Faithfulness

Faithfulness is not showing up day after day; it is showing up day after day with a good attitude and an excellent spirit. God will reward that kind of faithfulness. Luke 16:12 tells us that if we are faithful over what belongs to someone else, God will give us our own. If you are being tested in the area of faithfulness, be unwavering in your resolve to be faithful and dependable. You will be glad you did.’

Covenant

The idea of covenant is so important in the Christian Bible that the two parts came to be called the Old and the New Testaments (‘Testamentum’ being the Latin word for covenant). Although the new covenant was different from the old one, both covenants came from God’s abounding love for you. 

Each day is a joy

As Joyce Meyer writes, ‘Each day that God gives us is holy and a precious gift from him. We should enjoy it fully. Joy is powerful. Nothing releases supernatural joy in our lives more than being a blessing to other people.’

Hallelujah

The word Hallelujah is an invitation to worship – it literally means ‘Praise (Hallal) the Lord’ (Yahweh). It occurs twenty-four times in the Old Testament (mainly in the psalms) and it occurs four times in the New Testament – each of them in our passage for today.

Money

Money is not a neutral, impersonal medium of exchange. Jesus said you cannot serve both God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). ‘Mammon’ was the god of wealth in Carthage. Money has all the characteristics of a god. It seems to offer security, freedom, power, influence, status and prestige. It is capable of inspiring devotion and single-minded preoccupation. Yet, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it, ‘Our hearts have room only for one all-embracing devotion, and we can only cleave to one Lord.’

Earn, save & give

As John Wesley said, ‘Earn all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can.’

God calls us to be faithful

As Mother Teresa said, ‘God does not call me to be successful; he calls me to be faithful.’ If you are faithful to Jesus you will ultimately be successful, because Jesus will ultimately succeed.

Repent

‘Repentance’ is a very positive word in the Bible. The Greek word ‘metanoia’ means ‘change of mind’. That means, first, turning away from the bad stuff. This is the stuff that spoils your life and breaks your relationship with God. Repentance means to be sorry enough to quit. Getting rid of the bad stuff only enhances your life. But, that is only the first part. The change of heart and mind means not only turning away from the bad things, but also turning towards God and good. The word ‘repent’ rarely appears on its own in the Bible. Genuine repentance is shown by its fruit. Remorse is not enough. A change of mind, heart and life is required. It is nearly always, ‘repent and…’. Repent and believe. Repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ. It is not just a case of looking back, but also looking forward. 

The harvest

Jesus said that in this life the wheat and the weeds grow up together until the harvest (Matthew 13:30). And that ‘the harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels’ (v.39). He speaks of the weeds being pulled up and destroyed and how ‘the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father’ (v.43).

Hope

‘Hope has a thick skin and will endure many a blow,’ wrote John Bunyan (1628–1688). ‘It will endure all things if it be of the right kind, for the joy that is set before it... it is hope that makes the soul exercise patience and long-suffering under the cross, until the time comes to enjoy the crown.’

Hope

‘We steward the only message on planet earth that can give people what their hearts need most, which is hope. Hope that sins can be forgiven. Hope that prayers can be answered. Hope that doors of opportunity, that seemed locked, can be opened. Hope that broken relationships can be reconciled. Hope that diseased bodies can be healed. Hope that damaged trust can be restored. Hope that dead churches can be resurrected… Of all people, we must claim that hope and live in it and radiate it to others. And we must proclaim that message of hope to everyone God gives us the opportunity to influence.’

Thomas s Kempis prayer

‘Father, let me hold your hand, and like a child walk with you down all my days, secure in your love and strength’ (Prayer of Thomas à Kempis, c.1380–1471).

Kingdom of God

The central theme in the teaching of Jesus was the kingdom of God. It not only refers to kingdom in a political or geographical sense, but it also conveys the notion of activity – the activity of ruling and reigning. The kingdom of God means ‘the rule and reign of God’. 

Giving

Prioritise giving to your church community – which is our equivalent of the temple. If you fail to give generously, you are ‘robbing God’. If as a church community all give generously, then you can expect that God will ‘throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that [we] will not have room enough for it’ (v.10).

Meet God in the morning

Psalm 143:8 ‘Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.’ The day goes much better if I have read the Bible in the morning and found encouragement in God’s unfailing love. Without this time with God, it feels to me like going out without a coat on – something rather important is missing.

Our prayers in heaven

Revelation 5:8b ‘Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.’ I love the fact that the bowls are made of gold. It shows that our prayers are precious. And, all our prayers – even mine – go in.

Holiness

Be authentic Holiness does not mean being perfect. It means living a life of integrity. It’s the opposite of hypocrisy. It means being real, honest and authentic.

Hope

Joyce Meyer writes, ‘Real hope is a constant positive attitude that no matter what is happening currently, things will change for the better.’

Search me

‘Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’

Faith and love

Faith is made visible by love. Love is practical.

Tests of a Christian 1 John 5

three tests of a true Christian: Faith ‘Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God... This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God’ (vv.1a,4–5). A Christian is a person who puts their faith in Jesus. In doing so, you become a child of God. Love ‘Everyone who loves the father loves his child as well’ (v.1b). The evidence of true faith is love – love for God, love for Jesus, love for others. Faith expresses itself in love. Obedience ‘This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands’ (vv.2–3). This love is not just a feeling. It involves action – obedience to God’s commands.

Purpose

Purpose in life is far more important than property or possessions. Having more to live with is no substitute for having more to live for. ‘The two greatest days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why’ (Mark Twain).

Love

The more you love him and demonstrate that reality by loving one another – the less you are prey to fear. Develop a culture of love – giving and receiving love. This is the opposite of competition and gossip. The more love you give to others – the more fear disappears.

Confidence

To describe someone as ‘confident’ is usually meant as a compliment. But, there is a right and wrong form of confidence. The wrong form of confidence involves valuing yourself over and against God. This is arrogance. The right form of confidence involves valuing yourself in and through Christ. Confidence in the natural world is self-reliance. In the spiritual world, it is God-reliance. Supremely, it involves confidence in the presence of God.

Children of God

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/1jn.3.1.NIV

Life over achievement

God is much more concerned about how you live your life than what you achieve. Our individual callings are good and important – but our primary vision for life should always be to draw nearer to Jesus.

Vision

Vision is a ‘holy discontent’ – a deep dissatisfaction with what is, combined with a clear grasp of what could be. It is a picture – ‘a mental sight’ – of the future that inspires hope. Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision is a nightmare! But vision combined with action can change the world.

Don't use people

Don’t use people and love things. Love people and use things.