Wednesday

What colour is your Bible? - A Dose of Encouragement


The other day I saw a kindle ebook titled "In Pursuit" advertised for Free.

Now I will always give an ebook a second glance if it is free but sometimes on my iPad the picture of the book is quite small so as this was the case I enlarged the picture and then ended up laughing out loud (no one heard me as Fred was resting in front of the TV in the lounge after having a tooth extracted and I was in my study).

Why did I laugh?

Because I could not believe the tagline of the ebook

     "Devotions for the Hunter & Fisherman"







Now I come from Northern Ireland and we have few hunters here.


Even when we lived in the US for 3 years we did not live in an area known for a lot of hunting.


Northern Ireland does have a lot of Fishermen though but of the ones I know I could not imagine any of them looking for a devotional book specifically for them.


Anyway after I laughed the next thing out of my mouth were the words


"Next we will have Bibles produced specifically for people of all different interests" 


and yes I was still on my own and no-one could hear me but have you never talked to yourself?



Then I realised that we had already reached this ridiculous point in life.



Yes already we had reached the point where the publishers of Bibles as well as devotionals were specifically targeting all the different sections of the community to sell more books and Bibles.


I had to wonder why?


Was the bible written with different verses for a man than for a woman?


Was the bible written with different verses for a single person than a married one?


Was the bible written with different verses for a Pentecostal than an Anglican?


Was the bible written with different verses for a teenager than for an adult?


Was the bible written with different verses for a hunter than for a doctor?



Did we need to have a different Bible for an engineer
 than for a teacher or a housewife?


Because if so then my husband the Mechanical Engineer and I a Mathematics Teacher turned Housewife, could not read the same Bible together because of our occupations and of course also because we are not of the same sex.


Just think-

We could not have read the Bible as a family together when the kids were teenagers.

We could not read the Bible together as a family now because some are Pentecostal and some are Anglican.

We could not read the Bible together as a family now because some are single and some are married.








What would be next?

Would we have to have different Bibles for people of all different race or nationality?


Let's put some pink or purple covers on them because that will appeal to the females 
they had decided at one stage.


Well I certainly didn't get hooked in then because I much prefer black or brown or blue books so no pretty feminine looking Bible for me.


But of course this was nothing to do with it at all - they simply wanted to sell more Bibles.

Now I know I'm sounding a bit extreme but my main problem is not with all the different speciality bibles or devotionals so much as with the purpose of our bibles.






When the Bible was written I am so thankful that it was written for all of us regardless of gender, age, race, intelligence etc.


When Jesus came to this earth He came for one specific reason


 to do His Father's will
 and be the ransom for each one of us, 
the one who would take all our sins on himself and die in our place 


I am so thankful that He did not differentiate between us.

So this inspired Word of God which was written for all of us to know the Truth of the Lord Jesus Christ and be set free from our old self and renewed by God's Spirit; was written for each and every one of us.


And it doesn't matter

          how many bibles we have,

                    what size they are,

                              how expensive they are,

                                        how many notes are included in them,

                                                  how used or how new they are,

                                                            or what colour they are.



The important thing is that we read our Bible and we grow in the Grace of our Lord and Saviour as we do so.





So the question is - Are You in Pursuit

Are you reading your bible?

Are you praying for understanding of what you are reading in your Bible?

Are you praying for direction and guidance by the Holy Spirit as you read your Bible?

Are you actively, regularly, hungrily, reading your Bible?

Are you looking to gain insight and truth as you read your Bible?

Are you praying that you will rightly apply what you read in your Bible to your everyday life?

Are you depending on God for your nurture from your Bible (His Word) and not just listening to what other people say about it.

Are you looking to preachers and teachers of sound doctrine when you need more help to fully understand some passages from your Bible?

Are you in PURSUIT of the truth and edification in God's Word?








I know I'm not in pursuit of God's Word as much
 as I should be.

Are you?


Let's be encouraged today to go read that passage we have been meaning to read.

Let's be encouraged today to relax & drink in from God's Word no matter what colour our bible might be.



Sunday

Songs for Worship #2 God is Worthy

Welcome to the new Sunday Series

Last year from January to June I wrote a series on
Why We Worship  where I considered an attribute of God each Sunday.







At different times people mentioned to me about a song that a post reminded them of so I thought that I would now go through those attributes again with a song for each one.


So I'm following the weeks of Why We Worship from last year and I hope you will follow along with me.




