Dont be fooled.[2 John v 10-11 ]

One of the aspects of 2 Corinthians that Paul is having to deal with ,where false teachers, who were seeking to undermined his authority, and the gospel. He calls them false apostles, deceitful workers,[2 Corinthians 11v13],this was not just name calling ,rather it was Paul pointing out ,the danger and the damage these people could cause to these young believers at Corinth. In verse 4 ,he writes of those who preach another Jesus,another spirit, and another gospel.The J Ws are very active where I live,we also have a Mormon gathering,  what Paul wrote of those false teacher in Corinth applies to them.They all preach another Jesus,another spirit, and another gospel,this is not a trivial thing,no it is deadly serious ,peoples eternal destinies are at stake.They may be nice enough people but they are not Gods people.Islam is the same they have another Jesus,another spirit, and an other gospel.There are many religions,who appear Christian,but when you look at what they believe, your discover many weired and strange things that run contrary to Gods word. Be careful that you are not fooled by them,and led a way from the truth, to the damage of your eternal soul.
A  prayer....../Dear God deliver us from being deceived by false religions,give us discerning minds,and steadfast spirits, to stand and having done all to stand, in Jesus name, Amen /

Love not just an abstract thing.[ John 3 v16 ]

In 2 Corinthians 8 v 24 ,we read /The proof of your love/,the apostle Paul is encouraging the saints at Corinth to contribute to the needy saints in Jerusalem. So he encourages them to show the proof of their love by giving help to them financially.Let us remember that love is not just an abstract thing,it is and should be manifested in real deeds. God loves this world so much, everyday we receive food ,drink and a multitude of things,and the greatest manifestation of His love was in the person of Jesus,and His death on the cross,Where is the proof of Gods love? look to Calvary, herein is love,here is a love that is not just in words and ideas,but in real flesh and blood body.We are to be like our loving heavenly Father,to show our love, in a practical manner.There is a brother who attends our church,while walking around his neighbourhood ,he got into conversation with a person,her husband was tinkering with his car, he was having trouble with it,and although he didn't really know that person he offered him the loan of his car,the people were not Christians, surely that brother was showing the proof of his love.Again let me stress that love is not just an abstract thing,it should be evidenced by love in action. 
A  prayer....../Dear God we thank for your love to us shown us in so many ways,especially in Jesus Your dear Son,grant us to be more like You in expressing our love for You and for others, in Jesus name Amen /

Love one another. [ Genesis 50 v 15-21 ]

Our Saviour prayed that as Christians ,and that we love one another, I have always tried to take this seriously,but sometimes it is hard. Last week I felt convicted that I had offended a Christian couple it was not intentional,but it unsettled me,so as I drove by their home I stopped my car and went and spoke to them,saying I was sorry if I had offended them, and so peace was restored in my heart. It is amazing how unforgiving some Christians are,the divisions that develop in churches, and go on for years,and years. There are Christians who hold ill feelings in there hearts for years,and they simply ignore what our Saviour commanded,the love that we are meant to show and feel,is a Christlike love,that forgives,and forgives, and forgives.It is a love that is bigger and better than how we feel naturally,it is in fact going beyond our natural feelings. Christ like love is on a higher level than even our natural family love, our natural families  can  be so unforgiving, as in the case of Joseph, and his 11 brothers.They hated him with a murderous hate, they wanted to destroy him.But this Old Testament saint showed New Testament love, he not onl  forgive them but he also blessed them. Is this not what Jesus did ,and continues to do, and commands us to do. John the apostle of love wrote,/ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God,and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He goes onto say,/He that loveth not,knoweth not God, for God is love [ 1 John 4 v 7-8 ]
A  prayer..../Dear  God grant unto us a forgiving spirit in Jesus name Amen /

Lessons we can learn. [ Philippians 3 v 4 -7 ]

There are lessons to be learnt from everyday happens,take yesterday when my son John with his dinner in one hand, decided to move a pot on the cooker which he thought was in danger of falling over. As he reached out to the pot  ,his dinner fell to the floor, how should one reacted, shout, huff,?, well what can we learn from this simple happening?. Well we need to keep things in proportion,I used to watch a TV program called one foot in the grave,the main character always appeared to get things out of proportion, if only he could have laughed at so many things, it would have made life so much easier. Let us not make a mountain out of a molehill. Next ,  it is no good crying over spilt milk ,there are things that happen a car crash,a wrong investment, or whatever it is not helpful to keep going on, and on, and on,about it, let it go,stop punishing yourself..Next I often say to myself when things happen, look for the mercies,in this case,we have plenty of food in our home, my son did not go without a dinner,and we have a nice tiled floor,so making it very easy to clear up the mess.
A  prayer....../ Dear God  help us to know how to cope with the unexpected difficult things that You allow to come into our lives, in Jesus name Amen /

