A New Journey Through The Scriptures

The New Year is only a few days old. Let's commit ourselves afresh to reading the Word of God day-by-day. Here are some links which I hope you will find helpful.

Look up Scripture passage

Read a specific comment online

Print a booklet containing monthly readings


I hope you will visit the "Daily Devotional Readings" and receive a blessing from the Lord.
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"When you read God's Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, 'It is talking to me, and about me.'" (Soren Kierkegaard).

MSN Ministries


Here is a wonderful ministry that reaches out in the love of Christ. Stop by and visit Stuart and Cathy Greer at:
Mission Support Network

Pray For The Advance Of The Gospel.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-5
Pray for the advance of the Gospel in your heart, in your church, in your land and throughout the world. Pray that "the Gospel will come to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction" (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

Grace From God, Glory To God

Galatians 1:1-4
Here are words to take with you into 2009. Here are words to carry with you throughout 2009. Grace from God, Glory to God (Galatians 1:3-4).

The Birth Of Our Saviour (8)

There's a Christmas song which contains the words. "Man will live forevermore because of Christmas Day." If, however, we are to have a true understanding of the way to eternal life, we must move beyond Christmas Day to Good Friday and easter Sunday, and we must move on from there to the day concerning which the hymnwriter speaks, " O happy day! that fixed my choice on Thee, my Saviour and my God! O happy day! O happy day! when Jesus washed my sins away." The Gospel speaks not only of the Babe of Bethlehem. It speaks also of the Christ of Calvary and the risen Lord. When the Gospel speaks of Christ's death and resurrection, it does not suggest that these events carry with them an automatic guarantee of eternal life. The Gospel draws our attention to the Christ who was "crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men", after which He was raised from the dead by God (Acts 2:23-24). The Gospel does not, however, tell us only about what was done to Jesus - He was crucified by men and raised by God. It also sets before us the question: What will you do to Jesus? Will you receive Him? Or will you reject Him? "Joy to the world; the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let ev'ry heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing." "O come to my heart, Lord Jesus! There is room in my heart for Thee." Is there room in you heart for Jesus?

The Birth Of Our Saviour (7)

Jesus came "to bring Good News." This is the message which was brought by the angels to the shepherds on the night of Christ's birth: "I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2: 10-11). This is the message which Jesus brought to men and women during His earthly ministry. this is the message which He brings to us today. Have you received the Good News of Christ? Have you learned to rejoice in the Lord? Are you learning to praise the Lord? Let the Good News of Christ lead you to praise Him with joy, giving thanks to God for Jesus, your Saviour and Lord.

The Birth Of Our Saviour (6)

As we look to the words of Isaiah 61:1-3, words which Jesus Himself used to describe His ministry, we discover that the Lord Jesus Christ, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, began His ministry with a profound awareness of the power of the Holy Spirit in His life: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me" (v. 1). When we ask the question, "What did Jesus do while He was on earth?", we find a helpful summary in these verses. Without looking at each phrase in detail, we might draw special attention to these phrases: Jesus came "to bring good tidings", "to give ... the oil of gladness" and "the mantle of praise" (vs. 1, 3).

The Birth Of Our Saviour (5)

Jesus Christ is alive today. He is with us now. He wants to draw out, from our hearts, the confession of faith, "My Lord and my God." He wants to give us the peace which comes from knowing that our sins have been forgiven. He wants to give us the hope which comes from receiving the gift of eternal life. He wants to be our Friend, leading us ever more deeply into a closer friendship with Him.What will be your response to Jesus Christ? He stands among us, calling for the response of faith?

The Birth Of Our Saviour (4)

As we learn of Jesus' mighty resurrection from the dead, we come to think of Him in a different way. He is different from other characters from the past. We no longer ask the question, "Who was Jesus?" We ask, "Who is Jesus? In Isaiah 9:6, we have a tremendous description of Jesus Christ - "His Name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." If, after reading this amazing description of Jesus Christ, we are still tempted to think of Him as no more than a figure from the past, we must go on to read the first few words of verse 7 - "Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end."

The Birth Of Our Saviour (3)

From Bethlehem, then, we look back to learn from the prophets and we look forward to learn from the rest of the New Testament story. With great prophetic insight, Isaiah spoke of the coming Christ. He speaks of Christ's birth, ministry, death and resurrection. From Isaiah, we learn of who Jesus was, what He did and what was done to Him. When we come to Isaiah's prophecy concerning the birth of Christ (9:6-7), we may well come with the question, "Who was Jesus?" When we come to study the life of a historical character, we ask our questions in the past tense: Who was Julius Caesar? Who was William Shakespeare? Who was Robert Burns? When, however, we learn more about Jesus, we discover that He is more than a figure from the past. He is the risen Christ. He is the living Lord.

