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Part 2 the all-sufficient enabling grace of God The all-sufficiency of God’s grace This passage of scripture (below) tells of Paul’s experience with his so called ‘thorn in the flesh’. 2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. Many have speculated on the nature of Paul’s thorn in the flesh with various approaches including it being an eye condition etc. However, I am persuaded that since Paul uses the Greek word ‘angelos’ in v7. translated as ‘messenger’ this refers to a hindering spirit that followed Paul and stirred up trouble and persecution of him everywhere he went. Sometimes as we try to discern the nature of the thorn, we can miss the big story. Paul’s thorn in the flesh whatever it was, we should note that God’s grace was enough to cause Paul to succeed in everything God had called him to do. God’s grace was enough to keep Paul going through many trials and difficulties. Paul realised that he could welcome the many difficulties in his life because where his own strength was insufficient then God’s all-sufficient grace kicked into action to enable him to succeed and keep on going in his mission. Whatever buffeted Paul, God’s grace was sufficient to keep him going…what about you? Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, Whatever sin can do in the life of a person, God's grace can thwart it and overcome it to produce wonderful outcomes. How amazing is God's grace? God’s enabling grace for us. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: God’s attribute of grace seems to have a double action which firstly deals with sin in our lives bringing us to repentance and salvation which in turn enables us to have the sublime rewards and privileges of being seated in heavenly places as members of God’s royal family. Without God’s grace we would never be enabled to come to repentance, salvation, and the heavenly rewards. Amen Personal Prayer In Part 3 of God's grace we consider how we ought live in light of His grace.

The grace of God Part 1 A.W. Tozer has described the grace of God as follows. ‘His goodness directed toward human debt and demerit. It is by His grace that God imputes merit where none previously existed and declares no debt to be where one had been before. Grace is the good pleasure of God that inclines Him to bestow benefits upon the undeserving.’ [1] God has an inherent inclination to pity the wretched, spare the guilty, welcome the outcast, and bring into favour those who were before under deserved disapproval. Grace makes it possible to save us sinful persons and not only this but to makes us to sit in heavenly places as we see the exceeding riches of God’s kindness to us. Modern definition “Grace,” according to the dictionary, is the unmerited favour of God toward humanity. The word “grace” is used over 170 times in the New Testament alone. Grace is not bought. It is a free gift of almighty God to needy humanity. Billy Graham EA. God’s grace flows out to the believers through the channel of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. The Pauline epistles of the New Testament extol the power of grace in our redemption but always with the conjunction of God’s grace with God’s crucified Son e.g. in… Ephesians 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. John 1:17 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Tozer urges us not to make the mistake of trying to make this verse stand by itself by suggesting that Moses knew only law and Jesus Christ knows only grace. The law was given to men through Moses, but it did not originate with Moses. It had existed in the heart of God from before the foundation of the world. On Mount Sinai it became the legal code for the nation of Israel; but the moral principles it embodies are eternal. There never was a time when the law did not represent the will of God for humanity nor a time when the violation of it did not bring its own penalty, though God was patient and sometimes “winked” at wrongdoing because of the ignorance of the people. Paul’s careful arguments in the third and fifth chapters of his Epistle to the Romans support the above conclusion. The source of Christian morality is the love of Christ, not the law of Moses; nevertheless there has been no removal of the principles of morality contained in the law. No privileged class exists exempt from that righteousness which the law enjoins. The Old Testament is indeed a book of law, but not of law only. Before the great flood Noah “found grace in the eyes of the Lord,” Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. and after the law was given God said to Moses, “Thou hast found grace in my sight.” Exodus 33:17 And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. What else can we expect from God-the God of grace? Grace is an integral attribute of His Holy Being. The heroes of the old testament needed the same grace that we need today. No person has ever been saved except by grace and there is no path back to God except through the goodness and grace of God. Grace only comes to us through Jesus Christ which worked prospectively in the old testament and prospectively in the new testament. God’s grace like all his attributes is infinite and eternal and where our sin abounds God’s grace abounds much more. Hallelujah! God’s grace allows us to lift our heads up to God seeking his forgiveness, mercy, help etc. Prayer Father God, we bless you and praise that your amazing grace expressed through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ has provided a way for sinful people like us to be reconciled to you, the Holy God. We continually acknowledge your grace in every area of our lives. Thankyou Father Amen [1] A.W. Tozer The knowledge of the Holy: Chapter 19 In Part 2 we consider the idea of grace before judgement .

