Word for the Week

'I am the vine, you are the branches: he who stays in Me,and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without Me you can do nothing' John15:5

'His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness'.  2 Peter 1:3   God is always working behind the scenes of our lives, planning, guiding, leading us into situations that will benefit us.  He constantly goes ahead to mark out a path that will lead us into His perfect, ingenious will.  ‘I look behind me and You're there, then up ahead and You're there, too - Your reassuring presence’ (Psalm 139:5 TM). 

Humble yourselves … under God's mighty Hand, that He may lift you up in due time [in the time of your visitation]  1 Peter 5:6.   There  was once a poor but godly man, whose uncle inherited millions of pounds, and told him he could have anything he wanted, saying,  “My house is your house, my fortune is your fortune; just ask …”.  But the man continued to live in a limited way, without accepting the offered gift.  His reasons were: 

Dearly Beloved, as we walk with God, I believe it is important to stop and consider what the Spirit of God is saying for the hour, allowing Him to shine His light into all areas of our lives. I believe the Lord will have us examine our relationship with Him. 

At this time of year many of us are thinking about preparations for Christmas, and choosing gifts for our loved ones … new clothes for a spouse, a DVD for Auntie Mary, an iPad for Uncle Tunde, special gifts for cousins and siblings and toys for the children … We hopefully anticipate their pleasure on Christmas Day as they open the presents and say, “Thanks – it’s just what I wanted!”

Mams running around the shops thinking, "How am I going to feed all those guests?” …  Busy workers wondering, ‘When can I do my Christmas shopping?’ … Children practising the school nativity play – ‘Please, Miss, why can’t I say, “Yes, come in, Mary and Joseph, there’s plenty of room”?’ … Store managers taking on extra staff for the holiday rush … And, sadly, elderly people living alone, thinking, ‘Here it comes again - will anyone visit me?’

God, who made mankind in His image, created the roles of mothers and fathers, so that children would be nurtured and given a sense of belonging and self-esteem, and so teach the same to their own children.  He must, therefore, have all of these character traits – and more – Himself.  Imagine the most wonderful, caring, loving parents in the world, then multiply those attributes a thousand-fold, and you have only a glimpse of the loving-kindness of our God.  “As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear [are in a

Pray with expectation. God is waiting for us to open our lives to Him, so that He has 'permission' to help us in ways we may never imagine ... Someone once asked God, regarding their desert-like experience, a time of great difficulty, “How can I find a way out of this?”  The Lord replied, “I Am the Way out”. 

It is good to worship God for His majesty, power and splendour, but it’s helpful, too, to consider other facets of His nature, such as His compassion for us, and His nearness to us, by remembering … God’s Tenderness Towards Us, His Children

God’s intervention in the affairs of men and nations is His business alone.  Only He decides when and how it is necessary to put forth His righteous right arm and change a declining scenario into a divinely ordered one, because only He can see the ‘big picture’.  He knows the perfect time to alter any course of action, and the methods He must use.  There are some great Bible stories that show us how He may use people and events before turning a situation around: 1.