This week, I would like to return to one of my favourite stories. 

It was in the late 1990’s, and as I recall, the story began when a woman, who, late one evening had just left her work place. She worked in the local Church in the north of England and was on her way home. Her walk took her down a dark narrow street with walls on both sides. 

Anyhow, as she ventured down this narrow street, all of a sudden she could hear a cry coming from the pitch blackness. “Mrs, Mrs, Mrs.” was the repeated cry. 

The woman in astonishment, who was then only half way down the narrow street, could see something, someone crouching in the dark. 

To her amazement, there in a corner – with hardly any illumination, she could just about see a small boy, his feet bare, his nose running and he wore no coat. 

It was an unpleasant cold winters evening! 

The woman asked the child, “What are you doing here?.” His muffled response was – “I’m off bad from school and me ma won’t let me home till five!” 

Well, by this time, five o’clock had gone ages ago! 

The woman alarmed, yet concerned as to what to do, then turned to find help from other colleagues at her work place. As she did so, the child cried out again, “Mrs, Mrs, Mrs!” Then, once more, turning back to face the small boy – the woman asked,”What is it you want?” 

The boy, shivering in the cold, exclaimed, “Will you give me a kiss?” 

Subsequently, the woman stooped forward to gently touch the young child. And, as she did so, she became aware of the prompting of the whisper of Father God. He reminded her – “Through every circumstance in life, I embrace you with my love. I smother you with kisses. Now, it’s time for you to kiss the world with my love.” 

Friends, the Bible tells us, “Father of orphans, champion of widows, is God in His holy house. God makes homes for the homeless, leads prisoners to freedom.” 

Wow! 

Looking at the words in this Psalm: – one cannot help but examine and note the similarities found in the New Testament. 

For instance, here’s what James had to say, “Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.” 

Without doubt or question, through every step of His ministry, Jesus demonstrated to everyone the Fathers heart. 

He became the Comforter to the lonely, the Lifter of their head. 

He came and communicated to us the complete picture of who God is. 

He didn’t hide anything from us. 

Yes, in Jesus, we see the abundance of our Father! 

Now it is up to us to carry on with what Jesus has done. 

Friends, today it is our responsibility to exhibit the Father’s heart towards everyone. Yep, everyone in need of tender loving care! 

Ahem! Have I got your attention? 

Yep, that’s right! Everyone! 

Let me remind you of why we are here. We’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavours of this earth. 

If we lose our saltiness, how will people taste godliness? We’ve lost our usefulness and will end up in the garbage. 

Here’s another way to put it: We’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. 

God is not a secret to be kept. So let’s go public with this! 

Indeed, the apostle Paul re-emphasizes this theme. He encourages us to shine like stars in the universe. 

So let’s do that! Let’s shine like a star – and be the light in the darkness. 

The message of God is a message of love. 

Here and now, in everything we do, may our lives reflect the colours of the Father’s extraordinary love.

He’s the Father of the fatherless, the answer to our dreams!

Quote To Ponder:

“To the loved, a word of affection is a morsel; but to the love-starved, a word of affection can be a feast.”

Max Lucado.

Verses To Remember:

Do everything without complaining or arguing. Then you will be innocent and without any wrong. You will be God’s children without fault. But you are living with crooked and mean people all around you, among whom you shine like stars in the dark world. 

Philippians 2:

Question To Consider:

When I’m at home, at work, at school, at play, how can I display the Father’s love?

More Bible Words To Search:

James 1:

Matthew 5:

Philippians 2:

Psalm 68:

Bible Gateway.

Prayer:

Lord, Help me to know my worth, strength and purpose, and help me to shine.

Appropriate Video:

Father’s Love Letter.

There are moments – recurring in scattered and unpredictable instances, when Rachel and I may have a cereal bar as part of our breakfast, or as a snack during the day. 

The particular cereal bar which we have has an educational quote printed on the side of the wrapper. 

