Listooder Youth Fellowship

The Testimony of Rebecca Hutton

Rebecca shared how she had been taught the Scriptures from a very young age. She came to Christ early in life, realising that she was a sinner and needed to be saved. Understandably there was not a drastic change in her life, but as Rebecca puts it 'nothing was ever the same again'. Her name was written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Her name was forever written in heaven.

Despite continuing in the teaching she had received, Rebecca soon found herself falling short in her communion with God, failing to read the Bible as she once did. It was at this time she came across Psalm 73, where verse 2 states: 'as for me, my feet were almost gone'. This resonated with her present state, but as she read on she came to verse 23: 'Nevertheless I am continually with thee'.

This reminder was a help and a comfort to Rebecca as she sought to return to a closer relationship with the Lord. In doing so, she began to understand the great responsibility that God have given to her to live her life as a testimony for Him. Both among saved and unsaved friends, Rebecca has since endeavoured not only to live her life in accordance to God's Word, but to serve Him and actively take opportunities to proclaim the Gospel. 

So, Heaven... what's it really like?

Citing it as a subject that 'thrills his heart', Paul Foster began his study on the Heavenly Home by turning to Luke chapter 10, where we read of Christ telling his disciples to rejoice that their names were written in Heaven.

Just as a sprinter, lining up to begin a race, keeps his eye solidly on the finish line. Regardless of how the race is progressing, whether we feel weak and tired, or positive and enthusiastic, we, as Believers, must continue looking towards the finish - setting our minds, our affections and our attention on Heaven.  

So what is Heaven? Firstly, it is a physical 'place' (John 14:2). It is real. It is a place where God's presence, His holiness and His splendour are revealed without measure or limitation.

Turning to Revelation 21, Paul then asked what is it like? If, as many believe, the passage outlines a physical city, then it is a perfect cube of 1,400 miles x 1,400 miles x 1,400 miles. In terms of the ground-surface area alone, that is greater than 23 times the surface area of the United Kingdom! Now add the 1,400 miles of vertical space... it is huge.

The walls in heaven are also explained - gems and precious stones of blue, yellow, green, red and pink. They are beautiful and they are big - the thickness of 17 Volkswagen Polo cars placed end-to-end.

There are some who believe that, rather than speaking of a literal city, the portion in Revelation 21 speaks figuratively of the church - the people of God, returning to earth with Christ. If this is the case, the chapter paints a wonderful picture of sheer quantity of people, from every nation on earth, washed in the blood of Jesus Christ and clothed in the majesty and beauty of the Lamb.

Heaven is a holy place, a holy city - a place absent from sin. Every day on this earth brings a measure of sadness as we witness the lying, cheating, bitterness, anger, lust and perversion all around us. We see jealousy, selfishness, God's name not being glorified, instead dragged through the gutters. We see our own temper, envy, lust and selfish desires. But there is no sin in Heaven. What a joy, what a thrill! God will banish all existence and appearance of sin from our lives, He will wipe every tear from eyes and will give us a song of joy.

But what will we do there? Television commercials would have us believe that lie around, relaxing in the clouds on some sort of never ending lunch-break. Yet in Scripture we read that Heaven is a place of activity. There will be the continual song of praise to the Lord, a multitude from every nation, standing before the throne of God - 'great and marvellous are thy works!'. Singing, not with the voice we have now, but with a perfect voice. Not praising the God we have not seen, but standing face-to-face with the one who has saved us by His blood, upheld us through the trials of life and comforted us with His infinite love. How we will sing!

We will sing, but we will also serve. Just like the good servants in the Bible, who received the 'well done' of God and told to enter into 'the joy of the Lord' - we will have fullness of joy in Heaven as we serve the Master forever.

And we will rest. From the beginning of time, God gave one day in seven to rest our bodies from the weariness of the week. This day was given as a token of what was to come - perfect rest in Christ. In Heaven we will enjoy the glorious benefits of rest forever. We will bask in the glory of His perfect holiness, and enjoy the restoration it brings.

Paul closed by reminding the young people that, just as Heaven is a real place and one to be sought for, so Hell is also very real. Not one of us knows what a day may bring forth, and so we must turn to Christ for salvation to secure our citizenship in the heavenly city. 

