Bible Talks

A quick one from Romans 12 today. If you should ever read just one chapter from the bible, I think this is the one to read. It's jam packed with useful comments that would benefit even non-christians. I heard of one pastor who spent an entire year preaching on just this one chapter!

Romans 12:9 (NIV)

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

And in The Message:

Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good

I think this verse is pretty obvious. We shouldn't pretend to love someone, we should really love them. Not just casual love, but love from our innermost being. This isn't just aimed at just your friends, your partner, or your family. It's aimed at everyone. Jesus set this example in the way he led his life. He didn't come to spend time with those people whom loving is easy, but to love those who were sinners and were the despised members of society.

The second part is good advice for every walk of life. We should hate what is evil. This doesn't mean we should hate evil people! Rather, we should love them - 1 John 4:20-21 says:

"If anyone boasts, "I love God," and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won't love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can't see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both." (The Message)

We must also cling to what is good. Not just accept it. Not just choose it whenever we feel like it. We should cling to it, grab on to it, and not let go. This word cling is defined as:

1. to glue, to glue together, cement, fasten together
2. to join or fasten firmly together
3. to join one's self to, cleave to

I think if we did just the things in this verse, we'd see a real difference in our own lives, and people would see a change in us - for the good! It's not easy, but then what is? Lets try and love each other wit sincerity, hate was is evil, and glue ourselves to good!

Today's verse is one of my favourites. In the words of Jamie Oliver, it's 'Pukka, Mate'!

Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.

And in the Amplified Bible:

The Lord your God is in the midst of you,
a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]!
He will rejoice over you with joy;
He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them];
He will exult over you with singing.

What an amazing verse! Let's take it quickly line by line. This is real simple, but should provide some food for thought:

• 'The Lord your God is with you' - no matter where you are, or what you've done - he's here.
• 'he is mighty to save' - That is, he can save you - nothing is too big! Zephaniah's prophecy is that of destruction, but this verse, directed at Israel, says that he will save them from being swept off the face of the Earth (1:2). This word 'mighty' can also be found in Isaiah 9:6 - a verse we all should recognise.
• 'He will take great delight in you' - The Contemporary English Version says 'He celebrates and sings because of you' - This Joy that they speak of, is emphatic joy. The same joy is spoken of in Luke 15 in the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost son. The Lord, the one who hung the stars in the sky, takes great delight in you that you are his, and have chosen Him.
• 'he will quiet you with his love' - I think the Amplified version speaks volumes for this line. God's love will be that of silence. None of the 'But you did this…' or the 'But you did that…'. No buts! He'll make no mention of past sins. He'll just rest, and in the silence, show his love.
• 'He will rejoice over you with singing' - Whenever I read this part, I always think of God doing a mental little dance and singing! The word singing here means 'ringing cry in proclamation, joy, praise'. God's excited that you are his. He can't help but do a little wiggle!

If you sit down and think over one verse this week, this is the one. No matter whether i've had a good day or a bad day, a carefree day, or a stressful day, this always brings a smile to my face, and puts a bounce in my step!

For today's verse, we're going to touch on flattery!

Proverbs 29:5 says:

"Whoever flatters his neighbour
is spreading a net for his feet"

Flattery is making someone feel good, by stretching the truth. The OED says, "excessive and insincere praise". Although "flattery will get you anywhere", it appears pretty harmful in the bible. Where the recipient of our comment might think we're telling the truth, a small white lie may set them up for a harder fall, when they are least expecting it. I guess we can all relate to this if we've watched the X Factor Auditions. Some people clearly can't sing, yet their friends haven't been truthful, and now they've embarrassed themselves on TV!

In fact, the bible calls us to be honest. Proverbs 28:23 says: (NLT)

"In the end, people appreciate honest criticism
far more than flattery."

So this week, try and be more honest when you are asked a difficult question. You may find the recipient is more grateful for this in the long term.

However boys, if a lady asks you whether her posterior looks big in a certain dress, think carefully before answering!

I love this psalm (who doesn't), but you'd be suprised how many people haven't read this in The Message translation. So here you go!

1-3 God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.

4 Even when the way goes through
Death Valley,
I'm not afraid
when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd's crook
makes me feel secure.

5 You serve me a six-course dinner
right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head;
my cup brims with blessing.

6 Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
I'm back home in the house of God
for the rest of my life.

I think that there are loads of lessons we can learn from the people who made mistakes. An old saying goes, 'A clever person learns from their mistake, but a wise person learns from the mistakes of others'. I'm not entirely sure who said that or when, but it's stuck with me!

And who better to learn from than the Israelites. Here's a displaced nation, with no place to call home. They've been promised a land 'flowing with milk and honey' (Exodus 3:8), but all they can see at the moment is the sand around them, and all they feel is the hunger in their bellies. God provided manna for them, but they still complained! Yet even though they doubted God, disobeyed God, ignored God and abandoned God - he didn't abandon them - when they returned to him, and searched for him, they found him.

