“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and clean spirit within me.” Ps.51:10
David had recently sinned by taking UriahÂ’s wife and then sending him into the forefront of the battle to be killed. David was quite oblivious to his transgression until GodÂ’s servant Nathan spoke with him on the matter. But once David became conscious of his wrong-doing he immediately became penitent. (see 2 Sam.11 & 12) DavidÂ’s prayer of repentance is given in Psalm 51, where todayÂ’s watchword is located.
Continue reading "True Penitence"
I saw a sticker recently with a simple yet profound message: as long as there are tests in schools there will always be prayers. The truth is when students get desperate even the most ungodly will cry to God for success. The person who seems to be the most wretched, heartless and vile in a time of great distress will call out to God for help. Now you may not consider yourself to be evil but good. Yet as long as weÂ’re still in the flesh sin still stalks at our doors. So we too need to always remember God and cry out a prayer in desperate times if we must. That prayer is our FF for today: SAVE ME FROM ME!
No matter how much we may think that we exercise patience, self control or have everything all together, we all have the potential to be reckless, rash, impulsive or careless. Lying within the best of us is also the worst of us. It could appear as though there are two persons occupying one body. We may have come to Christ and received the gift of salvation by faith. Yet if someone or something rubs us the wrong way, we can revert to our old self. At such times we pray to God: SAVE ME FROM ME!
God could have delivered us from a sinful lifestyle that included activities and behaviours that were self destructive. We knew that if it were not for the LordÂ’s mercy we would have already been dead. And yet at time there may still be the yearning to return to what God pulled us away from. One hymn writer captures that tension with these words:
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love.
So then we pray SAVE ME FROM ME!
How does God answer this prayer as we engage in this ongoing conflict within and without? Live by the Spirit! Walk in the Spirit! Daily be in the Word! Sing songs of praise continuously! Pray without ceasing! The end result is that daily we are changed ‘from glory into glory’. Don’t be discouraged if you think your change is moving at a slower pace than others. God will do His work as long as you remain faithful! Continue to pray SAVE ME FROM ME!
The Apostle Paul was no stranger to this inner struggle and tension. He assert that there is an assurance of victory and that God has provided an answer to such a prayer. He declares ‘Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord’ (Rom. 7:25). It’s a prayer that’s already been answered. Hallelujah!
Till next Friday, GodÂ’s willing, when you feel as if youÂ’re about to erupt on someone for a word that was spoken or action done; or youÂ’re being pulled back to what God has already delivered you from earnestly pray: SAVE ME FROM ME! God has already answered you: Jesus Christ is the answer!
Mikie Roberts (Rev)
HereÂ’s the link for the blog. Join in the discussions.
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“By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Eph.2:8
In biblical times God often spoke of judgment on his people. He did so because of their waywardness and unrighteous living. Consistently he used the prophets to forecast his judgment and call the people back to righteousness.
Continue reading "God's Amazing Grace"
Somehow weÂ’re all wired to give and receive. I think that most of us are excited about receiving than giving. Yet one of lifeÂ’s greatest joys is not in receiving but the experience of giving. The giving and receiving need which we all possess can trigger our response to others and even to God. It is possible that our response or expressions of love, worth or appreciation can be tied to what we give or receive. So our FF challenge for today is to ensure that our actions are based NOT BECAUSE OF BUT INSPITE OF.
When we do what we do only BECAUSE OF then weÂ’ve made it conditional. It says since person A acted in a way that is in keeping with person A and what I expected, then the appropriate positive response to person AÂ’s action will follow. But what if person AÂ’s action seemed out of character and not what was expected how different would our response be? WeÂ’re then challenged to respond NOT BECAUSE OF BUT INSPITE OF.
INSPITE OF means that you will maintain a predetermined posture even if the actions and outcome were not what you expected. It is our saying ‘nevertheless’ when what we hoped for and anticipated did not unfold. We see that attitude in the story of the three Hebrew young men as they stood before a King and had to choose between a furnace or idol worship (Daniel 3). They stood their ground and maintained their position NOT BECAUSE OF BUT INSPITE OF.
That says to us then:
Continue to bless, worship and praise God NOT BECAUSE OF BUT INSPITE OF.
Continue to love your spouse NOT BECAUSE OF BUT INSPITE OF.
Continue to love your children NOT BECAUSE OF BUT INSPITE OF.
Continue to fellowship in your local church NOT BECAUSE OF BUT INSPITE OF.
Continue to build meaningful friendships NOT BECAUSE OF BUT INSPITE OF.
Continue to believe in the God who heals NOT BECAUSE OF BUT INSPITE OF.
So today I urge you whether giving or receiving do so NOT BECAUSE OF BUT INSPITE OF. The words of the Psalm 34:1 calls us to not allow the unexpected or the conditional to determine especially how we respond to God in worship. We affirm and declare, ‘I will bless the Lord at ALL times, His praise shall CONTINUALLY be in my mouth.’ INSPITE OF faith sustains us through the changing scenes of life as the following hymn verse captures the essence of the above psalm:
Through all the changing scenes of life
In trouble and in joy,
The praises of my God shall still
My heart and tongue employ.
