Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About

SOLOMON

At some stage of their life, many people ask the question: “What really am I here for? Is there really any true meaning to my existence? Is this all there is to life? Wake up, eat, work, come back home, and watch TV or go out for a short time and then back home to sleep? Lather, rise, repeat?”

Sure we can break it up with some milestones.  We might obtain an education, start a career or a job, maybe get married and have a child or two, and if we do, perhaps everything will turn out well but maybe it won’t. Is life just a series of repetitions with a few breakthrough moments of  success and failure? Often what we do strive for entails a search for one or more of the following: prestige, power, wealth, fame, knowledge, or companionship.  Many people spend so much of their life seeking to attain one of these aspects that once something is attained, they’re no longer able to fully enjoy their success.

So what about Solomon? He was someone who had attained essentially all of what people strive for. He was a king of Israel, an absolute monarch.  He had enormous power and was considered one of Israel’s best rulers, thus attained prestige.

He was wealthy — considered the richest man on earth. According to 1 Kings 10:14 the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold (one talent equals about one hundred pounds), and he reigned for forty years (that would be about approximately 2,664,000 pounds). In addition, he was given more by merchantmen, spice merchants, kings of Arabia, and governors.

He was considered the wisest man who ever lived. He had “…a wise and understanding heart so that there was none like you before you, neither after you shall any arise like unto you.” (1 Kings 3:12)  

He had no lack of companionship either having 700 wives, princesses and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3).  In addition, Solomon built the Temple, palaces, and cities.  He had a navy and an army that helped him reign over an area from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean and to Egypt; Israel being the most powerful nation on earth at the time.

Further, he created gardens, vineyards, lakes and said, “…whatever my eyes desired, I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced in all my labour.” (Ecclesiastes 2:10)

In today’s language, Solomon “had it made.” 

But in the end, what was his overall assessment regarding his accomplishments? His conclusion: Pleasure is vain; it’s all really vanity. It is all essentially meaningless.

If a man who accomplished so much finds such little value in what he’s done and so little meaning in his life’s work, then what really is there to find meaning in?

Perhaps it’s in his conclusion. This man of prestige, power, wisdom, and wealth ended life with one conclusion. The only matter of any real import was this: Fear God and keep His commandments — for this is the whole duty of man.

And this is the one conclusion we all should think about.  

   

Pastor Caroline May 31, 2020 - Companionship

Pastor Caroline - May 29, 2020

Let’s look today at Hebrews Chapter 1 verses 1, 2 and 3.

This  is how it reads in my Amplified Study Bible.
(1) Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness),stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence, the race that is set before us,
(2) (looking away from all that will distract us and)  focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith (the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity), who for joy (of accomplishing the goal) set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (revealing His deity, His authority and the completion of His work. (Psalm 110:1)
(3) Just consider and meditate on Him who endured from sinners such bitter hostility against Himself(consider it all in comparison with your trials),so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Jesus, sets the example for the race we are to run and it is indeed a high standard to say the least. Let’s look at it for a moment or two, and apply it to our lives. Every day we rise from our bed and there is a new beginning and an end to the day, when we start out on a trip there is a starting point and an ending point to the destination, and in all we do in life there is a beginning and an end. We may not always think of it that way but it is so. We know in life there is birth, life itself, and death. Now if we think of life as a race, we all start at a different gateway, so to speak, we push through life and hopefully one day arrive at heavens door. Often at funerals you will hear a minister say, so-and-so ran a good race and finished well. This does not mean they were a runner in a marathon all their life, it refers to the race of life and how they lived their life, serving God, as He intended. We all need to look to those who have come and gone before us and see from their example how to live life well. Verse 1 of our scripture today says, “a great cloud of witnesses who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness” means, those who have lived life according to God‘s plan and purpose of what He has for everyone born, saw His faithfulness to the finish line. We all need to try and follow the examples of the faithful saints that have gone before us. We must try not to get caught up in the sin of the world, however, sin will be a part of our lives, as we are all sinners, but by the grace of God He has forgiven our sin, thanks to His Son, Jesus, who carried our sin to the cross on His body and gave up His life so that we may be righteous before the Father. We must live our lives (run our race) to completion under God’s divine purpose. We may never accomplish everything that is set before us perhaps, however, it is important to give each task an honest effort, and not give up in our efforts, and when each task is accomplished to the best of our ability it will please our Heavenly Father.

