Isaiah 54 The future glory of Zion

The Future Glory of Zion

54 “Sing, barren woman,
    you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
    you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
    than of her who has a husband,”
says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,
    stretch your tent curtains wide,
    do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
    strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
    your descendants will dispossess nations
    and settle in their desolate cities.

4 “Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.
    Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
    and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
5 For your Maker is your husband—
    the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
    he is called the God of all the earth.
6 The Lord will call you back
    as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,
    only to be rejected,” says your God.
7 “For a brief moment I abandoned you,
    but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
8 In a surge of anger
    I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
    I will have compassion on you,”
    says the Lord your Redeemer.

9 “To me this is like the days of Noah,
    when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.
So now I have sworn not to be angry with you,
    never to rebuke you again.
10 Though the mountains be shaken
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
    nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

11 “Afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
    I will rebuild you with stones of turquoise,[a]
    your foundations with lapis lazuli.
12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
    your gates of sparkling jewels,
    and all your walls of precious stones.
13 All your children will be taught by the Lord,
    and great will be their peace.
14 In righteousness you will be established:
Tyranny will be far from you;
    you will have nothing to fear.
Terror will be far removed;
    it will not come near you.
15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
    whoever attacks you will surrender to you.

16 “See, it is I who created the blacksmith
    who fans the coals into flame
    and forges a weapon fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc;
17     no weapon forged against you will prevail,
    and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
    and this is their vindication from me,”
declares the Lord.

Can't stop praising our Lord!

Proverbs 3:5-12 (NIV)

A prayer today Wednesday 8/07/2020

Heavenly father, thank you for a new day and for all our blessings. Thank you for looking after us during the night too.

Help us today, give us wisdom and patience, grand us peace and love through the anointing of your Holy Spirit.

May we not rely on our own abilities but seek you and wait for your answers.

Thank you for being your children and there is no favoritism nor distinction. 

Bless all our friends and families, all those who are in dire situations, remember where they are and may you switch their tears into smile and joy.

We ask you in the mighty name of Jesus-Christ Amen

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
    and nourishment to your bones.

9 Honor the Lord with your wealth,
    with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
    and your vats will brim over with new wine.

11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
    as a father the son he delights in.

Puffin Rock

Our three year old daughter loves a children's program called Puffin Rock; read on , click on the link 
Dreaming of the Country : Puffin Rock:

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...

Christian Time Management - Life, Hope & Truth

What God wants us to learn from time management

God wants us to become His children—to be like Him (Hebrews 2:10; 1 John 3:1-3)!

To become more like God, we need to learn to have His priorities. We need to learn to use those priorities to produce a plan for improving our lives and aligning them to God’s plan. And we need to put those plans into action. God’s priorities and plans always produce results, and so can ours.
Priorities

God reveals to us what is truly most important in life. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

The Kingdom of God is the perfect government of God that will bring peace and plenty to this earth when Jesus Christ returns. We must be preparing for that time now. Seeking God’s righteousness means striving to live the right way—obeying God’s beneficial laws that are based on God’s love. (Study more about these priorities in our article “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God.”)

The end of Matthew 6:33 reveals an amazing thing about God’s priorities. If we put what God says is important first, the other things we need and want will be added to us as well!

Read on, follow this link here. I found this interesting website: www.lifehopeandtruth.com . Have a blessed evening my friends. N.

10 + things to do if you and your children are bored during the holidays

Why don't you...take the time to check who JESUS really was! Check out the truth of the gospels.  Take some steps of faith!

1.  Listen in to Jesus' Parables
2.   Begin a new life with God i.e. read this New Testament that you took back home (last hols in Devon)
3.    Ask a question i.e. find a vicar and ask him/her those questions about life that keep bothering you...
4.   Give to the homeless 
5. Pray for a friend
6. Light a light
7. Throw away a stone
8. Look at the cross
9.  Get with creation
10. Visit a church
11. Follow a prayer recipe What is praying? something complex? not at all
12. Don't worry Jesus himself gives us this advice!
13. Make a "why God ? " list
14. Join a local church course
15. Pray for an enemy
16. Give up something that matters 
17. Repent! I did and I felt so much better
18. Forgive someone and start anew 

Inspired by the rejesus website, click here and your life will be turned uspside down for the better! Don't forget to let us know how you got on! N.

Who am I ?

Right, I was on twitter, mainly to read some comments on Matthew 11:28-30. However I got distracted so it gives me great pleasure to share with  you this video-clip. Powerful and to the point! Does it touch you too? Are you fed up of wanting to please others for instance? Are we defined by our successes or our failures? Let me know if you are enjoying it too! 

