Watching Daily At Wisdom's Gates

  And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ Luke 13:7 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.13.7.ESV This is part of a scary parable, or meaningful story, by Jesus. God forbid that the fig tree should represent us! What kind of fruit does God want us to bear? The fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of God's Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. These are the kinds of things God expects of us. If we don't bear that fruit, we betray the fact that we don't belong to Him. If we don't bear the fruit of the Spirit, God's going to cut us down. 'I thought God was merciful!' you might protest. He is: that's why the fruit He expects of us ultimately comes from Himself- His Spirit. If we want to bear fruit for God and not be cut down by Him, we can pray for such a thing. By dep

  Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, Romans 5:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.5.3.ESV The previous verses are about rejoicing in the hope that Jesus brings. Paul goes on to talk about rejoicing in sufferings. This might sound sadistic, but hear him out. We don't rejoicing in suffering for its own sake. Suffering is miserable and no-one in their right mind enjoys it. Yet the wonderful thing about the Christian faith is that suffering isn't meaningless. Suffering can produce endurance. The trendy word for endurance nowadays is resilience. This is the ability to persevere in the midst of adversity. The Christian faith isn't just stoicism however. Just as Jesus's suffering leads to salvation for many, so our suffering can help us work out our salvation. Our hope isn't in this life; it's in the life to come. 'Lord God, we're grateful that suffering isn't meaningless. Please help us to en

  And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” Luke 9:19 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.9.19.ESV Even in Jesus's days walking the earth, people had all sorts of theories as to who He was. Some thought He was John the Baptist risen from the dead. In reality, John the Baptist was the 'Elijah' who was His forerunner. Some thought Jesus was the promised 'Elijah' who would be a forerunner to the Messiah. Yet Jesus wasn't simply the best man. He is the heavenly Bridegroom who came down to earth for His bride the church. Neither was Jesus some reincarnated prophet of old. He wasn't Jeremiah, even if He might have sometimes seemed like a Jeremiad. Neither was Jesus Moses, even though He reinterpreted Moses' law. Simon Peter got it right. Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Holy Spirit anointed King of kings and Saviour of the world. He is the Son of God: the image of the invisib

  as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; Romans 3:10 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.3.10.ESV Some people naively think the old testament is about laws whereas the new testament is about love. The old testament law is all about love. The new testament underlines that by commanding us to love as Christ first loved us, and gave Himself for us. Some people might assume that the old testament deceives us that we can somehow earn God's favour by keeping the law. Paul's quotes in Romans 3 make clear thar the old testament is under no illusions that we can keep the law. As Paul Himself summarised it: 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God'. As this quote makes clear, none of us are righteous. No-one's naturally good- except God Himself. We are sinners by nature. Thankfully, Paul reveals how sinners like us can miraculously become righteous. It's through faith in Christ crucified. We can be washed in the blood of the Lamb. 'Soverei

  “There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. 1 Samuel 2:2 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/1sa.2.2.ESV 'Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life'. Hannah perfectly illustrates the truth of that proverb. Whilst she awaited a child, she was sick with sadness. Once Samuel was born, Hannah's desire for a child was fulfilled. She didn't keep him for herself, but dedicated him to the Lord. This poem illustrates why she would do such a thing. God is holy; He's set apart from us. In the world of Hannah's day, one might assume that God would favour the woman with a brood of children. Yet it was childless Hannah He had regard for. God is the only sure and certain rock. 'On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand'. He's the only One who will never let us down. 'Lord God, help us to realise Your holiness and faithfulness to us. May we prove

  Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, Romans 1:24 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rom.1.24.ESV Why is there so much impurity and sexual immorality in our world, and if we're honest, probably in our own hearts? The obvious answer might be because we're naturally sinful. This verse gives another reason too. We might perversely think that God giving up on us is a good thing. We might think that God giving up on us means that we can do what we like, however evil it may be. The problem is that we will have to deal with the consequences of our sinful actions. Sometimes, God simply gives up on people. It's not that He isn't able to change us. It's just that He sovereignly knows our hearts aren't in the right place. It's actually a fearsome thing for God to give up on us. This is because He is our only hope for eternal life. Without Him, we're destined to destruction. 

  At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! Ruth 3:8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/rut.3.8.ESV A lesser man than Boaz would have succumbed to temptation. What could have simply ended up as a one night stand with a lifetime of regret, became a marital union leading all the way to the Saviour of the world! Instead of taking advantage of Ruth, Boaz started arranging their marriage. It was Naomi's plan for Ruth to go to the threashing floor, traditionally a place where people got up to no good. To be fair to Ruth though, when Boaz discovered her, she gave a godly speech of her own. She basically appealed to Boaz to redeem her from her poverty and shame as a widow in that society. Thankfully, Boaz was willing to redeem Ruth, and so became a picture of Christ. What matters isn't so much how we come to Christ. As long as we come to Christ for redemption, how we do it isn't so important. We need redeeming from slavery to sin. Boaz

  “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Luke 6:25 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.6.25.ESV So much for health, wealth and happiness! In this verse alone, Jesus pronounces woe upon the wealthy and happy. Doesn't he have things upside down? What Jesus is saying is that self gratification isn't the meaning of life. If we're living our best life now, we're heading for hell. We're to glorify God, even if and when it costs us personally. Instead of blessing the world's success stories, Jesus elevates the lowly and humble poor. Even when we're hated on for His sake we can be happy! How so? Because great is our reward in heaven. Counterintuitively, Jesus blesses, or makes divinely happy, the sad and mournful. If we're sorry for our sinfulness we need not fear. God comforts His people who are sorry for grieving Him. 'O Lord, realign our priorities we pray from selfishness to a

