She looked back [Genesis 19 v26]

She looked back, why one may ask,curiosity?,what ever the reason,she disobeyed God,so it is with us, God commands us not commit adultery.In other words we not to get involved with someone who belongs to another,but you can think of many reasons why you should.Maybe you have been denied a physical relationship by the person you are married to,or you feel they neglect you, your reason may be legitimate.Yet God says thou shalt not commit adultery, He means just that. She did not obey God, she must not have taken God seriously,if she had , she would not have looked back,God is not double minded ,like we are,He must be taken seriously,and no matter how we try to rationalise disobeying Him,we will suffer,when Aarons sons offered their own mixture of incense to the Lord He slew them[ Leviticus 10],this must have shocked their father Aaron,they were his sons and he would have felt sorrow,he was told not to show any outward signs of mourning, hard thing to do, but they obeyed.She looked back and suffered as a consequence,what ever her reason, she disobeyed God,she was not ignorant,just disobedient,so today let us remember Lots wife .Genesis 19 v26/Luke 17 v32/
A  prayer ...../ Dear God grant us the grace to obey, help us not to lean upon our own understanding,in Jesus name Amen/

Sodom,Gomorrah, and judgement [ Romans 1 v 18 ]

Sodom and Gomorrah are remember for not only being a very wicked people ,but also for the judgement meted out them by Holy God.Some people wince at this account,delegating it to the God of the OT, which is not only a shame,but an unbiblical way of interpreting this whole event.for if we read various scriptures, we see that God changes not....CP/ 2 Thessalonians 1 v8-9/ 2 Peter 3v10./   In Gen 18 v20 we read the reason for the judgement, /their sin is very grave/, let us look on sin as God looks on it,society can change its laws,as it sees fit,but God does not change His law to accommodate man. As we read this account of God destroying these cities ,be very careful not to charge God with wrong doing,Abraham reminds us,/Shall not the judge of the earth do right?[Gen 18 v25 ]. The answer is an emphatic yes,let none of us forget this,in chap 16/19 we read of the mercy of God,why was only three people saved, in Exodus33v19/Romans 9 v 18,we read God declaring that he will have mercy, on whom He will have mercy. F.L.Godet writes of a free initiative on Gods part....but without a shadow of arbitrariness.The God of love desires that all men may be saved and that they may come to a knowledge of the truth,He is long-suffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish,but that all should come to repentance.Remember God knows the whole story,we don't,those people had a righteous man living in their midst, Lot,whom they ignored[2 Peter 2 v8-9 ].
A  prayer...../ Dear God we praise You for Your mercy,and acknowledge that You will have mercy on whom You will have mercy, through Your dear Son Jesus Amen/

Is anything too hard for the Lord? .[Genesis 18v14 ]

Children have an expectation that their dads can do anything,but they cant,people have an expectation that science,and the medical profession have all the answers ,but they don't.A very elderly couple were told something by God that appeared impossible,but it wasn't,they were told they were going to have a child a son.The man questioned it and the women laughed at such a thing,but then they were challenged with the following words,/Is anything too hard for the Lord?/.[Genesis 18 v14 ]. Has God promised you something and it has not come to pass?,do you you thing it has gone beyond the point were God can do what He promised.Have you lost sight of the promise?,has it become buried in the history of the past?. Do you think it does not apply to you now?you have learned to live with that problem,whats the point of hoping?,you may be asking yourself ,forget about it,it will not happen. Maybe like Sarah as you read this blog you are think God is mocking you,well He is not,first of all what he says He will do,and what He says He can do,time will not change that fact,it has not weakened His power to do what He promised you. Is there anything too hard for the Lord?,what He cant do, is lie,His character forbids that,no matter how hard it may appear to you, and me, God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or thing according to the power that worketh in us[ Ephesians 3 v20]
A  prayer..../ Dear God grant us faith to believe what You have promised,that You will make it good,help us to grasp the truth that there is nothing to hard for you, in Jesus name Amen /

