Will your Anchor hold in the storms of life?

The Dangers of the Last Days  – will YOUR Anchor hold?

The New Living Translation puts 2 Timothy 3 as follows:

“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. ² For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. ³ They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. ⁴ They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. ⁵ They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!  …. (v13)  But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived”

This is exactly what we are seeing around us! As the King James version of the Bible puts it, “Evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (2 Timothy 3:13).   This is a clear picture of what is happening right now as the end of this Age of Grace nears.

I want to ask you, “Who or what is your Anchor?”

When we look around us, what are the major threats?   Certainly not global warming as many would have one believe.  The major threats we are facing are very real and very dangerous:  ISIS, Islamic terrorism, ever-increasing Russian aggression, international drug cartels, ante-Semitism, the rogue nations nuclear activities, or even another looming world-wide economic meltdown, to mention a few.

Other issues that impact our lives in one way or another include illness, loss of loved ones – often in very tragic circumstances, loss of a job, unemployment, marriage breakdown, violence, selfish and uncaring attitudes, the increase of aggression towards Christians – Bible-believing Christians including opposition to Christian Schools and businesses, not to mention the godless life-styles which directly or indirectly impact on us as individuals.

So much instability.   So much insecurity.   So much heartache!

When all around us is changing – with increasing speed, how secure are you?  Is your hope and faith placed in the Solid Rock of Ages, the unchanging God, the Eternal One, the One who is the only Way, the Truth and the Life?   He, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the ONLY anchor that is worth having.  All else cannot save you.

I’m reminded of that good old solid hymn ….

“Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?

“We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure as the billows roll;
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love!”

My Anchor is Jesus!   Who or what is your anchor?

^“18 So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.¹⁹ This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. …” (Hebrews 6:19)

 If you need further spiritual help or wish to discuss this issue, please do not hesitate to contact me via the contact form below!

 

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A New Beginning – the Road to Success

A NEW BEGINNING …

2015 has arrived and for most of us it probably feels as if everything is just rolling on as before.   For some 2014 may have been a good year, whilst for others, it is something you want to forget if you could.

I do believe though that everyone of us has the urge to start afresh.   There is a desire to succeed in this coming year.   One thing we need to remember is the Bible principle Paul reminds us of in Philippians 3:13: “… but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

That is the ultimate goal.

We also have personal goals in our lives (within the framework of our ultimate goal).  This is important and I would encourage you to pursue your goals and succeed.

I recently read a lovely piece by Helen Keller:  the Road to Success

Do not think of today’s failures,
but of the success that may come tomorrow
You have set yourselves a difficult task
but you will succeed if you persevere
Remember, no effort that we make to attain
something beautiful is ever lost!

As  a Christian, we have so much encouragement in God’s Word, the Bible.  It does require that we get our priorities right though.  As it says in Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart!”

So, in this coming year, “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” (Proverbs 16:3)

A New Beginning

If you have any questions or comments, do not hesitate to contact me.
Email me: dayashton.uk@gmail.com or
Use the contact form.

God bless you

Day Ashton

Daily Devotional … Amber’s Story – Walking Back into the Light

I just wanted to take a few moments to share a mini video with you all.

It is about a new Daily Devotional written by a dear friend:  Amber’s Story – Walking Back into the Light.

I share it now as it may be an ideal Christmas present for your loved ones.

Take a look and visit her site as well

I’d love to hear your feedback.   It has been a great blessing and encouragement to me.

Watch the video now (less than 2 minutes in length!)

An eternal and heavenly perspective …

It has been quite a long time since I blogged on this page.  So sorry about that…. BUT, I’m back again and I have something very precious to share with you all

I read about Fanny Crosby, the prolific hymn writer (wrote over 9000 hymns!), just recently again and was so blessed.  Some of those beautiful hymns include “Blessed Assurance”, “To God be the Glory”, “All the Way my Saviour leads me”, “Safe in the arms of Jesus”, “Rescue the Perishing” and “Tell me the story of Jesus” and thousands more!

The story is told of a well-intentioned preacher who said to her: “I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when He showered so many gifts upon you”.  Fanny Crosby’s reply is amazing indeed:  “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I was born blind? … Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Saviour”.

Wow …

How absolutely amazing but so wonderful.  When you’ve not been able to see all your life or for a large part of it, just imagine that the very Person you see when you are healed in eternity, is the precious Lord Jesus, the One who saved you by His grace!  To see His smile and hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

I do not have adequate words really …

Fanny could see life with an eternal perspective.

How do we face things that happen to us at any given point in our lives?  When viewing our problems in the light of eternity, they will look different.   Knowing there is Someone who cares for you and is able to help and guide you, makes so much difference – an eternal difference.

Fanny Crosby knew and loved her Saviour. It is reflected so clearly through her hymns and testimony.

Our trials will dim when on that one absolutely glorious day we see Jesus face to face – when we see His welcoming smile.

I know that my father who passed away last August and my mother who went “home” in 1994, both saw His welcoming smile and arms outstretched to meet them.

Let us make sure we are ready to meet Him, whether in death or when He comes again.

“For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:18)

Are you looking forward to that day when, like Fanny Crosby, you will look upon His face and see the One who has loved you with an everlasting love, face to face.

Eternity

Let this be your song too:

What rejoicing in His presence,
When are banished grief and pain;
When the crooked ways are straightened,
And the dark things shall be plain.

Refrain
Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by!

Face to face—oh, blissful moment!
Face to face—to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ Who loves me so.
(Car­rie E. Breck, 1898)

My favourite things … the old chipped mug

There is surely nobody who can say they do not have a favourite item. Be it an item of clothing, a chair, possibly a holiday destination, a coffee shop or even (as in my case) a favourite mug!

