Crumbs31

 

Crumbs from the Master ‘s Table 31 : Faith

Hebrews 11:1-6 NIV 11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. 5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.  6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

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I was swamped with a great tide of references when I started to study faith. It gives substance to our hopes and is conviction in action. I shall make a few observations that I hope someone will find helpful.

Faith comes with the fruit of the Spirit. It is not something worked up by gritting our teeth. It find ourselves believing let us thank God. It is His gift. If we struggle; ask Him for it.

The above passage might well have been written for the twenty first century. It begins with believing that the world of senses has been made by God out of nothing. Origin reveals purpose.

The enemy of faith is reduction-ism; the belief that there is nothing beyond the world of the senses. Faith begins with the belief that God is. It then moves on to the awareness that we are accountable to Him. The positive is emphasized , He is the Rewarder. Modern thinkers are haunted by the idea of accountability mostly to the generations to come. Faith affected how Abel worshiped and how Enoch lived.

Life is the search for the Almighty. Faith in Him is interwoven with hope. Let’s earnestly seek Him.

Queries ( for private thought or joint discussion)

1. What is faith?

2. How should faith affect our daily lives?

3. How can we please God ?

 Please note that this is also published on my blog along with poems and other items on https://pmgsblog.blogspot.com

Crumbs30

 

Crumbs from the Master ‘s Table 30 : Goodness

Psalm 145:7 NIVThey celebrate your abundant goodness
    and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

Ephesians 5:9 NIV(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)

Romans 15:14 NIV I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

2 Thessalonians 1:11 NIV With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.

2 Peter 1:5 NIV For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge

Matthew 5:16 NIV In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

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I have trouble with the word goodness. I have difficulty defining it and tying it down. Some translations give generosity and Philips has benevolence. I can make most sense by regarding it as a word that includes all the other virtues. Looking at English translations of the Old Testament I discover that goodness is an essential a quality of God. We base our lives on the premise “God is good.” Anything else is unthinkable.

The impact that God would make on His creatures is that they become more God like. As we meet God the light dawns and the Spirit comes. Goodness is the fruit. This divine quality is imparted to us. As the old hymn says “He died to make us good”

It is good to note in the verse from Romans that Paul found goodness in the Christians in Rome. Sadly Christians have looked for the opposite in each other leading to grievous disharmony.

Goodness is the threshold of Christian development. Peter says that once the surrender of faith has been given, goodness should be the quality that should emerge. Often what to do is the challenge facing the young Christian in their entry into a new way of living. Paul felt it necessary to pray that these new desires would find fruition.

In Matthew 5:16 Our Lord Jesus Christ teaches that folk should see our good deeds and thereby led to worship God.

Queries ( for private thought or joint discussion) 1. What is goodness? 2. How should the fact that God imparts goodness to our fellow Christians affect our attitude to them? 3. How do we add goodness to our faith ?

 Please note that this is also published on my blog along with poems and other items on https://pmgsblog.blogspot.com

 

The Waters of Babylon

 

Why from the greatest pain the sweetest music sounds?

It’s in the soul’s extremes the finest beauty’s found.

The mother’s tears, the widow’s loss, the child’s lament

Have such intensity that only beauty gives a vent.

In oppressive nations the same truth is found.

The harshest gross injustice gives the sweetest sound.

Within the confines of the slave the blues spring forth

And from the tears of Erin haunting melodies have birth.

O Lord why must we weep before we make our song?

And why does beauty need a foil of such a wrong?

 

Peter M. Grinham 5^th June 2008

Crumbs 29

 

Crumbs from the Master ‘s Table 29 : Gentleness

Isaiah 40:9-11 New International Version

9 You who bring good news to Zion,    go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,
    lift up your voice with a shout,lift it up, do not be afraid;
    say to the towns of Judah,    “Here is your God!”
10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,    and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,    and his recompense accompanies him.
11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:    He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;    he gently leads those that have young.

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Gentleness is also translated kindness or goodness. In Romans 2: 4 it is described as a characteristic of God of which we should not take advantage . It should lead us to repentance. In Ephesians 2:7 we learn that His kindness is seen in the achievement of our salvation. For those who do repent Romans 11;22 there is divine kindness.

In Romans 3; 12 Paul bemoans that no one shows this quality although we are asked to clothe ourselves with this gentleness in Colossians 3:12. The Lord clothed Adam and Eve to cover their shame and the priests were clothed to qualify them to lead worship. This spiritual clothing is part of a bigger process. In Ephesians 6 we are told to put on the armour of God and in Romans 13:14 we are told to out on Christ. As a person trusts Christ their guilt and shame is covered and protection against the our temptations is acquired but we must give in to the process .

In the passage above from Isaiah the people of God are seen as a flock. The vulnerable are treated with gentleness. In the New Testament similar situations evoke the need for gentleness by the people of God. Jesus our High Preist sets the tone in the way He treats us. Hebrews 5:2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. . We are taught that the restoration of a sinner should be by gentle means. Galatians 6:1Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Even our enemies should be subjected to the gentle treatment in the hope of their repentance. 2Timothy 2:25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth.

Queries ( for private thought or joint discussion)1. How do we clothe ourselves with gentleness? 2. How do we act with gentleness when firmness is required? 3. Which of the works of the flesh does gentleness help us combat ?

 Please note that this is also published on my blog along with poems and other items on https://pmgsblog.blogspot.com

Crumbs28

 

Crumbs from the Master ‘s Table 28 : Patience

Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord;    he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock    and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord    and put their trust in him. 4 Blessed is the one    who trusts in the Lord,who does not look to the proud,    to those who turn aside to false gods.
5 Many, Lord my God,    are the wonders you have done,    the things you planned for us. None can compare with you;    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,    they would be too many to declare.

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Waiting in the Old Testament means waiting for God to act and waiting for Him to tell us what service He wants of us. It is tough to live that way. We naturally look for unwise palliatives and forbidden short cuts. See the works of the flesh in Galatians 5 .Patience is the antidote from the Holy Spirit, an intrinsic quality of God. It is seen in God’s holding back judgment. 2 Peter 3:15.Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. Romans 2:4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? I wonder why in view of our constant messing with His world, our hurting each other, our sinning God does not say “Enough” and wind the whole thing up, but He is merciful. He is patient.

In Scripture there are helpful examples of divine patience in action. Christ showed patience in dealing with Paul 1 Timothy 1:16. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Paul’s life shows patience 2 Timothy 3:10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, ,. The Prophets showed patience James 5:10.Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

We are asked to clothe ourselves in patience. Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Our clothes often reveal what sort of people we are so our patience in life should show the kind of God we follow. Colossians 1:10-11 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.

We need to be patient with each other. Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Those who preach should be patient. 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. And we should be patient waiting our inheritance Hebrew 6: 12,  We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Queries ( for private thought or joint discussion)1. How do we clothe ourselves with patience? 2. How can God given patience help us against the works of the flesh ? 3. How would patience improve our lives ?