  We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, Jeremiah 35:8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.35.8.ESV Surprisingly to many who are ignorant of the Bible, it is not a traditionalist book. Surprisingly to others who may have heard of Jesus's words against Pharisaical traditions, the Bible isn't necessarily anti-tradition. This verse illustrates that fact. The Rechabites were teatotallers like their ancestor Jonadab, a bit like Methodists traditionally were, and how many Millennials and Generations Zs are choosing not to drink alcohol. Even though the Bible as a whole has nothing against alcohol in moderation, Jeremiah commended the Rechabites. At least they kept a tradition, even as the Israelites as a whole rejected God's law. Obviously, it's far more important to obey God than tradition. Traditions don't necessarily have to be f

  And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” Luke 3:11 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/luk.3.11.ESV What does the Kingdom of God look like? Does it look like greedily obese people with wardrobes full of coats? Not at all! God's Kingdom isn't necessarily made up of healthy, wealthy and happy people. Yet there shouldn't be anyone in need in the Kingdom of heaven. Everyone should have enough. Subjects of heaven's Kingdom should share what they have with those in need. So there should be no needy people amongst us. We should look out for one another. So it was in the early Church. Rich Christians would even sell some of their stuff so that they could look after poor Christians. There were no needy Christians in the early Church; there shouldn't be nowadays either. 'Heavenly Father, help us to be generous with what we have. We pray that You would provide for Your people, and help us

  For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. Acts 23:8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.23.8.ESV I love how Paul illustrates to be as shrewd as snakes but as innocent as doves. He was innocent, but the powers that be tried to condemn him for following Jesus. The Holy Spirit gave him what to say. Paul identified himself as a Pharisee, dividing the Jewish ruling council who were judging him. Some were 'progressive' Sadducees, others were 'conservative' Pharisees. The liberals didn't hardly believe in the supernatural. The traditionalists, like Paul, did. It's interesting that Paul identified himself as a Pharisee, because Jesus reserved some of His harshest words for them. I think the reason was that those who have received much from God will have much expected of them by Him. There's not necessarily anything wrong with religion, as long as it's divine and not manmade. The Jew

  And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ Acts 22:8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.22.8.ESV It sounds like Saul of Tarsus, the Osama Bin Laden of his day, knew deep down who Jesus is. He knew that Jesus is Lord. He just hadn't wanted to acknowledge it until he was confronted by Him. On the Damascus Road, the public enemy number one of the church was confronted by Christ. He who was persecuting Christians to death was accosted by the Lord Himself. There was no wriggling out of this one! Interestingly, Jesus didn't just say that Saul was persecuting His church. He said he was persecuting Himself. The church is the spiritual body of Christ on earth. If anyone harms the church, they harm Christ Himself. After his Damascene conversion, Paul was completely transformed. From the church's worst enemy, he became her greatest hero. He did more than anyone to spread the gospel across the great divide between

  When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Acts 21:12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.21.12.ESV Just because God ordains some difficult providence upon someone, doesn't mean to say that we should wish it upon them. A prophet Agabus revealed that Paul would be arrested when he went to Jerusalem. Understandably, Paul's brethren didn't want him to go. If God ordains some difficult providence, we have to go along with it, even if we would rather some easier path. Paul trusted that his arrest would be for God's glory. As it turned out, by appealing to Caesar, he got an all expenses paid trip to Rome, the centre of the world at the time, to continue sharing the gospel. Even if Paul would be put in chains, the gospel is never chained. Even though many Christians to this day are incarcerated around the world for their faith, the Good News continues to ring out. Nothing can thwart God's purposes, not even persecution. We might

  Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.” Judges 16:28 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jdg.16.28.ESV Samson doesn't come across as a particularly spiritual, faith filled person. He seemed to walk by sight more than by faith. He saw red when he saw Philistine men and he was green eyed with envious greed when he saw Philistine women. Despite all of the above, the new testament commends Samson for his faith. Even the old testament describes how he delivered his people from Philistine oppression. This verse particularly is a shining example of his faith in the midst of his darkness. Samson had been blinded by his Philistine captors having been ensnared by a Philistine woman. Yet he had enough spiritual sight to see that if God would just remember him one last time, he could deliver his people one more time. He reminds me of the dying criminal w

  Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’ for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. Jeremiah 27:14 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.27.14.ESV Jeremiah seemed unpatriotic by telling his fellow Jews that they had to serve the king of Babylon. He wasn't really. Jeremiah was just being a realist. There's no point falsely promising things in the name of patriotism. It's wrong for people to claim that Christians will be healthy, wealthy and happy, because it ain't necessarily so. Jesus promises troubles, but that He will sustain us in them. The Babylonian exile of the Jews might seem like some irrelevant ancient story. Yet the Bible teaches that Christians are also in exile in this world, awaiting our heavenly home. Anyone who claims we're not aliens and strangers in this world is deceiving us. None of us like bad news. Yet it's better to get the truth than fake news. Life is hard, bu

  And Manoah said, “Now when your words come true, what is to be the child’s manner of life, and what is his mission?” Judges 13:12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jdg.13.12.ESV I love Manoah's faith and fatherly heart here. Arguably, Jesus Himself proclaimed his son would be born. This verse is Manoah's response. He wholeheartedly believed that God's words would come true. Even if we don't get to father someone as powerful as Samson, all of us could adopt Manoah's questions if we find out we're expecting (a) child/ren. We should all want to know how our children should live. In this technological age the question is all the more important: how will our children navigate the changes that will inevitable come? Even if our children don't come to faith in God (which we can't give them as their parents), we should be still concerned as to what their missions are. What are they good at, and what are they called to do? If we know, we can help them along th