Not optional. [ Psalm 46 ]

Romans 12 v12. /Rejoicing in hope,patient in tribulation,continuing instant in prayer/ Let us consider the last part of this verse,/continuing instant in prayer/,the point is this, how are we going to rejoice in hope,and be patient in tribulation?,the place of prayer is the answer.The qualities that we need,cannot be manifested in our lives naturally, these are spiritual qualities. We need continually to learn that we do not have the resources ,in ourselves to rise to the high calling of being a Christian.Jesus said that our righteousness must rise higher than mere religion[Matthew 5 v 20].Read the sermon on the mount,the challenge that it brings us,is awesome,and yet we are challenged to live according to what our Saviour taught there. The reality is, in ourselves we cant,and so we must, continue instant in prayer,for it is only in prayer do we receive the grace to face the challenge of being victorious.Prayer is not just an extra something that is optional, no it is vital,and the vital key to not only surviving but of overcoming and being victorious.Jesus said we were to pray and not faint,if we don't pray we will faint. So what difficulty are you facing today?well what is the answer?,pray ,pray and pray,yes the answer is as simple as that,it is not complicated,but it is vital for all of us, we neglect it to our own hurt.
A  prayer....../Dear God help to pray without ceasing,help us to pray as if our very lives depend on it in Jesus name Amen/

Patient in tribulation. [ John 18v 36 ]

 Romans 12v12  /Rejoicing in hope,patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer/ Let us now consider, being patient in tribulation,it is Morris who points out that Paul is not writing about a minor pinprick,but deep and serious trouble.I receive news of what many dear Christians are suffering,particularly in North Korea,but  also in many places, and it is not a pinprick, it is very severe. But we do not want to underestimate the difficulties many people are having to cope with,be it severe sickness, or poverty,or injustice. Whatever trials we are going through ,we are as W Barclay puts it,are to meet tribulation with triumphant fortitude. We can if like Christ we keep our vision clear,first of all to remember what He said, in the world ye shall have tribulation,[ John 16 v33],but He goes on to say,but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. In saying that He had overcome the world, he is inferring that we like Him can be victorious over whatever we have to face.  How? by Christ who is with us ,consider the words of an old hymn by Mary Peters,/  Though we pass through tribulation, all will be well. Ours is such a full salvation ,all, all is well, happy  still in God confiding,fruitful if in Christ abiding. Holy through the Spirits guiding, all must be well. We expect a bright tomorrow,all will be well. Faith can sing through days of sorrow,all,all is well. On our Fathers love relying, Jesus every need supplying. Or in living or in dying, all must be well/.
A  prayer..../ Dear  God and Father  have mercy upon Your dear children who are suffering tribulation,grant them to know Your joy,and help us all in whatever trials we are facing,to know that  all will be well, in our Saviours name we ask this Amen/

Rejoicing in hope [Psalm 42 v 5 ]

Romans 12 v12 reads/Rejoicing in hope,patient in tribulation,continuing instant in prayer/, Godet in his commentary,quotes  a Hofmann ,who paraphrases these words as follows,/In so far as we have cause to hope, let us be joyful, in so far as we have cause of pain, let us hold out, in so far as the door of  prayer is open to us, let us continue to use it/
Rejoicing in hope, is this possible,when everything is taken from you?, yes it is possible, consider Job and what he suffered, consider Paul and what he suffered,yet they never lost hope.What about rejoicing in hope?, yes it is,consider Habakkuk ,he saw the devastation that was coming on his people.What Habakkuk never lost was hope, and so he was able to rejoice,he declares ,/Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation [3 v18] William Barclay wrote ,/There can never be any such thing as a hopeless Christian/, I don't know about that,but I do believe that if our hope is in God and His word, then we can truly hope and truly rejoice.When our hope is in others or even self,that hope can so easily leave us,but when our hope is in the one who cannot lie,in one who will always be faithful,in one who loves us with an everlasting love, and who manifested that love ,on an old rugged cross.
A  prayer...../Dear God, help us to rise above our fears,to trust in You,to not give into despair, and even the grace to rejoice in every situation in Jesus name Amen /

