THE PROMISES OF GOD

The New Year is only a few days old. Let's commit ourselves afresh to reading the Word of God day-by-day. Here are some links which I hope you will find helpful.

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I hope you will visit the "Daily Devotional Readings" and receive a blessing from the Lord.
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"When you read God's Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, 'It is talking to me, and about me.'" (Soren Kierkegaard).

Hebrews 1:1-2
As your study of God's Word takes you into different part of Scripture - "God spoke ... through the prophets at many times and in various places", make sure that your main focus of attention is always on Jesus - in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son."

Colossians 1:1-6
"All over the world this Gospel is bearing fruit and growing" (Colossians 1:6). The work of the Gospel is always more than what's happening in the place where you live. Continue to pray for the work of the Lord in many places. Don't forget to pray for those who brought the Word of the Lord to you and are now serving the Lord in another place.

Joshua 1:1-5
God's promise for the New Year - "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you" (Joshua 1:5).

1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

1Pe 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

1Pe 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

1Pe 5:11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

inhisgloriousnameministriesonline.blogspot.com

'Jesus Christ', our Saviour and Lord, 'the same yesterday and today and forever', continues to speak to us His gracious words of salvation - 'Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have mercy on him, and to our God for He will abundantly pardon' (Hebrews 13:8; Isaiah 55:6-7). In the countdown towards Christmas, let's not forget Jesus. He's 'the Reason for the Season'!

The Story is unique. Our Saviour is unique. His Salvation is unique. It is only this Story, this Saviour and this Salvation which gives us the strength to face the future with the confidence which says, 'Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ' (1 Corinthians 15:57).

We give thanks to God for the great message of the Gospel - 'Christ died for our sins' (1 Corinthians 15:3). We rejoice in the great love which lies behind the death of Christ for our sins - 'God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us' (Romans 5:8).The death of Jesus is not, however, the end of His Story. He has risen from the dead. We rejoice in the risen 'Lord'. Let us confess Him as our Lord (Acts 2:36; Romans 10:9).

Throughout His great Story, we see Jesus Christ as our wonderful Saviour, the only One who 'is able to save to the uttermost all who come to God through Him' (Hebrews 7:25). He is 'the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29). He is the great Saviour concerning whom we can still say, 'the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin' (1 John 1:7).

Jesus is the Lord - 'In the beginning ... the Word was God' (John 1:1). He is the Christ, the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies. The prophets looked forward to His coming. Now, we rejoice in 'the good news' of our salvation - 'Jesus ... will save His people from their sins' (Luke 2:10; Matthew 1:21). From the very beginning of His life on earth, Jesus is clearly marked out as different from the rest of us - 'that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit', 'the Holy Spirit will come upon you ... therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God' (Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:35).

For our salvation, we need both - the 'Mighty God' and 'God with us'. Apart from 'God with us', the 'Mighty God' might seem remote, great in power yet detached from us. Apart from the 'Mighty God', 'God with us' might seem too homely, too much like a 'god' created in our own image. Jesus Christ is our Saviour. He is the 'Mighty God'. We know that He is able to save. He has become 'God with us'. We know that He is willing to save.

As Christmas approaches, let’s think about Jesus - who He is and why He came to our world. The Story of Jesus is a wonderful Story. It’s the Story of the eternal Word, the Word become flesh - the ‘Mighty God’ has become ‘Emmanuel’ (God with us) (John 1:1, 14; Isaiah 9:6; 7:14), the fulfilment of the prophecies of Isaiah. The ‘Mighty God’ has become ‘Emmanuel (God with us)’ (9:6; 7:14). This is the Story of our salvation, the Story of Jesus Christ, the ‘Mighty God’ who became ‘God with us.’

Matthew 1:18-25

Joseph did not remain an unspiritual man. He became a man of faith. How did he become a man of faith? - He became a man of faith through an encounter with the angel of the Lord, who revealed to him the true nature of Jesus. God was graciously providing His Son as the Saviour of the world. Joseph had a very important decision to make. he had to decide whether he was going to accept Jesus as his Saviour or reject Him as the illegitimate son of another man. By his acceptance of Mary and the child she was expecting, Joseph signified his acceptance of Jesus Christ, the Saviour. Joseph's response of faith, following the word of the angel of the Lord, now stands as a permanent example for us, that we might learn, from Joseph, how to move from being unspiritual, unbelieving people to being men and women of faith, rejoicing in our Saviour, Jesus Christ. God has a question for each one of us: Have you made a true response of faith to the gracious word of the Lord concerning His Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ?