You only get to run one race. Where is your finish line?

The Armour of God: Live Demo

With the assistance of our own Ross Greer, kitted out head-to-toe in full Roman armour, Luke Barker introduced the topic by explaining the need for Christians to be equipped with the resources that God offers. One of those is the Armour of God.

Luke began by asking the question: who is our enemy? The world is our enemy, distracting us from focusing our attention on God with the bright lights and entertainment it offers. We are our own enemy: our inner, sinful desires are not toward God, and so need to be overcome. The devil is our enemy: as the enemy of God, the devil will try to bring down anyone who sets out to live for Christ.

The passage in Ephesians 6, which in detail cover the six parts of the armour of God (demonstrated throughout by Ross), also stresses the importance of watching (being constantly aware of the enemy) and praying (being in constant communication with God).

There are only two sides which we can be on, and that is either the Army of God or the Army of Satan. All those who have placed their trust in Christ for Salvation are on the side of God. All those who have not, regardless of how good-living, religious or open they may be, are on the side of Satan.

Luke proposed that those who are on the side of Satan have 'armour' also. Instead of the Helmet of Salvation, it the Helmet of False Hope. The Arm of Flesh instead of the Sword of the Spirit. A Breastplate of Selfrighteousness, not Righteousness. The Belt of Truth is replaced with False Teaching. They wave around a Shield of Unbelief and walk in the Shoes of a False Message. As Christians, an understanding of this can be a very useful tool when trying to reach the lost for Christ. 

So, to the armour...

THE BELT OF TRUTH

The belt held everything together and avoided everything else from going out of control. It was to keep the shame and decency of the soldier intact. In the same way a Christian requires the truth of God to keep their integrity and maintain their testimony. The truth comes from the Word of God, and just as a solider must diligently fasten the belt, so a believer must diligently read the word of God.

THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

The top part of the body of a Roman soldier was protected, front and back, by the breastplate. His vital organs were protected from the attack of the enemy. Our vital organs, in the spiritual sense, the functions by which we have life, are protected by righteousness. The righteousness of Christ has been imputed to every believer, covering the sinful heart of man with the precious protecting blood of Christ.

FEET SHOD WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE

The sandals of a soldier were not a fashion accessory, but a practical, always-ready, resource to protect their feet from the rough footing of the journey. If wet, they would dry off quickly. If dirty, cleaned without hassle. They were always ready. In a similar way we, as Christians, must be always ready with the message of the Gospel and be prepared to answer questions regarding our faith.

THE SHIELD OF FAITH

The shield added further protection to the body of the soldier, in particular protecting him from the 'darts' or arrows of the enemy. Although it is important to be aware that the devil will relentlessly attack us, we have no need to fear. The faith that God has given, that free gift, cannot be breached by the firey darts of the evil one.

THE HELMET OF SALVATION

A natural protection for the head, ultimately protecting the brain from injury. So the helmet of salvation protects the wisdom, knowledge and discernment that God has given to us. In Ephesians 6, the helmet is described as the hope of Salvation. The hope is an assurance of the knowledge that we are saved. It is the assurance that we belong to God, and no-one can take that away from us.

THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

The Roman sword was shorter than we may have imagines, allowing for quick and close combat. The battle against the enemies of God is a very real one and can, at times, feel very close. The sword of the spirit, the Word of God, is not for defense, but for attack. It should be our tool of choice when we feel the presence of evil in our lives. We must therefore know it, learn it, and be ready to fight back with it. In the same way, the Roman solider stepped forward with his sword always by his side - ready.

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Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

2 Timothy 2:3-4

Sharing the Gospel with the World

Samuel Adams returned to Listooder to provide the young people with an update on the work of Revival Movement Association, formerly Every Home Crusade. With 5 tonnes of literature produced daily, just outside Kinallen in Northern Ireland, Revival Movement distributes Gospel literature across the world. 