Two kinds of fear, the right kind and the wrong kind. In John 20:19 on the evening of the resurrection day, the disciples were huddled together and locked in (or could we say locked down?) because of their fear of the Jews. Fear tends to lock in or lock down people. When Jesus appeared to them, what does he say, ‘Peace to you.’ God recognises this tendency of people to quickly get into a state of fear. There is still a climate of fear round the world post-pandemic. Remember that God is still in control. Every time in the bible, either the Lord or an angel appears to a believer, the first thing they say is ’fear not’ or the like. It is one of the foremost commands in scripture. Today there is a huge amount of fear around both in the church and in the other communities, particularly in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, we need to recognise that there are two kinds of fear 1] the right kind of fear and 2] the wrong kind of fear. 1] The right kind of fear- is the fear of the Lord. We are made to fear God but nothing else. Fear God but nought else! God wants to have first place in every part of our lives, but our wrong fear can occupy a place that needs emptied before God can fill it. Perfect love casts out all fear. Amen What is the fear of the Lord? This expression occurs many times in the Hebrew scriptures and once in the New Testament. There are various pictures we can give from scripture. The expression ‘Fear of the Lord’ appears 15 times in the book of Proverbs, whose main theme as you know is wisdom. So, there is a link between the fear of the Lord and wisdom. Here are a few examples, Proverbs 1:7 the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 8:13 the fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the forward (perverse) mouth, do I hate. Proverbs 22:4 By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life. There seems to be three components to the fear of the Lord a) awe and reverence b) hatred of evil c) obedience to God’s word. Let us cultivate them! There is also a natural fear that we have to protect our bodies from damage e.g.do not touch the hotplate etc. 2] The wrong kind of fear All of us experience the wrong kind of fear sometime in our lives. Fear should be a dissimilar experience for believers and unbelievers. Fear is debilitating and even paralysing and is opposite to faith. Did you know that faith and fear are mutually exclusive? Choose where you are going to live today, in faith or in fear? It is important to realise that our fear of the Lord can be the antidote/answer to the wrong type of fear. The right fear overcomes the bad fear. Again, we get to choose which type of fear is going to be active in our lives. Choose well, choose life, choose the fear of the Lord! If we live by our feelings, they can drag us down into the pit of fear. But we need to see our situations in life through the lens of faith and through the lens of the bible not through the lens of doubt and fear. Could it be that because modern society is so steeped in fear it has collectively lost the fear of a holy God? Yet many people today fear death, sickness, poverty, helplessness, loneliness, future, commitment, failure, etc. So, what is the answer? How do we deal with fear? Here is a practical approach. Firstly, we need to get ‘historical not hysterical’ {1], in other words, we need to review the Lord’s track record in our lives, in our previous times of trouble, in previous trials or difficulty. If you keep a diary or journal, you will find that God keeps coming through for you, He is a faithful God! If you have no written records, then just meditate on God’s track record in your own life- He has got you through it all up to now and He will take you through this present challenge as well. Remember God has not changed, His truth has not changed and still sets us free, His character has not changed, God is still on the throne, God loves you and is there for you to take you through each attack of fear. Do not let fear cause amnesia of all that God has said and done. Do not allow fear to cause you to forget your identity in Christ. Fear is like a virus and can rapidly spread between people! The fear virus may have done more harm than did the pandemic. Let us distance ourselves from all sources of the wrong fear and bring the disinfectant of God’s word to others who have succumbed to the fear virus. Let us continue to take every thought captive through the lens of the bible. We need to avoid being overpowered by our feelings. Do not let the culture condition your mind but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Prayer, Lord we ask in Jesus’ name, that you teach us to develop the right kind of fear in our lives and that you also teach us how avoid the evil fear in all its forms and disguises. May you cause the fear of the Lord to dispel all ungodly fears and make us bearers of hope and love to those around us. Cause us to remember all that you have done in the past to strengthen us for today. Bring those who are paralysed by fear to your people to be set free. Amen Personal Prayer Fear not, fear nought but God! [1] Pastor Ed Young (2020) The Fear Virus