Our exceeding great reward.[ Genesis 15 v1 ]

/The word of the came unto Abram in a vision,saying,fear not,Abram, I am thy shield,and thy exceeding great reward /[Genesis 15v1] Let us consider these wonderful words,spoken to Abram,he is called Abram, but that would change to the more familiar Abraham,meaning father of many nations.God spoke in a vision,the general way He speaks to us now is by the Bible,now we cannot rule God out speaking us in a vision,or a dream,but the norm is through the Bible.This is the safest way,as the word of God is a finished revelation,so it rules out any other so called word of God,the Koran ,book of Mormon,etc. In speaking to Abraham,He declares I am thy shield,in other words God would protect him,as with Abram so with every dear child of God,you may not have a big brother to protect you ,but you have a big God. As J .Calvin wrote,/He will defend us,preserve us,and protect us by His power.Next He says that he is his ,exceeding great reward, mankind myself included have an on going appetite that never appears to be satisfied,the natural man try to satisfy there lives with everything and anything,the words of our Saviour are so true, the natural things cannot satisfy[John 4 v13]. So God reminds Abram that He is his exceeding great reward,and these words remind us,as so often we need to be reminded,that He is our exceeding great reward,let us continually bear this in mind,and not be blinded to lesser things.
A  prayer..../Dear God we thank You for the many blessings we enjoy,but most of all we thankful for You,in Jesus name we pray this Amen/


/

Be sure your sins will find you out. [ Revelation 21 v 8 ]

A famous entertainer ,who was much loved and admired,has been charged with sexual offences,not so long ago he painted our queen,and from that moment on his paintings became very expensive,and much sought after,now they will only be fit for the bonfire.This entertainer is aged 83 his past has caught up with him,one commentator on the teaching or philosophy of Machiavelli ,said he did not teach,that your sins will find you out.But the bible teaches that they will as many sex offenders are finding out, I will add not just in this world, but eternity.We cannot escape the consequences of our sinful actions,we may as many people do ,escape human justice,but we are told that there are two appointments we will all keep,the first is death, and the next is judgement [Hebrews 9v27].On that day of judgement all our history will be judged,every sin will be laid bare,our very thoughts,words and deeds,all will be brought out into the light.The Great judge Jesus will pass sentence,and the sentence will not be for 10,20,or 50yrs,it will be for all eternity,it will a dreadful fate. Do not think it will just be the sex offenders who will be judged,no all have sinned[Romans3 v23],and all will be judged.But the good news is God is merciful,and had provided a way of escape,the judge that will be in eternity,is now the Saviour in time.All who seek mercy,who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved,every sin will be forgiven,
A  prayer...../Dear God we rejoice that you are faithful,loving and kind,but you  are  also righteous ,and will judge all those who sins have not been forgiven ,have mercy ,in Jesus name Amen/

Finishing school. [ Psalm 138v8 ]

For great deal of my life I have lived with an aggressive nature,it goes back to my childhood,like many things,it has dogged my life,but God who saves sanctifies,and generally speaking I am an amiable person.I can remember getting into scraps as a youngster,this was nothing out of the ordinary, as a child one sought to cope as best as one could. Among those I remember where those who appeared to want to fight others,I supposed to some extent I copied them,it was not easy growing up.Even as a Christian I still  feel aggression,and sadly show it, old habits die hard, old characteristics still cling to me. Maybe it even came across in my preaching,all I can say it is there,but God has his means of changing me, the dear Holy Spirit lives within me.He through different means ,has and is changing me,I am not the person I used to be,but I not yet the person I want to be,and indeed long to be. I know that until I die I will be imperfect, but the scriptures assures me that God will perfect that which concerneth me,for He is merciful.[Psalm 138 v8].God finishes what he commences,yes it may be hard to take in,but He will,He is faithful,I am confident of this very thing,that He which hath begun a good work in me, will continue it,until it is finally finished ,on the day when  Jesus returns[Philippians 1 v 6]
A  prayer../Dear God burn up the dross in our lives, help us not to loose confidence in your promise to perfect that which concerneth us, through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen/

