Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts

Thursday 10 December 2009

True riches

The coming days lots of people will chant “King of kings and Lord of lords.”. They praise themselves lucky, happy and rich in the gift we received. We are rich in that we have received the gracious gift of a Saviour whom ’s birth many people are going to remember these days.
Brother D. Pickering gave this exhortation:
TRUE RICHES

Who was or who is the richest man ever to live on this earth?
Abraham, King Solomon perhaps? Or nearer our life time, Rockafella, Carnegie or perhaps an oil Sheik or Russian billionaire? No, none of these, it is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ whom we are once again calling to remembrance in the emblems of eternal life.
 The Apostle Paul identifies Him as recorded in 2Corinthians 8: 9
 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”
 
Yes, our Lord was greater and richer in every respect than King Solomon and all the other rich men past &
present. As Yahweh’s only begotten son, our Lord Jesus had all the wealth of the earth available to Him but more importantly he had the True Riches from His God and Father, namely The Holy Spirit of God given to Him abundantly without measure.

A quick look at any English Dictionary at the words rich, or riches, we find the meanings given for these as wealthy, abounding in money and possessions, having plenty or opulent. Obviously these definitions refer to worldly wealth and possessions. We note that Christ Jesus, although He could have been rich in worldly possessions more than any man born on earth, He became poor instead, so that one day we could become spiritually rich through His sacrifice.

He had no estate or house to call His own, no flocks or herds of animals like Abraham once had, no enormous treasury of gold and precious things like King Solomon had, no wardrobe of clothing to choose from like the High Priests of Israel. All he had were the clothes he stood up in and even these were stripped from Him at His crucifixion.

Yet although He became poor in worldly possessions, He not only had Yahweh’s Spirit in abundance, God along with this, promised Him Eternal Life including an incomparable future both of riches and glory, plus a name and titles higher than any other living being.

The highest of the titles being, Word of God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords: 

“His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.  He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Rev: 19:12-16

 Through Him we can share in His riches & also reign with Him on earth, so Paul writes:

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:14.

What is this high calling? John supplies the answer

“They sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,  And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." Rev: 5: 10

So for a short while we shall consider a few examples from Scripture to encourage us to seek spiritual riches rather than worldly riches and how to properly use any worldly riches that we have been blessed with in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ to Yahweh’s glory.

While there is nothing intrinsically wrong with riches as such, we are counselled to focus our attention rather on God given riches of grace and righteousness.  Our lord states just that in His Sermon on the Mount:

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6: 33 (NIV)

Yes, God is aware of all our needs and provides for each of us according to His Grace and undeserved kindness. God uses riches to both bless and to test us.
The first example I have chosen from many in the Bible is Abraham. Abraham was a pillar of faith, and is held out to us as a tremendous example of strong unwavering faith, trust, and unreserved obedience to Almighty God. At the direction of Yahweh he left his home and was uprooted from his dwelling place to go to a land that was unknown to him.

From that time onwards he became a permanent tent dweller of no fixed abode. However Abraham was very wealthy and had many possessions including servants and huge herds of live-stock. Never the less he put obedience to God first in his life. This is an example of how to use what God provides us with, for His praise and for His Glory. This we must do with a trusting, loyal, grateful attitude in faithful, humble service.

Paul’s record regarding Abraham is as follows:

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” Hebrews 11:8-10 (NIV)
Next we consider Moses.  Moses was adopted into Pharaoh’s household in Egypt and as a prince he was in line for vast wealth, property, land and immense power. However just like our Lord Jesus who lived centuries later, he also chose to be poor, choosing to serve the Living God and creator of the universe, Yahweh. He, like Jesus did this at risk to his own life. It is of note that Egypt is used also in Scripture as a figure for the world and a symbol for its ways, riches and vices.

Paul refers to Moses like this:

“By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be ill treated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.  He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. Hebrews 11:24-26

We now turn to King Solomon who in his days was of course notorious for his vast possessions, riches and power, as well as his God given exceptional wisdom knowledge and understanding. Among his inspired sayings worthy of our attention are the following:

“A good name is more desirable than great riches, to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Rich and poor have this in common Yahweh is the maker of them all.” Proverbs 22:1-2 (NIV)

“Do not wear yourself out to get rich, have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.” Proverbs 23:4-5 (NIV)

“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. “  Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NIV)

Solomon’s attitude to the love of wealth, power, and possessions is summed up in his famous words of wisdom, meaningless; all is vanity, a chasing after the wind.  His closing words in Ecclesiastes are:


“Now all this has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter, Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NIV)

