Musings
8 MAY 2007
Recently I was digging in to the writings of a man named Philo of Alexandria. He was a Jew, born in Egypt and who was educated in the ways of the Greeks. He wrote voluminously on the Hebrew scriptures employing the Greek ideas of allegorical interpretation. I could scarcely understand anything I read! However he arrived at his interpretations I do not know. I found it impossible to grasp his complicated connections and the hidden meanings he seemed to come up with. I quite soon was ready to give up on this author! He was not a Christian, and he lived and wrote around the time Jesus was upon earth. However, I did come away from my little excursion into his writings with one precious phrase which caused me to ponder, reflect and challenged me deeply.
11th April 2007
To be a friend of God is a most wonderful desire. Every soul should have that longing, for God is so lovable, so desirable and to know Him is eternal life to the soul. Such friendship is most comforting. Look at Abraham whom God described as ‘My friend’, he learned to walk with God at His pace. What of Paul and Silas in prison? They sang at midnight, praising God whilst in the stocks in the innermost prison at Philippi! The consolations of God’s friendship buoyed their hearts up to a great joy in trial.
23 March 2007
The pioneer missionary to China, James Hudson Taylor wrote a little treatise on the Old Testament poem called “The Song of Songs”, it is entitled “Union and Communion”. These words sum up the Christian Life. Through the work of the Lord Jesus we are brought into union with Him that we might enjoy communion with Him.