Whom shall I fear?

In Psalm 27:1, David says

"The LORD is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?"

Throughout his life David found himself in many dangerous and potentially fearful situations. Yet in this Psalm he puts his fear into perspective. David concentrates his thoughts on God and the fact that the Lord is the light, salvation and stronghold of his life. Once he does this he is able to boldly proclaim the question "whom shall I fear?" and "of whom shall I be afraid." The answer is no-one! David is seeing things from God's prospective and is therefore able to face all things confident in God's strength.

The key thing is to concentrate on God and not the fear! This puts the fear into its right place - beneath the feet of God.

The 100-Minute Bible

This book, which retails at little more than the cost of a sandwich is, I think, a real gem! In summary it gives an overview of the main events and characters in the Bible. It is divided into 50 brief chapters, 17 from the Old Testament and the remainder taken from the New Testament. Most chapters include direct quotes from the Bible with well known passages, such as the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 23, being reprinted in full. As a committed Christian who has read the Bible in its entirety on more than one occasion, I had my doubts about this mini version but I have to say I am impressed. Obviously constraints of time and space mean much is left out but what the publisher has chosen to include provides an excellent overview of the Bible and, quite rightly concentrates on Jesus’ life and his impact on ordinary people then, now and for all time to come.
I would certainly recommend this book to Christians and non-Christians alike. Indeed if any of your non-Christian family or friends have ever expressed an interest in reading the Bible but “haven’t got the time”, suggest they read this instead. In no way could it ever take the place of the Bible – the inspired word of God – and all that represents but it is an excellent place for them to start … hopefully they will be encouraged to go on and study a good version of the Bible for themselves.

UK churches and communities mark One World Week

Hundreds of churches across the UK marked the climax of the annual global education initiative One World week on Sunday, encouraging their members to make concrete promises, large and small, to build a better world in 2006.

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National conference to look at fairer finance

Debt on our Doorstep, a campaign which includes dozens of Christian groups and churches, has announced it is to hold a national conference on fair finance next month.

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Latest killings in Uganda alarm church agencies

The Catholic Fund for Overseas Development (CAFOD) in the UK has expressed shock and saddness at the news this weekend of the killing last week of Okot Stalin, a Caritas worker, in an attack near Kitgum, Uganda. He was shot dead by suspected rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) as he drove his motorcycle along the Kitgum-Mucwini road on his way to monitoring a programme. This was one of three separate attacks on aid workers in the region in which two people died and four were critically injured.

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Pure Heart

I read the following words in Psalm 24 today:

Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.

Something that I'm becoming very conscious of this year is that God looks into our heart. He can see what is going on inside us. Now that can be a bit scary. We can either run away from God or we can cry out to God to cleanse us of our sin and give us a pure heart. In Psalm 51 David prayed "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

Let us too like David cry out to God for a pure heart.

Southern Baptists reach out to Hurricane Wilma victims in Mexico

Mexico (MNN) -- Mexicans are still picking up the pieces after Hurricane Wilma hit the Yucatan Peninsula October 22nd. The Category 3 storm with 125 mile per hour winds claimed eight lives and caused wide-spread damage.The Southern Baptist International Mission Board is reaching out to help. IMB missionary Doug Millar says, "Our main concern at this point is just the health and safety of people, to get food and water -- primarily just keeping folks alive."

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God's not a spoilsport!

Just been reading Leviticus 18 this morning which in the NIV translation is headed " Unlawful Sexual Relations." In this passage God gives Moses a list of unlawful sexual relations. Many of the verses start with the phrase "Do not". This is not because God is a spoilsport or killjoy. It's because He did and still does not want His people to defile themselves. If we defile ourselves it is us who suffer and have to bear the consequences. Let's remember that God knows best and His ways are best.