The Birth Of Our Saviour (2)

A true understanding of the story of Jesus Christ will not leave us in the first two chapters of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. We need to move beyond the story of Jesus' birth at Bethlehem, led on to a deeper understanding of all that Jesus came to do for us.

The Birth of Our Saviour (1)

If we are to come to a true understanding of the story of Jesus Christ, we must not begin by opening our Bibles at the beginning of the New Testament - Matthew 1:1. We must go back into the Old Testament. We must seek to understand what the prophets said, as they looked forward to the coming of Jesus Christ, the Saviour.





















http://picturemythoughts.blogspot.com

Christ’s Journey Into Our Lives

Christ's journey into our lives is beautifully described in the words of the Christmas carol, “O little town of Bethlehem”: “How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven. No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.” Jesus’ way is so unlike the way of the world. He is not demonstrative. He is not showy. He does not make a fuss. There is nothing spectacular about His way with us. There is nothing sensational about His entrance into our lives. The world, obsessed with the dramatic, might say of Jesus’ way, “How cold! How unexciting! How uneventful! How unimpressive!” Let us not be preoccupied with outward appearances. Let us recognize the presence of Christ in the quiet way - “No ear may hear His coming.” This is Christ’s way with the “meek soul”. Let us not think that Christ is brash and insensitive. He does not disregard our temperament and personality. He does not ignore our natural feelings. He does not take delight in embarrassing us.

Christ’s Journey To The Cross

God restores the fallen. God gives a new beginning. These lessons are emphasized even more strongly when we turn our attention to Christ’s Journey to the Cross. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, there is the conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day. These religious leaders were so proud of themselves, so proud of their religion, so proud of their morality. One instance of this conflict concerned “a woman caught in the very act of adultery” (John 8:3).”The scribes and the Pharisees” despised the poor woman. They were arrogant in their condemnation of her - “this woman has been caught in the very act of adultery” (John 8:4). They brought the woman to Jesus for one reason only. They brought her to Jesus for condemned. Jesus, however, did not condemn her. No condemnation! Forgiveness! This is the Good News of God’s grace. The scribes and the Pharisees saw the woman as a no-hoper. She was beyond hope - so they thought! They wanted to stone her. With one simple yet devastating sentence, Jesus exposed their hypocrisy: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). With the strikingly simple and devastatingly direct sentence, Jesus brought the proud accusers down to earth - “when they heard it, they went away, one by one” (John 8:9). Jesus was left alone with the woman. He did not condemn her, but He did say to her, “Do not sin again” (John 8:9-11). This conflict continued throughout Jesus’ life as He made His way to the Cross. The scribes and the pharisees sent Christ - the sinless Son of God - to the Cross. There Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them … “.

Christ’s Journey Through History

Before we even reach the opening chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, the Old Testament proclaims this message of hope: Christ is coming. The journey through the Old Testament  paves the way for the coming of Christ. The first 17 verses of Matthew’s Gospel gives us a brief outline of Old Testament history as a preparation for the coming of Christ. These verses present us with a family tree. It’s not particularly interesting reading. For this reason, these verses are often overlooked. There are, however, important lessons which we must not miss! Here are two interesting names in Christ’s family tree - Rahab (Matthew 1:5) and Solomon (Matthew 1:6). Who was Rahab? - a prostitute! Who was Solomon? - a child born out of an adulterous relationship! How did they get into Christ’s family tree? Was there some kind of mistake? - No! It must be stresses that the names of Rahab - a prostitute - and Solomon - the child of an adulterous relationship - are found in Christ’s family tree so that we might learn that the love of God is greater than the sin of man. God forgives sinners! God restores the fallen. This is the message proclaimed to us by the inclusion of Rahab - the prostitute - in Christ’s family tree. God gives a new beginning.  This is the message proclaimed to us by the inclusion of Solomon - the son of an adulterous relationship - in Christ’s family tree.

The Uniqueness Of Christ (15)

The death of Jesus is not the end of His Story. As we move from Jesus’ death to His resurrection, His ascension and His return, we see that He alone is worthy of the marvellous description given of Him in Revelation 19:16 - ‘King of kings and Lord of lords’. We hear the Gospel proclamation - ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’. We confess Him as our Lord (Acts 2:36; Romans 10:9). The Story is unique. Our Saviour is unique. His Salvation is unigue. It is only this Story, this Saviour and this Salvation which gives us the strength to face the future with the confidence which says, ‘Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 15:57).

