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Hebrews 12:10-13 (New Living Translation)

 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.  No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

 So take a new grip……

Has your mum ever said to you ” Do you want to go to your room?” after you have done something she disapproves. Have you ever turned around and said “OOOh yes - I love being disciplined”? Whether it is going without the TV, playstation, sitting on the naughty step or having to do something else - no discipline is fun at the time. It isn’t fun for the parents either. Often parents routine is disrupted, they are upset over what you have done and do not really want you to go without - but they do want you to learn the best way and grow up into a fantastic future. lack of discipline can ruin lives whilst good discipline causes us to mature, have strong characters, know right from wrong, keeps us safe and helps us choose a good path.

God loves us enough to spend time training us - this is called discipline. He wants the best for us and will not be satisfied until we have reached maturity in choices and actions. This may be tough for a while - but we will be so much the better for it. He wants us to be great path pickers!

The people who are making clear paths (verse 13 see Wednesdays post) on which others are following are the ones who have learnt how to be disciplined from God. Those still screaming and shouting are too busy tantruming before God to start clearing the way. They are all red in the face and exhausted from stamping.

The faster we learn - the faster we turn around - the quicker we learn the right path and the more energy we will have.

click on the picture to follow the link for the story

This was e-mailed to me by one of the youth, I am sure you will enjoy it

Hebrews 12:12-13 (Amplified Bible)

So then, brace up and reinvigorate and set right your slackened and weakened and drooping hands and strengthen your feeble and palsied and tottering knees, And cut through and make firm and plain and smooth, straight paths for your feet [yes, make them safe and upright and happy paths that go in the right direction], so that the lame and halting [limbs] may not be put out of joint, but rather may be cured.

Have you ever held a baby for so long your arms shake and loose their strength? Perhaps spent time serving others by mowing their lawn, cutting down trees and trimming back their hedges only to find at the end of the day you can’t lift the coffee cup to your mouth because your arms are so tired? It is only those who work hard and diligently who really know what it is to be tired. This verse is not speaking to the lazy, half hearted or those who pick out the easy jobs - but to those who are really going for it.

The writer to the Hebrews knows that if you work hard - you sometimes get tired, loose heart or need a sit down. He is saying that there will be a time for sitting down - but right now the time is to stand up again and keep on going. Time to cut through, time to make firm, time to straighten out paths. As far as I can see it the verse is saying that this is not just for you - but all those who are following you. As someone full of the Holy Spirit who works hard in obedience - there will be people following your example. These paths are for them to travel along. Your friends, your children and the generation after them will progress along the paths of progress and revelation that you have cut out with your hands.

BUT if you work in a team how much more work can be done!! You cut a wider path together, strengthen each other, sharpen each others vision and encourage those who become weary. Each of you will have different skills that will enable greater progress. The path that men and woman in covenant create can carry a whole generation along it, and the generations after that generation. The purpose of God advances far more rapidly whenmen and woman work together in harmony than make their own solitary way.

• Are you really such a hard worker [physically and spiritually] you know what it is to be so tired you cannot lift your arms?
• Are you clearing a path with others or on your own?

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I read this yesterday whilst Sam was having root canal surgery at the dentist. It is about becoming a RIP tweeter or facebook user. It made me smirk and think of all those people I know that are adicted to friendship sites.

A personal challenge : Read this and then wonder whether you could really do a whole fortnight without going on facebook or twitter - if the answer is no you may be addicted to the internet and need an internet fast for a while!!!

Help to removed yourself from the internet click here

Can you believe it….

A member of the public clled the RSPCA’s emerency line to report a seagull who was looking sad because it was sitting in the rain. An RSPCA report published this week says that the organisation received more than a million calls in 2009 - not all of them real emergencies. These included a woman complaining that the farm next door smelt, a man who wanted advice on why his cat did not purr, and another who wanted help picking a ladybird of a wall.

Taken from The Week 26th Dec 2009

 

Psalm 17:15 (AMP)

 As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness (rightness, justice, and right standing with You); I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You].

 

I love this verse. It speaks of someone who dreams, eats and sleeps in the presence of God. 24/7. It is a relationship that is fully satisfying whatever else is happening around them.

My favourite part is the end bit in brackets [having sweet communion with You]. It is quaint and old fashioned but says something so beautiful it is almost magical. To be so in love with God that sharing time with him is precious, delicious, amazing and satisfies us completely.

He is the Lilly of the Valley, the bright morning star, the lover of our souls, the wonderful counsellor - he is so beautiful. Lets wallow in the sweet company of our God constantly.

We have been through a lot in Huddersfield recently with the ice and snow. There has been snow on the ground for nearly a month now and the kids have been to school for only a handful of days since Christmas. We have had a taxi land on a roof (click here) and people crawling accross roads to get to work (click here). This, however, is nothing compared to the pain and suffering that is occurring right now in Haiti. 24 hours after the original massive earth quake and number of the dead is still not confirmed - but expected to be in the hundred of thousands. Many of the people have no water, electricity and there are bodies lining the street.

On the news there is so much complaining about roads not being gritted so people can’t drive their cars as if it is the worst thing in the world. Let us get things into perspective and be so grateful for all we have combined with a deep compassion for those who are in real trouble. Don’t just feel compassion - let us help practically to be part of the solution.

A quick geography lesson - where is Haiti?

in the Bahamas next to Domincan Republic and near Cuba and Jamaca.

Psalm 16:11 (NLT)

 

 

 You will show me the way of life,

 granting me the joy of your presence

 and the pleasures of living with you forever.

 

This fresh year is full of many surprises, good and bad. We look with hope down the months of the calendar for 2010 (tee hee I have just been sticking stickers all afternoon on our very large wall calendar!). We would like this year to be the best we have ever had, to achieve our goals and dreams. But how do we know what the best way to take is, how to get to our destination on this journey? This verse tells us that God will show us the best paths.

 

This morning when I walked the dog the black ice on the road was treacherous!! A wrong path and I could have broken my ankle - God knows the safe ways in life to go. Even when we cannot see the dangers ahead - like black ice - he knows. It is not only the safest way that he shows us but the most fruitful path for you. It might not be the same path as someone else and it certainly won’t always be the easiest path to take - but it will be the goal reaching path, the dream fulfiller path the prosperous path. Let’s follow it and see what adventures we have!!

 

How does he show us this path? It is when we walk with him and spend time in his presence that we know the right way. Not only do we get revelation on which way we are to go - but we get the pleasures and joy of living with God. It is an awesome combination!!

Psalm 13:3 Restore the sparkle to my eyes , or I will die.

There are many things in this life that make eyes sparkle - Christmas day, fresh snow fall, an engagement ring, the birth of a new baby. The trouble all these things come and go - Christmas day goes so quickly, the fresh snow turns to slush, the engagement turns to a marriage that may need working at and the baby grows old and leaves home. David wants the sparkle that only comes from one place only - from the presence of an everlasting God.

Our eyes sparkle when we see something amazing, something profound, something exciting perhaps something of deep worth. So are the eyes that sparkle in their makers presence for they see the maker himself. These eyes  see a life of passion and vision and see beyond the mundane to something of worth.

Life can become ordinary, colours become grey, hearts grow tired - but God promises that his faithfulness and love is new and fresh every morning. God is the ultimate refreshing eye drops. He helps us see new dreams, hope in fresh love and see his purpose again - making our eyes sparkle