Not aliens

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone....... 

- Ephesians 2:19-20 -

Thoughts on This Verse... ''We belong!'' That's what the apostle Paul is telling us. We're not outsiders or second-class citizens or''Johnny come lately'' children of God. Because of grace, we belong! We are part of God's house! The foundation of that house is made up of the apostles and prophets. The cornerstone of that house is Jesus himself. Incredibly, we are also a part of this holy house of God. We belong! 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Spirit of sonship

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ''Abba, Father.''...... 

- Romans 8:15 -

Thoughts on This Verse... How revolutionary. Just as Jesus prayed to God addressing him as''Abba Father,'' we too can speak so frankly and openly with God.''Ab-ba'' are some of the earliest syllables babies spoke. The word''Abba'' was used by very young children to speak intimately, respectfully, and openly with their earthly fathers. The Holy Spirit gives us that same privilege as God's children. We can call the Creator of the universe, the Great God of Israel, the Father of all peoples, the Almighty of eternity, Abba! Incredible. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Confidence!

Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared....... 

- Proverbs 3:25-26 -

Thoughts on This Verse... What guards your heart from fear? Only one protector is sure and faithful; his name is the Yahweh -- he alone is the LORD. He is our confidence and protector. As Paul said so powerfully long ago, prayer and the Holy Spirit are our assurance of God's deliverance. Either we will be delivered from death to serve God powerfully or we will be delivered through death to share with him in eternity. We will not be snared when our fate and future remain in God's hands! 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Be still, for I am here with you!

''When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior ...''...... 

- Isaiah 43:2-3 -

 Thoughts on This Verse... In the context of this passage, God reminds his people that they are precious to him. He formed them and redeemed them. He is not about to abandon them. No matter what challenges or difficulties they face, he will be with them to deliver them and bring them to safety and victory. We can accept this same promise; we also have the benefit of history to show God's faithfulness. We can see how God did preserve his people and redeemed them time and time again from their bondage to their enemies. God will not forget his children! We know it by promise. We know it by history. We know it by faith! 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Rejected by His Own

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him....... 

- John 1:11 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Jesus came to his own things -- the world he had created and the land he had promised his people -- and his very own people didn't receive him. Sometimes we are blinded by our desires and dreams for Jesus and we really miss what he wants for us and from us. Let's not let the following be true in our lives.''Jesus came to me, but I wasn't ready to receive him. I had other things I wanted to do and other things I wanted to experience before I fully surrendered my heart to him.'' Each time we put off surrendering our will to Jesus, each time we push him away as Lord, we allow our hearts to harden and it becomes easier and easier to push him away. Now, while our hearts are still attentive to his grace, let's renew our commitment to him afresh and completely offer him our hearts and lives for his glory and grace. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

I Give My Life to the Potter's Hand

Beautiful Lord, Wonderful Saviour
I know for sure, all of my days are held in your hands, crafted
into your perfect plan
You gently call me into your presence guiding me by Your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord to live all of my life through Your eyes
I'm captured by Your holy calling
Set me apart, I know you're drawing me to yourself
Lead me Lord I pray

Take me, Mold me, use me, fill me
I give my life to the Potter's hand
Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me
I give my life to the Potter's hand

You gently call me into your presence guiding me by your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord to live all of my life through your eyes
I'm captured by your Holy calling
set me apart, I know your drawing me to yourself
lead me Lord I pray

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

How to argue with God

22nd April 2012

*There are shocking things in life
*Jesus has done something like that that we rationalize it and not believe in it

