14/01/2014

Who is the Rock?

Psalm 18 . 1 I love you, Lord, my strength.(B)
The Lord is my rock,(C) my fortress(D) and my deliverer;(E)
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(F)
    my shield[b](G) and the horn[c] of my salvation,(H) my stronghold.
I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(I)
    and I have been saved from my enemies.(J)
The cords of death(K) entangled me;
    the torrents(L) of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death(M) confronted me.
In my distress(N) I called to the Lord;(O)
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;(P)
    my cry came(Q) before him, into his ears.
The earth trembled(R) and quaked,(S)
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;(T)
    they trembled because he was angry.(U)
Smoke rose from his nostrils;(V)
    consuming fire(W) came from his mouth,
    burning coals(X) blazed out of it.
He parted the heavens and came down;(Y)
    dark clouds(Z) were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim(AA) and flew;
    he soared(AB) on the wings of the wind.(AC)
11 He made darkness his covering,(AD) his canopy(AE) around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence(AF) clouds advanced,
    with hailstones(AG) and bolts of lightning.(AH)
13 The Lord thundered(AI) from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.[d]
14 He shot his arrows(AJ) and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning(AK) he routed them.(AL)
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations(AM) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,(AN) Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.(AO)
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.(AP)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,(AQ)
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.(AR)
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,(AS)
    but the Lord was my support.(AT)
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;(AU)
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.(AV)
20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(AW)
    according to the cleanness of my hands(AX) he has rewarded me.(AY)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;(AZ)
    I am not guilty of turning(BA) from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;(BB)
    I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless(BC) before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(BD)
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful(BE) you show yourself faithful,(BF)
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure(BG) you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(BH)
27 You save the humble(BI)
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.(BJ)
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp(BK) burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.(BL)
29 With your help(BM) I can advance against a troop[e];
    with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect:(BN)
    The Lord’s word is flawless;(BO)
    he shields(BP) all who take refuge(BQ) in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?(BR)
    And who is the Rock(BS) except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength(BT)
    and keeps my way secure.(BU)
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(BV)
    he causes me to stand on the heights.(BW)
34 He trains my hands for battle;(BX)
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains(BY) me;
    your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path(BZ) for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.(CA)
37 I pursued my enemies(CB) and overtook them;
    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them(CC) so that they could not rise;(CD)
    they fell beneath my feet.(CE)
39 You armed me with strength(CF) for battle;
    you humbled my adversaries(CG) before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs(CH) in flight,
    and I destroyed(CI) my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them(CJ)
    to the Lord, but he did not answer.(CK)
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;(CL)
    I trampled them[f] like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
    you have made me the head of nations.(CM)
People I did not know(CN) now serve me,
44     foreigners(CO) cower before me;
    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;(CP)
    they come trembling(CQ) from their strongholds.(CR)
46 The Lord lives!(CS) Praise be to my Rock!(CT)
    Exalted be God(CU) my Savior!(CV)
47 He is the God who avenges(CW) me,
    who subdues nations(CX) under me,
48     who saves(CY) me from my enemies.(CZ)
You exalted me above my foes;
    from a violent man(DA) you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;(DB)
    I will sing(DC) the praises of your name.(DD)
50 He gives his king great victories;
    he shows unfailing love to his anointed,(DE)
    to David(DF) and to his descendants forever.(DG)

Jesus is My Rock
    Chorus:
    Jesus is My Rock and He rolls my blues away
    Jesus is My Rock and He rolls my blues away
    Jesus is My Rock and He rolls my blues away
    When you wake up in the morning and your skies ain't bright and blue
    When you wake up in the morning and the big world's after you
    When you wake up in the morning my Jesus will see you through
    Chorus
    When you're out in the street and you're feeling down and low
    When you're out in the street and you've really no place to go
    When you're out in the street my Jesus will save your soul

    I love that song! Have a blessed evening. N. 

