Story

God’s visit to earth took place in an animal shelter with no attendants and nowhere to lay the new-born King but a feed-trough. A mule could have stepped on him! The sky grew luminous with angels, yet who saw that spectacle? Illiterate hirelings who watched the flocks of others, “nobodies” who failed to leave their names. The Christmas story inspired an Episcopalian priest visiting Bethlehem in 1865 to pen the familiar words: ‘How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given; so God imparts to human hearts the blessing 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.’

Source: The UCB Word For Today, 27/12/2016

Soren Kierkegaard tells the story of a boy trying to learn arithmetic. The teacher gives him a book full of problems to solve. In the back of the book is a list of answers to the problems, but the teacher instructs the boy never to look at the answers in the back of the book. Instead he is to work out the answers for himself. As the boy does his homework. He cheats. He looks in the back of the book and gets the answers first; finding it much easier to work out the problems if he knows the answers in advance. Kierkegaard points out that while it is possible for the boy to get good grades this way, he will never really learn mathematics. As difficult as it may prove to be, the only way to become a mathematician is to struggle with the problems itself, not by using someone else’s answers, even if those answers are the right ones. – It’s obvious on life’s journey we are faced with problems, and we sometimes wonder why Jesus doesn’t just spell out the answers so that we know exactly what to do. According to Kierkegaard, God doesn’t give us the answers because He wants to force us to work out the problems for ourselves. It is only by struggling with the problems as they present themselves, day in day out, that we can develop into the kinds of mature people God wants us to be.

Source: Tony Campolo, Let Me Tell You A Story, p.8-9

Faith is the willingness to look foolish. Noah looked foolish building an ark in the desert. Moses looked foolish asking Pharaoh to let his slaves go. The Israelite army looked foolish marching round Jericho blowing trumpets. David looked foolish attacking Goliath with a slingshot. The wise men looked foolish following a star. Peter looked foolish stepping out of the boat in the middle of a storm. And Jesus looked foolhardy hanging on the cross. But the results speak for themselves, don’t they? Noah stayed afloat during the flood. Moses delivered Israel out of Egypt. The walls of Jericho came tumbling down. David defeated Goliath. The wise men found the Messiah. Peter walked on water. And Jesus rose from the dead. There comes a moment when you must quit hedging your bets, quit playing it safe and doing what you’ve always done. You need to build the ark, or at least plant some trees or saw some planks! Faith is acting as if God has already answered our prayers, and acting as if God has answered means acting on our prayers even if, as in the case of Noah, it takes over a century. Jesus said, ‘Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours’ (Mark 11:24 NIV). What has God told you to do? Start doing it!

Source: The UCB Word For Today, 15/12/2017 adapted from Mark Batterson, All In

The story is told of a monk who joined a monastery and took a vow of silence. Once a year he was invited to appear before the abbot, and he was permitted to say one thing. After the first year when he was asked what he had to say, he replied, ‘The bed is too hard!’ At the end of the second year when he was asked, he responded, ‘The room is too cold!’ At the end of the third year he was asked the same question. He replied, ‘The food is terrible. I quit!’ At that point the abbot smiled with relief and said, ‘Thank goodness! Because you have done nothing but complain ever since you got here! Think about it: even if you joined a monastery you’d still have to deal with difficult people.

Source: The UCB Word For Today, 27/7/2016 and An Enemy Called Average by John Mason, p.35

It was 1972 in Munich. A relatively unknown swimmer was poised at the edge of the pool awaiting the firing of the starting gun. It was his first time in the Olympics and he had made it to the finals. The gun sounded and he dived into the pool and swam with all his strength. Moments later he had won the gold medal and set a new world record at the same time. The next day he swam again, and again won another gold medal and, amazingly, he again won it in world record time. He swam seven races in Munich, won seven gold medals and, incredibly, established seven new world records. It was one of the greatest feats in Olympic history. The entire world suddenly knew the name of Mark Spitz.

But behind the glory was a dedication to training that had seen Mark swimming and lifting weights hour after hour, day after day, year after year, in preparation for the 1972 Olympics. His winning was not luck or chance but the end result of all the work he had put into his sport. He had the heart of a champion, and the dedication of one who knows what he wants and what he has to do to achieve it. Mark Spitz has said: “We all live to win, but how many people love to train?”

Source: John Kehoe, Mind Power, 1997, Canada, British Columbia: Zoetic Inc. Publishers, p.143-144

One Christmas Eve a man sat in silence by his open fire mulling over the meaning of Christmas. “There is no point to a God who became human,” he mused. “Why would an all-powerful God want to share life with the likes of us? And even if he did, why would God choose to be born in a stable? No way! The whole thing is absurd! I’m sure that if God really wanted to come down to earth, he would have chosen some other way.” – Suddenly, the man was roused from his thoughts by a strange sound outside. He rushed to the window, looked out and saw a gaggle of snow geese frantically honking and flapping their wings amid the deep snow and freezing cold. They seemed dazed and confused… exhausted, they had dropped out of a larger flock migrating south. Moved by compassion the man went outside and tried to “shoo” the shivering geese into the shelter of his garage, but the more he “shooed,” the more the geese panicked. “If only they realized I’m trying to save them,” he thought. “How can I make them understand my concern for their well-being?” Suddenly a thought came to him: “If, just for a minute, I could become one of them, if I could become a snow goose and communicate with them in their own language, then they’d know what I’m trying to do.” – In a flash of inspiration, he remembered it was Christmas Eve and a smile crossed his face as he realised the Christmas story no longer seemed absurd. He visualized an ordinary-looking infant lying in a manger in a stable in Bethlehem. He understood the answer to his Christmas problem: God became one-like-us to tell us, in ways we can understand, that he loves us and is concerned about our welfare… our eternal well-being. – The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

Source: Brian Cavanaugh, 1994, Fresh Packet of Sower’s Seeds, New Jersey: Paulist Press, p.63-64

Max Lucado paints the picture of Jesus’ birth: ‘‘The ground is hard, the hay scarce. Cobwebs cling to the ceiling… Mary looks into the face of her Son. Her Lord. His Majesty. At this point the human being who best understands who God is and what He’s doing is a teenage girl… She remembers the angel’s words, “His Kingdom will never end.” Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Honour in the filth of manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable. This baby had once overlooked the universe. His robes of eternity were exchanged for the rags keeping Him warm. His golden throne room abandoned in favour of a dirty sheep pen. Worshipping angels replaced with shepherds. Meanwhile the city hums, unaware that God has visited their planet. The innkeeper would never believe he’d just sent God out into the cold. And people would scoff at anyone who told them the Messiah lay in the arms of a teenager on the outskirts of their village. They were all too busy to consider the possibility. But those who missed His Majesty’s arrival that night missed it not because of acts of evil or malice. No, they missed it because they weren’t looking for Him!’

Source: The UCB Word For Today , 24/12/2015

The English word “sincere” comes from the Latin “sincerus”, which is derived from the words sine and cereus; meaning “without” and “wax”.

I’ve read that when working with wood, many carpenters of long ago would use wax to hide their mistakes or imperfections in the wood. Eventually, when an item of furniture or a carving was finished, it would be stained or polished and the wax would then become indistinguishable. Later on, however, after a little usage and being subject to the elements, the wax would melt or crumble away and the ‘cover-up’ would become apparent.

The more professional wood workers of the day, however, chose only the finest wood and they worked with extreme care so as not to cause any damage. Of course, this was far more costly in terms of both time and money and so when they went to market place to compete and sell their wares, they would put up a sign that said, “sincerus”.

This is really the key to true success: In all your dealings be a person of integrity, and whatever you promise or say or do, be sincere and do it ‘without wax’!

Analogy adapted from a narrative by Zig Ziglar

One day we will all be held to account; we will all face God’s judgment. Some people fool themselves thinking they will be all right: They think they will get in to heaven because they have been good enough but the Bible teaches differently: the Bible says that there is no one is good enough, not even one single person. It’s a bit like this: everyone’s life starts out like a clean sheet of paper, but as soon as you get a blotch on it, as soon as you sin, it’s no longer clean. – It is impossible for us to live a perfect life and to perfectly keep all of God’s standards all of the time. – Again, it’s like having a sheet of glass. Break it once and you’ve broken it all and there is no hope of putting it back together again! The thing is, to get to heaven you have to be absolutely 100% perfect in every way, or… you have to have someone who is perfect stand in for you, and pay your dues: You have to accept God’s perfect sacrifice offered on your behalf – the innocent blood of his Son, Jesus, shed on the cross for our sins.

Why does the earth spin? For Him. Why do you have talents and abilities? For Him. Whose Word matters? His. Whose will must be done? His, not ours. God’s to-do list for us consists of just one item: ‘Reveal My Glory.’ Heaven’s statement of purpose reads: “Declare God’s Glory.” Everything and everyone exists to reveal His glory; including you! We exist for His praise and glory.

Source: The UCB Word For Today, 22/5/2006

Charles Blondin was a famous tightrope walker and stunt artist in America. Some years ago he stretched a wire rope across the top of Niagara Falls and walked across it several times, always with a different theatrical variation: He walked across blindfold; he went across on stilts, he carried a man on his back and he even sat down mid-way across while he cooked and ate an omelette! A newspaper reporter came up and asked him what he proposed to next. Blondin said he was going to wheel a man across in a wheelbarrow. “Do you think I can do it?” Blondin asked. “Oh yes, said the reporter. “You are the greatest tightrope artist of all time. I believe you can do it.” Blondin replied, “You do; you really think I can do it?” “I know you can,” said the reported. “Well then,” replied Blondin, “you get in the wheelbarrow!”

There is a difference between head knowledge and heart knowledge or faith. You can believe that the Christian message is true but unless you are willing to step out in faith and put your trust in Christ, you are never going to know what it’s really like; you’ll miss salvation by a foot, 12 inches, which is the distance between the brain and the heart; between head knowledge and heart knowledge. Faith is trusting in God.

Amazing Grace: John Newton was born in London on July 24th, 1725. His father was the commander of a merchant ship and as a boy John went to sea with him often. By the age of nineteen he had joined the navy but in the course of time he left and went on to captain his own ship, which he then plied exclusively in the slave trade.

On May 10th, 1748, whilst on a return journey from Africa with his ship fully laden with hundreds of slaves, Newton almost lost everything, including his own life. His ship was caught up in a violent storm and in a desperate bid to save himself, his ship, his cargo and his crew, Newton cried out to God to have mercy on him. His prayers were answered and the storm miraculously broke. Everything was saved and the events of that day changed John Newton’s life forever.

As a direct result of this experience, Newton gave up his life as a slave-trader and, instead, he dedicated his life to serving God. He went on to become a Christian minister in England and he also became very close friends with John Wesley (founder of the Methodist church) and also William Wilberforce, the man who went on to lead the campaign for the abolition of slavery.

John Newton, the once notorious slave trader turned Christian minister, wrote many wonderful hymns. By far the most famous of which, is this one:

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved.

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come.

‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining like the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise,

Than when we first begun.

