With everything seeming to change around us, in fact, almost around our very shoulders, it is comforting and helpful to know that some things do not change--like the love of God, or God Himself. He is the unchangeable, immovable rock around which we can centre and build our lives. And not only that, He is the one person in the entire universe that is constant and can always be counted upon and always trusted. And so, with everything changing, we can always hold on to Him.

Observing our world and our society today--especially with the turmoil and divisions, and the outright war and sabre rattling taking place, many people would jump to the conclusion that much of the world has lost its way, And, indeed, can this not also be said of our families, churches, communities--and even of ourselves at times? It is here that Jesus' promise to be the light of our world is most welcome. But then, there is a catch--there always is! We must allow Him to be that light. We must listen to Him--via His word--and then allow Him to help us and direct us.

“Jumping to conclusions” Meditation – John 7:37-52 (Forward, p. 28) CEV p. 1110

I do not claim, not in the least, to always being inspired by God, but something that never ceases to amaze me is when I am preaching or writing, and something new or unexpected comes forth. I find myself asking a question, 'now, where in the world did that come from? I say that because there has been nothing in my study or my research or my previous experience that led me to it. It has come totally 'from the blue', as it were. I think that this is something akin to revelation.

Anyway, Jesus was most careful to tell His questioners that nothing He taught was of His own devising, but was totally from God, totally a revelation. And, I can't help but think, that if Jesus felt the need to be totally reliant upon God as the source of His learning, how much more should we. Anyway, here is something to ponder and pray about.

Sometimes, when it comes down to the crucial matter of whether one places his or her faith in Jesus Christ, people get hung up on rather minor, rather inconsequential points or hesitancies. But, like all relationships, often one has to take the available evidence, think about it, ponder it, weigh and balance it, and then act--take a step, a leap, of faith. As one of my favourite authors said, 'you have to try an experiment, an experiment of placing your life in the hands of God, into the hands of Jesus Christ. If nothing happens, then you will know, but if something 'does' happen, then you will know as well.' Well, this man did try that experiment, and it did happen. His experience was summed up in the title of the book he wrote about it, 'Good God, it works.'

That's what Jesus' critics needed to do, and likewise with any of us--or anyone else that we know or come across--who haven't as yet tried that experiment. To forget the 'issues' for a moment, step out in faith, and give Jesus a try.

Given the propensity of computers to muck things up every so often, and their human operators even more so, I am so glad that we have a trustworthy and reliable Saviour. Both of the meditations I'm attaching today, both based on John 6 touch on the utter reliability of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. I am so very glad that we can have Him in our lives, if only we chose to accept Him and love Him.

Given the propensity of computers to muck things up every so often, and their human operators even more so, I am so glad that we have a trustworthy and reliable Saviour. Both of the meditations I'm attaching today, both based on John 6 touch on the utter reliability of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. I am so very glad that we can have Him in our lives, if only we chose to accept Him and love Him

Trust God to look after us

Sticking with the Truth (In word and deed)

The Praises of God

As Christians, we are always torn between two polar opposites, especially when it comes to the future and to Jesus' predictions and warnings about it. Some people, like some of the folks I knew in Three Hills, Alberta, were fixated with the 'signs' of the future and trying to interpret them and second-guess what God was up to, so much so that they neglected their everyday responsibilities and the things that God had clearly told them to do. Others were uncaring and nonchalant about the whole business, acting as if life was going to continue on the same forever. "Nothing to worry about," was their adage.

Actually, Jesus charts a middle course. He wants us to be alert and aware, and especially ready, especially prepared for His coming. But He also advises us to be wise, to make the best of the time and opportunities that we have and to be faithful and diligent in the things that He clearly expects of us.

Anyway, enclosed find some of my thoughts on this most difficult subject.

Today's meditation underscores a message found all through the Scriptures, and that I have painfully discovered in my own life, namely that God is free to change our plans. It can come as a shock and a surprise, but that is precisely how He works, so really, we should expect it and even be ready for it.

I'm afraid that today's passage just reminds me of just how weak and tepid my faith is. And, this isn't even for something as 'extreme' or unusual or 'risky' as prayers for healing. One of my prayers is for the restoration and revival of the church--especially my local church--and, in this case, I fervently believe that it is God's purpose and will. And yet, even so, my prayers are pretty feeble. Now, do I need to 'walk' (figuratively, maybe) the 24 miles to Cana? Anyway, I hope your faith is stronger in this than mine.

The two meditations today and yesterday both have to do with Jesus' rather surprising, but crucial, encounter with a Samaritan woman at a well outside of Sychar, in what is now Palestine. It is surprising because proper, observant Jews normally had nothing to do with anyone of Samaritan ancestry. At best, they considered them heretics and apostates and were sometimes even at war with them. They basically 'wrote them off' as being unworthy of their attention or care. So, Jesus' action here is quite unusual. And, even more unusual, and unexpected, is for any of the Samaritan people to come to faith in Jesus Christ. But then, it raises a question for me, namely, who do we 'write off' as unworthy of our attention, whom we naively assume would not be interested in Jesus in the least. My guess is that there are myriads of people out there, just waiting for Him, and just waiting for us to help them to come to Him.

The two meditations for today and tomorrow both have to do with Jesus' rather surprising, but crucial, encounter with a Samaritan woman at a well outside of Sychar, in what is now Palestine. It is surprising because proper, observant Jews normally had nothing to do with anyone of Samaritan ancestry. At best, they considered them heretics and apostates and were sometimes even at war with them. They basically 'wrote them off' as being unworthy of their attention or care. So, Jesus' action here is quite unusual. And, even more unusual, and unexpected, is for any of the Samaritan people to come to faith in Jesus Christ. But then, it raises a question for me, namely, who do we 'write off' as unworthy of our attention, whom we naively assume would not be interested in Jesus in the least. My guess is that there are myriads of people out there, just waiting for Him, and just waiting for us to help them to come to Him.

I think that certain unnamed New Testament scholars have gotten it 'all wrong'. They see John the Baptist and Jesus being in total and absolute opposition to each other, and think that John was quite displeased, quite miffed, with the 'new way' that Jesus had adopted. To my way of thinking--at least, from my reading of the gospels--this couldn't be further from the truth. There I see a John the Baptist who was always true to his mission, which was to prepare the way for Jesus and announce Jesus to the world. In the gospels I see nothing else in John's thinking save this single-minded devotion to God's calling and to Jesus.

I pray that we, you and I, might have that same single-minded devotion, to Jesus first, and then to whatever God has called--or in calling--us to do with our lives.