Monday 1 June 2015

Matthew 5 in Hebrew, for my readers in Israel

ה יום אחד, כשהתאסף סביבו קהל גדול, עלה ישוע עם תלמידיו על מדרון הגבעה, התיישב שם והחל ללמד


 Image result for matthew 5 hebrew



:
"אשרי האנשים המודים בעניותם הרוחנית, כי להם שייכת מלכות השמים.
אשרי הבוכים והמתאבלים, כי הם ינוחמו.
אשרי הצנועים והענווים, כי העולם כולו שייך להם.
אשרי השואפים בכל לבם לעשות את הטוב והישר, כי אלוהים ימלא את שאיפתם.
אשרי האדיבים והרחמנים, כי אלוהים יגלה כלפיהם רחמים.
אשרי האנשים שלבם טהור, כי הם יראו את אלוהים.
אשרי האנשים הרודפים שלום, כי הם ייקראו 'בני-אלוהים'.
10 אשרי הסובלים והנרדפים בגלל עשותם את רצון ה', כי להם שייכת מלכות השמיים.
11 "אם יקללו אתכם, יעלילו עליכם שקרים וירדפו אתכם בגלל אמונתכם בי, 12 שמחו מאוד! כן, שמחו מאוד, כי שכר רב לכם בשמים, וזכרו שכך רדפו גם את הנביאים!
13 אתם מלח הארץ. מה יקרה לעולם אם תאבדו את המליחות שלכם? מלח תפל הוא חסר תועלת, ואינו ראוי אלא שיזרקו וירמסו אותו.
14 אתם אור העולם – בדומה לעיר הבנויה על הר, אשר כל אחד יכול לראות את אורותיה בלילה. אל תסתירו את אורכם! הניחו לו להאיר לכולם! תנו לכל אדם לראות את התנהגותכם הטובה, ואז יודו כולם לאביכם שבשמים.
17 אל תחשבו שבאתי לבטל את תורת משה או את אזהרותיהם של הנביאים; באתי לקיים ולמלא אותן! 18 אני אומר לכם בכל הכנות והרצינות: מצוות התורה תישארנה בתוקף עד שיתקיים הכול. 19 מי שיעבור על המצווה הקטנה ביותר או שיעודד אחרים לעשות זאת, הוא יהיה קטן במלכות השמים. ואילו מי שילמד את תורת ה' ואף יקיים את מצוותיה, יהיה גדול במלכות השמים.
20 אולם אני מזהיר אתכם: אם לא תהיו טובים יותר מהפרושים והסופרים, לא תוכלו להיכנס למלכות השמיים.
21 תורת משה אומרת: 'לא תרצח', והרוצח יחויב לדין. 22 אולם אני אומר לכם שאם אדם אף כועס על אחיו, עליו לעמוד לדין. גם מי שיקרא לחברו 'אידיוט!' עליו לעמוד לדין, ואם יקלל את חברו הריהו בסכנת גיהינום! 23 לכן אם אתה עומד לפני המזבח בבית-המקדש ומביא קורבן לה', ולפתע אתה נזכר שלאחד מחבריך יש דבר מה נגדך, 24 השאר את קורבנך לפני המזבח, מהר אל חברך ובקש את סליחתו. לאחר מכן חזור לבית-המקדש והקרב את הקרבן לה'. 25 התפייס מהר עם אויבך, אחרת יהיה מאוחר מדי והוא יסגירך לידי החוק, ואז ישליכו אותך לכלא – 26 שם תישאר עד שתשלם את האגורה האחרונה!
27 תורת משה אומרת: 'לא תנאף'. 28 אולם אני אומר לכם: כל מי שמסתכל על אישה בתאווה, כאילו נאף אותה בלבו. 29 משום כך, אם עינך גורמת לך לחשוק ולחמוד, עקור והשלך אותה. מוטב שתאבד חלק מגופך, מאשר שיושלך כל גופך לגיהינום. 30 ואם ידך – ולו גם הימנית – גורמת לך לחטוא, קצץ והשלך אותה! מוטב כך, מאשר למצוא את עצמך בגיהינום.
31 "תורת משה אומרת שאם איש רוצה לגרש את אשתו, עליו לתת לה ספר כריתות, וזה הכל. 32 אולם אני אומר שאיש המגרש את אשתו מלבד במקרה שבגדה בו, גורם לכך שתנאף אם תינשא בשנית. גם מי שיתחתן איתה לאישה נחשב לנואף!
33 "התורה אומרת שאם נשבעת, עליך לקיים את שבועתך. 34 ואילו אני אומר: אל תישבע כלל! אל תאמר: 'אני נשבע בשמים', כי כסא ה' נמצא בשמים. 35 אם אתה נשבע 'בארץ', אתה נשבע למעשה בהדום רגליו של אלוהים. כמו כן אל תישבע 'בירושלים', כי היא "קרית מלך רב"[a]. 36 גם אל תישבע על ראשך, כי אפילו שערה אחת אין ביכולתך לשנות ללבן או שחור. 37 אמור פשוט: 'כן', או 'לא'. יותר מזה מן הרע הוא.
38 "התורה אומרת "עין תחת עין, שן תחת שן"[b]. 39 ואילו אני אומר לכם: אל תתקוממו נגד מי שעושה רע נגדכם. אם מישהו סוטר לך על הלחי, הושט לו גם את הלחי השנייה. 40 אם דורשים ממך בבית המשפט לתת את חולצתך, תן להם גם את מעילך. 41 אם חייל כופה עליך לשאת את תרמילו קילומטר אחד, שא אותו שני קילומטרים. 42 תן למי שמבקש ממך, ואל תדחה את מי שרוצה ללוות ממך כסף.
43 שמעתם שנאמר: 'ואהבת לרעך, ושנאת את אויבך.' 44 אולם אני אומר: אהבו את שונאיכם והתפללו בעד אלה שרודפים אתכם, 45 כי כך תהיו בנים לאביכם שבשמים. שהרי אלוהים נותן את אור השמש גם לטובים וגם לרעים, ואף את הגשם הוא מוריד על צדיקים ועל רשעים כאחד. 46 אם אתם אוהבים רק את אלה שאוהבים אתכם, מה מיוחד בכך? גם הפושעים נוהגים כך! 47 ואם אתם חברים רק לחבריכם, במה שונים אתם מכל האחרים? הלא גם עובדי אלילים נוהגים כך! 48 שאפו להיות שלמים כשם שאביכם שבשמים שלם."