Man of steel? [Isaiah 9 v6 ]

I watched the movie man of steel ,the latest superman blockbuster,it appears to me be it superman,or spider man,or some other man,there is underlying feeling for a saviour,someone who can save the world from destruction. I wonder why?could it be that there is an underlying feeling of doom,that we will be overtaken by our own greed and destructiveness,where is our fairy godmother?,who will come and put everything right. And so we center our eyes on certain individuals,or nations,as our saviours,only to find out like Superman,they have their weaknesses,the man of steel has feet of clay.Consider the following words, from an old testament prophet, Isaiah /For unto us a child is born,unto us a son is given,and the government shall be upon His shoulder,and His name shall be called,Wonderful,Counselor,the mighty God,the everlasting Father,the Prince of peace.[9v6].Yes I am speaking about Jesus the Saviour of the world,are you looking for a saviour?look no further,look to Jesus,the one who came to seek and save all who are lost.
A prayer..../Dear God the world does need a saviour, and we thank You that in love sent Jesus Amen /

Blessings. [ Romans 8 v 35ff]

It is Christmas eve,and it brings back many memories of when our children where young,of decorating the living room,of putting the Christmas tree up,of cooking the large turkey overnight.Of going to bed and hoping the children did not waken to early, to see what presents they would get,they were good memories,which I treasure. Thank God for those good memories ,but my mind turns to Syria ,and to Gods dear children there,and the Christians in North Korea,the threat hanging over them,of those in prison cells in Iran,Pakistan,and in many other places. Many of these dear people will only have bad memories,the only present many of them will receive ,will be a beating,or even worse. Christ did not come into a nice world, there was no welcome mat for Him,in fact there was  only a poor manger,out of the ivory palaces into a world of woe,that sums it up.Yet in that strange poverty for Him,God was bringing into place ,an event that would bless all mankind, that blessing would transform the lives of millions and millions,hope,peace,love,joy.Nothing can change or remove those blessings ,not beatings,imprisonments,poverty,yes and even death,for nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
A  prayer..../ Dear God we praise You for Jesus, and the blessings that You grant to those who trust in Him. Amen /

He has walked the walk, [ Luke 10 v 30-35]

As a number of Christians and I sang a carol ,I was struck by the following,words ,/From the poor manger to the bitter cross/. Those words reminded me very clearly of Christs humiliation ,of His purpose in coming to planet earth,to become one of us,no more can people point the finger at God and say, You do not understand.For He who is truly God experienced ,what we experienced,He was born ,lived and died, He knows what life is about,and so He understands the human situation.While many do care for those who suffer,because of poverty,injustice,and different types of sickness,many do not care,in many poor countries,there are millionaire's,who don't help those they could easily help.Christ truly understands the suffering of mankind.I was watching TV recently,and a reporter was speaking was speaking to a homeless drunk person,and by all accounts will die of an alcohol related death. I got emotional  ,and shed a tear. If I felt that way how much more must our Saviour feel, as he observes all the suffering in the world,and how much He must long to embrace every lonely,sick,and suffering human,you see He is the Christ of the human road.From that poor manger to that  bitter cross,Christ attended to so much suffering,and now He truly understands,so when we come to Him,He feels our pain,and longs to take us into His arms,to tell us how much He cares and understands, what we have to endure ,in our every day life.
A  prayer....../Dear God have mercy upon this world of suffering,we thank You for Jesus who truly understands just how we feel Amen/

Come let us worship Christ. [ Isaiah 9 v 6]

