David Wilkerson Promoted to Glory

The article below is written by David Wilkerson's son Gary.I had the pleasure of meeting them both some years ago in Belfast.Most Christians, certainly all who are part of my generation would have heard of his famous book 'the Cross and the Switchblade'. He was an inspiring preacher though in some of his prophetic declarations he was probably wrong.He was fearless and never pulled his punches when preaching. Thanks also to David, many were inspired to preach the gospel, including Nicky Cruz his famous convert who went on to start his own ministry of evangelism.

David served the purposes of God in his generation, then he died” (Acts 13:36).

On Wednesday afternoon my father, David Wilkerson, passed away in a car accident. We grieve the loss of a beloved father, a faithful husband and a holy man of God. My mother, Gwen, his wife of 57 years, was in the car also, but we are told she will recover fully.


Dad’s 60-plus years of ministry have impacted the lives of those closest to him and extended to millions around the world. Today we feel a personal loss, but at the same time we rejoice knowing Dad lived life to the fullest, obeying God with devotion and loving Jesus radically.

He was known for his unlimited faith. He believed God could change the lives of gang members and transform the most desperate drug addicts. He believed that a dynamic church could be launched in the heart of Times Square, New York City. He believed he could be a man who loved his wife and children well. And he did.

Dad was not one for fanfare, acclaim or ceremony. He turned down invitations to meet with world leaders yet would give everything he owned to support a poor orphan or a widow in distress.

Like King David of old, Dad served God’s purposes in his generation. He preached with uncompromising passion and relentless grace. He wrote with amazing insight, clarity and conviction. He ran his race well and when his work was done, he was called home.

I don’t think my father would have retired well. I don’t think he was one to sit in a rocking chair and reminisce about times past. I believe that Jesus, knowing this, graciously called him home.

Dad’s last mission on earth was to be an advocate for the poorest of the poor—to provide relief and support for hungry children and widows and orphans. After founding Teen Challenge, World Challenge and Times Square Church, he sought to feed starving children in the most impoverished countries in the world. Today, Please Pass the Bread is saving the lives of thousands of children, through 56 outreaches in 8 countries.

Like King David of old, after having served God’s purpose, he died. I know if my father were able to encourage you with his words today, he would invite you to give your all to Jesus, to love God deeply and to give yourself away to the needs of others.

The works he began outlive him. We can all attest to his impacting us—not only in his preaching, writing and founding of world-changing ministries, but in his love, devotion, compassion and ability to stir our faith for greater works.

St Paul's Prayer for the Church

For this reason I kneel before the Father,
From whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
May have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,
To grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
And to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
To him be glory in the church
And in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!
Amen.

Ephesians 3.14-21

The Prayer of Charles Wesley,

This relatively unknown hymn is really the prayer of an evangelist and through its words touches the deepest recesses of an evangelist's innermost spirit.It might also be viewed as a commentary or exposition of the words from that most famous of prayers: 'Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven' as regards humankind hearing and heeding the message of gospel grace.As with many of Wesley's hymns it is full of Biblical imagery, be it from Isaiah, the gospels or the apostle Paul.We could do much worse than make it our own.

Thou, Jesus, Thou my breast inspire,
And touch my lips with hallowed fire,
And loose a stammering infant's tongue;
Prepare the vessel of Thy grace,
Adorn me with the robes of praise,
And mercy shall be all my song.
Mercy for all who know not God,
Mercy for all in Jesu's blood,
Mercy, that earth and heaven transcends;
Love, that o'erwhelms the saints in light,
The length, and breadth, and depth, and height
O love divine which never ends!

A faithful witness of Thy grace,
Well may I fill the alloted space,
And answer all Thy great design;
Walk in the works by Thee prepared;
And find annexed the vast reward,
The crown of righteousness divine.
When I have lived to Thee alone,
Pronounce the welcome word: Well done!
And let me take my place above,
Enter into my Master's joy,
And all eternity employ
In praise, and ecstasy, and love.

Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

For there stood by me this night the angel of God."—Acts 27:23.

TEMPEST and long darkness, coupled with imminent risk of shipwreck, had brought the crew of the vessel into a sad case; one man alone among them remained perfectly calm, and by his word the rest were reassured. Paul was the only man who had heart enough to say, "Sirs, be of good cheer." There were veteran Roman legionaries on board, and brave old mariners, and yet their poor Jewish prisoner had more spirit than they all. He had a secret Friend who kept his courage up. The Lord Jesus despatched a heavenly messenger to whisper words of consolation in the ear of His faithful servant, therefore he wore a shining countenance and spoke like a man at ease.

If we fear the Lord, we may look for timely interventions when our case is at its worst. Angels are not kept from us by storms, or hindered by darkness. Seraphs think it no humiliation to visit the poorest of the heavenly family. If angel's visits are few and far between at ordinary times, they shall be frequent in our nights of tempest and tossing. Friends may drop from us when we are under pressure, but our intercourse with the inhabitants of the angelic world shall be more abundant; and in the strength of love-words, brought to us from the throne by the way of Jacob's ladder, we shall be strong to do exploits.

