I was interviewed this week by the host of “Understand the Bible” Phill Sacre on the subject of prayer. This was part of UTB’s course on How to live as a Christian. I share the video below and hope you enjoy.
You can find out more about Understand the Bible at their web site – Understand the Bible, or else find them on YouTube here.
And here’s a song I’ve been listening to lately – relevant to the subject of prayer. Enjoy!
Even the dimmest, most tiniest of candles can cast a great light in a dark room.
Are you the only Christian in your family? How about your place of work? Your school perhaps? It can feel extremely tough to be the only one with Christian beliefs or values. It can be lonely, and each day can feel like a slog or struggle.
But don’t give up!
If you really are the only Christian in that setting, then you are the only source of light that this dark place has. If you give up and extinguish your light, then it truly will be a dark place.
You may feel as a tiny candle trying to hold back the darkest of nights, but even a nightlight draws people in. God has placed you in the exact place you find yourself for that very purpose. Be the light of the world! Be a candle! Shine your light and draw others to Christ.
When you feel alone or weary, tell the Lord and seek His refreshment. Focus on those around you who no doubt need to hear of the love of Christ. Show them that love which you have received from Him. It may change their life, not just for the here and now, but for all eternity!
Have a blessed day, and be a candle in whatever way you can.
So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;
James 1:19 (WEB)
No one ever got a speeding ticket for listening too fast.
I don’t know if it’s ok to have favourites in the Bible, but the book of James is certainly one of mine! This verse in particular has meant a lot to me over the years, and as it happens, has popped up a couple of times in my Bible study recently. Clearly, God is bringing it to my attention once again.
Being slow to speak or to become angry is clear to understand. It means that before leaping into hot anger or letting our words erupt uncontrolled, we should take a breath, be slow and considerate and then speak carefully. I hope this is reasonably obvious to most of you, and so I’m not going to focus on that today.
Instead, what does it mean to be quick to listen? I am “listening” all of the time, and so how can I do it any faster?
As I say above, no one has ever been given a ticket for breaking the listening speed limit… but what is the difference between fast and slow listening?
It comes back to a difference between hearing and listening, I think. While I may hear most everything that goes on around me, do I really listen to it? If my phone is in my hand, or the radio is on, and one of my family are speaking to me – am I really listening?
Hearing is passive, but listening is active. It takes effort. It takes selflessness. It means putting aside what we are doing, or what we want to do, and focussing our attention on someone else. It takes discipline too, if you have a wandering mind like me, or if you are already thinking of what you want to say next rather than absorbing what is being said.
So what does it mean to be “quick to listen?” I think it is the gap between hearing the sound of someone’s words, and switching on our listening ears.
I often have to pull up my children on this point. I can see them staring at a screen, ask them to do something, get a mumbled reply and no follow up action. I repeat myself, with added frustration, until they convert the hearing of my words into genuine listening and response. I roll my eyes and say “Those kids never listen!” But am I any different?
Friends of ours reported a similar incident between husband and wife. The wife of the story was talking to her husband about something, and a few days later it transpired he had no memory of their conversation. “Where was I when you were talking to me about this?” he asked. “You were sat right there, watching the football!” retorted the wife. “Oh…” says the husband, recognising that his attention was no doubt so fixated on the game that he did not receive one word that she said.
He heard, but did not listen.
How fast can you switch from hearing your spouse, child or friend to really listening to them? To getting your attention off of yourself and what you are doing, and turning it fully on them? That, I believe, is what James is talking about.
Listening to someone is a real act of love. So many people just want to be heard – really heard. You can do that for someone today.
And remember… no one was ever caught on speed camera for listening too well!
God bless you today!
A Starling Murmuration Photo by RSPB UK Behold, how good and how pleasant it isFor brothers to dwell together in unity!Psalm 133:1 (NASB) I have been…
In Unity
I mentioned this blog and Alan’s wonderful writing in my earlier post today. Given that this post as a very similar subject to what I wrote about earlier, it seemed the right thing to do to share it here. Hope you enjoy it!
It was an absolute pleasure to write a guest post for Devotional Treasures yesterday. Alan Kearns is a wonderful writer, and his regular posts here on WordPress are extremely encouraging and uplifting – so do check them out!
It actually got me thinking a lot about WordPress in general and how I came to write here. I wanted to start a blog back in 2018, and not being especially in the know technologically speaking, I stumbled across WordPress. It was a name I had heard of, and so I signed up. My expectations were simply that it would give me a place to write from, and that it would be little more than a web provider.
I have to say that my expectations have been exceeded!