Is God on Israels side.?. [ Romane10v1 ]

This Sunday evening in our fellowship we are going to discuss the following topic ,/Is God on Israels side?/,what do think?. Well let us ask the question, what is Gods purpose for Israel and the gentiles?the answer is very simple, salvation [ 2 Peter 3 v9 / John 3 v16] At this time those Jews who have not accepted Christ as Saviour are just as lost as the gentiles who have not accepted Christ. It is in the epistle to the Romans we have set out Israels condition and their future, chapter 3 makes it clear that there is no difference between Jew or Gentile,for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God [3v22-23]. In chapter 4 he makes it clear that neither circumcision or keeping the law can save the Jew,and he illustrates this by pointing to Abraham who was  justified by faith [ 4 v3 ]. It is in chapters 9-11,he deals again with the question of Israel,again the underlying theme is redemptive ,that they may be saved [11v1]. God is not finished with them, he still has a plan for them,he cautions against us gentiles becoming proud,and dismissing the Jews as of no importance,God has still got a purpose for them.[11v28-29] salvation.At this time God is calling His elect mainly form the gentiles, but there will came a time when ,He will gather his elect from Israel,and so all the elect will be saved ,both Jew and gentile[11v26]
A   prayer...../Dear God we pray for the Jewish people,that You would save them in Jesus name. Amen /

What sustains us [ Isaiah 40 v 28-31 ].

Desmond Tutu was asked what had sustained him in his Christian life?, he replied,/ The absolute centrality of prayer/. I would say amen to that .There are things we may give up,things we do now and again,but we must not give up prayer . What saddens me is the decline in the prayer meeting in many churches,may be it needed changed,but it did not need to cease. There are so many things we can write about prayer,here is one, the need is great,not just ours, but with the world at large.People need salvation we may not  be able to tell them, but we can pray for them. Our family may be over sensitive, likewise our neighbours,,  those we have daily contact with, it would not be wise to be always to be speaking to them, although we should do this as God enables us, and if we do witness to them water your witness by your prayers [ Psalm 126 v5 ].The list is endless as regards who we can pray for ,and remember that often our prayers are not answered right a way.D  Tutu said it was prayer that sustained him,he spoke of the absolute centrality of prayer,we are told that they  that wait upon the Lord shall.renew their strength[  Isaiah 40 v31],as a Christian of many years,I have been sustained by prayer,so dear saint of God pray without ceasing.

Freedom [ Luke 4 v18-19 ]

President Obama is visiting Burma at this time, seeking to encourage the powers that be to continue to move forward to a democratic government,and in the process become a more free country.On this  I was very impressed, as he sought to define freedom,that true freedom is not just about casting ones vote.He then mentioned what a former President said, President Roosevelt who  said there were four things that are important as regards freedom [1] Freedom from want. [2]Freedom of expression [3]Freedom to work . [ 4]Freedom from fear.I hope I got them right I am quoting from memory.The Bible has a lot to say regards freedom ,it tells us that we are all enslaved ,by the devil and by our sinful nature[ 2 Timothy 2v26/ John 8 v34 /.The situation was and is so desperate that God had to take desperate measures, in order to truly set people free, He sent Jesus.His purpose was to set people free. Jesus declared that He had come to set the captives free [ Luke 4v 18],He declared that He had come to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.The good news of the gospel is that Jesus can set you free, for whom the son sets free is free indeed.
A  prayer....../ Dear God  we thank You for Jesus who can set us truly free Amen /

Judging others [ John 8 v1-11]

Our Lord tells us clearly not to judge others [Matthew 7 v1-5 ],  He gives a warning as the consequence of judging others, that you will put yourself in a place where judgement will fall on you. How many times we see this in life, especially if one is a driver. Let me say this there are no perfect drivers,yet it is one place were people sit in judgement on others,they curse and become angry at other drivers, they judge to imperfect in their driving. This is  why our Lord tells us not to judge others,we all are imperfect human beings,when a fellow Christian falls into sin,we are inclined to judge, or they have characteristics that need changing.Let us be honest we have characteristics that need changing. May be our judging others helps us feel superior,but it doesn't it only causes us to put ourselves in jeopardy. If we look into the word of God ,read 1 Corinthians 13,and consider how short  we come as to love, consider the challenge of holiness, outward,but most important inward,we all have beams/ planks in our eyes, that need to be removed. The words of 1 Corinthians 11v31 , read, / For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged/
A  prayer..... /Dear God forgive us for our judgemental spirit grant that we will take seriously what our Saviour taught us about judgeing others Amen/