The Uniqueness Of Christ (14)

On our way towards the crucifixion of our Saviour, we travel by way of His transfiguration, the great event in which we hear these wonderful words concerning Him - ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’ (Matthew 17:5). Learning to view Jesus’ death in the light of this divine declaration, we join with Paul in his great words concerning Jesus - ‘the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me’ (Galatians 2:20). Together with Paul, we give thanks to God for the great message of the Gospel - ‘Christ died for our sins’ (1 Corinthians 15:3). We rejoice, with him, in the great love which lies behind the death of Christ for our sins - ‘God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8).

The Uniqueness Of Christ (13)

Jesus’ ministry is not only a ministry of preaching, teaching and healing. It is also a ministry of prayer. In John 17, we see Jesus praying. In His prayer, we see His uniqueness. We see Him committing Himself to the pathway that leads to the Cross, the place where He will fulfil God’s purpose of salvation - ‘Father, the time has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You’ (v.1). We hear Him praying not only for His first disciples. He prays also for believers of every generation (v.20). As we look at the praying Jesus, we catch a glimpse of Him as our Lord who is ‘the same yesterday, today and for ever’, our Saviour concerning whom we can still say, ‘the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin’ (Hebrews 13:8; 1 John 1:7).

The Uniqueness Of Christ (12)

As well as pursuing a ministry of ‘preaching’ and ‘teaching’, Jesus also exercises a ministry of ‘healing’ (Matthew 4:23). In this healing ministry, we see the uniqueness of Jesus. His miracles proclaim Him as God’s Son and our Saviour. The ‘miraculous signs’ are recorded by John so that we might ‘believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, we might have life in His Name’ (John 20:30-31).

The Uniqueness Of Christ (11)

Moving forward in triumph, ‘Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit … to preach good news to the poor’ (Luke 4:14,18). Jesus’ preaching is unique. Others preach the Gospel. Jesus is the Gospel - ‘I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’ (John 14:6). We find an echo of Jesus’ preaching in the message given by Peter in Acts 4:12 - ‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved’.

The Uniqueness Of Christ (10)

When Jesus goes into the wilderness, He does not go alone. He is ‘led by the Spirit’, ’sent’ by the Spirit, ‘full of the Holy Spirit’. ‘The Spirit descends and remains on Him’ (Matthew 4:1; Mark 1:12; Luke 4:1; John 1:34). Jesus is ready for Satan. When Satan comes, questioning Jesus’ divine Sonship - ‘If you are the Son of God’ (Matthew 4:3; Luke 4:3,9), Jesus is ready for him. Armed with the Word of God - ‘It is written’ (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4,10) - Jesus triumphs over Satan.

The Uniqueness Of Christ (9)

As soon as Jesus is publicly announced as God’s one and only Son and our one and only Saviour, Satan takes action, seeking to divert Jesus from His God-appointed pathway, the way that brings salvation to the world. Satan is, however, one step behind God. At Jesus’baptism, something remarkable had happened - ‘the Holy Spirt descended upon Him’ (Luke 3:22). Jesus had been filled with the Holy Spirit since His conception - ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you … therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God’ (Luke 1:35). There is, however, in Jesus’ baptism, a mighty empowering for service which equipped Him for victory over Satan.

The Uniqueness Of Christ (8)

The uniqueness of our Lord Jesus Christ is indicated early in His life when, at the age of twelve, He speaks these wonderful words, ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in My Father’s house?’ (Luke 2:49). Hearing these words, we catch a glimpse of Jesus’ unique relationship with God the Father. From there, we look back and notice earlier indications of the unique place held by Jesus in God’s plan of salvation - the divine protection of the child and the divine victory over the child’s enemies (Matthew 2:13,20). When Jesus sets out on His public ministry, it becomes clear why His life was preserved. Jesus is a special Person - ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’ (Matthew 3:17). He has a special purpose - He is ‘the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29).

The Uniqueness Of Christ (7)

From the very beginning of His life on earth, Jesus is clearly marked out as different from the rest of us - ‘that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit’ (Matthew 1:20). This uniqueness continues throughout His life on earth - He is ‘without sin’ (Hebrews 4:15). His uniqueness is powerfully demonstrated by His resurrection from the dead - ‘designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead’ (Romans 1:4). Throughout His great Story, we see Jesus Christ as our wonderful Saviour, the only One who ‘is able to save to the uttermost all who come to God through Him’ (Hebrews 7:25).