Christianity is becoming popular with China's urban elite, report says

China (MNN/OMF) -- Christianity appears to be spreading among the usually skeptical urban elite, an OMF report says.It's almost impossible to quantify the total number of Christians in China. Authorities try to prevent surveys by foreign or Chinese researchers that might challenge the official view that Christianity is still a marginal phenomenon. However, authorities may actually be backing away from that claim.

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A mission agency gets at the heart of what it means to 'reach Africa for Christ.'

South Africa (MNN)--One of OMS International's main projects in Africa is "Into Africa." The program establishes and encourages Christ-centered churches throughout the continent. OMS's Ray Airosa (a-rohz-a) oversees the church planting ministries of the project. It's not the evangelism that presents the test of their work, it's what comes after the decision to follow Christ. "Somebody said that your Christianity can be six miles wide, but only an inch deep. Our greatest challenge," explains Airosa, "is for true discipleship, for us to be challenging people with the truth, so that their lives become deeply rooted in Jesus Christ, and so that it's not superficial Christianity."

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Winter is on the horizon and earthquake victims in Pakistan are at risk.

Pakistan (MNN) -- It's being called a race against time. The relief effort in Pakistan is immense as more than 50,000 people were killed, 74,000 injured and an estimated three million homeless. Tens of thousands of people remain stranded, unable to get food, water or shelter.

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Trusting in God

I read Psalm 20 and Psalm 21 this morning and verses 7 of both chapters have a similar theme:

Psalm 20:7 "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."

Psalm 21:7 "For the king trusts in the LORD; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken."

We all face many problems and difficulties we face in life and the only thing that can provide us hope is trusting in God. Something to ponder today!

Bible Reading Plans

Sometimes it can be difficult to know which part of the Bible to read. There are many well known devotional reading aids like "Every Day with Jesus" written by Selwyn Hughes which are very helpful.

What happens if you decide that you wish to read the whole Bible in a year? Again there are many very good aids available to assist you. I'm currently using one designed by Rev R.M. M'Cheyne and would recommend it. It's available from http://hippocampusextensions.com/mcheyneplan.html and if you follow it in the course of a year you will read the Old Testament once,and the New Testament and Psalms twice. The readings only take 20 minutes a day so it's not too difficult to fit them in. I personally read half of the days readings in the morning and the other half in the evening. So basically two 10 minute sessions per day. A worthwhile investment of your time!

UN warns of worsening situation in Darfur

Backing frequent recent warnings from church and human rights groups in the US and beyond, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, has said that the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan is once again deteriorating sharply.

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Psalm 19

What better way to start the day by praying the following words from Psalm 19:14

" May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."

Isaiah 14

Housegroup tonight and we continue our study on Angels looking at Isaiah 14. Any Bible scholars out there will know that Isaiah 14:12-15 is a passage that many people believe refers to the devil being kicked out of heaven. I most confess until last night I too thought this. However, after looking at some on-line commentaries on Isaiah 14 it appears I may be wrong! It would appear that if you study the context of the passage and the translation of certain Hebrew words Isaiah 14:12-15 may actually be refering to the king of Babylon and not the devil.

One of our local clergy has sent me an essay he did on this passage in which he concludes too that Isaiah is refering to the king of Babylon. I shall have to study this matter for myself!

This hopefully will teach me to study carefully what the Scriptures say and not just to assume things without checking them out first.

Christians need to remember Sudan, crisis continues

Sudan faces multiple problems even though a peace deal is still in force. The issues include an emergency food crisis, lack of housing, long rainy season, and the expansion of Islam. Persecution Project Foundation says the time is now for Christians to be involved.

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I have resolved that my mouth will not sin

This morning in my Bible readings I came across the following verse, which is taken from Psalm 17:3

"Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin."

The second half of the verse is the part that interested me. I have been reading the book of Proverbs recently which contains plenty of verses about the power of the tongue and the trouble it can get us into if it's not controlled properly. I expect most of us have experienced this in our life at some time or other! We've probably wished that we have kept our mouth closed on many occassions as the words leave our lips and we think "Oh no, I wished I had not said that."