Witnessing. [ Acts 1 v8 ]

One of my sons told me of someone who said that witnessing is only the task of the evangelist,of  course this is utterly wrong ,when our saviour spoke the words go [Matthew 27v19],He did not say for just Evangelist to go. In Acts 8 we read of a time of persecution,men and women were suffering ,this caused them to be scattered everywhere, and in v4, we read that they went everywhere preaching the word.I don't thing I am an evangelist but I do know I am called to evangelise. It causes me great frustration that I don't tell more people about Jesus,there are no exemptions in the task of witnessing, it is all hands to the task. The gospel is not only a wonderful gift we have received, but it is a gift we are called to share with others. Yes we are not called to leave it to the professionals, yet  maybe in witness we will discover that we are an evangelist. I appreciate that we may find it hard to witness ,we may not feel like doing it, because of our natural reserve,or the fear of becoming unpopular,but God can help us, we have the Holy Spirit, who can empower us ,grants us the words to say,and can use us in ways we never expected.
A  prayer...../Dear Lord help us to be witnesses for You, with our words and our lives . Amen/

Justice/ Mercy .[ Titus 3 v 1 -7 ]

  Gandhi said,,/ An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind/,now I don't understand fully the situation between Israel and Palestine.but I sometimes think that both sides practise that biblical instruction,and it definitely appears that both sides are going to end up blind.I wonder what you think of these words an eye for an eye?,I would think it is a statement about justice,and of course we need justice.Now of course God is a just God , He is the ultimate judge we will have to do with, but He is also merciful, continually in the Bible we are reminded of Gods mercy. Again a quotation from William S  / The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven. Upon the place beneath, it is twice blest. It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes./ We will always need justice, but we most surely always need mercy. I love the words of that old hymn by W .R, Newel./Years I spent in vanity and pride,caring not my Lord was crucified.Knowing not it was for me He died/That was once my condition , a sinner who was blind to Gods love in Christ, and if I remained like that I would only ever experience a just Gods wrath. But thankfully by Gods grace I was brought to a place of mercy as the chorus in that old hymn tells us. / Mercy there was great, and grace was free,pardon there was multiplied to me. There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary./
A  prayer...../Dear God help us to appreciate that You demand Justice as regards sin, and hep us to see that the only way we can escape that justice is by accepting Christ as our Saviour, Amen /

Music. [Psalm 23 ]

I have always loved the cinema,and recently I have observed how important the music is, and how it is written to express the theme and mood of the story line. When you have a western, you will have music that tells you  there is Indians involved,in scary movies ,you have music that adds to a sense of fear. Shakespeare wrote that all the world was a stage,maybe if he were writing to day ,he  would write that all the world is a movie which we are all part of,playing out our different rolls.The thought came to me, what music are we hearing and living by ? ,is it music that indicates we are scared,is it music that indicate danger?. Are we swayed or even controlled by the music? what drum beat are we marching to?,maybe we need to start listening to heavens music,the music of faith,peace,trust, holiness.It is not music written by Mozart ,but by the divine Spirit,it speaks to our heart, and tells us to be still and know that He is God,that tells us to trust and not be afraid,that tells us that ,our Lord is with us,if we really listen, we will be brought into a place of calm and still waters.
A prayer ...../ Dear God help us in a world of distorted music ,to listen to the sound of Heavens music, in Jesus name Amen /

The unforgiveable sin. [ Matthew 12 v31-32 ]

