My dear readers,
1. Morning Devotion from Daily Remembrancer
Today we share with readers the Morning Devotion from Daily Remembrancer 9 September.
“O love the Lord, all ye His saints”
Ps 31:23
“BLESSED BE THE LORD FOR THOU ART MY ROCK.” This was David’s testimony and ours as well. Our God has revealed Himself as the source, centre, and end of everything lovely. In Jesus He appears as the fairest among ten thousand, and the altogether lovely one. The wealth of the universe is His. He is worthy of our highest love. He is all we could wish for or desire. To possess Him is to be made rich for eternity. To have Him on our side is to be safe forever. But you may ask, What is His mind towards us' Emphatically, “grace.” We have found favour in His eyes. He is the friend of penitent sinners. He loves us with an infinite love. Do you doubt it' Read His word. Look at Calvary. Ask His people: prove for yourselves. See what He has already done for us. Have we a being' He gave it. Have we a good hope' He bestowed it. Have we liberty' He bought it. Have we holiness' He wrought it. Consider what we may have been but for His grace, what we certainly should have been but for His salvation: what we are now, and what we shall be, as the effect of His love; and, “O love the Lord, all ye His saints!” It is happiness! it is holiness! it is heaven!
Love all our needs supplies,
Makes great obstructions small;
’Tis prayer, ’tis praise, ’tis sacrifice;
’Tis holiness, ’tis all!
2. Church of England preaching Harry Potter’s Message
Friday Church News Notes
The Church of England has published a guide advising youth workers how to use Harry Potter to discuss Christian themes (“Church Preparing to Preach Potter’s Message,” the Times, July 18, 2007). John Pritchard, the Bishop of Oxford, said, “There’s nothing better than a good story to make people think, and there’s plenty in the Harry Potter books to make young people think about the choices they make in their everyday lives and their place in the world.” The hero of the Harry Potter story is a young wizard who uses alleged good magic to make his way in the world and to overcome his enemies.
Biblically speaking, there is no such thing as good magic or a good wizard, witch, or sorcerer. All of these things are condemned in the strongest terms. “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee” (Deut 18:9-12 ).
God warns His people in the clearest terms, “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph 5:11 ), and, “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils ...” (1 Cor 10:21 ). – Christian News Aug 13, 2007
3. “Harry Potter – The Christian Perspective”
Mrs Cheryll Boon (Calvary Tengah BPC, 19 August 2007)
Millions of fans of Harry Potter worldwide have got their hands on his latest adventure, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” in July 2007. It has become the fastest-selling book in history on the first weekend of its release with more than 192 million copies sold world-wide.
Why are so many people crazy over Harry Potter' Is Harry Potter a good character' Should children be turned into wizards to fight evil powers' The Bible provides the answers.
Christians learn from the Bible that our Almighty God is sovereign - He is the highest and most powerful Spirit being. Isaiah 45:5a - “I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me.” Psalm 97:9 – “For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.” Again Psalm 46:10 declares, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” God is our Creator and He alone deserves our praise and worship!
Harry Potter goes to witchcraft school to learn skills and get the powers to overcome the evil Lord Voldemort, a cruel wizard who killed Harry's parents when he was just a baby. People like his stories because they think there’s good in them – after all, it’s about how love overcomes evil. So children around the world are drawn to Harry Potter, and worship him as their magical hero.
However, Christian children must be warned that God hates witchcraft. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 – “For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD.” God warns of the final punishment – the lake of fire in Revelation 21:8 . Those who practise witchcraft (sorcery/magical arts) will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:20-21 ). Harry Potter is bad because it shows that people selfishly seek or look for power without God!
Lovingly in the Lord
Dr SH Tow, Senior Pastor