Matthew 1:18-25

First, we note Joseph's initial response to finding out that Mary - his betrothed (fiancee) - was with child by the Holy Spirit. To understand Joseph's initial response, we must understand the nature of Jewish betrothal. In our society, if an engaged couple decide to break off their engagement, this is a matter between themselves. There is no legal contract binding them to each other. Things were different in Israel at the time of Jesus' birth - Jewish betrothal could be dissolved only by a formal act in which the man gave the woman a certificate of divorce. Joseph planned to do this quietly, in order to avoid a public scandal." Joseph's initial response was to view the situation from a purely human point of view. He did not understand the spiritual significance of what had happened. From the purely human standpoint, Joseph's intended action was perfectly understandable. He wanted to save face. At this stage, however, Joseph was still in the position of 'the unspiritual man' who 'cannot understand the things of God.' Joseph needed to be 'born again.'

What a difference there is between the kind of sophisticated unbelief, which leaves us with half a Bible and half a Saviour, and the attitude of faith that rejoices in a whole Bible and a whole Saviour! This is not a matter of splitting hairs between different interpretations. There is an eternity of difference between regarding Jesus as our great example and trusting Him as our Saviour. It is the difference between the believer who will spend eternity with Christ and the unbeliever who will spend eternity without Christ.

What is the essential difference between the believer and the unbeliever? - The difference is highlighted in Matthew 1:18-25, where we read of Joseph’s experience of God’s grace in the announcement of the Saviour’s birth. Here, we learn about our Saviour’s birth. Through Joseph’s experience, we also learn about the way of moving from unbelief to faith. In the next few posts, we will look at Joseph's experience of moving from unbelief to faith.

Matthew, chapter 1, divides itself naturally into two sections - (a) verses 1-17 and (b) verses 18-25. These two sections of the New Testament’s very first chapter contains clear, unambigous rejection of the so-called ‘faith’ of many sophisticated unbelievers. In this post, we look at verses 18-25.

Verses 18-25 make it perfectly clear that we are not to think of the story of jesus as a purely human story. His birth was not ordinary. It was extraordinary. The purpose of His birth was not unknown. It was uniquely specified before His birth. There are many people who say, “Surely, you don’t believe in the Virgin Birth. It’s just an old fairy-tale.” For many people, the Virgin Birth is a stumbling-block - they cannot believe it! They want a “Christianity” without the Virgin Birth. They cannot, however, escape the fact that the New Testament does not present us with such an earthbound “Christianity.” Matthew 1:18 simple tells us, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.” There is no suggestion of “It wasn’t really like this, but this is a nice way of speaking about it and it sounds good.”

If the manner of Jesus’ birth was extraordinary, the purpose of His birth was even more amazing.He did not come only to be a moral example of perfect love. He came to be the Saviour, the One who would save His people from their sins.

Matthew, chapter 1, divides itself naturally into two sections - (a) verses 1-17 and (b) verses 18-25. These two sections of the New Testament’s very first chapter contains clear, unambigous rejection of the so-called ‘faith’ of many sophisticated unbelievers. In this post, we look at verses 1-17.

verses 1-17 make it clear that if we are to understand the story of Jesus rightly, we cannot say, “The New Testament - that’s all right (after all - it’s an inspirational classic) - but I’ve no time for the Old Testament.” From the opening words of Matthew’s Gospel, we learn that the story of Jesus did not begin at Bethlehem. we need to go back to the Old Testament. Matthew goes back to Abraham and the promise given to Abraham by God. Luke takes us right back to the God of creation. The story of Jesus is no mere human story. It has its roots in the eternal love of the God who was active throughout history, preparing His people for the coming of the promised and expected Saviour.