*Ask and you will recieve

*Seek and you shall fine

*Knock and the door will be open for you

*We think Jesus didn't mean it literally
*Asking
- answered prayer

- we might ask selfish prayers

- we should ask actively

- we should confess sin

*Sometimes we hinder our prayer
*We should seek God's kingdom
*Answered prayer is more like a relationship
*Like any relationship, everyone has a role to play
*Certain elements make a great date
*It is the same through prayer
*It is NOT A FORMULA but like a kit
*We WILL receive because that is the promise
*Psalm 44: 1-26: ¹ We have heard it with our ears, O God;
   our ancestors have told us
what you did in their days,
   in days long ago.
² With your hand you drove out the nations
   and planted our ancestors;
you crushed the peoples
   and made our ancestors flourish.
³ It was not by their sword that they won the land,
   nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
   and the light of your face, for you loved them.
 ⁴ You are my King and my God,
   who decrees victories for Jacob.
⁵ Through you we push back our enemies;
   through your name we trample our foes.
⁶ I put no trust in my bow,
   my sword does not bring me victory;
⁷ but you give us victory over our enemies,
   you put our adversaries to shame.
⁸ In God we make our boast all day long,
   and we will praise your name forever.
 ⁹ But now you have rejected and humbled us;
   you no longer go out with our armies.
¹⁰ You made us retreat before the enemy,
   and our adversaries have plundered us.
¹¹ You gave us up to be devoured like sheep
   and have scattered us among the nations.
¹² You sold your people for a pittance,
   gaining nothing from their sale.
 ¹³ You have made us a reproach to our neighbors,
   the scorn and derision of those around us.
¹⁴ You have made us a byword among the nations;
   the peoples shake their heads at us.
¹⁵ I live in disgrace all day long,
   and my face is covered with shame
¹⁶ at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,
   because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.
 ¹⁷ All this came upon us,
   though we had not forgotten you;
   we had not been false to your covenant.
¹⁸ Our hearts had not turned back;
   our feet had not strayed from your path.
¹⁹ But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals;
   you covered us over with deep darkness.
 ²⁰ If we had forgotten the name of our God
   or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
²¹ would not God have discovered it,
   since he knows the secrets of the heart?
²² Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
   we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
 ²³ Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep?
   Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
²⁴ Why do you hide your face
   and forget our misery and oppression?
 ²⁵ We are brought down to the dust;
   our bodies cling to the ground.
²⁶ Rise up and help us;
   rescue us because of your unfailing love.

*We have heard with our ears= acted on their behalf
*Psalmist is talking about the past he has not gone through
*God does not need a psalmist to remind him what He did in the past
*Psalmist begins to talk about God in the present
*The Psalmist begins to turn to God
*Psalmist being open, brutally honest to God

*Psalm 22: ¹ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
   Why are you so far from saving me,
   so far from my cries of anguish?
² My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
   by night, but I find no rest.
 ³ Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
   you are the one Israel praises.
⁴ In you our ancestors put their trust;
   they trusted and you delivered them.
⁵ To you they cried out and were saved;
   in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
 ⁶ But I am a worm and not a man,
   scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
⁷ All who see me mock me;
   they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
⁸ “He trusts in the LORD,” they say,
   “let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
   since he delights in him.”
 ⁹ Yet you brought me out of the womb;
   you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
¹⁰ From birth I was cast on you;
   from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
 ¹¹ Do not be far from me,
   for trouble is near
   and there is no one to help.
 ¹² Many bulls surround me;
   strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
¹³ Roaring lions that tear their prey
   open their mouths wide against me.
¹⁴ I am poured out like water,
   and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
   it has melted within me.
¹⁵ My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
   and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
   you lay me in the dust of death.
 ¹⁶ Dogs surround me,
   a pack of villains encircles me;
   they pierce my hands and my feet.
¹⁷ All my bones are on display;
   people stare and gloat over me.
¹⁸ They divide my clothes among them
   and cast lots for my garment.
 ¹⁹ But you, LORD, do not be far from me.
   You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
²⁰ Deliver me from the sword,
   my precious life from the power of the dogs.
²¹ Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
   save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
 ²² I will declare your name to my people;
   in the assembly I will praise you.
²³ You who fear the LORD, praise him!
   All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
   Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
²⁴ For he has not despised or scorned
   the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
   but has listened to his cry for help.
 ²⁵ From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
   before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
²⁶ The poor will eat and be satisfied;
   those who seek the LORD will praise him—
   may your hearts live forever!
 ²⁷ All the ends of the earth
   will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
   will bow down before him,
²⁸ for dominion belongs to the LORD
   and he rules over the nations.
 ²⁹ All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
   all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
   those who cannot keep themselves alive.
³⁰ Posterity will serve him;
   future generations will be told about the Lord.
³¹ They will proclaim his righteousness,
   declaring to a people yet unborn:
   He has done it!

