I was surprised today to read the following inside a card for Father’s Day: “Hoping all the happiness you’ve given others returns to you on your special day.”

And still another surprise: A registered psychologist -Sara Chatwin- is writing in the Family Health Diary Magazine July/August 08, ” Be kind to someone, somewhere, once a day. What you give out will come straight back to you!”

It will actually return. It says so in the Bible, the Word of the Living God! Also this morning I read in one devotional book Proverbs 11:25 “He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” Spurgeon says, “Here we are taught the great lesson, that to get, we must give.” He finishes with a verse from Luke, Luke 6:38. That is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ speaking!

WHAT A LESSON!

In a brochure featuring properties from Northland and other places you can find one propertry of 30 acres called “Diamond in the rough.”

This morning in my Bible Reading I came to Zechariah chapter nine. In the verses 16 and 17 it talks about a CERTAIN DAY and “the flock of his people.” “They will sparkle in his land like jewels in his crown.” “How attractive and beautiful they will be!” Zechariah 9:16,17

Now, can we say, that believers here on earth are “diamonds in rough?” What do you think?

Although sanctification is a Basic Bible Truth we don’t hear very much about it from the pulpits these days. At the moment we are not so much interested in the meaning and the means of sanctification, but the question at hand is: When does sanctification take place?

Sanctification is instantaneous, progressive and complete. The immediate part of sanctification takes place when we are born again. SANCTIFICATION TAKES ALSO PLACE DURING THE ENTIRE LIFE OF THE BORN AGAIN BELIEVER. That is ongoing sanctification. Complete sanctification takes place when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back.

Can we say now: Believers are “Diamonds in the Rough” until they die?

Please let me know!

wd

Das sah ich hier auf einem Bett geschrieben. (Matratze)

EIN REINES GEWISSEN IST EIN SANFTES RUHEKISSEN!

Whenever I hear the word “Hope” I get excited. Whenever I see the word “Hope” written I get excited. And that’s exactly what happened again when I saw the word “Hope” written on an advertisement at the National Bank of NZ: “HELP US GROW HOPE.”

It is all about the Daffodil Day of the Cancer Society. The National Bank of NZ encourages us to donate money to support New Zealanders affected by cancer. The Bank is doing this already since 1990.

Not only New Zealanders affected by cancer are looking for hope. All New Zealanders are looking for hope. In fact the whole world is looking for hope. The country does not matter. The language does not matter. The skin colour does not matter. Every human being is looking for HOPE!

But where do we find HOPE?

The Bible, the Word of the Living God, is telling us about the REAL HOPE.

1. The GOSPEL is our hope. Colossians 1:23

2. The LORD JESUS CHRIST is our hope. First Timothy 1:1

3. We do have the hope of  ETERNAL LIFE. Titus 3:7

4. We do have a LIVING hope. First Peter 1:3

Eventually all New Zealanders affected by cancer will die. I want to ask those effected by cancer, ” Do you have a relationship with the Living God? How good is your relationship with the Living God?

ONLY YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST MATTERS ON THE LAST DAY OF YOUR LIFE!!

wd

In einem seiner Andachtsbuecher schreibt er:

So steht ein rechter Juenger Jesu. Er spricht: “Und wenn ich darueber sterben sollte! Ich lege mich ins Grab in der frohen Gewissheit: Jesus wird kommen. Und ich werde im Grabe Seine Stimme hoeren und mit ihm leben in Ewigkeit.”

I have a book here where the author talks about the abundant life. And so far as I know he does not say anywhere that he has a living relationship with his creator. He also talks about living life in style and living a life of balance. “And one of the most important ingredients of a balanced life is having someone to love and to love you.” That’s exactly what he writes.

Husband, I am sure you care about your wife. Wife, I am sure you care about your husband. The husband should love his wife and the wife should love her husband. But sometimes that is not the case any more. What then?

The Lord Jesus Christ still loves us! He says so in His Word. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34 Let us say to the Lord, “Lord, I want to love you and I want to love you more.” John 15:9 says, “As the Father has loved me, SO HAVE I LOVED YOU. Now remain in my love.”

Or don’t you want to have a balanced life?

wd

I have a video where one of the actors says, “Welcome to my small slice of the wold…” A Real Estate advertisement says, “My little Corner of the world.” And then it carries on, “I’m not an apartment. Or a townhouse. And you won’t find me in a high rise, or…”

And what does the Bible say? (James-John-Peter-Paul) Click on the verses and read!

James 1:27

James 4:4

First John 2:15,16,17

Second Peter 1:4

Galatians 6:14

Second Timothy 4:10

THE PAST IS A GUIDEPOST, NOT A HITCHING POST.