Idols is a favourite word that people used to describe those who entertain us,I have heard people say about their idol. Now they  were not talking about  a little stone statue,but a fallible human being,often very ordinary people have greatness thrust upon them. Like so many people who are famous,their every move is observed,and just like us they do not handle their fame,and the wealth that comes with it. So why worship such flawed human beings, why indeed?,but people do,you see they have what so many want,riches ,fame, and even a degree of influence. I noted one of things Nelson Mandela said,/I am not a saint ,but a sinner,great though he was, he maintained a humility ,and  self effacement.Those who are puffed up with pride,are  like a balloon that will soon be deflated with a bang.So many idols are truly fallen idols,and must be seen for what they are sinners,the best of men or women are but fallen creatures,not even to be admired. The commandments of God forbids the making of idols [  Exodus 20v 4-5], that includes people,and forbidding the worship of such. [CP Acts10v 25-26],this also includes the worship of angels[ CP Hebrews 1 v1-14/ Revelation 19 v 9-10] One of the first things the wise men did when they came to Jesus was to worship Him,but you may say, Jesus was human yes He was, but He was also God with us [CP Isaiah 7 v14/ Matthew 1 v23]. So take your eyes of sinful humanity,and fix them firmly on the only true object of worship, Jesus.
A prayer ...../Holy Father turn us from the worship of sinful men and their sinful ways,and give unto Jesus the worship that is His due Amen /

Mankinds limitation. [ Job 19v 25]

It  was Archimedes who cried out , eurek'a, which means I have found it, he discovered something that no one else had found.Science is an incomplete activity,there will always be more to discover,and yet scientist often speak as if they have all the answers. The fact is they don't,no  one knows everything,there are so many questions and so few answers,I was speaking to a lady whose daughter is suffering from a severe illness ,and the medical profession cannot diagnose the cause.We are all being fooled into thinking that science will discover all the answers,,but they wont,the seriously ill person will be told there is nothing more we can do. Now of course there is much they can do for people ,there have been wonderful discoveries made,but it will always have limits. The mind is a wonderful thing,mankind has discovered so much that is truly astounding, but it is limited,so where does that leave mankind,if science has not got all the answers?, or the medical profession cannot cure mankind?.It appears to me that if we put our hope in science,or the medical profession,and exclude God the creator,we are on a road that is leading us nowhere.
A  Prayer..../Dear God we thank You that even though we are limited in knowledge,we can know You and know where we are going, through Jesus Your dear Son Amen/

Choose the right [ 1 Kings 18 v 21]

In a movie I was watching ,the actor spoke the following words, /Soon there is coming a time when we will have to choose between what is right and what is easy/..Lets face it ,most of us choose the easy way,we use our car to go to the local shops,instead of walking ,missing out on some needed exercise. When our country was faced with a blinded bitter Germany,ruled by a mad man, we sought to take the easy way,but there came a moment when we had to choose what was right,and we did. It is east to rationalise the easy, I deserve the easy, let others choose the right,the right will cost me, my family will not approve,why should I stick my head up above the parapet?.When Dr M .L.King took a stand against racial injustice,there where many even among his fellow black ministers,who cautioned him to wait.His reply was,/This wait has almost meant never,we must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurist,that justice ,too long delayed is justice denied/ There is an old hymn which says ,trust in God and do the right,our Saviour,made it clear by his life, and death,that the right took precedence,over the easy. When Polycarp was asked to swear that Caesar was lord,or be put to death,he choose death by burning,  all he had to do was take the oath,easy ,but not right.
A  prayer...../ Dear God we so like the easy way,help us to always choose the right, in Jesus name Amen/

Rudolph was bullied. [ Genesis 45 v 1-5]

Poor Rudolph he had a very shiny nose,the result was he was bullied,the other reindeer's ,they laughed at him and called him names,and they excluded him from the in group,he was not invited to play in any of their games. I wonder if you have ever been bullied?,my youngest boy was  bullied, he managed to get through school,but it was not easy. Being bullied can seriously effect young people,and it is continual,for when the children go home and get on their computer ,they are still bullied. Coming back to poor old Rudolph why did the all kind Santa not challenge those other reindeer's.Well that's only a song,it's not real ,but unfortunately  for many children it is real, and indeed, for a lot of people it is real,women are bullied by husbands . The banks have come under fire in this country again,because of the methods they use on their staff,wherever it is found bullying is wrong,big countries bully small countries.So today let us speak out against bullying,and let us act against it, and let us pray for those inadequate people who bully others. Let us also support the bullied in every way possible,let us remember poor Rudolph who was derided, and excluded.
A  prayer....../ Dear God help those whoever they ,that are been bullied,deal with those who are bullying, in Jesus name Amen./