*My God , my god why have you forsaken me?
*People have been brutally honest before God
*Why didn't the Psalmist just come before God but wrote a whole passage about it?
*The missing element in prayer is that we need to create an argument before God
*It is different from how we are suppose to be all good and holy
*Genesis 18:23-26- About Abraham, Sodom and Gomorrah

²³ Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare^[a] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? ²⁵ Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
 ²⁶ The LORD said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

*Abraham is presenting a case- and gets aggresive
*Exodus 32:9-14: ⁹ “I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. ¹⁰ Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”
 ¹¹ But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. “LORD,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? ¹² Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. ¹³ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” ¹⁴ Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

*Relent- change your thinking
*Moses argument is not very good but yet, he argues
*We may have gifts and talents but the skill component is the key
*We think HE MUST answer our prayer
*We have to present out case to God well


BUT...

Jesus is already arguing on your behalf
¹ My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 

- 1 John 2:1 -

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Commitment to God's Word

Psalm 119:89-96:

*God's life has authority and is life changing

5 tips for better conviction
John 1:1:

The Word Became Flesh

 ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Matthew 24:25: ²⁵ See, I have told you ahead of time.

Isaiah 40:8: ⁸ The grass withers and the flowers fall,
   but the word of our God endures forever.”

1 Peter 1:25:
 ²⁵ but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
   And this is the word that was preached to you.

Psalm 148:6: ⁶ and he established them for ever and ever—
   he issued a decree that will never pass away

1. God's word is eternal and absolute

Joshua 1:8: ⁸ Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

*Meditate and do it day and night  
*Nowadays, people define prosperity in power (Not in a worldly way)
*Obey and read the word of God
*Follow the standard of God and not the standard of the world
*Foundation be rooted in the Word of God

2. God's word has authority

Psalm 119:91: ⁹¹ Your laws endure to this day,
   for all things serve you.

Hebrews 4:12: ¹² For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5: ³ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

*The word of God has power

*We can use the word of God when we have spiritual warfair

5 different strongholds
1. Fear
2. Generational
3. Mind
4. Traditional
5. Intimidation
6. Pride

*Break through prayer, conviction in your heart and the word of God can BREAK these strongholds

*God wants o give us victory over our strongholds

3. God's word is life giving
Romans 15:4: ⁴ For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

*God's grace is always there

Isaiah 40:28-31:
²⁸ Do you not know?
   Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
   and his understanding no one can fathom.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
   and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.

*We should be convince by the power of God

*More than just reading but living it out, it is more than just meditation

BE STILL! 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Vision for the Future

Acts 19:1-10:

Paul in Ephesus

 ¹ While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples ² and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when^[a] you believed?”    They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
 ³ So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
   “John’s baptism,” they replied.
 ⁴ Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” ⁵ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues^[b] and prophesied. ⁷ There were about twelve men in all.
 ⁸ Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. ⁹ But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰ This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

*New creation - new life
*Key things- believing in the Holy Spirit
*Putting trust in Jesus but to also allow Him to come and live with us

1. We are called to a mission not a particular strategy, model or institution
*Why did they get baptise?
*2 schools of thought
-Parents decide that their children when in infancy stage are baptised
-Individuals make the effort for about 2 to 3 years to get baptised

*But it is not like that in the Bible, we encounter God and then get baptised
*Baptism happens at the state of conversion
*There is a link between baptism and forgiveness of sins
*Faith helps them but baptism is like a pathway for salvation
*Not being baptised is like not having a wedding for your marriage
*Paul gets them as missionaries (v8-10)
*He engages and tries to understand the word
*Paul saw a road block and detoured. He never gave up but continued to reach the disciples
*Paul has given his life to a mission, not a method
*Some are addicted to the church, not the mission
*God allowed a road block so that we are able to shift
*In sovereignty, things will definitely change

2. We will celebrate all that God has done over the past 2 years
*Many will step up and grow in faith

3. We want to emphasize that you follow Jesus, not us.
*We make our own choice to follow Jesus
*If we are a Christian, we are responsible for ourself
*We could start something
*We are free to follow Christ instead- we have a choice!
*We will celebrate with whatever decision we make

4. We are actually more confident than ever that we can raise up heaps of leaders and plan many churches
*If we want to plan more churches, we got to raise up more leaders
*Luke 10:20: ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Easter service at Kelvin Grove

 *People often get converted during Easter but had to go for classes before getting baptised
*Words used for "becoming a Christian"

1. Saved

Ephesians 4:8-9: ⁸ This is why it says:
   “When he ascended on high,
   he took many captives
   and gave gifts to his people.”
 ⁹ (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?

2. Converted

Acts 15:3: ³ The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad.

3. Born again

John 3:3:  ³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.