So, our verse comes from Deuteronomy 4. At this point, they've reached the Jordan river, and they've bottled it. Everyone apart from Joshua and Caleb doubted that the Lord would deliver the land to them. So God sent them back into the Desert, and told them that no-one from that generation, apart from Joshua and Caleb will see the promised land - including Moses! So, this sets the scene for our verse. Moses is talking to the Israelites, and tells them the dangers of disobeying God - that they will perish, and be scattered in the land to live amongst foreign nations where they will worship idols of wood and stone. But he says that redemption is possible:

Deuteronomy 4:29-31 (The Message)
"But even there, if you seek God, your God, you'll be able to find him if you're serious, looking for him with your whole heart and soul. When troubles come and all these awful things happen to you, in future days you will come back to God, your God, and listen obediently to what he says. God, your God, is above all a compassionate God. In the end he will not abandon you, he won't bring you to ruin, he won't forget the covenant with your ancestors which he swore to them."

It's important to remember that we can't be too far from God. If we're serious about getting closer to God, and reach out to him with ernest, we'll find him!

I love this song, so thought I'd share it

The splendor of a King, clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice

He wraps himself in Light, and darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God

Age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the end
Beginning and the end

The Godhead Three in One
Father Spirit Son
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God

Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God

Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God

Today's verse comes from Galatians 6:9-10 (The Message)

"So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith."

In the NIV, the 'community of faith' is called the 'family of believers', that is, you, me, us and the people in our church, and those who share our faith.

To put it in context, the verses previous to this in Galations 6 are talking about doing good to all, especially those within the church. It talks about how are actions and deeds are subject sowing and reaping, and that we should be careful to do what is right.

It's quite a simple verse, but it has spoken to me in the past. In days gone by, I've felt pretty 'fatigued' about certain things, especially when it comes to serving in the church. Now, I know you are all tutting, but my viewpoints have been re-adjusted slightly. In the church I was growing up in, I left in the end, due to the amount of pressure there was on those 'long-standing' members to do things within the church. This, I suppose, disillusioned my view on 'doing good' within the church, and I tended not to bother! However, this verse prompted me to get my act together a while back, and since then, my views have changed. The other verse which also spoke to me was:

Mark 10:45
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…"

So the lesson today, albeit brief, is that although sometimes we feel like we can't be bothered, we should try our hardest to keep on keeping on!

Today's verse is short and sweet. What I wanted was a verse that would leave you all on cloud nine at the end of the working week, and carry you through the weekend. But I'm afraid the verse I was hoping for has evaded me!

So, instead, let's just think on a verse, about the refuge that God provides for his people:

Psalms 5:11-12
"But you'll welcome us with open arms
when we run for cover to you.
Let the party last all night!
Stand guard over our celebration.
You are famous, God, for welcoming God-seekers,
for decking us out in delight."

Read it again. Be blessed in knowing that those who take refuge in the Lord can be glad that God blesses us and favours us.

For today's verse, I thought I'd share one of my favourite verses:

Philippians 4:6
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

However, I think that it is worded a lot better in The Message:

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."

The message is clear - don't worry, about a thing! (Cos every little thing, is gonna be alriiiighhht! - OK, I'll stop singing now!). Being worried is something that we all do. Even the cool-minded and easy-going people in life have worries at some point. Yet here's what God's saying.

Don't struggle

Don't fret

Don't worry

Tell me your worries

I'll help

I'll settle your fears

In fact, the bible says to 'Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you' (1 Peter 5:7). And let me tell you - it really works! When we moved house, we had paid the first mortgage payment, and then my salary stopped. Money problems, my boss said, it'll be with you shortly. After 10 weeks of no pay, and no savings left, you might think I'd have no sleep for the worry. Yet, I was convinced that a) God was in control, and b) he would provide for our needs. It's true that we didn't *need* such a big place, but God's blessed us greatly by providing for us. I could've fretted and worried, and lost sleep due to the anxiety. But I left it with God, and it helped. It really did.

Worrying is bad for you - I bet it even adds years to your face! So next time, don't fret. Simply give it over to God - CAST it on him, like a fisherman would cast a fishing line. In fact, the word 'cast' used by Peter in that verse means, 'to throw upon' - so do it! And who better to bear the brunt of your worries than the God who created the Earth, and placed the stars in the sky?

For today's verse, we're going to the Book of Joshua:

Joshua 1:8 (NIV)
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Just to set the scene: Moses, described as a man who spoke to God face-to-face (Exodus 33:11), has just died. The Israelites have been in the desert for 40 years, and are now about to cross the Jordan river, and take over Jericho. Joshua was a fearful warrior, one of the best of his age. He had faith in God when others didn't, but it appears he needed some encouragement for the idea of leading the Israelites. Three times in the first 9 verses of Joshua, God says to him, "Be strong and Courageous". God's telling him who's in control here, and shares with him the secret of success. In fact, according to the footnotes in the Amplified Bible, this is the "only place in the early English versions where the word 'success' is found. The secret of success is given in verses 5 through 9".

So what is that secret? Simply to read God's word, to absorb God's word, to live and breathe God's word. Only then, will you be prosperous and successful. It's a common theme echoed throughout the bible in numerous places.

I wonder how much more successful we would be if we followed Joshua's example?