It does matter.[ 2 John ]

John Stott in his Tyndale commentary on the epistles of John writes,/ John has given us three things to test themselves, and others, doctrinal, moral,and social./ Consider the doctrinal, now many people say it does not matter what you believe as long as you are sincere,but it does matter,I am reading at present a history of Nazism ,their leader and followers acted out what they believed. Rudolf  Hess who was responsible for the murder of more than a million people ,felt to his last breath the reasons for the extermination of the Jews were right,that was what he believed.The person who killed all those young people in Norway acted out of what he believed. Now acting out of what we believe is seem in everyday events,why do you save,because you believe it is the sensible thing to do,likewise when you feel unwell you go to the doctors,again because you believe it is the sensible thing to do.Everybody has beliefs , but it is when those beliefs ,are and become harmful, and when our beliefs are contrary to the word of God.Much of what is written in the epistles is contending against error,who Christ is, and why He came,and what He said and did, are not to be undermined, or to be seen as just another religious leader and movement. Jesus declared that He was the way ,the truth,and the life,that no one can come unto the Father but by Him [ John 14 v6 ], make no mistake, believing this is vital.
A   prayer..../ Dear God ,guide us into truth and keep us believeing and walking in Your truth in Jesus Name/

Worry. [1 Peter 5 v7 ]

I must confess there are times that I worry,you would think after all these years,I wouldnt worry, I who have read the bible many times,preached  sermons and so on,  should not worry, is worry a sin?[,now  I am going to worry about that]. I am sure every Christian worries about something or other at times, I dont worry all the time, and by Gods grace ,I face my worries and trust in His word, that word continually reassures me that my loving heavenly Father is watching over me.Worry is a natural feeling,the only way forward is? ,ah, I know the answer,trust, yesterday I had to take two people for their regular blood test,they both are very unwell people and find it hard to wait, and so I prayed that they would be seen quickly,and they were.Yes I do worry about things but I do bring my worries to Jesus, and I find time and time again,He undertakes. Im struggling to remember  the words of a little chorus ,I think the words go like this,/All my anxieties all my cares bring to the mercy seat ,leave them there,never a burden that He cant bear, never a fiend like Jesus/, let us do that today. 
A  prayer....../ Dear God live is a continual challenge, help to face whatever problem or worry as it were on our knees,to daily cast our cares upon You in Jesus name Amen /

Take the meaning. [Romans 8 v26-27]

Continuing on our theme on prayer, yes we may not know always what to pray, now that is no reason to stop praying,we must pray we need to keep in touch with God. There are many times when God grants us faith to pray for a persons  healing or whatever,so pray,never stop praying, in prayer we acknowledge our continual dependance upon God.The apostle acknowledges his limatations in not knowing what to pray for, but he does not leave it there, he tells us that we have a helper, the Holy Spirit who helps us in our prayer life[ Romans 8 v26-27]. Yes He is our helper in our struggles to know what to pray, He  the Spirit is at work,dont get hung up with the words Paul the apostles uses ,as regards the Spirit  making intercession for the saints with groaning. The most important point is He the Spirit is helping us in our prayer life,in a way in which we need. I remember years ago reading about a man who was praying earnestly , he broke down weeping ,and all he could pray was the following words,/ Take the meaning,take the meaning/. You see thats what the Holy Spirit does He takes the meaning,and as the apostle writes,/He maketh intercession, for the saints according to the will of God/.
A   prayer...../Dear God help us in our ministry of prayer, there are so many times we are not sure how or what to pray for,grant us Your Spirits aid and guidance in Jesus name  Amen/

Not knowing[ Romans 8 v26 ]

Consider the words of Roman8 v26, were the apostle says,for we know not what we should pray for as we ought,now there are two  occasions in which ,the apostle found it difficult to know Gods will.cp Philippians 1 v23/ 2 Corinthians 12v 7-8/   W  Hendriksen in his commentary on Romans ,that Paul like us knew what to pray for in a general way,but not always what to pray for in any particular difficulty or situation. I have gone for situations in relation to Christian ministry,and have not been sure,that the position was for me,so I fell back upon the words of Psalm 47 v4 /He [God] shall choose our inheritance for us/ Healing is another aspect of prayer which I am never sure,it is not just a case of lack of faith,it is not just knowing what to pray. Two people I know of  have cancer, one is a young man in his twenties, the olther a man in his sixties,both are Christians ,what does one pray? ,oh yes I can pray that they may be given grace,peace, a conscious sense of the Lords presence, but for healing, I am not sure. I pray for many situations and people,for salvation, for God would have all men to be saved, I pray that God would supply peoples needs as He has  promised [Philippians 4 v19]. If Paul was humble enough to write that he was not sure what to pray for at times, then I need not feel guilty or condemned because I feel the same.
A  prayer..../Dear Heavenly Father we acknowledge our limatations even in prayer, help us to trust You with our not knowing,in Jesus name Amen /

