“Youth is easily deceived, because it is quick to hope,” says Aristotle.

What an encouragement, to tell young people about the HOPE we have as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have:

1. HOPE in God. Psalm 62:5; Psalm 42:5

2. HOPE in God’s word. Psalm 119:74; Psalm 130:5

3. HOPE in God’s unfailing Love. Psalm 147:11

4. HOPE in Christ. First Corinthians 15:19

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have the …

5. HOPE of salvation. First Thessalonians 5:8

6. HOPE of eternal life. Titus 1:2

Young people are quick to hope.

That’s why the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 12:1 “Remember your creator in the days of your youth, …” 

Mangonui in the Far North of New Zealand. East Coast:

MANGONUI

MANGONUI

MANGONUI

MANGONUI

MANGONUI

To win a copy of WHEN GOD BECOMES SMALL tell us why you think God is great.

“Who is a God like thee, pardoning iniquity?” (Micah 7:18)

That verse comes to my mind when I think about the greatness of God.

“We can praise and glorify God for many things, but no exultation on earth can or will surpass the exultation over God’s gift of the forgiveness of sins.” – Basilea Schlink

“The song of rejoicing, ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul’, resounds not only here on earth, but throughout the heavenly spheres, for there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.” – Basilea Schlink

I’m looking at a recent copy of our local paper, THE NORTHLAND AGE.

The Northland Age, Thursday, March 13, 2014, is written at the top of all the pages.

It has been pointed out to me that every date on our newspapers reminds us of the first appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. The reason for that is of course that we date all human events from the date of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The BIBLE tells us about the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. But not only that, the Bible teaches also about the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE FIRST COMING OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Here are four purposes of the Virgin Birth of the Lord:

1. The Lord came to reveal God the Father to us. Read John 1:18.

2. There is a chasm between God and man. The Lord Jesus Christ came to bridge the chasm. Read First Timothy 2:5

3. The Lord came to save us. We are told that in Hebrews 2:14,16.

4. In Romans 8:19-22 the Bible teaches that he came to rescue the whole creation.

THE SECOND COMING OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

Let me also give you a few purposes of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ:

1. He comes the second time to complete our salvation. Please read Hebrews 9:29.

2. He comes to be glorified in His saints. Second Thessalonians 1:10.

3. He comes to bring to light the hidden things of darkness. First Corinthians 4:5

4. He comes the second time to judge. Second Timothy 4:1.

5. He comes the second time to to receive us to be with Himself. John 14:13

6. He comes to reign. Revelation 11:15

7. He comes to destroy death.  First Corinthians 15:25,26

From now on when you pick up your daily newspaper and look at the date remember the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. But let me remind you again that there is also a second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is a fancy frame for a picture and at the bottom it says:

“DAD

You’re My Hero”

Where the picture goes, I am reading in brackets “(cause you fix everything!)”.

I have never been able to say that. My father did not come back from World War II. I don’t even know for sure what happened to him.

But what I can says is this: MY Father in heaven!

There are people who can say “DAD You’re My Hero,” but they cannot say, “MY Father in heaven”.

I rather belong to those people who can say “MY Father in heaven,” and cannot say “DAD You’re My Hero.”

I am stuck and the word “rubble” comes to my mind.

It does not take me long to find it in Nehemiah 4:10, where it says,

“Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, ‘The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.'”

I have not even done away with the rubble, but I have decided to do so and I am unstuck.

You should try it, it works!

“THE END OF THE WORLD” by Bruce Milne

We are threatened by a serious tropical storm.

Started reading the book THE END OF THE WORLD, by Bruce Milne.

“The Doctrine of the Last Things.”

The storm has descended on us and that is especially a time to read good books.

But in spite of the storm I have been to the nearest coffee shop in town for a cup of coffee. The rain is not really all that bad, but the storm is terrible.

But what a blessing it is to read in the book THE END OF THE WORLD by Bruce Milne that:

“The great forces of the universe are all his servants and he is Lord over them all (Isaiah 40:12-31).”

Please read Isaiah 40:12-31. I have read the verses this morning and have been blessed!