Life will be difficult, God tells us that in His word, however He also says He will never leave us or for sake us. Hebrews Chapter 13 verse 5.
 As we consider the race Jesus ran, we must be forever grateful and thankful that God will not put before us such a heavy burden, and that our trials in life will never be more than we can handle, with His help. We must trust in His wisdom and direction every day until we have run a good race and one day finish at the entrance of Heaven.

So let us run the race with perseverance knowing God is with us every step of the way. What God is calling us to do in life we must let Him lead, we must follow, and we will run a good race. When we stay close to Him and focus on the finish line we will finish well that which we began.

Have a wonderful weekend and Monday we will be in a new day with a new reading from the Lord. Thank you for joining me in my race and I trust God, we will all finish well.

Pastor Caroline - May 28, 2020

Ephesians Chapter 2 Verse 10 is the basis for my message today and you will understand that as you read through these words now.
We are all unique. I have two children and in some ways they are alike, but, in most of their ways, they are completely different. They both love to read collecting many books which are in pristine condition, they both have a good work ethic, and both are kind and loving and respect those in authority. Yet they are pleasantly and uniquely different. You can most likely say the same about your children, each one with their own special and unique ways.

God created us all with the gift of uniqueness, each person has a unique fingerprint for example. Most of us have a unique birthmark somewhere on our body. I remember meeting a man once, who had one blue eye and one brown eye and confessed he had perfect vision. To me that was unique and it always amazed me. My son is colour blind and yet my daughter can see the depths of colour that astonish me. Colour fascinates her. Some people love to sing to the world and others, who have the same amount of talent and perhaps even more, will only sing for their own pleasure. Some people have a way of bringing correction to your life that you absolutely thank them for, and you change for the better, while someone else may speak to you about the same issue, and because of how they delivered the correction, you immediately did not like them and most likely did not change in anyway.

Even when we are different or odd, as some may suggest to us, God made us that way, and so we are to be thankful to God and excel in our differences. You are the way you are because God made you that way. YOU are one of a kind!

Chapter 2 verse 10 in Ephesians says, in the Good News Bible:
(10) God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus He has created us for a life of good deeds, which He has already prepared us to do.

You are uniquely chosen to carry out the will and works of the Lord here on earth.The above scripture tells us this and He has prepared us by giving us what we need.

Every day God will give you opportunity to share His love when you walk in His love, to share His peace, mercy, kindness, gentleness, joy, and contentment, as He has given to you all these qualities. You have received much and are rich in the Lord, and He gives you this wealth to share with others. To walk in all of this wealth, is to be richer by far, then the man who claims to have the riches of the world; for one day his riches will be gone; and the above riches you process, you will carry into eternity.

God created you and I with strengths and weaknesses, and both will shape who we become in life. I happen to have a weakness for lemon pie but my strength keeps me in check so that I do not try to live on lemon alone.


God designed me just the way I am, made a plan for my life before I even entered this world, and has watched over me all my life thus far,  and I am confident He will continue to do so until the day of my graduation to heaven.

Over the years He has nurtured me and brought me to a maturity in Christ, allowing me the privilege to serve Him in many ways all the days of my life. I am very grateful and thankful to Him, for loving and caring for me.

 Making me unique, making you unique, was His plan from day one and He wants us to enjoy the uniqueness of others so we can learn from each other and carry out His work here on earth.

We are not a cookie-cutter people. God made every single one of us different. From the very first man born until the end of time, God has a different design for every child brought into the world, think on that for a moment, isn’t that amazing? It sure is because we have an amazing God!!

God is unique and there is no other God like him! Praise Him and His name!!

Now today search out your uniqueness and the uniqueness in others and enjoy what you see, for with God there are no mistakes, only perfection. I am working toward my perfection and when I get to heaven I will have graduated with His honour, mercy and grace.
How about you?

Enjoy today for it is God’s gift to you.

Dr. Barclay's Bible Study - The Book of Jude - Part 5

Pastor Caroline - May 27, 2020

Please read the devotional first today from David Jeremiah’s Daily in His Presence. It is below my writing as a picture, then what I’m writing will make more sense.

The difference between joy and happiness David says, is generally, happiness is an emotion that is dependent on circumstances, however joy, is a deep-seated conviction that is based on truth and faith, not circumstance.