50 Tips For Marriage:

1) Start each day with a kiss. 2) Wear your wedding ring. 3) Date your spouse at least once a week. 4) Accept your differences. 5) Be polite. 6) Be gentle. 7) Give gifts. 8) Smile often. 9) Touch. 10) Talk about your dreams. 11) Select a song and make it ‘our song’. 12) Give back rubs. 13) Laugh together. 14) Send a card for no reason. 15) Do what the other person wants before they ask. 16) Listen carefully. 17) Encourage each other. 18) Do it their way. 19) Know their needs. 20) Fix their breakfast. 21) Compliment at least twice a day. 22) Telephone during the day. 23) Slow down. 24) Hold hands. 25) Cuddle. 26) Ask for the others opinion. 27) Show respect. 28) Welcome each other home. 29) Try to look your best. 30) Wink at each other. 31) Celebrate birthdays in a big way. 32) Apologise. 33) Forgive quickly. 34) Set up a romantic get-away. 35) Ask, ‘What can I do to make you happier?’ 36) Be positive. 37) Be kind. 38) Be vulnerable. 39) Respond quickly to the other person’s requests. 40) Talk about your love. 41) Reminisce about your favourite times together. 42) Treat each other’s friends and relatives with courtesy. 43) Send flowers every Valentine’s Day, anniversary and for no reason at all. 44) Admit when you are wrong. 45) Be sensitive to each other’s sexual desires. 46) Seek outside help when needed. 47) Watch sunsets together. 48) Say, ‘I love you’ frequently. 49) End each day with a hug. 50) Pray for each other daily.

Source: The UCB Word For Today devotional, 06/07/2003

In 1968 a scientist discovered a six-hundred year old seed necklace in an Indian grave. He planted one of the seeds, and it sprouted and grew. Although the seeds had been dormant for six hundred years, it still had the potential for life. Maybe you have been a Christian for years and have been spiritually dormant for most of that time, but now you would like to be productive. You desire to be fruitful. (…) I have good news for you: it’s not too late! You can begin right now. Bow your head in prayer and tell God you want to cooperate with his spiritual growth plan for you. He will provide the power to change your life.

Rick Warren

Rick Warren, God’s Power To Change Your Life, 2006, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, p.232

The great violinist, Nicolo Paganini, willed his exquisite violin to Genoa – the city of his birth – but only on the condition that the instrument never be played again. It was an unfortunate condition, for it is the characteristic of wood that as long as it is used and handled, it shows little decline in quality. However, as soon as it is set aside in storage, it begins to decay.

The fabulous, mellow-toned violin became worm-eaten stored in its gorgeous case, valueless now except as a relic. The deteriorating instrument is a reminder that gifts and talents are tools meant to be used, not treasures to be stored up. Likewise, a life withdrawn from love and service to others loses its meaning.

Source: Brain Cavanaugh, Sower’s Seeds That Nurture Family Values, p.66

Illustration for repentance and receiving the Holy Spirit: Take a bowl of dirty water (use a tea bag to discolour it) and use a sponge to soak up as much as possible. – We are like the sponge filled with dirty water; we are completely immersed in sin! But when we repent and turn to Christ, it’s like Jesus squeezes the dirty water out of us. (Squeeze the sponge.) Then Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to fill us (plunge the sponge into a bowl of clean water). We need to repent of our dirty water, do away with it by asking Christ to forgive us and wash us clean.

(For congregational participation): I want to start with you a little quiz; a warm up exercise – a bit like Catchphrase on the TV – to get the grey-matter working: Complete the following sayings for me:

  1. Nothing but skin and… bones (Job 19:19-20)
  2. I escaped by the skin of my… teeth (Job 19:20)
  3. There’s a time and a place for… everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
  4. Going the extra… mile (Matthew 5:41)
  5. United we stand, “divided we… fall” (Matthew 12:25)
  6. Red sky at… night (Matthew 16:2-3)
  7. In the twinkling… of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52)
  8. A man after my own… heart (1 Samuel 13:14)
  9. A little bird… told me (Ecclesiastes 10:20)
  10. A leopard cannot change its… spots (Jeremiah 13:23)
  11. How the mighty have… fallen (2 Samuel 1:25)
  12. Pride comes… before a fall (Proverbs 16:18)
  13. By the sweat of your… brow (Genesis 3:19)
  14. Out of the mouths of… babes (Psalm 8:2)
  15. Eat drink and be… merry (Luke 12:19)
  16. The blind leading… the blind (Matthew 15:14)
  17. Along the straight… and narrow (Matthew 7:14)
  18. Tearing your hair… out (Ezra 9:3)
  19. At my wit’s… end (Psalm 107:27)
  20. The writing is on… the wall (Daniel 5:5-6)

Who can tell me what all of these everyday sayings have in common? (They all come from the Bible.) It may surprise you, but we all know a lot more of the Bible than we might think we do. Many of us, today, don’t realize that the Bible (the KJV in particular) has been enormously influential in the development of our own English language.

R. Ian Seymour

Do you know who visited you after you were born? Apparently, I was visited by [my father, my grandmother, a man called Dennis and a lady, Ann, who I grew up calling Aunty Ann, but who wasn’t my real aunt]. In other words, my birth was so significant that I was visited by members of my family [and friends of my parents.] But, as far as I am aware, Queen Elizabeth II was not even informed that I had entered the world. The professors of Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Yale Universities didn’t pack their bags and come racing to the hospital to peer over the side of my cot. Once I got home, at no stage did the Prime Minister or the US President knock on the door and ask my parents if they could give me some presents. Of course they didn’t. It would have been ridiculous for them to do so. The powerful and the intelligent people [of the day] would have been crazy to have dropped everything, cleared their diaries, and come to see me so that they could get on their knees and worship me. But that’s exactly what these “wise men” did in around 0.AD.

Adapted from Carl Laferton, Christmas Uncut, 2015, The Good Book Company, p.31-32

The famous Spanish cellist and composer, Pablo Casals was over 90 years old and he would still practice for several hours a day. When a young musician asked him, “Mr Casals, you are renowned as one of the best cellist players in the world, why is it that you continue to practice several hours a day?” Pablo Casals is reported to have replied, “Because I am making progress!”

Source: The Success Journey by John Maxwell p.99 – also Even Eagles Need A Push by David McNally p.3

450 years ago in England, under the reign of the Roman Catholic, Queen Mary, or Bloody Mary as she became known, and during the reformation of the church here in England, 288 people were burnt at the stake for their Protestant faith. Few of the martyr’s final words are more stirring than those of Bishops Hugh Latimer to Nicholas Ridley as they were tied together at the stake and burnt alive in Oxford, on 16th October 1555. As the fire was lit Latimer said to his friend, “Be of Good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.”

Nicky Gumbel says we should think of it like this: The value of a cheque depends not only on the amount, but also on the name that appears at the bottom. If I wrote out a cheque for ten million pounds it would be worthless; but if Bill Gates, reputed to be the richest man in the world, were to write a cheque for ten million pounds it would be worth exactly that. When we go to the bank of heaven we have nothing deposited there. If I go in my own name I can achieve nothing; but Jesus Christ has unlimited credit in heaven. He has given me the privilege of using his name.

Nicky Gumbel, Alpha Questions of Life, 2007 edition, Eastbourne: Kingsway Communications, p.70

In Matthew’s gospel, chapter 10, Jesus sent out the twelve disciples, and He gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness (v1). Jesus commissioned them specifically to preach the message of the kingdom; to heal the sick; to raise the dead; to cleanse those who have leprosy and to drive out demons (v8). They were to declare that the kingdom of God has come and is coming. But it wasn’t just the disciples that Jesus specifically commissioned to do this! In Luke chapter 10, Jesus appointed seventy-two others with the same commission, to heal the sick and preach the kingdom, to proclaim God’s Kingdom come. It is the very same charge that is given to Christians today; to us: we are to heal the sick and proclaim the good news. ‘In the Bible there is a clear connection between declaration and the release of power. Nothing happens in the Kingdom unless there is a declaration.’ Proclamation and testimony are powerful because they increase faith and give glory to God, and this seems to release the power of the Spirit and bring more glory to God. It’s not a formula but a fact.

God is in Heaven. Jesus is in Heaven. And Christians who have already died are in heaven. They are in heaven now but they are not there in body, they are there in spirit, held in a temporary state as they wait for the day of resurrection when they will be given new bodies. – We should understand that to a Christian a cemetery is just a dormitory. In fact, a Christian is the only person in the world who, on their deathbed can still be optimistic! – 1 Thessalonians 4:13 describes Christians who have already gone to heaven as having fallen asleep (sleep being a temporary state or condition). But it is not as if believers in heaven are unaware: they are not oblivious or unconscious or in a coma! That’s not paradise! The Bible tells us there are great multitudes of believers in heaven, worshipping God (Nehemiah 9:6, Revelation 7:9).

Andy Park, who calls himself “Mr Christmas”, has celebrated Christmas every day since 1994. He drinks champagne, sends himself cards and gifts, and sits down to a turkey dinner after watching a recording of the Queen’s speech. Over the years, Mr Park has chewed his way through 150,000 Brussel sprouts, and eaten in excess of 100,000 mince pies, washed down with gallons of sherry.

But all of this joyful celebration has not come without cost. Mr Park, an electrician, was advised by doctors to stop his habit when his weight ballooned to over 19 stone. Mr Park, who is single, confesses he has spent a small fortune on Christmas, adding, “It’s hard to find a woman who wants to celebrate Christmas every day with you.”

I want to say to him, “It might also be something to do with sprouts, Andy!” – Tim Thornborough

Source: Tim Thornborough, 2016, How To Have A Happy Christmas, booklet by The Good Book Company

It is worth asking ourselves what we are truly building our lives on: Is it knowing Jesus as our Lord, or is it something else? Here are a few helpful ways of working that out:

  • What is the one thing in my life that I don’t think I could live without?
  • When I’m facing a decision, whose advice do I most turn to and follow?
  • Whose words have made the most impact on me in the last month?

If the answer to each of those is “Jesus”, then you’re digging down deep and laying your foundation on Him, our eternal rock. Be encouraged!

Explore Bible notes, 11/2/2012

I remember (a few years ago now!) walking two of my young children to school today and on the way we found a bright new shiny penny on the pavement. My daughter, Kimberley, picked it up and I quoted this old rhyme to her: “See a penny, pick it up, and all day long you’ll have good luck.” She was absolutely thrilled at the thought of further ‘good fortune’ coming her way, and I was simply amazed at how much glee a single penny could bring.

Then I got to thinking about deliberately dropping a penny myself in the hope that some other person would find it and maybe it would bring a happy thought or a smile to their face too. As the idea took hold, I figured what a small price it was to pay – a penny – if it produced a fleeting ray of sunshine or a glimmer of good fortune to another. And so a little later in the day I took the idea one-step further. I went to the bank and changed a £1 coin into 100 bright new shiny pennies. Then I silently blessed my bag of coins and prayed that each one might produce a small blessing to the unknown but fortunate people who found them. The next day, with my children, we travelled around the town accidentally on purpose dropping or planting shiny new pennies wherever we went. I have to tell you, it was wonderful fun and I think that was the best £1 I have ever spent!

R. Ian Seymour

Many great people began life in the poorest and most humble of homes, with little education and no advantages. Thomas Edison was a newsboy on trains. Andrew Carnegie started work at $4 a month, John D. Rockefeller at $6 a week. The remarkable thing about Abraham Lincoln was not that he was born in a log cabin, but that he got out of the log cabin.