Dear reader, is this an hour of distress with you? then ask for peculiar help. Jesus is the angel of the covenant, and if His presence be now earnestly sought, it will not be denied. What that presence brings in heart-cheer those remember who, like Paul, have had the angel of God standing by them in a night of storm, when anchors would no longer hold, and rocks were nigh.


"O angel of my God, be near,
Amid the darkness hush my fear;
Loud roars the wild tempestuous sea,
Thy presence, Lord, shall comfort me."

C.H. Spurgeon

'He gave him no answer, not even to one word'. Matthew 27.14

He had never been slow of speech when he could bless the sons of men,
but he would not say a single word for himself.
“Never man spake like this man,”
and never man was silent like him.

Was this singular silence the index of his perfect self-sacrifice?
Did it show that he would not utter a word to stay the slaughter of his sacred person, which he had dedicated as an offering for us?
Had he so entirely surrendered himself that he would not interfere in his own behalf, even in the minutest degree, but be bound and slain an unstruggling, uncomplaining victim?

Was this silence a type of the defencelessness of sin?
Nothing can be said in palliation or excuse of human guilt; and, therefore, he who bore its whole weight stood speechless before his judge.
Is not patient silence the best reply to a gainsaying world? Calm endurance answers some questions infinitely more conclusively than the loftiest eloquence.

The best apologists for Christianity in the early days were its martyrs.
The anvil breaks a host of hammers by quietly bearing their blows.
Did not the silent Lamb of God furnish us with a grand example of wisdom?
Where every word was occasion for new blasphemy, it was the line of duty to afford no fuel for the flame of sin.

The ambiguous and the false, the unworthy and mean, will ere long overthrow and confute themselves, and therefore the true can afford to be quiet, and finds silence to be its wisdom.

Evidently our Lord, by his silence, furnished a remarkable fulfilment of prophecy.
A long defence of himself would have been contrary to Isaiah’s prediction: “He is led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

By his quiet he conclusively proved himself to be the true Lamb of God. As such we salute him this morning.

Be with us, Jesus, and in the silence of our heart, let us hear the voice of thy love.

C H Spurgeon

'Peace Child' by Don Richardson

I've just finished reading Don Richardson's excellent book 'Peace Child':I've also posted two short videos about it above to whet your appetite! It is a truly 'unputdownable' book, one of the best I've read in a long time and I guarantee you'll not be disappointed if you decide to read it. 'Peace Child' is inspiring in that it shows us how God was already at work when Don, along with his wife decided to obey God's call to bring the Good News to the Swasi tribe of New Guinea. Not only did the tribe speak in an unwritten language,they were also head hunters and cannibals to boot.One reviewer from Amazon writing about the book states:

Talk about living on the edge, Don Richardson, his newlywed wife Carol and seven-month old son Stephen step from the 20th century into a stone-age cannabilistic cultural with gruesome and horrific practices. This book reads like the true adventure it is, starting with the narration of life, death, betrayal, parties where the honored guests become the special of the day. Enter this family of three into the midst of suspicious cannibals bringing three rival factions together each vying jealously for the knifes, steel axes, matches, machetes, mirrors and medicine, you get a powder keg with small to large explosions daily. Imagine living in a grass hut with your wife and baby huddled inside while fierce warriors and arrows fly throughout the sky. Imagine facing an entire clan beating and burning a man that the sorceress has declared to be a soul-less zombie and praying him back to life, only by a miracle of God. These and other adventures show what it's really like to walk by faith, trusting only God to protect you, and doing His will to win people to Christ. There are many hair-prickling turns in this story, leaving you at the edge of your seat, wondering if it'll all end in disaster. But the glory of the Lord is that He had left Himself a witness in the strange custom of the "Peace Child" that Richardson was able to use to point to the Perfect Peace Child, the Son of God, Prince of Peace, to bring the Sawi tribe to a knowledge of Jesus Christ. Truly awe inspiring. I am now reading the sequel "Lords of the Earth".


After writing this post I had lunch with Pastor Don Palmer, an old school friend from my 'Sullivan' days. It turned out that this Don studied at a Bible College in Canada with Don Richardson's son and had even met the great missionary himself. It's a small world!

I've been so impressed with 'Peace Child' that I've also started to read his second book 'Eternity in their hearts' which I hope will inspire me to find keys into reaching more of our local 'tribes' with the message of hope!

Check out Don Richardson's website at http://www.donrichardsonbooksales.com/

Be Thou my vision O Lord of my heart

Be Thou my vision, oh Lord of my heart
Nought be all else to me, save that Thy art
Thou my best thought in the day and the night
Waking or sleeping, Thou presence my light

Be Thou my wisdom, be Thou my true word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me Lord
Thou my great Father and I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one

Be Thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight
Be Thou my armour and be Thou my might
Thou my soul shelter, and Thy my high tower
Raise Thou me heavenwards, oh power of my power

Riches I need not, nor man's empty praise
Thou mine inheritance through all of my days
Thou and Thou only though first in my heart
High king of heaven my treasure Thou art

Oh high king of heaven, when battle is done
Grant heaven's joy to me, bright heaven sun
Christ of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, though ruler of all

St Patrick

Slemish where Patrick as a slave had to tend the sheep of his master.