Hidden burdens [1 Peter 5 v7 ]

Many of us carrying in our hearts hidden burdens,the other evening I let my guard down and showed my emotions,after this ,I found myself wishing I had not  opened up,the way I did..It reminds me of the saying men don't cry,it may be there is a degree of truth in that saying,only a degree of truth. Jesus was called a man of sorrows,and He was not ashamed to weep openly,the prophet Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet. The hidden burdens we carry involve many things, bereavement, health,material things,caring for a loved one with dementia, singleness,divorce,being cut of from your children,a hurt from someone who you considered your friend,loneliness. Hidden burdens ,yes there are many who are carrying heavy ,hidden burdens,and carrying them all alone,I was watching a movie recently,an old man was angry, Christmas  had highlighted,and  increased his pain. In this movie he was going on angerly at a young woman,when all of a sudden it all stopped when she went over to him and gave him a hug,it didn't take away all the hurt he was feeling,but it did make a difference.People need others to care,and we should not underestimate this,which brings me to the season of Christmas,poor Christmas so much is loaded unto it,but the season does not love you,but the core meaning of Christmas is love,in the person of Jesus.This Jesus manifests Gods Love in its fullness,and longs for all of us to let Him come and gave us the biggest and greatest hug,we have ever had or experienced.
A  prayer..../ Dear God ,You sent Your dear son into this world,that we may experience Your love,thank You Amen/

Cool eyes.[ Ephesians 5v 21-26]

I must confess I love old cowboy movies,where the goody always gets the girl,and always deals with the baddy.I was watching recently a cowboy and Indian movie,when the hero fell for an Indian girl,well he had gone a way to deal with business, when he came back she expressed her concern that his eyes had cooled toward her, in other words his love for her,was not what it once was. It is said that   the eyes are the windows of the soul,in her case they were the windows of the heart,of the one she loved. I wonder what does your eyes reveal,as regards your love for the one you are married to,have your eyes cooled?. Have your eyes started to wonder,as you look at the one you married years ago ,no longer are they prince ,or princess charming,their snoring has worn you down.Well the list could go on,but in the end,the saying is true,no one is perfect, that means you and that means me.Here is a word for us,first the wives,love your husband,even though he might be a right Charlie instead of a prince charming. Husbands,love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church,and gave himself for it.
A  prayer..../ Dear God grant us to be faithful to the one You have given us,to love them as You love us in Jesus name Amen./

Jesus Christ Superstar.[ 1 John 3 v1]

I help run a club once a week,it is related to my job,I see it as very important as a number of those who attend have very little social contact,they all suffer,from some degree of mental illness.So the club gives them the needed opportunity to meet others,it gives me great joy,to stop and listen to the sound of talking,and laughing.My colleague and I make them a nice meal,I jokingly say she makes them a meal that is good for them,plenty of veg,I make them a meal that they like,chicken burgers ,baked beans. We will all be going to a local pub soon,where they will enjoy a nice Christmas dinner,and they will all receive a box of sweets.It all sounds very nice,and it is,I have been very privileged  to have such a job,or maybe such a vocation.many ,many times,I thank God for the position He granted me.A funny thing happened recently at the group,one of the group said to me,how long have you been following Jesus Christ Superstar?. He was not meaning to be funny,or offensive,but it made me think, he is right Jesus is a superstar,He is the brightest star in all the universe,and I love Him to bits,and here is the most wonderful thing He loves me to bits,and He also loves you to bits
A  prayer...../ Dear God we thank you for Jesus Your Son,truly a superstar, but much more a Saviour, Amen /.

Open our eye.[ Romans 1v16 ff]

I was driving back to my office,it was just beginning to get dark,the sun was setting,and I found myself admiring this sunset,in Ibiza many flock to the beach to admire the sunset.Sometimes one wonders how people can look at a beautiful sunset,and yet deny the God who created that sunset,but they do.Millions and millions of people go through the motions each day,and their vision is totally earthbound. Such is the fallen nature of mankind,a nature that distorts our mind,and our desires, that sees only the creation,but fails to see the creators handy work.,everyone is born with spiritual cataracts,and until the great surgeon operates and removes these cataracts, their spiritual blindness  will continue on, as stumble into hell,forever lost.It is not enough to admire a sunset,or whatever,no, there is a greater reality.There is a point in that lovely story, Wind and the willows,when Ratty and Mole have an experience,of a presence as they walked up the banks of a stream,in the moonlight,and the sky was cloudless.Everything took on a different meaning,it was as if there was a music in the air,and it touched their innermost being,it was the greatness of the creator,and the flowers and the grass where viewed in a new way.Mole asks his friend Rat in a whisper,are you afraid? .Afraid,murmured the Rat,his eyes shining with unutterable love. , afraid of Him? O, never,And yet- and yet-O, Mole, I am afraid.Then the two animals, crouching to the earth,bowed their heads and did worship.
A prayer...../ Dear God,we worship You as creator of all things,but you are more,so much more,You are the God of salvation in Jesus by whom all things where created. Amen/

Be thou faithful [Revelation 2 v 10]

How importance do you rate faithfulness?in Revelation 2v8ff we have our Lord speaking to a church,Smyrna,a church under great pressure,the Lord knew what they where going through.He speaks of their tribulation and poverty,this church was near Ephesus,my study Bible says,that they faced persecution from a hostile Jewish population,and a non-Jewish population,who were loyal to Rome and supported emperor worship. So what does our Lord say to this church?and what does He say to us as we suffer,?move,leave,no,He does not even give them an assurance that they will be rescued,although He speaks of ten days,indicating that although the persecution would be intense it would came to an end. Until this happens ,our Saviour tells them,to be faithful even unto death[v10],reminding them and us of the vital importance of faithfulness.Are you suffering ?,are you in a trial,are you wishing that you could escape ?,the word to you and to me is this ,be faithful come what may.even until the day we die. Jesus reminds them of their heavenly reward,remember it will be worth it all when we see Jesus,it really will.
A  prayer..../Dear Lord Jesus help us all to be faithful even to the day we die. Amen/

Christ our foundation. [Romans 7v25. -8vv1]

In Romans seven Paul writes about the struggle he experience in his daily walk with Christ,he had a desire to do good, but it was not easy,evil is present. Can we not all identify with Paul? I know I can, I don't suffer persecution but I do at times feel under attack,and am so conscious,that I could so easily fall into sin, of the most gross kind. Yes I want to do good,but the flesh is ever present,will it get the victory,it did with David,if him why not me. I am no David,he was a godly man,a man who penned those wonderful Psalms,yet he fell into the most awful of sins[ 2 Samuel  11]. If he fell what chance do I have?,like Paul I cry out,/O wretched man that I am,who shall deliver me from this body of death?/,again a mighty apostle crying out,none of Gods children are no matter if they be apostles,or ministers,free from temptation,there are no exceptions.Inspite of his struggles Paul tells us ,and himself,that even though he was  weak,yes and struggling,he was no longer condemned ,because of Jesus[Romans 8 v1].When we are bombarded with temptation,think awful thoughts,we would want no one to know,we may think that we are not saved, that we must not be a Christian. Take heart dear child of God,Paul reminds us that through Christ we are accepted,and that Christ is our foundation.
A  prayer..../ Dear God we rejoice that in Christ we will never be condemned Amen /

Christmas.[ Isaiah 53]