Thursday 28 May 2015

Asher's Bakery appeal Discrimation Case.

Christian-owned bakery in gay marriage cake row to appeal ruling http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3101201/Christian-owned-bakery-gay-marriage-cake-row-appeal-ruling.html @MailOnline

Don't Quench the Spirit in the Next Move of God

Don't Quench the Spirit in the Next Move of God





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,”Some denominations even taught that all other Christians would one day come under their group's banner—because they believed they had elite status. Sectarian pride might sound spiritual, but it is still pride. And don't ever think that nondenominational church networks are immune to this virus. There are trendy new groups today that claim to have a corner on truth. Their subtle message is, "We are better." Don't let this smug attitude quench the Holy Spirit.”

I, (Blair Humphreys) heard one speaker,  several months ago,  who said “ that Christians need to leave their denominations and join apostolic networks,  this speaker also believes that if  you’re a Christian that isn’t in an apostolic network you’re aren’t part of the Universal Church.  Oh what arrogance!




Wednesday 27 May 2015

Words for the Wise, Galatians 4, Our Status Sonship not Slavery









Galatians 4

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Sonship in Christ

4 Now I say, as long as the heir is a [a]child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is [b]owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and [c]managers until the date set by the father. 3 So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the [d]elemental things of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under [e]the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under [f]the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir [g]through God.

8 However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless [h]elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored [i]over you in vain.

12 I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong; 13 but you know that it was because of a [j]bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the [k]first time; 14 and that which was a [l]trial to you in my [m]bodily condition you did not despise or [n]loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself. 15 Where then is [o]that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. 16 So have I become your enemy by [p]telling you the truth? 17 They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them. 18 But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable [q]manner, and not only when I am present with you. 19 My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you— 20 but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Bond and Free

21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. 23 But the son by the bondwoman [r]was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 [s]This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children [t]who are to be slaves; [u]she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; [v]she is our mother. 27 For it is written,

“Rejoice, barren woman who does not bear;
Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor;
For more numerous are the children of the desolate
Than of the one who has a husband.”