A word of encouragement tonight

Galatians 6:9-10

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Can we get tired of doing good? Paul must have thought so and he provides us with this encouragement. Relationships are so precious that you try not to fall out with anybody. However, at times, it is going to be difficult since our friends may not like what we say to them. So we must ask the Holy Spirit to help us, to guide us, and let him speak through us. 

When I used to live in the Isle of Man, I was out for a walk with a group of friends and  we all had our children with us. I remember that my friend (who happened to be the pastor's wife) noticed that my youngest daughter was ignoring me and not following any instructions I was saying. So she told me and added that I should be stricter with her. She was right of course but at the time it upset me. When I look back on those days before I knew Jesus, I thought that I was good even when all the evidence pointed at me being a 'fool' (as in the Proverbs)..I also was completely blind. Still the awesome reality was that the Lord loved me then and my friend was helping me. Now, Jesus loved us so much that he was obedient to his Father and died on the cross for us. He showed us the way so let us persevere and keep loving others no matter what even if it's hard at times (!) Have a blessed evening.

Against child trafficking? support TEARFUND

No more child trafficking

SPIRITUAL PASSION

At TEARFUND, we’re Christians committed to following Jesus where the need is greatest. God has called us to serve those living in poverty, regardless of race, gender, nationality or religious belief.

We know the gospel has the power to transform lives and heal communities, we see this truth in our work every day. God isn’t giving up on the poor, neither are we.
Trafficking is the fastest growing crime in the world, ravaging the lives of 1.2 million children across the world every year. That number is set to rise, unless we stop it in its tracks. The good news is: we can.

Watch this film to find out how Christians are turning the tide of trafficking in one Lao village. There is a road that leads to Thailand. To the desperate girls in this small village in Laos it can look like a tempting prospect. The idea of a better life, just over the mountains, can seem like a dream come true. But for many, it’s the beginning of a nightmare.
Nang lives with her parents and three sisters in a small village in Laos on the border of Thailand. She’s 12 years old. She has one year of school left. Even though she enjoys school, life is hard. She wants to be a nurse when she grows up but the reality is that staying in education isn’t an option for her. Her parents can’t afford it. There are some things Nang doesn’t want. She says, ‘I don’t want to be poor. Now we are very poor. I just want to stop being poor and have many things.’

Asked what her hopes are for the future, she laughs. The interpreter tells us that’s a very hard question for Laos people. Here most people have so few prospects that the possibility of something else for their lives is beyond them. They have no real hope.

And this lack of hope puts girls like Nang in serious danger.

To support TEARFUND, click on this link TEARFUND, Have a blessed week-end. 

The Gospel in 6 minutes

Perseverance

By perseverance the snail reached the arch - Charles Spurgeon

This is so reassuring to hear this quote. I'm reading a very encouraging book by Janet Thompson. 

Have a blessed evening. N.

Friendship is a blessing ...

 Today I went to EMA airport to pick up our French friends 

coming from La Gironde. They brought us a lovely weather,

 it was sunny all day. After the chef Etienne bbq, 

we went for a walk by the canal and Shugborough. 

They found the bridge there quite quaint and different! 

The birds were devouring the seeds happily.

Tomorrow, we are off to Birmingham for a change of scenery, 

from the quiet rural place where we live to a busy and hectic town. 

I told them that I know a vintage place not far from the centre and 

hopefully they will find some souvenirs to take back to their loved ones.

I am glad that Oceane has accepted to be a translator too! 

You can guess who is the one not bothering speaking French at all! lol

Have a blessed evening. N.

In the news: Pass It On

Who built the ark? It’s a good question for many of today’s parents and children, who are “unaware” of Bible stories. Almost three in 10 children do not know that the story of the birth of Jesus is a Biblical tale, research by the Bible Society found.

And many others are unable to identify Adam and Eve or Noah’s Ark as Christian stories.

Although many parents believe it is important for their children to be aware of what is written in the Bible, large numbers of youngsters have never read, seen or heard some of its most well-known stories.

The Bible Society said that these findings point to a decrease in Bible literacy and show that while many people still place great importance on the book, little is being done to promote it.

In the survey of 800 eight to 15-year-olds and around 1,100 parents, 29 per cent of children didn’t realise that the Nativity came from the Bible.

One in five (20 per cent) didn’t identify Noah’s Ark as a religious story and 19 per cent didn’t recognise Adam and Eve.

But almost one in 10 (9 per cent) incorrectly though that the stories of King Midas and Icarus came from the Bible, while 6 per cent thought the story of Hercules was contained in the book.

