Barnabas Ministries UK

Rev. E. Anderson

May God Smile on You
by Jon Walker

“May the Lord smile on you” - Numbers 6:25 (NLT)

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The smile of God is the goal of life.

Since pleasing God is the first purpose of your life, your most important task is to discover how to do that. The Bible says, “Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it” (Ephesians 5:10 MSG).

Fortunately, the Bible gives us a clear example of a life that gives pleasure to God. The man’s name was Noah.

In Noah’s day, the entire world had become morally bankrupt. Everyone lived for their own pleasure, not God’s. God couldn’t find anyone on earth interested in pleasing him, so he was grieved and regretted making man. God became so disgusted with the human race that he considered wiping it out.

But there was one man who made God smile. The Bible says, “Noah was a pleasure to the Lord” (Genesis 6:8 LB).

God said, “This guy brings me pleasure. He makes me smile. I’ll start over with his family.” Because Noah brought pleasure to God, you and I are alive today.

Over the next few days, we will learn from Noah’s life the five acts of worship that make God smile.

God smiles when we love him supremely. Noah loved God more than anything else in the world, even when no one else did! The Bible tells us Noah “consistently followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with him” - Genesis 6:9 NL).

This is what God wants most from you: a relationship! It’s the most astounding truth in the universe: our Creator wants to fellowship with us. God made you to love you, and he longs for you to love him back. He says, “I don’t want your sacrifices – I want your love; I don’t want your offerings – I want you to know me” - Hosea 6:6 LB.

Can you sense God’s passion for you in this verse? God deeply loves you and desires your love in return. He longs for you to know him and spend time with him. This is why learning to love God and to be loved by him should be the greatest objective of your life.

Nothing else comes close in importance. Jesus called it the greatest commandment. He said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment” - Matthew 22:37-38 NIV.

Rev. E. Anderson

GOD SMILES WHEN WE TRUST
by Jon Walker

“By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told. . . . As a result, Noah became intimate with God” - Hebrews 11:7 (MSG)

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Imagine this scene: One day God comes to Noah and says, “I’m disappointed in human beings. In the entire world, no one but you thinks about me. But Noah, when I look at you, I start smiling. I’m pleased with your life, so I’m going to flood the world and start over with you and your family. I want you to build a giant ship that will save you and the animals.”

There were three problems that could have caused Noah to doubt:

· First, Noah had never seen rain because prior to the flood God irrigated the earth from the ground up (Genesis 2:5-6).

· Second, Noah lived hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean. Even if he could learn to build a ship, how would he get it to water?

· Third, there was the problem of rounding up all the animals and then caring for them.

But Noah didn’t complain or make excuses. He trusted God completely, and that made God smile.

Trusting God completely means having faith that God knows what is best for your life. You expect him to keep his promises, help you with problems, and do the impossible when necessary.

The Bible says, “He takes pleasure in those who honor him, in those who trust in his constant love” (Psalm 147:11 TEV).

It took Noah 120 years to build the ark. I imagine he faced many discouraging days. With no sign of rain year after year, he was probably criticized as a “crazy man who thinks God speaks to him.” I imagine Noah’s children were often embarrassed by the giant ship being built in their front yard.

Yet Noah kept on trusting God.

In what areas of your life do you need to trust God completely?

Trusting is an act of worship. Just as parents are pleased when children trust them, your faith makes God happy. The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV).

Rev. E. Anderson

Feelings Are Fickle – Faith Is Forever
by Rick Warren

“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” -  James 2:15-16 (NIV)

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Faith is more than something you just feel. Many people confuse emotions and feelings with faith. They come to church and they are moved emotionally, they’re inspired, and they’re stimulated. They get a quiver in their liver and say, “Oh, man! I’m moved!”

In the book of James, we get a brief glimpse at hollow sentimentality. James minces no words. He’s saying, “You go out on the street and you see some homeless person who’s destitute and simply say, “Cheer up,” or “Don’t worry, be happy!” “Feel good!” “Put on a happy face.” “Smile, smile, smile!” For God’s sake, do something!

Faith is practical. It gets involved in people’s hurts. And when you see a need, you do something about it. James says faith is something you do. You don’t just feel it. You have responsibilities.

One by one. Great opportunities to serve God seldom come, but small opportunities surround us daily. You need to look for those little opportunities because faith is not just something you say, and it’s not just something you feel.

The Next Step:

Give your faith feet. Many Christians practice faith within the confines of their climate controlled cathedrals. Find a way out! Serve your community outside the walls of the local church.

Discover the needs. Put your faith feelers out and find out where the need is greatest in your community; then begin to work on a way you can make a difference.

Go global. What could the church do to change conditions half a world away? Plenty! Find a way to join the move toward stopping extreme poverty and the hopelessness of starvation and disease.

