Elaine Campbell

 'Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name' (1 Chronicles 29:13). O, we thank you our God, with our hearts and hands and voices. Let us  lift you up and give you praise for the challenges, the setbacks, disappointments, the experiences of Covid-19 and other situations that came upon us, this year 2020.  Are you grateful for being alive? What about the opportunities the Lord has granted you? God's hand of mercy is still on us, His love knows no end when it comes to us. Are you grateful for that? He is still providing for your basic needs, He is places his protection around us if we allow him. He grant us his peace that transcends all understanding. Are you thankful to God for all his bountiful blessings? The more we profess gratitude, the more we will notice things to be grateful for. Have you realised that if it wasn't for God's grace we wouldn't be here today. Therefore lets give thanks to our Lord and be grateful for everything, good

 'And the Lord shall be king over the all earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one' (Zechariah 14:9). Christ the Messiah lived, suffered and died on this earth for the salvation of man. The plan of redemption was to bring back the world into God's favour, and to restore all that was lost by sin. The incarnate Son of God, through His death and resurrection made all that possible. Through His redeeming work, the government of God stands justified and Satan's character and charges against God will be unveiled.  Christ is coming again, this time as the king of glory; are you ready for Jesus to come? Christ our king shall set up His kingdom on earth, and Him alone will be worshipped and His name alone magnified. In that day, Christ the Lord shall be king over all the earth, and there shall be one Lord, and his name one. He will be recognised by all as the one and only true God. His name alone will be worshipped and glorified. This earth where Satan claime

 'If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good' (Joshua 24:20). The Lord our God is worthy of all our honour and praise, and is above all other gods. We have a duty as His Children to love Him and obey His commands. Exodus 20:2 tells us, we should have no other gods before Him. What are your strange gods? What is it you're giving priority to in your life? Are you honouring, admiring and loving them more than God, who gave you life? The Children of Israel were always prone to idolatry. Joshua was warning them of the dangers of forsaking the Lord, and serving strange gods, and also what would befall them if they did. The Love and  affection of God towards His people is unchangeable. However, He will alter his course and the way he deals with us. He is towards the wicked a consuming fire and when we do evil or wickedness we will indeed come into that consuming fire, unless we repent. Seekin

 'Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him' (Proverbs 30:5). Our God is a God of truth and he never lies - He cannot lie. Every word of God is pure and true, His promises are sure and true and will never fail. We can be confident in Him and trust every word that proceeds from him. That is, what ever He says or do we can trust him. We should love the Word of God; it gives us life and life comes from the living God who is the Word. Psalms 119:140 says, "Thy woed is pure: therefore thy servant loveth it." All  Scriptures are pure and free from falsehood and error. It is inspired by the Holy Spirt and given by God, and is therefore, trustworthy. For all who trust God, he is our Shield. What does a shield do? It protects. Christ our Saviour died to save us from our sins and becomes our Shield to protect us from sin, Satan, our enemies, and from the evil and wickedness of this world. But we have to do something too; we have to trust Hi

 'And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and  lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him' (Matthew 3:16). Jesus the Son of God, Creator of the world, came to this earth as a babe. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born to earthly parents, Mary and Joseph. He was brought up in humble abode and worked as a carpenter with his father Joseph. When it was time to begin His ministry - the purpose for which He came, he sought his cousin John the Baptist along the Jordan river and request baptism. John was the forerunner for Jesus and was already preaching repentance to the people. After Jesus' baptism, as he came out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw God the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and came and rest upon him. Then the  voice of God the Father declaring that, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (vs 17). What a scene that must

 'If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles' (Job 11:14). Our bodies are the temple of the Lord and we should learn to take care of them physically, spiritually and mentally. They are not our own, they belong to God and therefore, we should avoid wickedness or evil dwelling in them - our tabernacles. The Temple  of the Lord, where God meets with His people is a holy place. Therefore  our body should be a holy place where Christ wants to dwell. We should be careful what we put in our bodies and what we do with it. If we regard iniquity in our heart, we should stretch out our hands to God in prayer and supplication and earnestly seek pardon through the blood of Jesus, or God will not hear us. He is the only One who can put it far away from us. When iniquity is in our hands we should detest it and refrain from holding on to it, allowing Christ to put it far away from us. We should not harbour or deal with evil practices, as God

 'Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin' (Psalm 85:2). In this life, we will not fully understand the theme of redemption, but will certainly understand more in the hereafter, as the redeemed of God. It behoves us to comprehend the atoning sacrifice and meditorial work of Christ, our incarnate God. This will give us great insight of the love of God for His people and his plan to redeem us and restore us to our rightful position. We all have a sin problem which separated us from God, and it is through the atoning blood of Christ that we can be reconciled back to Him. God is merciful and forgiving. It is through Jesus that our sins can be pardoned. He paid it all for us on Calvary as sin had left a crimson stain on us - on our hearts, and it was Jesus's blood that washed it white as snow. Know this, that when you come to God confessing your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you from all those sins. Israel angered

 'And to know the love of Christ, which passeth all knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God' (Ephesians 3:19). God's love is immeasurable and deeper than our finite minds can ever imagine. It is important to have a knowledge of Christ, but more so, to know Him intimately and experience His love. Paul's desire is for us to truly understand that God's love is more than having a knowledge; it is mighty and powerful and far beyond our comprehension. It is so deep and wide that we will never fathom it. We need to understand that God's love has a specific purpose - the fulness of God. You see, God's greatness exist in Jesus, His Son, and knowing Jesus surpasses all  knowledge. We must be filled with Jesus through our deeds and actions;  'for in Him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell.' (Colossians 1:19) When we are filled with the incomprehensible love of Christ, we will be transformed and lives only for Christ. Then are we n

 'And if any man hear my words, and believeth not, I will judge him not: for I came not to Judge the world, but to save the world' (John 12:47). Jesus came on this earth to eradicate sin and set us free from its curse. He came as our Saviour and to give us hope - he is our only hope. Those who hear of Him and believe and accept him by faith, as their Saviour shall be saved, resulting in eternal life at His Second Coming. Those who do not accept Him by faith cannot be save (John3:36).  It is only through Jesus that we can come to the Father. Whatever Christ says and  do signify the very words and will of God the Father. Jesus is reminding us in John 12:46 that, His purpose at  His First Coming is to save us, not to judge, accuse or condemn us; even those who didn't believe on Him or for those who wilfully despise Him. His death and resurrection offers us salvation, restoration and eternity with Him; but we too have a responsibility. We have to  play our part by accepting Jes

 'Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. (Psalm 145:2). Is God worthy of our praise? Of course, He does.  He is God, the Creator and our Father in heaven. He is Almighty, All Powerful, and All Knowing and the God of love and our peace. We must praise Him for His goodness, His providence, His Sovereignty and Kingship. We ought to thank God for sending Jesus, His Son to die for us and for giving us the insight into the plan of salvation; and where we are going as a result of the sacrifice made on our behalf. Let us bless the name of Jesus and give him praise. Every day is a new day, whatever our situation or our circumstances during the day, we should be grateful to God and bless and praise Him, give all glory and honour to His holy name. With Joy and pride we can exalt Him as our God. Every day we should seek to draw nearer to God, to seek His face and favour; to bless Him as we experience His grace and mercy. It should propel us to praise and wor

 'And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness' (Romans 8:10). We belong to God when He created us, then sin separated us from Him. He didn't just leave it there; He came in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ and bought us back with the precious blood of Jesus, so we could be His again. That's such a beautiful love story, of One who loves so much - our heavenly Father. We too have a part to play in this story. We must accept Jesus Christ, the Son of God by grace through our faith in Him to be apart of the family of God. Every born-again believer has the Spirit of Christ within them and now belongs to Him. Without the Spirit, we can not belong to Christ, because they both work together. When Christ lives in us, the body is dead because of sin - that is, our physical human body starts to die and will eventually die as a result of sin in us and in this world. But it doesn't end there, it also means we are sp