Light or darkness. [John 1 v1 -14]

In our garden we have solar lights,but we noticed one lot was not giving out any light,,the fixture that powers those lights  had fallen over and was not able to recieve any sunlight. The bible speaks much about light and dakness the Psalmist David declares ,/The Lord is my light and my salvation,whom shall I fear.[Psalm 27v1 ] In Psalm 119v105,we read,/Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path/and in the New Testament we have Jesus spoken of as the true light[ John 1v9]as opposed  who  professed to be light and were not. During His ministry Jesus spoke of the importance of not walking in darkness .  W Barclay points out that Rabbis declared that the name of the Messiah is light, so it when Jesus declared,/ I am the light of the world,[John 8 v12 ],He in fact was declaring Himself to be the Messiah. In John 3 v19, we read, And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men loved darknees rather than light, because their deeds were evil. In considering these things we see Jesus declaring Himself to be God,we also see that He was that long promised Messiah,who gives us an invitation to follow Him and in so doing , be brought out of our darkness, and experience life eternal. We need no longer stumble around in the darkness for whoever follows Jesus shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
A    prayer....../Dear God we praise You for Jesus the light of the world,that through Him we no longer walk not knowing the way to go,no longer  ensnared by Satan and our own dark hearts  ,thank you in His precious name  Amen/

Mankinds greatest problem. [Romans 3 v 10 -23 ]

I was preaching last Sunday ,and my first point was mankinds greastest problem ,the answer is sin, yes sin, modern man has left this out of the reckoning,but scripture declares it continually,and mans behaviour manifests it.  A survivor of  Auschwitz death camp, was asked,what he had learned, his answer was,/ I think Im only sure of one thing, nobody knows themselves/ ,he went on to say,/ The nice person you meet on the street, you ask ,where is North street? and he goes with you, and shows you,and is nice and kind.That same person in a different situation could be the worst sadist. Nobody knows themselves. Sometimes when somebody is really nice to me I find myself thinking, How will he be in Sobibor?[ or Auschwitz].Just recently Anders Breivik was found guilty of murdering all those dear young people, and also planting a bomb, that killed other people.  He smiled when he was told he was sane, and then apologised for not killing more people, yes he is sane ,but he is an insane sinner. The word of God gives a chilling summary of man condtion in Romans 3,and it sums it all up in v23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,the root of it all is declared in Jeremiah 17 v9, /the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked,/  and then it adds ,/who can know it?/,the words of that survivor fom Auschwitz ,have a biblical truth to them,/nobody knows themselves/. Only God knows the human heart, its potential for evil, and only God has the answer to our greatest need,read Isaiah 53, of the one who was wounded for our transgressions, even Jesus, only through his death on the cross can we be forgiven and changed.
A  prayer...../Dear God thank You that through Your dear  Son Jesus You and You alone have provided the answer ,to mans greatest  problem ,our sinful nature,Amen/

He has promised to do us good. [ Psalm 23 ]

Nelson,s signal read ,/England expects everyman will do his duty/,and when he was dying he said ,thank God I have done my duty. Nelson was loved greatly by his men, he was a great man,but,yes there is that but again,he was far from perfect. Great men are far from perfect, in Germany Hitler was considered a great man,he was idolised, people gave there lives for him,but he was an evil man, and he brought misery upon million and millions of dear people, the German nation can point the finger at what happened to their nation,cities bombed nearly to extintion, thousand of women raped, yes all that is true.Those things were wrong,but all this came about, because a nation followed one man Hitler, the army swore absolute obedience to him.Now while I am highlighting Hitler,and Germany,through out history there have been many evil leaders, who somehow got into power ,Stalin, uncle Joe, as he was affectionately known,but to those who were close to him, he was Ivan the terrible.Let the nations learn from these events, and let us all be careful who we give our allegiance to,there is one person we can fully give our allegiance to, His name is Jesus, he will not leads us to harm anyone,in fact He has promised to do us good.
A  prayer...../Dear Lord Jesus, we bow before You,we surrender our wills to You, and swear absolute allegiance to You ,we ask this in Your name Amen /