The patron saint of Ireland is St. Patrick (373-465 AD), and long before man gave him the title of saint, God had already made him one. "Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be Saints" (1Corinthians 1:2). Though the Church of Rome claims St. Patrick as its own, he is more appropriately owned by the "General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in Heaven" (Hebrews 12:23), where "Christ is the Head of the Church: and He is the Saviour of the Body" (Ephesians 5:23).

“Patrick was descended of a family which, for two generations at least, had publicly professed the Gospel. His father, Calpurnius, was a deacon, and his grandfather, Potitus, a presbyter in the Christian Church. He was well born, as the phrase is, seeing his father held the rank of 'decurio,' that is, was a member of the council of magistracy in a Roman provincial town. These facts we have under Patrick's own hand. In his autobiography... written but a little while before his death, and known as 'Patrick's Confession,' he says, 'I, Patrick, a sinner, had for my father, Calpurnius, a deacon, and for my grandfather, Potitus, a presbyter.' We should like to know what sort of woman his mother was, seeing mothers not infrequently live over again in their sons. Patrick nowhere mentions his mother, save under the general term of 'parents.' But judging from the robust and unselfish qualities of the son, we are inclined to infer that tradition speaks truth when it describes 'Conchessa,' the mother of the future apostle, as a woman of talent, who began early to instruct her son in divine things, and to instill into his heart the fear of that God whom his father and grandfather had served” --from St. Patrick: Apostle of Ireland ---New Window, A Ten Chapter Excerpt (Chapters 9-18) from "History of the Scottish Nation" by James A. Wylie ---New Window.

Historians believe that St. Patrick's missionary career in Ireland took place in the 5th Century, though they are uncertain of the date of his birth. "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered [by God]" (Matthew 10:30). Born in Britain (373 AD), Patrick was kidnapped into slavery at the age of sixteen to serve as a herdsman in Ireland for six years, where he turned in faith to the LORD Jesus Christ. "When He [God] slew them, then they sought Him: and they returned and enquired early after God" (Psalm 78:34). During the second half of the 4th Century, when Roman power was in decline in Italy and Britain, Irish raiding expeditions were common along the west coast of Britain, and unconverted Patrick was seized by such raiders. "I will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek My face: in their affliction they will seek Me early" (Hosea 5:15). In a dream, he heard that the ship in which he was to make his escape was ready, so he fled his master and found his way back to Britain. "I being in the way, the LORD led me" (Genesis 24:27).

A passage from Patrick's spiritual biography, "Confessio" [Latin, Confession], tells of a dream that came to Patrick after he had escaped from Ireland and returned to Britain. One Victoricus appeared to Patrick, delivering him a letter entitled, "The Voice of the Hibernians". Hibernia is the Latin name for the island of Ireland. As Patrick read the letter, he seemed to hear a company of Irish beseeching him to return to Ireland. "9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the LORD had called us for to preach the Gospel unto them" (Acts 16:9-10). Though Patrick doubted his fitness and educational preparation for such a task, he entered his missionary task to the Irish people (405 AD) with the zeal of an Apostle Paul. "19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more... 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" (1Corinthians 9:19, 22). He met with great success in Ulster and Tara, though he faced the continual threat of martyrdom. Remember, he preached the Gospel where pagan idols were worshipped and Druid human sacrifice was still practiced. "For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the Living and True God" (1Thessalonians 1:9). His success with the Irish was matched by his trouble with his ecclesiastical superiors in Britain; but through it all, he humbly promoted the "Gospel of the Grace of God" (Acts 20:24).

by Tom Stewart

Psalm 46 'Be still, and know that I am God.'

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come and see what the LORD has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields[d] with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress

'For Ever and Ever. Amen'

This post closes my thoughts on what is known as ‘the Lord’s Prayer’, though in actual fact it should be known as ‘the disciple’s prayer’. Feel free to add to the comments on it.

When I was a child, at the instigation of my brother I would imagine what it was like before time and the world were created. What was there when there was nothing? Also when it was created what was on the other side of the universe-did it actually stop? What was infinity actually like? What in fact was eternity-time never ending?

At school I studied Religious Education, Biology, Physics and Geography and each subject blew my mind away as each in turn made me want to bow down and worship the God who had made such an truly awesome universe. Through my study of the natural world I began to understand to a small degree why many of the early scientists saw these subjects as a premise to worship the creator. Atoms, electrons, cells, ecology, botany, human biology, geology, the Scriptures all had me absorbed and fascinated, though in their workings I understood some better than others.

To me there was no conflict with what I read in Scripture.That the earth was millions of years old according to the geology books only made me appreciate how insignificant I was along with the rest of humankind, and how great the creator was! In fact if the earth was only 15,000 years old I would have thought it much less impressive than what scientists claimed it was.

These millions, or even billions of years helped me understand a little of the sheer enormity of what ‘for ever and ever’ and eternity of God really meant. Peter tells us: 'but do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. It might equally have said a million years or even a billion years but the readers of the first century would have found it harder to grasp this than those of the twenty first! There probably wasn't even a greek word for million or billion anyway!