The large book of Job is of course an account of a man who also had vast riches, power and possessions, lost everything including his children and his health but later because of his total faith and trust in Yahweh received back twice as much as he lost. His wise words are excellent guidance for us, and just like Solomon’s words perfectly summarise the correct attitude we should have regarding worldly riches:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” Job 1:21 (NIV)

There is wise counsel from Yahweh recorded in the book of Jeremiah:

“This is what the LORD says; Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this that he understands and knows me, that I am Yahweh who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24

Before we move on to consider the Apostle Paul who enjoyed a measure of the world’s riches and goods, we will hear some wise and timely inspired advice from James another of God’s servants: 

“For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant, its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.”  James 1:11

“Listen, my dear brothers. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him.”   James 2:5

Now we will also hear Paul on this matter of riches:

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s.” 1Timothy  6:10


These words are frequently misquoted as “Money is a root of all evil” whereas Paul warns against THE LOVE OF MONEY, not money itself. So here are just two more quotations from Paul’s writings expressing his correct attitude towards riches:

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things, I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”  Philippians 3: 7-8

“Although I am the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.”   Ephesians.3: 8

We cannot conclude this subject of true riches before we consider some words from the one we have once again gathered to remember and share the emblems of Eternal life with. The Lord Jesus taught about True Riches throughout His short ministry on earth. Listen to what He says when He was asked to arbitrate and divide up an inheritance between two brothers:

“Watch out!  Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, a mans life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Then Jesus told the people a parable:
“The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there, I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and be merry” But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God.” Luke 12:16-21

In another parable the Lord Jesus spoke about a dishonest servant, who although being dishonest was shrewd when it came to dealing with material riches. Here is the lesson our Lord teaches:

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with True Riches.” Luke 16: 10-11

Later a rich young ruler approached Jesus and asked what he should do to inherit eternal life. Asked if he had kept Yahweh’s commandments, he replied that he had kept them since he was a boy. To which answer Jesus said, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything that you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the rich man heard this he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. So Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Indeed it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

The lesson is clear the love of worldly riches can exclude us from Yahweh’s Kingdom. True Riches are those spiritual riches stored in heaven where they cannot be corrupted or removed from God’s safe keeping. They are held in trust for us as part of our inheritance in Yahweh’s kingdom on earth. These are riches that cannot fade or be stolen. Jesus encouraged His disciples saying:

“Do not be afraid little flock, for your Father has been glad to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.”                                 Luke 12:32-34

We have been exhorted from scripture this morning to use this world’s material riches and possessions wisely, whether we are blessed with a little or with much.
We are to help the poor and afflicted ones in The Household of Faith, and help with the preaching work to further Yahweh’s purpose on earth.

We are to follow the example of Christ Jesus who shunned worldly wealth to become the richest man to walk the earth when He was raised to Life Eternal. It is Jesus who commands us that we are to, “Seek first Yahweh’s kingdom & His righteousness.”
 Yes, true riches are spiritual riches, founded on God’s love in and through Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul lists them for us:

 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

He also instructs us as to what our attitude should be, as we once again, and yet once less, partake of the emblems and call to remembrance our Saviour. Paul first reminds us about the greatness and humility of Christ Jesus:

“who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.”

And then Paul tells us what our reaction must be:

“that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:6-11

So it is time now to bow before the Lord Jesus and confess Him as both Lord and Christ to the glory of Yahweh. Further words from Paul conclude this morning’s preparation, before we share the bread and the wine together in Christ’s presence to remind us of our hope:

“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians4:19

(Bro D. Pickering)

Thursday 5 March 2009

Count your blessings

If you have food in the fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, you are richer than three quarters of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, or a few coins lying around, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.

If you woke up this morning with more health than sickness, you are more blessed than the million that will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of war, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation,
you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If your parents are still alive and still married,
you are blessed with a rare gift.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone’s hand, touch them on the shoulder, or even hug them, you are blessed because you can offer a healing touch.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over countless millions in the world who cannot read at all.

Have a good day, count your blessings,
and remind others how blessed we all are.

Dutch version / Nederlands > Tel uw zegeningen

Saturday 24 January 2009

Hamas the modern Philistines

The retaliation of Israel against Hamas in Gaza has opened a "can of worms" as far as the United Nations is concerned, but it has reinforced the expectations of those who understand the Plan and Purpose of God Almighty that we are living in what is scripturally termed "the Last Days." The attention of the world has now centred on that tiny country and, in the near future, that attention will focus on Jerusalem, for God has decreed He will draw all nations against it to battle. The god of the world, Money, has proved powerless to save.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path”. Ps 119:105 SIGNS OF OUR TIMES
Isaiah 11:14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward
the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their
hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.