Rev. E. Anderson

Developing Self-Control
by Rick Warren

“Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control” - Proverbs 25:28 (NIV)

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Self-control brings with it the good feeling of competency. Like a finely-tuned precision automobile, your life stays on course with the slightest touch of steering. The results of self-control are confidence and an inner sense of security.

Self-control and self-discipline are also key factors in any success you hope to have in this life. Without self-discipline, you are unlikely to achieve anything of lasting value.

The Apostle Paul realized this when he wrote, “Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever.” (1 Corinthians 9:25 GNT)

Olympic athletes train for years in order to have a chance to win a brief moment of glory. But the race we are running is far more important than any earthly athletic event. So self-control is not optional for Christians.

How do we gain true self-control?

1. Admit your problem.

·          The starting point for developing self-control is to face what God has already said about it.

·          James 1:14 (PH) says, “A man’s temptation is due to the pull of his own inward desires, which can be enormously attractive.”

·          Do you realize what that says? It says you do things because you like to do them! When I do something I know is bad for me, I still do it because I like to do it. I want to do it; it’s an inner desire.

·          Do you want more self-control? Admit you have a problem and be specific about it. Begin praying specifically about your problem areas.

     2. Put your past behind you. Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV) says, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal ….” This verse exposes a misconception that will keep you from gaining self-control: Once a failure, always a failure.

Failure in the past does not mean you’ll never be able to change. Focusing on past failures, however, does guarantee their repetition. It’s like driving a car and looking in the rear view mirror the whole time. You’re going to collide with what’s ahead of you.

Ask God to help you put your past behind you.

Rev. E. Anderson

Resisting Discouragement
by Rick Warren

“So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time” - Galatians 6:9 (NLT)

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There are many things that work to keep us from completing our life-missions. Over the years, I’ve debated whether the worst enemy is procrastination or discouragement. If Satan can’t get us to put off our life missions, then he’ll try to get us to quit altogether.

The apostle Paul teaches that we need to resist discouragement: “So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up …” (Galatians 6:9 NLT).

Do you ever get tired of doing what’s right? I think we all do. Sometimes it seems easier to do the wrong thing than the right thing.

When we’re discouraged, we become ineffective. When we’re discouraged, we work against our own faith.

When I’m discouraged, I’m saying, “It can’t be done.” That’s the exact opposite of saying, “I know God can do it because he said ….”

Ask yourself these questions:

· How do I handle failure?

· When things don’t go my way, do I get grumpy?

· When things don’t go my way, do I get frustrated?

· When things don’t go my way, do I start complaining?

· Do I finish what I start?

· How would I rate on persistence?

If you’re discouraged, don’t give up without a fight. Nothing worthwhile ever happens without endurance and energy.

When an artist starts to create a sculpture, he has to keep chipping away. He doesn’t hit the chisel with the hammer once, and suddenly all the excess stone falls away revealing a beautiful masterpiece. He keeps hitting it and hitting it, chipping away at the stone.

And that’s true of life, too: Nothing really worthwhile ever comes easy in life. You keep hitting it and going after it, and little-by-little your life becomes a masterpiece of God’s grace.

The fact is, great people are really just ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of determination. Great people don’t know how to quit.

Rev. E. Anderson

RELIABILITY OF THE BIBLE 

Dan Bloomfield  oversees teaching courses at

Talbot Street Christian Centre, Nottingham. Here,

he answers the critics who question the reliability of the Bible

The reliability of the Bible is a huge topic and my aim in writing this is to give con­fidence about this amazing book and answer some of the arguments put forward by critics.

The Bible is unique. Here are a few facts and figures about it:

There are 66 books, writ­ten by about 40 authors in three languages over a period of around 1,500 years. The Bible sells roughly 100 mil­lion copies every year and has been translated into 97 per cent of the world’s languages.

What makes it more unique is the story that it tells. The Bible is an account of the ways in which God has intervened in human history, giving a unique explanation of the moral and spiritual factors behind the historical narrative.

In order to answer critical arguments it is necessary to look at the Bible from an unbi­ased point of view, subjecting it to a number of tests, some of which are applied to other classical documents. These are: manuscripts, archaeology, prophecy, statistics and unity.

Manuscript

Within this category there is a further subdivision into three sections - bibliographic, eyewitness and external. The bibliographic test looks at how many manuscripts there are, the dates of these manuscripts and the varia­tions between them. In this category the Bible is leagues ahead of any other classical manuscript.

The earliest manuscripts we have of the New Testament were written in about 125 AD, only 25-50 years after the originals were written, and there are about 24,000 manuscript copies. Compare this to classical works about Caesar or Tacitus. Here only a handful of manuscript cop­ies survived and these are around 1,000 years older than the originals.

There are also strikingly few variations in these Bibli­cal manuscripts, especially given the sheer number of manuscripts. There is a 99.5 per cent agreement between all the manuscripts and the remaining percentage relates to spelling mistakes and word order, which don’t change the meaning of the text.

