Handicaps. [ 2 Corinthians 12 v 1- 12 ]

George Matheson, Fanny Crosby, and William Walford were all blind, and yet they left their mark within the church of God, they wrote hymns, that continue to bless others.Having a handicap does not mean that one cannot achieve things in life, now none of us wish for handicaps, but the fact of the matter is ,often we dont have a choice. These three blind people through their hymn writing ,have blessed millions of people, they did this in spite of their handicaps.The point is this they didnt let their handicaps, handicap them, we all have choices as regards those handicaps that we have,we can let our handicaps , handicap us, or like those people,who were blind, we can be a blessing to others, the choice is ours. [ Dear God help us to face life, even a life with handicaps, and enable us to accomplish our goals, to glorify You ,and be a blessing to others in Jesus name Amen ]

If not for Easter.[ 1 Corinthians 15 v3 ff]

Joanna Fuchs wrote/ If not for Easter the chaos of this world would be all there is, and all there ever would be. If not for Easter the unfairness of life would drive us to despair/. It was Easter Sunday 46yrs ago I attended a church service, and was restored to the Lord, I thank God for Easter. We look at so many situations and people and it is so easy to despair, but then I am reminded of the miracle of Easter , of one who died , that our sins can all be forgiven, that the vilest of sinners who trully believes, can be forgiven and changed. I was speaking to a young lady who lost her husband a number of years ago,and it reminded me that death stalks the land still, our loved ones will die, our friends will die, we will die, but thank God for Easter, and the wonderful truth of the resurrection, up from the grave He arose, death could not hold Him. The wonderful message of Easter is one of resurrection, for all who put their faith in Jesus. [Dear God we thank You for Easter for the hope it brings ,help us to embrace Jesus who died for our sins,and conquered death for us. Amen ]

Choices . [ Joshua 24 ]

As I watched one of my favourite movies ,I heard these words,/Its not our abilities that show us who we are , its our choices/.This is so very true, Judas was seen as a disciple, but His choice showed him for what he really was, a traitor.The choices we make are very important, we can be ever so sincere, like the rich young man who came to Jesus,he wanted to know ,/what good deed he could do to have eternal life/.Jesus told him and he choose to reject what Jesus said.[Matthew19v16-22]There are so many people with great abilities, but there choices show them up to be an adulterer,a liar,even a murderer.No matter how much ability one may have are choices show us up for what we are.[Dear Lord help us to make the right choices in life in Jesus name Amen.]

Change . [ Malachi 3 v6 ]

This is the first day of summer,the only thing is someone forgot to tell the weather,last night the weather forecast was for rain and snow in certain parts of the country. The weather is so much like us changeable, we are creatures of moods, not only are we creatures of moods ,but we live in a world of change. There is an uncertainty to life, but here is the good news God does not change, His Justice, mercy, love, His sovereign rule, and His faithfulness. T Chisholm wrote,/ Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with Thee, Thou changest not , Thy compassions they fail not, as thou hast been Thou forever wilt be./[ Dear God in this world of uncertainties, caused by change , we rest on your unchangeableness, in Jesus name Amen.]

What God can do. [ 2 Kings 7 ]

I was at a prayer meeting last night, and I heard a person praying,/ God You can do things that no one else can/. We may all know this, but I am sure that we need continually to be reminded of this truth,one of the most important things God ,and only God can do, is save a soul. . In 1 Corinthians 3 v5 -7 ,we read ,/ Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by which ye believed,.........I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase/.This should keep those so called successful preachers humble,and remind us all that Salvation is of the Lord.This thought about God doing things that no one else can, can relate to many things, needs, opening of doors,mybe today you are faced with a insurmountable problem,think upon that thought and reach out to God in faith, and discover that He can do for You, what no one else can.[ Dear God we look to You ,to do for us, what only You can do, in Jesus name Amen ]

Discontent. [1 Timothy 6 v5- 10 ]