Three things. [ 1 Thessalonians 5 v 21=22 ]

Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil [ 1 Thessalonians 5 v21-22] Here are three things we are exhorted to do,test everything,when I buy  something with a 5 pound note, the person on the till will examine it,to see if it is counterfeit. In Acts 17 v 11,we read how the people of Berea ,heard the word from Paul or Silas, with all readiness of mind, and then they searched the scriptures,in order to see if what they were told was true, yes like them let us test everything by the scriptures. Next we are told, hold on to the good, yes there are many things in all our lives we should get rid of, but there are many good things we need to hold on to. Consider the good things that are being eroded in many countries, faith,honesty,integrity,love of God,love of others,the word of God, let us hold on to that which is good. Lastly, avoid every kind of evil ,in our thought life,and what we say, I find myself praying continually,the words of David [Psalm51v 10] ,Create in me a clean heart,O God,/for  I know that my heart can so easily be affected, with evil, cp Matthew 15 v19,and our hearts condition affects what we say,so avoid every kind of evil.
A  prayer..../ Dear God,help us to test everything,to hold on that which is good,and to avoid every kind of evil, in Jesus name Amen /

A vital ministry [ Romans 12 v 7 -12 ]

A word spoken in due season,how good is it[ Proverbs 15 v23 ] As a preacher it falls on me to speak challenging words,to remind my hearers of sin and of judgement,hopefully I am not judgemental when I speak,because as the old Puritan Baxter said he was a dying man speaking to dying men. I know we all need to be continually reminded of so many things,to be holy,to be watchful,but I am also very conscience that what people need so often is a word of encouragement. Now I believe in getting a word from the Lord,but sometimes those who come to us as individuals, with a word from God,speak with a certainty that is not helpful. In times in the past I have spoken a word of the Lord to someone, and as I think about I wish I had kept it to myself. Usually we cant go wrong with a simple, I am praying for you.,it does not even have to be that,simply listening, can be very encouraging, it was when the friends of Job opened their mouths did they act wrongly , judgeing poor old Job. There is a little verse about a wise old owl, the more he saw, the  less he spoke,the less he spoke the more  he saw,oh that I was more like that wise old owl. I am not saying we should not say anything,but  we need to choose are words wisely, even the wise old owl, sounds forth a hoot now and again.Mybe the words that Barnabas spoke encouraged Mark , to keep following ,and serving Christ, after Pauls harsh judgement Acts 15 v 38], after all Barnabas means ,son of encouragement. 
A  prayer....../ Dear Lord help us to encourage someone this day,by an action or a word ,in Your name we ask this Amen/

The law of love.[ James 2 v 14ff]

I read an article in a national news paper,the head lines read,/Horrific case shows how lucky we are in Britain/. It dealt with a case of an English man who was attacked, the result was he ended up in a coma, I dont want to name the country,but the fact is, if in that country if you dont pay up front ,you will not recieve treatment ,if there is no money then no treatment . A friend of mine recently visited a country in Africa there she witnessed poverty, one lady said she and her children  had not eaten for days.Why was I born in this country?, a country in which I  am so blessed ,I dont know why,but I praise God for all His goodness, the Bible says unto whom much is given ,much will be required of that person[ Luke 12v48 ]. In Mark 6 v37 our Saviour said unto His disciples, / Give ye them to eat/, the Christian is not there to judge the people, but to help them,and care for them. Our Saviour said that the poor we will have with us all the time,He did not say this in order that we would ignor their need , no, He desires that we do good to them, as He did continually,even manifested  miracles,in order to feed the hungry and the poor.So today consider the poor ,and consider how you can help, and so fulfill the law of Christ, the law of love.
A  prayer..../ Dear God help us who have been blessed ,spiritually,physically,and materially ,to bless others, in Jesus name Amen /

Who owns What?. [Psalm 24]