It's very easy to blame other people or circumstances for us saying things that we regretted later. Most of us I guess find it difficult to take personal responsibility for our words. In this verse David is making a personal commitment that his mouth would not sin. He is not blaming others. David is taking full responsibility for his words and is determined to do something about them. This is a resolution that I need to make every morning and certainly before I open my mouth to criticise someone. Can you imagine the incredible witness it would be if all Christians made this commitment every day? Why not try it?

The Promise of Narnia: Will They Get it Right?

(AgapePress) - In a recent interview on Faith Radio, Bob Crittenden was asked what has come to be the defining question on the upcoming film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: Can Christians trust Disney to faithfully deliver Lewis' book to the silver screen?

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European Evangelicals Committed to Transform Europe with Biblical Truth

Evangelicals in Europe have committed to the holistic mission of transforming Europe on all levels with a larger network during the largest European Evangelical Alliance assembly in Portugal this week.

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Monday Morning

It's Monday morning. You get out of bed, it's dark and is pouring with rain. The drive to work is difficult and you would rather be at home. This is know as the Monday morning feeling!

It can be difficult to motivate yourself and this is where you need to pray and ask for God's help and remember Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

Campaigners give qualified welcome to Nigeria debt deal

Both Christian Aid in Britain and the Jubilee USA network of church and secular action groups have welcomed the move from rich country creditors to write off a substantial portion of Nigeria's debt.

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Black archbishop prays for racist abusers

Dr John Sentamu, Britain’s first black archbishop, has declared that he is actively praying for the racist hate-mongers who continue to torment him and his family with anonymous abuse.

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Which Christian website is the best? Part 2

I mentioned in my posting this morning that I would reveal tonight what in my opinion is the best Christian website. Well here goes!

It’s a website that describes itself as “Informing, Inspiring, Connecting, Equipping.” It covers News items and Hot issues among other things. There are so many other features on it that stand out. However, for me one of the highlights is the vast range of Bible studies that it offers. And I particularly am impressed with the fact that they don’t just offer standard Bible studies but they do ones based on TV programmes and films, for example: The Simpsons and Batman Begins. This I believe is a great idea because it enables people to compare modern culture against the Scriptures.

The website is of course…………………. ChristianityToday.com

Mugabe bureaucracy blocks vital church aid to destitute

South African churches have had to give up trying to take a shipment of clothes to victims of President Mugabe's slum clearance campaign, after weeks of battling with Zimbabwe's import authorities. They are now giving the clothes to Zimbabwean migrants living in South Africa instead.

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Which Christian website is the best?

I've just gone into Google and typed in "Christian Website" and 66,000,000 website pages have appeared that match that description. Many more than I expected! Now if you change the search to "pages from the UK" 3,330,000 website pages have appeared. Still an incredible number. So which one is the best? Well in my humble opinion there is one that stands out from all the rest. Which one is that you may ask? I shall reveal the answer tonight!

Zimbabwe is facing mass hunger, says archbishop

Roman Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo has warned that 200,000 Zimbabweans could die of hunger over the next few months because of food shortages resulting from government policies.

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Former C of E head says that tide is turning against the Church

Christianity in Britain must get its act together or face the “last rites”, according to a tough-minded assessment of the churches’ future issued by Lord Carey, a former archbishop of Canterbury.

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Iraq's Revival

After all the bad news that comes out of Iraq on a daily basis it is encouraging to hear that the Church is experiencing growth.

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Who's in the House? Enter a new kind of spirit

Put 2,500 people aged 18-30 in one area for six hours on a Friday night and you don't know what will kick off," says Julian Holyoake. "It might be a domestic, or we might have a flood. Once we even had a clubber who died from heart failure. Occasionally you'll have to deal with staff in shock."

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This is a very encouraging story and it's good to see a Christian worker shining for Christ in an unlikely setting. These days it can be very hard to get young people into our Churches and even more so to retain them. Jesus went to where people were and this is what Diane Greenfield is doing. Don't forget to remember her in your prayers.