  And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:25 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.11.25.ESV God doesn't forgive because we forgive. We forgive because we're forgiven. Hurt people hurt; forgiven people forgive. If we don't forgive others, why would we expect God to forgive us? That would just be hypocritical. Our forgiveness might not earn God's, but it is an evidence that He has truly forgiven us  There's a debate as to whether we have to forgive people who don't want forgiveness. I think we do, or at least to be willing to forgive them, even if our forgiveness proves ineffectual. Jesus on the cross prayed 'Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they do'. Personally, I think Jesus had in mind the executioner who declared that He was the Son of God, and the criminal who asked Him to remember him when He entered His King

  But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.” Acts 15:5 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.15.5.ESV I'm not sure what I think of believers who still belonged to the party of the Pharisees. Surely we should renounce manmade religosity when we come to Christ. Sadly, old habits die hard. Thankfully, the Pharisaical Christians didn't get their way. Otherwise we'd have to be circumcised even if we're Gentiles. We'd have to try and keep Moses' law, which we all fall short of. The whole point of the gospel is that Jesus has perfectly fulfilled Moses' law in our place. We just need to trust Him. Salvation is by faith, not by works, so no-one can boast. The early Church called a council to decide what to do about this issue. Instead of just going with the politically correct flow of wider society, they went with God's will, that is to have fa

  The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the Lord and did not serve him. Judges 10:6 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jdg.10.6.ESV 'Ah, those primitive Israelites!' we might assume, worshipping their obsolete Canaanite gods. We might be tempted to distance ourselves from such paganism. Yet we could always do with a bit of soul searching. The gods of our age might not necessarily be literal false gods. Yet they may be the idols of society around us. We could be worshipping things like money, sex and power. The God who carried Israel from Egypt and brought them into the promised land is worthy of all worship. The God who delivers us from sin and will bring us to the new creation deserves all our praise. God forbid that we should forsake Him. If we do forsake Him and start to

  Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Saviour, Jesus, as he promised. Acts 13:23 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.13.23.ESV Paul had the opportunity to share the gospel in a synagogue. Understandably, he started off talking about a common Judeo-Christian heritage. Then he introduced the Jewish Messiah and Saviour of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not insignificant that Jesus was a Descendant of David. David was promised a Descendant whose Kingdom would never end. Jesus is that King and His Kingdom is of heaven. God always keeps His promises. Because He kept His promise to David that his Son would reign forever, so we can have confidence in God's promises to us. When He says He'll never leave us or forsake us, He means it. Jesus isn't half a Saviour, who initially saves us and then leaves us to our own devices. He saves to the uttermost those who come to Him. It's by His shed blood and resurrection power that we're saved. 'Our

  God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger against him subsided when he said this. Judges 8:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jdg.8.3.ESV There was strife within the people of God. Not all of the tribe of Israel were mustered to defeat the Midianites. Those who missed out were enraged. What does this ancient story have to do with us? Well, Gideon's response to the tribe's anger is a great illustration of an enduringly relevant proverb. 'A soft answer turns away wrath'. If someone's angry with us, our gut reaction is to get angry with them. This becomes a vicious circle. To break the cycle, we should act as peacemakers. Gideon reminded the tribe that they'd managed to capture and kill some Midianite leaders. This placated them that they'd missed out on the main battle. Maybe there's also a lesson that in a new covenant application, the great commission is

  And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp. Judges 7:11 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jdg.7.11.ESV Some people criticise Gideon for asking God for signs. Maybe he should have had confidence to simply go ahead with his mission regardless. Yet the fact that God gave Gideon signs suggests that He didn't hold his lack of confidence against him. At Gideon's request, God provided him two signs. The fleece he put out was either drenched with dew or not, likewise the ground around it. If God had a problem with Gideon's requests, He wouldn't have provided the signs. Not only so, but God gave Gideon an extra sign without even being asked. He knew that Gideon could do with an extra bit of encouragement and motivation to defeat the Midianites. So God commanded him to go on reconnaissance to the enemy camp. There,

  He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” Mark 4:40 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mrk.4.40.ESV Many of Jesus's followers were fishermen. They knew the Sea of Galilee like the back of their hands. They knew how temperamental it could be. When Jesus, the humble carpenter turned teacher suddenly stilled the stormy sea, the disciples were understandably shocked and afraid. Who can control the weather but God alone? Jesus couldn't be reduced to a quantifiable box, He is the Almighty Son of God. Jesus is like Aslan in C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. When asked if this fearsome lion is safe, the reply came, 'No! But he is good'. It is enough to know that Jesus is good. He might not be safe, but He is for His people. The right response to Jesus is faith. If we put our faith in anything other than God, we'll only be disappointed. Jesus however will never let us down. 'Sovereign Father, we praise You for sending Yo

  Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Acts 8:4 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.8.4.ESV It's not just about practicing what we preach; it's about preaching in the first place! God's people were scattered by persecution, but they bravely preached the gospel anyway, wherever they went. There's no place for cowardice in God's Kingdom. We often might think of the early Church as a golden age for God's people. Yet it actually took persecution to prompt them to obey the great commission to make Christ known far and wide. Persecution took the church from being a Jewish sect to being the global phenomenon that it is now. We naturally think of persecution as a bad thing, yet Jesus insists that we're blessed if we're persecuted, because great is our reward in heaven. Furthermore, as an old quote goes, 'the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church'. Persecution has a habit of weeding out nominal Christians and sorting ou

