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I live in a working-class suburb of Athens. Its folk are plain and unassuming and on the whole easy to get along compared to wealthier areas where aloofness is the order of the day. I make it a point to spend a few hours every day outdoors, walking in and around a parc nearby. This routine has its advantages, except of course, the physical benefits one should watch out for when approaching the three score and ten age mark. Some months ago, during my daily walk, I came across a lady, close to my age, who was engaged in fervent conversation with a friend. The subject was the importance of faith in our lives. As I was passing by, she greeted me warmly and I responded. I became party to the discussion which in fact she directed using plain arguments backed by verses from the New Testament. She knew her Bible by heart. For the sake of anonymity, I will call this lady Maria, as she confessed that she prays to the Mother of Jesus who actually heeds to her supplications. Two things struck me in Maria whom I saw again yesterday pushing an overloaded market trolley on her way home: her unshakeable faith, and her natural stare. A stare I haven't seen in people half her age ― a youthful, bright stare brimming with kindness and trust. When she first looked at me, I felt that she stared much deeper, not as an inquisitive person would, but as someone who’s there to encourage and embolden having spotted a hidden anxiety. Her eyes radiated a kind of dynamic solace ― Have faith and everything will work out, but you must pray every day! Put your trust in God! Her exact words uttered not ex cathedra but at street level. My experience with Maria, whose devotion I’m sure Kierkegaard would have praised, reminds me of an incident in the great man's life. A man who regularly attended Mass on Sundays knocked on the philosopher’s door one morning to seek advice on the right way to believe in God. By that time the Danish theologian had written most of his religious works and was living in quiet seclusion but close to the common man whom he saw as his main task in life. To the visitor's question as to what a Christian should read and how he ought to live, Kierkegaard replied: "Read your New Testament, apply it in your life, and pray, my good fellow!" Not altogether different from Maria's message to me, conveyed by her eyes, confirmed by her words. Costas Nisiotis
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Good fruit8/13/2022 Have we repented of our past and become new creations in Christ? Then may our behaviour indicate that we now belong to the Saviour. John the Baptist states the actions that reflect we are followers of Christ. We are to consider the needs of others by sharing generously (verse 11); we are to be content with what we have rather than being greedy for gain (verse 13); we are, to be honest, displaying integrity in all our dealings (verse 13) and we are to treat others fairly, in the same way, we would want others to treat us (verse 14). Yet this behaviour can’t be done in our own strength. We may be willing, we have such good intentions, but on our own, we will not succeed. However, the Holy Spirit empowers, enables and equips us for a new way of living with each other. The Spirit urges and reveals how we can have a genuine love for one another. John’s words can be a reality lived out amongst our friends, family and the wider community as we earnestly seek the guidance of the indwelling Spirit. The Spirit’s enduring presence means we have all power and knowledge and guarantees that we can do all things that bring praise and honour to our Heavenly Father. ‘Father thank you that you abide with me. Holy Spirit change my heart. Give me a deep love for others so that I might use the newfound freedom I have in Christ, not for self-indulgence or gain, but to serve others in love, considering how to be generous, truthful and fair towards those I meet today.’ by Jennifer Woodley
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What is saving faith?8/11/2022 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8 KJV). Multitudes profess a kind of ‘religious’ Christian faith, but there’s a distinction to be made between a merely ‘religious’ faith and a biblical faith that saves. Saving faith happens when we learn to look away from ourselves and place our full confidence in the glorious merits of Christ and the undeserved kindness of God. The true believer in Jesus understands outside of God's grace there is no power to do anything spiritually good just as Jesus taught his disciples, "…without me ye can do nothing," (John 15:5b KJV). For this reason, the believer in Jesus is careful not to depend on his own efforts to save himself, but looks to Christ to do for him what he cannot do for himself. Simply put, saving faith becomes the channel whereby God streams his grace and favor toward those who trust and believe His word. Don't substitute religious faith for saving faith. The Apostle Paul reminds us, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV). Toni Babcock