Demosthenes, the greatest orator of the ancient world, stuttered! The first time he tried to make a public speech, he was laughed off the rostrum. Julius Caesar was an epileptic. Napoleon was of humble parentage and far from being born a genius (he stood forty-sixth in his class at the Military Academy in a class of sixty-five). Beethoven was deaf, as was Thomas Edison. Charles Dickens was lame; so was Handel. Homer was blind; Plato was a hunchback; Sir Walter Scott was paralyzed.

What gave these great individuals the stamina to overcome severe setbacks and become successful? Each person had an inner dream that lit a fire which could not be extinguished.

John Maxwell

John C. Maxwell, 1993, Developing The Leader Within You, Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, p.145-146

There was once a pair of twin boys who were identical in appearance but who were the complete opposites in everything else. One of the boys was a prophet of doom and gloom, a despairing pessimist in almost everything he did. In complete contrast the other boy was an unmistakable optimist whose enthusiasm for life was unquenchable. The huge disparity between the twins became a cause of concern to their parents and so they decided to seek the advice of an eminent psychiatrist. The psychiatrist suggested that treating the boys differently could rectify the imbalance. With Christmas coming up he suggested the parents give the children different gifts. “Give the pessimist the best toys you can afford but give the optimist nothing but a box of manure,” he said. “This will help to balance out their attitudes.”

When Christmas morning came around the parents observed the children opening their presents. The pessimist opened his first. He ripped off the wrapping paper from a very large box and discovered inside a brand new bicycle. “Oh, I don’t like it!” he immediately moaned. “It’s the wrong colour, it’s too big and I’d probably fall off and injure myself.” He discarded the bicycle and opened another present. This time he revealed the latest personal computer with several games and software packages. “I don’t like this either,” he complained, “computers are too complicated. It takes too long to work the keyboard and I’ve never been any good with a joystick! Besides, it’ll probably just keep breaking down, either that or the glare from computer screen will hurt my eyes!” The parents dismayed and turned to watch the optimist as he opened his one and only present. Excitedly, he tore off the paper and opened the box. Then, jumping for joy and throwing handfuls of manure in the air, he shouted gleefully, “Yippee… hooray… whoopee…! You can’t fool me, where is it? Where is it?” The parents looked at him with a puzzled expression only to hear him declare, “With this much manure there’s got to be a pony around here somewhere!”

R. Ian Seymour

R. Ian Seymour, excerpt from Discover Your True Potential

10 Good Reasons Why Failure is Good For You

  1. It makes you appreciate success when it does happen.
  2. It develops endurance and stamina.
  3. It provides you with a learning experience.
  4. It keeps you humble.
  5. It can, sometimes, be a blessing in disguise.
  6. It allows you to empathise with, and help others in similar situations.
  7. It protects you if you’re not ready to handle success.
  8. It shows you who your real friends are!
  9. It builds character and motivates you to try again.
  10. It means you’re more likely to sustain success when it does arrive.

R. Ian Seymour, excerpt from Discover Your True Potential

It’s important to remember that Jesus never invited people to come to church (synagogue) or say a prayer of commitment. St Peter didn’t share the “Four Spiritual Laws” with anyone or invite them to receive Christ as their personal Saviour. Jesus met with people on their territory, used their language and spoke of things that mattered to them. Isn’t that a good set of principles for us too? Jesus simply left lots of calling cards that said: ‘The kingdom of God is here. (Did you notice?) Our sharing of faith needs to be less of a sales pitch or an argument or a demand, and more of a conversation, a friendship, an invitation, an opportunity, an exploration. We’re inviting people to take part in an adventure, but it’s an open road all the way into the kingdom.

John Pritchard

John Pritchard, Living Faithfully, 2013, SPCK London, p.132

In Italy for around £3000 you can buy ready-made coffins that have beepers in them, two-way speakers, a torch, a small oxygen tank, and a sensor to detect a person’s heartbeat… just in case! True or false? (True)

In the mid-1700s a Russian peasant named Feodor Vassilyev gave birth to 69 children. True or false? (True) In 27 separate pregnancies she had 16 pairs of twins, 7 sets of triplets, and 4 sets of quadruplets. Ouch!

In 1664, 1785 and 1860 passenger ferries sank while crossing the Menai Straight in North Wales. Amazingly, each disaster occurred on December 5th. Even more bizarre than this is that on all three occasions the name of the sole survivor was Hugh Williams. True or false? (True)

These bizarre stories are all true. What about Jesus’ resurrection: is the resurrection really true?

Source: John Dickson, Stranger Than Fiction, p.21-22

We were rescued for a purpose: We are saved to serve. Rick Warren puts it this way: ‘God created, saved, called and commanded you to live a life of service. We are only fully alive when we’re helping others. Jesus said, “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (Mark 8:35 TLB). If we are not serving we are just existing, because life is meant for ministry. God wants you to learn to love and serve others unselfishly. The old comparison between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea is a good one. Galilee is a lake full of life because it takes in water but also gives it out. In contrast, nothing lives in the Dead Sea because, with no outflow, the lake has stagnated. What many believers need today is to be involved in serving experiences where they can exercise their spiritual muscles… Serving is the opposite of our natural inclination. Most of the time we’re more interested in “serve us” than service. We say, “I’m looking for a church that meets my needs and blesses me,” not “I’m looking for a place to serve and be a blessing.” We expect others to serve us, not vice versa. But as we mature in Christ, the focus of our lives should increasingly shift to living a life of service. The mature follower of Jesus stops asking, “Who’s going to meet my needs?” and starts asking, “Whose needs can I meet?”

Rick Warren (Source: taken from a daily reading plan from YouVersion Bible app.)

Not… “How did he die?” But… “How did he live?”
Not… “What did he gain?” But… “What did he give?”
These are the units to measure the worth
Of a man as a man, regardless of birth.

Not… “What was his station?” But… “Had he a heart?”
And “How did he play his God-given part?
Was he ever ready with a word of good cheer,
To bring back a smile, to banish a tear?”

Not… “What was his church?” Not … “What was his creed?”
But “Had he befriended those really in need?”
Not… “What did the sketch in the newspaper say?”
But “How many were sorry when he passed away?”

Anon.

John Newton was born in London nearly 300 years ago (on July 24th, 1725). His father was the commander of a merchant ship and as a boy John went to sea with him often. By the age of nineteen he had joined the navy but in the course of time he left and went on to captain his own ship, which he then plied exclusively in the slave trade.

On May 10th 1748, whilst on a return journey from Africa with his ship fully laden with hundreds of slaves, Newton almost lost everything, including his own life. His ship was caught up in a violent storm and in a desperate bid to save himself, his ship, his cargo and his crew, Newton cried out to God to have mercy on him. His prayers were answered and the storm miraculously broke. Everything was saved and the events of that day changed John Newton’s life forever.

As a direct result of this experience, Newton gave up his life as a slave-trader and, instead, he dedicated his life to serving God. He went on to become a Christian minister in England and he also became very close friends with John Wesley (founder of the Methodist church) and also William Wilberforce, the man who went on to lead the campaign for the abolition of slavery.

John Newton, the once notorious slave trader turned Christian minister, wrote many wonderful hymns. By far the most famous of which, is this one:

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind but now I see.

I met a man recently who was full of hope: he’d had a dream of a wonderful world where everything is perfect and this filled the man with hope. He shared his dream with us:

  • He dreamt of a perfect world without war and terrorism and weapons of mass destruction; a world where people can travel safely on aeroplanes or on the London underground, and where people can go to work in tall skyscraper buildings without fear of something horrible happening to them or to their loved ones.
  • He dreamt of a world where someone had actually made poverty history, where there was no more hunger or famine, or national debt, or squalor, or misery or austerity. It was world of plenty where there is no such thing as the homeless, the hungry or the destitute.
  • He dreamt of a world where our streets are safe to walk, even for a woman and even at night; a world where our children, or grandchildren, are never picked on or bullied at school or college (nor grownups picked on in the work-place), and where Christians are not persecuted or ridiculed for their faith: a world where peace and love and harmony reign, a world where everyone gets on with their neighbour and where sin and wickedness simply do not exist.
  • He dreamt of a world where there is no more sickness, or ageing, or pain. A world where diseases, such as AIDS and cancer and heart disease and arthritis and depression are all just things of the past and no one even remembers them. A world where there is no more loneliness, no more crying, no more pain.
  • He dreamt of a perfect, paradise world, where people will live forever, where they will work, and eat and play and sing and worship God, and where they will live in an intimate face-to-face relationship with God forever… it’s a perfect world in which mankind will rule and reign with Christ over creation. Man and God together again just like it was in the beginning.

But friends, this is not a pipedream; it is not false hope or a denial of the truth. To a Christian this is not a dream at all: it’s a reality! A God-given promise of a new world that will, one-day be brought into existence. This is God’s plan – which the Bible tells us about from cover to cover, from Genesis to Revelation – a plan that is still today approaching fulfilment and is almost complete but for one thing… it is what Christians are waiting for; the return of Christ, and when God will bring about the fulfilment of his promise; to rid the world of everything that is wrong and bad and to bring about the renewal of all things (see Revelation chapter 21).

R. Ian Seymour

I remember an old Peanuts carton strip in the newspaper: On the first day of the new school year students were told to write an essay about returning to class. Lucy wrote, ‘Holidays are nice, but it’s good to get back to school. There is nothing more satisfying or challenging than education, and I look forward to a year of expanding knowledge.’ The teacher was pleased and complimented Lucy on her essay. In the final frame of the cartoon Lucy leans over and whispers to Charlie Brown, ‘After a while you learn what sells.’ Similarly, the temptation to preach ‘what sells’ (what itching ears want to hear) is always with us. But preachers/elders must be blameless in their doctrinal orthodoxy. God doesn’t change. The gospel doesn’t change.

A little boy in Sunday school is asked to draw a picture of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus in the midst of their flight into Egypt. The teacher had been telling them of the time, in Matthew chapter 2, when an angel appears to Joseph in a dream and warns him to flee with his family from the murderous king who wants to kill all the baby boys living in Bethlehem.

So the little boy carefully draws a picture of a huge aeroplane and when the teacher asks him what it is, he points out that it’s the “flight into Egypt”, indicating Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus, who are sitting happily in the passenger seats.

“But who’s that?” asks the teacher, pointing to a shadowy figure in the cockpit.

Growing a bit tired of the stupid questions, the little boys says, “That’s Pontius the Pilot, of course.”

Source: Rico Tice, One Life What’s It All About, 2011, Malden, Surrey: The Good Book Company, p.105

When you are under attack spiritually, it usually signals that God is going to use you to be a blessing; to bless others. The enemy doesn’t attack people who are not a threat; he doesn’t attack people for no reason. If you are being attacked it’s because you are a threat and you are taking ground from the devil. And so he attacks; the devil wants to rob us of our joy and make us miserable, and the main weapon he uses is discouragement. He tries to discourage and deflate us. Discouragement is like a toy balloon with a slow puncture; it gradually deflates a person and drains away strength, hope and joy, until there is no fight left and they are spent. But we need to remember the enemy is a defeated foe. The devil no longer has any authority over you accept, that is, the authority you unwittingly give him. If you allow yourself to listen to enemy propaganda; to his accusations of self-doubt, or fear or weakness; if you start to believe his lies and bluffing and bully tactics, then discouragement and despondency will set in and continue to deflate you until eventually, you are totally spent!