God is outside the time dimension though at different points he did enter it. His name be praised forever that he did, especially when, ‘in the fullness of time’ he entered it as a little baby boy as the Christ, becoming God incarnate in order to redeem humankind back to himself.

'For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory.'

What a finish to this great prayer, addressed to, not only the Christian's heavenly Father but also the real and one and only Master of the Universe.These words truly acknowledge the source of all things:'For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory!' It is not mine but Thine.It is not my Kingdom, or my power or my glory: or Billy Graham's or Brian McLaren's, or the Pope's,or the Archbishop's Kingdom, or the Kingdom of any of the great religious, political or intellectual people who have ever lived on this planet.

Neither is it Satan's, though he likes to think it is, or at least he tries to make people believe it through his bullying and deceptive ways. Though still powerful, like a wounded lion, he is still a defeated enemy. Jesus told his disciples :'Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.'If we truly fear God all our other fears will disappear.

There is probably nothing sadder than seeing a church or one of God's own people build their own little Kingdom and live for their own glory.That church or man is deceived though they don't realise it.These words in the Lord's prayer teach us a great lesson and give us proper focus, and if we mean them will save us from such a sad predicament as building our own little kingdom, built with wood, hay and stubble - on a foundation of sand. Rather let us seek His Kingdom, His power, His glory and we'll get all we need in life thrown in.

Jesus, the Conqueror, reigns,
In glorious strength arrayed,
His kingdom over all maintains,
And bids the earth be glad.
Ye sons of men, rejoice
In Jesus' mighty love,
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice
To Him who rules above.

Extol His kingly power,
Kiss the exalted Son,
Who died, and lives, to die no more,
High on His Father's throne;
Our Advocate with God,
He undertakes our cause,
And spreads through all the earth abroad
The victory of His cross.

That bloody banner see,
And in your Captain's sight,
Fight the good fight of faith with me,
My fellow soldiers, fight!
In mighty phalanx joined,
To battle all proceed;
Armed with the unconquerable mind
Which was in Christ your Head.

Urge on your rapid course,
Ye blood besprinkled bands;
The heavenly kingdom suffers force,
'Tis seized by violent hands;
See there the starry crown
That glitters through the skies!
Satan, the world, and sin, tread down,
And take the glorious prize.

Through much distress and pain,
Through many a conflict here,
Through blood, ye must the entrance gain;
Yet, O disdain to fear!
Courage! your Captain cries,
Who all your toil foreknew
Toil ye shall have; yet all despise,
I have o'ercome for you.

The world cannot withstand
Its ancient conqueror,
The world must sink beneath
The hand which arms us for the war;
This is the victory!
Before our faith they fall;
Jesus hath died for you and me;
Believe, and conquer all!

Charles Wesley

'But Deliver Us from Evil'

All Christians must realise that they are in a battle and have an enemy (also known as the evil one, Satan or the devil) to war against. Thank God that Christ is stronger than our enemy and even though he does his worst against us, as Paul declares,‘I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord’(Romans 8).

We also have the armour of God that we must put on to protect ourselves from Satan’s attacks which he will surely bring against us ( Ephes.6). Christ here gives us a general prayer to pray to our Father to deliver us from evil and by praying it in faith and sincerity we can be assured that he will hear our cry and work out his purposes in our life.Other key verses that promise deliverance are found in Acts and Joel where it states that 'he who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (delivered)'.

Why are we attacked by Satan? There are at least two reasons. The first reason is that we were made in the image of God and Satan hates us for that, even more so if we have been adopted into his family. The second reason is that if we have already battled in prayer, asking that God's Kingdom and will would be done on earth it would mean that Satan's kingdom would be getting smaller and his will thwarted. We have therefore made ourselves his enemies by combating against him and he will certainly want to attack us in order to stop us! Where will he attack us? He is a dirty fighter who knows every trick in the business and will attack us where we are weakest and also when we are weakest!He will attack us with doubts and fears and may even attack us physically through other people, as Christ himself warns his disciples he comes to 'kill,steal and destroy' John 10.10. But like Job we must be patient and hold unto our trust in God's faithfulness and goodness and through this we are assured of victory.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Edward Mote

Workman of God! O lose not heart,
But learn what God is like;
And in the darkest battlefield
Thou shalt know where to strike.

Thrice blest is he to whom is giv’n
The instinct that can tell
That God is on the field, when He
Is most invisible.

Blest too is he who can divine
Where real right doth lie,
And dares to take the side that seems
Wrong to man’s blindfold eye.

Then learn to scorn the praise of men,
And learn to lose with God;
For Jesus won the world through shame,
And beckons thee His road.

For right is right, since God is God,
And right the day must win;
To doubt would be disloyalty,
To falter would be sin.