Why should we love our fellow humans? What is the value of a human life? What is a human life worth? Is human life precious? Men and God view these questions from two different perspectives. What price do you place on a Human Life? In many men eyes a life is something cheap or common. A mere convenience or inconvenience to their selfish desires and such an outlook has led to terrible acts and consequences. Answer for yourself what the following say about the value of human life. Genocide: one example of the Jews by the Nazis Abortion (babies in womb) Euthanasia Starvation in Third World (wars, corrupt, politics) Homeless in our towns Neglect of the elderly Yet all these things, in a sense we allow, for they are going on in the world. Yes, people who practices or allow such things must see the human lives involved as cheap and common of truly little value. But, not so with God, our Father, he has forbidden all these things because he created and formed each person and breathed the breath of Life into them. God sees each unique ( like a fingerprint) human life as unbelievably valuable and precious to him. For God so loved the world that he gave (that which was most precious to Him) his only begotten son Jesus Christ (to die the death of the cross) so that whoever (of the precious human lives) believed in Him (Jesus Christ) should not perish (go to hell) but have everlasting life. God revealed how he felt about man`s value and worth when he himself became the man Jesus Christ who went about doing good, healing the sick, sick opening blind eyes, deaf ears, setting the captives free and proclaiming the good news about salvation. Yes, God absolutely loves humankind in general and each unique life in particular is precious, and he earnestly desires that his people should be like him in how we view mankind. We need to recognize the value of each human life and so love our fellow humans and it is this is what we are considering in this study. Why should we Love our fellow humans? There are many reasons to why we should love our fellowmen and here are three of most important: Reason 1. God Has Commanded It Matthew 22:36-40. Deuteronomy 6:5. Leviticus 19:18; God has commanded us to be like Him. Just love people the way you love yourself. Just treat people the way you treat yourself. Just speak to people the way you would like to be spoken to. Just excuse and forgive people the way you would to be excused and forgiven. So simple, so true, so absent, in so many lives. Who is my Neighbour? Anyone who needs your help. Anyone made in God`s image, Which is everyone in a sense of immense value demands a response. Remember the Good Samaritan? [Luke 10:37] Go and Do thou likewise! Reason 2. Man is God`s special creation and Is made in the Image of God (according to His likeness)' Genesis 1:26-27; God said let us plural (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) make Man in our own Image. What does this mean “made in the Image of God”? God fashions each person as a potter forms a pot from clay and then breathes life into it and we become a Living Soul. Man has a Body, Soul, and a Spirit. There is a divine imprint on man, as a coin receives the imprint of the monarch's head so does each person receive something that reflects God our maker. This image/imprint is seen most clearly in our souls, God has made us Beings (like Him) Who have personality as does God which helps us connect with Him Who have moral choice between right or wrong Who have intelligence or ability to think Who have ability to love or to hate God has given dignity and honour above all the rest of the earthly creation and given us dominion of other life forms. Each person no matter how far fallen still in some way reflects the Image of God. Matthew 22:20; Give to God what belongs to him. All your heart, all your soul, all your might and strength. God`s Image is on all humankind let us bring these lost coins back to Him. Valuable and precious lost coins, sweep until we find them and rejoice. Genesis 1:26-27; When God made man (Adam) he had both male and female personalities in Him. And in [Genesis 2:21-22] we find God taking the woman out from a rib in Adam`s side. Now, God himself is a trinity, one in essence but three in personality (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). A community of personalities formed in one being. And in this respect was man like God, male/female in the original Adam. Genesis 2:24; And when a man and woman marry, God views the two personalities as one flesh or being. And this union of a man and woman reflects the ultimate union of Christ and His Church. Become one. All our personalities in constant union with God himself. God wants to bring personalities into community and unity. Reason 3. God sets such a High Value on Human Life that He Personally Identifies with It 2 Peter 3:9; God does not want any to perish but all to come to repentance. God has no pleasure in death of wicked. He sees something unbelievably valuable and precious lost. Something made in his own Image in some ways like Him. Matthew 25:31-40; Jesus Christ so loves, so values humankind that he totally identifies himself with them in their suffering, at their lowest, at their worst, hunger, thirsting, nakedness, sickness, in prison, yet recognizing that they are like God in some way. Seeing their immense value through the eyes of God. Identifying himself (being so in community) with them that he felt them their very acceptance or rejection, personally, and