A conviction is a firmly held belief or opinion, so when we hold a conviction to our faith it means we stand by our faith and believe in it no matter the circumstances. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians he stands on the truth of the word, because his faith was well-founded in Jesus. He was in prison when he wrote this letter. You would not expect someone who is in prison to have a deep joy but as you read Paul’s letter, (it’s only four chapters so please read it for yourself), you will see as a servant of Christ,  he was able to further the gospel. Paul says, “My deep desire and hope is that I should never fail in my duty, but that at all times, and especially right now, I should be full of courage, so that with my whole being I shall bring honour to Christ, whether I live or die”. Chapter 1 verse 20. This is indeed quite a statement/testimony, and if only we could all measure up to this on a daily basis what joy would overflow our hearts.

His desire to honour Christ was the deep joy and contentment that allowed him to still preach even in his circumstance of imprisonment. Paul reminds us in his letter that unity in Christ will shape our conduct, allow us to be consistent in our faith and be co-operative with one another as we share the gospel to those we meet. When we show a gentle attitude toward everyone, as suggested in Chapter 4 verse 5, I dare say verse 7 of Chapter 4 makes sense as it reads; “And God‘s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus”.
If we spend our days with our focus on Jesus, and not on our circumstances, then joy will fill our hearts and minds.

When we honour the word and instruction of the Lord, contentment and joy will be deep rooted within us, and our circumstances will come and go, bringing both happiness and sadness, but they will only last for a short time as, the peace of God will always cover our circumstances. God gives us “strength” daily to face each challenge/circumstance and the “power of Christ” within us brings us through every challenge/circumstance. Every need is met daily by the abundant Father we serve.

Paul’s message to the church that he was writing to at the time, the Church at Philippi, and his message to us today, is found in Chapter 4 verse 4,
(4)”May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again, rejoice!”.
To this statement and prayer, I add a hearty, Amen!!

All scriptures used today are from the Good News Bible. Please take time to read through Paul’s letter, it is the eleventh book in the New Testament entitled, Philippians.

The day is overcast but the glory of God is just behind the clouds. It will burst through as it always does!  Therein lies the joy.  Have a super day in His presence and rejoice.

Pastor Caroline - May 26, 2020

I can relate to the little boy David Jeremiah speaks about today in the reading from Daily in His Presence. I remember back in 1959, I was seven years old and Queen Elizabeth was visiting Canada and she, by motorcade, came through Trenton, Nova Scotia. I remember standing on the steps by the Anglican Church, by the War Memorial as she passed by. She waved directly to me, I am sure! I loved her white gloves.  She caught my eye as I stood on my tiptoes to see her. She was beautiful and I know she saw me, in the crowd. For days, and weeks, I told everyone I saw Queen Elizabeth blowing me a kiss, after I blew a kiss to her. That was how I knew she saw me!!
I was elated to say the least. I never forgot that moment in time and that’s 60 years ago. Now, some days, I can’t remember what I did yesterday, but 60 years ago, I remember the look on her face as she blew me the kiss. She was young and beautiful. Every time I see her to this day, I close my eyes and go back to being that little girl who received air blown kiss from our Queen.


If I was that excited about the Queen, can you even imagine how excited I’m going to be when I get to heaven and Jesus comes to welcome me?
Well I expect I will just be beside myself. He has been my friend, comforter, helper, advisor, teacher, and Father to me for 58 years and I can hardly wait to meet Him in person.

I want to walk and talk with Him, when I get to heaven. I want to tell Him I love Him and that I’ve loved Him for many, many years and I want to thank Him from the bottom of my heart; for all He has done for me during my years on earth. I want to thank Him for the cross, the gift of salvation, and how He gave His life for me and for everyone who has already accepted Him and for those yet to accept Him as Lord and Savior.

As I now enjoy His presence, by His spirit, (the Holy Spirit), who lives in me, I can hardly wait to know Him fully. As David says in the reading, “Christ is with me, around me, inside me”.
This is so true and exactly how I feel!

 From the time I was nine years old, I have never felt lonely or alone because I knew Jesus was always with me. I have all my life enjoyed His company and the comfort He always gives me. I truly have been blessed, and to this day, still enjoy the blessing.
To hear David say, “Learn to be comforted by His royal presence”,  brings me to a place where I can say, I am elated to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior.......And my friend.
My heart skips a beat when I think about His love for me and I feel very special to be called His daughter.