Can you believe it … a favourite mug indeed!

This mug, colourful with yellows, greens and shades of red and orange, was bought shortly after I moved to England from South Africa almost fifteen years ago. It was my “breakfast cup” and faithfully held my tea every morning for virtually 14 years (except of course when I was away from home!).

Over the years this old mug had acquired some battle scars. Altercations with the dishwasher or fellow mugs maybe …. Whatever the cause, my mug became somewhat chipped and faded over the years. But let it go? No. I was attached to it and loved having it around. Even when I was given a beautiful mug to “replace” it, it stood in a little corner in the kitchen – just maybe I could find another use for it …

The time came when I had to bid it farewell and it joined other items for recycling.

Thinking back on the old chipped cup, I couldn’t help but think about the prophet Jeremiah. He illustrates God’s intentions with and for us so wonderfully when he describes how the Lord sent him to the potter’s house. The potter was making something at his wheel. Jeremiah noticed that when the first jar the potter made didn’t turn out as he had hoped, he squashed it back into a lump of clay and started making it over again until he was completely satisfied with the finished product.
(Read the full story in Jeremiah 18:1-10)

The Lord showed Jeremiah (and us!) that He is able to crush us and destroy us. However, and most importantly, if we are willing to repent and turn to Him, He is longing to make us new … a vessel fit for the Master’s use. He makes all things new.

The old mug is a poor illustration indeed. Having thrown it out for recycling, it could potentially end up being something someone could possibly use again.

I was further reminded of a beautiful song written many years ago which is so meaningful … it reminds me of what the Lord did for me when He found and saved me over 40 years ago now – praise His glorious Name!

“The Potter saw a vessel that was broken by the wind and rain and He sought with so much compassion, to make it over again. O I was that vessel, that no one thought was good. I cried Lord, You’re the Potter and I am the clay, make me over again today. Then God picked up the pieces of my broken life that day and He made me a new vessel, and revived my soul again”. 1

So, unlike the old chipped mug, if we come to Jesus, broken, chipped, scarred and feeling utterly useless, lonely and lost, He is waiting to do a miracle in our lives and make us over anew. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: “…anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

(1 Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to track who wrote it but am reliably informed that it is in the public domain)

Then sings my soul …

Just recently a dear friend gave me a beautiful DVD … “George Beverly Shea … Then Sings My Soul”.   What an experience listening to it and viewing the radiance of a servant of the King of Kings!

The DVD literally transports one into the presence of Jesus!   It takes the form of an interview.  Bill Gaither interviewing Bev Shea interspersed with 26 glorious hymns.  Clippings from various Billy Graham crusades bring the wonderful atmosphere of those long-forgotten and much-missed evangelical campaigns into the living room.

It is estimated that Bev Shea sang to over 220 million people in his lifetime.   In his more than 70 years of friendship with Billy Graham, he was a permanent fixture in Billy Graham’s Evangelical Campaigns throughout the world.

As I listened to extracts from this DVD, it was as if I the Lord Jesus was right there in the room with me.   An unforgettable experience!!

Very recently George Beverly Shea passed into the presence of His Saviour and Lord at the age of 104.

I am taking the liberty of inviting you to purchase a copy of the DVD.   If you love the Lord and enjoy music and testimonies that truly enrich one’s life, why not get your copy.   I really want to encourage you to do this.  http://www.comealive2012.org/links.html

Some might think it old fashioned … not so!!  Never forget that the message of the Cross NEVER gets old or outdated.  And sometimes it is a very good idea to stop a while and think … This is what the LORD says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls…” (Jeremiah 6:16)

CALVARY’S CROSS

The “C” in Calvary stands for the Cross on which the Lord Jesus Christ died to save us from our sins. “For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23) “…… You were His enemies, separated from Him by your evil thoughts & actions, yet now He has brought you back as His friends. He has done this through His death on the cross in His own human body. As a result, He has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault” (Col 1:21&22)

“A” is for Atonement. “For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God’s anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed His blood, sacrificing His life for us” (Rom. 3:25)

Calvary’s “L” stands for the incredible Love with which Jesus loves us. “And here is how to measure it – the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends” (John 15:13). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16) The greatest expression of the love of Christ is seen in His self-sacrifice on Calvary’s cross and in His blood that flowed from His wounded hands and feet.

”V” is for the Victory won at the cross of Calvary when Jesus shed His precious blood for us. “He paid (a ransom) for you with the precious life- blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God”(1 Peter 1:19) “For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. How we thank God, who gives us the victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor.15:56 & 57)

The second “A” stands for the Assurance we have that if we have confessed our sin and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord, we can know our sins are forgiven and know that we have eternal life. “If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from every wrong” (1 John 1:9)

”R” reminds us that Jesus is Risen from the dead. We serve a risen Saviour! “And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised Him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 1:4) This gives us hope indeed. “If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless …. but the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again” (1 Cor.15:17& 20)

When faced with such love, such sacrificial love … the “Y” stands for Your decision (and mine). What will you do with Jesus? Neutral we cannot be. “Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, ….” (Rev. 3:20)

Dearest Lord Jesus, help us to understand how much you love us. Help us to to respond and seek to know you as our Risen Saviour. In these difficult days when Christ’s blood and atoning sacrifice is hardly mentioned, help us to realize anew what it cost You to purchase our salvation and deepen our understanding of the meaning and power of your precious blood. Amen.

(* New Living Translation used throughout)

[This is an extract from my book “Moments of Encouragement”]