Some of the information is well known, but sometimes it’s great to learn something new or be reminded of something unusual. 

For instance, a penguin can hold it’s breath under water for 20 minutes. There are less than 6,000 tigers living in the wild. Killer whales don’t sleep for the first month of their lives. 

A koala bears finger prints are almost identical to a humans. Humming birds are the only bird that can fly backwards. The sailfish is the fastest fish and can swim up to 109 km per hour.. 

Slugs have four noses. And the first hot-air balloon passengers were a sheep, a duck, and a hen. 

Anyhow, you’ll never believe how excited we become when the cereal bars come out! There we are, wondering what interesting point we’re going to learn today. 

How disappointing it is when we receive something that we’ve already read before! 

Then, in an uncontrolled manner, we begin to look for another cereal bar with something new to read. 

Such bother when it’s the last in the box! 

Hum! 

Friends, the BIBLE is for using and enjoying with others, and its central message is easy enough to be comprehended by all people. 

There’s so much to share, but basically, it’s a manual for living! 

How marvellous it is when we look at the same chapter, verse or phrase over and over again, yet, we never become tired of reading those words.

And what a beautiful kaleidoscope of versions and paraphrases we have today! 

Moreover, what a blessing it is to read a Bible text that we’ve read many times before, and suddenly, something fresh, new and dynamic jumps out from the page or screen reader. 

Still, admittedly, there are moments when we read Bible words, and we don’t fully appreciate or understand them! 

Nevertheless, it’s so easy to take the Bible for granted! 

Yes that’s right! Consider what it would be like to be lost without a road map or without a sat nav! 

And even if you’ve got a sat nav, it’s only as good as the information inside it! 

O boy! 

Furthermore, think back to those moments as a child, when you use to wake up in a strange place completely befuddled by the extreme darkness! 

No need to be afraid now, eh? 

So, where would we be without His Word in our lives? We know that we would be totally lost, completely disorientated without it! 

Friends, the Bible has the power to transform our lives. The information on those cereal bars can’t do that! 

On the other hand, by God’s Word, we can see where we’re going – He throws a beam of light on our dark path. 

For this reason, let’s make focused readings of the Bible our priority. 

Take God’s Word with us, anywhere and everywhere we go. 

__Memorize His Word and tell it to each other over and over again. 

Let’s talk about it all the time, whether we’re at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning.

Quote To Ponder:

“If you think the King James Version is the only valid translation, you have misunderstood the purpose of the Bible and forgotten about 6000 other languages.” 

Eddie Arthur – Wycliffe.

Verse To Remember:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.” Psalm 119: 

Question To Consider:

In this busy and hectic world, how can I take time-out to focus on God’s Word – and is it really relevant for me today?

Bible Words:

Deuteronomy 6:

Psalm 119:

Bible Gateway.

Prayer:

Lord, By Your Spirit, show me something fresh, new and dynamic from Your Word today. Thank You. Amen.

Appropriate Song:

The Word by Sara Groves – You Tube.

Our Fellowship:

Hemsworth Christian Fellowship.

Communicating the message of Christ – in a clear and precise way. 

God appointments are awaiting us each day – at work, at school, at play! So, please tell your friends about our ministry – we welcome new subscribers.

Sign-up here to receive our free newsletter & weekly thought.

Our ministry is free and Emailing lists are confidential.

Recently, a friend of ours had just cleared up the chocolate milkshake disaster that had found its way into all areas of the kitchen. 

She blamed her husband, who foolishly rummaged in the refrigerator without looking. 

He blamed the wife who balanced an open container of chocolate milkshake near the edge of the shelf inside the refrigerator! 

And so the argy-bargy continued! 

She blamed him. He blamed her. She blamed him again, and so on. 

So, what do you think? Who do you think deserved the blame? 

Realistically, they were probably as much to blame as each other! 

Sure-enough, the result was a short-lived calamity. 