Nearly a quarter of children (23 per cent) had never read, seen or heard Noah’s Ark, along with 25% for the Nativity, 38% for Adam and Eve and 43% for the Crucifixion.

And parents did not fare much better. Nearly half of those questioned (46 per cent) failed to recognise Noah's Ark as a Bible story, while around a third were unsure of or did not recognise the tales of David and Goliath (31 per cent) and Adam and Eve (30 per cent).

Adults also confused modern day literature with the Bible. The report found that almost half (43%) of parents whose children had seen, heard or read Bible stories said it was important for a child to do so because these tales provided good values, while two in five (40%) thought these stories were important to our history and culture.

Three in 10 (30%) said it was important to ensure that classic stories and books were passed on to future generations.

It also revealed that over a quarter of children (28%) said they would like to read, hear or see more Bible stories.

The Bible Society published the research to mark the launch of its new Pass It On campaign, which aims to encourage parents to keep the Bible alive by passing on its stories to their children.

James Catford, group chief executive of Bible Society, said: "It's clear that parents want to give their children the best start in life. "The Bible's contribution to our culture - language, literature, the visual arts and music - is immense. "It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from.

"The Bible enriches life, and every child should have the opportunity to experience it.

"If we don't use the Bible, we risk losing it.

"We're calling on parents to pass it on." 

Have a blessed week. Yours in Christ, N.

 Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/children-and-parents-dont-recognise-famous-bible-stories-9114255.html

Sex, Marriage, Fairytales

Jefferson Bethke - Sex, Marriage, Fairytales || Spoken Word – Lyrics

Sex Marriage and Fairytales Words: When a video like this comes out many people will want to be able to read and evaluate the words. Here are the words to Jefferson Bethke’s new spoken word poem called, Sex, Marriage, &  Fairytales.

Disney Movies and Chick Flicks they put us in a weird position,
They’ve distorted our reality because we forget they are actually fiction.

Because in marriage we either get better or bitter, either joy or remorses,
What we’re doing isn’t working just look at the rate of the divorces.

So how’s your marriage? I mean common let’s be honest,
It seams more like a prison than the paradise they were promised.

We thought marriage was supposed to fulfil us and make us happy not lonely,
But the truth is God’s main purpose is making you holy.

You say, no one told me, it feels so odd,
Where dating feels like a vacation, while marriage feels like a job.

Yet the secret of joy if we just pull back the façade,
is realising most problems arise when we elevate our spouse to God.

Without knowing it we’ve fulfilled Romans 1:25,
By our actions exchanging truth about God for a lie.

We exchanged God for lesser created things,
It’s like a husband trading his wife for a 2D image on a screen.

Hoping it will set us free just to find out in the fumes we’re chocking,
Because if your marriage rests on anything but Jesus it’s resting on something broken.

Yet guys continually sacrifice their marriage on the alter of sex and lust,
I mean if our dollars were honest they’d say “In Pleasure We Trust”.

So men grow up, put down the controller,
How bout you lead her with grace instead of trying to control her.

Now I’ve never been married but I’m a product of one that was non existent,
So don’t tell me I don’t understand the pain, Don’t tell me I don’t get it.

So to the singles, become friends first before you ever become lovers,
Peruse Jesus as your foundation, before you get under the covers.

Because believe me a strong friendship before marriage will make a good marriage after,
Marriage isn’t just sex, it’s converstation and laughter.

I mean some spouses barely even like each other and the marriage seams like a dead end,
You might share a check-book and house but are you actually friends?

I mean if marriage isn’t a commitment then what’s the point of the vows we say,
Till death do us part really means until the feelings go away.

Like I’ll stay with him, but only until it gets tough and my love shifts,
But I say imagine if a parent took that perspective with their kids.

Can’t you see it, the minute the kid spills something on the floor,
the mom saying forget it, I don’t even love you any-more.

No it’s just like marriage to last you need the strength from above,
Because it’s not the love that sustains the promise, it’s the promise that sustains the love.

I mean think about it, out of anyone who has actually had the right to leave,
God had every reason in the world but he came for you and me.

And on the cross he paid it all took our shame and set us free,
when He could have called down legions of angels, He chose to stay on that tree.

From the cross he looks at you in the eye and says I’m taking this for my bride,
When you trust in Me, you no longer have to hide.

Because of Me it is finished, you have been made new,
You’re spotless you’re blameless there’s no sin in you.

Because His death was a proposal he wanted you no matter the cost,
Where some guys propose on a knee, Jesus proposed on a cross.

So read Ephesians 5 whether husband or wife,
wife honor your husbands, husbands give up your life.