Overcoming the Obstacle of Regret:

I hadn’t planned another trip this year, but I found myself packing rather hurriedly. I was off on another “Guilt Trip” and I was dreading it.

I flew on Wish-I-Had airlines but I wasn’t allowed to check my baggage so I had to carry it all myself. It was heavy: packed with a thousand memories of what might have been. Still, it was only a short journey before I arrived at Regret City Airport.

I hailed a cab to the Last Resort Hotel, where they were hosting the Annual Pity Party. I was sure to meet with the other regulars: the Done family – Shoulda, Woulda and Coulda; the I Had family – old Wish and his clan; the Opportunities – Missed and Lost; the Yesterday’s – too many to count but each with their own sad tales to tell. Shattered Dreams would also be there along with Their Fault, Don’t Blame Me and I Couldn’t Help It.

Well, I checked in and prepared for the worse but then it occurred to me: I didn’t have to be on this trip or any other subsequent “pity party” either. I had the power to cancel the event, to check out and be somewhere else instead, somewhere better! Finally, I realised that although I can’t change yesterday I can still change today. – Well, I left the City of Regret quickly and never looked back. (I didn’t even leave a forwarding address.)

If you’re planning to visit the City of Regret change your reservation and come to a place called, Starting Again, instead. – I liked it so much I stayed! My new neighbours are the I Forgive Myselfs and the New Starts. It’s a wonderful place. Why don’t you look me up. I live on I Can Do It street.

Adapted from the prose “Leaving the City of Regret” by Larry Harp

God loves us just the way we are – even if you are not a Christian – but God loves us too much to allow us to stay the way we are. We are like a stone with a flawed diamond in it! God wants to free the diamond in us, so that we shine and radiate his glory. He wants to grind away the flaws and polish us to perfection. That’s why Christians have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s engagement ring, his pledge of heaven given to us while we are still on earth. We have the Holy Spirit to encourage us, and comfort us, and teach us, and strengthen us. But also, to convict us, and to lead us in the way of repentance so that we can be forgiven, and keep on being forgiven as we change for the better and go through this refining process; being sanctified.

Practical Tips for regular Bible reading

The truth is you can’t watch television for three hours then read your Bible for three minutes and expect God to bless you with spiritual growth!’ As Galatians 6v7 says ‘A man reaps what he sows.’

  • Form the habit of spending time each day reading the Bible, maybe just a chapter a day. But don’t rush. The aim isn’t to see how quickly we can through it but to see what we can get out of it! It’s the quality of time that matters not the quantity. It’s much better to reflect and mull over a single verse than to speed read and not absorb anything.
  • Chose a time that works for you. Many people (myself included) find that first thing in the morning is the best time, but maybe a mid-morning or an afternoon break or last thing at night suits you better. Whatever time works best for you stick with it, and guard this time jealously.
  • Use daily Bible reading notes or commentaries as an aid to help you understand the Word of God. There are lots of good ones available; try one or two and see how you get on. (I have used Explore Bible reading notes daily for several years.)
  • Find a place where can go and not be disturbed, and pray before you start, asking God to help you understand what you read, and to show you how to apply what you learn. I often use Psalm 119v18 as a prayer: ‘open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.’ If you come to the Bible hungry and expectant to learn, your Bible reading will become a place of nurture and growth, as well as a source of guidance, strength and encouragement each day.
  • As you read look for God on every page, then look for yourself on the same page: Ask how is this applicable to me today? What is God saying to me? Is there something in this passage that I should pray about?
  • For new Christians or those just starting out in reading the Bible, I always recommend a great place to start is Luke’s gospel (24 chapters, so read one a day over three and a bit weeks) then read the book of Acts (see how the early church started, grew and spread), then maybe read Philippians and the Psalms.

R. Ian Seymour

R. Ian Seymour, Empowered Personal Evangelism, Weybridge: New Wine Press (2014), p.120-121

Supposing this (journal/book) represents your life, and every wrong thing you have ever done or thought or said is recorded in it. – There are many dark pages in my own book that I don’t want you to know about. – Now supposing this (left palm) is you and the ceiling represents God. And between us and God is this book, this barrier; the record of our sin! – SIN SEPERATES US FROM GOD. Because God is pure and holy and just, He has to punish sin, otherwise He wouldn’t be true to His nature: He wouldn’t be just. That’s what happened on the cross: Jesus took the punishment we deserve upon himself. Now supposing this (right palm) is Jesus. There was nothing separating Jesus from God. You remember the voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Jesus is God’s perfect sacrifice for sinful man. There was nothing separating Jesus from God. But on the cross a transfer took place. Jesus took our sin (our book) upon himself and God laid the punishment we deserve on his Son. That’s why, just before he died, Jesus cried out, “It is finished” (the debt is paid). And for those of us who trust in Jesus; who accept the cross and what Jesus accomplished for us, well let me ask you, what now stands in the way of us and God? Nothing. That’s right! Jesus has opened the way for us to receive forgiveness, for us to know God personally and to be in relationship with him.

Adapted from Christianity Explained, New Malden, Surrey: The Good Book Company

The story is told of a Sunday school class who were memorising Psalm 23 and little Thomas couldn’t get beyond the first verse. On the big day he stepped up to the microphone, grinned at the audience and announced, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd… and that’s all I know!’ – Friends, that’s all we need to know sometimes!

Try to imagine what life on the ark must have been like for Noah. He probably didn’t get much sleep. He was feeding, cleaning and caring for thousands of animals around the clock. And it must have smelled to high heaven. Did you know that African elephants produce 40 kg of waste per day? It was smelly and messy. And that’s a pretty accurate picture of what obedience sometimes looks like. It’s hard work, and it gets harder. The blessings of God can complicate your life. But unlike sin, they bring a level of joy and fulfilment you have never known (see Proverbs 10:22). No matter what vision God has given you, it will take longer and be harder than you ever imagined. Noah offers a little reality check, doesn’t he? If a decade sounds like a long time to patiently pursue a God-ordained passion, try more than ten!

It’s amazing what God can do if you just keep hammering away year after year! (…) Be a planner and a plodder. Planners see into the future and cast a vision; plodders put one foot in front of the other and keep going one day at a time. Success is not just about getting where God wants you to go, it’s about who you become in the process.

Source: The UCB Word For Today, 16/12/2017 adapted from Mark Batterson, All In

Before change is implemented there are usually 5 stages that a person (or team/workforce) goes through. This 5-stage process has been termed, ‘The D.R.E.A.D. of change’. Dread standing for:

  • Denial
  • Resistance
  • Examination
  • Acceptance
  • Doing

“Encourage one another daily” (Hebrews 3:13). We are to encourage one another daily, to persevere and hold firmly till the end. My daughter, Kim, is an artist and she has depicted the Christian life in a picture, as a tug of war between light and darkness or good and evil. On one side of the rope there are evil, grotesque-looking, demons: big, strong and menacing they seem easily able to overwhelm their opponents. On the other side of the rope the Christians appear puny in comparison; small, weak, struggling and sweating under the strain; no match for the stronger opponents. But, then, as you follow the line to the end of the rope on the Christian side, there is a huge finger holding the end securely! Friends, we are on the winning side! Be encouraged, persevere and hold firmly till the end.

R. Ian Seymour

Charles Schwab, who supervised all of Andrew Carnegie’s steel mills, had a mill manager whose men were not producing their quota at work.

“I’ve coaxed them; I’ve pushed them; I’ve threatened them with being fired, “the manager told Schwab, “but nothing works. They just don’t produce.”

It was the end of the day, just as the day shift was leaving and the night shift was coming on. Schwab took a piece of chalk and then, turning to the nearest man he asked, “How many production runs did your shift make today?”

“Six.”

Without another word Schwab chalked a big figure 6 on the floor and walked away. When the night shift came in, they saw the 6 and asked what it meant. “The big boss was in here today,” the day-shift men said, “and he chalked on the floor the number of production runs we made.”

The next morning Schwab walked through the mill again. The night shift had rubbed out 6, and replaced it with a big 7. When the day shift reported for work the next morning they saw the big 7 chalked on the floor. So the night shift thought they were better than the day shift, did they? Well, they would show them a thing or two. The men pitched in with enthusiasm and when they quit that night, they left behind them an enormous, swaggering 10. Things were stepping up.

Shortly, this mill, which had been lagging way behind in production, was turning out more than any other steel mill in the industry. And what was the reason? Here is Schwab’s reasoning: “The way to get things done is to stimulate competition. I do not mean is a sordid, money-getting way, but in the desire to excel.”

“I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among my people,” said Schwab, “the greatest asset I possess, and the way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement. There is nothing else that so kills the ambition in a person as criticisms from superiors. I never criticize anyone. I believe in giving a person incentive to work. So I am anxious to praise but loathe to find fault. If I like anything, I am heart in my approbation and lavish in my praise.”

[Note: Source: Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People, p.46-47]

Alan Loy McGinnis, Bringing Out The Best in People, p.126-127 also Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People, p.192-193

On Thursday, 15th January 2009, Flight 1549 too off from LaGuardia, New York, heading for North Caroline with 155 passengers and crew on board. Just one minute into the flight, the plane experienced a massive bird strike and all power was lost in both engines.

Faced with a pilot’s worst nightmare, Captain Chesley Sullenberger contacted the ground and weighted up his options. Almost immediately it was obvious that a return to LaGuardia was not on the cards, neither was the short flight to Teteboro, New Jersey. So with time running out and a calmness that revealed nothing of his inner turmoil, Captain Sullenberger spoke what most assumed would be his last words: ‘We’ll be in the Hudson.’

The fact that Flight 1549 landed on the Hudson River in one piece, without loss of life or serious injury was deemed nothing short of a miracle – and it some ways it was. But as Sullenberger revealed in an interview a few weeks later, he wasn’t praying during those five short minutes – ‘I assumed others were taking care of that.’ – What he was doing was responding to a unique situation as if it happened all the time.

After forty years as a pilot, Sullenberger reacted to the dilemma facing him as if it was second nature. His decision to ditch in the Hudson River wasn’t made because the rules told him that was the right thing to do. Neither was he making the decision based on the possible consequences of doing so – after all, planes are not designed to land on water, and most attempts have ended in complete catastrophe.

What allowed Captain Sullenberger to make the decision that turned out to be the ‘miracle on the Hudson’ was forty years of experience, training and discipline. Through hundreds and hundreds of flying hours, he had developed a set of habits and skills that, though now second nature to him, allowed him to make decisions that were not the obvious choices to make nor the ones that his pilot’s manual would have told him to choose.

Moral success is every bit as much about the formation of good habits over time and through disciplined effort, as any other skill. And the point of all this training and discipline is that on the day – at the moment of decision – you do the right things naturally.

Source: Different Eyes: The Art Of Living Beautifully by Steve Chalke and Alan Mann, p.63-64

Consider how a walnut grows. If you crack open the shell you’ll find that the walnut has grown to fill every bit of space that is available to it. The walnut has no particular say in the size or the shape of the shell, and it doesn’t matter what limitations are imposed upon it, the walnut simply grows until it achieves its full potential. That’s what we should do; keep on growing until we reach our full potential.