Some would say, it was unavoidable! 

But there was chocolate milkshake everywhere – And not a drop to drink! 

Yes, it’s so easy to point the finger. It’s so easy to hand-out blame. 

It’s an age old story, Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent – and the serpent didn’t have a leg to stand on! 

Now, this simple story of the milkshake disaster can be quite funny, and we’re certain you can probably imagine yourself in the same kind of predicament. 

For-sure, so often in life we can be surrounded with miserable circumstances, causing us to look around trying to find someone to blame. 

Too often we’re looking elsewhere, at family, friends, neighbours, peers, professionals, or even God! 

More than likely, it’s the nearest person around who gets the blame! 

But rarely do we automatically take the blame for ourselves! 

Come on! Be honest! 

“Ah, but, if it was my fault, it would be different. If I was to blame, I could say sorry. If the milkshake disaster was my mistake, I could do something about it!” 

IF!

Friends, it’s no use worrying about unfortunate events which have already happened, and which cannot be changed. 

There’s no use crying over spilt milk!! 

When you’re at the end of yourself, and are about to give up – you actually need to focus on what’s important. 

And one of the most important things for us as Christians is making a difference! 

So what does the Bible have to say? 

Eugene H. Peterson beautifully paraphrases it like this: 

“Do everything readily and cheerfully-no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! 

Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. 

Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. 

Carry the light-giving Message into the night.” 

Friends, our Christian lives must shine out by showing love, compassion and kindness to those who are wrestling with truth and faith, and those who don’t know God. 

So, what does squabbling achieve? Nothing! 

Rather than pointing the finger at each other, let’s get over it! Say sorry! 

Clear away the mess. Pick ourselves up. Move on!

Then, let every detail in our lives – words, actions, whatever – be done in the name of Jesus, thanking God our Father every step of the way.

Yep, that’s right! Let’s make a difference in our communities – right here and now. 

And whether it be through a lifetime of struggles or success, may our message bring Him praise! 

We shall not be shaken! 

Agree?

Yeah!

Quote To Ponder:

“Ever been wrong? Neither have I – but I’ve been reliably informed that if this strange phenomenon occurs the best thing to do is say ’sorry’
James Galloway.

Verse To Remember:

Do everything without complaining or arguing.

Philippians 2:

Question To Consider:

What can I do to make a difference?

Bible Words:

Colossians 3:

Philippians 2:

Bible Gateway.

Prayer:

Lord, Help me to put things into perspective, and help me to make a difference. Amen.

Appropriate Song:

We Shall Not Be Shaken!

Our Fellowship:

Hemsworth Christian Fellowship.

Communicating the message of Christ – in a clear and precise way.

Living The Life:

Friends, at times, we can feel disgruntled, or discontented with the way our lives are going – with no clear explanation as to the reason why. 

Often we can be preoccupied with the emotions we experience when not in a state of well-being. Day after day – our share may include hardship and catastrophe. 

And we may look about ourselves, searching for a reason for something existing or happening, and hit the jackpot by pinning the blame on some event or someone else. 

But wait a minute! 

Without any doubt, God is good. 

“God is good all the time. All the time God is good!”

He is good to good people, good to the good-hearted. 

But like Asaph, one of the leaders of David’s choir, we can nearly miss it, missed seeing God’s goodness.. 

We can be looking the other way, looking up to the people at the top, envying those who have it made, who have nothing to worry about, not a care in the whole wide world, or so it seems! 

But the conundrum isn’t our circumstances or other people! 

The difficulty is us! 

Hum! 

Come on! Haven’t you ever met those who have an inflated idea of their own importance? 

For-sure, at times, haven’t we found ourselves falling into the same trap – thinking that the world revolves around us? 

Hey friends, one of the characteristics of maturity is to figure-out that “It’s not about me.”" 

Ahem, it’s not about you either, nah, so get over it!