Just like Jesus gave Himself up for His bride the church,
So men lead by serving, by putting her first.

So die to self put your flesh on a life sentence,
Because you don’t fall out of love, as much as you fall out of Repentance.

A dad who loves his daughters.. to share in the UK!

The story behind the trail of Mackintosh's short-shorts photo is as old as the Internet, beginning when
his daughter posted it on Tumblr; and as of Thursday it has received over 130,000 notes from fans of the image. “My mom told me to change my ‘slutty’ shorts before we went to dinner,” was how daughter Myley described the photo. “I said no. So my dad cut his jeans to fit in. We went to dinner and then mini golf like this.”   
Then Mackintosh, a father of seven, published his side of the story on his wife's blog, Becky Mack’s Blog of Mild Chaos. He wrote:  “I know the world has varying degrees of what is modest and what is not when it comes to clothing. In our family we have pretty definite modesty guidelines; No mid-drift or low-cut shirts, no short-shorts, short skirts and we even go as far as saying no sleeveless shirts unless playing sports or on the beach. Having raised four daughters and three sons, I’m a bit protective. Some may call me old fashion, but I call it “A Dad who loves his daughters” (and sons too) I know some of you may be rolling your eyes and that’s okay, my daughter does it all the time. I’m a firm believer that the way we dress sends messages about us, and it influences the way we and others act.”
That said, he went on to describe how the short-shorts incident began one evening as the family prepared to head out to dinner and to play some mini-golf. His wife, Becky, asked Myley to change out of her inappropriately short cutoffs, but she refused.

“Instead of turning her response and disrespectful attitude into a major battle, I decided to make a ‘small’ statement on how her short-shorts maybe aren’t as ‘cute’ as she thinks!” Mackintosh wrote. That’s when he cut almost the entire legs off of an old pair of jeans and pulled them on, certain that his point would be instantly made. But Myley didn’t even notice at first; she remained stoic all through dinner and mini golf, but finally broke when they made a stop for post-game milkshakes, refusing to get out of the car with him.

“There was no ‘Dad I get it’ or ‘Dad you’re the best…. thanks for that awesome lesson,” he admitted. “I don’t think my object lesson of ‘modest is hottest’ made the statement I had intended. But no matter if social media gets the story mixed up and twisted, my daughter will always know that her dad loves her and cares about her enough to make a fool out of himself.”
He later told local KSL News, “She’s dressed a little better since then, yes she has.”
And fellow parents have been impressed with Mackintosh's attempt to get his message across, with Twitter fans writing, “Drastic, but brilliant measures” and “Good dad!” On Becky's blog, one 19-year-old fan wrote, “I just wanted to thank you, your caring husband, your sweet sons, and the rest of your family so much for setting an example for the whole world.”

What can I say! This dad is brave and he is setting the example. Share this here in the UK, drop me a line pls.

Dancing with Matt?

At the beginning of the week, my hubby asked me where is Matt? I was pretty busy and kind of said, err who is Matt? and got on with what I was doing. Finally Steve sent me the link to the video and the question is actually, where the hell is Matt! Don't ask me why..Just enjoy because after a while, when you start watching the video, you just want to laugh! Hope it's not just me!

A bit of background found on the site:

Matt mostly just danced in front of iconic landmarks, but along the way he went to a country called Rwanda, and since there aren't any landmarks in Rwanda that you'd want to dance in front of, instead he just went to a small village and danced with a bunch of kids. The kids joined him immediately and without hesitation. That ended up being the best thing that happened to him on the trip. The kids taught him that people are a whole lot more interesting than old landmarks and monuments.

Matt went back to Stride and told them he did it all wrong and they needed to send him around the planet again. They said, "Okay," and in 2008 he put out another video that showed thousands of people laughing, smiling, and goofing around together. It took him five years and three tries, but he finally got it right that time.

The internet exploded. Matt briefly went from quasi-famous to not-entirely-un-famous. Visa hired him to do his dance in a series of TV ads that air across Asia and the Middle East, which introduced him to a thing called "Business Class," and meant he didn't have to worry so much about money anymore. He settled down with Melissa in Seattle, Washington and bought a house.

Goat for dinner

The young couple invited their aged pastor for Sunday dinner. 

While they were in the kitchen preparing the meal, the minister asked their son what they were having.

 "Goat," the little boy replied.     

 "Goat?" replied the startled man of the cloth, "Are you sure about that?"   

 "Yep," said the youngster.

 "I heard Pa say to Ma, 'Might as well have the old goat for dinner today as any other day.'"