The Uniqueness Of Christ (6)

Jesus is the Lord - ‘In the beginning … the Word was God’ (John 1:1). He is the Christ, the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies. The prophets looked forward to His coming. The apostles proclaimed ‘the good news’ - the Christ has come. The prophets and apostles speak with one voice concerning ‘the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glory’ (1 Peter 1:10-12). Together, they declare to us the ‘good news’ of our salvation - ‘Jesus … will save His people from their sins’ (Luke 2:10; Matthew 1:21).

The Uniqueness Of Christ (5)

The Story continues. He has become the Suffering Servant. He has ‘borne the sin of many’. Now, as the risen Lord, He has ‘prolonged His days’ (Isaiah 53:12,10). ‘Jesus Christ’, our Saviour and Lord, ‘the same yesterday and today and forever’, continues to speak to us His gracious words of salvation - ‘Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have mercy on him, and to our God for He will abundantly pardon’ (Hebrews 13:8; Isaiah 55:6-7).

The Uniqueness Of Christ (4)

This wonderful Story - the eternal Word, the Word become flesh, the Suffering Servant, the glorified Lord - is the great fulfilment of the prophecies of Isaiah. The ‘Mighty God’ has become ‘Emmanuel (God with us)’. ‘He makes himself an offering for sin; and ‘He shall see His offspring … the fruit of the travail of His soul’ (9:6; 7:14; 53:10-11). This is the Story of our salvation, the Story of Jesus Christ, the ‘Mighty God’ who became ‘God with us’. For our salvation, we need both - the ‘Mighty God’ and ‘God with us’. Apart from ‘God with us’, the ‘Mighty God’ might seem remote, great in power yet detached from us. Apart from the ‘Mighty God’, ‘God with us’ might seem too homely, too much like a ‘god’ created in our own image. Jesus Christ is our Saviour. He is the ‘Mighty God’. We know that He is able to save. He has become ‘God with us’. We know that He is willing to save.

The Uniqueness Of Christ (3)

The great words of John 1:14 - ‘the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth’ - are echoed and expanded upon by Paul, in Philippians 2:5-11. Emphasizing that though ‘He was in the form of God, Christ Jesus did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men’, Paul goes on to describe Christ’s crucifixion - ‘being found in human form He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross’. Paul, then, takes us beyond Christ’s crucifixion - ‘Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every name’. Paul’s next words - ‘that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father’ - take us far beyond the beginning - ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God’ (John 1:1). They take us on to the end. They prepare us for the great words spoken by the risen Christ in the book of Revelation ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega … the Beginning and the End … the First and the Last … the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty’ (1:8; 21:6; 22:13).

The Uniqueness Of Christ (2)

What is so different about Jesus? Those who came before Him were servants of God. He is God’s ‘one and only Son’ (John 3:16). They preached God’s Word. He is God’s Word. Seeking to convince his readers that ‘Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God’, John begins and ends his Gospel in a way that leaves us in no doubt about the absolute uniqueness of Jesus. Describing Jesus as ‘the Word’, he begins his Gospel with the astonishing declaration - ‘the Word was God’. Toward the end of his Gospel, we have a similar declaration of Christ’s divinity - ‘My Lord and my God’ (20:31; 1:1; 20:28).

The Uniqueness Of Christ (1)

People did not know what to make of Jesus. They tried to understand Him by comparing Him with famous figures from the recent and more distant past - ‘ John the Baptist … Elijah … Jeremiah or one of the prophets’. Into this situation of confusion came something new, something different - ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’. Where did this come from? It came from God - ‘flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven’ (Matthew 16:14,16-17). What we have here is divine revelation. Our thinking about Jesus is not to be limited by what people say about Him. We must listen to what God says about Him - ‘This is My beloved Son’ (Matthew 3:17).

"Wonderful Grace Of Jesus, Greater Than All My Sin" (3)

In ourselves, convicted of our sin, we feel that there is no hope. As the Spirit works in our hearts, we are able to look to Christ in faith. As we come to Him, we see how wonderful the love of God is. We think, "The Lord could never accept me after what I have done." Jesus says, "Those who come to Me, I will never turn away" (John 6:37). "Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin; How shall my tongue describe it? Where shall my praise begin?"