Sings of our Times Vol. 20 No. 2
February 2009

HAMAS - THE MODERN PHILISTINES

The above passage from Isaiah is found in the context of a prophecy which foretells the return of the Jews to Israel.
Isaiah 11:11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall remain, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and they that vex Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.

However, the earlier section of the chapter contains the well-known passage
“6 And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them,” so it is difficult to know if the attack on the Philistine territory now known as Gaza refers to the present or the future when Christ (“a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots” [v.1]) is ruling in Jerusalem.

Certainly the Israelis are dwelling together amicably and the old divided nation consisting of two kingdoms, Israel and Judah, has been replaced by “the nation of Israel” in fulfilment of the latter part of v.13 “..... Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.” However, the earlier part of that verse reads: “The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off:”

Perhaps we are witnessing this prophecy in progress, but the following extract from an article from TIME
Magazine, January 19, 2009 itemizes the difficulties.

AS ISRAELI TROOPS ENCIRCLE Gaza City, their commanders are faced with a painful dilemma: How far must they advance into the deadly labyrinth of slums and refugee camps where Hamas militants await with booby trapped houses and snipers? With each passing day, Israel's war against Hamas grows riskier and more punishing, with the gains appearing to diminish compared to the spiralling costs - to Israel's moral stature, to the lives of Palestinian civilians and to the world's hopes that an ancient conflict can ever be resolved. Ideally, in a war shaped by television images, Israelis would like a tableau of surrender: grimy Hamas commanders crawling from underground bunkers with their hands up. Instead, the deaths of at least 40 civilians taking shelter at a United Nations-run school north of Gaza City are more likely to become the dominant image of the war. Israeli politicians and generals know that the total elimination of Hamas' entrenched military command could take weeks; it might be altogether impossible.

The more realistic outcome is an unsatisfactory, brokered truce that leaves Hamas wounded but alive and able to regenerate - and Israel only temporarily safe from attack. Israel's Defence Minister, Ehud Barak, has promised a "war to the bitter end." But after 60 years of struggle to defend their existence against foreign threats and enemies within, many Israelis may be wondering, Where does that end lie?

The threat posed by Hamas is only the most immediate of the many interlocking challenges facing Israel, some of which cast dark shadows over the long-term viability of a democratic Jewish state. The offensive in Gaza may degrade Hamas' ability to menace southern Israel with rocket fire, but, as with Israel's 2006 war against Hizballah, the application of force won't extinguish the militants' ideological fervour. The anti-Israeli anger swelling in the region has made it more difficult for Arab governments to join Israel in its efforts to deal with Iran, the patron of both Hamas and Hizballah and a state whose leaders have sworn to eliminate Israel and appear determined to acquire nuclear weapons. Just as ominous for many Israelis is a ticking demographic time bomb: the likelihood that Arabs will vastly outnumber Jews in the land stretching from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean is a catastrophic prospect for a nation that defines itself by its faith.

Israelis will have to choose between living with an independent Palestinian state or watching Jews become a minority in their own land.

As much as any other nation on earth, Israel is based on a dream: the aspiration to establish a home for the Jews in the birth-place of their ancestors. To a remarkable extent, that dream has been fulfilled, as Israel has grown into the most modern and democratic country in the Middle East. A strong, confident Israel ... is one that can find peace with its neighbours, cooperate with the Arabs to contain common threats and, most important, reach a just and lasting solution with the Palestinians. But how do you make peace with those who don't seem to want it? How do you win a war when the other side believes time is on its side? And what would true security, in a hostile neighbourhood populated with enemies, actually look like? As is always true in the Middle East, there are no easy answers.

How to Deal with Hamas

THE MOST IMMEDIATE CHALLENGE facing Israel is that posed by Hamas. Gaza's tragedy has for days been playing out on the world's TV sets. By Jan. 7, more than 700 Palestinians, many of them non-combatants, had been killed. But there's something tragic, too, in Israel's predicament: in any confrontation with its enemies, it is damned if it does and doomed if it doesn't.

Across Israel's political spectrum there seems to be a consensus that Hamas' provocative rocket barrages could not go unanswered - though whether Israel's response has been proportional to the threat is, at the least, questionable .Perhaps more threatening than the rockets themselves was the doubt they cast over Israel's vaunted power of deterrence, which is key to keeping its hostile neighbours at bay. That power was badly eroded in 2006, when Hizballah was able to withstand the Israeli onslaught, force a cease-fire and claim victory in the process. That surely emboldened Hamas, which intermittently sent rockets into southern Israel and finally prompted Israel to respond in force. As respected Israeli columnist Nahum Barnea wrote in the Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth, "A country that is afraid to deal with Hamas won't be able either to  deter Iran or to safeguard its interests in dealing with Syria, Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority."

