Daily Scripture“I admit to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our ancestors, believing everything laid down according to the law or written in the prophets. I have a hope in God—a hope that they themselves also accept—that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience towards God and all people.” (Acts 24.14-16)Daily Reflection Having a clear conscience could not have been easy for St Paul. As a Jewish rabbi, he had seen Jesus as an enemy of his faith; so much so, that he had hunted down followers of Jesus to their death by stoning. Then he came to see that Jesus was not distorting the revelation of God but was actually the true image of God. He had got everything wrong. Now he is having to defend himself before the Roman governor Felix against Jews who are accusing him of betraying the faith. How could he have a clear conscience? – because he had seen how Jesus was The Truth, The Way and The Life, had accepted God’s forgiveness, and was committed to doing ‘his best always’. David Harmsworth
Daily Scripture:‘I cry aloud to God; I cry aloud to God and he will hear me.In the day of my trouble I have sought the Lord.’ (Psalm 77:1&2a)Daily Reflection:Often when reciting a Psalm out loud there is a line that is repeated, it is known as the refrain. For this Psalm the refrain is the line from the second verse: In the day of my trouble I have sought the Lord. As we continue through this extraordinary period in our lives it certainly seems that these could indeed be called “days of trouble”. If you are struggling through these incredible times: missing the “normal things” of your life, missing family, are anxious, concerned about your job or income, or are lonely – I encourage you to do as the Psalmist says, and seek the Lord. Cry out to Him; He will hear you. There is something healing about speaking out aloud your troubles; it is a first step……and “He will hear.”Revd David
Here is the link to last Sunday's 10 o'clock Harvest Communion service at St. George's for those unable to be there:https://youtu.be/t3ZmAovyOuQ
Daily Scripture‘That night the Lord stood near him and said, ‘Keep up your courage!’ (Acts 23 v 11)Daily Reflection Courage – the willingness to face uncertainty without fear. We are living in uncertain times right now – no-one knows what the next news update will say, and we can’t know what the world will be like 6 months from now. In the verse above, Paul has been beaten, imprisoned unfairly, but the Lord appears to him and tells him to keep up his courage. Very often, whenever the Bible talks about courage, it starts by saying “ Do not be afraid..” Courage is the absence of fear. Deuteronomy 31 v6 says this….”Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid, for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you”. You have a helper in life - One who will never leave you, One who can dispel all fear and give you courage to face the day – His name is the Lord. Vicki Young