  And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, Acts 7:2 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.7.2.ESV When on trial for his life, instead of defending himself, Stephen gave his accusers a history lesson. I think he knew the outcome was a foregone conclusion, so he decided to establish that he was on the right side of history. Stephen and his like were the true spiritual children of their forefathers in the faith. As Jesus Himself said to the religious leaders, 'you are of your father the devil', not Abraham as they claimed. The patriarchs, prophets and their spiritual descendants rejoice in the Messiah Jesus. The enemies of God hate Him. Jesus also accused the Jewish religious leaders as being the ones who killed the prophets (and eventually had Him, Stephen and others killed). If they were of God, they wouldn't build fancy tombs as pilgrimage sites of the people the

  Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. Acts 6:1 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.6.1.ESV We might assume that the early new testament Church was a golden age for God's people. We read early in Acts that everyone shared what they had and noone was in need. Inevitably however, as the number of disciples increased, so did problems. The Hellenists were people who had come to faith from a secular background. The Hebrews were people who had come to faith from a religious background. For whatever reason, the Hellenist widows were getting overlooked. I love the Holy Spirit's solution to this problem in the early Church. He basically invented the church office of deacons (literally 'servants'). These were to look after physical needs of God's people, especially destitute widows for example. Elders (or overseers) were

  And Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, that we may fight against the Canaanites. And I likewise will go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him. Judges 1:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jdg.1.3.ESV This verse might seem obscure and obsolete. Yet there's a powerful lesson from this old testament verse for new covenant believers. It's to do with teamwork. Judah was the most powerful tribe, taking after their forefather, who after a rocky start, emerged as a leader among his brothers the children of Israel. Jesus was descended from Judah, not Israel's firstborn Reuben. God often chooses the unlikely to fulfil his purposes. Simeon on the other hand was one of the weakest, most inconsequential of Israel's sons, so much so that his brothers were happy for him to be imprisoned by Joseph so they could go free. Strong Judah and weak Simeon teaming up gives us a lesson in teamwork. In footba

  Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, Joshua 24:16 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jos.24.16.ESV Joshua declared that as for him and his household, they would serve the Lord. The people echoed his declaration. They knew it would be a slap in the face of God to forsake Him. God's people knew that He was the One who'd brought them out of slavery in Egypt to the promised land. All they had to do was to trust and follow. No wonder they understood the importance of remaining faithful to Him. Sadly, as we read on in Judges, God's people did begin to forsake Him. They did start to get seduced by the idols of the surrounding nations. They didn't faithfully pass on the faith to subsequent generations, who forgot God's goodness. It's not enough to know what we should do, we have to do it. It's not enough to know what we shouldn't do, we mustn't do it either. May we learn from the mistakes of th

  Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, Acts 3:19 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/act.3.19.ESV I love the Greek word for repentance. 'Metanoia' literally means to change your mind or to think differently. The Jews had assumed Jesus deserved to die: Peter is telling them to change their thinking. Repentance is ultimately God's work to turn us around from going the wrong way to following Jesus instead. Yet the likes of Peter and even us can help others to transition to ignorance about Jesus to enlightenment and faith. It's not our repentance that blots our sins out- that's Jesus. Jesus blots our sins out in response to our repentance. We don't pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. We're naturally crippled spiritually, yet God can empower us to walk in the way of Jesus. Our sins are blotted out by the blood of Jesus. His blood washes away all our evildoing. The slate is wiped clean and we get a fresh start. 'Dear Lord, how

  To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Matthew 25:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.25.15.ESV We all have different abilities. That doesn't make any of us better than anyone else. We're all equally made in the image and likeness of God. It's not enough to be a talented person. We need to invest our talents in God's Kingdom. If we do, we inevitably will bear fruit for Him. Talents were literally a form of currency in Jesus's day. Thanks to this story of His, they now have a much wider application. Talents aren't just things were good at, but anything we have that we can invest in God's Kingdom. We mustn't bury our talents. We ought to seek to multiply what we have, not just to line our own pockets, but to bless others and to gain a great reward in heaven. If we bury our talent, we can't expect a heavenly reward at all. 'Lord our God, may we honour You with all

  Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. Joshua 21:43 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jos.21.43.ESV What does some ancient event have to do with us? We might not be Jewish, this might not even be our history. Yet the Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever. The God who gave Israel the promised land is the same God who promises that the meek will inherit the earth. He kept His promise to Israel. So we can have confidence that He will keep His promise to us. To be meek is to humbly refuse to insist on our rights. So we might have the right to inherit the earth, but we know we don't naturally deserve it. We don't proudly demand our inheritance of God. Like the prodigal son (eventually), we would be happy to just serve God. Yet God gives us the right to be His sons and daughters. The earth is the Lord's, but He will delegate it to His meek people in the end. 'O Lor

  Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the Lord spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? Jeremiah 9:12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.9.12.ESV Surely, if we're God's people, we should have good lives? Surely we should be healthy, wealthy and happy all of our days? Of course, that's not how things are. In Jeremiah's day, God's people were at a low ebb. Their land was ruined and wasted like a deserted wilderness. Understandably, people were questioning what was going on. Isn't God meant to look after His people? The next verse explains what was going on. God's people were rebelling against Him. God let His people suffer as they did as punishment for their wrongdoing. Even if we're faithful to Him, life might be hard. Yet God will always sustain us and bring us through. 'O Lord, whether life is easy or hard, please draw us cl