12/01/2014

His love is constant

With these words we lift our heads above our individual struggles and come in imagination to the Temple. 'All the earth is invited (v 1) You are probably reading this alone at home but imagine yourself coming in a great joyful crowd. You are probably reading silently, but in imagination shout and sing (vs 1,2) This is exuberant joyful worship.

The other nations worshipped gods who were territorial, vengeful, unpredictable, remote and unconcerned with humankind.
 Our God revealed himself to Moses not only as 'just and right', as we noted in Psalm 99 but also as one whose love and faithfulness endure for ever (v 5). The two words, love and faithfulness are often found in the Old Testament in conjunction with the words 'justice' and 'righteousness'.

God loves us! His love is not like the human love that evaporates when the lover finds a more attractive object for his or her affections, or turns its back in anger when the person loved offends.

We do not constantly need to worry about losing God's affection. His love is constant and faithful. It is covenant love. When we sin and repent God forgives. Maybe human relationships have scarred us. Come to your heavenly Father and learn what love can be.

No wonder there is joy. This joy, like the Father's love is not like its human counterpart. It is not dependent on transient blessings. It is based on our covenant relationship with the God who loves us. Nothing can take away this joy from the believer.
Have a blessed Sunday. Yours in Christ. N.
Source: Encounter with God. Scripture union

11/01/2014

How many are your works, O Lord!


God's wisdom and powers are seen in nature

Romans 1:20

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities‑his eternal power and divine nature‑have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Psalm 104:24‑25

How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number‑‑living things both large and small.

Psalm 145:3‑7

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty

acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate

on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and

I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and

joyfully sing of your righteousness.

Job 9:2‑7

Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can a mortal be righteous before God? Though one wished to dispute with him, he could not answer him one time out of a thousand. His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed? He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars.

07/01/2014

Beauty isn't..

Beauty isn't having a beautiful face. 
It's about having a beautiful mind, a good heart and a kind soul. Have a blessed and peaceful night. 

04/01/2014

Err, what's the name of this rapace please?

This morning, as I was about to do my bible reading, I was admiring the many birds in the garden. Last night I put some breadcrumbs out and I was able to count at least six types of birds, enjoying their feed. Then came the squirrels equally busy looking for nuts. At that moment, Camille started to type and all the birds left. I thought that was strange. How could a tiny noise like that scare them so much that they would leave? Suddenly on our fence, straight in front of me, I saw it, a proud sparrow hawk. Zut alors! No camera around! A missed opportunity! Still I decided to risk it, ran silently upstairs, snatched my camera and ran downstairs on my tiptoes. I went out. All I could hear was the sound of annoyed and scared birds warning each other of danger. And then I saw it again, in my friend Sue's garden, perched on the feeder! He stooped but missed and came back on the perch, almost posing!
Have a blessed week-end, the first of 2014.
bullfinch
Sparrow hawk in my friend Sue's garden







02/01/2014

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.

Have a blessed New Year 2014

At times I wished I'd kept a diary. We’ve been so busy that I struggle to remember what we’ve done since the school holidays started. I could do what I ask my form, a delightful year 8 class, about their week-end, give me two or three key-words. Once, Will raised his hand and said: x-box, x-box and x-box. He had everyone in stitches!
So, here are my three key-words, Praise, parties, family!
Praise the Lord for Jesus, the Saviour of all those who believe in Him and invite Him in their life, midnight service with friends and family,
parties, even carolling at the pub classifies as a big party, two wine and nibble parties, once after carolling in the street of Stowe, the other as a customary invite at our dear friends Jenny and Mike, I was also invited to watch a superb play in Nottingham, the 101 Dalmatians with my friends Sue and Phil, today was the ruby anniversary of our dear friends Sheila and Roy, tomorrow, another party, my hubby’s 21 x 3 birthday celebration!
family special time shopping in town for presents, having a gingerbread latte in Starbucks, opening presents and dining, watching some tv..
Finally, last nite, my dear hubby took me dining in our favorite restaurant in Stone, an italian place. Later on, we celebrated the end of 2013 with our dear friends, over champagne and pudding. Happy New Year and may the Lord bless you in abundance.