"Wonderful Grace Of Jesus, Greater Than All My Sin" (2)

What we do with this grace, which is so freely offered to us in Christ, is a matter of eternal significance. May God, in this generation where there is so much unbelief, bring many people to heed the words of the Prophet Isaiah: "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon." These great words of grace are followed by some words which tell us how amazing this grace is: "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways', declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts'" (55:6-9).

"Wonderful Grace Of Jesus, Greater Than All My Sin" (1)

We are, because of our sin, under the judgment of God. Christ has taken our judgment that we might receive His salvation. In the Lord's Supper, we have a great reminder of this. Christ drank from the cup of our condemnation that we might drink from the cup of His salvation. This is amazing grace, reaching out to us.

Christmas Worship

Here are a few articles you may find helpful.

Preparing for Christmas: Learning from Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38, 46-55)

Preparing for Christmas: Learning from John the Baptist (Luke 1:13-17; John 1:19-34)

Wise men (and women) still seek Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12)

Jesus Christ - “God with us” (Matthew 1:23) - is truly God and truly Man

Jesus: God with us, God for us, God in us

Invitation, Protection, Victory (Matthew 1-2)

A Journey with Christ (Matthew 1:5-6; John 8:1-11)

Matthew 1:1-25

The Virgin Birth - Believing the Fact and Receiving Its Message

Let us go to Bethlehem.

Looking back from Bethlehem, looking on from Bethlehem

We look back from Bethlehem - back to the very beginning.

First Sunday after Christmas Day: Isaiah 63:7-9; Psalm 148; Hebrews 2:10-18; Matthew 2:13-23

Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) II – Isaiah 62:6-12; Psalm 97; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2: (1-7), 8-20

Season of Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Christmas Day) I – Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

A Christmas Message

Jesus Christ - God with us: Readings in John, Matthew and Luke

Christ is born: Readings in Luke and Matthew

The Birth of Christ: Readings in Matthew and Luke

The Scriptures Of God, The Spirit Of God And The Son Of God (Part Three)

The Son Of God
Coming to Christ - this is what happens when we receive the testimony of the Scriptures and respond to the witness of the Spirit. Coming to Christ is believing in Christ (Acts 16:31). It is not 'mere' belief (James 2:19). It is trusting Christ. It is obeying the Word of the Gospel. It is possible to miss out because we hear without believing, we hear without obeying - "good news came ... to them; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it did not meet with faith in the hearers ... those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of obedience ... Today, when you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 4:3, 6-7).

The Scriptures Of God, The Spirit Of God And The Son Of God (Part Two)

The Spirit Of God
John 5:37 speaks of the divine witness, the witness of the Father to Jesus Christ. Scripture also speaks of the witness of the Holy Spirit to Jesus Christ. The Spirit takes the Word of God and uses it to speak to us of Jesus Christ, our need of Him and His power to meet that need. An important passage which speaks of this work of the Spirit is John 16:8-15.
John 16:13 - He is the Spirit of truth who guides us into all truth.
John 16:14 - He glorifies Jesus, taking the Gospel of Christ and declaring it to us.
In this work, He convicts us of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11).
He shows us our sin, highlighting the sin of unbelief (John 16:9). He reveals Christ to us as "Christ our righteousness" (John 16:10; 1 Corinthians 1:30). He emphasizes to us that, without Christ as our righteousness, we remain in our sins and we remain under the judgment of God (John 16:11).
It is possible to be in the powerful presence of the Spirit and yet turn away without coming to Christ - "you refuse to come to Me that you may have life" (John 5:40).

The Scriptures Of God, The Spirit Of God And The Son Of God (Part One)

The Scriptures of God (John 5:39-40).
There's a Rabbinical saying which tells us that "he who has acquired the words of the law has acquired eternal life." Jesus takes issue with this statement from the Jewish rabbis. He tells us that having the Scriptures does not mean that we have eternal life. We must go where the Scriptures leads us. We must go to Jesus.
You can have the Scriptures and never read them. You can read the Scriptures and grow in head-knowledge. You can be acquainted with the teaching of the Scriptures. You can be fully aware of the Bible's teaching concerning the way of salvation. Nevertheless, there is still a decision of faith in Christ, a decision which must be taken on the basis of what the Scriptures teach.

A Gift For A Child

The Child Who Learned Dreams Come True is dedicated to children and the child deep within us all. That child who loves to dream, that loves adventure, that believes and hopes for great things.

You see, we all dream. Dreams are a part of our character. They encourage us, mentor us, help us to process life, and even help us to find greatness deep within.