The New Testament is an inspirational classic in the history of the world’s great literature, but surely we can forget about the Old Testament! The Sermon on the mount is a masterpiece of ethical teaching, but surely we can do without all this talk about Jesus Christ dying to be our Saviour! Statements like these represent the ‘faith’ (if we can call it ‘faith’) of a great many people in our modern world. Statements like these have been made by people who have achieved a great deal in the academic world. These attitudes seem so modern. They sound intelligent. They have a certain plausibility about them. Some, who are regarded as great theologians, come to the Bible with the attitude that they have the right to pick and choose which parts of the Bible they wish to believe. They rarely take the Old Testament very seriously. When they come to the New Testament, they reject as naivety the idea that God has miraculously intervened in our world in the sending of His Son to be our Saviour. For such theologians, all we really need to take seriously is the idea that we should be nice to other people and hope that they will be nice to us in return. This kind of reduction of the Biblical and Christian Gospel to a Jesus-ethic has been very influential on the thinking of many, ordinary people in today’s world. So many people have a vague respect for Jesus, the ethical teacher, but they have lost faith in the God - the Lord of history - who became man in Jesus in order to bring men and women back to Himself. What are we to make of this kind of thinking? - We could not even read the first chapter of the New Testament without finding a direct and emphatic refutation of such man-centred and godless unbelief.

As we consider our sure and certain hope of eternal life, received through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, we might well end with a verse we could so easily overlook. It is John 6:23: “boats from Tiberias came near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks.” Notice how the place is described - “the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks.” The Lord gave thanks for the bread. We also must give thanks - not only for bread but for Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. Thanksgiving - this must be the keynote of our celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Thanksgiving - this must be the keynote of our whole life: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18); “always and for everything giving thanks in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father” (Ephesians 5:20); “And whatever you do, in word or dead, do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).

As we approach the Lord’s Supper, we may find that the story of the feeding of the five thousand has some important lessons for us. In John 6:12, Jesus tells His disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost.” There are two lessons here.
* First, Jesus was concerned that nothing should be lost. In John 6:39, we read, “and this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given Me, but raise it up at the last day.” Those who have come, in faith, to Jesus will never be lost (John 6:37). It is only those who have refused to come to Christ who will be lost. They will be lost because they have refused to be saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. For those who have come to the Lord Jesus, there is here a precious and treasured lesson concerning the assurance of salvation.
* Second, we notice that the fragments were to be gathered up. This gathering up of the fragments points us forward to our heavenly and glorious, eternal destiny as the redeemed people of God. John 11:52 tells us that Jesus died not for the Jewish nation only. He died “to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.”

When we gather at the Lord’s Table, we remember, with thanksgiving, the dying love of our Saviour. through faith, we look beyond the symbols of bread and wine. we draw near to the Saviour whom they signify. we hear Jesus saying, “the Bread which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh” (John 6:51). We say to Jesus, “Thank You, Lord Jesus, for dying on the Cross for my sins.” We hear Jesus saying, “For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me and I in Him” (John 6:55-56). We know, in our hearts, that this is much more than the outward ceremony. This is the inward reality of Christ, living in our hearts. We look to Him in faith. He comes to live in our hearts.

We dare not remain content with the outward ceremonies of the Church. We must look beyond the ritual. We must look on to the Reality - our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
In His message on the Bread of Life, Jesus says, “Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life” (John 6:27). What is “the food which endures to eternal life”? Jesus makes it perfectly clear that He is speaking about Himself: “For the Bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world” (John 6:33). Following this statement, there comes a request: “Lord, give us this bread always” (John 6:34). Jesus’ reply is emphatic: “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35). If, when we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we are content with the outward observance without coming in faith to the Saviour, we receive nothing other than the food which perishes. If, on the other hand, we come, in faith, to Christ, we enjoy the promised blessing: “”he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

Following on from Jesus’ message on the Bread of Life, we see another reaction to Jesus (John 6:41-42). Here, we have the Jews murmuring at Jesus, saying that He is a mere man, who has no right to say, “I have come down from heaven.” we cannot assume that all who hear the Good News of Christ will come, in faith, to Him. There will always be those who, like the Jews, refuse to come to Christ and receive eternal life. When we read of this reaction among the religious people of Jesus’ day, we cannot expect that things will be any different in our day. There was religious unbelief in Jesus’ time, There is religious unbelief in our time. We must not hide behind our religion. We must be honest before God; “Take care, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).

Following the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, we see an interesting response to Jesus (John 6:14-15). The people make what appears to be a positive response to Jesus (John 6:14). It is, nevertheless, based on a misunderstanding of who Jesus really is and what Jesus has come to do (John 6:15). There are many people who respond to Jesus in precisely this way. they feel good about Jesus. They come along to Church. They sit under the ministry of God’s Word. They come to the Lord’s Table. They eat the bread. They drink the wine. Somehow, they miss the point of it all. They never really get beyond the symbols. They come to the Lord’s House. They hear the Lord’s Word. They receive the Lord’s Supper. The symbols have become more important than the Saviour. When we come to the Lord’s House, hearing His Word and celebrating the Lord’s Supper, let us make sure that we come to the Saviour - receiving Him as well as the symbols which point to Him.

