31/05/2015

God's steadfast love



How do we know that God loves us? At times, we feel lonely and miserable, unable to function, however the thought of being loved by our Father in heaven is balm on our wounds. 

All the following verses in the Bible, the word of God, tell us so. Remember that 'All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:17

- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 
Romans 5:8 

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 1 John 4:16

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 8:37-39 - No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:4-5 - But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved ...

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 
1 Peter 5:6-7 

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3: 17-19

 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. 
Psalm 86:15 

 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. 
Zephaniah 3:17 




14/05/2015

Love your neighbour: Mission dedication service


Love your neighbour: Mission dedication service: Monday's speaker was Revd Philip Swan, Director of World Mission in the Diocese of Lichfield. I will just share the key points of his...


11/05/2015

My soul is so dry

Picture

Lord...
My soul is so dry that by itself it cannot pray;
Yet you can squeeze from it the juice of a thousand prayers.

My soul is so parched that by itself it cannot love;
Yet you can draw from it boundless love for you
and for my neighbour.

My soul is so cold that by itself it has no joy;
Yet you can light the fire of heavenly joy within me.

My soul is so feeble that by itself it has no faith;
Yet by your power my faith grows to a great height.

Thank you for prayer, for love, for joy, for faith;
Let me always be prayerful, loving, joyful, faithful.

Guigo the Carthusian, died 1188

Guigo was a Carthusian monk in the 12th Century (1140-1193) who elaborated on St. Benedict’s practice of Lectio Divina from the 6th Century. The Carthusians were a contemplative, ascetic religious order of monks founded in the early 12th century.
Guigo knew the sweetness of meditating on Bible passages and he wrote about this almost 900 years ago in his book, The Ladder of Monks. 
You don’t have to be a monk to climb the ladder of monks that stretch up into the heavens! His words set the table with the manna from heaven that we all hunger for!
Jacob's Ladder Meditation

This morning, I picked up 'Just as I am' by Ruth Etchells, a wonderful prayer book that I enjoyed reading a few years ago. And as I read the above prayer I wanted to know a  bit more about the author, Guigo the Carthusian. 
Have a blessed day!

04/05/2015

Divine meditation.


The Art of Divine Meditation by Joseph Hall

Joseph Hall endeavored to teach the art of meditation. It is a heavenly business that does benefit the soul! 

Joseph tells us that it is wrong to conceal meditation from many, for its benefit may  be universal.
This is the kind of meditation pursued by the divine psalmist who upon viewing the glorious frame of the heavens was led to wonder at the merciful respect God had toward so lowly a creature as man.

His view is that 'some of the ancient monks proved so excellent in this divine business because they intermixed bodily labour with their contemplations! 

Joshua 1:8

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.