28 And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also. 30 But what does the Scripture say?

“Cast out the bondwoman and her son,

For the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman.”

31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, [w]but of the free woman.

The IVP New Testament Commentary Series

Enjoying the Full Rights of Sons (4:6-7)

Now Paul describes the way that children experience their full rights: Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts (v. 6). The change from first person (we) to second person (you) shows that the adoption received by those under law (v. 5) was also received by the Gentile converts. The confession of faith of Jewish Christians is now the confession of Gentile Christians. Though Gentiles were not under law in the same way the Jewish people were, Paul's point is that they too were set free from the tyranny and curse of the law by the sending of God's Son. And by faith in Christ, they too have entered into a new relationship with God which involves the enjoyment of the full rights of sons and daughters of God. Now their life is to be lived not "under law" but "in Christ."

The striking parallelism between God sent his Son and God sent the Spirit of his Son rivets our attention on God's gracious initiative. Just as our position as sons and daughters was secured by God's action in sending his Son, so our experience as sons and daughters is the result of God's action in sending the Spirit of his Son. We could do nothing to attain to the position of sons and daughters; we can only receive the gift of adoption by faith. We could do nothing to produce an experience as sons and daughters; the action of God in sending the Spirit of his Son into our hearts enables us to enjoy our new relationship with God our Father.

Paul makes it very clear that there is only one condition for the experience of the Spirit in our hearts: Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. There is no other prerequisite for this experience of the Spirit besides receiving the gift of adoption. We do not need to go through a series of steps, recite special prayers or meet extra conditions. God sends the Spirit of his Son into our heart for one reason: because he adopted us into his family. To view adoption and reception of the Spirit as two separate stages in the Christian life tears apart the reciprocal relation of adoption and the sending of the Spirit. Paul's unique title for the Spirit here, Spirit of his Son, emphasizes the unity of the experience of adoption and the experience of the Spirit.

Just as verse 5 teaches us that the gift of adoption is ours when we receive it, so verse 6 teaches us that the sending of the Spirit into our hearts is experienced when we pray: the Spirit sent into our hearts is the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." Abba is an Aramaic word for "father" used by a child in intimate conversation within the home. When children addressed their father as Abba, they were expressing affection, confidence and loyalty. One of the most remarkable aspects of the life of Jesus was that he addressed God as Abba in his prayers and taught his disciples to do the same. So striking and significant was Jesus' addressing God as Abba that even in Greek-speaking churches Jesus' Aramaic word for Father was heard as the believers called out to God in prayer. They called God Abba because the Spirit of Jesus was assuring them within their hearts, the control center of their emotions and thoughts, that they were children of the Father.

To know at the deepest level of our being that God is our Father and we are his sons and daughters is not the result of theological research or moral achievement, but the result of God's sending the Spirit of his Son to speak to us and to convince us that despite all our guilt, fears and doubts, the Father of Jesus is our Father too. To know God as our Father in this way is not merely intellectual apprehension of a doctrine, not merely warm feelings about God, but a life-transforming conscious awareness of the reality of our intimate relationship with God our Father.

Paul is certainly not talking here about addressing God as Father in a formal liturgy in which there is no real involvement of the heart and will and mind. Nor is he talking about addressing God with an easy familiarity, as in prayers where God is addressed as "Daddy" in a chummy, casual way with no sense of awe or reverence. We must remember that when Jesus addressed his Father as Abba in the garden of Gethsemane, he was expressing both confident trust and willing obedience. " `Abba, Father,' he said, `everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will' " (Mk 14:36). So if the Spirit of the Son is moving us to call God Abba, then we will be expressing the same confident trust and willing obedience of the Son to the Father. All that Jesus did and said flowed out of his relationship with his Father. His sense of identity (who he was) was not based on his ministry (what he did), but just the reverse: he did what he did because he knew who he was. Likewise, the witness of the Spirit within us that God is our Father and we are his children is the center and fountainhead of all our Christian life and ministry.

People all around us are having identity crises. They are trying to find out who they are. They go for therapy to discover their inner selves; they search for their roots; they try to build their sense of self-worth on the foundation of their achievements. But far more important than any of these ways of finding out who we are, we need to experience the great gift of God the Father, the gift of his Spirit who tells us that we are children of God our Father. This experience of our identity before God is not necessarily a sensational or emotional experience. It is simply an experience of the Spirit's inner witness as we pray from our hearts to God.