will judge us according to how we treated our fellow man. This identification reveals intense love. Summary We should love our fellow man because a] God loves them so much that he gave his most precious Son to the cross. He has commanded it, he wants a community of love. b] Each man, woman, child in some reflects God being made in his Image and likeness. Each individual person has God`s stamp on them. c} God so loves mankind that he completely identifies with Him in their suffering and judges us according to how we helped and failed our fellow man in their distress. How should we react to his precious creations? Q. What value has a human life? A. Infinitely high in God's eyes. John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you. Go and do thou likewise. Amen Prayer For a printout and much more please click on the link below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/made-in-god-s-image

What can we do when our faith fails? Simon Peter (Take 1) his faith did not appear to work when Jesus was arrested. Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. 33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. 34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. Luke 22:54 Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, this man was also with him. 57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilæan. 60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. Simon Peter (Take 2) preaching boldly Acts 2:14-35 But Peter standing up with the eleven , lifted up his voice... Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men, and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. What was the difference between these two takes from Peter’s story? Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Is it possible to be filled with the Holy Spirit more than once? Yes! Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. Luke 11:12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Whenever you feel that your faith is failing ask Jesus to fill you with his Holy Spirit. Ask in faith and you will surely receive! Amen Prayer Full text for printout and access to other parts of 'Faith Cameos' please click on the link below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/faith-cameos-part-5

Faith and Neighbours/Friends The Good Samaritan Luke 10:29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spend more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, think thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?37 And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. Who is your neighbour? From God's point of view a neighbour is anyone who we see needs our help. Do you have faith to help a stranger or even an enemy? Questions to consider Were the Jews and Samaritans friends at this time? Why did the priest and the Levite not help the man? Who is your neighbour? At home, at work, when we travel? What did it cost the good Samaritan? In what circumstances do you think do you think you might be a good Samaritan? Amen Pray that the Lord will give you daily opportunities to be a good Samaritan. For full text for print out and access to other parts of 'Faith Cameos' click on link below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/faith-cameos-part-4

Faith applied in family situations In this cameo we look at faith at work in various serious family situations. Peter's mother in law Matthew 8:14-15 (KJV) 14 And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. Notice- no one asked Jesus to heal her- notice his gentle bedside manner- simply touching her hand- the fever lifts- her wellbeing and strength are immediately restored- she resumes her role as hostess serving her guests. Question: Does God care about our in-laws? Do we/should we care about our in-laws? The widow of Nain's dead son Luke 7:11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. 12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. Jairus' daughter Mark 5:39 And when he was come in, he says unto them, why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. 41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. 42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. 43 And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat. Questions: Why did Jesus raise these people (Widow of Nain’s son/Lazarus/Jairus Daughter) from the dead? Are there financial aspects to this story? How would the sisters/mother have felt? Does God care about the bereaved/ widows and orphans? How can we help widows and orphans? What about your family, does anyone need a healing miracle today? Amen Prayer For full text for printout and access to all parts of 'Faith cameos' click below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/faith-cameos-part-3