23/12/2013

For unto us, a Child is born, unto us a Son is given


Just before I am out to town for the last bits of shopping with Imo, I am enjoying a bit of classical music to the Messiah by Handel. This takes me back years ago when I used to live in Hastings where I was part of a choir. We prepared that piece of music.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
In those days, I was unaware of the link between the lyrics and Isaiah's prophecy, Isaiah 9-6.

I wish you all a blessed time at Christmas. May the Lord protect you, guide you and shine his face upon you during the festive time. In Jesus's name. Nicky

19/12/2013

Talk to God regularly, include him in everything -...

God1meover: Talk to God regularly, include him in everything -...:
In the beginning God made the heavens and the earth. (Gen 1:1)  With all this beauty in place God created man in his own image. (Gen 1:...

17/12/2013

Stop modern slavery and trafficking!

Call to end modern day slavery
Stop human trafficking
An anti-slavery coalition is calling on the government to add strong measures to the draft Modern Slavery Bill so it is effective and reduces trafficking and slavery.
The Evangelical Alliance and 14 other organisations make up the coalition, including A21 Campaign, CARE, The Salvation Army, Hope for Justice, Love 146, International Justice Mission and Stop the Traffik.
The coalition briefing calls for an end to modern slavery once and for all: "The transatlantic slave trade was banned in 1807 and slavery was abolished across the British Empire in 1834, yet it is still with us today. Children are sold into slavery to pay family debts; people pay for passage, only to be trafficked over borders and find forced labour conditions rather than freedom ... this must end."
Dr Dave Landrum, director of advocacy at the Evangelical Alliance, said: "For evangelicals this is unfinished business. We've been fighting slavery for hundreds of years, and we are still at it today. This bill needs to live up to its promise. It has the potential to tackle modern slavery but needs to listen to the campaign groups in order to achieve that aim. Together as organisations motivated by our Christian faith we call on the government to act and strengthen the bill so it can bring freedom to many caught in slavery."
The call comes today, as the government issues their draft of the Modern Slavery Bill and Frank Field MP publishes his evidence review
Following the publication of the Centre for Social Justice's report It Happens Here in March 2013, pressure has built for the government to introduce a new law. The proposals increase the maximum sentences and bring together offences currently dealt with under different strands of the legal system.
Churches are urged to meet with their MPs and encourage them to take a strong and uncompromising stance against all shades and forms of modern-day slavery when the bill comes up for debate at Westminster in 2014.

15/12/2013

There is a way out!


No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.(1 Cor. 10:13). 

12/12/2013

Who is this Jesus?

Jesus called God ‘Father’, but that was not unusual in itself.  All Jews rejoiced to see themselves as God’s children.  But Jesus talked about a unique relationship with God.  On one occasion in Jerusalem he declared, ‘I and the Father are one.’  The Jews were incensed by this apparent blasphemy, and would have killed him on the spot had he not been a quick thinker and a quick runner.



Jesus did not announce to people, ‘I am God.’ Instead he roused their curiosity until the point at which they were forced to think about whether he might be divine. It was contrary to Jewish thinking even to entertain that possibility. So when Jesus’ followers came to believe that Jesus was God they were thinking the unthinkable. But the evidence so overwhelmed them that they had no choice. Worshipping the risen Jesus was the only way they could make sense of what they had witnessed.

One of the accounts of Jesus’ life tells the story of a paralysed man being lowered through a ceiling to come to rest at his feet. The house was so packed with people who wanted to hear Jesus speak that it was the only way to attract his attention. The expectation was that Jesus would heal the man. Instead Jesus said to him, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’

The Jews were shocked because their belief was that only God could forgive sins. Jesus pointed out that to say those words was easy. It was working miracles that was difficult. He was implying that if he was able to heal the man in front of their eyes, they should have no difficulty believing that he was able to forgive him. At Jesus’ command, the man stood up and walked. Without saying as much, Jesus had challenged those who saw the event to believe that he was God, the only forgiver of sins.

