A "duh" moment. . .

If you're a Christian, you know how every so often you have a "duh!" moment where you suddenly see a Bible verse in a way that you'd never seen it before? One of those moments where it's almost like someone [The Holy Spirit!] switches the light on? I had one of those moments today. . .

~~~~~

Context: Jesus has just returned after being tempted by Satan in the wilderness. This is the beginning of Christ's public ministry.

Luke 4:14-20, NLT

14 Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. 15 He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
16 When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

~~~~~

Now this is what I had never fully realised, never really taken to heart about these verses:

As Christians, as followers of Christ, THIS is our calling! This is how we're supposed to live our lives - as described in verses 18-19. Let's declare this over our lives, and make this a lifestyle - bringing the Good News to the poor, releasing the blind and the captive, and fighting passionately for the oppressed!

Worth the wait

Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the swift gazelles and the deer of the wild, not to awaken love until the time is right.

~Song of Songs 3:5 NLT

Check out this awesome article. It made headlines on the ninemsn webpage - I suppose our world is so fascinated by pure love stories like this because they are so few and far between. . . 

Current Mood: Lethargic. . .

A blessing

Image from FreeFoto.com

May the LORD bless you
    and protect you.
May the LORD smile on you
    and be gracious to you
May the LORD show you his favour
    and give you his peace.

Numbers 6:24-26 NLT

If I could write the future in the sky. . .

If I could speak with tongues of angels

If I could write the future in the sky

If I could know the wisdom of the ages

But have no love what would it mean

If I have faith, faith to move a mountain

If I give all I own to the poor

If I surrender my body to the flames

But have no love I have nothing

~ Rebecca St James's rewording of 1 Corinthians 13, the famous "Love Chapter" of the Bible. From the song For the Love of God from the album Transform. (Excellent album, BTW.)

Current Mood: Blah

Don't be afraid

Photo by M. Daniels from ContrailsInternational.net

Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one who died. Look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

Revelation 1:18 NLT

A promise. . .

33 He changes rivers into deserts,
and springs of water into dry, thirsty land.

34 He turns the fruitful land into salty wastelands,
because of the wickedness of those who live there.

35 But he also turns deserts into pools of water,
the dry land into springs of water.

36 He brings the hungry to settle there
and to build their cities.

37 They sow their fields, plant their vineyards,
and harvest their bumper crops.

38 How he blesses them!
They raise large families there,
and their herds of livestock increase.

Psalm 107 NLT

Something for Australians to reflect on and take comfort in during the drought currently ravaging our country.

(Dis)connectedness

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NLT

God created humans in such a way that we work best when we're working with others, as a team. That's the way He made us, even from the very beginning when God saw Adam alone in the Garden of Eden and saw that it was "not good" for him to be alone. (Gen 2:18).

But I'm not just talking about the marriage relationship here. This basic principle applies to families and communities, too. Every person in the world was made to live and function as part of a family. When we're cut off from other people, something goes desperately wrong inside of us. There's this innate need in each of us to connect with other people - it's the way we were created.

I believe this is partly why God commands us so many times in the Bible to care for widows, for the orphaned and outcast. Everyone was meant to live as part of a family.

The world in which we live is broken - it's shattered into about 6.942 billion pieces. We're all disconnected from one another, and disconnected from God. But whenever you do something to reach out to someone else, you become a part of the solution. It makes a difference in this world, no matter how small your action may seem to you.

This is something I struggle with a lot. It's not always easy for someone who (like me)isn't naturally extroverted and outgoing to crawl outside my shell - just approaching someone to say a friendly "hello" can be very scary sometimes.

Definitely one area in which I need to challenge myself. Even if I don't have the guts to 'challenge myself', I'm sure God will still provide plenty of challenges - He seems to have a knack of putting me into situations that I find very awkward and uncomfortable for the sake of character building and personal growth! ;-)

Image courtesy of FreeFoto.com

Some excellent adjectives

. . . Fix your thoughts on what is true and honourable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Phillipians 4:8 NLT

Photo courtesy of FreeFoto.com

Scripture of the Week

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 35:18 NLT

Photo courtesy of FreeFoto.com

An unknown voice. . .

. . .I heard an unknown voice that said, "Now I will relieve your shoulder of its burden; I will free your hands from their heavy tasks. You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you; I answered out of the thundercloud. . .

Psalm 81:5-7 NLT

Image courtesy of FreeFoto.com, photographer Ian Britton

Our imperfect sight

Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now.

There are three things that will endure - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:12-13

Photographer Ian Britton, image courtesy of FreeFoto.com

Second Chances

Then I will sprinle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart with the right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command.

Ezekiel 36:25-27 NLT

Image courtesy of FreeFoto.com, photographer Ian Britton.

A life filled with love

1Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us. . .

Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT

Photographer Ian Britton, image courtesy of FreeFoto.com

The Power of Prayer

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

James 5:5 NIV

Image courtesy of FreeImages.co.uk

Scripture of the Week

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

Photo courtesy of freeimages.co.uk

Scripture of the Week

   Psalm 27

 1The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 
 2When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 
 3Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 
 4One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.  . . .

 11Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. 
 12Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 
 13I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 
 14Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

KJV Public Domain

I had been going to write some comments on these verses, but that seems pointless now. When you read these great passages from the Bible, you realise that there is nothing left to be said - it has already been written down in God's Word!

Photo courtesy of freeimages.co.uk