There is none more worthy of our worship










WORTHY IS THE LAMB


Thank you for the cross Lord

Thank you for the price You paid

Bearing all my sin and shame

In love You came and gave amazing grace


Thank you for this love Lord

Thank you for the nail pierced hands

Washed me in Your cleansing flow

Now all I know Your forgiveness and embrace


Worthy is the Lamb

Seated on the throne

Crown You now with many crowns

You reign victorious
High and lifted up

Jesus, Son of God
The Darling of Heaven crucified
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb






If you would like to see the post from last year that this is based on please click on the graphic below
























Wednesday

Tears Over a Little Letter - A Dose of Encouragement


She placed her hand on my shoulder after the prayer meeting in church and simply smiled when I looked up.
I stood up to give her a hug as I normally do and ask how she was.
Then I noticed the tears in her eyes as she quietly said
"I got a letter from your daughter today".






I was surprised that it had arrived so soon as our daughter Linda is living in South Korea, but I was pleased that it had.  I knew that she had written but I hadn't mentioned it to Irene.

So I reminded her that Linda had told her she would write but Irene said she had not really expected her to take the time to do it for someone like her.

Whether she meant this because she is an older lady in our church, or because she is someone Linda only got to know while staying with us for 6 months between doing her masters and going to South Korea, or because she felt that she was an insignificant member of the church, I'm not sure.


All I knew was that she was so delighted by a little letter from my daughter.


She had brought it with her and took it out of her handbag to share it with me.






Written on little sheets of paper shaped like Panda's heads, Linda had just shared some random little incidents and feelings with our older friend.

I had to laugh because it was so typical of Linda - the cute comic paper to make anyone smile and laugh and then the little random stories.


Then Irene shared something else with me; she told me how she had woken up that morning feeling very down but that all changed when she read Linda's letter.

It was not a very long letter, but it was just an act of kindness that certainly made a difference that morning.  In fact later our Pastor told me how this letter was the first thing she spoke of when he had arrived at her home to take her to the prayer meeting that evening.







So today I want to write about a very basic thing that more and more is getting overlooked by all of us these days.


A little thing like a handwritten letter can mean so much more to someone than we can imagine,

     it can bring tears of joy to someone,

          it can show love to someone,

               it can say "I still think of you and care about you even when I don't see you"

                    it can just keep that connection fresh between two people.







A little bit of effort on our part can mean a whole lot of joy and encouragement to someone else.



Who can you encourage this week?


So who are you going to write to this week?

Will it be a letter or will you buy a sweet card and add a greeting?

Will you make a card and give it the really personal touch?

Or will you think of other similar ways to connect with someone?


Let's see who God wants us to bless with our thoughtfulness this week.







Sunday

Songs for Worship #1 God is Great

Welcome to the Sunday Series

Last year from January to June I wrote a series on
Why We Worship  where I considered an attribute of God each Sunday.


At different times people mentioned to me about a song that a post reminded them of so I thought that I would now go through those attributes again with a song for each one.






So I'm following the weeks of Why We Worship from last year and I hope you will follow along with me.
(Just head over to the side bar and join up if you would like to receive a reminder of my posts)



One of my favourite worship songs centred around the greatness of God is

"How Great is our God" 

written by Chris Tomlin and I hope you enjoy this video - the words of the song are written below.





                                                            

"How Great Is Our God"


The splendor of a king
Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice

He wraps Himself in light,
And darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice

How great is our God – sing with me
How great is our God – and all will see
How great, how great is our God

Age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the end
Beginning and the end

The Godhead Three in One
Father, Spirit and Son
Lion and the Lamb
Lion and the Lamb

How great is our God – sing with me
How great is our God – and all will see
How great, how great is our God

Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God

Name above all names
You're worthy of all praise
And my heart will sing
How great is our God

[3x]
How great is our God – sing with me
How great is our God – and all will see
How great, how great is our God







If you would like to see the post from last year that this is based on please click on the graphic below













Wednesday

No New Year Resolutions? - A Dose of Encouragement


Are we thinking about the end of a year?
Are we thinking about the preparation for a new year?

Yes because let's face it, all of us will have something in our minds about the new year.
It may not be resolutions as such and with me it definitely isn't but I still have some kind of plans and hopes and thoughts going through my mind as to how I want to do certain things during the year but then on the other hand I also have loads of things that I should have thought about more in advance for this coming Year.







However regardless of how organised or unorganised I may be throughout the year to come will that make any significant difference to God's plan for me for this year?

No

because His plan does not depend on my organised life or even my organised thoughts but I believe He is waiting to see whether or not I will be obedient to His Word and His Spirit prompting me day by day.

Let's see 

Where am I writing this post?   

When am I writing this post?


I am writing this today, New Years Eve in the late afternoon while I wait in Currys Electrical Store in Sprucefield, NI for my husband to pay for a item we have just picked out in the sale.

I will not be able to post this until sometime this evening after I get home, get internet connection and get this finished and edited.

Other things will be more important and need to be done before I get back to this.
I may even have to wait until after we have our dinner although my plan would be to do this earlier.
But will it make a lot of difference whether it is posted before dinner or after?