What is one of the most important things we need, well it is ,Godliness with contentment [1 Timothy6v6], I listened to a person moaning about his wages, he mentioned other areas that get paid more. Later on I was speaking to a person who comes from an Africa country, she mentioned how people have no food ,no resources. When I think of my childhood ,we had so little,and now, well I am blessed, but I am not only blessed materially, I have God in my life, Christ is my Saviour, what want I more?. When I consider these things ,I realize that I am trully wealthy, and what is more the best is yet to be, I can only imagine what eternity will be like, one thing for sure, it will be wonderful. [Dear Lord remove from us a spirit of being discontent, and fill us with a feeling of well being in Jesus name Amen ]

Even so come Lord Jesus.[ Luke 21 v25- 33]

He,s coming soon He,s coming soon, with joy we welcome His returning,It may be morn,it may be night or noon, Praise God He,s coming soon. So sang a dear Christian couple at our church recently, and I have found myself singing these words ever since.In Luke 2 we read of an old saint called Simeon who ,eagerly waited for the Messish to come, and God granted his desire, for he saw the infant Jesus.As I consider the world, a world that appears to be dangerously going further and further, away from God, I find myself thinking more and more of the Lords coming again. Like Simeon of old I am eagerly waiting for my Messiah to come again. [ Oh Lord hasten the day of Your coming again, with Joy we welcome Your returning, Amen ]

Retirement. [ 2 Timothy 4 v6-8 ]

In Joshua 14, we read of a man called Caleb, he and Joshua had been the only people who had encouraged Israel to obey God 40yrs previous, God had honoured them,and while that generation of Israelites had died,because of their disobedience,they survived ,and entered the promised land. The promise land was given to Isreal, but they had to fight for it, Caleb was an old man, but he still was eager to obey the Lord. Let us remember that there is no retirement age for the Christian,we will have push on by faith till the Lord takes us home, this Caleb did. We may not be preserved as Caleb was [14 v10-11], but we can experience the strength of God, that will enable us to be victorious. [ Dear God help us to press on in Jesus name Amen ]

Through Him. [Romans 8 v31-39 ]

I remember many years ago there was a chap who was picking on us smaller kids, and my big brother came along and fought him, and beat him. I am reading the book of Joshua Israel were faced with many enemies, God had promised the land to them but they had to fight those enemies.It is in chapter 10 v42, we read, Joshua conquered all these kings,and their lands in a single campaign, for the Lord, the God of Israel, was fighting for His people. Our responsibility is do whatever task God calls us to do, it is God who will enable us to do it, we have to face our enemies but God will be with us to conquer them.So today we can face what ever comes our way because we are not on our own, through Christ we can do all things[ Philippians 4v13] [ Dear God help us to know victory over all our enemies in Jesus name Amen ]

Wisdom. [1 Kings 3 v 5-12 ]

One of the things we need each day is wisdom ,there are issues and situation that face us daily, decisions,we have to make, the Bible has a whole book devoted to the subject of wisdom, Proverbs. It is so easy to be like a bull in a china shop, we blunder in, act unwisely,it is in the book of James we have a number of important truths taught about wisdom. In chapter 3 v14-17,he describes two types of wisdom, one is earthly, the other is from above [Heavenly]. The earthly wisdom is evidenced by, bitterness,strife, sensuality,and devilishness. The wisdom from above is evidenced by purity,peaceableness,gentleness,a willingness to yield to others,is merciful,full of good deeds,treats people with equality, and is sincere. We can recieve the wisdom that is from above by simple asking for it from God,[ James 1v5], ask and you shall recieve. [ Dear God grant us the wisdom that is from above in Jesus name Amen ]

His touch. [ Luke 7 v11-16 ]

All I know is she was touched and given glorys extra weight- she sprang to life and I rose up to praise the God of mercy, so wrote Phil Comfort, his dear wife had recovered from a serious illness. Often we read in the gospels how Jesus touched people,and they were healed, the following words come to mind,Thy touch has still its ancient power,we look at situations, and we can despair,or we can in simple faith look to Him, whose touch can bring healing,and change. When He intervenes then there is hope that things not only can change ,but do change,the sinner can be set free,the sick of mind and body can be healed, the wayward child can be restored, the grieving one can experience comfort.[ Dear Lord we look to You in all our need,we ask for Your touch ,Amen ]