We should always be amazed that when we pray we are included in the conversation of the Triune God. When we call God "Abba, Father," we are reminded by the very word Abba that Jesus used this name for God the Father in his prayers. We can address God as Father only because his Son gives us the right to do so. And we can exercise our right to call God Abba only by the activity of his Spirit within us who calls out, "Abba, Father." We call God Abba through the Son and in the power of the Spirit.

We will always find it difficult to explain the doctrine of the Trinity. But in prayer we experience the life and love of the Triune God. What an amazing privilege that we should be included in the conversation within the Trinity through prayer!

Verse 7 sums up Paul's argument to this point: So you are no longer a slave, but a son. The witness of the Spirit within convinces us that we are sons and daughters, children of God. Sons and daughters are no longer "held prisoners by the law" (3:23), "no longer under the supervision of the law" (3:25) and no longer subject to guardians and trustees (4:2). Sons and daughters are free from the control of the law. This does not mean that sons and daughters are free to do anything. They are now under the direction of the Spirit, who brings them into such close communion with God that they call him Abba. Sons and daughters who live in communion with the Father under the direction of the Spirit do not need the law to guide and discipline them. They are directed by a far superior power: the power of the Spirit.

To live under the direction of the law, as the Galatian believers were attempting to do, was sheer folly. "You foolish Galatians!" You are sons and daughters, not slaves. Why turn to the direction of the law when you have the direction of the Spirit? The tragedy of the Galatian situation was that believers who had entered into a love relationship with the Father by the activity of the Spirit in their lives were now acting like slaves, not like sons and daughters. They were relating to God on the basis of keeping his law rather than worshiping and serving him in the freedom and power of the Spirit of his Son. It is the same tragedy of the elder brother in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son. Although he served his father dutifully, he never called him "Father" or related to him as a son. He thought and acted like a slave: "All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders" (Lk 15:29).

I have greater appreciation for Paul's argument here now that my two sons are full-grown and no longer minors. I no longer attempt to restrict their behavior with the set of rules they had to follow when they were still young. In fact, if at this stage of their lives they responded to me simply on the basis of keeping my rules, I would be disappointed. What I long for now is for them to relate to me as mature sons. When they express love and respect to me simply because that is the desire of their heart, I am deeply grateful and filled with joy.

The consequence of being a son is inheritance: Since you are a son, God has made you also an heir (v. 7). The Galatian believers had been told that they must be related to the descendants of Abraham through observance of the law in order to inherit the promises God made to Abraham. But Paul has now demonstrated how faith in Christ makes one a child of God and so an heir of God. None of us can make ourselves children or heirs of God. Only God can make slaves into sons and daughters, and sons and daughters into heirs.

The promise of inheritance is the promise of the Spirit. Paul said in 3:14 that the blessing of Abraham came upon the Gentiles: they received the promised Spirit. What greater inheritance could there be than the presence of the Spirit of God, the Spirit of his Son, within our hearts? The Spirit of his Son not only assures us that we are beloved children of the Father; he also makes us like his Son. We are most like the Son of God when we totally identify with him in Gethsemane and are able by his Spirit to pray "Abba, Father." When Christ prayed "Abba, Father" in Gethsemane, he was expressing complete trust in his Father and his willingness to endure the cross in obedience to his Father. He was looking ahead with confident, obedient trust to both the cross and the resurrection. When we are sure of our adoption by the witness of the Spirit within, we will also be living in the power of the inheritance of the Spirit, who is in the process of making us like Christ in his death and resurrection. Every day something of his cross will be seen in us as we die to self. Every day something of his resurrection life will be seen as he lives through us. One day, after a final death and a final resurrection, we will be completely like him. That is our inheritance as the children of God.

I once heard a son speak at his father's funeral service about his inheritance. He said, "The greatest inheritance my father left me was not what he had but what he was. He was a man of integrity; he was humble and often admitted his own failures. He was generous and compassionate. Above all, he was a man of deep faith in God. That's the inheritance that I most treasure, the inheritance of the character of my father." As children of God, we can say the same. Our greatest inheritance is not the abundance of things the Father gives us, but the character of his Son which the Spirit of his Son is forming within us.