No

because again God's plan does not depend on my great organised efforts or plans but solely on whether or not I am obedient to Him even today.



So I do wish everyone a







but I do not have any New Year Resolutions



nor have I made any of those lists that I love to make.


This year I do want to be more organised, I do want to be more prepared in advance for events but I really want to be more open to listening and obeying.

I am writing something I feel is important for me and for others to be encouraged knowing that each year, month, week, day are not governed by how well we organise them or plan for them but by God's Love and Grace and Mercy extended in each one of them.

I am writing so that we can be encouraged that God's plan for the year ahead is not going to succeed or fail because of us but rather that we will be enriched by our participation in His Plan when we are simply obedient to Him.


So this year 

no New Year Resolutions for me!

no Lists and Plans in advance for me!

just a prayer








Maybe you want the same thing in this New Year.




















Sunday

It's God's Love #26


On Sundays I have been writing a short post consisting of a Bible Verse around the topic of God's Love and today we have come to the end of this series.














God's Love 

is 

Perfect

and

will continue forever

regardless 

of everything else. 









I am thankful

that

God's Love

is

greater

than everything else

and

that it is always extended

toward us.














Wednesday

The True Christmas - A Dose of Encouragement


Today I'm going to tell you about another decoration I love putting on my tree every year because this one tells us about The True Christmas.




Previously I have been writing about some of our Christmas Tree Decorations.

We had  3 Sleighs for Christmas  and   A Fan for Christmas

These two along with this post will be hopefully be a good dose of encouragement for us all at this special Christmas time. 






All around us at this time of the year we see everything being used to represent Christmas.

We see Santas.

We see Turkeys.

We see Trees.

We see Gifts.

We see Pictures of Snow.

We see Everything becoming Red.




But we see less and less 

of 

The True Christmas.







This decoration was bought in America when we lived in Delaware so it has been on our tree for over 20 years just like the other ones in the last two posts in this series.

Yet I still remember the day I bought it.

I was with my friend Suzanne in a Christmas Shop she had taken me to.  While we were paying for our purchases I noticed something else and as I moved away to get it I said to Suzanne


"I must lift one of those"


and I was so surprised by her reaction


"you can't say that Sandra"


I couldn't understand why she jumped in with this so quickly.

So I asked her why?

Suzanne explained that to use the word  "lift"  was implying shoplifting.

Suzanne knew what I had really meant but she was concerned that the shopkeeper would have heard me and not known my proper intention.


I had simply meant

I must pick up one of these to add it to my items to buy 


but the way I had said it meant something else in that part of the world.



Now when I look at this Tree Decoration of Mary and Joseph with Jesus I remember three things.


Firstly I remember the Original True Christmas when Jesus came into the world.

Secondly I remember those 3 years we spent in America where we made new friends and shared in new Christmas time experiences.

Thirdly I remember the True Meaning of Christmas which is just the same today as it was all those years ago.



Why should it change?  

Jesus doesn't change.


God sent His Son Jesus into the world to be our 


Saviour

Redeemer

Ransom


to be

 Immanuel
"God with Us"



But what do others think of at Christmas?

They think of the things I listed at the start of this blog post.

They think of all the busy days and activities at this time of the year.

They think of the money that will be spent.

They think of the holiday from work.

They think of Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays to just mean exactly what the words say.

But when they hear

Merry Christmas


they don't think that it means exactly what it says.


They don't consider how it is the commemoration of the miracle of God coming to dwell on earth to live as a human like us so that He can do for us what no-one else could possibly do.

No, they hear the words that are intended for them to hear 
but they think of completely the wrong meaning of the phrase just as that shop keeper could have thought of the completely wrong meaning of my words all those years ago.

I love the fact that when I went to take the picture of this decoration there were two lights right above it as if to highlight it particularly because really that is precisely what we should be doing.






To so many people Christmas is no longer based on Christ.


So let's try to help others to actually think of


The True Meaning of Christmas


in every opportunity we have so that they may come to know









The True Blessing 

of 

The True Christmas.




I pray you will know the The True Christmas this year and every year to come.











Sunday

It's God's Love #25


This is the Christmas post for my Sunday Series.



Each week I have featured a Bible verse graphic to concentrate on the Love of God.


Today I also want to share a very short video.







Perhaps you will think of a verse around God's Love as you watch the video

or perhaps you will think of God's Love extended to you and your family over the years

        whichever it is


I pray you know the true meaning of God's Love this Christmas.










Because Christmas started with a Baby









And Christmas is still all about that same person

Jesus

Our Saviour









So as well as giving and receiving gifts this Christmas why not








Merry Christmas to you all and may you know the love of Jesus as Saviour which is the real gift of love this Christmas.