The Importance of Housegroups

Last night our housegroup met and continued our Bible study on the subject of Angels. Over the years I have belonged to various different housegroups at the three Churches I have attended. For someone like myself who can sometimes find it difficult to get to know people at Church, they are a good opportunity to build up relationships.

Generally speaking a housegroup will consist of between 6 - 12 people. Most groups meet during the week and will study the Bible together, share prayer needs and build up relationships within the group. Housegroups present the opportunity to raise questions we may have about our faith and we can bring these to the group and discuss together. If we didn't understand something about the sermon in Church on Sunday, we can bring our questions to others in the group and get their views. After all, generally speaking we don't normally interrupt the speaker in the midst of their sermon on Sunday and ask them to clarify a point! Some Churches based their housegroup programmes on the same subject that is preached from the pulpit on Sunday mornings. Personally speaking I think that is an excellent idea as it keeps the sermons fresh in our minds and helps us to hear what God may be saying through His word to the Church.

One of the benefits of regularly attending a housegroup is having a group of people with whom you can share your prayer needs. Most of us have things that we would like others to pray about and it normally is not possible to fit all those prayer requests in on Sunday morning. Indeed, we might not be comfortably about sharing these prayer needs with the whole Church. However, the housegroup offers us the opportunity to mention these needs and then to pray for one another. It can also be very encouraging to members of the group when they see these prayer answered.

At my last Church housegroups were called "Support Groups" and this is actually a good description of one of the main functions of the groups. As we share various concerns we may have with others members of the group, we can actively support one another, maybe in prayer or in practical ways.

Housegroups are also a good place to build relationships with other believers. My last Church had about 250 members in it and for someone like myself that can be rather difficult process in getting to know others. However, by attending a housegroup I was able to get to know my members of the group well and build up some good friendships.

So if you don't already belong to a housegroup please consider making it a top priority as it is something from which you will benefit and you can be a blessing to others!

It's a crazy world we live in!

With the tragic situation currently in Pakistan and the Kashmir area it's sad to hear that there are fears for the aid workers who are trying their best to help those in need.

I'm lost for words!

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Iraq's Revival

With all the sad and tragic news that seems to come out of Iraq on a daily basis, it was great to read the article here about how the Church is growing. Have a read and see what you think! http://www.worthynews.com/news-features-4/iraq-revival.html

Delirious not in UK Top 40 single chart

Just checked out the BBC Top 40 single chart for week commencing Sunday 16 October and unfortunately Delirious have not sold enough copies of their CD to make it into the charts. It's probably fair to say that the single charts don't mean an awful lot these days compared to the 1970's and 1980's. However, it would have been nice for them to reached the Top 40 which could have led to them getting on either Top of the Pops or CD UK.

Do not be anxious about anything!

The apostle Paul despite sitting in a prison cell in Philippi chained to two Roman soldiers was able to write the following incredible words:

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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."

Personally speaking I do struggle with anxiety. I tend to be a worrier. Whether its moving house, getting a new job, my car passing the annual MOT. However, in this passage Paul is saying not to be anxious about anything. How was Paul able to say this when humanly speaking he was in dire straits?

It seems that the key is in the first part of the passage, "Rejoice in the Lord always." Paul makes sure that his focus was on the Lord and not the problem. That does not take away the problem but it ensures that he gets his priorities right. It's so easy to focus on the problem instead of on God. In fact Paul tells us to "Rejoice" twice, just in case we missed it the first time! In the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, which we call the Lord's prayer, the phrase "Hallowed be your name" comes before our needs are brought to God. Let's endeavour with God's help to focus on Him rather than on the problems we face.

Latest Christian News

Former Church of England head says tide is turning against the Church
Christianity in Britain must get its act together or face the “last rites”, according to a tough-minded assessment of the churches’ future issued by Lord Carey, a former archbishop of Canterbury.