IVP New Testament Commentaries are made available by the generosity of InterVarsity Press.


“Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: 'Ye were bought at a price', and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

The Bible Panorama

Galatians 4

V 1–5: ADOPTION Paul states that through redemption Christians are adopted by God as His sons. An adopted child is brought from one family into another. We have been brought from the ‘family’ of condemnation to the ‘family’ of salvation in Christ. As such we are heirs who inherit His eternal blessings.

V 6–7: ABBA Paul is quick to point out that this is not only a legal position, but that God’s Spirit works in our hearts so that we know Him spiritually and directly as ‘Abba Father’. ‘Abba’ literally means ‘daddy’. We are not slaves, but sons and heirs.

 V 8–16: ASTRAY Paul applies this truth and tells them of his concern, because having been saved by faith in Christ according to God’s promise, they are now putting themselves into bondage by observing days, months, and seasons. They seek to fulfil unnecessary legalistic requirements either of a past and extinct ceremonial law, or of man-made laws. Paul observes the difference that this has made to their former conduct towards him. Previously he had been encouraged by their love and their caring warmth. Now he feels treated as an enemy because he insists on God’s truth about salvation.

V 17–20: APOSTATE The comparison between the false apostles, who seek to exclude the Galatian Christians from the grace of God, and Paul’s fatherly concern is obvious. Nevertheless, he is prepared to act as a good father and reprimand them if necessary.

V 21–31: ABRAHAM Paul refers to scriptural history. Abraham and Hagar (a slave) had a son, Ishmael. Abraham and Sarah, his wife, had the son God promised, namely Isaac. Paul illustrates two distinct and opposing covenants of law and of freedom, represented by the two different relationships, which underline what he teaches the Galatians in this chapter. As Isaac inherited God’s promises to Abraham, so we inherit God’s promises magnified to repentant sinners in Christ. Thus we are the free ‘children of promise’ and are born of the Spirit of God. We do not become God’s children of promise through enslavery to the law or our works.


Yours by His Grace

Blair Humphreys

Southport, Merseyside


January 14th 2014

Wednesday 20 May 2015

Are we there yet? Looking at our Journey of Faith and Adventure. Part 3, Dealing with Distractions, Disappointments and Delays in reaching our Destiny or Destination.

Are we there yet? Looking at our Journey of Faith and Adventure.




Part 3, Dealing with Distractions, Disappointments and Delays in reaching our Destiny or Destination.



I mentioned in a previous post, that I’m Welsh and part of being Welsh is the love of singing or in my case attempting to sing !,  My dad is a member of a Male Voice Choir called Swansea Gospel Male Voice Choir, and especially in the Welsh Valleys there is a History of Choral Singing, (Choir Singing).

One of the most well recognised and most famous Welsh Hymns is Guide me, O thou Great Jehovah (or Redeemer) which was written by one of the most famous Welsh Hymn Writers, William Williams (Pantycelyn) although originally written in the Welsh Language as Arglwydd, arwain trwy'r anialwch, It’s known throughout the World as Guide me, O thou Great Jehovah it’s also known as The Welsh Rugby Hymn or Bread of Heaven, where it’s sung with equal gusto when Wales play Rugby to when it’s sung in the Chapels and Churches.

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
Hold me with thy powerful hand:
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven
Feed me till I want no more.
Feed me till I want no more.

Open thou the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream shall flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through:
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer
Be thou still my strength and shield.
Be thou still my strength and shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell's destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan's side:
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to thee.
I will ever give to thee.

Several weeks ago. I had the privilege to spend some time with one of my closest friends here in Southport, He and his wife are great friends to myself and others and are an inspirational couple, he’s also likes Organs especially Hammond Organs, a few weeks ago he had to go to South Wales to collect an Organ, so I went with him to help him collect it.   On the return journey we stopped at a Tesco Express Convenience Store to pick up refreshments and I had an urge for Welsh Cakes, so I picked up a pack of Brace’s Welsh Cakes and bought them home with me,  a few days later I was shopping at my local Asda and has I walked around the aisle’s I noticed tucked away in the Bakery Aisle, Brace’s Welsh Cakes, the Lord spoke to me through this, that he not would only provide me with the essentials here but would provide me with blessings here, because I’ve been obedient to Him.