In the Lord’s Supper, Jesus stands before us as the One who calls for our decision. There is no automatic guarantee that all who hear the preaching of God’s Word do, in fact, receive the blessing of which God’s Word speaks. There is no automatic guarantee that all who receive the blessing to which these symbols point. Jesus stands before us, saying to us, “What is your response to Me?” Some hear God’s Word with courtesy, but they do not come to Christ. Some partake of the sacrament with dignity, but they do not come to Christ. Jesus says, “Let’s get beyond outward appearances. How is your heart towards Me?”

We begin with John 6:35 - “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” A great deal is said, in John 6, about bread - the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1-14), the reminder of this miracle - “boats from Tiberias came near to the place where they ate the bread after Jesus gave thanks” (John 6:23), Jesus’ message on the Bread of Life (John 6:26-40), the continuation of this theme (John 6:48-51, 58). A lot is said about bread, yet the important thing is not bread itself. bread is simply a symbol, pointing beyond itself to Jesus. When we think of bread, we think also of the Lord’s Supper. When we think of the Lord’s Supper, we think not only of the bread and the wine. Our thoughts turn to the Saviour, of whom the bread and the wine speak.

When we move beyond our rejoicing in divine grace to speak of those who refuse to come to the Saviour, we must take great care. Some have much knowledge of "the Scriptures." They have had the Gospel of Christ preached to them. They have been shown the way to "eternal life." Still, they have not trusted the Saviour. What are we to say about this? Jesus said, "you refuse to come to Me to have life" (John 5:39-40).

God is graciously speaking to sinners, calling them to return to Him. Sadly, many do say 'No' to Him. We may wonder how people can possibly refuse such a great love as the love of Christ? - This is "the mystery of iniquity" (2 Thessalonians 2:7). Grace breaks the power of sin. This is the great truth of the Gospel. When we speak of 'irresistible grace' we are praising the Lord, we are giving Him all the glory for our salvation. This does not come from us. It comes from Him.

For those of us who have come to Christ, we give glory to God, giving thanks that His grace has reached us and lifted us out of our bondage and into His freedom. Rather than magnifying our own free will, we sing, from the heart, "He drew me and I followed on, charmed to confess the voice divine." We know, in our hearts, the truth of Jesus' words, "All that the Father gives to Me shall come to Me" (John 6:37). We also know that there are many who hear God's voice and yet they harden their hearts. Those who have come to rejoice in Jesus Christ may well ask, "How can anyone say 'No' to the Saviour's love?" When we, who have come to the Lord, are giving our testimony, we may well speak of an 'irresistible grace' - "Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Philippians 3:12). When, however, we are calling upon sinners to come to the Saviour, we must speak clearly of the fate of those who, when they hear God's voice, persist in hardening their hearts.

It is through the death of Christ that we are brought out of bondage (Hebrews 2:14-15). Looking to our Saviour, we give all the glory to Him. His grace has reached us. He has drawn us to Himself. There are those who persist in their rebellion against the God of grace. The Word of God comes to them as it comes to us. It comes with the promise of salvation - "He is able to save to the uttermost all who come to God through Him" (Hebrews 7:25). Along with the promise of the Gospel, there is also the warning of the Gospel: "Today, when you hear God's voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 3:7), "How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3)

Our faith does not come from our own free will. We are sinners. we are in bondage until Christ sets us free (John 8:36). Going back to the beginning, we learn that the first sin was not an act of freedom. It was an act of disobedience. It was an act of rebellion against the divine command - " of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat... "you shall not eat ... " (Genesis 2:17). By eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil chose to go their own way rather than God's way. This action led them into bondage. Believing "that old serpent called the Devil and Satan" (Revelation 12:9) - ""You shall not surely die" (Genesis 3:4) - they brought themselves into a bondage which can only be broken when we look beyond "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" where they attempted to take salvation into their own hands. We look from there to another tree - our Saviour "bore our sins in His own body on the tree ... " (1 Peter 3:24).

"God, be merciful to me, a sinner" (Luke 18:13). Where does this prayer come from? It comes from the Lord. He puts it into our heart. Those who truly pray, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner" do not take any glory for themselves. They say, "This is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes" (Psalm 118:23). They say, "Not to us, O Lord, but to Your Name give glory ... " (Psalm 115:1).