  “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” Jeremiah 8:20 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.8.20.ESV Maybe we thought Jesus would have returned by now and consummated our salvation. Jeremiah and his contemporaries had been hoping for a Messiah to deliver them from their enemies. Maybe we can relate to their heartache. The moment we trust in Jesus for salvation, our salvation is guaranteed. Still, we're told to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Our salvation isn't ultimately achieved until either we die or Christ first returns. Waiting for our salvation is like a faithful fiance awaiting their wedding day. Like them, we might be tempted to get impatient and to long for the big day. Days don't get any bigger than the final day. We can survive the final day through trusting Christ. In Him, we only get judged according to what our reward will be. Otherwise, we would get judged as we deserve. 'Dear Lord, we long for our salvation

  I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’ Jeremiah 6:17 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.6.17.ESV If we belong to Jesus, we become watchmen, or in more modern speak, security guards. We call out the danger of hell. We call people to repentance and faith in the Lord. Sadly, as it was in Jeremiah's day, so it often is nowadays. The megaphone of pain trumpets that we are to turn to God. Disappointingly, precious few heed the call. Pandemics, 'military operations,' genocides etc. All these are warnings of the ultimate judgment to come: God's day of reckoning. Even if we escape severe suffering in this life, we cannot escape giving an account of ourselves to the Lord. If we've spend our lives with our spiritual fingers in our ears as it were at God's warning, it doesn't bode well for us in the end. We are to be warned and to amend our ways accordingly. Only by trusting in Ch

  They have spoken falsely of the Lord and have said, ‘He will do nothing; no disaster will come upon us, nor shall we see sword or famine. Jeremiah 5:12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jer.5.12.ESV Many people of Jeremiah's day were similar to many people nowadays. They assumed that God was pretty much an irrelevance. They thought He was practically impotent. Jeremiah warned of the likes of sword and famine as judgment upon God's wayward people. They arrogantly presumed it wasn't going to come upon them. Inevitably, war and superinflation visited them. As it was in Jeremiah's day, so it is nowadays. People think God's not involved in the world, if He exists at all. Yet His Word warns of war, famine, plague and (super)natural disasters, all of which we see in the world nowadays. As CS Lewis said, God whispers to us in our pleasures, but He shouts to us through the megaphone of pain. We're going through things like coronavirus, war in Ukraine, and the rising

  I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him. Psalm 142:2 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.142.2.ESV We might assume that the Psalmist was wrong to complain to God, but complaining isn't necessarily wrong. If we're complaining about God, that is wrong. If however we are complaining to God, that is okay. Similarly, if we have a complaint about a person in authority over us, it's not right to moan about them behind their backs. It is alright however to tell them to their faces what our problem is. So it is with God. The Psalmist's complaint wasn't even against God but against people troubling him. Knowing God to be sovereign, he took his complaint to Him. If someone ignores our complaint against them, we're perfectly entitled to take our complaint to the Highest Authority. Sometimes we might, if we're honest, get bored of hearing about people's troubles. Thankfully however, God never tires of hearing from His children. He'

  Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. Psalm 139:4 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.139.4.ESV God is omniscient: He knows everything. He doesn't just know everything in a given moment. He knows the past and the future too. We don't always know what we're going to say before we say it. Sometimes we speak off the top of our heads. Yet God knows every word we'll ever say before we even say it. Knowing that God knows what we're going to say should encourage us to think twice before we open our mouths. We might be tempted to be fatalistic and assume we can't change what God already knows. Yet we still bear responsibility for our words. As James said, we shouldn't have blessings and curses coming out of our mouths. Our mouths should be like freshwater springs of blessing rather than saltwater pools of cursing. We should have integrity in the words we speak. 'Heavenly Father, help us to take responsibility for our

  By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. Psalm 137:1 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.137.1.ESV At first glance, this verse might seem far removed from us. Babylon is in modern day Iraq; Zion is Jerusalem. The Israelites were exiled from Zion in Babylon. Unless we ourselves have been forced to migrate, we might feel like we struggle to relate to this verse. Unless that is, we read this spiritual song through spiritual lenses. We can consider what Babylon and Zion symbolise spiritually. Babylon symbolises the world in opposition to God. That's why in Revelation, John sees that Babylon is fallen. When Jesus returns, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. In the meantime, the Church is in metaphorical Babylonian exile. Zion symbolises the heavenly City, the destination for God's people. We're not there yet, but we long for it. God is preparing a place for us in His

  And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. Joshua 6:17 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jos.6.17.ESV Why was Rahab the pagan prostitute saved? Was it simply because she believed in the God of Israel? According to this verse it's because she put her faith into practice. It's not enough to profess faith. If we claim to be Christians, but fail to nail our colours to the mast, we betray the fact that our professions aren't worth much. We're saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone, it is always accompanied by works. Rahab had to hide the Israelite spies as evidence of her faith. She had to hang the scarlet cord from her window as an expression of her faith. She had to abandon everything she'd ever known to commit herself to the God of Israel. Amazingly, Rahab married an Israelite eve

  The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, Matthew 13:41 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.13.41.ESV Jesus didn't mince His words. The Son of Man is a nickname He borrowed from a prophecy of Daniel. The Son of Man is the One to whom all authority is given by the Ancient of Days, Father God. Jesus is more than a man: He's the God of the angel armies. One angel can destroy a superpower's army. An army of angels could do a lot of damage. I do believe that once we're saved, we're always saved, because of other Scriptures that explain that salvation is of the Lord, it doesn't depend on us. Having said that, there's plenty of fake Christians who Jesus is going to weed out of His Kingdom. This is a scary verse. God forbid that we should cause others to sin, or to break God's law. If we do, we can expect to be kicked out of God's Kingdom. Of course, none of us are perfect. Yet

 Apparently, Andrew Tate, who many British schoolboys idolise, has converted to Islam.  With his attitude to women seeming to align with that of Islam's founder, it's hardly a surprise.

  Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Joshua 3:5 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jos.3.5.ESV God is capable of doing wonders whether we're consecrated or not. Still, He's more likely to do wonders if we prepare our hearts to receive from Him. If we're so deafened to Him that a miracle wouldn't move us, we're unlikely to receive one. God doesn't work wonders amongst us to show off. He does so to help us turn our hearts back to Him. In fact, the greatest wonder God does is to convert us to Himself. We shouldn't hanker after wonders. Jesus has defeated death. The resurrection should be enough of a miracle for us. The last wonder God will work is the return of Jesus, which could happen at any time. We need to prepare our hearts for the return of the King of kings. God forbid that we aren't ready for Him! 'God Almighty, may we prepare our hearts for Your return. May we be ready to

  Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and give me a sure sign Joshua 2:12 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/jos.2.12.ESV Not only does the new testament affirm Rahab's faith, but the old testament account shows how this pagan prostitute put her faith in the Lord God of Israel. God's deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt was common knowledge in the ancient world. Most ancients knowledge of that fact caused them to cringe in fear. Rahab's fear however drove her to God in faith, rather than away from Him in terror. God as revealed in the new testament is even more fearsome: He can cast soul and body into hell. Yet the God who delivered Rahab can deliver us too. Rahab understandably wanted a sign that she was going to be saved from the destruction of her city. A scarlet cord out of the window onto the city walls was that sign. We might want a sign too that we're going to be

  The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. Psalm 121:7 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.121.7.ESV If the Lord keeps us from evil, why do we suffer from things like mental illness and cancer? Why are we tempted to lust and hate for example? Ultimately, why do we face death? God keeping us from all evil doesn't mean to say we won't face it in our lives. What it does mean to say is that evil will not harm us spiritually. If we belong to Jesus, our lives are hidden with Him on high. Job for example lost his possessions, children and health. Yet he never lost his faith in God, despite the lack of encouragement from his wife and friends. God never ultimately abandoned him. Evil doesn't have the final say in the lives of God's people. Resurrection, not death, is our ultimate end. We have a wonderful eternal life free from evil to look forward to. 'Dear God, how grateful we are that You have overcome evil. Help us to do so too, through faith in

  with the finest produce of the ancient mountains and the abundance of the everlasting hills, Deuteronomy 33:15 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.33.15.ESV I like how this verse hints that deuteronomic blessings are not simply about 'living your best life now'. After all, if we're living our best life now, we're headed for hell! Instead, there's a hint of hope of something beyond this life. Yes, Joseph was temporally blessed. Yet that wasn't all Moses, and God Himself, wanted for them. The 'everlasting' hills are mentioned here. God doesn't just want us to be blessed in this life, only to go to hell. He wants to bless us for eternity. He's going to recreate this dying world into a perfect new creation. We get to be part of God's new creation. It's not because we're particularly good. It's purely down to the lavish mercy and grace of God. 'O Lord God, bless us we pray, not because we deserve it, but because of Your unf

  You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you, and you forgot the God who gave you birth. Deuteronomy 32:18 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.32.18.ESV Mindfulness is a big thing nowadays. If we're not mindful of our Master and Maker however, we're missing the point. Sadly, the Israelites didn't consider their Creator and Sustainer. Forgetfulness gets ever more common as we get older. To forget God however is inexcusable. Sadly, if one generation forgets God, that has repercussions for subsequent generations. We have a saying in English when a child is like their parent. We say they're a 'chip off the old block'. If Peter means 'stone', then Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ is the rock on which He builds His church. Peter might have been a 'chip off the old block', but it is Christ and His words that we are to build our lives upon. Clearly, God didn't literally give birth to us, but He formed us in our mothers' womb

  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Isaiah 58:7 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.58.7.ESV I think there is a place for literally fasting for God's people. Jesus Himself fasted and assumed His own followers would fast. We're not to make a show of it however. Isaiah puts another spin on fasting though. Instead of fasting for fasting sake, or to make us feel good about ourselves, Isaiah puts a positive spin on fasting. Instead of simply depriving ourselves of bread, why not provide it to those in need? According to Isaiah, God counts provision for the poor as fasting. We might deprive ourselves of a Netflix subscription for example so we can invest in food and clothes for the needy. To call for people to house the homeless seems a big ask, yet Isaiah insists that this kind of thing is spiritual fasting. Our gut reaction when we see a

  But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. Deuteronomy 30:14 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.30.14.ESV Many people are clueless about the word of God. Many others assume it is too onerous to be able to be kept. Moses insists it's not beyond our capabilities. We can love God, who first loved us. We can love one another, as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us. We might think it's impossible, but nothing is impossible for God. Of course, as sinners, we fail. Yet through faith in the sinless Son of God and His Spirit, we can be made holy. Ultimately, in the new creation, we can be perfectly sanctified. Too often, we have a blasé attitude to the Bible. If we have God's word, we are greatly privileged. We ought not to take such an honour lightly. 'Our Father in heaven, thank You for sending Your Son for our sanctification. May we live for Your honour. In His name we pray, amen'

  Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Matthew 4:8 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.4.8.ESV All the kingdoms of the world are in thrall to the devil. However glorious they may seem now, they're all doomed to destruction. Only God's Kingdom will endure. When the devil offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world, Jesus didn't dispute whether it was in his ability to do so. Thankfully, Jesus refused his offer. After all, what does it profit someone to gain the whole world and to lose their soul? The devil craves the worship that is due to God alone. Jesus wasn't about to abdicate His own right to be worshipped and hand it over to a fraud. We are to worship and serve God alone. Even if we're aliens and strangers in the world, that's a good thing, because it's destined to destruction. We are to live for the new creation. Faith in Christ is the key to unlock heaven's gates. 'De