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The right order8/7/2022 ‘And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”’ (NRSV) God works in our lives according to his schedule. We must not reorganize it according to ours. And if we do try and force our agenda, well the results can be less than satisfying, resulting in disappointment and frustration. God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit then our Saviour began his ministry. One event, then the next, in the right order. Jesus was in no hurry, but waited until God showed him the right timing of all activity and he submitted in obedience. Jesus, our example, waited well. We are prone to be anxious, to want to get on with the next thing. Waiting appears to be like doing nothing. But that is not the case. God is always at work. Whilst externally things seem to be standing still, God is working all events out for our good (Romans 8:28). We must trust the invisible, mysterious work of God even when it seems like nothing is happening. We are called according to his purpose and need to let this purpose unfold in the correct sequence. Let’s repent of our disobedient inclinations that cause us to run ahead of our Father’s timing. Instead, we can pray for patience, wisdom and the faith to believe in His perfect plan. Father help me to follow the example of your Son, who lived his earthly life following your timing and the promptings of the Spirit. Forgive me for running ahead and taking matters into my own hands. Give me patience, wisdom and the faith to trust in your plan for my life. Jennifer Woodley
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The dark night8/2/2022 “If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around will be night” — even the darkness is not dark to you. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to you,” (Psalm 139 11-12 CSB). Believers sometimes refer to “a dark night of the soul” when God appears to be absent. But God is never really far. The Psalms assure us an ‘all-knowing, ever-present’ God continually surrounds the believer (Psalm 139 CSB). Yet there can be circumstances in our lives that appear to hide Him. Perhaps the most obvious would be when we run toward sin while running away from God. Of course, God will seem far away when we are running away from Him! God redeemed us for holiness of heart and mind — to flee from evil toward Him and do that which is good. A second circumstance would be the harboring of unbelief in the heart. The writer to the Hebrews exhorts the Christian, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God,” (Hebrews 3:12 NKJV). There again — it is an unfaithful heart that has decided to depart from God, not an unfaithful God who has decided to depart from us. A third circumstance is being ‘double-minded’ so that one cannot receive the wisdom or revelation that comes from God. To such, it’s no wonder God appears to be absent. (James 1:5-8 NKJV). Finally, our faith could be tested through an affliction, be it of the mind or of the body, when we suffer physical or emotional pain, or a major loss of health, or we lose a friend or family member to some tragedy of ill fate. But God is near; most likely working ‘behind the scenes’, (Isaiah 45:15 MSG). “Truly, O God of Israel, our Saviour, you work in mysterious ways,” (Isaiah 45:15 NLT). Such are the times to look above and ask a very present God what He has to teach. by Toni Babcock
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A 'Cross' kind of love8/1/2022 A typical definition of what love brings might be, “Love brings me happiness, fulfilment, meaning, and a purpose for living…” There is nothing wrong with any of these attributes of love. Nothing. But God’s definition of what love brings, particularly in our relationships, runs deeper than that. First and foremost, God describes a love that’s not cantered on the self or the will, but toward either side of itself — a love that also points to heaven. That means this kind of love is shaped like a cross. A ‘cross’ kind of love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” — it’s a self-sacrificing kind of love that “never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:7-8a NKJV) Blessed is the man or woman, boy or girl, who has experienced that kind of love. It is a love that comes from God through the people who are possessed by Him. Do our lives confess we are possessed by Him? Heaven knows it’s only God who helps us understand who we are in the flesh and what we’ve done to offend Him. Only God can transform us through the redeeming love of Christ, His Son. Only then can we administer the kind of grace that looks past other people’s sins and grants the same kind of enduring love to others. It is a ‘cross’ kind of love that “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” — a self-sacrificing kind of love from Jesus Christ that never fails. Toni Babcock
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Becoming still7/29/2022 ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.’ Luke 10:38a (NRSV) Still is a lonely word in a culture of movement. Most of us are so driven by urges and compulsions, demands and distractions that we are unable to practice stillness. But in order to hear from God, we must relearn the discipline of stillness. For many of us, it will be hard work. It is far easier to remain in a constantly distracted state of perpetual motion. A jar of river water when shaken up is a swirling mass of muddy, sandy particles. Nothing is clear, nothing is distinguishable. This state is not unlike our own lives. There is often so much happening that we can’t make sense of anything. However, given time to settle, the swirling mess is distilled. In stillness, a clearing occurs. The water is made pure as the sand and pebbles separate to the bottom. In His presence, we too can settle, where we are able to sort through the swirl of emotions, urges and demands in order to discern what God says is good and true for us. Becoming still takes time and patience. Yet when we respond to the urges and compulsions in our lives, we become more distracted and shaken up. A muddy, cloudy concoction that is unable to clearly hear God’s voice or discern his working in our lives. Are we ready to be distilled? To find stillness in His presence? Are we willing to respond to his calling that simply says, ‘there is a need of only one thing?’ We must be still to know God. There is no other way. “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations; I am exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (NRSV) by Jennifer Woodley