Distributing the literature to churches and Gospel workers entirely free of charge, the phenomenal output of the work could be summed up in the following statistics:

1,371 tonnes used last year

75 million pieces of literature

8.2 million copies of St. John's Gospel

170 countries

95 languages

This week alone, shipments of literature were sent to Uganda, Nigeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Guyana, Sierra-Leone, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Samuel often travels himself to some of the countries to meet with the local workers and establish their literature needs. In a recent trip to the Philippines, Samuel visited schools, in conjunction with a Child Evangelism Fellowship worker in the area, and distributed Gospel litertaure and some New Testaments to the children.

As a largely Roman Catholic country, the Philippines can be a difficult region to 'evangelise' among the men and women. However, there have been many examples of churches which have been setup to reach these folks, whose curiosity was sparked when their children received literature and teaching from the Word of God.

During the same trip, Samuel also had the opportunity to meet with many local pastors, some having travelled over 5 hours to receive the literature and Scripture material that Samuel had brought with him. Later on, they gained access to a prison where guards, prisoners and visitors received Gospel content.

Nigeria, a country of 200 million people, was the destination of a further trip for Samuel in recent months, during which he attended a conference of 40,000 pastors. The conference may present an opportunity for Revival Movement Association to assist these pastors in the future. The need is great, and there is a strong desire among the evangelical church leaders for sound, Biblical literature.

Please pray for the work of Revival Movement Association as they seek to meet the needs of Christian workers across the world. In many countries, there is a hunger for God's Word. Do we have a hunger for the Word of God? Do we have a hunger for God Himself? Pray that God would give you a desire for Him, and that He would use you, in some small way, to help meet the needs of any who are seeking for Him.

Decrypting Cyber-Bullying

In an ever-changing world of technological advancements, young people are rarely ever 'offline'. The online world is exciting, engaging, educational and full of opportunities to connect with others - but it is a world that is fraught with danger. Colin Tinsley joins us at Listooder to raise awareness of Cyber-Bullying, looking specifically at what we can learn from the Scriptures.

Turning to Psalm 36, Colin began by looking at the destructive influence of bullying, both in-person and online. Bullying destroys the lives of many people, both young and old. It is a demonstration of the grip the devil has on this world, and of the evil forces at work in the lives of those in darkness. Many young people, in despair and without hope, have taken their own lives as a result of bullying.

But what does the Bible have to say about the matter? Many of the great characters of Scripture were subjected to bullying. David on the run from King Saul, Joseph sold into slavery by his own brothers, Paul who was bruised and beaten on many occasions for the sake of the Lord. Christians are not immune to bullying. It is a personal attack from the devil, acted out in the lives of our peers, and others around us. As we read in Psalm 36:1, there is no fear of God in their eyes. They are in darkness, and believe that they are free to treat others how they choose.

The cyber-bully 'flattereth himself in his own eyes'. They are so puffed up with themselves, fed by the lies of the devil, that they fail to see or consider the feelings of others and consequences of their actions.

Proverbs chapter 6 reminds us of God's hatred for the acts of cyber-bullies. A lying tongue, a proud look, a heart devising wicked imaginations, a false witness and feet that are swift to run to mischief. Are not these the traits of a bully? God despises these things, and God despises the spiteful actions of those seeking to disrupt and destroy the lives of others. As believers, it is important to be aware of these attributes. They are the product of the devil. Do we take care not to demonstrate these traits, and succumb to the evil communications of others? Stop and think about the words we use, the messages we send, the comments we leave. Be sober, be vigilant and beware.

Just as with all sin, God despises bullying. Yet God loves the bully. Even those who have seemingly given into the wiles of Satan can be won for Christ. Pray for them, take any opportunities to speak for Christ and believe the words of 1 John 4:4, which reminds us: 'greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world'. God has power over all, and God is on our side.

If you are struggling with bullying yourself, bring it to the Lord. Speak to others about it, and seek out Christian help. The Lord understands. Read about how God intervened in the lives of those in the Bible who also suffered. The same God, the same Lord, Jesus Christ, will never change. He will always care for His own, and He does care. Bring it to Him, and let Him bring comfort, support and resolution. 

'He is before all things, and by him all things consist' - Colossians 1:17

When Christians Fail... (2 Samuel 12)

A familiar face joined us for the opening meeting of 2016. Danny Roberts, formerly a regular attender of the meetings, began with a personal example of the challenges he experienced as a young Christian growing up in Liverpool. Danny, under pressure to be popular, conformed to the ways of his unsaved friends and found himself regularly involved in sinful activities. Looking back, Danny asked the question: what sort of Christian example was he to his Christian friends - what sort of example was he to anyone?