4. Crossed over

John 5:24:   ²⁴ “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.

The Journey of Faith in Jesus

*Jesus had many followers
*The leaders wanted to eliminate Jesus to stop the whole movement
*Does not make sense to them because the Messiah was meant to be the king not to be crucified
*Tomb was open and coffin was empty

1. They were genuinely open

*Luke 24:13:

On the Road to Emmaus

 ¹³ Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem*Some people are not open to hear what Christianity is about

2. Someone explained Jesus

*Romans 1:19-20: ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

*Luke 24:25: ²⁵ He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

*Someone had to pray for our sins
*It might be in the scriptures but some might get stuck on the purpose of why Jesus died
*We can explore by reading the Bible
*It is each of our responsibility to let others hear about Jesus
*Can choose to believe it or not
*A part where God has to do something, a spiritual side to it

3. God opened their eyes

*Luke 24:28-32:

 ²⁸ As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. ²⁹ But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
 ³⁰ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. ³² They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

*It is something beyond intellectual but a little emotional
*This is God at work
*When Jesus broke the bread, their eyes were opened
*That was something spiritual and supernatural
*That is what God wants to do with everyone who seeks Jesus

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

unteachable but spirit-led

As for you, the anointing you received from him [the Spirit] remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit - just as it has taught you, remain in him....... 

- 1 John 2:27 -

Thoughts on This Verse... When we became Christians, we were not only cleansed by the Holy Spirit; we were also filled with the Holy Spirit. John speaks of this as our anointing. The Spirit helps us hear the truth about Jesus and keeps us from surrendering that truth to false teaching that would diminish either side of Jesus' identity -- Jesus,''God with us'' or''God like us.'' We abide in Jesus when we hold on to both of these incredible truths.


**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Love was when, God became a man

In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him....... 

- 1 John 4:17-

Thoughts on This Verse... Because of what Jesus has done for us, when we live for God lovingly, we can have confidence in the face of death and before God at judgment. Our confidence is not in our efforts, but in our Savior. His love has not only redeemed us; it has changed us. His love is not only a gift to us, but it is a gift through us. We can be confident because we know that Jesus' life is present in us until we can stand with him in the presence of our Father. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Relevance!

''For I know the plans I have for you,'' declares the LORD,''plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.''...... 

- Jeremiah 29:11-

Thoughts on This Verse... Jeremiah was telling God's people that 70 years after the devastation, God would deliver and restore them. Despite the fact that they had repeatedly abandoned God, he would not abandon them or his promises to them. He would be faithful. In fact, God was planning and preparing a bright future for them. This promise also reminds us that no matter how deep our own personal gloom may seem, God does have plans for us. He will keep his promises to us. He will deliver and bless us. We can have a vibrant hope and a bright future because of his faithfulness and our trust in his Son, Jesus, who delivers us from every foe. 


**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Name above every name

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name......... 

- Philippians 2:9 -

Thoughts on This Verse... For Jesus, Graciousness + Guts + Giving + Grit = Glory. Just one of those equations in salvation math that doesn't make much human sense, but from the perspective of faith, it is powerful wisdom. Jesus came to our world because of the graciousness of God. Jesus had the''guts'' to leave behind heaven and face the hardships of humanity, and give of himself to serve others. Jesus had the grit to endure the horrors and humiliation of the cross. So God has shared with Jesus his glory and placed him above all others. The apostle Paul wants to remind us that God doesn't forget our sacrifices, our obedience, and our hardships. He does honor them with his pleasure and his glory because Jesus' sacrifice has made us holy! 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

When the saints go marching in

Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD....... 

- Psalm 31:23-24 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Love the LORD! Be strong because of your hope in the LORD. In other words, recognize where your strength is. Acknowledge your source of grace. Give praise to God for his abundant mercy and power lavished on us through his Holy Spirit. The LORD God does preserve his people. He does honor faithfulness even if it is mocked in this world. The LORD will bless his people and deal justly with those who mock and abuse them. 

 **Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Mighty to save

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing....... 

- Zephaniah 3:17 -

Thoughts on This Verse... God is with us! That's the great message of the story of Jesus (Matt. 1:23). That's the message of hope Zephaniah gives the defeated people of God. God is among us. He is mighty to save. He loves us. He delights in us. He stills the storms of our hearts with his loving touch. He sings us lullabies of joy. God longs to be close to us and invites us to draw near. What will your response be? 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Satisfy your needs

For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things....... 