Full story

Malawi churches declare food crisis a national disaster
Malawi's national Council of Churches, which brings together 22 different Christian denominations, has urged President Bingu wa Mutharika to declare the central African country to be in a state of national disaster over its food crisis.

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Kashmir quake aid crosses communal and belief boundaries
Despite difficulties, the international aid effort in South Asia is crossing political, communal and religious boundaries to reach people in desperate need, agencies on the ground report.

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Paint the Town Red

I purchased the new Delirious? CD single "Paint the Town Red" from iTunes today for 79 pence. Very good value for money! The lyrics are shown below taken from http://www.delirious.org.uk/lyrics/songs/paintthetown.html

You know I feel there's something 'bout to break now,
You know I feel there's a city here to take now.
And it's not so tough for these ordinary hands,
When we trust someone with extraordinary plans.

You know I feel this heart's about to break now,
Cos I can see what the devil's trying to take now.
We've got this leather backed book and a freedom cry,
And we're an army of God who are ready to die.

You give us hope where hope is gone,
You fill the streets with a holy song,
We’re gonna paint this big old town red.

Oh, Here we come,here we come Oh,
Here we come, here we come

You know I feel this sky's about to break now.
You know I feel our city's gonna shake now.
And we hear you call every woman and man,
"Ring the mission bell" and storm the gates of hell.

Miracles run from street to street,Rise up Church for a holy meet,
We’re gonna paint this big old town red
We’re gonna paint this big old town red
With the blood of Jesus!

Written by Delirious?
©2005 Curious? Music UK

Proverbs

I'm currently reading through the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament and discovering afresh how good it is. Proverbs has thirty one chapters in it and therefore it can be read easily in a month if one chapter is read each day. Today, the following two verses in Chapter fourteen caught my attention:

"The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception."

"A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps."

The challenge for the Christian is to think about how they live their life and conduct themself each day. We are not just living for ourselves, but as Christians we are living for God. Is there an area in our life where we are falling short of God's standards? If so we need to address it and with God's help rectify it.

Delirious? CD single released today

One of the best Christian bands around Delirious? released their new CD single today. For more details go to http://www.delirious.org.uk/

Back to Work today!

Well it was back to work today after the weekend. I've been feeling unsettled myself at work for a while now and have been pondering if its time for a change in career. But what should I do? Got one or two ideas but whether anything comes of these who knows!

One of the biggest challenges for a Christian is to be an effective witness for Christ in our workplaces in word and deed. It can be so easy to let God down by our words and actions. Been guilty of that many times myself! However, potentially it can be a place where we can influence many lifes for the better. We could be the only Christian that our work colleagues ever meet. That thought can be both exciting and scary!

I read the following verse in Proverbs 13:9 tonight,

"The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out."

Lets ask God that he will give us his grace so that we may shine in our workplaces for Him in word and deed.

The power of the Tongue

After Church this morning I read Proverbs 12 and found the following in verse 18:

"Reckless words pierce like a sword but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

It's very easy whether we are at home, church or work to cause damage by the words we speak. A cutting comment or nasty remark can really hurt someone and unfortunately us Christians can often be guilty of this. How much better is it if by God's grace we determine to be people who edify others by what we say. To build others up and bring healing rather than destroy or hurt them should be our goal.

Living out the Christian Faith

I was reading Ephesians Chapter 4 this morning when I came across the following words:

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Such challenging words, but also inspiring ones too. None of us can live these words out in our own strength, and if we try by ourselves we will fail miserably. We all need the Holy Spirit's help to do this. And then with His help we will shine more effectively for Christ in the world we live in!

SMS Bible launched in Australia

Yesterday it was annouced that the Bible was being launched in SMS in Australia. This is a novel idea and it will be interesting to see how successful it is. Some people will no doubt be horrified at this but if it is effective and we reach peope who would not normally be open to the Scriptures then surely that cannot be bad.