Jesus never shied away from provocative statements. He called for absolute loyalty to him – the kind of loyalty that God demanded. ‘I am the way, the truth and the life,’ he declared. ‘No one comes to the Father except through me.’ But his call was not burdensome. He invited people to come to him for rest, and to go through their lives with him as a companion – not only in life but throughout eternity.

The claims of Jesus repeatedly pushed people to a point of decision. The Jewish leaders responded by seeking to stamp out his ideas. The followers of Jesus responded by rethinking everything they knew about the Jewish religion. When his resurrection put their beliefs beyond doubt, they became the first leaders of Christianity.
Do you want to find out more? visit this website, click here. Blessings.

Christmas starts with Christ

11/12/2013

3 best Christmas cards

Here is a selection of Christmas cards that I would consider the best. What about you, which cards did you buy this Christmas?
1 Tearfund Journeyingon. They have a message printed inside, Isaiah 9:6, For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Awesome!
Tearfund - Journeying On (Pack of 10)2
2 Tearfund, a pack of 20 Color in Christmas cards, ideal for families with children, 
Tearfund - Colour-In Christmas Cards (Pack of 20)
3 Share the story,  
Cover: Sharing the Story
Inside: May the miracle of Christmas shine in your heart all year.
Scripture: "When they saw the star they rejoiced." - Matthew 2:10
Sharing the Story Boxed Christmas CardsWhat about you, which cards did you buy this Christmas?What are your favorite?
Tonight, I went to the college MFL party and had a great time, met new people. Students and staff were sampling foods from Europe and China. Being entertained by traditional Christmas carols. Have a blessed end of week. N.



Have a blessed end of week. N.

08/12/2013

The best kept secret..the Lord delights in you...

The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Who can reach our soul?



13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Power is the special and distinctive prerogative of God, and God alone. Power belongs to God. God is God: and power belongs to him. If he delegates a portion of it to his creatures, yet it still is his power. The sun in the heavens, although it is “…like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course” [Psalm 19:5], yet it has no power to move through the universe except as God directs it. The stars, although they travel in their orbits and no one can stop them, yet they have neither power nor force except that which God daily infuses into them. The tall archangel, near God’s throne, who outshines a comet in its brilliance, and who excels in strength and listens to the voice of the commands of God, still has no strength except that which his Creator gives to him... And when we think of man if he has might or power, it is so small and insignificant, that we can scarcely call it such; yes, when it is at its greatest-when he waves his scepter, when he commands vast armies, when he rules nations-still the power belongs to God.
This exclusive prerogative of God is to be found in each of the three persons of the glorious Trinity. The Father has power: for at his word the heavens were made, and by his strength all things continue, and through him they fulfill their destiny. The Son has power: for like his Father, he is the Creator of all things; “Without him nothing was made that has been made” [John 1:3], and “in him all things hold together” [Colossians 1:17]. And the Holy Spirit has power.

It is concerning the power of the Holy Spirit that I will speak this morning; and may you gain a practical example of that attribute in your own hearts, when you sense that the influence of the Holy Spirit is being poured out on me, so that I am speaking the words of the living God to your souls, and the power bestowed on you when you feel the effects of it in your own souls.
1. First, we note that the inner spiritual power of the Holy Spirit has power over the hearts of men and women.
Normally, it is very hard to affect a person’s heart. However, if you want to get at them for any worldly purpose you can do it. A cheating world can win the hearts of men and women, a little gold can win their hearts, a bit of fame and a little applause can win their hearts. But there is not a minister alive, who by himself, can win the hearts of men and women. He can win their ears and make them listen; he can win their eyes, and cause those eyes to look at him; he can win their attention, but their hearts are very slippery. Yes, the heart is like a fish that all gospel fishermen find difficult to hold on to. You may sometimes almost pull it out of the water; but slippery as an eel, it slips between your fingers, and evades capture. Many a minister has imagined that he has caught the heart but has been disappointed. It would need a strong hunter to overtake the deer on the mountains. It is too fast for a human on foot to approach.