After our successful trip to Wales, my friend asked me would I be interested in travelling to the north of Scotland with him to collect an Organ, I of course agreed because I believe part of being friends is helping each other, On our Journey we used two forms of navigation a Sat-Nav and a Road Atlas, on this journey we had to stop for fuel and food and we stopped at Carlisle, there were other people travelling that day, and although my friend and I were travelling to Scotland not everyone had the same destination as ourselves, as people either left the motorway because they were getting to their destination or they were joining the motorway to go to their destination,  I wondered to myself, firstly how long it would take to get to our destination and what would we find when we got there and what would it be like, on our journey we passed various road signs giving names of various locations like Glasgow, Stirling, Perth and Dundee and as some people kept leaving the road we were on and other people kept joining I wondered to myself how many people travelling had the same destination as we had.

We shared the road with other travellers, and for part of the journey we travelled alongside each other, then they left us and in some ways we left others because our destination was different from them, on our journey we passed several places of interest such as The Falkirk Wheel and Stirling Castle, but even if those places are interesting,  they could have been a distraction to us, It would have quiet easy because of the distance we had to travel to  change our destination and go with the flow and go somewhere like Glasgow or Perth, but they weren’t our destination.

 We kept travelling and the further north we went we saw less and less traffic, we passed through several sets of traffic lights when we went through on the Green Light, it would have quiet easy in our eagerness to get to our destination gone through on Red or Amber Lights because we didn’t want to be delayed, eventually we arrived in the beautiful seaside town of Gardenstown in Aberdeenshire, none of the travellers we had seen on our journey had also arrived in Gardenstown and for part of our journey we had travelled alongside others, either for a small part or longer part of our journey.

In the Christian Life and Walk, we have two forms of Navigation, the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our life and the written word of God, The Bible,  I notice in our lives journey we use both forms of navigation and both lead us to the correct destination, there are/were other people travelling when we travelled and for part of our journey we travelled alongside each other but because our destination was different we've  parted  or part company at various junctions, we had to also stop for fuel and food,  so in our Christian Life and Walk we need to stop to be refreshed and recharged,  because our destination was further along that others destinations it would be easier and more convenient to change our destination but it wouldn’t have been our true destination or our goal, It would be easy to be distracted and because we had seen something that attracted us and it looks more achievable that our goal we settle in places that aren’t the correct location or best place for us, because of various things we can be delayed on our journey but we still arrive at our destination. But lets us keep going until we reach were God wants us to be.

I live in Southport, and our local train station is served by two train companies, Northern Rail who provide services to and from Manchester and Merseyrail who provide services to Liverpool, The Wirral and Chester, can you imagine if I decided to spend the day by visiting Chester but decided to travel to Manchester instead both have similar names but are two different places, Manchester is a great place but it wouldn’t have been my destination, when travelling to Chester you have to change trains at either Moorfields or Liverpool Central Stations , I could say to myself it has taken me 45 minutes to get to Liverpool, and it will  take another 50 minutes to get to Chester. I know I will stay here for a bit then move on to Chester but you end up in Liverpool which is a great place to visit but again not my destination, because Merseyrail is a local commuter line it stops at every train station between Southport and Liverpool one of these stations is Formby and in Formby there is a National Trust site that has a colony of Red Squirrels,  I could be distracted and decide to see these Red Squirrels, but again it’s not my destination!

Why I’m saying these things?  You may ask, I’m using this has an illustration, some of us have decided to go to places that aren’t our destination/destiny but have made it our destination or destiny because it’s similar to our destination or destiny and others have places where we need to change but we stay in a place that we needed to just to change at to get to our destination or destiny and then others have been distracted by things we’ve seen or have been told and yes we all say we’re happy and fulfilled where we are and God is blessing us,  yes this things may be true up to point but to reach the full potential of our destiny we need to be where God has called us to be in the first place, yes it will mean change and/or upset but we need to be where God wants us to be!

It says in Habakkuk 2:3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it;    it will surely come; it will not delay.

It says in Ephesians 3:20 – 21. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

Yours because of His Grace and Mercy


Blair Humphreys

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