I heard someone say the words,/It is unforgivable/ in the bible our Lord tells His hearers  that,/ all manner of sin and blasphemy ,shall be forgiven unto men, but  the blasphemy ,against the  Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto them [/Matthew 12 v31 ] So many people have sought to answer what does it mean to blaspheme against the Holy Ghost?,this question has unsettled many dear.Christians, some have felt they had committed this sin and so were outside the mercy of  God.,these words were spoken to unbelievers, not to those who have trusted Jesus .These words are spoken as a solemn warning to a group of people who continually,opposed the truth,they heard, and miracles they witnessed, they also had the scriptures,yet in spite of that they rejected Jesus, not only rejected Him but attributed what He was doing was of Satan. In Psalm 95 we read these words,/ Harden not your hearts/that what Israel did in the wilderness and they were cut of from entering the promise land. Those in the wilderness had witness so much of Gods power yet in the end were cut of, likewise as I have said, the religious people had witness so much,yet in the end all they could do was blaspheme the Holy Spirit,they were so hard they didn't want Jesus nor would they acknowledge the Holy Spirit. They just refused to repent,and so cut themselves of from God,that which is not  repented of cannot , will not be forgiven.One commentator David Thomas wrote the following words which are very solemn,/The Bible does certainly teach that man may here arrive at a point in sin when salvation becomes impossible, that the day of grace closes with some before the day of life/.
A  prayer ...../ Dear God  have mercy upon those who put themselves in great danger as to their eternal souls in Jesus name Amen/

BBC in crisis. [ Proverbs 2 v 6 ]

More heads will roll in BBC crisis, so read the headlines in the newspaper I read, it is all to do with people in the BBC acting unwisely or not acting wisely, it has caused a great stir in our country . It reminds me how easy we can be caught out and even caught on if we act unwisely,recently a top CIA person has resigned ,because he was involved in a extra martial relationship. As a Christian I am aware how easy it is to be caught out, and how we need Gods help in preserving us from all evil, and not to point the finger of judgement at others, but to pray for those who are in crisis,because of acting unwisely.As we start each day we should first of all pray,obvious this may sound but many people don't, next in our prayers we need to ask for wisdom , in James 1 v 5, if we ask God for wisdom , He will grant it to us. Then we need to act wisely, act on the wisdom God grants us, it is possible to be granted wisdom and to act contrary to it,the greatest example of a person who did this ,was Solomon [1 Kings 11]. In doing what he did Solomon brought terrible judgement on His people. Yes the cost of acting unwisely can be great,for us, no matter how great we may be,so today ask for wisdom from our all wise God.
A  prayer...../ Dear God keep us from acting unwisely ,grant us the wisdom we need, and give us grace to act on it, in Jesus name we ask this Amen/

Coming to terms with death. [ Psalm 23 ]

Are we ever going to come to terms with death? I read of an elderly man in Zambia who was told he had only a few weeks to live,he replied,/ God has been good to me/.I wonder what we would say if we were told we had just a few weeks to live?, considering that we are all going to die,many of us have never thought about it.The old puritans thought much about life, which in their days could be very short, but we are lulled into feeling we will never die. I  am not trying to be morbid but as a Christian the fact of death has been faced.How does one face death? ,well just like we face life, by faith,this is not a trivial statement, no it is because I found Jesus, I believe David who wrote the Psalms found Jesus and knew Him,if one reads the 23rd Psalm, one sees Jesus in it all,for the shepherd in the 23rd Psalm is none other than the good shepherd of the New Testament [ John 10] Knowing the shepherd affected David in so ways and especially when it came to death, and he declares,/Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me/
A  prayer...../ Dear God we thank You that Your dear son came and faced death, and conquered it, so that when we know Him, we need fear no evil, Amen/

Freely give. [ 2 Corinthians 8 v1-5 ]

I realise that in these days many are finding it difficult financially, for many unemployment looms up, and many are unemployed. I also receive news of the needs of many who have very, very little,in places like Africa, and other countries.The needs of this world are ongoing and never ending,what can we do?well we can pray,and if God has blessed us materially we can do our bit.Let us not be driven by guilt ,but let us never loose sight of our responsibility, to help others. We are not saved by our good works ,but is an evidence that we are saved, as James challenges us,when he says ,show me your faith by your works [ 2 v18 ]. Works are  a vital evidence that we are saved,we are saved by what Christ did not what we do. Paul in his letter to the church at Ephesus stresses the fact that we are saved by Gods grace 2 v8 ,not of works,but then he goes on to say that we have been saved unto good works, which God prepared in advanced for us to do [v 10].So being saved by grace is not a get out clause, not to help others,not to do good works, rather it is a challenge ,to help others, to bless as we have been blessed.
A  prayer...../ Dear God and Father we thank You for the free gift of salvation ,freely we have received, so help us to freely give , in Jesus name Amen /

The simplisity of the gospel [ 1 Corinthians 1 v 18 -31 ]

