TEXT: ‘The people cry out, “The summer is gone, the harvest is over, but we have not been saved.”’ (Jeremiah 8:20 GNT). Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet. God called him to prophesy about the consequences of Israel’s wilful disobedience and idolatry. He spoke about coming judgment and saw firsthand the destruction of Jerusalem and thousands of Jews exiled to Babylon. He suffered persecution because he spoke the truth. His tears weren’t just for his own pain and suffering, but for God’s people and the misery they would suffer. Hundreds of years later, Jesus experienced the same grief saying, ’O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!’ (Matthew 23:37). 1. The Blessings of Summer There are three blessings about summer that lift people’s spirits including mine! Heat The coolness and rain of Spring turns to warm, sunny days and long evenings of daylight. It’s the time for T Shirts and shorts! It’s wonderful to feel the warmth of the sun on one’s back. Holidays The schools break up for the summer holidays. Living in Cornwall, some weeks we...
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TEXT: ‘I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word’ (Psalm 119:16). Why do Christians risk their lives smuggling bibles into atheistic countries? Because they believe in the power of the written word of God. Why do countries ban the bible, if there is no threat from just a book? The authorities may not know what the Bible really is, but controlling demonic spirits do, and they will do their utmost to prevent people from being exposed to God’s Word as the Parable of the Sower makes clear (See Mark 4:13-20). Herein lies a paradox. Countries where there is religious freedom have more bibles than they could wish for, but fail to read them, whereas those in bible-starved countries are desperate to get just a page because they believe it is God’s Word. In Part 1 we considered three things to do: Believe the Word; Know the Word; Learn from the Word. In Part 2 there are two more things to do. 1. Continue in the Word – ‘But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them’ (2 Timothy 3:14) Mastermind is a very popular TV Quiz programme. The quiz master often says,...
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