Faith applied for healing Over the next 5 sessions we are going to look at a snap shot (cameo) of faith in various areas of life. The purpose of these short teachings to inspire you to use your own faith in these areas. A simple working definition of faith can be 'simply doing what God tells you to do' or else 'trusting God'. Our Focus is to find examples of biblical faith which we might learn from, in the areas of health, finance, family, neighbours and what to do when our faith fails us. 1. Health: The woman who touched the hem [1] of Jesus’ garment Luke 8:42b (ESV) But as he went the people thronged him. 43 And a woman having an issue of blood [2] twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians neither could be healed of any, 44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45 And Jesus said, who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, who touched me? 46 And Jesus said, somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue gone out of me. 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what because she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made you whole; go in peace. This woman was ritually unclean and so was anything she sat on. The social consequences of her uncleanness meant she was a social outcast just like a leper. Narrative- the woman was afraid to speak to Jesus, trying to keep her herself hidden, touch was a point of contact for her faith with his authority. There was instantaneous healing. The meaning of the hem see {2} below. Jesus perceived 'virtue' had gone out of him. Jesus asks 'Who touched me'? The woman self identifies. Jesus blesses her publicly thus not only healing her but also restoring her status status-by pronouncing her to be no longer unclean or a social outcast. What a healer! [1] Hem (tassel) of garment-Tsi-Tsit (Numbers 15:38 c.f. Deuteronomy 22:12) blue and white fringes representing the law of God. Reminder/Warning to the Jews to do all the law of God. [2] Leviticus 15:25 (ESV) If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean. Do you need to touch the hem of Jesus' garment today by faith? We can draw virtue as healing power by faith today. Jesus never refused to heal anyone nor was he unable to heal anyone (although he prayed for one man's eyes twice). Amen Prayer For full text for printout and access to other parts of Faith cameos please click https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/faith-cameos-part-1

The goodness of God part 2 In Part 1 we defined an attribute of God as something of His own nature that He has revealed to us. We then looked at several ways by which God has revealed His goodness to us. Once we recognise the goodness of God: what next? We can give one of two responses to the goodness of God, which are 1.the right response, and 2. the wrong response. The wrong response: by the rich young ruler Matthew 19:16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” 17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. The story of the rich young ruler (RYR): we only arrive at a composite description of the RYR by reading sections of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This story can be used to teach many different biblical truths. Today we want to recognise that the RYR called Jesus ‘Good’ and wanted to know which good works would give him salvation. Jesus seems to meet him where he is and tells him to keep the commandments of the Law of Moses, but which ones the RYR replies. Jesus gives him a list. The RYR replies that he has kept all these commandments since his early youth. Jesus identifies the RYR real problem that he is caught up with his status and wealth and bids him to sell his property, give to the poor and follow Jesus. The RYR went away very sorrowful for he was not prepared to give up his wealth to follow Jesus. The right response to the goodness of God: Zacchaeus Luke 19:1 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and whose business gave him lots of opportunity to cheat and defraud those from whom he collected taxes. Jesus saw 'wee' Zacchaeus atop a sycamore tree. Jesus tells Zacchaeus to climb down the tree for Jesus wants to be his houseguest. Luke 19: 6 So he made haste and came down and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” 8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” No good deed goes unpunished and when Zacchaeus slid joyfully down the tree the bystanders were complaining that Zacchaeus was a sinner implying that Jesus had made an unworthy choice in Zacchaeus. When the goodness of God came to Zacchaeus he received Jesus joyfully, and unlike the RYR began to give away his fortune, giving half his wealth to the poor and offering to restore any financial misdeeds multiplied times four. What a difference between the RYR and Zacchaeus, the former would not let go of his wealth and did not follow Jesus, whereas the latter made generous financial restitution to his customers and began to follow Jesus. What is your response to the goodness of God today? ¨ Be joyful. ¨ Be thankful. ¨ Be willing to share what we have and put wrong our misdeeds. We first encountered the goodness of God at the point of our salvation. But almost every day we can see the goodness of God at work in our own lives and those of others. We can see the goodness of God in his daily provision, protection and blessing etc. Conclusion The main point is that our God, the God of the bible is good, He is friendly towards us because we are His people. Whenever we come to God in praise, worship, thanksgiving, or petition we must never forget that the goodness of God affects our every interaction with Him. Taste and see that the Lord is good! God shows His goodness to us in many ways as seen in this psalm; Psalm 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases. 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies. 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. Amen Personal Prayer