Often, when sitting in church services, it is easy to presume that those speaking to us from the pulpit have everything 'sorted' in their lives. We build them up as 'perfect' Christians, with a standard that we can never attain to. The reality, however, is that we all sin, falling short of God's standard on a daily basis.

It is on occasions when we look at others around us that we often forget this fact. Hearing of sins, among the people of God, that we regard to be severe, we are very quick to judge, deciding that these individuals should immediately be removed from all service for the Lord, and will question their position before God. In doing this again forget that we all sin.

Scripture is not quiet on this subject. Take, for example, King David. Described elsewhere as being a man after God's own heart, David lusted after a married woman, slept with her, then successfully arranged to have her husband killed. In 2 Samuel chapter 12, Nathan the prophet is sent to the King with a story about a rich man who took from a poor man all that he had. When David was angered about the tale, Nathan pointed out that this was, in effect, what David had just done by stealing the wife, and subsequently the life, of Uriah the Hittite. David was immediately repentant and turned to the Lord in sorrow for his sin. 

Was it enough? Would God forgive the sin of David and allow him to continue in the role that was given to him? While it is important to note that David's sin was not without significant and lengthy consequences, the Lord did forgive him. Would we have been so prepared to accept the remorse of a similar brother in Christ, who had committed such heinous actions while serving in the church? God does not think like we do. God knew the heart of David, and understood the sorrow he felt for his actions. While the forgiveness of the Lord did not justify what he did, God's ability to use David was not inhibited by David's inability to do right. His ways are not our way. While we choose to remember those things done against us, God very deliberately choose not to. That is the very special mercy of God shown to His children, those who have been washed in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Isaiah 43:25

Each of us have sins in our past that others would find appalling. We all have a history that would justify being used of God, yet He chooses to use us, because He knows our heart. God knows when we have a genuine love for Him, when, despite our constant sin, we strive to be holy and to be pure. We are in a battle: a battle between the flesh and spirit. It is a battle that we often lose, yet we must remember that we are ultimately on the winning side. Christ has already secured the victory so that, one day in Heaven, we will be free from all effects and influences of sin.

Until then, it is vital that we surround ourselves with the right people. As Believers, we have a need for fellowship with other Christians who will love us, guide us and occasionally push us back onto the right path. That is the purpose of meeting together as a church. Not for gossip, or for entertainment, but to build one another up in the faith, reminding ourselves and each other that God has mercifully forgiven us and, despite our imperfections, He wants us to walk with Him in all that we do.

Do not limit what God can do. He has used, and continues to use the liars, thieves, blasphemers, slothful and complainers for His glory. Individuals that He has redeemed by the blood of Christ, who fail Him every day. If God can use them, He can use you. You may have fallen away from the things of God, maybe even fallen further than you ever thought possible, but don't forget King David. He turned to the Lord, he acknowledged his sin and God promised to remember his sin no more. No matter how far you fall, it's not over with God.

And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 2 Samuel 12:13

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. Isaiah 55:8

The Bible or Science: Why Choose?

A good crowd gathered to welcome Philip Robinson, of Creation Outreach Ministries and Creation Ministries International, to Listooder for the first time. Introducing this fascinating topic, Philip encouraged the young people to "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15)

Not all 'science' is considered to be the same. For example, unlike Operational Science, which is observable, testable and repeatable, the creation and evolution debate falls into Origin Science, where such events cannot and were not observed, tested or repeated. A fossil which exists in the present was formed in the past. Its formation was a one-off event, neither observable, testable or repeatable and so, the role of Origin Science is to attempt to explain how the fossil was formed and how we now have it.

As we know, the Bible speaks much of moral and spiritual matters, but it also deals in matters of history and origin, such as the formation of the earth, universe, fossils, life and the age-old question: where did I come from? The Biblical foundation for all of this rest in the Genesis account of the six days of God's creation. The world will, of course, disagree, but to destroy the foundation is to destroy everything, and so we must also ignore the moral and spiritual guidance given in Scripture. To accept the guidance of the Word God, however, is to accept it as a whole. He is to be not only the Lord of our spiritual lives but Lord of everything - of time, space, matter. He is Creator and Lord over the entire physical world we now live in. "The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." (Psalm 24:1).

