Some reflection of Spurgeon - children of God
"Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us."
Consider who we were, and what we feel ourselves to be even now when corruption is powerful in us, and you will wonder at our adoption. Yet we are called "the children of God." What a high relationship is that of a child, and what privileges it brings! What care and tenderness the child expects from the father, and what love the father feels towards the child! But all that, and more than that, we now have through Christ.
That is easy to read, but it is not so easy to feel. How is it with your heart this day?
o Are you in the lowest depths of sorrow?
o Does corruption rise within your spirit, and grace seem like a poor spark trampled underfoot?
o Does your faith almost fail you?
Fear not, it is neither your graces nor feelings on which you are to live: you must live simply by faith in Christ. With all these things against us, now in the very depths of our sorrow, wherever we may be, now as much in the valley as on the mountain, "Beloved, now are we the children of God." "Ah, but, you say, "see how I am arrayed! My graces are not bright; my righteousness does not shine with apparent glory." But read the next: "It does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him." The Holy Spirit shall purify our minds, and divine power shall refine our bodies, then shall we see him as he is.
God bless you.
Reverend Gilmore
SOME REFLECTIONS ON THE STORY OF ZACCHAEUS
Zacchaeus was:
- A Man Became a Child (ran down the street like a little child), Luke 19:5
- A Seeking Man Became Found; Luke 19:7-8
- A Small Man Became Big; Luke 19:9-10
- A poor man became rich
Notice how quickly Zacchaeus obeyed his Master's voice - this rich tax collector humbled himself and became an obedient child who "hurried and (came) down and received Him gladly.'' Our actions speak louder than our words! Zacchaeus did not just say he believed in Messiah. He obeyed Messiah in spite of the catcalls from the crowd of self-righteous religious hypocrites!
Zacchaeus is a model to everyone of how to receive Jesus:
- Receive Jesus by seeking after Him with real effort.
- Receive Jesus by humbling yourself.
- Receive Jesus no matter how sinful or hated you are.
- Receive Jesus as He invites you by name.
- Receive Jesus without delay.
- Receive Jesus by coming down to Him.
- Receive Jesus Himself.
- Receive Jesus into your life, your home.
- Receive Jesus joyfully.
- Receive Jesus despite what other say.
- Receive Jesus with repentance and restitution
When a day begins, you never know how it will end. For Zacchaeus, that day ended in joyful fellowship with the Son of God, for he was now a changed man with a new life.
Jesus said, “The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” He is still seeking the lost and yearning to save them. Has He found you? Get into the Lord’s path!
God bless you.
Reverend Gilmore
REFLECTION ON LUKE 18 vs. 1-8
SOME QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION ON LUKE 17 vs. 11-19
HEALING AND FAITH
- How would you describe the faith of the ten lepers who called out to Jesus?
- What does it reveal about their faith that they obeyed Jesus' command to go see the priests before they were healed?
- What is the significance of the Samaritan's faith saving him and making him "well" (Luke 17:19), in contrast to the other nine who were "cleansed"?
GRATITUDE AND WORSHIP
- Why do you think only the Samaritan returned to thank Jesus? What might have been going through the minds of the other nine?
- What is the difference between simply saying "thank you" and the deep gratitude shown by the Samaritan? How did he express it?
- In what ways can a lack of gratitude reveal something about a person's faith?
- The Samaritan glorified God with a loud voice and threw himself at Jesus' feet. What do his actions tell us about the proper way to express thanks to God?
OUTSIDERS AND COMPASSION
- Why does the biblical account explicitly mention that the one who returned was a Samaritan? What does this detail teach us about Jesus?
- The lepers had to live in isolation, separated from their families and society. What modern-day situations or illnesses create similar feelings of isolation for people?
- How does the story highlight Jesus' compassion for those marginalized by society?
PERSONAL APPLICATION
- Can you recall a time when you received a significant blessing but failed to express proper gratitude?
- How can you cultivate a more grateful heart, like the Samaritan, in your daily life?
- What is the difference between having a "healing faith" (believing God for something) and a faith that seeks Jesus himself as your Lord, Master and Saviour?
- What does this passage teach you about how to respond to God's blessings in your own life?
- What does this passage teach you about treating others as outsiders?
God bless you.
Reverend Gilmore
SOME CONTRASTS BETWEEN THE RICH MAN & THE POOR MAN (LAZARUS)
REFLECTIONS ON LUKE 16 vs. 19 – 31
1. The rich man had it all here on earth, and the poor man received it all in heaven.
2. The rich man was on the inside of the house and the poor man was on the outside. Then came death, and the poor man was on the inside and the rich man found himself on the outside.
3. The rich man had all the food he could possible eat and more, and the poor man had nothing to eat. Then you have the poor man at the heavenly banquet and the rich man with nothing to eat.
4. The poor man had plenty of needs and the rich man wanted for nothing. Then you have the poor man with no needs and the rich man with plenty of needs.
5. Here the rich man desired nothing and the poor man desired everything. Then you have the poor man has all his desires fulfilled and the rich man who will never have any of his desires fulfilled.
6. Here the poor man is suffering and the rich man is satisfied. There the poor man is satisfied and it is the rich man who is suffering.
7. Here the rich man is happy and the poor man is tormented. There the rich man is tormented and the poor man is happy.
8. Here the rich man was honoured and the poor man was humiliated. There the poor man is honoured and the rich man is humiliated.
9. Here the rich man enjoyed his feasts and the poor man is longing for a crumb. There the poor man enjoys the feasts at the Messianic table and the rich man longs for a drop of water.
10. Here the poor man needs help and the rich man gives him none. There the rich man seeks help and he receives none.
11. Here the rich man was well known and the poor man was a “nobody”. There the poor man is known and the rich man lives in anonymity.
12. Here the poor man had no dignity in death, not even a funeral. The rich man had a dignified funeral. After death the poor man lived in dignity and the rich man had none, not even a name.
13. Here the rich man had lots of hope and the poor man had none. There the rich man had no hope and the rich man’s hope was realised.
God bless you.
Reverend Gilmore
AFTER THE PARTY
REFLECTIONS ON LUKE 15 vs. 11-25
LET ME TELL YOU MY STORY
MY LIFE AT HOME WAS RATHER WARMLY
HOWEVER I WANTED TO EXPLORE
A WORLD I THOUGHT WOULD GIVE ME MORE
I WAS YOUNG AND CAREFREE
I WAS DETERMINED TO BREAK FREE.
I WENT TO A LAND UNKNOWN
I DID THINGS MY FATHER WOULD NEVER CONDONE
I THREW A HECK OF A PARTY
HOWEVER IT WAS ALL RATHER “TARTY”
I WAS THE MAN OF THE MOMENT
YOU COULD SAY IT WAS MY ENTHRONEMENT
OF COURSE I HAD LOTS OF FRIENDS
BUT MY VALUE SYSTEM WAS OUT OF BEND
WHEN ALL MY MONEY WAS GONE
THE CURTAIN OF MY LIFE WAS DRAWN
I LOOKED FOR A JOB
I WAS HOPING TO EARN A FEW BOB
I COULD FIND NO WORK
NO ONE WAS LOOKING FOR A CLERK
I ENDED UP LOOKING AFTER THE PIGS
I HAD NO OTHER GIGS
BUT THEN I REMEMBERED
I HAVE A FATHER WHO IS EVEN TEMPERED
I STARTED MY JOURNEY HOME
IN THE HOPE I WOULD FIND MY FREEDOM
I PRACTISED MY SPEECH
WHEN MY FATHER’S HOUSE I WOULD REACH
HOWEVER MUCH TO MY SURPRISE
MY FATHER’S HEART HAD NO DESPISE
HE WELCOMED ME HOME
WITHOUT ANY FORM OF GROAN
DESPITE ME SMELLING LIKE A PIG
HIS HEART TOWARDS ME WAS RATHER BIG
THE FATHER’S HEART IS ALWAYS FORGIVING
HE WANTS US TO ENJOY OUR LIVING
SO STOP SITTING IN YOUR PIGSTY
THE FATHER WANTS TO TEACH YOU HOW TO FLY
IF YOU FEEL LIKE A PRODIGAL
REMEMBER ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE
RETURN TO THE FATHER’S HEART OF LOVE
AND THERE YOU WILL RISE ABOVE
God bless you.
Reverend Gilmore
JESUS
LUKE 15 vs. 1-10
My Dear People
Your prophets spoke of your coming.
Your people read and cherished their words.
...And yet when you came, they wouldn’t and couldn’t accept you as their Messiah.
They rejected you because you socialised with the dregs of society.
They took offence at you for eating with prostitutes and tax collectors.
Yet you refused to bow down and worship at the altar of their pre-conceived ideas.
The sadness you must have felt in your heart.
They simply wouldn’t not hear, see and believe.
You spoke to them of that which was lost:
- One out of 100 sheep – 1%
- One out of 10 coins – 10%
- One out of two sons – 50%
The percentage of our “lostness” is of no relevance or importance to you.
Jesus, you are the seeker of the lost.
Thank you that in your love, you found me.
Please give me exuberant, extravagant, unbridled and unending joy for the privilege of being your precious child.
“I ONCE WAS LOST BUT NOW I’M FOUND
WAS BLIND BUT NOW I SEE”
God bless you.
Reverend Gilmore
Words of Encouragement
Psalm 23
My Dear People
One of the best known Psalms is Psalm 23. I am sure that all of us have come across that Psalm in many different ways:
- As homework at school when we had to recite it
- As a Sunday School lesson
- As an anthem sung by a choir
- As lesson read in church.
In Psalm 23, David explains that if we follow the Lord and trust Him, He will meet our every need, no matter what the circumstances may be.
“The Lord” is Jehovah God, the covenant making God of Israel. The compound names of Jehovah in the Old Testament reflect the contents of this psalm.
I trust you will find the following interesting and will use it as you meditate and ponder on the Word of God.
- “The Lord my Shepherd,” - He is Jehovah Ra’ah
- “I shall not want”—Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will provide” (Gen. 22:14)
- “He leads me besides still waters”—Jehovah-Shalom, “the Lord our peace” (Judg. 6:24)
- “He restores my soul”—Jehovah-Rophe, “the Lord who heals” (Ex. 15:26)
- “He leads me in paths of righteousness”—Jehovah Tsidkenu, “the Lord our righteousness” (Jer. 33:16)
- “For you are with me”—Jehovah Shammah, “the Lord is there” (Ezek. 48:35)
- “In the presence of my enemies”— “Jehovah-Nissi, “the Lord our banner” (Ex. 17:15)
- “You anoint my head”—Jehovah M’Kaddesh, “the Lord who sanctifies” (Lev. 20:8)
Following the Shepherd is not a chore, but the way to an abundant life. When the shepherd calls, be quick to follow. After all, you are his!
God bless you.
Reverend Gilmore
