The breath in our lungs reminds us that we are sustained by God. Our very breath witnesses to the fact that God has not abandoned us; His life-giving presence is active within us.
Meeting With God In The Secret Place
Hiding away to come to God in private is not something just for monks and mystics. It is, or at least should be, part of the spiritual life of every believer. In fact, it can be difficult to remain close to God unless we carve out time to be in 'the secret place'.
WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN AN INVASION
Wherever we turn in society, there seems to be a concerted onslaught of ungodly ways that are attempting to erode those godly principles that are outlined within the Bible. In a spiritual sense, it seems like we are in a war, opposing an invasion of all that is evil. How should we respond?
KNOWING THE WAY TO TAKE
We sometimes disagree with a car SatNav because we think we know better! Humility is an essential attribute in an unfamiliar territory, because God does know best! Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not (don’t rely) on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Prov. 3:5, 6)
A PACKET OF CRISPS
Before we embark on a camping expedition, it is important to plan what we need to take with us. We might think of warm clothes, sleeping bag, torch, matches, etc., but would we think of including a packet of crisps?
Little becomes much!
What a challenge that is for us! Isn't God always asking us what we have available for His use? And what is our response? Do we keep back what we think we need first and give Him the surplus or are we willing to hand it all to Him? As we step out and do the latter, will we begin to experience the miracle-working power of God in our lives?
Hornets
What are hornets? Hornets are a type of wasp. There are hornets in the UK as well as various types of hornets in many countries. What this text tells us is that God sent out these insects ahead of the Israelites, to help drive out the other nations before them.
How do we apply this to us today?
Waiting On God
Another aspect of the word is 'to wait on'. Think of the people of Downton Abbey. They lived a luxurious lifestyle in a large stately home and had numerous servants working for them. At the sumptuous dinners in their huge dining room, there would be a butler and probably two others waiting on the family. These waiters didn't need to be told what to do – they merely watched their master and knew what was required of them.
WORD PROCESSORS
Before computing became as popular as it is today, many offices had a machine called a word processor that a typist could use to create and store documents. It was essentially a hybrid between an old mechanical typewriter and a computer that we all have today.
Listening In The Storm
Do you remember as a younger person learning to calculate the approximate distance between a storm and yourself, considering the number of seconds between a lightning flash and a rumble of thunder? Based on the speed of sound, the calculation revealed that a gap of 5 seconds between flash and thunder equates to 1 mile.