Beyond merely providing blogs and web sites, I never expected to find a thriving Christian community here. Yet it did not take long to find other Christian writers who I could not only read and follow myself, but who willingly read and followed me – regularly commenting and encouraging. Alan, as mentioned above, is just such an example.
Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:25 (ESV)
I’ve thought about this verse a fair bit over the course of the pandemic, and particularly at times when our churches could not meet together in person. Meeting face-to-face is clearly preferable, but thank God for the Internet that allows us to engage irrespective of distance, geography or viruses!
In some respects, I am challenged by this verse from Hebrews. It says that some are in the habit of not meeting, and I find myself convicted that of late, I’m not in the habit of engaging with my readers or other writers here on the blog. Life is extremely busy, and the habit of writing regularly has slipped. If I have even a small gift in this area, then surely it is my responsibility to use it for God’s glory.
This verse also exhorts us to encourage one another. Where so much of the Internet is negative and hostile, I can honestly say I’ve never had a comment on the blog of criticism or assault. That is not to say that others have not challenged me on some point of my writing, but I’m pleased to say they have done so with love and mercy.
The verse ends by pointing out we should do this – encouragement – more and more as we see the Day approaching. What “Day”? The Day of our Lord’s return. There is, of course, much debate about what that will actually be like and speculation about when it will be. Many point at the day’s events; increasing earthquakes, trouble in the Middle East, and the pandemic as all being signs that the “Day” draws near.
Whatever you believe about such things, and I do humbly suggest you seek the Scriptures for yourself to see what it says, one thing I can tell you for sure is this: we are closer to that Day now than we were yesterday, and if the Lord tarries, we’ll be even closer tomorrow. That Day is indeed approaching, so let each member of His Body support and uplift the rest.
For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot would say, “Because I’m not the hand, I’m not part of the body,” it is not therefore not part of the body. 16 If the ear would say, “Because I’m not the eye, I’m not part of the body,” it’s not therefore not part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired.
1 Corinthians 12:12-18 (WEB)
We are all part of Christ’s body. We need each other. We are connected. We are connected through the bond of the Spirit, and be it through WordPress or any other medium, we are joined together in love.
I write, in some small way, to strengthen the Body. What can you do this day?
The Bridge of Triumph Chuck Pinson Greetings brethren on this Lord’s Day! Today I am excited to introduce our guest writer, Andy Brown whose blog I …
I Can Only Imagine
Every so often, I put out a shorter post which I call Pearls of Wisdom. The usual format is a short phrase or “pearl” with a few words from me highlighting its wisdom. I mention it here as I’ve not done one in a while, and I know there are a few newer readers. (Thanks for joining me!)
I listened to a sermon this week, and the preacher happened to mention the above phrase. It struck me that when we minimise sin (referring to it as slip, mistake or issue) we also minimise what God has done to resolve it.
We may not like to use the word sin or sinful to describe our behaviour, and so water it down with words like issues. All this does is serve to weaken our resolve against sin in all its forms.
God hates sin, and so should we. Christ’s great work at the cross did not achieve the forgiveness of “issues” but of sin and its wickedness.
The older I get, the more I realise the depth of my sinfulness. Not that I consider myself worse than anyone else, it is rather that the more I get to know Christ, it becomes apparent how far short I fall of His wonderful holiness.
Sin is a dreadful thing, and it carries a heavy cost. We Christians can be thankful that this cost is fully paid for by Christ. Let us not minimise His work by softening sin down to mere mishaps. Sin is sin, and yet God forgives it through the blood of Jesus! Hallelujah!
Rejoice in this truth today, and be blessed!
I am still having a few technical issues with WordPress, and cannot upload any videos at the moment. I’ve put the latest video in my Lent series on Facebook, and posted the link below. Hope you are able to view it there.
In this video, I talk about how important it is to understand God’s love for you. Enjoy!
“And each morning and evening they stood before the Lord to sing songs of thanks and praise to him.”
1 Chronicles 23:30 (NLT)
In my daily Bible reading, I have been working my way through 1 Chronicles. I deliberately chose the words “working through” as it is quite tough going at times! The Chronicler has quite a different angle than the writer of Kings, and so there are some stark differences between the accounts of King David and his sons.
This morning I read from chapter 23, and include a particular verse above. In this chapter, we essentially see a total staff reorganisation like you might have in the business world. The Levites, who previously served in the Tabernacle of God, would soon begin to serve in the Temple built by Solomon. This meant a change in their duties. No longer would they need to pack up the Tent of Meeting, and move it around, as the Temple would be a fixed site to stand for generations.
With this change, what would the Levites now need to do? Chapter 23 gives some of the details, but verse 30 in particular stood out to me.