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A single seed7/25/2022 ‘I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.’ John 12:24 (NIV) A single seed of wheat will only ever be just that unless it is buried deep into the soil. Here a mystery unfolds. Lying in the rich humus, the grain will die and then miraculously sprout over time, becoming a blade of wheat laden with much grain. This is a beautiful picture of what Jesus would endure in regards to His death and resurrection. However, this parable concerns believers also. Our lives will not be anything significant until we are prepared to die to our selfishness. As God’s chosen children we are called not to live lives of selfish indulgence but dynamic lives of self-giving. Releasing control of our lives and giving control to God means we will move from self-focus to focusing on the needs of others. The fertile soil of self-surrender is the ground in which fruitful works emerge. Christ’s life was rich with works that spoke of His selfless nature. Jesus was the single grain that bore plentiful fruit which nourished others over and over again. What holds us back? Consider the blessings we rob from ourselves, others, and God when we fail to die to self. ‘Father, I acknowledge my selfishness. Thank you for the example of Jesus who shows me what it means to die to self. Forgive me for being self-absorbed. Help me to die to myself, so that others will experience your love. Amen.’ Jennifer Woodley
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The banquet7/21/2022 “I tell you, not one of these men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.” (Luke 14:24 NIV) The man at the table with Jesus realized the beauty of His Kingdom and was pleased to acknowledge the blessing of being at the Lord’s feast. As he had a willingness to understand, Jesus took him to a greater depth of understanding. An invitation to join the Kingdom is open to all who will come. Just like the man with many invited guests, God has laid an open invitation to His great banquet. It’s the feast of the Spirit for the soul, as the soul recognizes the one who created it and rejoices in the Spirit’s presence. But sadly, all whom the man had invited didn’t show up, being occupied in their own business. For them, it wasn’t a matter of pleasure. The Spirit is ready to give, but sadly the flesh is too busy minding its own matters. The Lord invites us to his great banquet, in which He serves Life. Our Lord says, “Come for everything is now ready” (Luke 14:17 NIV) but the flesh has excuses to make (Luke 14:18-20 NIV). The flesh has no time to spare, or heart to receive, neither ears to hear nor eyes to see. Who is at a loss? The Spirit? By no means. But we seldom understand the spiritual depth of decisions we make. Great is the gift of free will but the carnal flesh fails to choose wisely. You are personally invited to be a part of the ‘banquet of life’ where on the menu they serve agape love, peace, joy, laughter, contentment, security with honour and respect. It doesn’t matter which group or culture you happen to belong to, it’s open for all. Choose to be a part of the lavish banquet that the Lord has in store for you. Respond to His gracious call with saving faith, and make a decision to be there. Here is your invitation: 'And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ Acts 2:21 NIV Deepika Emmanuel Sagar
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A tale of two towers7/10/2022 “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Psalm 18:2). AV The Old Testament book of Genesis tells the story of how, at a time when all the people of the earth dwelt together and spoke one common language, they decided to build a city, called Babel, with a tower whose top would reach up to heaven (Genesis 11:1-9). We are told that they wanted to ‘make a name for themselves’ (4), to call attention to their own power and abilities; instead of giving glory to God. The famous Tower of Babel remains a symbol of man trusting in his own wisdom and relying on his own strength. However, their plans were built on a very poor foundation, because they leaned to their own understanding. Their pride and arrogance soon brought swift judgement from God (8-9). Sometimes we can be just like those people back then. We often lean to our own understanding, refusing to seek God’s will or to simply trust him to guide us in the way he wants us to go. It is precisely because we don’t always know God’s will that we find it so hard to trust him. What if what he wants for us is different from what we want for ourselves? We want a relationship with God but we tend to want to have it on our own terms. Like the people who decided to build the tower of Babel, we desire to get to heaven, but we want to make our own way there. We want to be in control of our own destiny. The writer of the Book of Proverbs advises us: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). In another place, the writer of Proverbs informs us that “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it...” (18:10). The reality is that we already have a tower that reaches to heaven. We don’t have to build our own. From the vantage point of this tower, we can see beyond our present distresses and difficulties. From this high and lofty shelter, we can view the world and its problems in a new and different way and we can find rest and security, peace and strength within its walls. The storms of life cannot reach us here. Our Saviour, Jesus, is our tower. The apostle Paul says that it is Jesus who takes us up and sits us down together “in heavenly places.” (Ephesians. 2:6). As the psalmist says, God is our high tower, the one in whom we can trust. Richard Dempsey
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Laugh LinesStory Lines |
8/14/2022
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