Gifts [ James 1 v17]

It would be interesting to try and remember all the gifts we have recieved, I wonder what gift you remember the most. When my wife and I were at Bible college ,we lived by faith, and often we would recieve gifts of money, often they were given anonymous ,but there was one brother who used to regularly give me two pounds, it may not seem much but it really was a big help.In your giving dont be put off if you can only give a little, give and God will bless even your little[Mark 12v41-44]. God is the giving God, each day He gives us so much, in Psalm 103v2, we read, /Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits/.[ Dear God we praise for all the blessings of life, help us to never take them for granted, in Jesus name Amen ]

Jesus [ Hebrews 12 v2-3]

Although my voice is not what it used to be, I still attempt to sing not so much to others, but on my own. So this morning in my kitchen I found myself singing a lovely song, and the words go like this,/ I would like to tell you what I think of Jesus, since I found in Him a friend so kind and true, I would like to tell how He changed my life completly, He did something that no other friend could do./ I preach about many things, but in the end, the most important thing,is Jesus,it is all about Him, not Calvin,John Wes,or Billy Heasley,it is about Jesus,it is Him alone who saves and transforms lives, it His presence that blesses, and comforts, it trully is all about Him.So whatever your need look to Jesus, to be saved, to be restored,to be comforted, whatever.[ Dear God You sent Your dear Son to meet the need of mankind, help us to take our eyes of others and fix them firmly on Him, Amen]

A channel of blessing. [2 Timothy 2v21 ]

I was clearing the guttering at the front of my house,so the water could get away,and it reminded me of an old hymn, /Is your life a channel of blessing?/ I know like that guttering, my life can so easily accumulate those things that hinder me , and I cease to be a channel of blessing. Roots of bitterness,habits that control me,thought patterns that are self destructive, a refusing to move on, stubbornness of will,living by sight instead of living by faith,unforgiveness,meanness of spirit. These and so many other things are barriers and hindrances, to us being a channel of blessing. Let us ask ourselves the question, is our lives a channel of blessing?, and do we want to be a channel of blessing?.[ Dear Lord, make me a channel of blessing today, make me a channel of blessing I pray, my life possessing ,my service blessing, make me a channel of blessing today. Amen ]

Forgotten . [Isaiah 49 v 14-16 ]

We are not forgotten, sometimes it may seem that way,but it is not so, how could God forget any of His children,I have five sons ,I remember them each day, pray for them . When they hurt I hurt ,I will think of them till the day I die , I will never forget them .So it is with our loving heavenly Father,his children our always on His mind, their concerns are His concerns,He watches over all his children ,He has no favourites, they are all His favourites. He will watch over His children for their good, and His favour will never depart from them, He will protect them ,provide for them, and care for them continually.Israel of old felt God had forgotten them, so they cried out,/ The Lord has deserted us, the Lord has forgotten us,/ do You feel like that?,well here is Gods reply,/ Never , can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?, But even if that were possible, I would not forget you. See , I have written your name on the palms of my hands./[Isaiah 49v14-16]. [Dear God sometimes the weight of life causes us to think that You have forgotten us, have mercy upon us, and grant that us a sense of Your presence today in Jesus name. Amen ]

Hold the fort.[ Hebrews 4v14-16 ]

There is an old hymn and the chorus goes,/Hold the fort ,for I am coming , Jesus signals still, Wave the answer back to heaven, By thy grace we will/. As I consider the spiritual condition in Europe or this country , I long that people may get saved,I pray continually for people to be saved,and yet so few are being saved. The question is ,what under God can we do?,well we can hold the fort, not give in to despair, to maintain a faithful life to Christ, to watch and pray, to witness by our words and our lives, to those we come in contact with. Let us not grow complacent but continually ask God to fill us with His Holy Spirit,that we may be empowered to witness,let us remember a holy life will have an effect on others.[ Dear God we pray that You would help us to be faithful, and to be fruitful, in Jesus name Amen .]