The Goodness of God Part 1 Recently I have been reading The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer. In this book Tozer defines what it is meant by the expression an ‘attribute of God.’ So we are starting this bible study by trying to define what is meant by an attribute of God. A Divine attribute can be expressed in simple terms as ‘something that is true about God.’ Or we could say whatever may be correctly ascribed to God. The attributes of God include the self-existence of God, the eternity of God, God’s infinitude, God’s immutability, God’s omniscience, God’s omnipotence, God’s faithfulness, God’s goodness, the love of God, and the grace of God etc. For the purposes of our bible study today ‘an attribute of God is whatever God has in any way revealed as being true of Himself.’ We can only know of God what He has chosen to reveal to us and that we are somehow been made capable of knowing. We can find out what God is like from the three main ways that he communicates His Divine attributes to us: 1. Through the natural world i.e. the Creation. 2. Through the Holy Scriptures. 3. Through the person of His Son Jesus Christ. The reason that Bible teachers and scholars have chosen the word ‘attributes’ concerning God is to try to avoid the use of mere human descriptions that can only express themselves in human terms. But God can only be described in His own terms if we are to avoid error. The attribute of: The Goodness of God Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. In everyday language the words ‘good or ‘goodness’ mean many different things to different people. For this bible study our approach to defining God’s goodness is that which disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will toward men. Psalm 107:1 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. He is tender-hearted and of quick sympathy, and His unfailing attitude toward all moral beings is open, frank, and friendly. By His nature He is inclined to bestow blessedness and He takes holy pleasure in the happiness of His people. Psalm 119:68 Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes. That God is good is taught or implied on every page of the Bible and must be received as an undisputed article of faith. We could say that the Goodness of God ought to colour all our thoughts of Him and help to keep us thinking straight. If God is not good, then there can be no distinction between kindness and cruelty, and heaven can be hell and hell, heaven. The goodness of God is the purpose behind all the God’s blessings He pours out each day on His people. God created us because He felt good in His heart, and He redeemed us for the same reason. We need to understand that the unmerited, spontaneous goodness of God underpins all His acts of love[1]. Psalm 145:9: The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. Since God is immutable (unchanging) He never varies in the intensity of His loving-kindness. He has never been kinder than He now is, nor will He ever be less kind. He is no respecter of persons but makes His sun to shine on the evil as well as on the good and sends His rain on the just and on the unjust. The cause of His goodness is in Himself, the recipients of His goodness are all His beneficiaries without merit and without recompense. Always God’s goodness is the ground of our expectation. Our faith in God is faith in the Goodness of God. When believers are thinking straight, we will realise that we dwell under a friendly sky and that the God of heaven, though exalted in power and majesty is eager to be friends with us. When any person approaches God with a petition for forgiveness, healing, or help etc., what is God like and what can we expect when we approach him? John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? When Jesus Christ walked on earth, he showed people exactly what God the Father was like and revealed the true and loving nature of God in all his dealings with humankind. The hypocrites and the insincere will find Him cold and aloof, but the repentant will find him merciful and the self-condemned will find Him to be generous and kind. To the frightened He is friendly to the poor in spirit He is forgiving, to the ignorant, considerate; to the weak, gentle; to the stranger, hospitable. By our own attitudes we may determine our reception by Him. Though the kindness of God is an infinite, overflowing fountain of cordiality, God will not force His attention upon us. If we would be welcomed as the Prodigal was, we must come as the Prodigal came; and when we so come, even though the Pharisees and the legalists sulk without, there will be a feast of welcome within, and music and dancing as the Father takes His child again to His heart. The greatness of God awakes fear within us, but His goodness encourages us not to be afraid of Him. Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. This is a staggering promise in God’s word, that if we walk uprightly before God then He will allow us to have every good thing as He defines them. Amen Personal Prayer [1] Julian of Norwich in Revelations of Divine Love. In Part 2 we consider the practical implications of the goodness of God by comparing the responses of the Rich Young Ruler and Zacchaeus and how we might apply these lessons in our own lives,].