One of the people I admire is Billy Graham,in his time he has walked with presidents,and kings and queens,he was one of the most famous people on earth. There are people who have criticised him for different things,yes he was not perfect,tell me who is?,but here is the thing I really admire about him,he never departed from the simplicity of the gospel. The result is many ,many people came to Christ for salvation,maybe millions,my old pastor was a faithful preacher,he was not an academic, but there are those who came to know Christ, I and my first wife was restored under his ministry.Being an academic has its place ,we need such people, but we most of all need ,to hear that simple gospel. It was Paul who wrote these profound words , in Romans 1 v16/ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believed.
A  prayer...../Dear God we thank You for your profound gospel ,and its simplicity , help us to never be ashamed of it,to always tell others be it  in pulpit,or wherever we come into contact with sinners ,we ask this in the name of Him who loved us and died for us , even Jesus Amen/

Remember Him. [ Isaiah 53 ]

This is remembrance Sunday , when our country remembers those who give their lives in battle,my grandfather Holmes fought and was wounded in the battle of the Somme. This country has been involved in so many conflicts,and are involved even to this day in Afghanistan.Our Saviour said there would be wars and rumours of wars[ Matthew 24 v6 ], and so it has been, and so it will be,of course there are a number of reasons why this is so. As a Christian I remember a battle that took place over 2000 years ago, when a solitary man went into battle against the powers of hell,against sin,and that last great enemy ,death. That man of course was Jesus,and only He could defeat the powers of darkness,if He failed then those evil powers would have destroyed Gods creation,every human being on earth would have ended up in hell. But praise God He didn't fail,but he had to pay a terrible price ,He had to suffer untold pain and agonies,both physical, and spiritual,for in his death ,He bore the awful punishment for sin,which involved a depth of suffering we cannot never imagine.Who of us can understand the words of Isaiah 53 v 10,/Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush Him, He has put Him to grief /. In that crushing God poured His wrath upon Him, that it may not be poured out upon us,so today remember that warrior Jesus, who won the victory ,for all who trust in Him.
A  prayer.../ Dear God  we with grateful hearts remember Jesus our Saviour ,and would simply say, love so amazing so divine demands our souls our lives , our all Amen /

Failures.[ 1 Peter 5 v10 ]

The successor to the present Archbishop of Canterbury has been chosen, his name is Justin  Welby,he was speaking on TV,and I was listening intently.He did mention the Lord Jesus and I am sure he loves Him, but he is the leader of a Christian group,of such diverse ideas.It is so easy to be critical and as an evangelical, to dismiss the whole thing,as unbiblical, and making no difference. What I  would encourage every Christian to do is pray, for this brother,and for the Anglican family. Well this brother did say something that I found meaningful,/ The grace of God is greater than our biggest failures/. We all know something about failure,as parents, husbands/ wives,the list goes on, well take on board what Justin said, for it is true. It is no accident that the hymn Amazing Grace is so popular,and will continue to be, for it reminds us all of a God of grace who is ever reaching out to all men, for in a real sense we are all failures.
A prayer...../Dear God, us failures come to you and ask for grace through Your son Jesus Amen /

Liberating love. [ I John 3 v1 ]

A group called Manford and sons, sing a song with the following words in it,/Love will not betray,dismay or enslave,but will set you free/.The sellers of drugs,be it tobacco,or whatever are only interested in one thing money,those who push the sex trade are only interested in money. Those who are involved in child abuse are only interested in self gratification,and so we go on,love is none of those things. If we want to see love in its fullest ,and total manifestation, we see it Jesus,we see it in his humility,forgiveness,kindness,and his sacrificial  death. All this was borne out of a love that is incomparable,and indescribable,and we can experience that love when by simple faith,we trust Him as our Saviour.That Love will always want what is best for us,it will never hurt us, never cause us to feel betrayed, and will set us free from the chains of selfishness,when one experiences this love, one will never be the same, this love will always bring a change for the better,always. The cry of so many is ,I want to be free,and yet they enslave themselves in so much that is destructive.God in His son Jesus in love can truly set us free,we can, let me repeat this, we can experience freedom through the love of God in Jesus.
A  Prayer...../ A  prayer....../ Dear God open the eyes and hearts of people to Your great liberating love in Jesus Amen/  

Animal cruelty [ 1 Corinthians 2 v 9 ]