Japan and China are in disbute over some  island or islands,Argentina are in dispute with Britian over the Falklands,and Spain is in dispute with Britajn over the Rock of Gibraltar,and so we could go on.What if the real owner God suddenly shouted, it is not yours, it is all mine, so be quite and stop your arguing and fighting, over that which is not yours.For the Bible tell us , that the earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof.[ Psalm 24 v1 ] All that we have, is only loaned to us ,all that we have as a nation,or as individuals is a gift from God. Herbert Lockyer writes that the words, the earth is the Lord,s,and the fullness thereof is engraven upon the Royal Exchange,London, and will one day, be written in letters of light across the sky./, .An old Gospel hymn goes ,/The things that I own and hold dear to my heart, are just borrowed, they not mine at all, Jesus only let me use them to brighten my life , so remind me, remind me dear Lord/. It would do us all good to have a reality check,as to our attitude regarding. our possessions., it may surprise us, and it may not be an nice surprise.It is one thing singing Id rather have Jesus than silver or God and putting that into practice,let us remember the lesson that Nebuchadnezzar was taught[Daniel 4 ], how the Lord humbled him,that  he may realize that all things are given by God, and if He chooses He can remove them from us.
A  prayer ..../ Dear God we ask that we may loose sight ,of our dependance on You, help us not to get carried away with the blessings You bestow upon us,and always to give You the Glory in Jesus name Amen /

Preach Christ. [ Acts 17 v3 ]

I was preaching at my local church and after I had preached I was speaking to an ex member of the church,he and his wife had moved away, and   were just visiting., I asked him had he found a new fellowship ,were he now lives, he said he felt he had. In his search for a new church he had visited  a number of local fellowships, one he said was well attended,he  attended it for about 4 weeks, and in all that time he said ,they never mentioned Jesus ,they continually  mentioned the Holy Spirit, and ,then they said something that caused this brother and his wife to not attend there any more,they said if you did not speak in tounges you were not a Christian. As a trinitarian ,I believe in Father ,Son,and Holy Ghost,and I believe that we need the Holy Spirit,who dwells in every believer, and witnesses to fact that we are the children of God[[ cp Romans 8 v 9/16] In John 16 v13 we read that the Holy Spirit shall not speak of Himself, next says Jesus, He shall glorify me[ John 16v14],so beware of those who leave Christ out of their preaching, the great apostle declared ,/we preach Christ crucififed[1 Corinthians 1 v23 ].
A  prayer..../ Dear God help us by Your Holy Spirit ,to live for Christ, to follow Christ, and to proclaim Christ in Christs name we ask this Amen/

Remember even the devil can quote scripture [ Matthew 4 v6 ]

I believe it was Gods will/ There is a higher ordering,and we all are nothing else than its agents/ I felt that now the call of providence has come to me/In three days the Lord has smitten them/and to me the grace was given/bow in humility before the Almighty who in a few weeks has wrought a miracle upon us/ Now the question is who spoke these words?.Was it John Calvin or M. L. King,or I wonder was it Billy Graham? Well it was none other than Adolf  Hitler,dear old godly Adolf who put to death ,9 million Jews, and who had the disabled put to death,whose armies slaughtered countless millions of poor defenceless people,who would and for all we know worked for the devil to get what he wanted,a man who told countless lies ,need I go on. There are many voices in the world, let us be on our guard and not be taken in by mere religious words, there are many examples of this ,the Prophets often exposed the hypocrisy of so called religious people, likewise our Saviour [Matthew 23 ] To the religious  rulers,and a religious people, he had this to say/,thou that  killest the prophets,and stonest them which are sent unto thee/[v 37] The cults can sound very convincing, but they do not stand for truth, in the end they are but bringing people into bondage and everlasting destruction.
A  prayer..../ Dear God help us not to decieved by persuasive words,or persuasive personalites,in Jesus name Amen /

A place of great need.[ James 5 v1-8 ]

I was sitting in my garden this morning,we are gradually improving in our gardening skills, and the garden is a nice place to sit and have my quite time,and I found myself going over that old gospel song, /I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses. And the voice I hear,falling on my ear,the Son of God discloses/I am very privileaged that I have a garden,but of course it is a place of intercession, and as I prayed, I read the prayer requests, and one really saddened me, on the 14th of April an orphanage was attacked in Vietnam, it was a Christian orphanage,the police did not help, but took part in the attack. An orphanage it hardly bears thinking of ,but it happened,the most vunerable in that society, are made to suffer, it should sadden any right thinking person, it brings shame to the nation of Vietnam to let such things take place. So today pray for those dear children and those who care for then, and for the country of  Vietnam, it is a sad and needy place,a place of great need,a place that needs the transforming power of Christ.
 A prayer...../ Dear God have mercy upon those who suffer injustice ,be it in Vietnam,or where I live,by Your Spirit move in the hearts of those who perpetuate injustice, in Jesus Name Amen /

God will act. [ Genesis 6 v 3 ]