Leading.[ Psalm 23 v2]

I have just returned from a preaching engagement, I used our navigation system and it worked, I just had to listen, and follow what it said, that was until we came to a diversion,then I had to ignor it. This reminds me that God has promised to guide us all the way, and the importance of us listening to His voice, even though God is leading, it may not be the way we think, at times there appears to be diversions,and unlike my experience with my nav system,we need to be listening even more carefully to God. On the way to Rome [Acts 27] Paul endured a storm, being shipwrecked, but in the end he reached his destination.[ Dear God help us to follow were you lead, to be listening to Your voice,and to trust You implicity ,in Jesus name Amen]

Vulnerable[ Psalm 121 ]

Sometimes I confess I feel very vulnerable, it appears sometime that the enemy is at the gate and I am under siege .This reminds me of what happened during the reign of king Hezekiah [2 Kings18-19], the Assyrians were besieging Jerusalem,there appeared no hope ,defeat was staring them in the face,the Assyrians mocked Hezekiah, and his God. What do you do when all appears lost, when the enemy is mocking you?well Hezekiah did two things ,he prayed,and he listened to what God had to say.If like Hezekiah you are under seige dont panic, dont despair, pray and listen to what God has to say,let us take to heart the words of Nahum 1v7,/The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knoweth them that trust in Him/. [Dear God we confess that often we feel vulnerlable, and exposed to things that could so easily destroy us, so we look to You to protect us, and keep us, in Jesus name Amen ][ No blog tomorrow , I am preaching at a friends church , do pray for me ]

It will work. [Psalm 37v5]

Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass[Psalm37v5],this is the word of the Lord, not my words but His. One cannot always trust the word of man but we can totally trust Gods word,consider what this word is saying,[1] Commit, that means we bring it to God, we do not keep it to ourselves,we dont commit to others,we go to God and commit it to Him.[2] We trust also in Him,it is not enough to commit, we are required to also trust the Lord,yes trust the Lord, seems so simple, and yet for many of us who have left our childlikeness behind we find it hard,nothing will happen if we do not grasp the importance of trusting the Lord with that which we have committed to Him.[3] And He shall bring it to pass, yes He will bring to pass,so today rise above despair,and commit thy way unto the Lord,trust also in Him.[ Dear God grant us the grace to trust in You ,for everything ,in Jesus name Amen ]

The word of God [1 Samuel 15 v22]

I was reading Gods word this morning when I felt a challenge from the passage I was reading, the question is am I going to respond to that challenge. I wonder if people avoid reading the word because it challenges them, in areas they dont want to be challenged. For the word of God is unique,it is a living word,faith comes through hearing this word[Romans 10v17], it will be a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path [Psalm 119v105], it is more precious than gold[ Psalm 119v127].But above all else it is to be obeyed,it is folly to just be a hearer of the word ,we must be doers,even though that obedience may be costly, obedience will bring us into the most secure,and safe place in all the world.[Matthew 7 v24-29 ][ Dear God help us to read Your word , help us to stop avoiding what You have to say to us from Your word, and above all else ,help us to obey Your word, in Jesus name Amen ]

The fear of the Lord. [ Psalm 111v10]

The Bible says much about the fear of the Lord, we are told it is the beginning of wisdom [Psalm 111v10],one of the chief characteristics of the unsaved is an absence of the fear of the Lord [Romans 3v18]. This aspect of Gods being is not mentioned much these days, we emphasize the mercy,grace, and love of God, and of course these truths are vital, to those who repent and forsake their sin, and trust Jesus as Saviour. A dear friend of mine was at his fathers funeral,yet what gripped him was , not so much about his father but himself,where was he going to spend eternity. There is an old book and it is called sinners in the hands of an angry God, when the fear of the Lord grips us, we begin to fear for our eternal destiny, we begin to see our sins as an offence against His holiness .The Bible clearly teaches that there is a heaven and that there is a hell, this is not scare mongering, it is Gods truth, unforgiven sin will bring Gods holy judgement. [ Dear God give us all a greater understanding and appreciation of the Fear of the Lord in Jesus name Amen ]

