“FURY OVER BROKEN FERRY PROMISE,” I am reading in the paper called THE AUCKLANDER. ( The Aucklander  5 July 2012 )

It says there also, “The Kaipatiki Local Board is angry it’s had to backtrack on promises it made to the community because Auckland Transport has denied it the funding it promised.”

THERE IS FURY OVER BROKEN PROMISES.

That’s why I don’t promise anything anymore.

THERE IS JOY OVER KEPT PROMISES.

I am rejoicing over the promises in the BIBLE. They will never be broken. Why can I say that? Because the master author of the Bible is God the Holy Spirit.

And all the promises God the Son ever made  are all fulfilled, except one. That is the promise of His Second Coming.

Here are seven promises from the BIBLE the Lord Jesus Christ gives us as we are journeying along the way of life.

Are you in need? The Lord promises you HELP (Hebrews 13:5,6).

Do you feel weak? The Lord promises you STRENGTH (Isaiah 41:10).

Are you suffering from despondency? The Lord promises you CHEER (Matthew 14:27).

Are you perplexed? The Lord promises you GUIDANCE (Psalm 32:8).

Are you in trouble? The Lord promises you PEACE. (Isaiah 66:12)

Are you full of sorrow? The Lord promises you JOY (Isaiah 61:3).

And what about your service for the Lord? How is the service for the Lord going? He promises you POWER (Acts 1:4-8)

In the BIBLE we are not only reading about the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, but also about his second coming.

Here are some prophecies of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ:

It was foretold by the prophets: Daniel 7:13

It was foretold by angels: Acts 1:10,11

It was foretold by Paul: First Timothy 6:14

It was foretold by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself : Matthew 25:31

I am waiting for his Second Coming. What about you?

The promise of the SECOND COMING , Matthew 25:31 will never be broken, because the promise is made by God the Son.  There it says,

“‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.'”

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”

When I came across the creed today the following BIBLE verse came to my mind:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” – Second Timothy 4:7

“There are no punishments or rewards on this earth comparable to those of the conscience.” – Billy Graham

Here is my translation into German:

“Keine Strafen oder Belohnungen auf dieser Erde koennen mit denen des Gewissens verglichen werden.”

Reading that today made me think again about what I read long ago in one of the books written by Karl May.

The book is called WINNETOU 2. BAND, and the Scout Old Death has a conversation with Old Shatterhand about his conscience.

You can read the conversation on page 181 and 182!

Now you know why I translated the quote by Billy Graham into German.

50+ Channels

“SKY GUEST SELECT AVAILABLE HERE 50+ CHANNELS,” advertises one motel here in Kaitaia, in the north of New Zealand.

50+ channels, imagine that! But the truth is, that we only need one channel. The GIDEONS got that right. The only channel we need is the BIBLE.

There is one book in my library I would not like to be without. It is the book ONE HUNDRED BIBLE LESSONS by Alban Douglas.

In that book he has three Lessons about the Bible. Each Lesson has at the end ten Review Questions. I am going now to answer some of the review questions without repeating the questions. I am adding also what I learned from other sources.

The master author of the HOLY BIBLE is the HOLY SPIRIT. An unknown person said this about the BIBLE: “The BIBLE is the only book whose Author is always present when one reads it.”

And here are the two very important verses that deal with the inspiration of the BIBLE. They are Second Timothy 3:16 and Second Peter 1:21.

I have also learned that “the BIBLE is the source book of our knowledge of God”, “the textbook of divine truth, the guide book to everlasting life.”

The BIBLE is the most ancient of all books. The BIBLE is the best seller of all time. The BIBLE is “The book of  Books”. The BIBLE is the first book ever printed. It was the German Gutenberg Bible  between the years 1450 and 1455.

I consider the BIBLE as the supreme book. Here are some reasons: In the hour of tragedy and death we turn to the BIBLE. The BIBLE has answers to the questions of life and death.

Our minds are finite and we will never be able to understand all of the teaching of Scripture.  But we do understand the truths concerning our redemption and living as a Christian. Have you ever read Deuteronomy 29:29? Please read it! And this is what Abraham Lincoln observed: “Read the BIBLE for whatever reason you can accept and take the rest on faith, and you will live and die a better man.”

Charles H. Spurgeon said this about the BIBLE: “Nobody ever outgrows Scripture, the Book widens and deepens  with our years.”

Not long ago I picked up a NEW TESTAMENT WITH THE PSALMS in a second hand shop (RED CROSS). I have it here now before me. “PROPERTY OF THE GIDEONS” and “PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE FROM ROOM,” it says on the front cover. And inside the front cover I read: “This New Testament with the Psalms has been placed here with the earnest hope that it will prove to be a source of joy and comfort to the one who now reads it.”

BUT SOMEONE HAS REMOVED THE PROPERTY OF THE GIDEONS FROM THE ROOM!

For those who do not know who the Gideons are it says on another page: “The Gideons International is an Association of Christian business and professional men, banded together in more than 155 countries for fellowship and service. The purpose of the Association is the promotion of the Gospel of Christ to all people, to the end that they might come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour.”

CABLE BAY TODAY

CABLE BAY TODAY

 CABLE BAY TODAY

CABLE BAY TODAY

I saw another of my photos in the local paper, The Northland Age, Thursday, July 12, 2012.

“Readers are invited to submit photos depicting the Far North’s special qualities. Send to editor@northlandage.co.nz or PO Box 45, Kaitaia.”

Toe toe are those feathered fronds called and very easy to find in this part of NEW ZEALAND.

“SEND HEART DISEASE PACKING,” I am reading on the posters. I can see them through the glass at the entrance of our local post office here in Kaitaia.

I am all for sending heart disease packing. How is that possible? 

We are actually riddled with heart disease.

What comes out of man’s heart? The answer is evil thoughts, sexual immorallity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.

Yes, the BIBLE, is very relevant today. Here are some headlines from our latest local paper: “Remanded in custody”, “Alleged stabber bailed”, “Bank theft went awry, “Dope deal damage mortifies.” (The Northland Age, Tuesday, July 17, 2012)

Our hearts need to be purified.

God wants to purify our hearts. God wants to purify our hearts  by faith. What is faith? Faith is when we relax and place our whole weight on a chair without looking. What does faith say? We will not fall. Read also Hebrews 11:1. What does the dictionary say about faith? Faith is belief. Faith is trust.

We are justified through faith. The love of God is poured out into the heart of the the believer. That is done by the Holy Spirit. God has given us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. The Holy Spirit is indwelling the believer. The Holy Spirit is guiding the believer.

There are saints in the city of Ephesus and Paul is praying for them on his knees. He is praying that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith.