New Books

Today I bought 2 books (one with a workbook) that look really exciting.

One is called "Grace Walk" by Steve McVey

The other is "Living before God" by Ben Campbell Johnson.

I am especially interested in the second one.

Listen to this:

"We have no choice about the fact of "being before God,"

only about how we posture ourselves

in God's presence. . . .

These postures range from wondering about the divine mystery to acknowledging the presence of God in me,

in my heart.

These various stances have enabled me

to become conscious of the divine presence

and to respond to it.

None of these can be called techniques

that guarantee the divine presence, so I have called them postures,

ways of being before God.

I have written this book for the seeking person

who desires to know God,

to live before God in a way that honours God's will."

I will share some of the things that impact me from these books as I go along.

Invitation to Know

"...There stands One among you whom you do not know."

These words from chapter 1* of John (John the Baptist speaking) seemed especially significant to me this morning

You know how that happens -

Its as though you just can't read on; your eyes and mind keep going back to the words.

The meaning for me today is that there is always more of Jesus to know: He wants us to know Him more and more intimately.

His reuniting us to His Father through His dying on our behalf, has provided such a rich inheritance for us -

for NOW.

Not just for the next life.

This rescue cost Him everything; and most of us appropriate so little of what He has given.

Paul, the apostle wrote:

"That I might know Him ..."**

and this from the man who wrote most of the New Testament!

Maybe the trials of life are invitations to us - albeit in sombre envelopes - to press deeper into the richness of the relationship with Christ.

*John 1:26

**Philippians 3:10

Actually the whole passage 3:7-10 is amazing