-WITH REPORTING BY TAMIL HAMAD/RAMALLAH, AARON J.
KLEIN/GAZA BORDER AND SCOTT MACLEOD/CAIRO ? (Abridged)


GOD’S ANSWER TO ISRAEL’S DILEMMA

We have seen in Isaiah 11 that God will have an input into what seems to be, in human terms, Israel’s  dilemma.

Surrounded by enemies on every side with the vowed intention of eliminating that tiny State - which, with the
backing of Iran and Russia, seems quite feasible, Israel appears to have a limited existence.
However, God has decreed that Israel will survive after going through “a time of trouble such as never was.”

Below are a number of verses taken from the prophecies of Jeremiah. They are being fulfilled in this generation.

Jeremiah 30:3 [NKJ] ‘For behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,’ says the LORD. ‘And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.’"
4 Now these are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah. 5 "For thus says the LORD: ‘We have heard a voice of trembling, Of fear, and not of peace. 6 Ask now, and see, Whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins Like a woman in labor, And all
faces turned pale?
7 Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.

The present retaliation by Israel against the thousands of rockets fired by Hamas into Israel over the past year has roused the ire of hordes of protesters world-wide.
Throughout Eastern and Western Europe, the UK, and all the Islamic countries down to Indonesia and even in Australia. Synagogues have been torched and antisemitic feelings have manifest themselves in vandalous actions.

The Scriptures indicate a united Arabic conglomerate that will attack Israel prior to the Return of Christ.

Psalm 83 gives the ancient names of all the nations that surround Israel today. The prophecy of Joel 1, 2 &3
describe a huge “locust horde” of nations conducting a “holy war’ (jihad) against Israel. Zechariah 12 & 14
includes “all the nations round about” in a siege against Jerusalem that results in “the city ..... taken ..... and half the city shall go into captivity.”

God’s solution to this event is outlined in the same Scriptures already referred to:

Zechariah 14:3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Joel 3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

Perhaps the clearest record of Israel’s present and future condition is to be found in Jeremiah 30:
11 For I am with you,’ says the LORD, ‘to save you; Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, Yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice, And will not let you go altogether unpunished.’12 "For thus says the LORD: ‘Your affliction is incurable, Your wound is severe.13 There is no one to plead your cause, That you may be bound up; You have no healing medicines. 14 All your lovers have forgotten you; They do not seek you; For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, With the chastisement of a cruel one, For the multitude of your iniquities, Because your sins have increased. 15 Why do you cry about your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable. Because of the multitude of your iniquities, Because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you. 16 ‘Therefore all those who devour you shall be devoured; And all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; 
Those who plunder you shall become plunder, And all who prey upon you I will make a prey. 17 For I will restore health to you And heal you of your wounds,’ says the LORD, ‘Because they called you an outcast saying: "This is Zion; No one seeks her."’

ISRAEL’S FUTURE

Some time in the near future, Israel will find herself without a friend in the world “All your lovers have forgotten you; They do not seek you” [v.14]. In other SOTs we have shown from Revelation 9 & 16 that
the nations east of the Euphrates will rise against the West. Perhaps this will prevent the US from assisting
Israel; or the economic situation will be too severe; or ecological calamities wreck all communication and
travel - what ever it is - Israel will stand alone!
Israel will cry to God for help - and it will come!

Jeremiah 31:10  "Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, And declare it in the isles afar off, and say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, And keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’ 11 For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, And ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he. 12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, Streaming to the goodness of the LORD––For wheat and new wine and oil, For the young of the flock and the herd; Their souls shall be like a well–watered garden, And they shall sorrow no more at all. 13 "Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old, together; For I will turn their mourning to joy, Will comfort them, And make them rejoice rather than sorrow.
35 Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for a light by day, The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The LORD of hosts is His name): 36 "If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the LORD, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever."

Let us turn finally to Daniel 12:1  And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people [Israel]: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

“Even so, Come, Lord Jesus.”
 YBIC, Arthur Wright

Sunday 14 December 2008

Good to make sure that you haven't lost the things money can't buy

"It's good to have money and the things money can buy,
but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and
make sure that you haven't lost
the things money can't buy."
- George Horace Lormier

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters;
and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! …
Why spend money on what is not bread, and
your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David."
Isaiah 55:1-3




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