F.W.Faber

'Lead us not into Temptation'

It might seem more sense to change this to 'let me not be led into temptation' because Scripture clearly states:
'When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone', otherwise Scripture would be contradicting itself.
The theologian Jim Packer ( author of ‘Knowing God’) however makes some insightful comments regarding this. The word ‘temptation’ may also be used to mean ‘test’ or ‘trial’. He uses the analogy of the driving test which has been instituted to show that the driver can do everything right and in that regard is a ‘temptation’ of sorts. Packer goes on ‘In God’s programme for the spiritual education and growth of Christians, the same applies. God does and must test us regularly , to prove what is in us and to show how far we have got….Thus he ‘‘tested’’ Abraham (RSV “tempt” AV “prove” ) by telling him to sacrifice Isaac and after the test promised him great blessing “because you have obeyed my voice”. (Gen 22)
Why should we then pray to God that we should not be tempted or tested? Packer notes three reasons
1. When God tests us for our good Satan seeks to exploit the situation for our harm. c.p.Satan with Jesus in the wilderness.
2.Temptation is no picnic and ‘no sane Christian can do no other than shrink from them. For both reasons Jesus was as right to start his prayer in Gethsemane with “Father, remove this cup” as he was to end it with “yet not my will but yours be done.”
3. Our track record of weakness, stupidity, vulnerability should make us humble enough to cry out “Lord if be possible, please no temptation.’ Packer goes on ‘only a fool will make it his preference .

Nevertheless we have the promise that ‘no temptation has overtaken us that is not common to man, but with the temptation God will provide a way of escape that we will be able to endure it.’ (2 Cor.). We may also resist the devil and he will flee from us while at the same time we should also ‘watch and pray lest we enter temptation’. The armour of God (Ephes. 6) has also been give to us to carefully put on in order to protect ourselves from the attacks of the evil. One thing that is for certain is that we should recognise is that we are no match for Satan in our own strength. He is the dirtiest, meanest fighter imaginable who will use all the tricks he has come up with since mankind was created. Christ fully wipped Satan in the wilderness, in Gethsemane and on the cross and it is only in Christ that we can defeat him.

The hymn by Martin Luther and video clip below I have posted before and feel it is appropriate again to post it in the context of this present discussion.


A safe stronghold our God is still,
A trusty shield and weapon;
He’ll help us clear from all the ill
That hath us now o’ertaken.
The ancient prince of hell
Hath risen with purpose fell;
Strong mail of craft and power
He weareth in this hour;
On earth is not his fellow.

With force of arms we nothing can,
Full soon were we down-ridden;
But for us fights the proper Man,
Whom God Himself hath bidden.
Ask ye, who is this same?
Christ Jesus is His Name,
The Lord Sabaoth’s Son;
He, and no other one,
Shall conquer in the battle.

And were this world all devils o’er,
And watching to devour us,
We lay it not to heart so sore;
Not they can overpower us.
And let the prince of ill
Look grim as e’er he will,
He harms us not a whit;
For why? — his doom is writ;
A word shall quickly slay him.

God’s Word, for all their craft and force,
One moment will not linger,
But, spite of hell, shall have its course;
’Tis written by His finger.
And though they take our life,
Goods, honor, children, wife,
Yet is their profit small;
These things shall vanish all:
The City of God remaineth!

'Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us'

To be honest I never use the word trespasses here,instead I would use the word sins which has the same meaning.Having already spoken to God as Father,worshipped him as Lord of all,asked that his kingdom and will would be done on earth and requested that he would provide for our needs, we now can, on the authority of Jesus who told us to pray this prayer, ask him that our sins be forgiven.Once we have asked we can be assured that he will forgive us. What a joy that is! The richest or most famous person on earth for all their glory, without Christ can not know the joy of knowing their sins forgiven.How much do you think they would have to pay to know that? In fact no amount of money could pay the price for our sins,as the children's hymn makes clear:

'There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin, he ( Christ) only could unlock the gate of heaven and let us in.'

But does God also forget- or does He always remember our sins so when we go to pray we still feel guilty and ashamed? Psalm 103 declares: 'As far as the East lies from the West so far has he removed our transgressions form us.' That's pretty far! God again says in Isaiah 44:'I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist' and the prophet Micah also states:'He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.'

Before I could drive a car I used to love sitting in the passenger's seat and look out at the sea as we would travel along a coast road. It brought a real sense of calm to my heart and I could then visualise all my sins in the depths of the Irish Sea or the Atlantic Ocean - never to be brought up again.I was forgiven by God and he wasn't going to bring them out to haunt me.It you don't live near the sea you might like to click on the photo above to make it larger then imagine your sins being cast by God into the depths of the sea.

There is an apocryphal story of a woman who lived in the south of Ireland who claimed to have had visions of Jesus. The Bishop got to hear of this and told her that the next time she had a vision of Jesus she was to ask him to tell her what sins the Bishop had confessed at his last Confession.Sure enough she had another vision and she requested that the Bishop come round to her house. He then asked her to tell him what Jesus had said when she asked him what sins the Bishop had last confessed. She replied: 'He said:"I don't remember".' So it is, as this story makes clear, God both forgives and forgets.

The Rev. William Still of Aberdeen was always concerned that many sincere Christians became too preoccupied with their past sins instead of focusing on their new life in Christ.In exposing the folly of this he gave the example of the a man who would normally keep himself clean and tidy but while gardening got his hands covered in muck. When he went inside he went straight to the tap and with soap and water washed the muck away.Did he then become preoccupied with the dirt on his hands and bemoan the fact his hands had been dirty? Of course not! And neither should we once we have asked for forgiveness: our sins like the dirt have been washed way and should be forgotten.