Down in that place called Hades, Satan summoned his three chief demons to a debate on how to win as many souls as possible for the Kingdom of Hell. After much discussion, one of the demons came up with an idea. “I know,” he said. “How about I disguise myself as a mortal and go to earth proclaiming that there is no such thing as God or the Devil or Heaven or Hell? I’ll tell everyone that there is no inherent good or evil and the only thing that matters is self-gratification. That way, alcohol, drugs, gambling, promiscuity, debauchery and the like will no longer be taboo. I predict that I’ll be able to secure the souls of up to half of the world’s population!”

Satan thought this was a wonderful idea and was just about to give it his approval when the second demon interjected. “I have an even better idea,” he said. “I’ll disguise myself as a mortal and go to earth, but I’ll proclaim that there is a God and a Devil and there is place called Heaven and a place called Hell, so everyone had better go to church every Sunday or else!” He then went on to say, “But then I’ll tell everyone that, as long as they go to church on a Sunday, the rest of the week they can literally do whatever they like. That way, I reckon I could get the souls of three-quarters of the world’s population down to Hell.”

Satan was delighted, and rubbed his hands together with glee, but then the third demon piped up. “I have the best idea of all, and an idea that could get everyone on earth down to Hell.” The whole of Hades fell silent as Satan nodded, beckoning the third demon to continue. “I’ll disguise myself as a mortal and go to earth and I, too, will proclaim that there is a God and a Devil and there is place called Heaven and a place called Hell. I’ll tell everyone that they must live clean and honest lives and follow the teachings of the Bible. But then I’ll also tell everyone that there’s absolutely no rush, so they can just take all the time in the world to think it over!”

And the moral of this little tale is this: Procrastination is dangerous (in this case, eternally dangerous)!

R. Ian Seymour, adapted from Maximize Your Potential

Hattie May Wiatt, a six-year-old girl, lived near Grace Baptist Church in Philadelphia, USA. The Sunday school was very crowded. Russell H. Conwell, the minister, told her that one day they would have buildings big enough to allow everyone to attend. She said, ‘I hope you will. It is so crowded I am afraid to go there alone.’ He replied, ‘When we get the money we will construct one large enough to get all the children in.’

Two years later, in 1886, Hattie May died. After the funeral Hattie’s mother gave the minister a little bag they had found under their daughter’s pillow containing 57 cents in change that she had saved up. Alongside it was a note in her handwriting: ‘To help build bigger so that more children can go to Sunday school.’

The minister changed all the money into pennies and offered each one for sale. He received $250 – and 54 of the cents were given back. The $250 was itself changed into pennies and sold by the newly formed ‘Wiatt Mite Society’. In this way, her 57 cents kept on multiplying.

Twenty-six years later, in a talk entitled, ‘The history of the 57 cents’, the minister explained the results of her 57-cent donation: a church with a membership of over 5,600 people, a hospital where tens of thousands of people had been treated, 80,000 young people going through university, 2,000 people going out to preach the gospel – all this happened ‘because Hattie May Wiatt invested her 57 cents’.

The theme of multiplication runs throughout the Bible. What cannot be achieved by addition, God does by multiplication. You reap what you sow, only many times more. What you give to the Lord, he multiplies.

Nicky Gumbel

Story related by Nicky Gumbel, Bible in One Year 2020, day 55 – Source: Hattie May Wiatt illustration from Sermon by Russell H Conwell ‘The History of Fifty-Seven Cents’, Sunday morning, December 1, 1912.

The Bible mentions Heaven a great deal it but tells us very little about what it will actually be like. Maybe one of the reasons for this is that if God told us everything there is to know we would become so heavenly minded we would be of no earthly good. Like the story of the small boy sitting down to eat a bowl of spinach when there’s a chocolate pudding at the far end of the table: He’s going to have a rough time eating through that spinach when his eyes are on the pudding. Similarly, if God had explained everything in detail, about his plan and what we’re going to inherit, we’d have an even harder time getting through our own ‘spinach’ down here.” We’d become so heavenly minded we’d be of no earthly good… As it is, the Lord has work for us to do, yet!

Learn to be happy when others succeed: Be like the little boy who returned from auditioning for the school play and said, “Mummy, I got brilliant part. I’ve been chosen to sit in the audience and cheer for my friends.”

Source: The UCB Word For Today , 07/06/2003

The man again doubted that his prayers would be answered and his despair overwhelmed him. There he was again, alone and lost with no one to turn to for help. In frustration he took his pen and scribbled the words, “GOD IS NO WHERE.” Then he folded the paper in half to conceal the painful words and as he did so he heard an inner voice say, “You put the ‘W’ in the wrong place!” Bemused, the man unfolded the piece of paper and as he did so he noticed that the crease of the fold had dissected the word ‘WHERE’, and it appeared the letter ‘W’ had moved. The man read the note again and this time it said, “GOD IS NOW HERE.”

In Westminster Abbey, London where many of England’s great kings, queens and dignitaries of old are buried, there’s the tomb of an Anglican Bishop and upon the tombstone, the following inscription:

“When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits. I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights and decided to change only my country. But it, too, seemed immovable. As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it. And now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realise: If I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family. From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country, and, who knows, I may have even changed the world.”

Adapted from Success One Day At A Time by John Maxwell, published by J. Countryman Books

Down in that place called Hades, Satan summoned his three chief demons to a debate on how to win as many souls as possible for the Kingdom of Hell. After much discussion, one of the demons came up with an idea. “I know,” he said. “How about I disguise myself as a mortal and go to earth proclaiming that there is no such thing as God or the Devil or Heaven or Hell? I’ll tell everyone that there is no inherent good or evil and the only thing that matters is self-gratification. That way, alcohol, drugs, gambling, promiscuity, debauchery and the like will no longer be taboo. I predict that I’ll be able to secure the souls of up to half of the world’s population!”

Satan thought this was a wonderful idea and was just about to give it his approval when the second demon interjected. “I have an even better idea,” he said. “I’ll disguise myself as a mortal and go to earth, but I’ll proclaim that there is a God and a Devil and there is place called Heaven and a place called Hell, so everyone had better go to church every Sunday or else!” He then went on to say, “But then I’ll tell everyone that, as long as they go to church on a Sunday, the rest of the week they can literally do whatever they like. That way, I reckon I could get the souls of three-quarters of the world’s population down to Hell.”

Satan was delighted, and rubbed his hands together with glee, but then the third demon piped up. “I have the best idea of all, and an idea that could get everyone on earth down to Hell.” The whole of Hades fell silent as Satan nodded, beckoning the third demon to continue. “I’ll disguise myself as a mortal and go to earth and I, too, will proclaim that there is a God and a Devil and there is place called Heaven and a place called Hell. I’ll tell everyone that they must live clean and honest lives and follow the teachings of the Bible… But then I’ll also tell everyone that there’s absolutely no rush so they can take all the time in the world to think it over!”

And the moral of the tale is this: those who sit on the fence can end up having hell to pay for it!

R. Ian Seymour (adapted from Maximize Your Potential)

There is a story told of two friends, a chicken and a pig, out to try and make a difference in life. As they walked down the street they pass a café and in the window was a large sign that read, “HAM & EGGS £2.99”. The chicken turned to the pig and said, “Let’s go inside and make a contribution?” But the pig shook his head and replied, “It’s easy enough for you to make a contribution but not for me. I’d have to make a commitment.” – It’s the same when making an effort: Sometimes effort means more than just making a contribution; it means making a COMMITMENT.

One day an old Cherokee Indian left his home on the reservation to make a trip to visit his nephew in the big city. The massive skyscrapers, the noise of the traffic and the sheer volume of people coming and going overwhelmed the old Indian. And yet, as he walked down the street he suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned to his nephew, smiled and said, “Shush, listen! I can hear a cricket.”

His nephew shook his head at the old man and said, “You must be crazy! How on earth could anyone possibly hear a cricket among all this hustle and bustle and noise?”

The old Indian said nothing but walked over to a nearby grass verge. Slowly, he pulled back the low branches of a shrub and then, quick as a flash, he reached into the undergrowth and pulled out a cricket.

The nephew stood back in amazement and stuttered, “How on earth…?”

“It all depends on what you focus your attention on and what you listen out for,” said the Indian. “Let me show you… watch this.” – With that, the old Cherokee put his hand into his pocket, pulled out a handful of loose change and threw the coins in the air. Up and down the busy street, hundreds of heads instantly turned to look for the source of the jingling sound!

“See what I mean?” said the Indian.

The word ‘day’ has several meanings: It means light, as opposed to darkness. It means a full day (morning and evening). And it also means a longer period of time (in our day). That the six days of creation in the Bible were very different from ordinary days is clear by the non-existence of the sun until the fourth day. The account of creation in Genesis is like a poetic literary device. As well as the repetitive rhythm, notice also the parallels between the two sets of three days; between days 1, 2 and 3 where things are formed, and days 4, 5 and 6 when they are populated. Three days of forming followed by three day of filling:

FORMING FILLING
Day 1 – light and dark Day 4 – sun, moon and stars
Day 2 – sea and sky Day 5 – sea creatures and birds
Day 3 – land and vegetation Day 6 – beasts and human beings

The formless earth was formed at God’s command. The empty earth was populated at God’s command. The picture painted in Genesis 1 is of the one true God as the creator of order and life, and Christians believe the evidence we have supports this. So science and the belief in God and Christianity are not necessarily at odds with one another. Indeed, the absolute intricate precision and fine-tuning of the universe makes more sense if there is a God than if there isn’t.

Did you hear about the truck driver carrying two tonnes of birds, in a one-tonne carrying capacity truck? Every few hundred yards or so he would pull over, get out of the cab, bang on the side of the truck a few times and then drive off again. A policeman saw him, pulled him over and asked him what he was doing. The driver explained he had two tonnes of birds in a one-tonne truck and so he kept banging on the sides to keep some of the birds in the air! Silly, I know, but isn’t that so true to life – we are continually juggling and have too many things in the air at the same time.

The issue of money and lifestyle is not a side issue in the Bible. The credibility of Christ in the world hangs on it. “Fifteen percent of everything Christ said relates to this topic – more than his teachings on heaven and hell combined.” Listen to this refrain that runs through all his teachings:

  • “One thing you lack: go sell everything you have and give to the poor, and then you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.” (Mark 10:21)
  • “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God… But woe to who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.” (Luke 6:20, 24)
  • “Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” (Luke 14:33)
  • “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:25)
  • “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15)
  • “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)
  • “Sell your possession and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted.” (Luke 12:33)
  • “Zacchaeus… said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor’… And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house.’ (Luke 19:8-9)
  • “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went out and sold all he had and bought that field.” (Matthew 13:44)
  • “[Jesus] saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘I tell you the truth,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others.” Luke 21:2-3
  • “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself and is not rich towards God.” (Luke 12:20-21)

Source: John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Life, p.109-110

A great illustration of teamwork is found in the life of Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa born in Nepal. He tells how he and Edmund Hillary accomplished what no other human beings ever had: conquering Mount Everest. Tenzing says, ‘For each level we reached, a higher degree of teamwork was required. One group would exhaust themselves just getting the equipment up the mountain for the next group. Two man teams would work finding a path, cutting steps, securing ropes, spending themselves to make the next leg of the climb possible for others. You don’t climb a mountain like Everest by trying to race ahead on your own or by competing with your comrades. No, you do it slowly and carefully, by unselfish teamwork. Certainly I wanted to reach the top myself; it was the thing I’d dreamed all my life. But if the lot fell to someone else I would take it like a man, not a cry-baby. Where would Hillary and I have been without the others? Without the climbers who made the route? The Sherpas who carried the loads? Those who cleared the path ahead? It was only through the work and sacrifice of them all that we had our chance at the top.’