The matter is often considered to be a battle between religion and science. It is, rather, the battle between two varying religions: Christianity and Materialism - both of which have very different stories about where we came from. The evidence is the same, the tools are the same and the scientific processes are the same, yet how can the answers be so different. Well, for Christians, the Bible acts as an internal filter, processing the evidence through a Biblical lens, seeing, for example, a fossil as further proof of a worldwide flood about 4,500 years ago. For a materialist, one who rejects the existence of God, the evidence is processed differently, believing that such things are only possible with the passing of unimaginable lengths of time. Both positions require faith. For one, it is faith in a superior Being who meticulously designed and created a universe of order, precision and perfection. For the other, it is faith in a chaotic event from which developed the world in which we live, and us as products of it. The world portrays evolution as the answer, but in reality, the Bible is by far the most logical, rational and believable of the two options.

The authority of the Bible must be accepted from the beginning to the end. We cannot pick and choose, keeping all the promises while turning our backs on creation. Scripture stands, in its entirety, as a declaration of the God of Heaven - of who He is, of what He has done and of that great love wherewith He loved us.

So God created the world in six days, each one lasting 24 hours. This shows us something of His character. God was active in His creation: "God said", "God made", "God saw". God is active in His creation today, maintaining the perfect balance of the Universe around us. He is active in the life of  every Christian, ordering our every movement to bring about good for us.

On the sixth day of creation, God made mankind. This was the pinnacle. God formed Adam from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). Today we know that the elements in the breakdown of the atomic composition of the human body are the same as those found in dust. Of course, the key is putting all of those components together in the right way and at the right time to form a living, breathing body. Who could do that but God?

The first woman, Eve, was formed when God took a rib from Adam (Genesis 2:21-22). The perfect man, with one less rib, would not have been perfect, yet God declared His creation was 'very good'. In very recent medical history it has been discovered that there is one bone in the body which can entirely regenerate if carefully removed - the rib.

It has also been found, from extensive DNA analysis, that every person that has ever lived can be traced back to only three women, and can then be traced further back to one man, and one woman. The Bible teaches that God created Adam and Eve (the mother of all the living) and that from them came all mankind. We also learn that, after the flood, only Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives, remained alive. Noah and his wife had no further children, and so his three daughters-in-law became our descendants.

But why does all of this matter? Well, it matters what you believe. In the Bible we read that God gave Adam and Eve one command in the Garden of Eden: not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They disobeyed that command and chose to eat from the tree. Despite their sin, God graciously clothed them with animal skins showing, for the first time, that the shedding of blood was a requirement for the forgiveness of sins. The whole of creation was affected. "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now" (Romans 8:22).

When people no longer believe in the real history of creation, in the real history of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and in the real history of sin and death entering the world, then they no longer see their need for Jesus Christ to be the Saviour for their sins.

"Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

If you would be interested in more information on the subject of creation, please visit www.creation.com.

 

 

Forgiveness (Matthew 18)

We were delighted to welcome Samuel Hamilton once again to Listooder, bringing a challenge to the young people gathered in the hall. Reading from Matthew 18, Samuel brought lessons out of Christ's response to Peter who asked the Lord how often he should forgive.

Everyone hurts. Words are spoken and things are done by others that will cause us hurt and pain. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, we have most likely caused significant pain to others with our choice of words and actions. Hurt causes division between people and a wedge between even the closest of friends. It also breeds revenge. Hurt leads to an unforgiving heart.

We are called, in Scripture, to be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another (Ephesians 4:32). Yet even Believers find it easier to hold on to bitterness than to give way to forgiveness. Bitterness leads to spite, back-biting, anger and hatred - feelings which should have no place in the church of God. It is a destructive force, destroying friendships, families and fellowships.