We are all called to be His children, children of the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings, how amazing is that? Do you feel you are in the presence of royalty? Well today, YOU can be in the presence of royalty, Jesus the King, as you accept Him as Lord and Saviour of your life. Learn to be comforted by his Royal presence and know that the Lord is coming soon.

May you always find joy in the Lord, for there is no other joy that compares to knowing and loving Jesus. It is time for YOU to be overwhelmed by HIS glory!!

Have a beautiful day.

Pastor Caroline - May 25, 2020

As you read David Jeremiah‘s devotional today, can you even imagine being somewhere talking with a friend, and a stranger joins you and reveals Himself as the Risen Lord! Wouldn’t that be totally amazing? Hopefully He would find you in a position that is pleasing to Him. Perhaps He would find you singing His praises, or teaching His word to someone or to several people. Perhaps you would be standing at the bedside of someone dying and you would be offering them the gift of salvation. Maybe you would be holding a newborn baby in your arms, or cradling a special needs child who is frightened. These would all be good positions to be in should He appear in the flesh beside you.

Now stop and think of all the things we all do, that certainly would not be pleasing to the Risen Lord. I am not going to make a list here because everybody’s list would be different. I can only say, there have been times in my own life, that if He appeared beside me I would be embarrassed and ashamed. I would cry out “please forgive me”, and He would if I truly presented a repentant heart.

I am so grateful He is my Saviour and I know He sees all I do. He knows I am not perfect, I am human, I will disappoint Him at times and at times I will bring Him great joy. I pray I bring more joy than disappointment.

As David says in the reading (Daily in His Presence), in the last paragraph;
“The greatest encouragement we will ever know is the encouragement of knowing the Christ who rose on Easter Sunday. He walks with us and talks with us and tells us we are own”.
 So you see, Christ is walking with us when we are in a position that is pleasing to Him and He sees us when we are not pleasing to Him. However, He is willing to encourage us to do better, everyday, as He teaches us through the written word.
(14) May my words and my thoughts be acceptable to you, O Lord, my refuge and my redeemer!
This is found In Psalm 19 verse 14 in the Good News Bible and in the Amplified Study Bible it reads this way:
(14) Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my (firm, immovable) rock and my Redeemer.
Let this be our prayer every day as we begin our day with the Lord.

What is God hearing in your conversation?
What is God hearing in my conversation?

I pray it is acceptable to Him so we can enjoy the indescribable joy that is ours in knowing the Risen Savior, as David says in today’s reading.

May God richly bless each one who is reading this today. Have a super Lord’s day.

Dr. Spencer Barclay with Something to Think About

CAIN and ABEL

One of the earliest stories in the Bible is the one of the two sons of Adam: Cain who became a farmer and Abel who became a keeper of sheep. Now both of these are honourable professions but when they came to offer homage to God, He rejected Cain’s offering of the fruit of the ground at the same time honouring Abel’s offering of the first of his flock.

Now it is said that: “the life (soul) of the flesh is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11) and “without shedding of blood there is no remission (of sin)” (Hebrews 9:22) so this has been given as the reason for God’s rejection of Cain’s offering. Did Cain really realize this? Did Adam explain it out properly? Did Cain just make an error in judgement?

After all, the fruit of the ground would be used as a wave offering to God (Leviticus 7:28-30) and even God Himself indicated that the blood of bulls and goats was not what He really desired (Psalm 40:6). So was the nature of Cain’s offering the problem or was there something else?

There was no indication that God was angry with Cain or that He even actually rejected his offering but that it was not respected.  He implied that if he improved that everything would be accepted, that he had made a mistake in believing that something that man had done could take the place of what God had mandated. 

But Cain became angry, upset, and crestfallen. It was this anger and Cain’s apparent refusal to be corrected that led to God saying: “if you do not do well, sin lies at the door” ready to pounce and devour.

I believe that God can accept and forgive honest mistakes. But when one refuses to acknowledge such errors and develops an attitude which precludes the possibility of change, that’s when sin enters and takes hold.

In studying this Biblical story, that’s really what we should be thinking about.   