Only the Holy Spirit has power over the hearts of men and women. Did you ever try your power on a heart? If any person thinks that a minister can convert the soul, I wish they would try. Let them go and become a Sunday-school teacher. They will take their class, they will have the best books that can be obtained, they will have the best rules, they will draw their lines of defenses around their fortified spiritual city, they will take the best child in their class, and if they are not tired in a week I will be very much surprised. Let them spend four or five Sundays in trying, and in the end they will say, “The young person is incorrigible.” Let them try another. And they will have to try another, and another, and another, before they will manage to convert one. They will soon find it is “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.” [Zechariah 4:6] 
Can a minister convert anyone? Can he touch the heart? David said, your “…hearts are callous and unfeeling.” [Psalm 119:70] Yes, that is very true; and we cannot break through such a hard heart...Many pieces of the true steel that God has put into the hands of his servants has had the edge dulled by being used against the sinner’s heart. We cannot reach the soul; but the Holy Spirit can. He can give a sense of blood-bought pardon that will dissolve a heart of stone. He can,
“Speak with that voice which wakes the dead,
And commands the sinner to rise:
And makes the guilty conscience dread
The death that never dies.”
He can make Sinai’s thunders audible; yes, and he can make the sweet whisperings of Calvary enter into the soul. He has power over the hearts of men and women. And here is a glorious proof of the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit that he has rule over the heart.
2. But if there is one thing more stubborn than the heart it is the will.
Some believe in freewill. Many dream of freewill. Freewill! Where is that to be found? Once there was freewill in Paradise, and freewill made a terrible mess there, for it spoiled all of Paradise and turned Adam and Eve out of the garden. Freewill once existed in heaven, but it turned the glorious archangel out and a third part of the angels of heaven fell into the abyss. I want nothing to do with freewill, but I will try to see whether I have a free will within me. And I find that I have. I have a very free will to commit evil, but a very poor will to do that which is good.
 I demonstrate my freewill when I sin, but when I want to do good evil is present with me, and I cannot carry it out. Yet some boast of freewill. I wonder whether those who believe in freewill have any more power over other person’s wills than I have. I know I have no power. I find the old proverb is very true, “One man can bring a horse to the water, but a hundred cannot make him drink.” I find that I can bring all of you to the water, and a great many more than can fit into this church; but I cannot make you drink; and I don’t think a hundred ministers could make you drink. I have read all about the great preachers, Rowland Hill, and George Whitfield, and several others to see what their secret was; but I cannot discover from them any plan that would work in turning your wills. I cannot coax you; and you will not yield by any other means. I don’t think any man has power over his fellow creature’s will, but the Spirit of God has. “I will make them willing in the day of my power.” He makes the unwilling sinner so willing that he is eager for the gospel; he who was obstinate, now runs to the cross. He, who laughed at Jesus, now begs for his mercy; and he who would not believe, is now made by the Holy Spirit to do it, not only willingly, but eagerly; he is happy, he is glad to do it, rejoices in the sound of Jesus’ name, and delights to obey God’s commands. The Holy Spirit has power over the will.

Source:  The Power of the Holy Spirit
June 17, 1855
by C. H. Spurgeon  (1834-1892).

04/12/2013

When do you say no?

21 On that day I will answer, says the Lord.
I will answer the heavens
and they will answer the earth.
22 The earth will answer the corn, the new wine, and the fresh oil,
and they will answer Jezreel;
23 I will sow him for myself in the land;
and I will have compassion on No Compassion,
and I will say to Not My People, “You are my people”;
and he will say, “You are my God.”
Hosea 2:21-23

In my bible reading of yesterday, Roger Pooley said something that touched me, I quote, 
Grace is free, outrageously so and it's a mistake to think that we can earn it but it's equally misleading to think that we can treat it lightly and avoid living the way God wants us to. Our attitudes to sex, money, time: they all need to be transformed and disciplined, by the love of God. In a highly sexualised culture, it's all too easy to become just a bit self-indulgent, and then..