The same is true of the Old Testament, albeit to a slightly lesser extent. There are over 14,000 manuscripts and frag­ments in existence, including the Dead Sea scrolls. These are 1,000 years older than any previously found manuscript, but are 95 per cent identical to those which had already been discovered. Again, the remaining 5 per cent were mainly slips of the pen and spelling mistakes.

Looking at eyewitness

evidence, we find that the Bible again presents a strong case for itself. This test focuses on the authenticity of the accounts within the Bible. We can see that most events in the Bible are eyewitness accounts from their authors. One of the best examples of this is the Gospel of Luke.

The final test of this sec­tion is that of external evi­dence. This looks at whether or not the historical events, geographical location and cul­tural references in the Bible are reliable by checking other sources. Many of the events in the Bible are described in secular histories, lending the Bible even more credibility.

Archaeology

Nelson Glueck, a respected Jewish archaeologist said, ‘It must be stated categorically, that no archaeological discov­ery has ever contradicted a Biblical reference.’

This sums up quite neatly the amount of archaeological evidence for the Bible. Indeed, secular scholars have often been forced to rewrite their criticisms of the Bible based on archaeological finds. Sir William Ramsey is one well known example.

Prophecy

Obviously, the Bible is full of prophecies, many of which have been fulfilled with 100 per cent accuracy. Unsurpris­ingly, however, critics have pored over these prophecies trying to show that the Bible predicted wrongly.

If they could prove this then huge swathes of the Bible could be discounted. For a time critics argued that many prophecies were written after the event rather than before and that the authors had merely dressed the Bible up to make it look like prophecy. The discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls and other ancient manuscripts helped silence their criticisms.

As Jesus is the culminat­ing theme of the Old Testa­ment, it is unsurprising that there are more prophecies about him than any other per­son. The fact that all of these have been proven correct in the New Testament is quite a persuasive argument.

Statistics

This is final test which classi­cal documents undergo. This links in with the prophetic theme, as the probability that all of the prophecies could be fulfilled by chance, guess work or deceit is statistically ridiculous, pointing to the authenticity of the Bible.

Unity

The one test unique to the Bible concerns its unity. Imagine questioning a cross-section of society, from the extremely wealthy to the very poor, from nearly every walk of life, on three different continents, over a 1,000 year period. If you asked them to put their reflections, thoughts and feelings about God into writing, using all their differ­ent writing styles, what kind of book do you think you’d end up with? The idea that there would be any continuity and consistency is laughable, but the Bible shows otherwise.

Rev. E. Anderson

Fruit from Spiritual Seed
by Rick Warren

 “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” John 12:24 (NIV)

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When you think about your walk with Jesus, some days you may wonder, “Why is this so hard? I’m still struggling with so many problems. When will I finally get it right?”

In my journey as a pastor, I’ve learned that spiritual growth is often like the growth we see in nature – the best fruit ripens slowly. In John 12:24, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (NIV)

The problem is we tend to get impatient, so we dig up the seed to check the progress of its growth, and that slows down our growth! If you’re not seeing as much fruit as you’d like, don’t despair. Growth takes time.

In the meantime, try these steps for spiritual growth:

• Nurture growth with God’s Word – I know you’re already doing this, but when you read the promises of God, again and again, it helps you remember that he is at work, even when you can’t see him at work: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV).

• Cooperate with God as he prunes – Praise God for the work he’s doing in your life, remembering “he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more” (John 15:2 NLT).

• Pray through the “fruit list” – Pray through the “fruit list” (the fruit of the Spirit) from Galatians 5:22-23. The NIV Bible lists the fruit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Ask God to help you grow this fruit in your life.

Rev. E. Anderson

God’s Purpose in Suffering
by Rick Warren

“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son ….” Romans 8:29 (NIV)

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Did Jesus suffer? Was Jesus sometimes lonely? Was he tempted to be discouraged? Was he misunderstood, maligned, and criticized unjustly?

As you read through the Gospels, you’ll quickly see that the answer to all these questions is: YES. So, what makes any of us think we’ll be exempted from suffering or loneliness or discouragement or unjust criticism?

The truth is, God is developing within you the character of Christ, and in order to do this, he must take you through all of the circumstances in life that he took Christ through. This means God is more interested in your character than your comfort, and he’s more concerned about your holiness than your happiness. So, the question is not if you’ll go through dark times in life, rather it’s when you’ll go through them.

Does God cause these tragedies? No. God is good, and he cannot cause evil, nor do evil. But God can use these dark and stressful times for good; he’ll use them to build a Christ-like character within us.

So, what should you do when you go through difficult times?