A colony from heaven. [ 1 Thessalonians 1v4-9 ]

In a commentary I have of the book of Revelation the author Martin Kiddle writes of the churches as /colonies of heaven/. Jonathan Edwards was a minister of a church in the 18th century, he and his people made a covenant ,which included , being honest and just,making restitution to those they wronged,to not be involved in back-biting,not taking revenge,a concern for others rights,no holding secret grudges,no licentious behavioiur,to examine themselves regulary,to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. I think it would do most churches good, if they would follow that churches example, we may then trully be called a colony from heaven. [ Dear God help Your church to reflect the reality of true Christlikeness. in Jesus name Amen ]

A needful reminder [ Revelation 19 v 6 av ]

As I looked at the news this morning, and as I consider so much in life in general, and my own life, I need to constantly remind myself of that precious doctrine, the sovereignty of God. It is a doctrine that we need to grasp by faith, I say by faith ,because if we look at life through natural eyes we will struggle to accept this doctrine. That is why the unbeliever will reject this doctrine, we need not be surprised at this as 1 Corinthians 2v14, tells us,/People who aren,t spiritual cant recieve these thruths/. But what about us who are spiritual?,can we accept this doctrine ,our circumstances may be difficult,we may have experienced pain and hurt, job loss, an injustice,,there are so many things that can effect us,and cause us to doubt Gods sovereignty. It was a dear saint of God who was suffering,who wrote the following words,/Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth [Revelation 19v6]/. Let us take encouragement from the words of an old chorus, /God is still on the throne and He will remember His own, though trials may press us ,and burdens distress us, He never will leave us alone, His promise is true, He will not forget you ,God is still on the throne/. [ Dear God Help us this day no matter how difficult our circumstances are ,to believe in Your Sovereignty, in Jesus name . Amen ]

Yesterdays people. [ Philippians 3 v12-16 ]

Keep the vision burning, as we become older things begin to wear out, that goes for our sight,we eventually need glasses, so it is in the spiritual ,we begin to lessen in our spiritual desires, and the vision lessens. The desire begins to wane, we become comfortable, and set in our mould, our relationship with the Lord, grows distant, the vision,the love, the desire,is not what it should be. It is not how long we have been a Christian that matters, what is important ?,what do you think is important?, well it seems to me the important thing is, am I still pressing on, am I still sensitive to the Spirits prompting,is my love for Jesus still burning bright, is the vision still burning?. These are things that only we personally can answer,and it is vital we take them seriously.[ Dear God help us not to be yesterdays people, but to be those who are daily following after our Saviour, that our relationship is contiually up to date. Amen ]

Certainties. [ John 11]

When the great English physicist Michael Faraday was dying , some friends gathered at his bedside, and they asked him,/What are your speculations, he answered, Speculations, I have none, I am resting on certainties/. When a Christian is being buried it is with the following words,/ In sure and certain hope of the resurrection from the dead ,to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ/. In this uncertain world the Christian has a certainty ,that the world knows nothing about,a certainty for life and for death.This is based upon a person who not only said He was the resurrection and the life ,but manifested the reality of those words by conquering death Himself. The question dear reader is this ,are you resting on a certainty as to your eternal destiny?,or are you resting on spectulations?.[ Dear God we thank for Your Son Jesus , and the wonderful truth that He defeated death, and now lives in the power of an endless life, and if we but trust Him as our Saviour, we can rest on certainties, Amen ]

Relax. [ Psalm 23 ]