Till next Friday, GodÂ’s willing, remember continue to do what you do NOT BECAUSE OF BUT INSPITE OF.
Mikie Roberts (Rev)
HereÂ’s the link for the blog. Join in the discussions.
http://moravians.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=35
“For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Cor.1:18
Paul speaks to the issue of the message of the cross. This message must be of salvation through Jesus Christ, the crucified One. This message makes an offer to those willing to receive. In fact, it offers a gift to such persons.
Continue reading "The Message of the Cross "
Hello All
Everybody and everything in life thatÂ’s moving has a destination. WeÂ’re all going somewhere. A pilot in the cockpit knows his destination. A driver behind the wheel knows her destination. It is dangerous to be moving yet not knowing your destination. You may end up in a location you never expected. Today then I invite you to stop for a moment and ponder the question whereÂ’s my destination? Where am I heading? As you do so, focus on our FF which affirms that you are DIVINELY DESTINED.
DIVINELY DESTINED
is not about being stagnant but being on a journey.
is not about my starting place or even where I now am but my ending place.
is not about my controlling the journey but letting go and surrendering to God.
is not about my worrying about my plans but acknowledging GodÂ’s plan and purpose.
DIVINELY DESTINED
is about pursuing God more so that I can better pursue and fulfill what God intends.
is about being at peace knowing that each day IÂ’m walking in obedience to God.
is rejoicing in the knowledge that IÂ’m on GodÂ’s mind.
is resting in the confidence that nothing happens in my life that is beyond GodÂ’s control.
Is your life going around in circle with no clear sense of direction? DonÂ’t know what youÂ’re here for? Life brought you some surprises and detours along the way? I invite you today to turn to God for God ultimately controls your DESTINY.
When weÂ’ve discovered that weÂ’re DIVINELY DESTINED then we begin to live what Rick Warren has called the purpose driven life. Jesus calls it eternal life and it is what He still offers today. Receive it by faith if youÂ’ve not yet done so. ItÂ’s yours for the asking.
Till next Friday, GodÂ’s willing, seek God who has DIVINELY DESTINED each one of us to taste and see that God is good.
Mikie Roberts (Rev)
HereÂ’s the link for the blog. Join in the discussions.
http://moravians.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=35
“God says, ‘I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations’.” Gen.17:7
This was God’s commitment to Abraham. He had just changed his name from Abram and had made him several promises. Now God was saying, ‘These are not empty promises – I am firmly committed to them. I have entered into a covenant with you which shall last beyond your generation.’
Continue reading "Our Covenanting God"
Hello All
There are some things that you would rather not TELL. Why? Maybe because they are too painful to speak about or we may have concluded that it is not proper to TELL. And then there are those things that are too personal to TELL and so they are kept as secrets. But there are occasions when we must TELL because if we do not TELL we are being disobedient. So our FF for today is TELL IT ALL TO ALL.
To TELL is to say; to make a report; to divulge; it is to recount; to expose and reveal. In order to maintain our sense of self and personhood we need not TELL everybody everything about us. But if our identity is Christ centered and if our lives have been impacted in every respect by the power of Jesus Christ, then we must TELL IT ALL TO ALL. We cannot have encountered the risen Christ and then keep it to ourselves. ThereÂ’s no such thing as a secret service department in GodÂ’s Kingdom.
All of us have an IT to TELL – our story, our experience, our journey, our triumph, our disappointment, our fear, our success. God in Christ must be somewhere in the IT. If so then TELL IT ALL TO ALL. The IT is our testimony after coming through the test. The IT is our witness after being an eyewitness to the power of God in our lives. The IT is our song of praise and thanksgiving after we’ve crossed over.
But the IT is also where we are right now today – confused, lost, hopeless, crushed, cast down, broke, jobless. Don’t wait until IT is perfected. Don’t wait until IT has become what you’ve been praying for to TELL IT ALL TO ALL. Right now, if you can TELL IT as God sees IT then you will possess what you have professed. So by faith still TELL IT ALL TO ALL.
Why to ALL? Because we never know just who God may place before us who needs to know that Jesus still saves, heals, restores and forgives. Our lives are the first Bible that they will read. We all have a story to TELL and a dying, hurting world waiting to hear. So TELL IT ALL TO ALL. And as we TELL IT make sure that we daily LIVE IT.
Till next Friday GodÂ’s willing, seek GodÂ’s strength and wisdom as you TELL IT ALL TO ALL.
Mikie Roberts (Rev)
Has God spoken to you? Share your thoughts on the blog
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“Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.” Psalm 25:8
This Psalm starts by recognising and praising God. It continues by pointing out the many things for which praise is due to God – the many reasons for praising him. Our text gives one such reason – ‘he is good and upright’. But it goes on to give a further reason – ‘he instructs sinners in the way’. The Good News Translation puts it this way: “Because the Lord is righteous and good, he teaches sinners the path they should follow.”
Continue reading "A Special Legacy"