Sunflower

“There were plentiful supplies of

        flour,

                fig cakes,

                        raisin cakes,

                                wine,

                                        oil,

                                                cattle and

                                                        sheep,

for there was joy in Israel.” –

First Chronicles 12:40

As Christians we have an environmental responsibility.

But we have forgotten how important the creation is and forgotten to include the earth and the environment in our Christian message.

“REPORT ILLEGAL FISHING”

There are official state guidelines not only about fishing quotas but also about waste disposal. Guidelines are protecting the area’s fragile ecological balance.

A fishing community is exhausting their fish stock if the guidelines are not kept. Not only that, but the fishing community is also polluting their own waters.

If we do not take our environmental responsibility seriously, our survival is at risk.

Let us remember that there is not only the doctrine of incarnation and resurrection, but also the doctrine of creation.

Do you want to know what I am thinking about certain important things? Or what I think I have learned about certain things? Or better still what I believe when it comes to certain things?

I want to tell you what I am thinking about two important things:

1. I believe that the KEY is to focus on our relationship with God.

THE KEY

The KEY is not to focus on other relationships, not even on our marriage relationship.

2. I also believe in not going to counselors or seminars with problems (broken marriages).

I believe in taking everything to the Lord Jesus Christ.

At the moment I am reading  the book “Just give me Jesus” by Anne Graham Lotz.

In chapter three she writes where our focus should be and what she thinks about “repairmen” or counselors or seminars.

What an encouragement it is when you find that other servants of the Lord like Anne Graham Lotz think what you think, have learned what you have learned and believe what you believe.

AT THE BEACH

“I had a conversion experience when I was a student in London,” writes the Reverend in the magazine called THE PEOPLE’S FRIEND (February 1, 2014) in the column FROM THE MANSE WINDOW. (Are you familiar with that magazine?)

It gives me great joy to read articles like that in the magazine.

This time I am especially glad to read about the conversion experience of the writer right at the beginning of the article called “Trust in Him”.

WHAT IS THE CONVERSION EXPERIENCE ALL ABOUT?

Conversion is an act of turning.

We must turn away from sin and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ.We can do that through the grace of God.

But we cannot separate conversion from regeneration. Regeneration means a new creation. It means being made a new creature by the power of the Holy Spirit. Regeneration is the new birth.

We are reading about the conversion of the Apostle Paul four times in the Bible, namely in Acts chapter 9:1-19; chapter 22:3-21; chapter 26:2-23 and Galatians 1:11-17.

I want to tell you even if it is at the end of this post that I had a conversion experience when I was in my teens in Germany.

And you need a conversion experience as well.

“That’s a bit like me,” said the salesperson in the big shop, when she saw me looking at a shirt today.

“I NEVER FINISH ANYTHIN,”

was written on the front of the shirt. I am sure I don’t need to point out that the “G” in the word “anything” is missing.

Reading that reminded me straight away of what the Apostle called Paul is writing to the believers (saints in Christ) in the town of Philippi.

Right at the beginning of his letter he says that he is confident “that he [God] who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

There are only believers and unbelievers in the world. We are born as unbelievers.

And you know if the Lord has begun a good work in you. If you don’t know I dare say that the Lord has not started to work in your life. Ask the Lord to work in your blind mind that you can see the light of the gospel before the “day of Jesus Christ.”

Yes, that’s a bit like us humans, to start things and not finish them, but not like God. What God starts he brings to completion no matter what.