Having been forgiven so much it is our obligation then to forgive the sins of others as he has forgiven us.Stephen,like his Master before him, forgave those who stoned him to death, and from that Saul was later to become the great apostle Paul.

'Give us this day our daily bread'

Here we are encouraged to ask our heavenly Father for our daily bread or daily necessities. These would include such things as our food,health, shelter, job etc.All good gifts come from God and we must look to him only for them and acknowledge our daily dependence on him.It is true that God is not only concerned about our spiritual well being but also our physical one.Sadly, extreme ascetics in order to try to get closer to God saw the physical body and natural things as evil. J.I.Packer calls such thinking hypo-spirituality and 'an unspiritual ego trip'.On the other hand an example of how concerned Jesus was about man's basic needs was seen when he fed the 5000 and 4000 during his earthly ministry.

'Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be down on earth as it is in heaven.'

In this petition our Lord teaches us to become intercessors as we pray for his kingdom to come and his will to be done on earth.Sometimes we hear ministers telling us to become specific in our prayers. Here Jesus teaches us to become almost childlike in our prayers. For instance we would smile if we hear a child pray:'Bless everyone in the world because we know you love everyone.'

This prayer encourages us to bring big petitions to God such as : 'Let your Kingdom come in Iran and Iraq' or 'Let your will be done in this country!'We are encouraged to pray as children because we are praying to our Father.

But as we think about this petition: to pray for his Kingdom and his will to come on earth it also implies that his kingdom would have to come in my life, my family, my street, my country, my continent. It therefore leaves nothing and no one out at all- everything is covered, with nothing too great that it can not be asked for. It is up to our Father to decide whether to act upon it.Jesus personified the Man who had fully the reign and will of God in his life and so desires that we as children of God should have the same.

Come, my soul, thy suit prepare:
Jesus loves to answer prayer;
He himself has bid thee pray,
Therefore will not say thee nay.

Thou art coming to a King,
Large petitions with thee bring;
For his grace and power are such,
None can ever ask too much.

With my burden I begin:
Lord, remove this load of sin;
Let thy blood, for sinners spilt,
Set my conscience free from guilt.

Lord, I come to thee for rest,
Take possession of my breast;
There thy blood-bought right maintain,
And without a rival reign.

While I am a pilgrim here,
Let thy love my spirit cheer;
As my Guide, my Guard, my Friend,
Lead me to my journey's end.

John Newton

'Hallowed be Thy Name'

Some versions of the Lord's prayer translate this part of the prayer as 'Holy is Your Name'. From addressing God as a child at the begining of the prayer we now address Him as a worshipper.I appreciate the fact, as one who is unworthy to enter the presence of God in his own goodness, that the Lord has encouraged us to go through the door to speak to Him as part of His family.

How great indeed is the Name of the Lord at every level. It is the highest name and the only name under heaven through which we can be saved.It is at the name of Jesus that demons must flee and through which the apostles healed the sick.It is this name and the person the bears it that must be first in our hearts and the name we must never take it in vain or use it in a self serving way. Phil.2:9-11 states(see also Isa.45:23-24): "Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." For the Jews the holy name of God was so revered that it was never casually spoken or written of.Likewise for us it must then be held in the highest honour and be our desire 'to spread through all the earth abroad',the honour of honours of it! And by the same token, grieve us deeply when we hear it being dishonoured or taken in vain.

How precious it is for those who know the name of Jesus Christ and know him as Saviour,Lord and Friend.How well did the former slave trader John Newton write of how this name was be a healing balm for his wounded soul and for all those who call upon it:


How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.

It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
’Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary, rest.

Dear Name, the Rock on which I build,
My Shield and Hiding Place,
My never failing treasury, filled
With boundless stores of grace!

By Thee my prayers acceptance gain,
Although with sin defiled;
Satan accuses me in vain,
And I am owned a child.

Jesus! my Shepherd, Husband, Friend,
O Prophet, Priest and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.

Weak is the effort of my heart,
And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see Thee as Thou art,
I’ll praise Thee as I ought.

Till then I would Thy love proclaim
With every fleeting breath,
And may the music of Thy Name
Refresh my soul in death!

Our Father Who is in Heaven

Jesus tells us that when we are to address God in prayer we are to call Him Father. I think that by and large we take this too often for granted for we do not realize fully what an incredible privilege this is or the great implications that this means for us as children of God.I think we would do well to meditate on this great truth.

I remember when I was in my twenties when I was studying for a theology exam on Methodist doctrine. I was learning John Wesley's definition of 'the witness of the Spirit', and at the time was worried because it was just a few hours before the exam took took place. I decided to learn it line by line.

'The testimony of the Spirit as an inward impression on the soul, whereby the Spirit of God directly witnesses to my spirit, that I am a child of God; that Jesus Christ hath loved, and given himself for me; and that all my sins are blotted out, and I, even I, am reconciled to God'.