In Matthew 18, the Lord tells of a servant who owed a great debt. It was a debt that he could never pay. Yet in compassion, the master, a picture of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, forgave him everything and let him go free. Representing the Believer, the servant, now redeemed from his debt, had a friend who owed him a much, much smaller amount. Rather than take the example of the master, this servant had his friend cast into prison for failing to pay what was owed. Having received the fullness of grace and mercy, the servant refused to show mercy to others. Just as our failure to display these principles will displease our Heavenly Father, so the master was displeased with the servant and sent him to the tormentors until he paid the debt in full. 

In holding on to our bitterness and unforgiveness, we convince ourselves that we are justified in our response. Forgiveness is a choice. We choose to forgive or not to forgive, despite our emotions. Despite a feeling of betrayal, immense sadness and physical pain, Christ prayed forgiveness upon His persecuters. Regardless of how real the pain and hurt may feel, we can still choose, by God's help, to forgive.

The servant ended up in turmoil and torment because of his attitude to forgiveness. Unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment will bind us. They will be like chains around us, choking our lives and keeping us from the fulness of the joy of the Lord. True forgiveness is separate from emotions, it is separate from actions - it is an attitude of the heart. It is an unconditional act that requires no input from the debtor. True forgiveness sets us free from bitterness, anger and hostility.

If ever there was justification for unforgiveness, it would be the reaction of a holy God despised and rejected by a sinful people. Yet God, in that moment, commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). If the God of heaven could forgive us, willing to lay down the life of His Son that we might be with Him, then surely we can forgive others. 

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." - Ephesians 4:32

Trust in the Lord - Jeremiah 17

Another special night at Listooder Youth Fellowship as we hosted our regular Amongst Ourselves evening, inviting the young people themselves to take part in the meeting. With Alison Ross on the piano, Ross Greer leading the singing and a great crowd gathered, the night got off to an excellent start.

Ross then welcomed Abigail Emerson to the front to share how she came to be a Christian. Saved as a child, Abigail found little difficulty living as a Christian in Primary School. Secondary School was much more difficult, but she took encouragement from an opportunity to explain why she didn't swear or go out to places like others did. Abigail reminded us to always be true to our faith, and to take every chance to stand for Christ - for He is always faithful to us.

Closing the meeting, David McCoubrey stepped forward to present a message from the Word of God. Reading from Jeremiah 17, David explained the plight of Jeremiah the Prophet, who had to carry a sobering message to the people of Israel from God Himself. From verse 5 of the chapter, Jeremiah speaks as the voice of God, casting divine light on the difference between a man putting trust in men, and a man who puts his trust in God.

When looking for somewhere to put our trust, pride often makes us look at ourselves. We trust our own goodness and we trust our own wisdom, which will both fail us often. Not only do we fall into the error of trusting in ourselves, but we also make the mistake of trusting others. In doing this we are like a shrub or a plant, looking for sustainance in a dry, salty desert (verse 6). We won't find what we need when we place our trust in family, friends, politicians or celebrities.

In verse 7, God draws our attention to things above: Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord. God is our hope and our salvation. We must trust in Him alone for the forgiveness of our sins and salvation of our soul. Many try to go their own way, but He alone has the words of life. We must trust God also for provision, for it is He who provides our daily bread. He also protects us, being as a strong tower wherein we can be safe from all the harms of the evil one.  

In a contrasting example to the desert shrub thirsting for water - representing the one who trusts in man - God gives an example of one who trusts in the Lord. He shall be as a tree planted by the waters (verse 8). The tree will grow and flourish because of the constant provision of the rivers of water. As the child of God seeks counsel with the Lord, through prayer, scripture and fellowship with Believers, he or she will grow in grace and in the knowledge of God, flourishing in their lives and stepping out in the strength of the Saviour.

They will also produce much fruit. Unlike the desert shrub, the tree by the side of a river will produce a crop of fruit, of skills that will be of a great benefit to the work of God.

So, which are you? Are you a desert shrub, thirsty for goodness but never finding it, or are you that tree, planted by the rivers of water - flourishing, thriving and producing a real benefit for the advancement of the kingdom of God.

The Testimony of Abigail Emerson

Saved early in life, Abigail was encouraged by opportunities that God had given to her to explain that she was a Christian, reminding the young people of God's constant care and provision.