• Refuse to be discouraged – David said, “I will fear no evil” - Psalm 23:4 NIV. This implies a choice, an act of decision. As Jesus faced the cross, he made a choice to follow God’s will; he made a choice to face down fear; he made a choice to ignore despair.

• Remember God is with you – David said, “For you are with me” -Psalm 23:4 NIV. God not only promises his power, he promises his presence. We will never go through a dark day alone. Jesus knew he wasn’t alone as he walked out his passion.

• Rely on God’s protection and guidance – David said in Psalm 23:4 that God’s rod and staff comforted him. The rod and staff were basic tools a shepherd used to protect and guide the sheep. God will be with you, and he’ll protect and guide you. Jesus could have called down 10,000 angels; he could have called his disciples to arms; instead he relied on God to protect and guide him.

Rev. E. Anderson

GIVE LIFE WITH YOUR WORDS
by Jon Walker

Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit – you choose. (Proverbs 18:21 MSG)

You have the power to kill or give life.

Yes, you, gentle reader – a follower of Christ – are capable of murder, and so am I. We can speak death with our words, or we can speak life.

Perhaps you’ve been on the other side of the killing kind of messages: “You’re not smart enough. You’re not thin enough. You’re not fast enough. You’re not good enough. A real Christian wouldn’t think such a thing.”

In a world where people are beat up and put down, God gives you superhero power to punch through the negativity. You speak life to others when you say: “You matter to me. I like you just the way you are. You’re human, anyone could think that. Your life counts. You were created for a purpose. God loves you, and you’re incredibly valuable to him.”

Your words may be the only encouraging thing some people hear in a day, or a week, or a month. You – yes, you – can become the voice of God’s grace in the lives of others, supporting, loving, helping, and encouraging with the words that flow from your mouth. (Romans 14:19b)

In the New Testament, the word ‘encouragement’ often means “to come alongside.” We’re to come alongside one another, “building each other up,” just as the Holy Encourager comes alongside us to teach us and remind us of the way of Jesus. (John 14:26)

We become encouragers when we stop looking down and start looking up (Colossians 3:2) – the need and opportunity for encouragement is everywhere. “Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us,” (Romans 15:2a MSG) and this “will build them up.” (Romans 15:2b NLT)

So, how about it? Will you become today a consistent source of encouragement to those around you? It’s a choice on your part. You can lift a person’s spirit, change the atmosphere of your office, or lighten the burden of someone in your small group. The Bible says we should “look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15b MSG)

What does this mean?

     · Commit to encouragement – Make a choice to build up the people around you. Fill your conversations with phrases like: “I believe in you,” “I’m grateful for you,” “I see God using you,” “I appreciate you,” and “I’m glad you’re in my life.” The Bible says we should “encourage one another and build each other up.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV)

     · Value others – An encourager works hard at bringing the best out in others. Value people by understanding they are valuable to God. He encourages you in spite of the failings in your past; he believes in you in spite of those annoying, little things you excuse in yourself but criticize in others. J (Quite honestly, this thought compels me to give grace to others.)

     · Be encouraged – Encourage yourself, for “there is good news of great joy for all people, and his name is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:8-10)

Rev. E. Anderson

GOD’S PURPOSE IN SUFFERING

by Rick Warren

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son …. Romans 8:29 (NIV)

*** *** *** ***

Did Jesus suffer? Was Jesus sometimes lonely? Was he tempted to be discouraged? Was he misunderstood, maligned, and criticized unjustly?

As you read through the Gospels, you’ll quickly see that the answer to all these questions is: YES. So, what makes any of us think we’ll be exempted from suffering or loneliness or discouragement or unjust criticism?

The truth is, God is developing within you the character of Christ, and in order to do this, he must take you through all of the circumstances in life that he took Christ through. This means God is more interested in your character than your comfort, and he’s more concerned about your holiness than your happiness. So, the question is not if you’ll go through dark times in life, rather it’s when you’ll go through them.

Does God cause these tragedies? No. God is good, and he cannot cause evil, nor do evil. But God can use these dark and stressful times for good; he’ll use them to build a Christ-like character within us.

So, what should you do when you go through difficult times?

Refuse to be discouraged – David said, “I will fear no evil” - Psalm 23:4 NIV. This implies a choice, an act of decision. As Jesus faced the cross, he made a choice to follow God’s will; he made a choice to face down fear; he made a choice to ignore despair.

Remember God is with you – David said, “For you are with me” -Psalm 23:4 NIV. God not only promises his power, he promises his presence. We will never go through a dark day alone. Jesus knew he wasn’t alone as he walked out his passion.

Rely on God’s protection and guidance – David said in Psalm 23:4 that God’s rod and staff comforted him. The rod and staff were basic tools a shepherd used to protect and guide the sheep. God will be with you, and he’ll protect and guide you. Jesus could have called down 10,000 angels; he could have called his disciples to arms; instead he relied on God to protect and guide him.