At first I was anxious about the exam, but as I repeated the words: 'the Spirit of God directly witnesses to my spirit, that I am a child of God', something happened within my heart and the words became alive to me by the Spirit who did in fact witness to the fact that I was indeed a child of God. Then added to that were the words:'
that Jesus Christ hath loved, and given himself for me; and that all my sins are blotted out, and I, even I, am reconciled to God'. I became ecstatic and experienced such joy and blessing that I had not had for such a long time.I was a child of God, Jesus did not only love me,but gave his life for me and that I,even I was now reconciled to God. All anxiety about the exam then disappeared because I could now see it in the correct perspective.
Before my dog died a few years ago I used to walk him along a certain route which lasted about twenty minutes or so.During that time I would try to use it as an opportunity to draw close to God through praying the Lord's prayer. However, more often than not I would not have finished the prayer as I would sometimes get stuck at 'Our Father who is in heaven' and be unable to pray on.I didn't want to move on because the implicaton of those words was just so powerful to me and by moving on I was worried that I would lose the closeness that I was experiencing through meditating on it and by praying to God as a young child would talk to his father.

Reader if you are a Christian, I would encourage you to meditate upon this wonderful blessing for some time, for surely if you are a child of the King you are then so richly blessed by Him.Thank Him and praise Him continually that it is so.For it is a gift from the King of Kings to you.Go to Him and talk to Him as a child would his father and let your requests, fears, desires and hurts be known to Him.His heart for you is a heart of love.'O what manner of love the Father has given on to us, that we should be called the children of God.'Amen.


'

The Lord's Prayer: The Greatest Prayer in the World.

Our Father Who is in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
Forgive us our sins,as we also forgive those who have sinned against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but
Deliver us from the evil.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen

Over the next few days I aim to look at what is commonly known as the 'Lord's Prayer' commenting on each phrase and petition one by one. We can take confidence when we pray it because it is the prayer that the Lord taught His disciples to pray. We therefore don't have to second guess what He teaches us:He taught us to say these words so now we can pray them in faith, not worrying whether we are praying things which are beyond us or that we have no right to pray. What relief is that- We know that He will hear us and that He wants to answer our requests.

Spurgeon one time discovered a book of children's addresses which had broken the Lord's prayer into the following heads:
Father who is in heaven: A child away from home
Hallowed be Your name: A worshipper
Thy kingdom come: A subject.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven: A servant.
Give us this day our daily bread: A beggar.
Forgive us our sins: A sinner
Lead us not into temptation: A sinner in danger of being a greater sinner still.

Spurgeon goes on to state that the petitions are like a ladder, beginning at the top then descending down.The petition of the child is at the top and is the highest position that any man can have:'See what manner of love the Father has given onto us that we should be called the sons of God' 1 John 3.2. Not even the angels can achieve this position.
The next rung down is that of the worshipper. How high and glorious is this.It is indeed high but not as high as that of a child, but with the angels we may worship the triune God.Below this we have the subject of the King asking : 'Thy Kingdom come '. He is lower than the worshipper but higher indeed than the servant who prays 'Thy will be done'. Next is the beggar who asks for bread. Then beneath this is the sinner who asks for his sins to be forgiven, Spurgeon states that asking someone to forgive is always lower than asking them to give. As long as we are on this earth we should be praying that God would have mercy on us. Lastly is the sinner who is frightened of becoming an even greater sinner who prays 'Lead us not into temptation.' Yet as Spurgeon points out it is perhaps only the mature child of God who is aware of his own frailties. It is only the son of the Father who in devoted service and has suffered the onslaughts of Satan who knows how much he needs mercy when his back is being hard pressed against the wall.

1 Timothy 6

1 All those under the yoke of slavery must have unqualified respect for their masters, so that the name of God and our teaching are not brought into disrepute.

2 Those whose masters are believers are not to respect them less because they are brothers; on the contrary, they should serve them all the better, since those who have the benefit of their services are believers and dear to God. This is what you are to teach and urge.

Teachers and the Love of Money

3 Anyone who teaches anything different and does not keep to the sound teaching which is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, the doctrine which is in accordance with true religion,

4 is proud and has no understanding, but rather a weakness for questioning everything and arguing about words. All that can come of this is jealousy, contention, abuse and evil mistrust;

5 and unending disputes by people who are depraved in mind and deprived of truth, and imagine that religion is a way of making a profit.

6 Religion, of course, does bring large profits, but only to those who are content with what they have.

7 We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it;

8 but as long as we have food and clothing, we shall be content with that.

9 People who long to be rich are a prey to trial; they get trapped into all sorts of foolish and harmful ambitions which plunge people into ruin and destruction.

10 'The love of money is the root of all evils' and there are some who, pursuing it, have wandered away from the faith and so given their souls any number of fatal wounds.

Final Charge to Timothy

11 But, as for you Man of God, avoid all that. You must aim to be upright and religious, filled with faith and love, perseverance and gentleness.

12 Fight the good fight of faith and win the eternal life to which you were called and for which you made your noble profession of faith before many witnesses.

13 Now, before God, the source of all life, and before Jesus Christ, who witnessed to his noble profession of faith before Pontius Pilate, I charge you

14 to do all that you have been told, with no faults or failures, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 who at the due time will be revealed by God, the blessed and only Ruler of all, the King of kings and the Lord of lords,

16 who alone is immortal, whose home is in inaccessible light, whom no human being has seen or is able to see: to him be honour and everlasting power. Amen.