I read on the Internet about a orangutan in Borneo that had been shot a 100 times with an air gun, the poor old thing was rescued by conservation workers, and has survived her ordeal,although she is blind,she will be looked after for the rest of her life. It saddened me to read of such cruelty,by human beings inflicted on a animal,I do make a distinction between and animals.Animals our only there for time they don't have an eternal aspect to them,they are animals,purely and simple. Humans are made in the image of God, they are special,but unfortunately we do not always manifest that in our lives.There is a lot of good things in this world,but who knows when evil will erupt,in its most destructive force,and then we see that aspect of mankind's fallen nature that is so terrible.Even as Christians we can still be capable of evil deeds ,and so it will continue, until time will cease to be. The only hope for fallen man is the gospel of our Lord Jesus,through His atoning death He can transform us, and change us, for any person who  is in Christ  becomes a new creation. I am far from perfect, but one day I will be,one day I will no longer sin,no longer have the capacity for cruelty or evil. Until that day happens we can know victory over sin if we rely on Jesus and the grace of God.
A  prayer....Dear God we thank You for seeing as we really are,not through rose tinted glasses,but as sinners in desperate need of Your saving grace in Jesus Amen /

Waiting [ Proverbs 13v12 ]

I would like to stress again the importance of waiting,and the importance of patiently waiting for the answer to our prayerful desires.Consider the time between Genesis and Calvary,one may ask why did God not act sooner?but He didn't. He did have His appointed time,as John points out in his gospel in relation to Jesus death[ 7v30/8v20],there we read how His hour had not come,but in/ 12v23/17v1,/ we read Jesus declaring His hour had come. God will answer our prayers and fulfil His word in His appointed time,there are many reasons why this is so.on our part it is often vital that we grow spiritually.God will perfect that which concerns us by causing us in our waiting to trust Him, and to learn patience,God works in us ,that we will manifest to this world lives that which will glorify Him. In Proverbs 13 v12 we read of hope being deferred, now the word deferred means putting something off until a later time, Gods later time will come. So in the words of that great hymn by Katharina Von Schlegel,/ Be still, my soul, thy God doth undertake,to guide the future as He has the past. Thy hope,thy confidence,let nothing shake, all now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still,my soul the waves and waves and wind still know,His voice who ruled them while here below/.
A  Prayer...Dear God help us learn the lessons You are teaching us in our time of waiting,in Jesus name Amen /

Waiting. [Habakkuk 2 v3 ]

After I passed my driving, I was thrilled how God  had helped me, but I had no car ,nor could I afford to buy one, yes we prayed, but we had to wait. Prayers are often granted after a time of waiting, this waiting can be a trial,it requires prayerful patience. When Jesus was told that Lazarus was ill He did not immediately rush off to  Bethany,no He waited and permitted Lazarus to die. That may appear cruel,or at the very least inconsiderate,,but not so ,Jesus always acted with a God purpose,remember the words of Habakkuk 2 v 3,/though it tarry, wait for it. Mary and Martha had waited ,oh ,He is bound to come, one can imagine them looking ,time and time again,hoping He would come,but He didn't and Lazarus died, and quickly,the body was placed in a tomb. Jesus if He came would be to late,or so it appeared to Mary 11v32,but waiting was all part of Gods plan and purpose,as the sisters would soon discover. Now what about that car,well one day a widow women pulled up beside me as I walked to church, and said I could have her little Morris Minor, yes delay was not denial.
A   prayer ...../ Dear God grant us the grace of patience,knowing that delay is not denial, in Jesus name /

You will see the glory of God. [John 11 v40 ]

Many years ago my then wife Eileen encouraged me to take driving lessons,our resources were very limited ,we could just about afford 10 lessons. I completed those lessons ,but just before I had finished them I put in for my test,we could not afford any more lessons,my driving was not very good,so much so that when I told my instructor ,he advised me to not do my test. I had received a promise from God that He would help me, so I went ahead with the test. On the day of my test I was very nervous,my wife and children were praying at home for me,and the Lord I believe give me favour with the man who was testing me, and I passed. What a blessing that was,when I was thanking God, I received this verse,/ Said I not unto thee, that if thou would est believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God/[John 11v40 ]I had passed my test but I had no car, and no money to buy one, but that's another story I will share that with you later.
A  prayer ..../ Dear God we thank You for helping us in so many ways,we thank You will continue to help us and we wll see Your glory, in Jesus name Amen/

Deliverance. [ John 8 v 36 ]