In Isaiah 59v 16 we read ,/ And He saw that there was no man, and wondered, that there was no intercessor, therefore his arm brought salvation unto him, and his righteousness,it sustained him/As God looked at the situation in Judah, He sees injustice,and oppression abounding everywhere. Surely this ought not to have been, after all,it was his people ,a people called to be holy, just, and merciful ,they were meant to manifest righteousness, to be a light unto the gentiles.The situation is amazing to God,surely from among His people,there would have been those who would have rose up and established righteousness,but no , there was no one. We have a similar statement in Ezekiel 22v30 this was about 150 years later,showing how little the people had changed,and that Judgement had to fall, which it did. God is patient but eventually He will say enough is enough, and then He will act in judgement, God continually spoke to Judah, but no avail, what applies to Judah ,applies to this world, one day God will say enough is enough, and then He will act.Also what applies to the world applies to us as individuals, if we continue on our own sinful way,ignoring His voice,refusing to forsake our sin,God will declare enough is enough, and He will act.
A   prayer..../ Dear God  we ask for mercy ,for the this world for our nation,and for so many people we know who go on blindly in their sins,in Jesus name Amen
 /

What God values. [ 1 Peter 1 v18-19]

In our country  a couple have just won £148 million on the lottery,the lady said it was a bit frightening, but challenging,I not surprised, it being a bit frightening. We live in times when ordinary people are becoming very rich, ordinary lads who can kick a leather football are becoming millionaires,people appear on the x-factor talent show,are suddenly propelled into fame and riches. I am still waiting for my ship to come in, although I must confess I dont dream of becomming rich, although recently something happened that made me realize that possessions may have a wrong  grip on my life.I have a comfortable life style,and I found myself thinking that I may loose my home comforts. Mybe we all need to look hard at our attitude as regards things,suicides have rocket in this country,in the wake of the economic downturn. I and my wife still work, I am 68 so, as I said we have a comfortable lifestyle, should one feel guilty, and start beating oneself up?.What is imporant is to not let your possession possess you, and to realize that our possessions can suddenly disappear.Let us remember that we should not be defined by our possessions. My worth comes not from my possessions, but who I am, a child of God,when He looks at us He does not take any notice,of what we are wearing, even though it may be a designer lable,or the lovely home we live in ,or the car,or cars we own,no , none of those things matter with our God, He values  us for ourselves. How much does He value us His children? here is the answer,/Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver or gold.......but with the precious blood of Christ.  [1 Peter 1 v 18-19 ],yes thats how much God values us His children.
A  prayer..../ Dear God so often we replace Your values with the worlds values, to often we loose sight of Calvary, forgive us in Jesus name . Amen /

Forsaken by God. [Psalm 22 ]

A friend of mine described his very painful experience recently in hospital, when the surgeon carried out  a procedure, it was the finish of his treatment. He described what he went through and it sounded pretty awful,but hopefully it is all over with, and he can begin to recover.Suffering does not come easy to any of us,be it in the dentist chair,or on the operating table.  There are so many ways we can suffer and do suffer,the list is endless,some of it is necessary, some unnecessary, but it is part of the human situation. It is in the  OT that  we read of the suffering of Jesus, in graphic details Psalm 22,starts with the words that Christ would utter on the cross,My God , my God why has thou forsaken Me?This is a very difficult thing to appreciate,how can the God man be seperated from God?.My study Bible simply says,/ it was not a cry of doubt,but an urgent appeal to God,/ R H Ryland  writes,/ these words of Christ expresses a suffering that never at any other time was felt in this world, and never will be again- the vengeance of the Almighty upon His child/ We can only knell and worship at these words ,their mystery and majesty ,remember He experienced such suffering ,that we may never be forsaken,for He has said I will never leave you or forsake you[Hebrews 13 v 5 ]
A  prayer...../ Dear Lord  Jesus it is with humble hearts we come , and thank You that You were prepared to suffer untold agony for us. Amen /

Dont let the reins slack. [ Psalm 122 ]

A friend of mine was talking of his concern for his children who were neglecting meeting for fellowship with other believers,the church they attend have changed things,which has not helped. Yet this should not be allowed to hinder our making every effort to attend a fellowship with other believers,if a local church is acting in ways that are not helpful, then we need to seek out another fellowship. In our present age in the west, we have so many things that can entice us away from the fellowship with other believers,Sunday sport,the easy means of getting away from things in our cars,also  our tiredness,our employment is so demanding,likewise our family responsibilities,the result is we begin to let the reins slack,and we find ourselves going nowhere.I know that the local fellowship is far from perfect,mybe if I left, it would be,no, the local church is full of imperfect people, but they are Gods people,and I love them. So dont let the reins slack,determine to attend a local fellowship,where we can be encouraged ,and also to encourage others,by our prayers and our love.
A  prayer ...../ Dear God help us not to loose sight of the importance of fellowship,in Jesus name Amen ]

J Ws.[ Jude 3 -4 ]

 As I was going to church ,there was a crowd of J Ws, where going round the doors,this saddened me, I read that 80percent of converts to the JWs came from mainstream Christian denominations.The JWs do not believe in the trinity,Christ is not  accepted as the God man, this is not a new thing,at the time of the early church a false teacher called Arius challenged the Christian belief af the trinity, as John MacArthur writes in his book,12 unlikely heroes ,that Arius was the origional JWs..It was a man called Athanasius who contended for the faith , as John McAuthur writes,/He kept the flood tide of heresy back,it is thought that a saying came into being,/Athanasius against the world./It is sad when we see the cults making headway within our community,we do need to hold fast to the truth, this is what matters,without truth people willl remain in the darkness of error.Everybody believes something,but it is vital that people believe the truth,if we dont we will never know Him who is the way,the truth, and the life[ John 14 v6 ],even Jesus the God man, the Saviour of the world.
A  prayer..../   Dear Lord keeps us from being drawn into error, help us to hold fast to thev truth, and to contend earnestly for  it, in Your name we ask this /

Let faith triumph. [Hebrews 11 v 6]

The book of Isaiah is a wonderful book,it is full of of so much that is a blessing,wonderful promises ,41v10,is a wonderful word of encouragement,mybe it is the word that you need to hear today,/ Fear Thou not, for I am with thee,be not dismayed,for I am thou God, I will strengthen thee,yea I will help thee,yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness./This verse can be divided up into 7, and can be used each day.It commences,/ Fear thou not/,are you fearful today,well here is Gods word  for you, from God, I met a lady yesterday who is having a cataract operation this Wednesday,she is fearful. And yet here we have God saying fear not,it is possible to not fear when we are facing an operation or whatever, because the verse goes unto say,/for I am with thee/,here we have a wonderful truth we are not on our own,the Lord is with us,the words of Psalm 23v4 , emphasizes this wonderful truth,but there the writer,expresses his faith, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me/ Let faith triumph over all our fears,with God all things are possible.
A  prayer...../ Dear Lord ,we bring to You our fears,and ask that we have faith to overcome,in all that we facing,in Your name we ask this Amen /

Keep me calm. [ Psalm 23 ]

 I was in my garden this morning and I noticed the gardeners enemy, the dreaded slug, I dont know much about them other than they eat my plants,and that they are slow moving creatures. I mentioned in an earlier blog how so many of us are rushing about,mybe like the slug we need to take things a bit slower, that our soul can catch up with us.I cannot stress enough how we all need to slow down and take time not so much to stop and stare, but to listen to God,and to just be renewed by the Holy Spirit.We so badly need to come out of His presence into each new day,mybe you are facing a challenging situation,and you are feeling overwhelmed,or there are deadlines you have to meet,what I am saying may not make sense, but you need to slow down,I didnt say come to a full  stop. In the word of God we are told God will meet our need [Phil v4v19 ],this does not only mean our financial needs , but all that we need.I have seen myself ,facing so many challenges,and my Lord has never failed me. Today have confidence in your God to undertake ,just bring Him into your situation,get alone with Him,and then rise up ,and dont be driven be led. The pressures of life can so easily drive us into the grave, or mad, and I joke not,so today slow down,enjoy this day, knowing that your loving heavenly Father is looking after all your affairs.
Let us make this our prayer today ./Calm me, my God,and keep me calm,
                                                          Soft resting on Thy breast,
                                                          Soothe me with holy hymn and psalm,
                                                            And bid my spirit rest.
                                                           Yes, keep me calm, though loud and rude,
                                                             The sounds my ear that greet
                                                             Calm in the closets solitude,
                                                             Calm in the bustling street.    In Jesus name we ask this Amen./
                                                         [Horatious  Bonan]

Wait upon the Lord. [ Isaish 40 v 31 ]