Imagine the job advert or “Help Wanted” sign… dedicated servant to give thanks to God each morning and evening. Desired characteristics – strong singing voice…
The Levites were given the specific role of thanking and praising the Lord both morning and evening. It was deemed such an important task that it was noted alongside all the other necessary duties of worship in the Temple.
Two thoughts spring to my mind about this. Firstly, it is wonderful to recognise the importance of praising and thanking God. We should learn from this, and much of our prayer lives should be focussed on that very task. We have so much to be grateful for, and yet often we find ourselves grumbling that we do not have more. Perhaps I’m alone in that, but I suspect not!
I was reading a fellow blogger’s post yesterday about the terrible situation in Mozambique, where not just Christians are being attacked and killed on a daily basis. Very few of us reading this are doing so in secret, or in fear of our lives. We likely have basic comforts – a roof over our heads, clothes on our back and food in our stomachs. For this, we should be truly grateful. It is certainly not too often to thank God both morning and night.
My second thought was this: did the people of Israel become complacent about thanking God because they had a dedicated team of servants doing the job for them?
I recall a time in a previous church where we discussed appointing a “welcoming team.” The role of the team was to keep an eye out for new people and to make sure they were welcomed and looked after the first few times they attended the church. The problem we worried about was whether by having a dedicated team like this, those in the church not on the team might falsely believe it was no longer their responsibility to welcome anyone.
It is everyone’s responsibility to give thanks and praise to God. Even if you have a dedicated worship leader on staff at your church, that does not absolve you from the need to worship Him yourself. I hope that the people of Israel likewise gave regular thanks to the Lord in the same way.
How is your thanksgiving looking at the moment? Mine is inadequate I’m ashamed to admit. When I really think about how much the Lord has done for me, and all the many blessings I have in my life, I’m humbled. There is more than enough for me to thank and praise Him for the rest of my life – non-stop – and all eternity as well.
What are some of the things you need to be thankful for? Do share them below. And I leave you with this verse from 1 Thessalonians.
Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
Notice Paul tells us to rejoice always. This can only be done by someone who is willing to thank God every morning and every evening.
Have a great weekend – full of thanksgiving to the Lord!
In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.
2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.
2 Samuel 11:1-3 (NIV)
King David was without a doubt Israel’s greatest king. He was beloved of God, and penned much of the Psalms we know and love today. Yet he was not a perfect man, and 2 Samuel 11 begins to tell how he fell into temptation and committed the sin of adultery.
These passages are not here for us to pick on David, nor is anything I say in this post meant to be criticism of him. These stories and words are here in our Bible to teach us, and we must learn the lessons from David’s mistakes. Hopefully by doing so, we will avoid the sins he fell into.
2 Samuel 11 opens by telling us it is spring time, and the time when kings go off to war. We might then expect it to say that King David gathered his army and went after the Ammonites, but it does not… Instead we read that David sent Joab with the army to go fight, and he stayed at home.
This is probably David’s first mistake. For whatever reason, he decides not to go out with the army. Perhaps he was fed up with war, or perhaps he was just tired. We do not know if Joab tried to convince him either way, but ultimately he was not where he needed to be – and that led him down a path of trouble.
David’s first misstep was to not do what he should have been doing. What should you be doing? Are you putting off things you know God has put on your heart? Are you making excuses not to fulfil your commitments or responsibilities? If so, then it could likewise lead you into problems.
There are likely countless examples. Do we find ourselves watching all kinds of sinfulness on TV, instead of spending time with God or our families? Are we surfing the web instead of putting in the hours at work (this is all too easy while working at home)? Are you laying in on a Sunday morning instead of being with God’s fellow people? Insert your own example here…
Verse 2 begins “One evening, David got up from his bed…” What does that tell you? David had been in bed during the day. Some immediately assume he’s spent all day in bed, and all night doing whatever he wanted. This could well be true, but we must also remember Israel can get very warm and so he may have just been resting during the heat of the day.
Irrespective, he then decides to take a walk on the roof. We do not know if this was his custom, or the done thing of the day, but again, it leads him into the path of temptation. I have no idea if David’s palace was the biggest and tallest building around, but it is in my mind at least. David, on the roof, would have had a good view of the entire area. Was it pride that took him up there, to survey his entire kingdom? Did he know it was a common time for women to bathe, and so hoped to catch a glimpse? We don’t know, and i have no wish to unfairly criticise him – as the text does not necessarily support it.
From the roof, David sees a beautiful woman. As above, we do not know if it was an accident or contrived in some way. Either way, what should he have been doing at this point? Averting his eyes? Definitely. Running away? Quite probably. And as an aside, one day i’ll write a post about “running away” as we see several examples in the Bible of people who did this, for good and bad reasons.