However, there is more. This book is also dedicated to adults who have lost their desire to dream, who have lost that desire for adventure, and feel that life's dreams have passed them by.

Order it from the author through this site or get it online everywhere or at your local bookstore .
ISBN 9781603830980 - ISBN 1603830987

The Holy Spirit Glorifies Jesus.

The supreme goal of the work of the Holy Spirit is to bring glory to Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus. The Holy Spirit directs our attention to Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit leads us to Jesus. He says to us, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus." The Apostle Paul stresses the vital connection between the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ: "Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God, ever says, 'Jesus be cursed' and no one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:3). Every one who has truly come to faith in Jesus Christ is able to say, with conviction, "This is the work of the Holy Spirit."

The Word Of God And The Spirit Of God In Acts 1-2 (4).

Acts 1:1-2:47
God's answer - the answer of salvation - is spoken by Peter in Acts 2:38-39. It is the call for conversion. It is the promise of salvation. We are to come in faith to Jesus, confessing our sin and receiving His forgiveness. When Peter preached the Gospel on the Day of Pentecost, three thousand people put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The numerical growth - "three thousand were added to their number that day" (Acts 2:41) - was accompanied by spiritual growth - "the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47). The spiritual response of the new believers of the new believers is described in Acts 2:42. A key word, in the final verses of Acts 2, is "together" (Acts 2: 44, 46). This spiritual response - unity in Christ, trusting Him as Saviour, commitment to Him as Lord - arises out of the powerful presence of God among His people (Acts 2:43). Let us pray that God will be among us - in power and in love - and let us pray that our lives will be filled with His power and His love.

The Word Of God And The Spirit Of God In Acts 1-2 (3)

Acts 1:1-2:47
The Story of Jesus is the Story of God's love. We hear this Story and the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to draw us to the Saviour. When the Holy Spirit is poured upon us, He prompts us to ask the question, "What shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). We can only ask this question when we are "cut to the heart." This is the work of the Holy Spirit. When we hear the message of salvation, preached in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are moved by the Spirit to ask the question, "What must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30). This is the question of salvation. The question comes from God. He puts it into our hearts. The answer comes from God. He speaks to our hearts.

The Word Of God And The Spirit Of God In Acts 1-2 (2).

Acts 1:1-2:47
The Gospel is communicated to many people who have gathered in Jerusalem from many different places (Acts 2:5-11). People are puzzled. They look for a human explanation (Acts 2:12-13). The real explanation is spiritual (Acts 2:14-21). * When God pours out His Spirit (Acts 2:17), the promise of salvation (Acts 2:21) is emphasized in the preaching of the Gospel. When God pours out His Spirit, the preachers of the Gospel keep Christ at the centre of their preaching (Acts 2:22). When God pours out His Spirit, the Story of Jesus is told - His "miracles, wonders and signs" (Acts 2:22), His crucifixion (Acts 2:23), His resurrection (Acts 2:24), His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 2:33).

The Word Of God And The Spirit Of God In Acts 1-2 (1)

Acts 1:1-2:47
"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place" (Acts 2:1). "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised ..." (Acts 1:4-5). In Acts 1:8, we have the promise of God and the call to mission. God's people pray (Acts 1:14). They are waiting on the Lord, trusting that He will fulfil His promise: "Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength" (Isaiah 40:31). Notice that the Holy Spirit is God's gift (Acts 1:4). The disciples are not being rewarded for their commitment to prayer. They are waiting upon the Lord who sends the Holy Spirit as the gift of His grace. The coming of the Spirit is like "wind" and "fire" (Acts 2:2-3). The wind of the Spirit comes from heaven. The fire of the Spirit rests on the disciples. The coming of the Spirit leads to mission.

Great For Dad's

Just imagine spending 40 days and 40 nights in the Teton Mountains and surrounding areas. The beauty, nature, peace, wonderful moments, beautiful sunsets and endless hours of being far from the hustle bustle of life.

Author Eric Zehnder did just that. When Author Eric Zehnder traveled to the Teton Mountains in Wyoming something very profound happened. He started writing quality sayings.

Eric went on to write 4,000 sayings in just 40 days while in the mountains. He then went on to write 8,000 more sayings and has amassed a personal library of over 12,000 sayings.

This book is a collection of wise, fun and humorous sayings. If you read a few, you will be entertained. However, if you apply the sayings in this book to everyday life situations, they will help put you on the path to living a victorious life.

ISBN 9781603831109
Order your copy now on line at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and other online bookstores
Or order it from the Author at: The Everlasting Kingdom