I must confess I am in a rush this morning ,I do get up early,so I have had my quite time,but I am trying to get out early for work,rush, rush,rush. Many of us wish we had more time, I do feel for mothers who work full time ,and also have to manage the children ,and the home,hopefully their husbands help them. Then what about those single mums,with no one to help them,my old mum was a single mum,she left my dad,and  had to manage the home,and a full time job,I wish I had helped her more.I suppose the thing I am trying to say is,we need to somehow , meet with our God. We need to spend time with Him, to come apart and rest a while,or we may end up coming apart. So today in all the rush of life stop, and pray,and read Gods word,we all need to. Speaking from a life time of experience,I have found that if I neglect my relationship with God, then my relationship with Him suffers,and I suffer.So in the words of that old hymn, /Take time to be holy, the world rushes on. Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone. By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be. Thy friends in Thy conduct His likeness shall see[W D Longstaff]
A  Prayer..../ Dear God help us to wait in Your presence,in order that our strength will be renewed,so that we can cope with all the demands of life,in Jesus Amen /

Suddenly. [ Proverbs 27 v 1 ]

Suddenly something happens, the red light comes on the dashboard of our car,or we cannot find our mobile phone,or something more serious , like a friend of mine who was told in an oft handed way that he had cancer,then being told he hadnt got cancer. There used to be a TV programe called tales of the unexpected, life is a bit like that,suddenly,our well planned day is disrupted by something that grips us and causes us to fear, and to panic. In Isaiah 38 king Hezekiah suddenly is told that he is going to die,we do not know the reason, but God did. Was this a case of God being cruel? no for God is never cruel,we are but He isnt, so why did He let it happen?.The fact of the matter is, we are very independant beings,and the unexpected  happenings, are Gods wake up call ,as it was for Hezekiah when suddenly he was told he was going to die ,he did not turn away from God , no he turned to God,and He wept and prayed,and God heard and answered his prayer. Now here is the important thing if he  had not turned to God , he would have died, prayer is vital for all of us, W. O. Cushing wrote,/ How oft in the conflict , when pressed by the foe. I have fled to my Refuge and breathed out my woe. How often when trials like sea billows roll, Have I hidden in Thee ,O  Thou rock of my soul /
A  prayer...../ Dear God help us when sudden trials arise, to seek Your face,in Jesus name Amen/.

friendship [ John 15 v 15 ]

I have just come of the phone,I was speaking to a friend, one I have known all my life, he was my best friends brother,and here is the important thing he is a Christian. Friendship is very important and it grieves me that I lost some friends along the way,but I also have gained some new friends.We all need friends , the right kind of friends, we may have many acquaintances but friendship goes further and deeper than that. God can give us friends ,I remember when I came back to the Lord , He brought friends into my life,and He also brought a lovely girl called Eileen into my life and she became my wife and my best friend. I have so many happy memories of that friendship,when she died, I was devastated, and then God brought another lovely girl into my life ,a girl called Daphne who is my wife and my best friend. I wonder what new friends God will bring into my life, and your,s?, I am sure He will. But here is the most important thing ,in Jesus I have the perfect friend,He has stuck with me in every situation,I value His friendship above all others, I wonder do you know Him?,you can ,for He desires to be everybody,s friend,accept Him as your Saviour, and He will become your friend, for ever and ever , and ever ,Amen.
A   prayer....../Dear God we thank You for those friends we have, and most of all for Your Son Jesus,our forever friend. Amen/

The Jewel in the crown. [ Matthew 13 v 45-46]

I was wanting a new Bibleand  was finding it hard to get one I liked,I did get one from recently but I was not happy with it especially when the binding came apart. Not so long ago I invested in a leather bound study Bible, the study bible was grand, but the the same problem arose, the binding,was not good,so it came apart.I was visiting a friend recently and to my joy they had some spare Bibles ,and I was able to choose one.The Bible is so important to me,as I am sure it is to you,what would I do without the word of God,it is my daily bread,by it I am fed,instructed,guided,encouraged.I praise God for His word,and would dread to think,how I could live without it,I thank God for people like Tyndale who translated the Bible into English.. By this word we have been made wise unto salvation[2 Timothy 3 v15],and by that word I have been able to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.The Psalmist declared that the Word of God was a lamp unto his feet , and a light unto his path[Psalm 119v105],as the hymn writer puts it,/Thy word,O Lord ,will safely lead.So today thank God for His word, that word as E Hooper puts it,is like a deep, deep mine,of jewels ,rich and rare,and the Jewel in the crown is none other than Christ.
A  prayer..../ Dear God  we give You thanks for Your word,grant that we may always treasure it,help us to read it,mediatate upon it, and to live it, in Jesus name Amen./

