ESCAPE GOD‘S FIRE -ISAIAH 30:27-33 KEY VERSE: "For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it" (Isaiah 30:33). There is the story of a frustrated individual in a neighborhood, who wanted to take his life by burning himself. On an appointed day, the poor fellow set a bonfire which he intended to jump into when the burning was at its peak. With the inferno on, he went to sit down under the shade of a tree nearby. As the fire was perceived to have got to its climax, the old man moved near with the plan of jumping into it to get burnt up at once. The nearer he went to the fire the more unbearable the heat was to him. For this reason, he retreated. He made several frantic efforts again but the scorching heat of the fire would not allow him to get near. The man later got to a conclusion that dying by fire would be a most p...

  June 1, 2017 Everything We Need David C. McCasland 2 Peter 1:1–11 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  2 Peter 1:3 I often feel completely inadequate for the tasks I face. Whether it’s teaching Sunday school, advising a friend, or writing articles for this publication, the challenge often seems to be larger than my ability. Like Peter, I have a lot to learn. The New Testament reveals Peter’s shortcomings as he tried to follow the Lord. While walking on water to Jesus, Peter began to sink (Matt. 14:25–31). When Jesus was arrested, Peter swore he didn’t know Him (Mark 14:66–72). But Peter’s encounter with the risen Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit changed his life. Peter came to understand that God’s “divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who c...

Memorise: Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10 Read:  Matthew 6:9-13 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread. 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. MESSAGE “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2 God is a God of purpose, and He is highly organized. He plans far ahead of His deeds. For instance, Ephesians 1:4 says that long before God laid the foundations of the earth, He had already chosen us to live a holy and blameless life before Him. God knows exactly what He wants an...

AMOS 5:16-27 KEY VERSE: "Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light" (Amos 5:18). The judgment of God upon sinners is imminent. It is going to be a day of catastrophe and calamity, gloom and misery, desolation and astonishment and indeed, a day of a lamentation and confusion. It is a day that no sinner would wish to pass through. This day of outpouring of God’s fury, indignation and wrath upon the world is referred to as the day of the Lord in the Scripture. The day of the Lord as depicted in the text will be the time when the Lord will make the day dark, dismal, and gloomy upon all impenitent sinners and backsliders. A sinner who escapes one calamity will be pursued and overtaken by another. The people of Israel copied the crimes and iniquities of their forefathers by going into idolatry. God frowns at hypocrisy as well as the pretence of piety. God could not be bribed with music or offerings. F...

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES WEDNESDAY, 31ST MAY.  http://bit.ly/2dZqtLQ LEVELS OF MATURITY. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:13-14). Some Christians get very excited to read 1 Corinthians 1:30: “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” Then, they come across James 1:5: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” and get confused. “Should one still ask for wisdom after Christ has been made unto us wisdom?” they wonder. Now, those two verses aren’t contradictory at all; it’s about levels of maturity in Christ. The Scriptures are given to us to guide and lead us...

 May 31, 2017 The Beauty of Brokenness James Banks Psalm 51 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit.  Psalm 51:17 Kintsugi is a centuries-old Japanese art of mending broken pottery. Gold dust mixed with resin is used to reattach broken pieces or fill in cracks, resulting in a striking bond. Instead of trying to hide the repair, the art makes something beautiful out of brokenness. The Bible tells us that God also values our brokenness, when we are genuinely sorry for a sin we have committed. After David engaged in adultery with Bathsheba and plotted the death of her husband, the prophet Nathan confronted him, and he repented. David’s prayer afterwards gives us insight into what God desires when we have sinned: “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (Ps. 51:16–17). When our heart is broken ...

RHAPSODY OF REALITIES TUESDAY, 30TH MAY.  http://bit.ly/2dZqtLQ HE IS GOODNESS PERSONIFIED. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17). God is good (Psalm 24:1). He’s goodness personified, but not many people see or perceive Him as such. They think He wants us afraid and apologetic all the time; so they try to be careful with Him, hoping not to offend Him. God isn’t that way. He’s not waiting to see you slip or make a mistake so He can sniff from heaven and wipe you off the face of the earth. He’s loving and kind. The Lord Jesus unveiled the Father to us as a loving Father. When He walked the earth, He represented everything that the Father is. The Jews knew God as the God of judgment. Then, they heard Jesus call God “Father”; that was new, and they understood what it meant. The Bible says, “Then the Jews took up st...