Not Alone

Proverbs 23 New International Version

Saying 17

²²Listen to your father, who gave you life,
    and do not despise your mother when she is old.
²³Buy the truth and do not sell it—
    wisdom, instruction and insight as well.
²⁴The father of a righteous child has great joy;
    a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.
²⁵May your father and mother rejoice;
    may she who gave you birth be joyful!

Saying 18

²⁶My son, give me your heart
    and let your eyes delight in my ways,
²⁷for an adulterous woman is a deep pit,
    and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
²⁸Like a bandit she lies in wait
    and multiplies the unfaithful among men.

Here we learn in verses 24 & 25 about the love and joy a father and mother has for their child, but in verse 26 we learn that if we give our hearts to God he will be with us at all times

Steadfast Love

Steadfast love is a phrase brimming with richness, especially in spiritual and devotional contexts—it evokes the unwavering, covenantal affection attributed to God’s nature throughout scripture.

Here’s how it’s often understood and explored:

🌟 Biblical Meaning

Hebrew roots: The term often translates from the Hebrew word chesed—a deeply layered word encompassing mercy, faithfulness, loyalty, and compassion.
God’s character: Steadfast love in scripture reflects God’s enduring commitment to His people, despite their failures. It’s not just emotional affection; it’s active, sustaining grace.
Key verses:
- “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end” – Lamentations 3:22
- “Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds” – Psalm 36:5

Reblog: Fellowship in the Church

Acts 2:42-47

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

To have a good fellowship in your church you not only need unity and kindness amongst other things . If there is a good and positive fellowship in your church it should help it to grow. Should that positive fellowship turn to negative fellowship and the unity in the church ceases to exist then that’s when the devil get’s in a the church will decline.

I have seen this first hand in one church I was a member off and it wasn’t a pleasant thing to witness. Needless to say it wasn’t long before I found another church where I felt at home.

Treasures in Heaven

Mark 10 New International Version

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

¹⁷As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. ¹⁹You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honour your father and mother.’^[d]”

²⁰“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

²¹Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²²At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

²³Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

²⁴The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is^[e] to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It 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.”

²⁶The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

²⁸Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

²⁹“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel ³⁰will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes,brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. ³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

The living God

Daniel 6:26-27New International Version

²⁶“I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.

“For he is the living God
    and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
    his dominion will never end.
²⁷He rescues and he saves;
    he performs signs and wonders
    in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
    from the power of the lions.”

Peace

What John 14:27 is promising is that peace isn’t found in the absence of the storms, but in the presence of Jesus. Peace is the inheritance that God gives his children. It’s what he wants you to have. Jesus is saying that his peace is different than what the world offers.

John 14:27 Meaning and Commentary

Discipleship

Isaiah 6:8 New International Version (NIV)

⁸Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

The song below suddenly popped into my head last night as i was trying to sleep, so I thought i would share it as my blog this morning

Saviour, while my heart is tender,
I would yield that heart to Thee;
All my powers to Thee surrender,
Thine and only Thine to be.

Take me now, Lord Jesus, take me;
Let my youthful heart be Thine;
Thy devoted servant make me;
Fill my soul with love divine.

Send me, Lord, where Thou wilt send me,
Only do Thou guide my way;
May Thy grace through life attend me,
Gladly then shall I obey.

Let me do Thy will or bear it;
I would know no will but Thine;
Shouldst Thou take my life or spare it,
I that life to Thee resign.

May this solemn consecration
Never once forgotten be;
Let it know no revocation,
Registered and confirmed by Thee.

Thine I am, O Lord, for ever
To Thy service set apart;
Suffer me to leave Thee never,
Seal Thine image on my heart.

Ignored by your church fellowship

Recently, my wife and I have felt we have been ignored by our church fellowship, which is something we are not happy about

I also have a different issue I need to get off my chest. It is a burden I have been carrying for several weeks now. Although our church is a small one and only has three elders, it hasn’t been easy to get to speak to them

I should state that neither my wife nor myself have lost our faith

We are currently on holiday at the moment trying to relax, but I’m afraid it’s being overshadowed by the above issue.

Smile Time

Proverbs 15:13 – 23

13 A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.

14 An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth; fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies.

15 A miserable heart means a miserable life; a cheerful heart fills the day with song.

16 A simple life in the Fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches.

17 Better a bread crust shared in love than a slab of prime rib served in hate.

18 Hot tempers start fights; a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace.

19The path of lazy people is overgrown with briers; the diligent walk down

a smooth road.

20 Intelligent children make their parents proud; lazy students embarrass their parents.

21 The empty-headed treat life as a plaything; the perceptive grasp its meaning and make a go of it.

22 Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed.

23 Congenial conversation – what a pleasure! The right word at the right time – beautiful!

I don’t suppose I’ll have to tell anyone reading this that it take more facial muscles to frown than to smile. Don’t you think it’s a lot better to feel happy than down right miserable, I do! I believe God would have us being happy than sad. I also believe that because we know Christ as our Saviour we are joyful and it is our duty as Christians to go out into the world and reach out to those who don’t know Christ as their saviour.

Coming to God

Ephesians 2 New International Version

Made Alive in Christ

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ²in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.