Walk the walk. [ 1 Timothy 4v 12 ]

I like the story Tony Campolo tells in his book,/Let me tell you a story/,about the time he met Bishop Desmond Tutu and how he asked him why he was an Anglian priest ?,why was he not a Baptist or a Methodist, as most black people were?.Desmond explained how in the days of apartheid, when a black person met a white person on the sidewalk, the black person was expected to step of the pavement,to allow the white person to pass.One day when he was a little boy out walking with his mother,down the street came a tall white man ,dressed in a black suit coming towards then, before they had an opportunity to step of the sidewalk, this man stepped of, and as they passed him he tipped his hat as a mark of respect. Desmond asked his mother,why did that white man do that?. His mother explained, He is an Anglican priest,a man of God, thats why he did it.It was then that Desmond decided that he wanted to be an Anglican priest, and to be a man of God.
I read this recently,its an old song,/What you are speaks so loud that the world can,t hear what you say,they are looking at your walk,not listening to your talk,they are judging from actions every day/
A  prayer....../ Dear God help us to walk the walk and not just talk the talk in Jesus name Amen /
I will return to my blog Tues 7th as I am away ministering,do pray for me every blessing/

Trust Him for all your tomorrows. [ Psalm 23 ]

My friend was visiting me  recently, and we both spoke on how God has blessed us,we both come from Ireland,when he arrived in England ,he had very little, likewise myself, in my case I was married and had four children,and like my friend I had very little.This was a good number of years ago ,since then God in His great mercy has blessed us and our children,with jobs,homes,and all we need. We can trully say great has been Gods faithfulness, like the Psalmist we both can say, that we have been young ,but now  are we are old, and we have never seen the righteous forsaken , nor His seed begging bread[Psalm 37v25]. Dear Child of God remember God is faithful,He whose eye is upon the sparrow ,will always care for you, so praise Him for present and past blessings, and trust Him for all your tomorrows.
A  prayer..../Dear God  we praise You for Your faithfulness,help us to trust for all our tomorrows in Jesus name Amen./

Are we significant?[Psalm 8 ]

Recently while watching the TV ,the camera were up in the air and it showed people on the ground they looked the size of ants.In relation to the universe we may ask, are we of any significance?,the sheer vastness of the universe dwarfs this minute planet we live in,so again we ask the question, are we of any significance?. Even bringing it down to the size of the worlds population,what significance are we as individuals?,the Psalmist asks the same sort of questions in Psalm 8v 3-4,/When I consider Thy heavens,the work of Thy fingers,the moon, and the stars,which thou hast ordained. What is man, that thou art mindful of Him? and the son of man, that Thou visitest him/ This was not a question of doubt, but a statement of utter and complete amazement,that such a thing should be. I read this verse this morning,/ Creator of the universe,who reigns in awesome majesty,how can it be that You,re involved, with such a one as me/.[Sper] The coming of the son of God is such a wonder,God with us,not just as a tourist, but as one who came to show in the most profound way that though we may appear to be insignificant,we are in fact so important that this son of God would give His very life for us,that is how inportant you and I are.
A  prayer...../ Dear God we are sometimes overawed by our smallness,and yet  we rejoice that You have shown us in the most profound way, through Calvary that not only are we imporant ,but that You also love us,we thank You in Jesus Name Amen /

Moods. [ 1 John 3 v 1-2]

We are all to some extent creatures of moods, I work among those who are mentally ill,and I see people who struggle with their moods, if only we could find a happy pill,but up till now it does not exsist. Everbody wants to be happy not just the mentally ill,the only thing is ,a state of undiluted happiness is impossible, even if we are Christians.The main reason is, we are still part of a fallen world,we are still affected by an imperfect mind ,body and circumstances,I do find it hard to sing the words of that old hymn ,which says now I am happy all the day. The fact of the matter is I am not happy all the day,yes some days I am happy,but I am happy that I am a Christian,that is something that never changes,nor ever will change.This is something that is not depended on my mood,yes I may not be able to honestly sing that I am happy all the day, but I am gloriously happy that Christ is my Saviour,and in the words of another old hymn,that means, it is well with my soul.
A  prayer..../Dear God we praise You that we can say it is well with our souls,it is not always well with many things,but we thank You that in Jesus we can trully rejoice. Amen /