God's promise does not say, "Everyone will be saved." It says, "Everyone who calls upon the Name of the Lord will be saved" (Acts 2:21). When we hear Peter's words as an urgent call to faith, we need not fear that, by emphasizing the call for decision, we are preaching a man-centred Gospel, which fails to magnify the grace of God. Many people refuse the grace of God. They persist with the idea that somehow, by their own good works, they might possibly save themselves. Their lack of a believing response to the Gospel does not change that the fact that the God of grace will hear and answer their prayer should they find it in their heart to pray, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner" (Luke 18:13).

Faith, rightly understood, is never to be viewed as competing with grace for our attention. We must take care to avoid a wrong emphasis on faith. We must never conceive of faith as a work by which we earn our salvation. This would be a contradiction of the sovereign grace of God. No matter how much we may choose to believe, our faith cannot, by itself, result in salvation. There is only one basis for believing that, through faith in Christ we receive salvation . It is the divine promise of salvation, so graciously given to us by God; "Everyone who calls upon the Name of the Lord will be saved" (Acts 2: 21).

Grace, by its very nature, cannot be construed as a 'reward' which is given to faith. To say, "By grace you have been saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8) does not detract from the statement, "By grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:5). Giving the glory to the God of our salvation, we emphasize the absolute necessity of grace for salvation. We affirm that "Salvation is of the Lord" (Jonah 2:9) without being afraid to lay full emphasis on the absolute necessity of faith for salvation.

It is important to note that Paul contrasts grace with works (11:6) and faith with works (9:32), but does not contrast grace with faith. It is works (as a way of salvation, not as a fruit of salvation - Ephesians 2:10), which is set over against both grace and faith. Any hint of a tension between grace and faith suggests an unbiblical way of thinking. Faith, by its very nature cannot be construed as a 'work' by which grace is earned. Grace, by its very nature, cannot be construed as a 'reward' which is given to faith.

It is important to welcome God’s “new thing” (Isaiah 43:19). We should not, however, forget the words of Jeremiah 6:16 – “ask for the ancient paths.”

Here are a few articles you may find helpful.

Preparing for Christmas: Learning from Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38, 46-55)

Preparing for Christmas: Learning from John the Baptist (Luke 1:13-17; John 1:19-34)

Wise men (and women) still seek Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12)

Jesus Christ - “God with us” (Matthew 1:23) - is truly God and truly Man

Jesus: God with us, God for us, God in us

Invitation, Protection, Victory (Matthew 1-2)

A Journey with Christ (Matthew 1:5-6; John 8:1-11)

Matthew 1:1-25

The Virgin Birth - Believing the Fact and Receiving Its Message

Let us go to Bethlehem.

Looking back from Bethlehem, looking on from Bethlehem

We look back from Bethlehem - back to the very beginning.

First Sunday after Christmas Day: Isaiah 63:7-9; Psalm 148; Hebrews 2:10-18; Matthew 2:13-23

Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) II – Isaiah 62:6-12; Psalm 97; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2: (1-7), 8-20

Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) I – Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

A Christmas Message

Jesus Christ - God with us: Readings in John, Matthew and Luke

Christ is born: Readings in Luke and Matthew

The Birth of Christ: Readings in Matthew and Luke

God's Word is "a lamp to our feet and a light to our path." He has "wondrous things" to teach us as we pray "Open my eyes that I may see" (Psalm 119:105, 18, 11). "May God's blessing surround you each day, as you trust Him and walk in His way. May His presence within guard and keep you from sin, go in peace, go in joy, go in love." "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your Name give glory, because of Your mercy and Your truth" (Psalm 115:1).

The Child Who Learned Dreams Come True is dedicated to children and the child deep within us all. That child who loves to dream, that loves adventure, that believes and hopes for great things.

You see, we all dream. Dreams are a part of our character. They encourage us, mentor us, help us to process life, and even help us to find greatness deep within.

However, there is more. This book is also dedicated to adults who have lost their desire to dream, who have lost that desire for adventure, and feel that life's dreams have passed them by.

Order it from the author through this site or get it online everywhere or at your local bookstore .