- Psalm 107:9 -

Thoughts on This Verse... The Bible cries out with one recurring truth: God quenches the thirst and satisfies the hunger of those who seek him. So often we try to soothe the ache in our soul and fill the emptiness in our heart with what is only a temporary satisfaction that only God's presence can fill. Let's refuse every false satisfaction and seek the LORD! 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Wither like snow

Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away....... 

- Psalm 37:1-2 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Frustration and envy... hmmm, isn't that our reaction to those who are evil and yet seem to prosper? We're reminded to not let the apparent and short-lived successes of evil people derail our faith or dampen our spirits. Their victories are temporary, their wealth is like a flower that will wilt, and their lives are like the grass which withers and is soon gone. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Unfailing compassion

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness....... 

- Lamentations 3:22-23 -

Thoughts on This Verse... What sustained you through the night? What will get you through today? What will enable you to achieve your goals, even thrive, in the days that lie ahead? The LORD's mercies. These incredible resources never run out! Each new day brings a fresh supply of them. God is faithful to make sure we have them each day. Praise be to God for making our world new and clean each new day. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Right timing

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die....... 

- Romans 5:6-7-

Thoughts on This Verse... Christ died for the ungodly. Christ died for me. I am powerless to save myself or make myself righteous. Without Jesus' sacrificial death and without God's grace I could not be saved. Jesus did for me what I could not do and paid off my debt to sin which I could not pay. He did it for me; not because I was good enough to be worthy of his death, but because I couldn't be worthy without him.

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Lacking judgement

The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment....... 

- Proverbs 10:21 -

Thoughts on This Verse... I have several friends who are very wise in the way they speak. When they do speak up, everyone listens attentively because their words are always wise, well-timed, and worthwhile. Their righteous lives and careful use of words blesses and nourishes all who listen. There are others, however, that are constantly talking about everything and spending little or no time practicing what they preach. Their words are discounted as nothing more than their own desire to hear their own opinions about matters on which they know nothing. We each need to give serious consideration to what we say and how others will view the things that we say. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Wisdom is not everything

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil....... 

- Proverbs 3:7 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Let's keep this simple. First, we need to admit that with the complexities and perplexities of life that even the smartest of us is not all that brilliant. Second, the LORD our God is awesome in holiness, majesty, power, wisdom, and grace; he is far beyond us and all we can truly grasp of him is the smallest of glimpses of glory. Finally, let's stay away from anything that smacks of evil knowing that evil infects and confuses us, as well as separates us from God. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Abba Father

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry,''Abba, Father.'' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.......

- Romans 8:15-16 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Ab-ba. Listen to a baby and you will hear these basic early sounds. Incredibly, Jesus showed us, and the Spirit enables us, to speak to God with these syllables of familiarity, trust, vulnerability, dependency, and intimacy. The Spirit is our guarantee that we don't have to be afraid of God, but that we can approach him as our loving and tender Father who always listens to our hearts and seeks to bless our lives. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Take Your Stand

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes....... 

- Ephesians 6:11 -

Thoughts on This Verse... So often we are focused only on the things that we like, that we are good at doing, or that we are interested in accomplishing. God wants us to use every piece of his spiritual armor. He wants us to be disciplined and grow in the areas of our spiritual weakness and the areas we don't necessarily find exciting or interesting. Our evil opponent is crafty and will try to attack us in the areas of our weakness and vulnerability. So let's not just commit to be diligent in the areas of our interest and strength, but also in those areas where we are not. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Lips of Praise

I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips....... 

 

 - Psalm 34:1 -

Thoughts on This Verse... One way to keep our life on track and our hearts surrendered to the will and work of God is to praise our glorious LORD continually. Let's put our praise for God on our lips with song and memorized Scripture. Let's tell his wonderful and great deeds to our children, grandchildren, and friends. Let's give him thanks for all that he has done for us. Just as surely as he is with us always (see Ps. 139), let's praise him always. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Rest in your shadow

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty....... 

- Psalm 91:1 -

Thoughts on This Verse... At the end of the day of summer's scorching heat, where did you find your shadow of protection and refreshment? When we place our lives in the care of God Most High, we find that his shadow of protection and refreshment covers us. Even in times of difficulty, we know that he has protected us from the worst of Satan's withering attack and that his presence offers us strength that we may not often see but always can trust.

