QUESTION:

WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE BOOK? 

1. It is the world’s best-selling book.

2. It is the book most written about.

3. It has been translated into the most languages.

4. It has been transported nearly everywhere around the world.

ANSWER:

THE NAME OF THE BOOK IS THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE.

There is one connection we don’t hear very much about. And that is the connection which should be  first in my life and in your life.

But we are hearing a lot about the CONNECTION TO THE INTERNET.

Listen to what I read in the publication called COFFEE NEWS (Vol. 141:5) about the British and their FACEBOOK.

A study organised by the  London Science Museum revealed that the INTERNET CONNECTION  is ahead of a flush toilet, fresh vegetables and fruits, showering and clean drinking water. It says there also, “To say the British are hooked on FACEBOOK would be an understatement, …”

The connection we don’t hear very much about is the CONNECTION TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

We are reading about the connection to the Lord Jesus Christ in Colossians 2:19: “and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body.”

The Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the church.The church is his body. The Lord Jesus Christ is also the Savior of the church, his body. Ephesians 5:23 : “For the husband is the  head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.” Read also Colossians 1:18.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the church.

He saves from sin by his grace – Ephesians 2:5

He atones for sin by his blood – Romans 3:25,26

He inspires to love by his love – Second Corinthians 5:14

He obtains an inheritance by his power – Hebrews 1:3,4

He unifies to Himself by His Spirit – First Corinthians 12:13

He receives to glory at his return – John 14:3

Connections!

And what a joy it is now for me to use a connection we hear a lot about to tell you about a connection we don’t hear very much about!

Yesterday I came across FREEDOM  twice.

The first time was when I saw a FREEDOM CAMPER parked in front of THE Warehouse here in Kaitaia. When I saw the word FREEDOM again,  I asked myself the question again, “What is FREEDOM?”

Not long ago I read in the Gospel of Luke in the Bible:

“‘TheSpirit of the Lord is on me,

Luke 4:18-19 

because

he has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me

to proclaim FREEDOM for the prisoners and

recovery of sight for the blind,

to release the oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.'”

The BIBLE teaches also “that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, … ” You read that in Galatians 3:22.

But the Bible says also that the  Lord Jesus Christ is the ” …, Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

The second time I came across FREEDOM yesterday was when I picked up an empty thrown away cigarette packet. (I don’t do that very often!) Maybe what attracted me was the word FREEDOM written on the packet. I don’t smoke, but I assume that that is the brand. “Smoking is highly addictive,” is also written on the package. It is a Ministry of Health Warning.

When I read “‘go north, young man'” in the magazine called FOCUS I remembered another go.

I live in Kaitaia, in the Far North of New Zealand, not far from Allen Bell Drive.

 Matthews Ave in KAITAIA

“In the 1920s Allen Bell laid out the town and his earnest ‘go north, young man’ became the catchcry for the promotion of the settlement.” (Kaitaia) (FOCUS, January 2013)

The other go I remembered you find in the Bible. You find it in the Gospel of Matthew and in the Gospel of Mark. In Matthew 28:19 it says:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, …” 

And in Mark 16:15 it says:

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.'”

When I was a young man I went to Thailand as a missionary to preach the good news. I went there to work for the Lord and to advance the gospel in that land.

Quite a bit has been written about finding God’s will for our Life, about Guidance

A very long time ago I learned that you can only steer a boat that is on the move.

On the image the ferry is really on the move!

And I have also been always on the move and the Lord has given me light for one step at a time.

Of course, when you are always on the move you move sometimes into the wrong direction.

I remember very clearly going once into the wrong direction. But the Lord stopped me in time, a tragedy was avoided, and the Lord guided me into the right direction.

Praise his name! Hallelujah!

And I am still on the move. Soon I will be on the move for 73 years!

The Bible, “THE BOOK OF BOOKS”

For a good number of years now I have been reading the Bible from cover to cover. 

I started again today at Genesis 1:1, the first book.

The reason for writing this is to encourage you to do the same.

The Bible is FOOD for the soul! 

LET US START THE YEAR 2013 OFF WITH SOME GREAT QUOTES ON PRAYER:

“PRAYER IS WHERE THE ACTION IS.” – John Wesley 

“THE GREATEST THING ANYONE CAN DO FOR GOD OR MAN IS PRAY.” – S. D. Gordon 

“PRAYER IS NOT OVERCOMING GOD’S RELUCTANCE, BUT LAYING HOLD OF HIS WILLINGNESS.” – Martin Luther

“WE HAVE TO PRAY WITH OUR EYES ON GOD, NOT ON THE DIFFICULTIES.” – Oswald Chambers  

“TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR MEN IS THE MOST POWERFUL AND PRACTICAL WAY IN WHICH WE CAN EXPRESS OUR LOVE FOR THEM .” – John Calvin

“THE PRAYER POWER HAS NEVER BEEN TRIED TO ITS FULL CAPACITY. IF WE WANT TO SEE MIGHTY WONDERS OF DIVINE POWER AND GRACE WROUGHT IN THE PLACE OF WEAKNESS, FAILURE AND DISAPPOINTMENT , LET US ANSWER GOD’S STANDING CHALLENGE, ‘CALL UNTO ME , AND I WILL ANSWER THEE, AND SHOW THEE GREAT AND MIGHTY THINGS WHICH THOU KNOWEST NOT!'” – J. Hudson Taylor

The history of Isreal and Judah points up a truth taught clearly enough by all history – that the masses are or soon will be what their leaders are.” – A. W. Tozer