The Goal Of Many.

Do you remember the blog from yesterday? Paul's End Goal?

Just a few verses on from that Paul outlines the goal of many of the enemies of the Gospel.

Acts 20:30

"Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them."


The goal of many is not necessarily to distort the truth.

That is what they have to do to DRAW AWAY DISCIPLES AFTER THEMSELVES.

In my experience, that is what many troublesome people are after - disciples of themselves.


Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

Paul's End Goal.

When Paul was farewelling the Ephesians he summed up the goal of his life.

"I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - he task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." (Acts 20:24)

Compared to his life in God, his material life was worth nothing.

All he wants to do is to finish the race (which is his spiritual journey) and complete his life's ambition to testify to others the good news of God's gracious gift to him.

What was that gracious gift?

We see that in 1 Corinthians 15:3-9

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born."


Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

Stubborn Unbelief.

In Psalm 78:32 we read this....

"In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe...."


We have in our mind that there must be some activity (if it was witnessed) would turn people from unbelief to belief.

This is not so.

I have in my mind the parable of the rich man and Lazarus - you remember the one....

...both of them die and go to their respective places - Lazarus to be with God and the rich man to the place without God.

It is such a bad experience that the rich man pleads (with Abraham) that Lazarus go and tell his brothers, so that they don't end up where he is - "they will believe if someone were to go back from the dead"

Abraham says, "No they won't, they will not believe, even if someone were to go back from the dead".

That is true, isn't it. Stubborn unbelief is not even turned around by evidence.


Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

Self Pity...

Self Pity...we get caught up in don't we. So did the great Elijah.

He had forgotten that others had remained faithful.

He remembered though, the sound of a gentle whisper was God's voice.

God does not always reveal Himself in powerful, miraculous ways.

If we look for God only in the BIG things (churches, conferences, speakers etc) we might miss Him.

And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lordpassed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, x“I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”


TFTD: You might hear God in the quietness of a humble heart. Why not disengage from the busyness that we get so wrapped up in and listen quietly for God.




Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

The Answer Is "Believe".

Paul and Silas are in prison in Philippi.

While they are there, a violent earth quake strikes.

Paul and Silas's jailer is terrified that the prisoners are going to escape and he will be put to death for not stopping them escaping.

Paul assures him that the prisoners are going nowhere.

The response of the jailor is, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30)

Paul and Silas reply, "Believe (trust/commit) in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household." (v.31)

TFTD: The message has not changed.

Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

A Simple Choice.

The Old Testament reading this morning in my 365 Day Bible is a good one - from 1 Kings 15.

It presents a simple choice for us to make....and we see it demonstrated in the lives of various Kings.

For example, we have Abijah (a King of Judah). Verse 3 tells us "He committed all the sins his father had..... his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God..."


In contrast to Abijah we see Asa (also a King of Judah) in v.11 "Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD....Asa's heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life." (v.14)

TFTD: The choice for us is to be FULLY COMMITTED to God or NOT to be fully committed to God.

Which way are you going?


Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

A Way Forward.

How often is that we need to know the way forward in some particular situation. We have a clue this morning from (of all places) 1 Chronicles 16:11

"Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always."


How could we go wrong?

Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

A Reminder About "Faith".

Hebrews 11:1

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."


Meditate on that for the day,


Peter Clark.

The Judgement On A King.

The Kings of Israel on the whole were a bad lot. In 1 Kings 11:33 we see a summary of why they failed... ...."(you)have not walked in my ways, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my statutes and laws as David .....did" Have a great day, Peter Clark

A Good Attitude To Have.

Today my Bible reading took me to 1 Kings Chapter 8. In the last verse of that chapter (v.66) it struck me that the response of the people of Israel was a good one - one that we could well emulate. "They blessed the King and went home joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the LORD had done......" Being joyful and glad in heart....thankful for all the good things that come to us from God.... ....That can't be a bad attitude to have can it? Have a great day, Peter Clark

Take Me To A Spacious Place.

