“May every sunrise bring you hope. May every sunset bring you peace.”

After reading that I looked up “hope” and “peace” in the concordance at the end of my Bible.

A. HOPE

Hope and Peace

– First Timothy 4:9,10 “This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labour and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, and especially of those who believe.”

I have put my HOPE in the living God.

–  First Timothy 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

B. PEACE

– Ephesians 2:14,15 “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.”

The Lord Jesus Christ is my PEACE.

My hope comes from God and my peace comes from God, who created the sun.

“God made two great lights – the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night.” – Genesis 1:16

Seen on garment:

“ONCE IN A WHILE SOMEONE

AMAZING COMES ALONG.

AND HERE I AM!”

The GOSPEL is the testimony about the great DEEDS God has wrought in the Lord Jesus Christ for our SALVATION.

The last great deed is still going to happen.

A. The first great deed is that God became man.

He is not ashamed to call us “Brothers”. Mark 3:35 “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Soon we will be celebrating CHRISTMAS, because God became man.

CHRISTMAS 2015

B. The second great deed is that the Son of God took upon him our guilt and died in our stead.

C. The third great deed is that God raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.

D. The fourth great deed is that the Lord Jesus Christ is sitting at the right hand of his Father.

E. The fifth great deed is that at the present time the Lord Jesus Christ is gathering his Church from around the world through his Holy Spirit.

The sixth great deed, the last, is that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the creator and redeemer, begins His REIGN.

Have you ever started something and not finished it? Whatever God is starting He is bringing to completion.

“During the powercut, we are powered by the generator,” says a notice in one of our restaurants here in Kaitaia, in the north of New Zealand.

In my reading of the Bible from cover to cover, I read today in the book of Judges in the Old Testament the chapters 14 and 15.

It is the story of Samson; chapter 14 tells the story of his marriage and in chapter 15 he is taking Vengeance on the Philistines.

Three times in these two chapters we are reading that “The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power.”

GENERATOR

Samson was powered by the Holy Spirit.

FIRST TIME – Judges 14:6

“The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power …” He tore a lion apart.

SECOND TIME – Judges 14:19

“Then the Spirit came upon him in power.” He struck down thirty men.

THIRD TIME – Judges 15:14

The Holy Spirit is at work. He frees us from the things that bind us.

Samson was bound with two ropes. He was not able to free himself. When the Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power the fetters were gone.

What is binding us? Money? Alcohol? The Spirit of the Lord wants to make us free.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – Second Corinthians 3:17

The power outage is today, Sunday 29 November 2015, between 8am and 5.30pm, and I am glad that I can go to the restaurant powered by the generator for my cup of coffee.