17 Instruct those who are rich in this world's goods that they should not be proud and should set their hopes not on money, which is untrustworthy, but on God who gives us richly all that we need for our happiness.

18 They are to do good and be rich in good works, generous in giving and always ready to share-

19 this is the way they can amass a good capital sum for the future if they want to possess the only life that is real.

20 My dear Timothy, take great care of all that has been entrusted to you. Turn away from godless philosophical discussions and the contradictions of the 'knowledge' which is not knowledge at all;

21 by adopting this, some have missed the goal of faith. Grace be with you

1 Timothy 5

Treatment of Church Members
1 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.
3 Honor widows who are really widows. 4 But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God. 5 Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. 6 But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. 7 And these things command, that they may be blameless. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
9 Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, 10 well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work.
11 But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, 12 having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith. 13 And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. 14 Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15 For some have already turned aside after Satan. 16 If any believing man or[b] woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.

Honor the Elders
17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,”[c] and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”[d] 19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. 20 Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.
21 I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality. 22 Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.
23 No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.
24 Some men’s sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later. 25 Likewise, the good works of some are clearly evident, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden.

1 Timothy 4

Some Will Depart from the Faith
4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

A Good Servant of Christ Jesus
6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

1 Timothy 3

Qualifications of Overseers
1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Qualifications of Deacons
8 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 11 Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 2

Pray for All Men
1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ[a]and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Men and Women in the Church
8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; 9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. 11 Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. 12 And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 15 Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

1 Timothy 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

2 To Timothy my true son in the faith:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Timothy Charged to Oppose False Teachers
3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer 4 or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. 5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

The Lord’s Grace to Paul
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The Charge to Timothy Renewed
18 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

Friendship : Wisdom from Ecclesiasticus

I remember as a young enthusiastic Christian thinking that the Apocrypha ( that is the writings found between the Old Testament and the New Testament in some Bibles such as the Common Bible and the Jerusalem Bible.)should be treated as either 100% God inspired or rejected completely as false teaching.

The Westminster Confession of Faith states:
“The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the Canon of Scripture; and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings.”Despite that the Apocrypha has much wisdom in it.

Through reading the books of people such as A.W.Tozer, C.S.Lewis, the Church Fathers or John Stott we can gain great benefit, likewise from reading the Apocrypha we can also can gain great wisdom. When I first became a Christian I had a friend who used to say when reading certain Christian books: 'Eat the meat and spit out the bones'. My thanks to Romanos my Eastern Orthodox from America who originally posted this on his blog.


A kindly turn of speech multiplies a man's friends,
and a courteous way of speaking invites many a friendly reply.


Let your acquaintances be many,
but your advisors one in a thousand.


If you want to make a friend, take him on trial,
and be in no hurry to trust him;

for one kind of friend is only so when it suits him
but will not stand by you in your day of trouble.

Another kind of friend will fall out with you
and to your dismay will make your quarrel public,

and a third kind of friend will share your table,
but not stand by you in your day of trouble:
when you are doing well he will be your second self,
ordering your servants about;
but if ever you are brought low he will turn against you
and will hide himself from you.


Keep well clear of your enemies,
and be wary of your friends.


A faithful friend is a sure shelter,
whoever finds one has found a rare treasure.

A faithful friend is something beyond price,
there is no measuring his worth.

A faithful friend is the elixir of life,
and those who fear the Lord will find one.

Whoever fears the Lord makes true friends,
for as a man is, so is his friend.


Ecclesiasticus 6:5-17 Jerusalem Bible

Prick an eye and you will draw a tear,
prick a heart and you will bring its feelings to light.
Throw stones at birds and you scare them away,
revile a friend and you break up friendship.

If you have drawn your sword on a friend,
do not despair; there is a way back.
If you have opened your mouth against your friend,
do not worry; there is hope for reconciliation;

but insult, arrogance, betrayal of secrets, and the stab in the back—
in these cases, any friend will run away.

Ecclesiasticus 22:19-22 Jerusalem Bible

Psalm 62:He only is my rock and my salvation

For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

How long will all of you attack a man
to batter him,
like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
They take pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths,
but inwardly they curse.
Selah


For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock,my refuge is God.

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is
a refuge for us.
Selah


Those of low estate are but a breath;
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
Put no trust in extortion;
set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
according to his work

2 Timothy 4 :Paul's Last Written Words To His Spiritual Son

Preach the Word
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Paul’s Valedictory
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

The Abandoned Apostle
9 Be diligent to come to me quickly; 10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. 12 And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments.
14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. 15 You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.
16 At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.

The Lord Is Faithful
17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!

Come Before Winter
19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick.
21 Do your utmost to come before winter.
Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.
Farewell

22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

2 Timothy 3 :Paul's 'Last Will and Testament' to Timothy

Perilous Times and Perilous Men
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.
The Man of God and the Word of God
10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 2 : Paul's Last will and Testimony

Be Strong in Grace
1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.
7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, 9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
11 This is a faithful saying:
For if we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him.
12 If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.
13 If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.

Approved and Disapproved Workers
14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.