We appear to live in an uptight world, there is an ad on the TV, that shows people manifesting a lot of aggression as they walk along, the ad is trying to challenge drivers road behaviour. It is a very meaningful ad,and for us who drive if we have ears to hear it may do some good. Driving appears to put people under so much pressure, there are of course many things that put us under pressure. If you are a Christian find time to relax in the presence of Your Lord, read a Psalm, meditate upon it,ask the Lord to restore His peace to your inner being.Stop being hard on yourself, I believe that there are so many believers who are living under a cloud of guilt, and condemnation, even though the Bible tells us that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ, today let us all relax, let us all make the words of John G Whitter are prayer today.[Dear Lord/Drop thy still dews of quiteness,till all our strivings cease, take from our souls the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of Thy peace,Amen]

Led by the Spirit. [ Romans 8 v 14 ]

One of the great blessings of being a Christian is ,we have the Spirit of God dwelling in us, not just some Christians but all Christians.Having the Spirit ,all Christians are led by Him,Leon Morris writes, / The work of the Spirit is not an option or an extra for the advanced Christian. Being led by the Spirit is a mark of all Gods people/. So today do not feel excluded, take comfort from the comforter the Holy Spirit, and follow His leading in your life, it is a mark as a man called Earle puts it,/that we not only belong to Gods family, but we also act like we do/. Today keep in tune with the Spirit, be sensitive to His prompting, restraining,and guiding in all things./ I love that hymn by Henriette Auber/, Our blest Redeemer , ere He breathed His tender last farewell, a guide , a comforter bequeathed,with us to dwell. And His that gentle voice we hear, soft as the breath of even, that checks each fault, that calms each fear, and speaks of heaven. And every virtue we possess, and every victory won, and every thought of holiness, are His alone./ [Dear God we give You thanks that we have Your Spirit in us ,to lead, guide,comfort and strengthen us, we give You thanks in Jesus Name Amen. ]

Are we growing? [Colossians 3v1-17 ]

There are days that are significant in our lives, this is such a day for me, fo it is the anniversary of my first wifes death. It brings backs many memories of a lovely lady, who continued to grow in her Christian life, till the day she died, and now she is trully perfect. This brings a challenge to me , am I growing in my Christian life?, I rejoice in all Christ has done in my life in saving me, but what progress am I making now?,it is not wrong to ask these questions, it is wrong if we refuse to face up to them. Let us remember our Christian life is not a history lesson, but a living letter for all to read[2 Corinthians 3 v 2-3], all the failures ,trials, whatever, are sent for this one purpose, that we may grow to be more like Jesus. [ Dear God grant us the grace to accept all that comes into our lives as an opportunity to grow more like Your son Jesus. Amen ]

Sunshine. [ 1 Thessalonians5 v16-18]

Yesterday and today have been sunny, as I am at home recovering I am benefiting from the lovely sunshine. We spend a lot of time in this country ,talking about the weather and many people are affected by it,especially those who suffer from mental illness. In that well known hymn,/ All things bright and beautiful, verse three reads, The cold wind in the winter, the pleasant summer sun........He made them everyone,/ Yes He made the dark days,and the sunny days, there are some things we cannot change, the weather is one of them. The story is told of a minister who was forever giving thanks, one dark and dreary day as he stood up preach, the congregation were wondering what he would give thanks for, so the minister prayed ,we thank You Lord that all days are not like this one. [ Dear God we we give you thanks for sunny days in Jesus name Amen]

A new experience [Psalm 148 ]

I had to go into hospital last Wednesday to have my gall-bladder removed, the way it was put to me was, I would in and out on the same day, but it didnt work out like that.my stay in hospital lasted 3days and so I am recovering , I feel a bit out of sorts, but I have not expreienced any pain, although I do feel a bit of soreness. I am grateful that I live in a country , with a free health service,I just cant imagine what it would be like if we didnt have our NHS,it is not perfect, but it does work for most people, rich and poor alike. I am so conscious that we live in a world were so many have so little to live on, no health care, and are also being oppressed, today let us pray for the many in this world, who are poor and oppressed, who have no health service, no homes, no hope, and if we are fotunate to live in this country ,raise a prayer of thanksgiving for all we do have. [ Dear God we give you thanks for the blessings of life, but we also remember those who our not so blest in Jesus name Amen ]