There are lots of items on my “Holiday checklist”.

Not so much  “Current passport” and “Tickets” at the present time, because I have not been out of New Zealand for some time and I am going by car most of the time.

But of course “Spending money” is great on my list and I keep telling myself not to go without my “Camera”. 

“Travel insurance” has never been on my list. I have never purchased “Travel insurance” in spite of having travelled  in Europe and Asia.

But there is one item on my checklist, that is more important than all the other items and that is the BIBLE, the Word of the Living God.

I have now my Going-away-checklist before me and one item does not only say BIBLE, but THAI BIBLE.

I worked from Christmas 1966 – Christmas 1979 in Thailand as a missionary and I don’t want to forget the thai language completely.

Maybe one of these days I am going back there for a holiday!

 The stall was in front of  THE WAREHOUSE and “FUNDRAISING FOR MISSION IN JAKARTA”  was written above the stall.

Two ladies were selling fried sausages and onions on bread. One sausage was really burned and I noticed that it was given to a dog.

I was told that a missionary is speaking at the local Anglican Church tomorrow. Tomorrow is Sunday! 

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds,  I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind.” – Genesis 9:13-15

“IT’S MY WAY OR NO WAY!”

That’s what it says on the T – shirt of the little boy.

“Jesus answered, ‘I AM THE WAY AND THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.'”

That’s what it says in the BIBLE, the word of the Living God!

SERMON OUTLINE

John 14:6

“Jesus answered,

Intr.:

‘I am

1. the way and

2. the truth and

3. the life.

End:

No one comes to the Father except through me.'”

In the Gospel of Matthew in chapter sixteen the Lord Jesus Christ is asking the disciples, “‘Who do you say I am?'”

What does Simon Peter answer? He says, “‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.'”

The Lord Jesus Christ continues to say that that was not revealed to Peter by man, but by his Father in heaven.

Has the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to you that the Lord Jesus Christ is the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE?

It is only by revelation and that’s why it is so important for true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ to pray for the people who are in darkness.

In NEW ZEALAND the anti-smacking law came into effect almost five years ago.

What child psychologist Glen Stenhouse says:

“Child psychologist Glen Stenhouse says no parent ever wants to smack their child, besides that it’s illegal to do so anyway. He says smacking is unnecessary for the vast majority of children and ineffectice for the rest, and children of different ages need different approaches to managing their behaviour.” – Littlies magazine, Issue 92, page 29

What the BIBLE says:

The Bible speaks of

the ROD OF DISCIPLINE and 

the ROD OF CORRECTION.

Proverbs 13:24

Proverbs 22:15

The rod of discipline will drive folly far from the child.

Proverbs 23:13

Proverbs 29:15

“The rod of correction imparts wisdom…….”

 If you are in another country and reading this please let me know if your country also has an anti-smacking law!

In my reading of the BIBLE from cover to cover –  I start always at the beginning of the year – I arrived at JOB chapter 38 not long ago.

I noticed 35 questions in the chapter of 41 verses.

In chapter 38 the LORD speaks out of the storm. The LORD is answering with questions.

The first question is:

“‘Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?'” – Job 38:2

“YES YOU CAN:

Transform the way you connect with the world.”

That says the leaflet advertising THE LEARNING CONNEXION. ( THE LEARNING CONNEXION is New Zealand’s biggest, friendliest and most personalised Art School. )

All of us connect with the world in a certain way and we can change the way we do.

The way we connect with the world is very important, especially for true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

NEGATIVE

We must not love the world.

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” – First John 2:15

We must not have friendship with the world.

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” – James 4:4

POSITIVE

We must be the light of the world.

“‘You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” – Matthew 5:14

We must preach the gospel.

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.'” – Mark 16:15

Is your connection with the world as it should be or do you need to change it?