So what are we going to do about it? 

Well, Jesus said, “More than anything else, put God’s work first and do what He wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.! 

In other words, soak your life in God – He’s the real thing!. Yeah! 

Always be ready to embark on bold new Godly pursuits. 

Know that God will supply and provide your every need. 

Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday concerns will be met. 

If you feel unhappy, it’s because your life doesn’t revolve-around God. 

True, you’re in a spin, and you know it. 

But let us look at this anew, your purpose for living is to focus on God, and then, live the life that He has for you. 

Soon afterwards, you’ll be able to say like the apostle Paul, “Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty.” 

Yep, that’s right, God wants us to be fully aware of what we already have.

True contentment only comes from finding happiness and real joy in God our Saviour. 

But friends, before we can fully appreciate each and every new day, we need to take a step back and direct our attention towards Him, and see how He has already blessed us in so many ways. 

Yep, when we consider His loyal love, His merciful love, and the daily rhythms of His amazing grace, what else could we want? 

And as the beautifully composed song by Casting Crowns conveys, it’s “Not because of who I am, but because of what You’ve done. Not because of what I’ve done, but because of who You are.” 

Sure-enough, as David, the familiar Old Testament character said, “My cup brims with blessing.” 

And finally friends, not only have we enough, a cup full, but more than enough, a cup that’s full and running over! 

Praise Him!

Quote To Ponder:

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”

Frederick Keonig.

Verse To Remember:

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:

Question To Consider:

Am I putting God first in everything?

Bible Words:

Matthew 6:

Philippians 4:

Psalm 23:

Psalm 73:

Bible Gateway.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to live the life you have for me. Amen.

Appropriate Song:

Who Am I? -By Casting Crowns. You Tube.

Our Fellowship:

Hemsworth Christian Fellowship.

Communicating the message of Christ – in a clear and precise way.

God appointments are awaiting us each day – at work, at school, at play! So, please tell your friends about our ministry – we welcome new subscribers.

Subscribe.

Our ministry is free and Emailing lists are confidential.

Wynne Goss.

Friends, we’ve lost count of the many times when we’ve mentioned through our ministry that worship is a desire and impulse that colours our thoughts – and choreographs what we do.

So what does this mean?

To get to the heart of the matter here, we believe there is a special importance in bringing glory to God!

Yep, that’s right! That just about sums it up.

In everything we do, He deserves glory. He deserves praise.

What’s more, He deserves our ardent love!

But wait a minute! When we refer to worship as being a lifestyle, what do we really mean?

Well, as we emphasize this in a new and different way – it simply means to live a life of love.

In The Message paraphrased version, Eugene H. Peterson puts it like this:

“Love the Lord your God with all your passion, and prayer, and muscle, and intelligence, and love your neighbour as well as you do yourself.”

And as we live that life of love, everything we do brings glory to God.

Yeah, that really does mean absolutely everything!

Even in those mundane chores at home, at work, at school, at play!

EVERYTHING!

For-sure, Rachel and I know that what we share through the Newday-Prince ministry is from God.

He has given us the opportunity to share, and we’re encouraged by how this ministry has touched the lives of so many folks worldwide.

Not for an instant do we want to take-away from the glory of God, but rather, as we communicate this message of Christ, it brings praise to Him!

Friends, if there’s anything in our lives that does not bring praise to Him, then there’s something wrong!

In truth, our journey through life becomes difficult – and ultimately, this has an impact on our relationship with God.

It’s like this, if our hearts are filled with ulterior motives, then those feelings of ardent love and admiration begin to clog-up with smog!!

But if we are obedient, God steps in with a lifetime of surprises – and performs some extraordinary things through us.

Thus, we are able to grasp the significance of these powerful words by Michael W. Smith:

“This is the air I breathe. This is the air I breathe – Your holy presence living in me!”

Awesome!

Still, we need to bear in mind – that the stories of what God has done in our everyday lives must only bring praise to Him!

