God is great

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The King Of Glory

19th-20th November

Weekend Edition

“Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that You can do anything, and no one can stop You.. . I had only heard about Your before, but now I have seen You with my own eyes….””

Job 42:1-2,5

If you have never read chapters 38-42 in the book of Job, then take a few minutes from your day to read it. After reading it, you will be full of praise for God. Chapters 38-42 is basically a dialogue between God and Job, where God presents a case for His greatness to Job, who had previously been doubting God’s presence through the storms in his life. Now Job did go through terrible times, loosing everything, including his family, but God wanted Job to know that He was with him all the time, even in the hardships.

God then proceeds to give a wonderful demonstration of His greatness, showing Job how He is in control of everything; from the lighting that strikes in the air, to the beasts that roam on the earth. The arguments God presents to Job, would leave any man speechless in their defence. God presents un-deniable evidence to Job, that He is a God who is far above everything that we can imagine yet closer than even our breath.

This weekend, as you read and meditate on this passage in Job, know that whatever you are going through, God is bigger. Job saw God in His words, in the beauty of this world, and the power and greatness of who He is. God silenced Job’s doubts and worries and gave Him hope and assurance that He was Job’s God. May today we proclaim, over our problems and worries, that God ‘I know that You can do anything, and no one can stop You!’ May we know that God is great, and He is our God!

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The Holy Sanctuary Of God

4th February

“Who may worship in Your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter Your presence on Your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking truth from sincere hearts.”

Psalm 15:1-2

In David’s time the ‘temple or ‘holy sanctuary’ was the sole place that God’s tangible presence could be felt and was a place where people would gather to pray to God and worship Him. It was a place that travellers and worshippers a like could find rest, peace and a place of shelter. For us living in the age of the resurrection power of Jesus, we can too experience this awesome sense of God’s presence, yet the amazing thing is, is that it is not limited or confined to a building. We have the very presence of God living in us. When we call on His Name, He is with us.

When David asks the rhetorical question who can enter “Your sanctuary” or enter into “Your presence”, he simply is stating that those who have acknowledged their faults and confessed their wrongdoings can experience the fullness of all God has for them and enjoy the beauty of intimacy with God. He is not saying that those who have not confessed theirs wrongdoings, can’t enter a “church building”. On the contrary; God never pushes people away but rather gives us all an opportunity to receive His love, grace and acceptance. However, it those who are aware of who God is and who live in His grace and mercy, that will fully experience the fullness and nearness of His presence.

Come as you are into His presence and let His grace lead you to live blameless lives, doing what is right and hating what is wrong! Accept His love and forgiveness and be transformed by His endless grace. Who can enter His presence??? YOU can!

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The Maker Of All

18-19th July

Weekend Edition

“Praise the Lord from the Heavens! Praise Him from the skies! Praise Him, all His angels! Praise Him, all the armies of heaven! Praise Him, sun and moon! Praise Him, all you twinkling stars!…..Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for He issued His command, and they came into being!”

Psalm 148:1-5

Recently I read on the news that a satellite had finally got close to the planet Pluto. It set off 9 YEARS ago and travelled a staggering 3,500 MPH. If you think a plane travels around 600-700 MPH and takes around 24 hours to reach Australia from the UK, then you can only begin to realise what a seriously big universe we live in. Moreover, you begin to realise how great God is and begin to understand His time frame is completely above and beyond ours.

If it takes us humans 9 years travelling at 3,500 MPH to reach a planet inside our own solar system, think about how much bigger our God is, who flung the stars and planets into space and by His very breath created life! Seriously just take a minute to think about that…. God is so much more bigger than us, yet He is so personal He even knows how many hairs are on your head, so close He can even feel your heart beat.

Join in with creation and praise the God who made it all. Give your burdens to Him. Trust Him. Trust His judgements. Trust His timing and know that He is great!!

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Search My Heart

30th June

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

Psalm 139:23-24

A pastor once said to me that these verses are his habitual morning prayer. Not as an act of religious piety but as an act of humble submission to a Holy and Righteous God.

David, the writer of this wonderful psalm, knew very well what it was like to live under a banner of persistent guilt from his personal sin. Upon committing adultery with Bathsheba and ordering her husband to fight on the front lines of a ferocious war to cover up his sin, David was being consumed daily with the guilt of his sinful actions. He knew that his choices had led him to murder an innocent man and to commit adultery with his wife. He knew that he had dishonoured God through his actions. Yet God, in his mercy forgave David because of the Lord’s “steadfast love” and “mercies that are new each morning.”However, David first had to acknowledge his sin, repent of it and make his heart right before God.

This Psalm indicates that although we serve a gracious and kind God, there are choices we make that offend the righteousness of God. We also need to have a healthy guilt in our lives, not to condemn us of our sins (like David experienced), but rather to point out where we have made mistakes so that we can repent and enjoy the intimate communion with God that He so desires to have with us.

Let us come before God each day, searching our hearts to find out if there is anything we have not repented of. We do not need to dig deep, but rather allow the Holy Spirit to bring things to our attention that need repenting of. Then, let us confess it in faith and humility and accept God’s forgiveness, knowing that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross has completely and fully paid the debt of our sins. Let this be a pray of submission and humility as we seek to live a lifestyle that leads to everlasting life.

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Did you know… GOD MADE EVERYTHING???

23rd June

“O Lord, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small.”

Psalm 104:24-25

What an encouraging thought to know that God literally made everything we see in this world. The huge mountains ranges He made, the carpet of forest trees, the sun to give light by day and moon to shade us by night, the crops that grow to feed us and give us the necessary nutrients we need for our lives and so much more. It is so amazing to see the variety of birds and animals God has made. And when you explore the world you realise that there are so many more varieties of insects and creatures that the Lord has made. Even the most clever of minds could not think of the millions of creatures than walk this earth or swim in the seas.

Yet if God made all these things and holds them in His hands, then how much does He care about us? We truly can trust Him with our lives because He is so much more greater than us. His faithfulness is great, His love is great, His peace is Great, His mercy is great.. Everything about God is great.

It is so important to acknowledge the supremity, might and power of our wonderful and creative Lord and Master. We serve a truly great God. Let us encourage ourselves that He is a great God and He is our Father and He is on our side!!