 This is a repost of an important article. Working in schools I'm well aware how many young men have been groomed to believe that a Tatesque attitude to women is acceptable. http://www.redcommunity.co.uk/blog/2023/1/andrew-tate-amp-the-need-for-better-men

  Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep the whole commandment that I command you today. Deuteronomy 27:1 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.27.1.ESV The moral of the verse is that we can't cherry pick what we obey from God. 'Love God and love others' might sound nice. When that means we have to forsake things like homosexuality, abortion and transgenderism, some of the Shibboleths of the West in the 21st Century, it might seem harder. God defines what love is, not the meaningless slogan 'love is love'. Love isn't whatever we want it to be. 1 Corinthians 13 is a great summary of what godly love looks like. We might have our pet sins. Maybe it's greed, covetousness, rage or lust. There's no room for such things in God's Kingdom: we need to uproot them and throw them away. We mustn't allow ourselves to be beset by habitual sins. We need to develop good habits of loving God and others. By the Holy Spirit and Chr

  “‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ Deuteronomy 27:26 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.27.26.ESV This is a concerning verse, because none of us do God's law as we ought to. By nature, we're all cursed. That's why we all face death. We all fall short of our own moral standards, never mind God's. We all let ourselves down, never mind our Maker and Master. God's ways are so much higher than our own. Just because we fail to do God's law doesn't make it bad, it makes us bad. His law is in summary to love Him and to love one another. It sounds simple, but it's easier said than done. None of us love God and one another as we ought. We all deserve God's wrath. Thankfully, Jesus became a curse for us so we can have our curses removed and replaced with innumerable blessings. 'Father God, how we praise You for cursing Your Son in our place. Please help us to receive t

  For all who do such things, all who act dishonestly, are an abomination to the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 25:16 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.25.16.ESV People sometimes seem to think that the Bible singles out homosexuality as an abomination to God. In reality, there's plenty else besides that's abhorrent to God. We like to minimise sin; the Holy One cannot. Even professing Christians tend to put homosexuality on a pedestal as a 'worse' sin than more familiar ones like covetousness and swearing. Yet here we're told that dishonesty is an abomination to God. We might feel like we're not outright lying, but if we're being deceitful, God hates that. The policy of 'honesty is the best policy' is a good policy. If we're struggling to not be dishonest, we can be honest with God about that. We can ask Him to help us to become more truthful. Astoundingly, God's Son Himself became an abomination to Him on the cross, so that abominable peop

  Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. Psalm 115:4 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.115.4.ESV Many people scoffìngly question the existence of God. He is a Spirit, He doesn't owe it to any old cynic to reveal Himself in the flesh. The irony is however that when people reject belief in God, they don't believe in nothing, they'll believe in anything. For many, stuff is their God. It could be money, or the things that money buys, but many people worship Mammon. You cannot serve both God and money. There's not actually anything intrinsically wrong with silver and gold. God created them after all. Yet when we make good things out to be 'god things', therein lies the problem. Silver and gold will corrode. They fluctuate in value. God's supreme majesty endures forever. He is the One whom we should worship. 'God, forbid that we should worship stuff instead of You. Thank You for the gifts You give, but help us not to idolise them we

  From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! Psalm 113:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.113.3.ESV The name of the Lord isn't just to be praised three, five or seven times a day. He's to be praised all day (and all night for that matter!). Whether it's first thing in the morning or last thing at night, we are to praise God. Our first thought of the day should be to praise the Lord, for the rest we've had at least. Our last thought on an evening should be 'hallelujah', for God helping us through the day. What is the name of the Lord? Well, He is Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world who is anointed by the Holy Spirit of God to deliver us. He is worthy of our praise. Why should we praise Jesus? Because He gave His life for us and defeated death on our behalf. He bore God's wrath at our sins upon Himself. 'Lord God, we praise You for You are worthy and have won our salvation. Please help us always worship Yo

  “If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, Deuteronomy 22:28 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.22.28.ESV 'Seize' is a poor translation which implies rape. In reality, the Hebrew word transliterated 'taphas' has more of a sense of 'laying hold of' or by implication to manipulate or to seduce. In the context, Moses isn't calling for women to marry their rapists. Instead, Moses is saying that there should be no room for 'messing around' sexually. If a man and woman mess around together sexually, they should do the honest thing and get married: that's the sense of the verse. Why can't two fornicators have just gone their own way? In that culture, a woman who was violated by a man was seen to be 'damaged good'. People only wanted to marry virgins. So this law is a protection to women in that culture, to make sure they're provided for and looked after. Women aren't i

  He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful. Psalm 111:4 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.111.4.ESV The scoffer might question how God has caused His wondrous works to be remembered. The Psalmist though will have had in mind Israel's miraculous deliverance out of slavery in Egypt. Every year, at the Passover feast, God's people remember His salvation. God's wondrous works are remembered to this day. Every time His people take bread and wine in remembrance of Him, we proclaim His death until He returns. The 'bread' of His body was broken for us; and the wine of His blood was shed for us. At the cross, we see God's grace and mercy most clearly. Mercifully, Jesus bore the punishment we deserve for our sinfulness. We're not treated by God as we deserve. Graciously, Jesus defeated death so that we, in Him, might do so too. We deserve condemnation, yet we can receive eternal life through trusting in Jesus. All pra

