a walk of faith
a walk of faith selwyn hughes
Copyright CWR 2006 Originally published in 2006 as Walking in Faith by CWR, Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8EP, UK. Registered Charity No. 294387. Registered limited company No. 1990308. Reprinted 2007. Published in this format 2011 by CWR. The excerpts in this compilation were taken from issues of Every Day with Jesus by Selwyn Hughes, previously published as Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug, Sep/Oct 1982 and Jan/Feb 1983. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of CWR. See back of book for list of National Distributors. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are from the Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV), copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Other Scripture quotations are marked: RSV: Revised Standard Version, 1965, Division of Christian Educastion of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. TLB: The Living Bible, 1971, 1994, Tyndale House Publishers. AV: The Authorised Version. NKJV: New King James Version, 1982, Thomas Nelson Inc. Moffatt: The Moffatt Translation of the Bible, 1987, Hodder & Stoughton. Amp: The Amplified Bible Old Testament copyright 1965, 1987 by the Zondervan Corporation. The Amplified New Testament copyright 1958 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Phillips: J.B. Phillips The New Testament in Modern English, 1960, 1972, J.B. Phillips, Fount Paperbacks. Translator s: Translator s New Testament, The British and Foreign Bible Society, 1996. Williams: Williams Translation Concept development, editing, design and production by CWR Printed in Finland by WS Bookwell ISBN: 978-1-85345-603-9
contents January/February The Second Coming March/April The Atonement May/June The Koinonia Fellowship July/August The Purpose and Power of Praise September/October Bible Biographies November/December Discovering Life s Greatest Purpose
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The blessed hope Titus 2:1 15 we wait for the blessed hope the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ... (v.13) the second coming JANuary 1 I s the return of Jesus Christ imminent? Will Christ s coming take place in our time? Are we truly living in the last days? In an age that is growing darker and darker, the truth of Christ s return to this world is a ray of hope that shines like an ever-brightening beam. True peace will only come to this world when Christ returns to rule and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. How thankful we Christians ought to be that in the midst of the world s dark and dismal problems, we have a hope for the future. Father, the kingdoms of this world are being shaken. Thank You that I have been born into a kingdom which is unshakeable. Amen. Walk of faith text.indd 7 20/4/11 14:06:59
JANuary 2 Glory to man in the highest Romans 1:18 25 They worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator... (v.25) T he past one hundred years has demonstrated, as no other period in history, the futility of trying to organise life without God. Men have tried on a massive scale to thrust God out of the universe and institute a religion of humanity. Because modern men and women found it hard to believe in God, they transferred their faith to man. Glory to man in the highest is their creed, coupled with, Let us eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. Our times are spiritually and morally bankrupt and have exhausted the spiritual capital left over from previous centuries. There is no hope for the world spiritually unless we see a worldwide revival, or Christ comes again. O God, I long for Your kingdom to be fully established on this earth. Amen. Walk of faith text.indd 8 20/4/11 14:07:00
JANuary 3 The world in peril Romans 3:10 18... ruin and misery mark their ways... (v.16) P eople liked being told that there was no such thing as original sin, that the Golden Age was inevitable and that, by gradual steps, mankind would move unaided to perfection. This belief made redemption unnecessary, emptied the cross of meaning and made the Church a joke. Then came two world wars, and still there is war in many lands. Is it not obvious to everyone that unredeemed man, neglectful of his Creator, through war and pollution is in danger of turning this beautiful planet into an ash heap? In an age of global pollution and nuclear weapons, the only hope for the world physically is the personal return of our Lord Jesus Christ. O God, You, and You alone, can save this planet from ruin. Come soon, Lord Jesus, and save us from ourselves. Amen. the second coming Walk of faith text.indd 9 20/4/11 14:07:03
JANuary 4 A politician s nightmare Mark 7:14 23 For from within come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft greed deceit envy (vv.21 22) T oday s world is a politician s nightmare. As soon as one problem is solved, a greater one arises. There are still some politicians who believe sincerely that one day the world will overcome its difficulties and we shall settle down into an age of peace and prosperity. This, in my view, is unrealistic. The Bible tells us that the human heart is filled with greed, lust, envy, jealousy, pride and selfishness, and these flaws in human nature will never be put right on a universal scale until Christ returns to rid the world of evil and establish His reign of righteousness on the earth. Unless Christ returns soon, there can be no hope for the world politically. His promised return is both deeply reassuring and doubly welcome. Blessed Lord Jesus, help me to peer through the darkness of international strife and tension to catch the gleam of Your triumphant return. Amen. Walk of faith text.indd 10 20/4/11 14:07:04
JANuary 5 Dwindling resources Genesis 1:26 31; Isaiah 24:1 16 The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants (Isa. 24:5, RSV) C onservationists tell us that our natural resources are dwindling and demand will soon exceed supply. Stephen Travis, in his book The Jesus Hope, says that the United States produces only 60 per cent of the oxygen it consumes and if we go on polluting we could reach the stage where there is no longer enough oxygen to support human life. We have littered the earth with indestructible plastics, poisonous chemicals and many other things; little realising that, by so doing, we are threatening human survival. Unless Jesus Christ returns soon, the inhabitants of this tiny planet may well annihilate themselves by their folly. Apart from Christ s return, there is no hope for the world ecologically. Walk of faith text.indd 11 the second coming Father, open the eyes of the world s inhabitants so that they may see that apart from You, there is no real hope for mankind. Amen. 20/4/11 14:07:06
JANuary 6 Hope or blind optimism? Jeremiah 17:1 8 Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord (v.7, RSV) T he human personality cannot remain stable without a sense of true optimism or hope. Today, both young and old alike combine to reflect a pessimism concerning the future. Most people, when faced with such gloom and uncertainty, reach out for a substitute. They try such things as occultism, transcendental meditation, alcohol, sex, drugs, pursuit of wealth or fame etc. But they are false hopes. They pick you up but they soon let you down. Everything outside of Jesus Christ is blind optimism. He, and only He, can supply the human personality with the power it needs to function effectively in an age that is falling apart at the seams. O God, I see that outside of You, my hopes are hopeless. Only in You is true security. Amen. Walk of faith text.indd 12 20/4/11 14:07:08
JANuary 7 Religion with a happy ending Ephesians 1:1 10 gather together in one all things in Christ (v.10, NKJV) W e are seeing that hope is a necessity of life. Without it men and women cannot live effectively. A Jewish rabbi said that the Jews are more a people of hope than a people of faith. He explained that although at times their faith was exceedingly weak, they never lost hope that one day they would become a recognised nation in their own land. Judaism, said a rabbi, can justly be described as a religion with a happy ending. Christians look out into the future without any doubt that God is going to have the last word in human history. Someone said of the apostle Paul that he was sure of God s happy endings. With our eyes focused on the future, may the same be said of you and me. Walk of faith text.indd 13 the second coming O God, my Father, thank You for the sustaining hope of Your coming again to this world. Amen. 20/4/11 14:07:10