Pastor Caroline - May 24, 2020 - Looking Back

Pastor Caroline - May 22, 2020 - Knowing the Future

Who wouldn’t like to know the future especially if it only held good events for us? Well my dear friends, we are not going to know the future, but we can know what God says about our future. Yesterday I asked you to read Psalm 34 and in it in versus 11 to 14 we read;
(11) Come, my young friends, and listen to me, and I will teach you to have reference for the Lord.
(12) Would you like to enjoy Life? Do you want long life and happiness?
(13) Then keep from speaking evil and from telling lies.
(14) Turn away from evil and do good; strive for peace with all your heart.
In these verses taken from the Good News Bible, we are invited to worship God, and to obey Him and when we do that we will have reference for Him. To enjoy life and be happy, we must hear the word of God, understand His word, follow His instructions, choose to do His will and stand firm in His will for our lives. God tells us in Jeremiah Chapter 29 verse 11 in the Good News Bible this; “I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about a future you hope for.” God knows our future and He controls it, as David Jeremiah says today in our devotional, Daily in His Presence. I am so happy God is in control of my future, my today, and all my tomorrows bringing me into a future designed by Him for me. I know without a shadow of a doubt He certainly will do a better job than I ever could do. I need to just stay close to Him in prayer and in His word so that I can benefit from the plans He has for my future.

God‘s word tells us everything we need to know about life and if we study His word we can have a life that gives us peace, in the good times and in the times of struggle, because, we know Who is in control. He knows our future. He is God, and there is none like Him, declaring the end from the beginning, as we are told in Isaiah Chapter 46 verses 9 and 10, the scripture used in David Jeremiah‘s reading today.

Look up and know God holds YOUR future and know YOU are in good hands. Enjoy every day knowing your salvation is in Christ and that is a good place to place your future as we await our glorious home going to spend eternity with the author and finisher of our faith.

Be blessed in this day and join me again Monday May 25th., for a new reading. I will do a video on Sunday May 24th., so please watch for it later in the afternoon.  Have a beautiful weekend and rest assured God knows your future.

Pastor Caroline - May 21 2020 - Psalm 34

Good morning everyone. After spending much time in the word this morning the Lord has laid on my heart Psalm 34. In the Good News Bible the title is “In Praise of God‘s Goodness“ and in the Amplified Study Bible it is entitled,  “The Lord,  A Provider and One Who Rescues Me.“

Today I would like you all to take your Bible and read through Psalm 34. Spend some time in studying this Psalm and let it encourage and enlighten you.

In this psalm we see praising, answered prayer, God saves those who are in trouble, He guards those who reverence Him (worship and obey Him,) provides for those who obey him, directs us from evil, teaches us to do good and be righteous, is near to those who are discouraged, saves the lost, restores hope to the hopeless, redeems us, and those who seek refuge find it in the Lord. This psalm is full of goodness so please open your bible today and spend some time with your Provider, the One who rescues you. 
Enjoy your day and share the good news with everyone you meet.

Psalm 34 Good News Translation (GNT)

In Praise of God's Goodness

34 I will always thank the Lord;
    I will never stop praising him.
2 I will praise him for what he has done;
    may all who are oppressed listen and be glad!
3 Proclaim with me the Lord's greatness;
    let us praise his name together!

4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me;
    he freed me from all my fears.
5 The oppressed look to him and are glad;
    they will never be disappointed.
6 The helpless call to him, and he answers;
    he saves them from all their troubles.
7 His angel guards those who honor the Lord
    and rescues them from danger.

8 Find out for yourself how good the Lord is.
    Happy are those who find safety with him.
9 Honor the Lord, all his people;
    those who obey him have all they need.
10 Even lions go hungry for lack of food,
    but those who obey the Lord lack nothing good.

11 Come, my young friends, and listen to me,
    and I will teach you to honor the Lord.
12 Would you like to enjoy life?
    Do you want long life and happiness?
13 Then keep from speaking evil
    and from telling lies.
14 Turn away from evil and do good;
    strive for peace with all your heart.

15 The Lord watches over the righteous
    and listens to their cries;
16 but he opposes those who do evil,
    so that when they die, they are soon forgotten.
17 The righteous call to the Lord, and he listens;
    he rescues them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to those who are discouraged;
    he saves those who have lost all hope.

19 Good people suffer many troubles,
    but the Lord saves them from them all;
20 the Lord preserves them completely;
    not one of their bones is broken.
21 Evil will kill the wicked;
    those who hate the righteous will be punished.

22 The Lord will save his people;
    those who go to him for protection will be spared.

Pastor Caroline - May 20, 2020 - Joy Now and Forever

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11 NKJV

David Jeremiah writes in his devotional,  Daily in His Presence that, we are living now in the future, and that is because our eternal life begins when we come to know God through faith in Jesus Christ. John 17:3.  This is such a powerful statement and I appreciate how David in his writing gets us to stop and think.