David, the writer of many of the Psalms of uses the imagery of the "spacious place"....

a good place to be......a safe place....a very pleasant place to be.....an encouraging place etc.

In David's song of praise in 2 Samuel 22, which he writes after he has been delivered from the killing hands of King Saul, he says...

"...but the LORD was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." (v.19,20)

Are you in a "spacious place" right now?

Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

No Wonder!

It is no wonder that we as a country are in such a mess.

I read this morning that "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." Proverbs 14:34.

Is it any wonder, when the coffee shops are filled on Sunday mornings, but not our churches.

When there is a Prime Minister living in the Lodge with her de facto?

When there is actually a community debate over same sex marriages?

When little humans in the wombs of their mothers are being aborted?

When our environment is being raped in exchange for the mighty dollar?

If righteousness DOES exult a nation and if sin IS a disgrace to people, it is no wonder that our country is in such a mess.


Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

What Does The Future Hold?

What does the future hold? Will it be good? Or bad?

Jeremiah 29:11 says this...

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."


Whether the future is "good" for us, or "bad" for us......

......we can be assured that it will be God's best for us.


Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

Why Am I Here?

This morning I was reminded of one of the very fundamental purposes for which we exist.

Acts 26:18

"I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me."


Opening eyes

Turning people from darkness to light.

Directing people away from the power of Satan to God.

Helping people receive forgiveness of sins.

Ensuring that people find their special place with God and His people.

TFTD: A job description for the Christian.


Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

Living To Please God.

In 1 Kings 2:4 we see a key in knowing how to live to please God.

"...If your descendants WATCH how they live, and if they WALK faithfully before me with ALL their heart and soul...." 


Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

Silver & Gold...

Those famous words, put to a popular tune - a part of Acts 4.

We are all familiar with them. Peter and John walking along and they come across a man who had been crippled from birth.

With just a word - they heal him, and off he goes leaping and praising God.

Thousands become believers because of that incident.

Understandably, the Jewish leaders are upset - they are loosing the limelight!

They have a meeting...."What are we going to do with these men, everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, AND WE CANNOT DENY IT." (Acts 4:16)

That is the key....they cannot deny it.

TFTD: How is it that so many have no trouble in denying it, some 2000 years later when they were not even there?


Have a good day,


Peter Clark.

An Early Gospel.

As I read through the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) I continually look for expressions of the  gospel (the good news) as I have come to understand it.

This morning in the Acts of the Apostles (Luke's part two to his Gospel) I read a very early expression of the "good news"

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the LORD, and that he may send the Christ, who has ben appointed for you - even Jesus."

Acts 3:19-20

Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

True Forgiveness

I heard through the week the view that God should forgive people, irrespective of whether there is any repentance or changed life. This, obviously is based on a confusion between condoning and forgiving. To condone evil is simply to ignore it, to treat it as a good thing. But forgiveness needs to be offered and accepted. There has to be an acceptance of guilt to receive forgiveness. If a person admits no guilt, they can accept no forgiveness.
Those who are actively against God are likely to stay that way because they enjoy their position. They can return to God but more than often choose not to - it is like the door is locked on the inside. They can open it and leave the place they have chosen OR they can "enjoy" the restricted freedom they have demanded.
On the other hand, those who have submitted to God are truly blessed by Him, and if they continue in obedience, become more and more free - right through into eternity.
What do we really want God to do?
To wipe out people's past sins and to give them a fresh start? That is exactly what God has done at Calvary, by sending His Son to die on that cruel Roman cross for the sins of the whole world. this ca cover all people - all that is needed is repentance and faith.
Would we rather that God just leave people alone? That is exactly what happens. If people repent and return to God, He welcomes them with open arms. If people ignore God, and reject Him, He leaves them to themselves.

Have a great day,


Peter Clark(with thanks to CS Lewis for his thoughts in "The Problem Of Pain")

Condemnation.

Read Stephen's condemnation of his persecutors...

Acts 7:51-52

"You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers. You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him..."


TFTD: We have to be very careful that we do not become "stiff-necked" and grow an uncircumcised heart or ears. Beware.


Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

Blessed Assurance

I spent an hour or two this morning choosing hymns to sing in our Services.

What a blessing - to do that.

This one has always been one of my favourites....

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God;
born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Saviour all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Saviour all the day long.


Perfect submission, perfect delight,
visions of rapture burst on my sight;
angels descending, bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Saviour am happy and blest;
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Isn't that just great,


Peter Clark.

Priorities.

A timely reminder this morning.

In Acts 6 we see the church doing what it does well - verse 1, complaining!

Who would have thought it?

They have this commune thing going, and the split up of the food is not fair.

The apostles appoint someone especially to look after that area of ministry - because it is important.

The apostles say about themselves, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables." (Acts 6:2)

Ministry involves us regularly (constantly) revising our priorities.

TFTD: DO NOT DEPART FROM THE WORD


Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

Jealousy.

It is a terrible thing - jealousy. It eats away taking any pleasure that you might have in a relationship.

I am continuing to read through The Acts of the Apostles and we see that in Chapter 5 and verse 17....

"Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy."


They were seeing great things happening in the lives of the apostles and couldn't handle it.

We have to learn to handle jealousy. It is not easy. But we have to rejoice when other people are being blessed.


Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

The Company We Keep.

The disciples had many shortcomings.

We see the one thing that they had going for them that was of any consequence in Acts 4:13

"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."


TFTD: Being with Jesus makes all the difference.


Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

A Child Dies.

In 2 Samuel 12 we read of the death of the child of David and Bathsheba.

While the child still had the chance of life, David fasted, wept and prayed.

When the child died David got up,  (washed, changed his clothes and went and worshipped God.

David's servants ask him about his behaviour, he answered,

"While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live." But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again?" (verse 23)

Then there is that great statement of assurance...

"I will go to him, but he will not return to me."(also, verse 23)

David is assured that the little baby that he fathered will be safe with God.

TFTD: Isn't that good to know?


Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

Times Of Refreshing.

In Acts 3 Peter calls on people to respond to God.

(v.19,20) "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you - even Jesus."


That is a great way to describe our Christian walk - "times of refreshing"


Have a great day,



Peter Clark.

What Seems Right...May Not Be.

I was reminded this morning, reading Proverbs 14 and verse 12...

"There is a way that seems right to a man,
     but in the end it leads to death."


Our mind can fool us.

Our emotions can fool us.

And so how can we know what is right?

Really only when we measure what our mind and emotions tell us against God's Word.


Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

No One Need Miss Out.

Acts 2:21

From Peter's speech at Pentecost.

"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."


Salvation is there waiting for all. The trouble is that pride and stubbornness gets in the way.

Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

A Reflection On The Trinity.

"......An ordinary simple Christian kneels down to say his prayers. He is trying to get into touch with God.   But if he is a Christian he knows that what is prompting him to pray is also God: God, so to speak, inside him. But he also knows that all his real knowledge of God comes through Christ, the Man who was God - that Christ is standing beside him, helping him to pray, praying for him. You see what is happening. God is the thing to which he is praying - the goal he is trying to reach. God is also the thing inside him which is pushing him on - the motive power. God is also the road or bridge along which he is being pushed to that goal. So that the threefold life of the three-personal being is actually going on in that ordinary little bedroom where an ordinary man is saying his prayers. (C S Lewis)

Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

The Reason For The Gospel.

As I came to the end of John's Gospel today, I was reminded of the reason why John put pen to paper...

"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:31)

The end goal is LIFE in Christ.


Have a great day,


Peter Clark.

Finding Strength.

On one occasion when David had been outlawed and was on the run, he came back to his camp to find that the Amalekites had captured their wives and children and taken them away.

His loyal men were about to stone him to death.

Where does David find his strength?

1 Samuel 30: 6 tells us...."But David found strength in the LORD his God."


Then David's next action is to "inquire of the LORD" (v.8) as to what to do.

TFTD: That is not a bad pattern for each of us to follow - finding our strength in God and seeking out what He would have us do.


Have a great day,



Peter Clark.