O yep, sure-enough in our daily lives, we will want to tell everyone about the amazing things He does, but we must side-step any sense of pride.

At the end of the day, it’s an attitude of heart, 24/7.

Then, as we share of how God rescues us from our sins, and the extraordinary things He does in the course of our ordinary lives, we give Him praise..

“Everything comes from Him; everything happens through Him, everything ends up in Him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes.”

And friends, a heart filled with love and praise for God will not only praise Him, but will encourage others to do likewise.

Question:

Are the things I’m doing all done to promote my own ambitions, or are they really bringing praise to God?

Prayer:

Just let me live my life, and let it be pleasing Lord to You. Amen.

Bible Words:

Luke 10:

Romans 11:

Bible Gateway.

Appropriate Song:

Breathe – Michael W. Smith – You Tube.

Our Fellowship:

Hemsworth Christian Fellowship.

Communicating the message of Christ – in a clear and precise way.

In the early days of becoming a blind man, I had to undergo some extensive training, which included living skills, white cane training, audio typing and so on.

Anyhow, as part of my white cane training: One day I was progressing along a paved area parallel to the side of a roadway.

My journey took me past the face of some terraced houses featuring front gardens which were either enclosed by a low stoned wall, a small wooden fence, or some wrought iron railings.

Then, as I ventured along the concreted area, I would move my white cane in front of me.

I held my white cane with my right hand wrapped around the handle – with my finger next to my thumb pointing along the cane shaft down towards the cane tip.

Tapping my way along, I swept my cane from side to side in an arch about the width of my body.

And so, as I continued along the walkway, this technique would enable me to find the wall, the fence or the railings on my left hand side.

And of course, this would also help me to find any bumps or holes in the ground!

Anyway, after a short distance, I would discover a group of shops – these were set back from the roadway.

However, in order to keep to the route, I would have to indent from the concreted area and follow the line of the shops before resuming the course in front of the gardens to the next line of houses.

On one training day: I had successfully progressed along the first section of the route and had accomplished great strides as I made my way past the group of shops.

Indeed, I was making significant progress!

I was just about to venture in front of the next set of houses with their gardens enclosed with walls, fences and so on.

I remembered, the first garden had quite a low bricked wall for its perimeter.

My instructor who had been assessing my progress, then encouraged me to follow the low wall around.

Continuing with my white cane, I gently tapped my way along, searching for familiar land marks and textures along the way.

I then began to follow the very low wall in front of the first terraced house.

I thought I was doing quite well.

Then suddenly, a hand touched my shoulder. It was my instructor, she asked, “Do you know where you are.”

“Yes!” came my indignant reply, not realising that there was a purpose in her query.

After pressing me even further with a similar question, “Do you really know where you are?” she then instructed me to tap the wall with my cane. I did. Then she asked me to step onto the wall.

Thinking this was crazy, and not too sure what to do – and hoping beyond hope that no one was watching – with some hesitation, I then stepped onto the wall!

To my utter amazement, it suddenly dawned on me!

O boy!

Without any doubt, I suddenly became aware of the reason why the traffic on my right hand side appeared to be a little too close for comfort!

Gosh!

It turned out, that instead of following the very low bricked wall in front of the terraced houses – I was, instead, following the edge of the curbstones!

Can you believe it? I was actually walking in the road. Right in line of the traffic!

Hum!

As I look back upon the sequence of events, I’m so thankful for the hand of my instructor!

But wait a minute!

In every circumstance of life, I’m also thankful for the hand of God.

Okay, we may at times wander from the perfect path He wants us to travel, but as long as we do not abandon Him – He will never leave us.

Yes, that’s right! When we walk into the thick of trouble, God keeps us alive.

He protects us.

Sure-enough, with His powerful hand He saves us.

Praise Him!

Amen?

Amen!

Bible Words:

Psalm 138.