Source: The UCB Word For Today , 13/8/2010

One of the best ways to fight temptation is to memorise Scripture. Build up an arsenal of Bible verses to use in times of need. That’s what Jesus did to fend off the temptations of the devil. Quoting Bible verses is an important weapon in helping us resist the devil’s attacks. John Ortberg shares this illustration to make the point: ‘I am thinking of a song that I bet you can sing even if you have never heard a recording of it. We don’t know who wrote the lyrics. In fact, it doesn’t even have any lyrics. It was written by some anonymous genius, and it doesn’t contain a single word. But it’s the most important song you ever learned. It’s the ABC song; the “alphabet song.” You memorised this song because it helped you to identify letters and to read and write. We should memorise Bible verses to fend off the temptations of the devil and also to remember God’s promises to us.

John Ortberg, 2010, ‘The Me I Want To Be,’ Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, p.108-9] You remember… [sing, A,B,C,D,E,F,G… signal for congregation to sing back, H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P…

Steve Sjogren wrote a book called Conspiracy of Kindness. He started a church in Cincinnati, Ohio, that has grown rapidly to an average attendance of 7,500 in just fifteen years. Their motto is, ‘Small things done with great love are changing the world’. They carry out random acts of kindness like paying for a stranger’s coffee, or writing a ‘thank you’ note to a shop assistant. They have discovered the power and impact of ‘showing God’s love in practical ways’. (…) People from outside were attracted because of what they saw happening on the inside. They were attracted by the sheer undiluted power of God released through ‘acts of kindness’.

Source: Nicky Gumbel, Bible in One Year – Alpha, Day 157 of 365

Leadership expert, John Maxwell says: “When you are trying to realise your dream, sometimes you’ll be surprised by which people want to light your fire and which ones want to put it out.” Here’s a humorous story to illustrate the point.

A particular migrating bird decided that it was too much trouble to fly south for the winter and decided he would brave the winter out, like a lot of other animals do. So as all the other birds flocked away towards warmer climes, he stayed behind and waited for winter.

By the end of November he was having serious second thoughts. He had never been so cold and he couldn’t find any food. Finally he realised that if he didn’t get out of there soon, he wasn’t go to make it. So he started to fly south all by himself. After a while it began to rain. And before he knew it the water was turning to ice on his wings. Struggling, he recognised that he couldn’t fly any longer. He knew he was about to die, so he glided down and made his last landing, crashing to the ground in a barnyard.

As he lay there stunned, a cow came by, stepped over him and dropped a plop right on him. He was totally disgusted. Here I am, he thought, freezing to death. I’m about to die. I’m on my last breath, and then this! What an awful way to go. So the bird held his breath and prepared himself to die. But after about two minutes, he discovered that a miracle was happening: He was warming up. The ice on his wings was melting. His muscles were thawing out. His blood was flowing again. He realised that he was going to make it after all. He got so excited and happy that he began to sing a glorious song.

At that moment, the farm’s old tomcat was lying in the hayloft in the barn, and he heard the bird singing. He couldn’t believe it; he hadn’t heard anything like it for months, and he said to himself, “Is that a bird? I thought they’d all gone south for the winter.” He came out of the barn, and lo and behold, there was the bird. The cat crossed over to where he was, pulled him gentle out of the cow plop, cleaned him off – and ate him!

There are three morals to this story: (1) Not everyone who drops a plop on you is your enemy; (2) not everyone who takes a plop off you is your friend; and (3) if someone does drop a plop on you, keep your mouth shut. The same can be said for you as you realise your dream. Some people you consider friends will fight your success. Others will support you in ways you didn’t expect. But no matter which people criticise you or how they do it, don’t let them take your focus off your dream.

Source: John Maxwell, The Success Journey, 1997, Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, p.37-39

In the United States there’s a gravestone with a simple inscription on it that says: “I want to stand where you’re standing.” And under the inscription is an account of an incident that happened during the American Civil War.

A 19 year-old soldier was part of a firing squad assigned to execute a man found guilty of treason. As the soldier took aim he was horrified to see that he knew the man. He lowered his gun and went over to his captain and said: “I know that man: he has a wife and children at home. If I shoot him, I not only end his life but their lives too. I can’t do it.”

Everyone understood that the punishment for treason was death: the price had to be paid…but after a short discussion they came up with a plan. They agreed that the young soldier could take the condemned man’s place. So the 19 year-old marched up to the captive and said: “I want to stand where you’re standing.”

The prisoner took off his blindfold and walked away free: back to his wife and family and the rest of his life. But his freedom came at a great cost to the young man who had chosen to die in his place.

Similarly, that story gives us a glimpse of what Jesus achieved on the cross. The price for our rebelling against God, our sin, is death. And as Jesus went willingly to his death for us, as if he was saying to each one of us, “I want to stand where you’re standing.” Jesus’ death bought forgiveness and freedom for everyone who accepts what He has done for them. Jesus died – to use the very words he used himself – “as a ransom for many.”

Rico Tice & Barry Cooper, ‘The Real Jesus’ booklet, page 7-8, New Malden: The Good Book Company

‘On Sunday, July 20, 1969, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong landed their lunar module, the Eagle, on the Sea of Tranquillity. The first thing they did was to celebrate Communion. However, because of a lawsuit filed by Madalyn Murray O’Hair, when NASA aired the reading from Genesis by the astronauts of Apollo 8, it decided to black out that part of the broadcast. Aldrin, an elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA), took out a Communion kit provided by Webster Presbyterian Church in Houston, Texas. In the one-sixth gravity, the wine curled and gracefully came up the side of the cup. Just before eating the bread and drinking the cup, Aldrin read from the gospel of John: “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”’

Source: Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker, 2011, Michigan: Zondervan, p175

Judgment Day: The ocean liner, the Californian, was within 1500 miles of Boston Harbour when a crewmember noticed flashes of light from a distant steamer. Repeated attempts to contact it failed. In fact, it appeared to be sailing away. By 1:40am its lights had vanished. It wasn’t until later the captain learned what had actually happened. Neither he nor his second officer considered the flashing lights alarming, or that it was coincidental that they had ever seen them. Earlier the Californian had parked because of oceanic ice and the unscheduled stop gave her a ringside seat to an unimaginable event. The crew didn’t realise the flares were distress signals or they would have come to her aid because they were only nine miles away. The floundering ship also sent radio distress calls that were within the answering range except for one important detail. The Californian’s radio operator, fresh from training school, was fast asleep! So on April 12th, 1912, from his vantage point on the bridge, the liner’s second officer unwittingly watched the Titanic sink!

Jesus said, ‘People were eating… drinking, marrying… to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing… until the flood came and took them. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man… keep watch… you do not know… what day your Lord will come’ (cf. Matthew 24:38-42).

Source: The UCB Word For Today devotional, 14/3/2008

A minister shared his story: ‘At home I have a silk bookmark,’ he said, ‘given to me by my mother. When I examine the wrong side I see nothing but a tangle of threads… it looks like a big mistake. One would think someone had done it who didn’t know what they were doing. But when I turn it over and look at the right side I see beautifully embroidered, the words ‘GOD IS LOVE’. Often we look at challenges and suffering from the wrong side but one day we shall see it from another standpoint and then we shall understand.’

John Ortberg relates how his friend Danny went spelunking in the caves of Iowa. The man guiding took him deep underground, then said he would lead Danny through a passageway into a spectacular chamber. The passageway was small enough that Danny had to stoop at first. Then as it grew still smaller, he had to get on his hands and knees. Eventually the only way to go forward was to lie on his back and push his body forward with his feet. Then the ceiling was so low that when he inhaled he could not move at all! He had to stop, inhale, and exhale, and only then was his chest low enough to allow him to move. By this point it was physically impossible to back out. If the passageway had gotten any smaller they would have lain there and died in that cave.

Danny is a sky-diving, mountain-climbing, hang-gliding, thrill-seeker, but there in that cave he felt sheer panic. He was terrified. He tried fighting his fear, but he kept picturing his dead body mouldering in the cave. Finally, he told his guide he was about to lose it, and the guide said, “Danny, close your eyes and listen to my voice. I will keep talking, calmly, and guide you through this. We will be okay. I have been here before. I will get you to the other side. But you must listen to my voice. It will not work for you to let your thoughts run wild. Just focus on my voice.”

Danny did so. What freed him from panic and fear was not trying hard to quit thinking fearful thoughts. It was listening to another voice. What voice do you listen to when you’re in the cave and it’s dark, when the ceiling is low and you can’t back out? The Spirit longs to flow in our minds all the time. One reason why people have found memorising Scripture helpful is that it helps us to listen to the voice of our guide when we are in the cave.”

Source: John Ortberg, The Me I Want To Be, 2010, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, p.96-97

Max Lucado writes, ‘Having received God’s forgiveness, live forgiven! But you may need to silence some cockerels first! Booker T. Washington relates a helpful story of the day his mother did just that. Every morning of his young life, he, along with all the plantation slaves, was awakened by the crow of a cockerel. Long before daybreak the unwelcome noise would fill the sod shanties, reminding Washington and his fellow workers to crawl out of bed and leave for the cotton fields. The cockerel’s crow came to symbolise their dictated life of long days and backbreaking labour. But then came the Emancipation Proclamation. Abraham Lincoln pronounced freedom for slaves. The first morning afterward, young Booker was awakened by the cockerel again. Only this time his mother was chasing it around the barnyard with an axe. The Washington family fried and ate their alarm clock for lunch. Their first act of freedom was to silence the reminder of slavery.

Any cockerel’s stealing your sleep? You might need to sharpen the axe. The great news of the gospel is, yes, his grace is real, and so is our freedom.’

Source: Max Lucado, 2009, Fearless, Nashville Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, p.38-39

If you need further persuasion on the effects of goal setting, I’ve read of a study undertaken in 1953 at the Yale University in Connecticut, USA. – The study, to establish the effects of goal setting, was apparently performed on senior year students just prior to their graduation. It ascertained that 87% of the pupils had not carried out any form of goal setting exercise at all. 10% of the pupils had a general idea of what they wanted and had made some attempt to set themselves goals but only 3% of the graduating students had actually sat down and created a plan of action, a goal setting agenda. But the story doesn’t end there. In 1973, some twenty years later, the study was finally concluded and the results published. The study conclusively found that over the interim twenty year period, the 3% of students who had set themselves goals, had achieved far more, in terms of both professional and financial attainments, than all the other 97% put together! So you see goal setting really does work.

