“baptist

magazine of the baptist churches of new zealand”

Get hold of Vol. 126 No. 3 April 2010 and read…….

I will mention only two articles:

1.  “Does NZ have a poor heritage of preaching?”

The article is written by S. Worsley, Senior Pastor of Petone Baptist Church and creator of the One Step Ahead Preaching resource.

I think every church should have the ONE STEP AHEAD PREACHING RESOURCE to help a muddler become an architect!

2. “The most mis-preached text in the Bible.”

The article is written by G. Wieland, Lecturer Carey Baptist College.

The text is Malachi 3:10

Certificate in Computing Level 3

I am wondering how long it will take me to complete the 8 modules!

I’m actually amazed myself that verses from the Bible come to my mind, when I read advertisements. Do people know more about the Bible than they want to admit? Do they know what they are saying is somewhere in the Word of God?

I’m sitting in one of the shops here in Kaitaia and waiting to be served. Long ago I heard someone say “it is so difficult to do nothing”. That is true. That’s why I am picking up something to read.

What I pick up looks like a magazine and on the front page I read in big letters “preview your new property”. On page number two is a picture with a white wing and it says:

“LET US TAKE YOU UNDER OUR WING.”

It is all about “BAYLEYS WORKING SCHOLARSHIPS Your career move into real estate.”

“LET US TAKE YOU UNDER OUR WINGS.” I like that. I like that very much!

What does the Bible, the Word of the Living God says about wings?

Psalm 17:8  “….; hide me in the shadow of your wings…”

Psalm 36:7 “…. men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 57:1; Psalm 91:4

Psalm 63:7 “…, I sing in the shadow of your wings.”

Matthew 23:37

That are the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! (Luke 13:34) Read them!

We find a hiding place and a place of refuge under the wings (under the cross) of the Lord and that’s why we can sing!

CAN YOU SING THE SONG OF THE REDEEMED?

Lately I collected a number of little booklets and books. I don’t know why. Some of them have quite a good number of pages.

They are all guides.

I like the pet guide best of all because of the picture on the cover. There is also a guide for food lovers: “A food lover’s guide to Northland.” The official guide 2009-2010 to Auckland is quite thick and beautifully done. The guide to Retirement Living is a very thick book with almost 300 pages.

I should have actually mentioned the “financial Road map for New Zealanders” first. The cover has a signpost with “SORTED” written on it. “Your guide to getting there” is also written on the first page.

When I was thinking about those guidebooks, the Bible, the Word of the Living God, came to my mind and the Holy Spirit.

I remember also the hymn “Holy Spirit, Faithful Guide, Ever near the Christian’s side,…” written and composed by an American farmer called Marcus M. Wells.

The Holy Spirit is not only the author of the Bible, but also the interpreter of the Scriptures. Second Peter 1:21,22; John 16:11.

The Bible, the Word of the Living God is the guide to ETERNAL LIFE! John 17:3

“Now this is eternal life:

that they may know

—you, the only true God, and

—-Jesus Christ,

whom you have sent.”