Guest Blogger ikhide Ehimiyein The Bible is God speaking to us, revealing his heart, his thoughts, his plans, his will, his desires for all creation, his account of his relationship with men, a chronicle that continues to demonstrate his love, mercy and judgement. His word exposes the past, guides us through the present and reveals the future, locked up within it is his creative power and authority bestowed upon all who believe and follow him. The real question is can a book written centuries ago, still be relevant today and hold promise for tomorrow; to understand this, we need to take a glimpse at the nature of the word of God. A) The word is living Hebrews 4:12, Gods words are not just letters they are alive carrying within them an ability (power) to produce, create and transform in “real time” human lives, situations, and circumstances. B) God’s words are spirit and life John 6:63: the origins of God’s word is not earthly, of the flesh (carnal) therefore trying to understand it only from a humanistic or intellectual capacity is an effort in futility, though it may produce a few benefits in wisdom and instruction it will not produce fruit required of a disciple of Jesus. C) The word has a personality in “JESUS” John 1:1,14 to truly engage with God’s word requires a relationship with Jesus, he is the Word, and he can take us beyond the letter of the word into the spirit of how and why it was written. To study the word of God purely from an academic or intellectual perspective is very limiting. To truly experience and encounter God in the word, requires that we search for him and read with our hearts. Only then can we experience the heights and depths of God’s word. The story in Revelation 5:1-5 sheds light on how to approach and access the word of God, Gods word to ordinary minds presents as a sealed book. When Jesus walked the earth, he taught in parables, people heard him and left without really understanding the true meaning of what he said. However his disciples ASKED Jesus afterwards what he had taught and then to explain his words. See Mathew 13:10-23, Proverbs 25:2, and Jeremiah 29:13; an encounter with the word can be like being on the road to Emmaus Luke 24:13-32 In verse 32 the disciples exclaimed that their hearts burned within them. The spirit of Jesus is still very present with us and wants to reveal to us God's plan and intentions for us, so we can live victoriously see John 16:12-15, and 1 Corinthians 2:4-16. So, whenever we approach the bible, we should remember that it opens to those who read, not just with their minds but with their hearts. When we do that the word of God helps us to renew our minds (Romans 12:2) so we can truly understand the will of our God. Amen Personal prayer

How do I read the Bible? Practical advice Background We established in our first two studies 1(a) and 1(b) that the Bible is the verbal, plenary, infallible, inerrant, and inspired Word of God. In other words God breathed it. We now address the practicalities of reading the Bible. We want to know how you can go about studying the Bible and will now give some practical suggestions and hints. Background Every person who is born again who calls himself a Christian ought to be spending time every day in the word of God. They should of course also be spending time prayer every day Unless we do these daily acts of spending time in the Word of God and in prayer, we will become weak, ineffectual, and even unstable. Each of us needs to regularly spend some time with the Lord each in his word so that He can speak to us and we can speak to him. If you are not having a regular time with God every day you will probably begin to feel that God is far away from you and has stopped communicating with you. This can often become a pastoral issue although it might take a while for your pastor to get to the bottom of it. It is part of your spiritual growth towards maturity and is common to all who want to go on with the Lord. We must ask ourselves how long we spend in God’s word each day. Many of us, including myself, often listen to various forms of media for hours every day. Surely, we can spare some time to meet with the Lord in his Word? Some Christians call this their 'Quiet Time' where there is communication with Lord whilst reading our bible (and prayer of course). If you lack the self-discipline to do this then consider meeting someone (friend, spouse, work mate etc.) for say 30 minutes for both of you to