 
**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Wait for it!

Do not say, ''I'll pay you back for this wrong!'' Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you....... 

- Proverbs 20:22 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Vengeance is an awful and painful way to respond to those who we feel have wronged us. The LORD is our assurance of just rewards. Leave it to him. Escalating vindictiveness only leads to broken people and to broken lives. Worse yet, it leads to broken character. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

You mean you don't know!?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak....... 

- Isaiah 40:28-29 -

Thoughts on This Verse... God is eternal. He has unlimited power. His supply of strength is limitless. He blesses and shares his grace without growing tired. Most importantly, he longs to share his power and grace with us daily. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

I shall fear NO EVIL!

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me....... 

- Psalm 23:4 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Death is the ultimate profanity in today's world. We don't like to think about it, much less talk about it. However, death is that one reality that will not leave us alone. We lose friends and family members to death. At one point in our lives, we too, will face this inevitability unless Jesus comes before our passing. So what is our assurance as we face the inescapable? Our Shepherd! He will walk us through, guiding and protecting and comforting us in our journey. And as Christians, this promise is only intensified because we know Jesus as our Good Shepherd, and he has taken the walk ahead of us to insure that our walk through death's valley doesn't end in death, but in glory. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Jesus died and rose again, EASTER!

We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him....... 

- 1 Thessalonians 4:14 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Jesus' resurrection was just the beginning! His resurrection means that those of us who have faith in him, who trust in the Father that raised him from the dead, can have confidence that those who belong to him, whether they are living or dead when he comes, will also share in his victory over death. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

You are mine

But now, this is what the LORD says -- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel:''Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.''...... 

- Isaiah 43:1 -

Thoughts on This Verse... We belong to the LORD, God of all creation and God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (cf. 1 Pet. 2:9-10). We are recipients of God's grace and are blessed by his love for Israel's fathers. We do not have to fear because God is in control of our future, just as he worked through the history of his chosen people to send the Messiah. He will accompany us through the difficult trials we will face. He will make sure our redemption is realized. Why? Because we belong to him. We are his. He knows us. He formed us. God's people are his possession forever. We are children of the Almighty God! 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Dare you to move

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.......

-1 Corinthians 15:58 -

 Thoughts on This Verse... Our financial investment opportunities can be fickle. Friends can disappoint you. Nothing is truly sure except one thing, or better yet, our very special Someone! If we build our lives on his work and his plan, we can hang in, persevere, and even triumph regardless of what happens in this life. 

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Jesus is greater than religion

Nathan Harding

1st April 2012

1. Jesus is greater than religion

*All human beings are religious
*"We cannot do that"- a moral statement
*Not traditional but internally a type of system
*Religious ties you down to rules and regulations
*We live by someone's rules before
*We feel good when we tick the boxes
*We wish that we do not need to tick the boxes
*How different is Jesus' idea from us

Romans 8:1:

Life Through the Spirit

 ¹ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

*"If you have faith in me, throw the ten commandments away"

John 10:10: ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

*For us, there is no condemnation

Jesus is greater than our own personal religion

2. Jesus is Greater than your concept of God's love

*Conditional love
*We sometimes shape God's experience for our own comfort

Ephesians 3:18-19: ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

*Personal perception of love may altered our ability to love God
*God's love is not instinctive to us
*"My ways are not your ways"

3. Jesus is Greater than our church experience

*Jesus is not our church experience
Romans 3:4: ⁴ Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written:
   “So that you may be proved right when you speak
   and prevail when you judge.”
 
*Instead of combining truth of God and experience, we should separate them because experience and his character has nothing to do
*Jesus offers totally distinctive ways which are not our own ways
*He is giving an opportunity for us to be free
 


**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**

Not ashamed

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile....... 

- Romans 1:16 -

Thoughts on This Verse... Are you ashamed? Culture tries to make us ashamed about our faith, portraying people of faith as stupid, insensitive, judgmental, and hypocritical. Are you ashamed? Are you willing to share your faith humbly and gently with those who do not know Jesus as their Lord? Are you ashamed? Your hero left heaven to come to earth and risk everything so that you could come home to heaven with him. This Gospel is powerful. This Gospel is transformational. This Gospel, and the salvation it brings, is for all people. So let's not be ashamed; let's be joyous and generous with this incredible gift that we have received.
 
**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**