  For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Psalm 108:4 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.108.4.ESV This world might often seem chaotic. Yet the King of love is on the throne of the highest heaven. Anything good we enjoy is ultimately from Him. The world seems chaotic, yet the universe is a pretty ordered place. It wasn't thrown together by nothing exploding in a big bang. It was spoken into being by its Almighty Creator. God's faithfulness extends to the clouds. It's not just that He provides our food. He provides the rain to help grow the food we enjoy. God doesn't leave us to our own devices. He cares for us and hasn't given up on us. We need to seek His love and faithfulness eternally, through the Lord Jesus Christ. 'Heavenly Lord, please help us to be mindful of the ultimate expression of Your love and faithfulness, the crucifixion of Christ Jesus. May we trust in You for our salvation, in His name,

  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble Psalm 107:2 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.107.2.ESV Redemption is to have been bought back from slavery. Having been delivered from slavery to sin, we are to live in it no more. Our lived are to be transformed. Having been redeemed, we're not to keep it to ourselves. We're not to hide our lights under baskets. We're to testify to others of the goodness of God. God doesn't just want a trickle of people to redeem. He will redeem a vast multitude to Himself that no one can number. We're to make Him known so that others can find redemption in Him. We're not just redeemed from sin. We're also redeemed from the troubles that are spawned by sin. We still have to live with the consequences of our sins, but the penalty has been paid. 'Glorious Redeemer, we praise You for our salvation. Help us to make You known to many others, for Your glory and praise we pray, amen'

  Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the Lord! Psalm 106:48 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.106.48.ESV To bless someone is to make them happy. Our raison d'etre is to bless the Lord. We do so not just by saying 'bless the Lord', but by living a life that pleases Him. God is the God of Israel. Israel was God's nickname for Jacob, the deceiver. We're all naturally Jacobs, but we can all become Israels- princes of God, through faith in Jesus. Israel is a spiritual entity, not an ethnic group. Praising the Lord isn't just a phase for children. It's something to be done by us forever. We never grow out of the worship of God. There's no room for debate as to whether we should worship God. He's the reason we live. It's not too much for Him to ask us to breathe back some praise to Him. 'O Lord God, we bless Your holy name. Please help us to worship You as we ou

  Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Psalm 105:4 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.105.4.ESV What are you seeking for? Your next paycheque? Your next meal or shopping trip? The Psalmist gives some advice as to what, or rather who, we should prioritise. Lots of people see God as an accessory, an optional extra in life. The Psalmist makes clear though that if we have any strength, it's because God has given us it. We need Him to strengthen us for each today. Some people seek God's presence when they're after Him for something. God isn't just a divine slot machine however. He should be our everything. God shouldn't just be sought after on Sundays and Wednesday evenings. He should be continually sought after. After all, we can't live without Him. 'O Lord God, may we seek You and Your strength. Help us long for Your presence in our lives continually. In Christ's name, amen'

  Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: Psalm 102:18 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.102.18.ESV Biblical faith is always one generation away from extinction. God doesn't have grandchildren. The only way we get to become part of God's family is if He adopts us. The command that this verse contains continues in the subsequent verses. The reason for it is given here however. If we pass on God's goodness to subsequent generations, then even people who are yet to be might end up praising the Lord, if He doesn't return first! One of the reasons I write, apart from for myself and my immediate readership, is so that hopefully I will have something to leave as a legacy, that will bless people after I've gone. I don't just want my contemporaries to praise the Lord. I want subsequent generations to worship Him too. Why should we worship God? In the context here, it's all about Him giving hope to

  you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 13:3 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.13.3.ESV It's not enough for someone to talk the talk. They need to walk the walk too. Balaam for example said all the right things as God directed him. He might have blessed God's people, but at heart, he wanted to curse them. If someone says all the right things yet fails to back it up with their lives, they're a false teacher. If I was an English teacher who didn't read, that would be hypocritical. How much worse is a Bible teacher who doesn't live what he preaches! Balaam used the allure of pagan woman to lead God's people astray. Even today, false teachers delude Christians that 'love is love'- it doesn't matter who you lust after. Jesus's teaching is rather more austere. Jesus would

  The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory. Psalm 97:6 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.97.6.ESV Even if someone didn't have access to the Bible, they have access to creation. It's not just God's word that testifies of His goodness. It's His works too. The beauty of a sunrise or sunset, a pretty flower, a singing bird: all proclaim the goodness of God. A lofty mountain, the surging sea, and a raging storm all testify of God's majesty. The roaring lions, the giant whales, the industrious bees all tell something about their Maker. All peoples see God's glory. It's not like Africans can see it and Westerners are blind. It's not that the Chinese are attuned to it and Indians are clueless. God has written His law upon our consciences. God is good, and God is glorious. 'Big deal' we might irreverently assume. Yet the fact God is good and we are not is a problem, because we need to be reconciled to Him. Thankfull

“You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. Deuteronomy 11:18 ESV https://bible.com/bible/59/deu.11.18.ESV God didn't ask the ancient Israelites to complete a YouVersion Bible App reading plan. He did however expect them to meditate on His word. Far Eastern meditation is to empty the mind. Near Eastern meditation is to fill the mind with God. We don't need to tattoo the Bible onto our hands, or wear Bible headbands, thankfully. We do however need to lay up God's word in our hearts and souls. Meditation on Scripture isn't just an intellectual pursuit. It's meant to warm our affections. I know many people in the ancient times were illiterate and didn't have their own copies of the Bible. So we shouldn't apply 21st century norms for believers to the ancients. Yet if we can read the Bible, even if it's just on the YouVers

 To whom it may concern, I know I decided to not post daily, but I do get occasional visitors, so I'm debating whether to reinstate my daily posts. If someone comments on my blog asking me to do so, I will :) Happy New Year! God bless,  Rob