People often ask us, as Christians, how can we be so positive even in hard times? Well it is because we have our faith in Christ, He promises to never leave us or forsake us, and we believe His word. He also says He will forgive our sin, give us peace, bless us, and lead us. If we believe in our heart, His word, then joy (not happiness), shall fill our life. Happiness is not the same as joy, as you know, joy is deep within, and we can be joyful even when happiness evades us. We need to be in the presence of the Lord, we need to know Him intimately to be filled with the joy spoken about in the opening scripture. We need to study His word, be with like-minded people, and share Him with others. We can feel secure in God as He continues daily to fill our needs, protect us from harm, lead us away from evil, provide for us, and is ever present in our lives. This gives us a lot to be joyful in and the pleasure we receive from serving Him allows us to live in the fullness of joy today.

Psalm 16 in my Good News Bible is entitled, A Prayer  of Confidence, and it is worth opening your Bible to read it in its entirety.

Sit with the word of God every day, read and be filled with His joy as you study the scriptures that will speak to you. Let’s be like Paul, who David writes about today, and let’s be future- focused and see our eternal life ahead. With Jesus as Lord and Saviour this world cannot compare to the eternal joy that awaits us in heaven; however, Jesus wants us to enjoy the fullness of His joy, on earth every day as we pass through this world to our heavenly home.

Now let’s go into our day enjoying the pleasures God has provided for this day. You are His creation and you are beautiful!!

Dr. Barclay's Bible Study - The Book of Jude - Part 4

Pastor Caroline - May 19, 2020

What does God promise us?
If you go to the concordance of your Bible and look under Promise, you will see an extensive list. I am using the Amplified Study Bible and will reference it in this reading. Promise — God’s pledge for the future.
I like how that statement covers all my tomorrows. Every tomorrow is my future and yours as well.

There is a list under Promise:
A. Major promises of God, with subtitles and scriptures for reference. It starts with:
(1) Concerning Christ, with a sublist and scriptures and
 (2) Concerning believers with a sublist and scriptures. This is A, 1 and 2
(B) God‘s attitude to His promises, with another sublist and scripture references. This is B.
(C) Believers and God‘s promises, with another sublist and more scripture references. This is C.

In total there are 46 scriptures listed from A to C. If you were to sit with your Bible and read each scripture referred to, you would have completed a good study. Or scan through the subtitles and let the Lord give you unction as to what you will keep your focus on. For instance, under A - 2; Concerning believers, if you just read the first five subtitles; they read in my Bible as follows:
God will forgive your sin........ 
1  John 1:19
God will give us peace........... Psalm 85:8
God will bless us....................
Psalm 67:6-7
God will lead us......................
Psalm  23:1-6
God will never leave us...........
Hebrews 13:5

God promises to forgive our sin, give us peace, bless us, lead us and never leave us. That is a pretty powerful statement using those five subtitles. I know God is faithful to His promises and I personally trust in His promises. When I need a promise to stand on I go to my Bible and I find the scripture concerning that promise, and, I claim that scripture from God’s written word as a promise on its way to me. I wait patiently for the delivery of that promise to come to fruition.

In August last year, my daughter Krystle gave me this picture framed reminder of God’s promises in poetry. She purchased it in an antique shop and knew I would love it. I will include a picture of it so (you will see it after the writing) you will see what I’m talking about. The frame is old, the paper is yellowed from age, but, the promise of God is new every morning I read it. I am blessed by the words in rhyme. This stands on my fireplace shelf where I can see it every day. It states in the bottom left-hand corner that it is, Copyright 1964, Messenger Corporation, and on the right hand corner it says; Manufactured  in Canada by: W. L. Smith and Associates, Limited. This is 56 years old and yet the promise is new every day. Amazing right, just like the Bible which is a lot older by a few thousand years, and yet the word is new every morning filled with the promises of God, especially designed for your new day! Your every tomorrow comes with a promise waiting to be filled as the Lord assures us:  “I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope.”Jeremiah Chapter 29 verse 11.                               Now this is a promise worth claiming and standing on. I love the promises of God.


Perhaps you will want to write out the words that are on the picture that’s supplied for you today and keep them tucked in your Bible for your daily review. It will be a wonderful reminder of God‘s promises to you on a daily basis. Read over the last stanza and may God bless you always as you stand on His promises.

Have a great day in Jesus.