simply read the bible in the same room but not the same passage together. This can help get some people get up and running and can develop into a discipline. Suggestions, pointers, and considerations to help you develop your bible study. Which translation should you use? You must choose carefully which version of the bible you will use. Please remember that the only true inspired Bible is the one which was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. I apologise if that offends some of you who think the King James Bible is the inspired one and only acceptable version, but the inspired Bible is the one written in the original languages not any of the translations. This has caused problems for me with one of my outreach teams. One team member reckoned only the KJV was the inspired word of God and all other translations were of the devil. He was entitled to his opinion, but then he set about unsettling the rest of the team! Unfortunately. most of us do not know the original languages, so we had to choose a version of the Bible at some time. When I got saved in 1981, everyone quoted from the King James Version. However today the choice of translation is much more complicated because we have got so many versions. Most of us will base our choice of translation on which version is the most accurate or perhaps on which translation is the most readable version that we can use (see next section below). My own preference is for the King James Version. That is not because I feel that there is something special about the King James Version. Do remember that when the King James Version of the Bible came out, that there was no real competition, and many older Christians today still like to use the KJV. One advantage of the KJV is that its various quirks etc. are well known and understood. Until recent times all the complementary reference books were geared towards the KJV e.g. commentaries, concordances, and lexicons etc. However this is no longer the case with a wide choice of translation and a growing list of supporting reference and study aids becoming available. So how do we choose our translation? Your choice could likely be based on two factors. a) Accuracy of the translation from the original manuscripts into English and/or b) Readability It is advisable to stick with whatever version you do choose so that you get to know at least one version of the Bible well. Most people usually have a second version for backup to help them with difficult passages. My favourite Bible teacher recommends the following versions (please bear in mind that there is no perfect translation); the KJV, the NKJV, the NIV -which is very readable but messes up a few passages such as Hebrews 11. The NASB is one of the most accurate translations of the scriptures, again one or two corrections are needed but overall the NASB is particularly good. Other recommended versions include the Weymouth Bible, and the Williams Translation which has the most accurate verb tenses for those interested in this. Another one I like and use from time to time is the Youngs Literal Bible which can help when I cannot get a foothold on a particular passage [1]. If your children or new converts are reading other Bibles, you might want to point them to some of those recommended above as some other popular translations have little to do with the original text! Here are a couple of quick test verses which might help you to spot whether a particular translation is any good or not. Two useful Test Verses In Psalm 84 in the KJV at the top of the Psalm is an instruction…'To the chief musician upon Gittith, a Psalm for the sons of Korah'. These introductory notes are part of the inspired text and must be in your Bible. If they are not there this is a poor reflection on the translation in question. In Romans 9:5 check to see if the translation supports the Trinity or not. The KJV supports the Trinity. An example of a translation which does not support the Trinity is the RSV for it separates Christ and God. Check it out! Amen In our next study we will consider what other resources you might want to use to aid your Bible study. [1] For other recommendations on bible translations please listen to BBS 083 by Roger Price -see link in the 'Additional Resources' section of website. For full text for printout, video version, and access to other parts of 'about the bible' click https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/about-the-bible-part-3-a