ISBN 9781603830980 - ISBN 1603830987

Order It at: The Everlasting Kingdom

In Acts 10, we read of Peter, bringing the Good News of Christ to Cornelius, the centurion. Peter preached the message of forgiveness - "every one who believes in Him (Jesus Christ) receives forgiveness of sins through His Name" (Acts 10:43). As Peter spoke, something wonderful happened - "While Peter was still saying this, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the Word" (Acts 10:44). What do we learn from Peter? we learn of the way in which the Holy Spirit can take control of our words and use them yo bring blessing to others. The Peter of the Gospels was a bit of a loudmouth. He was always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. The lowest point in Peter's life came when he denied his Lord three times. Peter denied Jesus Christ, when he should have been confessing Him as Lord. In Acts, we see a new Peter. No longer do we see the Peter to whom the Lord had to say, "Get behind me, Satan!" (Matthew 16:23). Now, we see Peter speaking the right words at the right time. Peter is now speaking words which the Holy Spirit carries home powerfully to the hearts of his hearers. When the Holy Spirit takes control of our lives, He will also take control of our words, that they may truly become "wonderful words of life", words which bring life to people who need Jesus.

Deu 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

Deu 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

Deu 28:3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

Deu 28:4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

Deu 28:5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.

Deu 28:6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

Deu 28:7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.

Deu 28:8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Deu 28:9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.

Deu 28:10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.

Deu 28:11 And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

Deu 28:12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

Deu 28:13 And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do [them]:

Deu 28:14 And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

inhisgloriousnameministriesonline.blogspot.com

John 4:1-42
Many more believe. This is not because of the woman's testimony. It is because of the Lord's own Word. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. We give our testimony. Through our weak words, the Holy Spirit gives His testimony. The Holy Spirit uses our inadequate words to point men and women to the Lord Jesus. As the Holy Spirit works, the Church is created. When Jesus leaves Samaria, he does not leave behind only one believer. Through His Word, there are many believers. He leaves behind many believers. What strength and encouragement these believers received from each other as, together, they rejoiced in their new-found faith - Jesus Christ is "indeed the Saviour of the world" (John 4:42). This is our faith. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we must encourage one another to go on in this faith.

John 4:1-42
With His whole life centred on doing the Father's will - "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work " (John 4:34), Jesus is ready for this opportunity to give to the woman the "living water" which He alone can give. As we go around, here and there, with this intention - to do the Lord's will, we can expect God to use us to bring blessing to others. In this story, how does God use Jesus to fulfil His purpose? This is not only the story of one woman. It is the story of "many Samaritans" and "many more" (John 4:39; John 4:41). When we are faithful in sharing Jesus with one person, who knows what may result from this?

John 4:1-42
The story continues with a very natural conversation-opener. Jesus says to the woman, "Give Me a drink" (John 4:7). It soon becomes clear that the deeper dimension - Jesus is walking in the Spirit - is about to influence the direction of the conversation. When we are walking in the Spirit, we must be ready for conversations to move in the direction of the things of God. The Spirit will give us opportunities to share the Good News of Christ with others. Jesus speaks of "living water" (John 4:10). When we have the life of Christ within us, the life of the Spirit in our hearts, we will be given opportunities to share that life with others. We share this life as we speak for Jesus. This sharing will, however, be more than a matter of words. it will be a matter of life - sharing the life which God has put into our hearts, sharing the life of Jesus.

John 4:1-42
Here, we see Jesus at work, sharing the Gospel, leading the Samaritan woman to faith. we see Jesus, bringing many Samaritans to faith (John 4:39; John 4:41-42). Notice how the situation develops. Jesus does not set out with the specific goal of speaking about the deep things of the faith to the first to the first person he meets. The story begins with a weary Man - Jesus, sitting down beside the well (John 4:6). There was, however, a deeper dimension. Jesus is walking in the Spirit. He is in the centre of the Father's will. He is ready to speak the Word of the Lord whenever the opportunity presents itself.

leviticus
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Just imagine spending 40 days and 40 nights in the Teton Mountains and surrounding areas. The beauty, nature, peace, wonderful moments, beautiful sunsets and endless hours of being far from the hustle bustle of life.

Author Eric Zehnder did just that. When Author Eric Zehnder traveled to the Teton Mountains in Wyoming something very profound happened. He started writing quality sayings.

Eric went on to write 4,000 sayings in just 40 days while in the mountains. He then went on to write 8,000 more sayings and has amassed a personal library of over 12,000 sayings.

This book is a collection of wise, fun and humorous sayings. If you read a few, you will be entertained. However, if you apply the sayings in this book to everyday life situations, they will help put you on the path to living a victorious life.

ISBN 9781603831109
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