R. Ian Seymour

R. Ian Seymour, excerpt from Maximize Your Potential, Louisiana USA, Pelican Publishing, p.38

A child was playing hide-and-seek with some children. She went away and hid herself, but the other children acted cruelly and while she was hiding they ran away and left her behind. When the little girl realised that she had been abandoned by her friends, she went running home and threw herself into her father’s arms and cried, “Daddy, I was hiding and nobody tried to find me!” The father hugged his daughter and said, “God understands. He understands more than you realise.” – Indeed, it must be the ultimate disappointment of God that we seldom seek Him out. The Bible says that if we truly seek Him, we will find him.

Tony Campolo

Source: Tony Campolo, Let Me Tell You A Story, p.1

Our behaviours, if prolonged, become habits and our habits become a way of life. Both optimism and pessimism are learned behaviours; that is to say, our attitude or behaviour is not inherent, it is not compulsive, it is not down to chance or fate but rather, it is a chosen response. We choose or determine what our attitudes and responses will be. For example, a man applies but fails to get a promotion at work. How does he respond? He has a choice. He can let the bad news and disappointment get at him, in which case it may well have an adverse effect on his work and maybe even his health, family or career. Alternatively, he can choose to put the disappointment down to experience and bounce straight back into action again, determined to win the next time around. At the end of the day, it really is just a question of choice! You see it’s not so much what happens to us that matters but how we react to what happens to us that makes all the difference.

A man took his son to the movies, and the son ran up to the popcorn counter and asked for the big bucket! The dad said, “Son, you’ll never eat all that!” The boy answered, “Don’t worry, Dad, I’m a lot bigger on the inside than on the outside.” – That’s what integrity and character is all about: being bigger on the inside.

Adapted from John Maxwell, 1999, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, p.7

10 Translations to Understand What A Man Really Means When He Says…

  1. “It would take too long to explain it, Dear.” – Translation: “I haven’t got the foggiest idea how it works!”
  2. “Please don’t fuss: it’s just a little cut, it’s no big deal.” – Translation: “It hurts like ‘heck’ but I will bleed to death before I admit it!”
  3. “Do you want some help with dinner, Honey?” – Translation: “How come the food isn’t on the table yet?”
  4. “Honey, I can’t find it.” – Translation: “It didn’t fall into my outstretched hands. Please come and get it for me.”
  5. “Honey, that outfit looks great on you.” – Translation: “Come on, let’s go, I’m starving!”
  6. “It’s a ‘MAN’ thing, you wouldn’t understand.” – Translation: “There is just no rational thought behind it and it’s just plain stupid, okay.”
  7. “That’s interesting, Dear.” – Translation: “For goodness sake, please stop talking.”
  8. Uh huh, Yep, Okay, Sure Honey, in a minute and Yes Dear – Translation: All of these are ‘reflex action responses’ that mean absolutely zilch!
  9. “Honey, you’re working too hard: sit down and put your feet up.” – Translation: “I can’t concentrate on the game while the vacuum cleaner is on.”
  10. “No, I’m not lost.” – Translation: “I haven’t got a clue where we are but it’s just not in my nature to ask someone for directions.”

Anonymous - adapted from a social media post in mass circulation

As we read about Jesus in the Gospels, one thing is clear: He always meets people where they are and then brings them to where they need to be. He never dives into someone’s life and immediately starts making religious demands. When he called Peter, James and John to follow Him, He didn’t give them a list of things they need to start doing and things they needed to stop doing. He simply invited them to lay down their nets and follow Him. When He called Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him, He didn’t lecture him on the evils of taxation and then tell him he needed a career change. He simply said, “Follow Me,” and Matthew responded to the call… Our actions and habits change after we start following Christ.

Perry Noble

Source: Perry Noble, UNLEASH, 2012, Illinois USA: Tyndale House Publishers, p.4-5

The landscape along Florida’s Everglades is dotted with wiry primitive looking trees known as Caribbean Pines. They thrive in a rugged environment, can withstand prolonged periods of drought and fire, and hold their own against the fiercest hurricanes. In fact, if you plant them in a cultivated setting they usually shrivel and die. Joni Eareckson Tada says, ‘Like Caribbean Pines, our souls usually don’t thrive during good times. Our hearts grow complacent, our need of God becomes less urgent, our hope of heaven dims, and our prayer life dries up… in a beautiful setting with our needs met and every resource at our fingertips… our soul shrivels… We need an occasional blast of storm or fierce trial if our faith is to mature.’

Source: The UCB Word For Today , 24/2/2014

‘Just For Today’ by Sibyl F. Partridge

1) Just for today I will be happy. This assumes that what Abraham Lincoln said is true, that “most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Happiness is from within; it is not a matter of externals.

2) Just for today I will try to adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my family, my business, and my luck as they come and fit myself to them.

3) Just for today I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, nourish it, not abuse it nor neglect it, so that it will be a perfect machine for my bidding.

4) Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.

5) Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways; I will do someone a good turn and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don’t want to do, as William James suggests, just for exercise.

6) Just for today I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress as becomingly as possible, talk low, act courteously, be liberal with praise, criticize not at all, nor find fault with anything and not try to regulate nor improve anyone.

7) Just for today I will try to live through this day only, not to tackle my whole life problems at once. I can do things for twelve hours that would appal me if I had to keep them up for a lifetime.

8) Just for today I will have a program. I will write down what I expect to do every hour. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. It will eliminate two pests, hurrying and indecision.

9) Just for today I will have a quiet half-hour all to myself and relax. In this half-hour sometimes I will think of God, so as to get a little more perspective into my life.

10) Just for today I will be unafraid, especially I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love, and to believe that those I love, love me.

A farmer tethered his mule between two haystacks so that the animal would have plenty to eat while the farmer was away on a short trip. The mule, however, couldn’t decide which haystack to eat from and so it starved to death. – Moral: Often the right decision is right in front of your nose; you’ve just got to make it.

R. T. Kendall once shared an acrostic using the word ‘PEACE’ – to help discern whether or not something is of God:

P – Providential: Ask, is it providential? (Don’t try forcing a round peg into a square hole.)

E – Enemy: Ask yourself what would the enemy want me to do? (Then do the opposite.)

A – Authority: Is it biblical? (Does the Bible condone/condemn such action?)

C – Confidence: Ask yourself does your confidence increase or decrease if you proceed?

E – Ease: Is your heart in it? Do you have peace about it? Is there an ease about the decision?

When all five come together there is a good possibility that God is with you and you can proceed.

Source: R.T. Kendall, main speaker at Spring Harvest, Minehead, 9/4/2007

Christ is spiritually present in a special way when we come together as a church and share in Communion. Jesus promised to be with us always: “Surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). But he also promised to be present when believers gather in his name to worship: “Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). – Think of it like this: Jesus is always with us because we live in the same house, but when we come together in worship to share communion, it’s like we are in the same room, sat around the table. – Jesus presence with believers is an abiding presence but in another sense, there is a special presence, a nearness of His being with us, when we come to share in the Sacraments… when, that is, we partake with a sincere and grateful heart.

Who are the saints? Are they a select group of Christians who lived especially godly lives – like nuns or monks in a monastery? No. The word saint comes from the Greek word “hagios” which means “consecrated to God, sacred or holy ones, those who are set apart”; in other words… all believers who are in Christ Jesus. Saints are not just a few special people: Saints are Christians, the body of Christ, the church, us. If you are trusting in Jesus then you are a saint – not like Simon Templar (the character played by Roger Moore in the 60’s and Val Kilmer in the 90’s), but a saint like St Paul, or St Timothy, or St Mary.

We don’t notice ourselves growing older physically until we look at an earlier photograph, and then it hits us! And it’s the same with spiritual growth; it’s hard to gauge how far you have come until you look back and see where you were before Jesus saved you; before He turned your life around.

‘A man prayed, and at first he thought prayer was talking. But then he became more and more quiet until in the end he realised that prayer is listening.’ – Interesting: The same letters that make the word ‘silent’ also make the word ‘listen’.

In a little Mexican village by the sea there once lived a local fisherman. Every day he would go out in his little boat to catch fish and one morning, as he returned to dock with three very large fish, a tourist approached to marvel and congratulate him on the size of his catch.

The tourist just happened to be an MBA graduate from Harvard Business School. He asked the fisherman if he had been out fishing for a long time to haul such magnificent fish. “Oh, no senor!” said the friendly local, “just a couple of hours.”

The trained Harvard MBA immediately saw the commercial potential and he just couldn’t resist but share his business acumen. “Well, my friend, if that’s what you can do in a couple of hours just imagine what you could achieve if you fished all day.”

The fisherman shook his head and then replied, “Si senor, but I only ever catch enough fish each day to supply my family’s needs.”

The businessman continued the exchange. “That must be gratifying but tell me, it’s still early in the morning; how do spend the rest of your day?”

The simple fisherman smiled warmly and replied, “Well, I go home and take it easy with my wife who takes care of our little hacienda. We tend to our garden and have some lunch together and then, my wife and me, we always have our siesta in the afternoon. Then, we meet our friends and family in the square and we talk together. We drink some wine, sing a few songs, and I play the guitar.”

The businessman just couldn’t contain himself. With a wise and knowledgeable look he said, “Look, my friend, you’ve got it all wrong. I’m an MBA graduate from Harvard. Let me to tell you what you should be doing.” The Mexican shrugged his shoulders and so the businessman continued. “If you take your boat out and fish all day you will bring home a bigger catch. You can then sell the extra fish at the market for a tidy profit and soon you will be able to get a bigger boat. Then, in a year or two, you will be able to buy another boat, and another, and you can employ people to work them for you.”

“But then what would I do, senor?” asked the fisherman.

“Well, after a few more years you would then invest in a cannery and start to handle everything yourself. Production, packaging, marketing, sales and distribution; the whole shebang!”

The fisherman was intrigued, “And then, what next, senor?” he asked.

“Then you expand the business. You move to New York and establish yourself in America. And after that, you begin exporting to the international markets.”

“But then, what would I do, senor?” came the reply.

By now the Harvard graduate was really excited and with a hushed voice he said, “Then you move to up-town Los Angeles. Twenty years from now, you float the company on the stock-market, become a multi-millionaire and retire a rich man!”

“Si, but then what would I do, senor?” the fisherman asked politely.

The businessman was incredulous: “Why… why then you buy yourself a nice little place down here in Mexico. You do a little fishing, spend some time in your garden, have siestas in the afternoons, spend time with your family and friends, drink a little wine, sing a few songs together and play your guitar!”

The local fisherman was silent for a moment and then he said, “Tell me, senor, just how difficult is it to get an MBA anyhow?”

Rob Parsons

One Christmas morning during my childhood, my parents came downstairs and began handing out the gifts from under the tree. One for my brother, Tony, one for Steve, one for Chris, another one for Tony, one for Mum, another one for Chris and so it went on, as the pile of presents under the tree diminished rapidly. It seemed that everyone else had something, some even had two or three, but there was nothing for me. In actual fact, my parents had been saving the best gift, my present, until last. When they saw me becoming more and more despondent, the ceremony around the tree was put on hold, and I was taken by the hand to the garage where my gift, the biggest of them all, was waiting for me. My very first bicycle!

The fact is everyone has certain gifts and talents. Everyone. If you think you have been overlooked in that department, then think again. Often, our talents are there all the time; hidden perhaps, dormant maybe, but nevertheless they are there. And often it seems the case that the longer you search for your gifts and talents, the bigger they are when you finally discover them.