Next Sunday will be remembrance Sunday in our country,a day in which we remember and honour those who died in so many wars and conflicts. Recently I have been reading the history of Nazi Germany, a cruel and very , very wicked regime,most of us know what they did to the Jews,but they committed so much evil in those countries they conquered. The plans they had for Britain where severe ,and so it is on this remembrance Sunday, yes we remember and honour those who died in defence of this country,but more than that we want to give unceasing thanks and praise to God, for preserving us as a nation. Sadly to say as with so many nations we are slowly and surely leaving God out of the equation,we are a secular society,not a spiritual society,a society that is threatened with a greater evil than the Nazi es,a forgetting about God, forgetting that our nation and all nations greatest need is deliverance from sin and its awful consequences,both for time and for eternity.
A  prayer.../. Dear God we thank You for preserving this nation,but we pray that You will forgive the sin of this nation in forgetting You, and earnestly pray that You would awake this nation to their great need to be delivered from their sin through Your son Jesus  Amen/

Envy [ Proverbs 11v30 ]

I  found myself saying to a lady called Rosie, that I envied her, now why was that?,she is in many ways an ordinary person, why should I envy her?. The reason being is she has been used by God to lead many people to Christ,as I was talking to her she mentioned someone ,she was going to meet,who had just come to Christ, this person had been a prostitute and a witch.Rosie had witnessed to her and she had become a Christian, I was introduce briefly and she said she  loves Jesus. Do you never have a desire to see people come to Jesus? I do,Rosie said to me, stop envying and do it. The Lord knows I have tried, am I just ever going to be a sower, and very seldom a reaper?. Yes I envy Rosie, the word of God says he that winneth souls is wise. [Proverbs 11v30],this brings to mind an old hymn,/He that winneth souls is wise in the home beyond the skies, Ti's a blessed message oh the wondrous prize,he that winneth souls is wise/ Now Rosie is not a theologian ,there is nothing wrong with being a theologian , but she has heart for the lost.It also appears to me that she is led to the most needy,those who are broken and lost, maybe many of us are looking  in the wrong place.
A  prayer..../ Dear God ,lead us to some soul today,help us Lord to know just what to say,use us for Jesus thy dear sons sake Amen/

Judgment day looms. [ John 3 v16 ]

I read these words in one our national newspapers, EU judgement day looms, now that they be true, I don't know, but what I do know is, that there is a judgement coming.A person I work with asked me the question, /why are you glad you are gong to heaven,/ and I replied,because I am not going to hell. Now of course there are other reasons why I am glad I am going to heaven,I will be with my Saviour I shall at last see Him,and will truly be glory for me. But there is a hell, there is a place of eternal judgement, Christ reminds us of it continually in His ministry,He spoke of weeping and gnashing of teeth[Luke 13v28]. In Luke 16 we read of a rich man who found himself in hell a place of torments, and in Matthew 8 v12,Jesus speaks of those who would be cast out into outer darkness,and in Matthew 10 v28, He stressed the importance of fearing God above all others, because He has the power to destroy both soul and body in hell. So I am very glad that I am going to heaven and not to hell,the vast majority of people are living as if there is no God and no accountability, and no judgement, Acts7v 31, tells us that there is a day coming  when God will judge the world  by Jesus,yes judgement day is looming,so believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved[ Acts 16 v31 ]
A  prayer ...../Dear God we thank You for providing a way in which we can be saved from judgement through Jesus . Amen /

Jesus is pleading [ Revelation 3 v20 ]

I have before me a little card with a picture of Christ standing outside a door and He carrying a lamp and He is knocking on the door ,waiting for it to be opened. It is of course taken from the Revelation of John chapter 3 v20, in this chapter Christ is speaking to the church at Laodicea. This church was a self satisfied church,materially they were prosperous ,but they had let this effect their relationship with Christ. Christ is pleading with them to open their eyes to their true condition,and once again see things with the vision of Christ their Lord. Along with His pleading there is a warning that their Lord will have chastise them,a sign of their sonship [ Hebrews 12]. Although they were in a deplorable state their Lord loved them and desired what was best for them, and graciously pleads with them  to respond. Consider the words of v2o ,consider what they are saying to you,/ Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice,and open the door,I will come in to him ,and will sup with him , and he with Me/.
 A  prayer......./ Dear Lord help us to be on our guard against anything that could exclude You,anything that lessens our love for You .Amen /