 'For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise' (Hebrews 10:36) Christ the perfect sacrifice for the restoration of mankind from their sins, endured the sufferings, pain and shame of the Cross; became a better sacrifice than that of animal sacrifices in the old covenant. Therefore, knowing this, should give all who accepted Him as their Lord and Saviour, greater confidence in their faith. It should strengthen and give us encouragement and boldness, when we face persecution, afflictions and evil surmising. We should have the assurance of what God offers us, and allow the Holy Spirit to work upon our hearts and help us to refrain from sinning. We ought to obey God and with humility have a willingness to do His will and to keep our Spirit calm and submissive. Then we will be able to obtain the blessings God intended for us. But if we choose to act in defiance of the will of God, we will have dire spiritual consequences as a r

 'Be not worth very sore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people' (Isaiah 64:9). God is our Creator and with His love he made man in His own image and likeness. As our Creator he has the authority over our lives, and does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, what doest thou? (Daniel 4:35). Israel sinned greatly against God and knew they were deserving of His wrath. Isaiah on behalf of the people appeal to God not to be overly angry with them but in his mercy to forgive them and not  remember their iniquity for ever. He was to look upon all their troubles and distresses with compassion and to consider that they are His people. We have the   experiences of Israel and their rebellious attitude to God, time and time again; and how God dealt with their situation. What are the sins and iniquities that we bear today, that warrants the

 'Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them' (Deuteronomy 11:16). Our soul's salvation is important as sinners. We are warned to take heed to ourselves, to always be on our guard; to be watchful, stay sober and to keep praying, guarding the avenues of our souls. We need to watch closely ourselves, that our hearts   be not deceived, and not turn aside, and serve other gods and worship them. God is a jealous God and Him only should we turn to and worship. He is our Creator and worthy of our praise and worship. Therefore, we are to take heed in what we are doing, the things we get involve in; what we are spending our time on and who we are spending our time with. Can they aid us in our spiritual growth and development? What is our relationship with God like? We must take heed in watching ourselves and not just what's happening in the world around us; to guard  and protect our spiritual development an

 'The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer' (1 Peter4:7). Do you believe the end of all things is at hand? Peter wrote this over 2000 years ago connecting the end time with more fervent prayer. It is time to be ready for the coming of the Lord, we see the signs of the times and know we are in the end time. This is the time we see faith in action; sanctify yourself and die daily to self so you will be able to live unto God. That means seeking things that are above and letting go of pride, covetousness, selfishness, love of self, love of the world, jealousy, hatred and the list goes on. All these things must be subdued before Jesus comes. Seek not to murmur nor complain, be not fretful and worrisome, but look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is our hope and our peace. Be more earnest and disciplined in your prayers to God. Keep fervent in your love for one another, be hospitable to one another without complaint. Peter is say

 'By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life' (Proverbs 22:4). What does it mean to have humility? True humility is considered a virtue and a cheerful submission to the will of God, caused by  selflessness. In our present society we see entitlement and over- confidence being celebrated, which is a total focus on self. Therefore, you find people are more competitive and even obsessed with their appearance, amongst other things. One should realise that humility is not about pleasing other people or putting yourself down, but it's about becoming a more harmonised individual. It's not that you don't  think of yourself, but that you do it less. When we fear the Lord and his goodness, we will walk humbly before Him, and our attitude and behaviour towards others  will reflect the will of God,  flowing from his grace. God will reward us with spiritual riches, honour towards Himself and others and everlasting life in the world to come. Christ set t

 'And ye are Christ; and Christ is God's' (1 Corinthians 3:23). In seeking to know Christ,  we should have a knowledge of who He is. Christ is a person of the God head who pre-existed the world and by Him and through Him all things were created and sustained. When man sinned God the Father came in the Person of His Son Jesus Christ to save us from our sins and bestow upon us eternal life. Christ is both eternal God and fully man. In that, He was born of a woman and of the Holy Spirit, which is a very unique and supernatural birth. He lived on earth and experience the trials, tests and temptations we seem to face today, yet He was sinless. He taught his disciples and his people how to live, as he ministered to them daily. He was ever obedient to the Father, even unto death - the death of the cross. He resurrected, ascended to heaven and was highly exalted of God who gave him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue sha

 'Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:5). Life without Christ is no life at all! You have to be born of the water and of the Spirit. It is Christ who made it possible for us to regain that which was lost in Eden, due to the entrance of sin. It is only through Christ that we can be overcomers, since we were all born in sin and shaped in iniquity. But those who are born of God, that is, believing by faith that Jesus is the Son of God will overcome the world. It was Christ who went to the Cross for us, and had victory over death and the grave, that we can experience eternal life in Him. When we are  overcomers, we will have victory over worldly sins and temptations; because Jesus, our Saviour has already defeated these powers of darkness. Christ was God in the flesh, who came down from heaven to redeem us from the bondage of sin and the clutches of Satan. Why? Because He loves us unconditionally and wants to save us. That

 'Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:5). Life without Christ is no life at all! You have to be born of the water and of the Spirit. It is Christ who made it possible for us to regain that which was lost in Eden, due to the entrance of sin. It is only through Christ that we can be overcomers, since we were all born in sin and shaped in iniquity. But those who are born of God, that is, believing by faith that Jesus is the Son of God will overcome the world. It was Christ who went to the Cross for us, and had victory over death and the grave, that we can experience eternal life in Him. When we are  overcomers, we will have victory over worldly sins and temptations; because Jesus, our Saviour has already defeated these powers of darkness. Christ was God in the flesh, who came down from heaven to redeem us from the bondage of sin and the clutches of Satan. Why? Because He loves us unconditionally and wants to save us. That

 'He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him' (John 3:36). John the Baptist was the forerunner for Christ. He was the earthly witness sent by God to prepare the way for His Son, who was to come and save his people from their sins. He bore witness that Jesus Christ, the Son of God came from heaven as the Lamb of God, to take away the sins of the world. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. When we accept Him by grace through faith, we gain everlasting life. The Word of God declares, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). What an awesome and loving God we have! Anyone who does not believe that Christ came into the world to save sinners, and that salvation is a gift from God and can only be received by faith in Him - His death and resurrection an

 'Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away' (Matthew 5:42). Christ is the Master Teacher of all times. He taught his disciples and demonstrated how they should treat each other; even those on the lowest rungs of society, whether Jews or Gentiles. In this part of the Sermon on the Mount, He was imploring them to give to the poor, or beggars who ask and those who amongst them who are in great need and desire to borrow, that they turn not away from them. Jesus is also speaking to us, that there are people who has legitimate needs and when they ask for our help we should not turn them away, if we are able to help. If we desire to be like Jesus, it means we should listen and obey him and emulate how he lived while on this earth. Jesus attended the needs of the poor and indigenous around him and we should do likewise. Those that are rich, or in a very good position, it is God who has given you money for the poor, as his steward. It means

 'Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away' (Matthew 5:42). Christ is the Master Teacher of all times. He taught his disciples and demonstrated how they should treat each other; even those on the lowest rungs of society, whether Jews or Gentiles. In this part of the Sermon on the Mount, He was imploring them to give to the poor, or beggars who ask and those who amongst them who are in great need and desire to borrow, that they turn not away from them. Jesus is also speaking to us, that there are people who has legitimate needs and when they ask for our help we should not turn them away, if we are able to help. If we desire to be like Jesus, it means we should listen and obey him and emulate how he lived while on this earth. Jesus attended the needs of the poor and indigenous around him and we should do likewise. Those that are rich, or in a very good position, it is God who has given you money for the poor, as his steward. It means

 'The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men'  (Psalm 11:4). We are living and dwelling in a  broken world, full of temptations, trials and tribulations. Despite all of these situations that might affect us throughout our daily lives, we can be confident in the Lord. He cares for us in our afflictions and bestowed upon us his mercy and grace. Wherein we can find comfort and strength in our brokenness and weakness. As we trust in the Lord we will discover that he is faithful, longsuffering, patient, trustworthy, full of goodness and compassion. Let us trust Him and hold fast to His wonderful truth, and rejoice in him as we find shelter from the storms of life. No matter how raging the storm is, God's eyes are upon us and he will never let us down.  Our Lord is in his holy temple and his throne is in heaven. He is closely watching the acts and activities of each and everyone of us. He is near us in