St Peters RC Church Hamilton

“As many as received Him, to them He gave the light to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1 v 12, 13)

Lord God, Your favour is offered us in the righteous life and sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus, according to the insistent calling of the Holy Spirit, who helps us to recognise our sorry state as fallen sinners.

But You so loved us, You gave Your Son’s holy life for our salvation, our rescue from sinfulness. We need please, the ongoing impact of the Spirit of faith to fully understand and appreciate exactly what it is You

have done for us.

We must never take Your saving help for granted, even when we learn to love Jesus, whose only desire to live and die for us was to save us from damnation, an eternal separation, by our forgiveness being justified.

We must offer Christian service by witnessing to the Man from heaven, and all the grace and favour He won for us, the Holy Spirit equipping and enabling us to become authentic witnesses to the power of holy love and

mercy.

Christian service requires we become more like the Lord Jesus in character, holy in all this, at all times, because we ask to become full of the Spirit of holiness, the Enabler, the Strengthener, the Developer, the

Safekeeper.

It is the Spirit’s influence which helps our faith to establish, extend and reach out. May He ever promote this result. The Spirit makes us profusely proud to be a disciple of Jesus. Thank You for His impact and influence.

The Spirit is the Spirit of hope, ever setting out to bless us through Jesus as we try to help. Anybody is helped by the power of holy love, speaking and acting for us, in us, for this is the very heart of love found in Jesus,

which the Spirit makes our own to name and claim, thankfully.

The Spirit who is the Spirit of conviction, is also the Spirit of correction, whereby we find love and mercy forgiving us, redeeming and restoring us by grace and favour, extending our will to serve in Jesus’ name.

The Spirit trains us in the way of Jesus, in His life given over to love, in the truth which is universal, which the Lord Jesus establishes for all of humanity. The Spirit shows us Jesus is Lord and Word, thank You, doing

this by helping us to pray.

To pray the sacred Scriptures with a heart and mind wanting to find all it is the Spirit wishes to say to us, this is so remarkable. I give thanks for the ongoing instruction and invaluable information we find here. I so enjoy coming across something I did not previously know.

Yesterday was the first time I can remember reading “The LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our King, He will save us.” (Isaiah 33 v 22) Why? I wondered did this become of significance now. There has to be a good

reason.

Today in pondering this teaching again and thinking to find its setting, I read “Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation.” (v 6)

What an invaluable reminder offering hope of where to go and what to do when distressed. We are gifted a Saviour Brother and a sanctifying Spirit, and we see “The fear of the LORD is His treasure.” (Cont)

Thank You for this helpful teaching on the stabilising force of knowing we have a Trinity who love and forgive us, who redeem and restore us, who save and sanctify us.

The Holy Spirit helps us to understand what perfect love requires in justice and punishment, is not a first choice for sinners, as the Lord Jesus was given to us as Saviour, our sins’ atoned for.

It is the Lord Jesus who fills our spiritual emptiness, who aids our highest ideals of service and worship, who enables us to claim righteousness and forgiveness as won at the †for our benefit.

Thank You that by experience ,we come to realise that the Lord Jesus, the Word of life, the offer of holy love, is the One to help us succeed in living here as we should and finally reaching heaven.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, You each have Your own defined role in the rescue and safekeeping of mankind.

But it is together as a total unity of perfect love You gather us to Yourself, mercifully, issuing the call to broadcast this good news.

With all Your promises fulfilled for us by the life, death, resurrection of the Lord Jesus, our becoming His good works in progress, may we ever strive to share the gospel by loving, willing Christian service.

“The LORD our God is in our midst, the Mighty One, (in Three) will save; You will rejoice over us with gladness. You will quiet us with Your love, You will rejoice over us with singing,” (based on Zephaniah 3 v 17) of this, I am confident.

“O LORD, You are my God,” offering us a Father heart of love, a Brother’s holy life and a Holy Spirit’s dedication and inspiration “I will praise Your name” (Isaiah 25 v 1) as a holy Trinity.

“For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” (Cont.) You have never failed us, not once. You remain firm in steadfast love and kindness shown us. May we respond to

our call to serve You. Amen.