R. Ian Seymour, excerpt from Discover Your True Potential

Youth self-esteem and team building exercise: Each person should take a piece of paper and write their own name on the top. Pass them around the group. Under the person’s name write down one positive, Christ-like quality you have seen in that person. Move the sheets around the group again, and repeat. When everyone has written one thing on every sheet, return them to the original names – and be encouraged by what you discover about yourselves!

Source: Stephen Gaukroger, First Steps: The handbook to following Christ, p.56

It is said that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), the British physician and author (creator of Sherlock Holmes), once played a practical joke on a dozen friends; all of them well-known public figures. He sent each of the men an anonymous telegram that simply said, “Flee at once. All is discovered.” – It’s reported that 24 hours later every one of them had left the country.

If you go into a jewellers shop and you want a diamond ring, the jeweller lays a black velvet cloth on the counter. Then the diamond ring is placed right in the middle of that black cloth. Against the black background the diamond sparkles in all its beauty. Similarly, we cannot see the wonder and wealth of God’s love until we see it against the backdrop of our sin.

Nicky Gumbel

Nicky Gumbel, 30 DAYS: A Practical Introduction to Reading the Bible, 2006, Alpha Publications, p.55

We are one body with many parts. We need each other. Richard Blackaby shares the following illustration to make the point: Suppose the eye could say to the body, “Let’s walk down these train tracks. The way is clear. Not a train in sight.” So the body starts down the tracks. Then the ear says, “I hear a whistle coming from behind us.” The eye argues, “But there’s nothing on the track as far as I can see. Let’s keep on walking.” Supposing the body listens only to the eye and keeps on walking. Soon the ear says, “That whistle is getting louder and closer!” Then the feet say, “I feel the vibrations of a train coming. We’d better get our body off these tracks!” Now, if the body is going to function as God intended it to what needs to happen? If this were your body, what would you do?

  • Would you try to ignore the conflict between the body parts and hope it just goes away?
  • Would you take a vote of all your body members, and let the majority rule?
  • Would you trust your eyes and keep on walking because sight is an extremely important gift/sense?

No! You’d get off the train tracks. God gave our bodies many different senses and parts. When each part does its job, and when each part pays proper attention and respect to the others, then the whole body works the way it should. Similarly, the church functions best when all of its members are involved using their gifts.

Source: Richard Blackaby, Experiencing God, 2008 edition, Nashville Tennessee: B&H Publishing, p.201

Experienced animal trainers take a stool with them when they step into a cage with a lion. Why a stool? It tames the lion better than anything – except maybe a tranquilizer gun. When the trainer holds the stool with the legs extended towards the lion’s face, the animal tries to focus on all four legs at once. And that paralyses him. Dived focus always works against you.

John Maxwell

Source: John Maxwell, 1999, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, p.47

Family Togetherness: The Giant Sequoia – the big redwood tree – is the largest tree in the world and one of the oldest trees in the forest. It may live for 3000 years and grow to a height of more than 75 metres (250 feet) with a trunk diameter at the base of around 8 metres (25 feet). It is commonly thought that a tree of such magnitude must have a root system stretching hundreds of feet down into the earth but, in actual fact, the ‘redwood’ has a relatively shallow root system.

The sequoia or ‘redwood’ trees grow in close proximity to each other and although the individual root systems are rather shallow, the roots of each tree entwine and lock together for support and stability. When the storms come – some of them ferocious – the trees stand fast: They support and protect each other because they are rooted together. What a great definition of teamwork and how a loving family should be.

Adapted from a story told by Robert J. Morgan, church pastor, seminar leader and author

Michelangelo was once asked how he was able to carve such beautiful sculptures from lumps of plain old rock. He replied that he saw the person in the stone and used his chisels to set them free. That’s what God does with us: He sees the person He wants us to become and He chisels away, knocking off the rough edges and making us into a thing of beauty.

Do you know where the fastest growing churches in the world are? They are in countries like Nepal, China, Sudan and Iran – countries where Christians are oppressed.

By 1953 the Chinese communist government had expelled all foreign missionaries and incarcerated local church leaders. There were a few hundred thousand Christians, and the religion was illegal. Under opposition and persecution that number has risen in the past 70 years to perhaps 100 million. God’s kingdom advances under pressure!

Source: Explore Bible notes, 3/8/2019

The greatest asset we all have, the finest tool we possess, the most powerful instrument in the whole world, incorporating an on-board computer with capabilities far beyond our comprehension, indeed, the most precious thing in existence, is life, your life, YOU! Now let me ask you this; doesn’t it make sense to look after you physically, as well as mentally and spiritually? Doesn’t it make sense to maintain you in good working order? Doesn’t it make sense to persist and continue to do so?

Imagine for a moment, a taxi driver not maintaining his vehicle (his most precious asset), but instead he runs it into the ground! For a time, when the taxi is new and reliable, the cab driver makes a good living and he’s comfortable. He has the best intentions in the world and he plans to service his vehicle regularly. He agrees with the phrase, ‘prevention is better than cure’ and knows that it makes a lot of sense to look after the asset he depends upon most to earn his living. But, all the same, there seems to be no urgency to do anything about it at this precise moment, so it doesn’t matter putting it off, for a little while at least. Besides which, the taxi is still young and running perfectly well so Cabby doesn’t anticipate there will be any problems! However, that’s not to say that he doesn’t still plan to service his vehicle. In fact, he intends to do so very soon. But for now his philosophy is more along the lines of, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” Anyway, there seems very little point in spending good money unnecessarily. The taxi driver decides that he will begin servicing his vehicle straight after the Christmas and New Year holidays, when business slackens off a bit. Now that he has actually made a plan (a genuine plan I might add), he starts to feel better and so he allows himself to fall back into the comfort zone. Meanwhile, business is good and although the taxi (which is constant use), is now in need of a few very minor repairs and a couple of adjustments here and there, it’s nothing that can’t wait for a week or two. This continues but the driver still genuinely intends to put his vehicle in for a thorough service as soon as he can find the time. It’s just that at the moment it seems such a pity to take the taxi off the road while there is such rich pickings to be had. In any event, it’s good business sense to make hay while the sun shines!

Alas, the months pass by and the taxi driver is either too busy and can’t afford the time or else he’s too quiet, takings are down and he can’t afford the money or the time off work. Then there was that extra expense at home, then the extra cash needed for holidays, then the computer for his eldest son and then the problems with the new competition in the area, threatening to poach his account customers. Still, the taxi was a young vehicle, no longer new perhaps, but there was still plenty of life left in the old girl yet! And she definitely was going to get a major overhaul and refurbishment just as soon as… BANG!

Time ran out for the poor old taxi driver. The taxi had a serious breakdown, which meant it being off the road for several weeks, possibly even months. The mechanics didn’t hold out much hope and said that, although the bodywork looked okay, really the taxicab needed a new engine because the old one had simply been run into the ground. Poor Mr. Taxi Driver, he ended up losing everything that he’d spent his whole life working for!

Now, let me ask you again, doesn’t it make sense to look after yourself? Doesn’t it make sense to maintain yourself in good working order? Doesn’t it make sense to persist and continue to do so? If you’re not already committed to looking after yourself, let me encourage you to start right away, today, if possible. All too often I hear people say that they can’t afford the time but those people, in particular, are the ones who can’t afford not to find the time! Take care and look after yourself.

R. Ian Seymour

R. Ian Seymour, excerpt adapted from Maximize Your Potential

Here’s an illustration of the negative effects of persistence, as told by the late Dr Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969), the U.S. clergyman and educator. “On the slope of Long’s Peak (in the Rocky Mountains) in Colorado lies the ruin of a gigantic tree. Naturalists tell us that it stood for some four hundred years. It was a seedling when Columbus landed at San Salvador (Bahamas), and half grown when the Pilgrims settled at Plymouth (Massachusetts). During the course of its long life it was struck by lightning fourteen times, and the innumerable avalanches and storms of four centuries thundered past it. It survived them all. In the end, however, an army of beetles attacked the tree and levelled it to the ground. The insects ate their way through the bark and gradually destroyed the inner strength of the tree by their tiny but incessant attacks. A forest giant which age had not withered, nor lightening blasted, nor storms subdued, fell at last before beetles so small that a man could crush them between his forefinger and his thumb.”

Source: How To Stop Worrying And Start Living by Dale Carnegie, 1953, Cedar Books, London, p.81-82

Visualisation: there is always a time delay from setting out to arriving: When you look up into the sky and see the stars, what you are actually seeing is the past because some of those stars may no longer exist. This is possible because stars are hundreds and thousands of light years away, meaning that it takes their light, travelling at 186,000 miles per second, hundreds of thousands of years to reach earth. Thus the light we see from a star a hundred light years away is actually light it emitted a hundred years ago. That particular star could have exploded and disintegrated twenty-five years ago, but we still see its light, and will continue to see its light for another seventy-five years, even though the star itself has longed ceased to exist. Similarly with our visualising: The point is, there is always a time delay from our setting out to arriving.

John Kehoe

Source: John Kehoe, Mind Power, 1997, Vancouver, Canada: Zoetic Books, p.65

In the waiting room of life, you can choose to trust God instead of panicking. You also need to remember two things: One, God is never in a hurry. And two, God is never late. God’s timing is always perfect. What happens in those times where it appears that God is late? God is getting you ready for a miracle! There are so many examples of this in Scripture, including the story of Lazarus (John 11). Mary and Martha had a brother named Lazarus, who was one of Jesus’ best friends. They lived in Bethany, which was just a few miles from where Jesus was on the day Lazarus got sick. They sent word to Jesus that his friend was gravely ill and asked him to come to them. He could have easily been in Bethany in an hour or two. But it took Jesus three days to go about five miles. When he got there, they told him, “You’re too late! We’ve already buried Lazarus.” Jesus wasn’t late. Because Jesus already knew what he was going to do. His goal was not to heal Lazarus. His goal was to raise him from the dead. Jesus’ goal was not to just make Lazarus well. His goal was to do a miracle of astronomical proportions. Jesus walked up to Lazarus’ tomb, told them to roll the stone away, and said, “Lazarus, come forth.” And Lazarus did! Sometimes God lets a situation get so bad that only a miracle will do. Don’t give up your faith. Hold on. Keep praying and serving and going to small group. Keep sowing. Keep believing. Because you’re getting ready for a miracle. God already knows what he’s going to do in your life next month, next year, and in the next decade, and his plan for you is good.

Rick Warren

Source: Daily Hope with Rick Warren, 30/12/2017

During WWII, after the American troops were forced to surrender the Philippines to the Japanese in May 1942, General MacArthur vowed to retake the islands. He printed the words ‘I will return’ on thousands of leaflets which were then scattered across the country by aeroplanes. He kept his promise two years later.

Jesus made his intention to return to earth very clear. Although the date of His coming is a secret, He taught on many occasions that we should not doubt that it will happen. The second coming of Jesus Christ will be the next great turning point in the history of the world. Jesus taught that when He comes, everyone who has ever lived will have to stand before Him and be judged. There will be a great division. Some people will go to heaven others [won’t be so fortunate].

Vaughan Roberts

Vaughan Roberts: Missing The Point?, p.34 also in Turning Points, p.132-133