When he saw her bathing, instead of doing what he should have done, he sends a servant to find out who she is. It is clear that he is flirting with sin at this point. He has likely looked on her with lust, and now sets his mind to having her for himself. When he finds out that she is married, that should certainly have been the end of it. But if you know the story, then you know it is not the case.
There is more to learn from the rest of the account, but my point for today is simply to say – what should you be doing? We see more than one opportunity here for David to have done the right thing, and he chose not to. Instead of doing what he ought to be, he takes small steps towards sin.
Temptation is often like that. Rarely is someone simply tempted to commit adultery. It starts with minor things; the laugh by the water cooler, the touch of the arm, the sharing of personal thoughts… and before you know it, you are in a situation where you have moved closer and closer to sin, and it’s now much harder to escape.
Had David just gone to war as he should, then he may never have laid eyes on Bathsheba at all. If you were doing what you should be, what sin might you never lay eyes on?
Perhaps you are not engaged in a particular sin right now, but recognise you are slowly moving towards it – one step at a time. Take time now to reflect on this, and turn back before it is too late. Talk to the Lord about it, and ask Him to give you strength to resist temptation.
I watched a movie last night called “The Dig.” It is about an archaeological discovery in Suffolk, England. At the site of some burial mounds, the team of excavators discover a 90 foot long Anglo-Saxon boat buried with its owner after his death. They found a number of treasures and gold along with it. It may not sound the most exciting blockbuster from my clumsy description, but it was an enjoyable film.
One of the key themes of the movie is about what we leave behind. On the one hand, it was a tremendous find – the boat, the treasure and the history – and yet little is known of the owner. One of the characters comments that they feel futile in the face of death, fearing they will be forgotten in a few short generations. The chief excavator rather thinks we are all part of an ongoing story, and each play our part in the richness of history.
It got me thinking about what we leave behind us – our legacy.
Life is short, and it can so often fly by without us paying full attention. Someone once said that you don’t grow old, but instead wake up one day and realise that you are! Yet we can each make a lasting difference in the world. Few of us can be world leaders, chairs of huge internationals or jet-setting celebrities but we can each make a contribution to those we live life with.
Don’t feel you have to change the entire world, but do change it for someone. You may not be able to end world hunger on your own, but you can feed someone in need for a single meal. And I suspect that is something that person will not forget in a long, long time.
The Bible tells us to think about those generations that follow.
A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children,
Proverbs 13:22 (NIV)
but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.
We see in this verse that we are to leave an inheritance for our grandchildren. Many of us make plans to pass on our belongings and wealth to our children, and that is clearly a right thing to do. The Bible goes further though, encouraging us to think not just of our direct children, but of their children beyond them.
Finances are but one way of leaving a legacy of course, and there are much more important things we can leave behind.
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.
Deuteronomy 11:18-21 (NIV)
The most important thing we can give the next generation, and all those that follow, is knowledge of the Lord and His Word.
These verses were given to the Israelites as they entered the Promised Land, but they are every bit as applicable to us Christians today. We are to fix them in our hearts and minds. For me, that means using our brains to really understand them, but also to let them change our hearts in our inner being. Without the heart, studying the Bible becomes a mere intellectual exercise without any need for faith or a changed life.
While the Israelites took these commands literally, and actually bound the Scriptures to their hands and foreheads, I think there is a symbolic notion here too. Binding God’s commands to our foreheads again speaks to me of keeping the Word ever in our mind. It means the Word of God is ever before our eyes no matter what we or where we go. Likewise, binding the Scriptures to our hands to me means letting the command of God influence all that we do. When we work with our hands, we do so in and for God and His glory.
These verses tell us to pass on what we have learned about the Lord. We are to teach our children of the things of God, and to do so when we go out and when we come in. We are to talk about God in every situation; while we eat, while we educate, while we play games with them. Let everything we do with our children be an opportunity to point to the goodness of God and what He has done for us.
Surely this is the most vital legacy we can leave behind us! It is not about us being remembered, or our individual contribution being marked, but rather that God is remembered and His praises sung by each generation that follows.
Will these words be read by someone in a hundred years? Will one of my descendants pick up one of my books to read? Only God knows. Even if I am forgotten, I pray that my life will mean that there are more people heavenbound than there were before.
What kind of legacy will you leave? What contribution can you make to God’s glory? Seek the Lord for the answers today.
A short audio message introducing Andes book – A Journey with Jesus-which can be used over the course of Lent in 2021.
Andy Brown 