What is the meaning of the season?,will it end with just memories,or meaning?,will it end with your glass empty or your glass full?.Will the words merry Christmas sound very hollow?,will at the end of it, will you be saying whats the point of it?.Now I am not meaning to discourage you,I do hope you all have a happy Christmas,but the fact of the matter is,seasons come and seasons go,and what are we left with?.The puritans banned the keeping of Christmas I wonder why?could it be that they saw ,that instead of reminding people of Christ,it exalted only the season.Is that not whats happening in our society today,now I am  not saying that I would ban Christmas,even if I ruled the world,but I am saying,without the true meaning it has no meaning,eating drinking,buying and selling,cannot take the place of Christ. It becomes even less meaningful if you cannot afford ,to eat drink,and buy, I am not attempting to be Scrooge,yes enjoy  Christmas,it is a time of rejoicing,and in our rejoicing ,let us  proclaim the true meaning of the season,that babe in a manger who grew to manhood,and died on a cross,that our sins may be forgiven,His name is Jesus.
A prayer..../ Dear God we praise You for the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus,the Saviour of the world Amen/

A shiver down ones spine.[ Revelation 3 v8]

Just as I am , an imperfect person ,so the church is an imperfect church,be it the OT church or the NT church. Two of the seven  churches in Revelation escape warnings,that is not to say they were perfect,for there are no perfect churches,but one day there will be.[Ephesians 5 v27],until then the church must strive after perfection.Christ is ever watching over His church,and speaking to it .That includes local churches,national churches, and the whole church universal,not only is He watching over it, it is vital that the church must listen,the consequences of not listening are clearly shown in scripture.There is  no church in Ephesus's only ruins,places that have known revival,are now practically empty shells,why is that?,why have the leaders not listened and acted upon the Spirit speaking?.Consider what happened in Germany ,in the 20th century,I highlight Germany, as it was the country of the reformation.Early in the 20th century a German general said,that the German people were destined to become the master race,who would rule over lesser breeds and rule the world..A British  historian said,/That it was hardly conceivable,that after2000yrs of Christian teaching,and in the midst of a people from whom sprang some of the greatest thinkers,and some of the greatest scientific benefactors of the human race,that such opinions could find expression/. But it did come to pass ,who can tell what will come to pass when a so called Christian nation,or a Christian church forsakes Gods truth,and is not willing to listen or heed Gods voice,the thought sends a shiver down ones spine
A prayer...../ Dear God grant unto Your people the humility to listen to Your voice,and the grace to respond in obedience in Jesus name Amen /.

Winter is coming.[Jeremiah 8 v20 ]

The winter is gradually coming in where I live,in other parts of our country,and in Scotland it appears to have arrived.In this part of the world,we have 4 seasons,winter,spring,summer and autumn ,there is an old Irish song with the following words in it,/the summers gone/,and it really has.In the book ,/The wind and the willows/, Ratty is speaking to a swallow,now swallows leave our country in the winter,and Ratty says would it not be better if he stayed,instead of flying south,the swallow replied,that he did attempt to do this,he waited behind when all his fellow swallows flew away.For a couple of weeks it was nice,but then it became and cold,and so he knew he had to fly south.,and with great difficulty he reached his destination,and then he said,/I have had my warning,never again did I think of disobedience/. If only like that little swallow we could say,I have had my warning, never again did I think of disobedience.Remember when it comes to disobedience there is always a price,and when it comes to disobedience with Gods will,there is most certainty a price to pay. Let us heed the warnings,Christian heed the warnings,if you are not a Christian heed the warnings. Jeremiah the prophet continually warned people to change to return to God,but they never did,and so we have him saying,/The harvest is past,the summer is ended,and we are saved[Jeremiah 8v20]/,my dear reader ,heed the warning, for winter is coming.
A  prayer...../Dear God  grant us grace to heed the warnings ,in Jesus name Amen /

Machiavelli [ 1 John 4 v16/ Daniel 12v 2]

I wonder if you have ever heard of Machiavelli?, I must confess that until the other evening I had never heard of him,there was a program on TV about him. I found it fascinating and instructive,he was  born near Florence in the 15th century he owes his fame to one book called the Prince.This small book has influenced many people,Stalin,and many other people,this book is an instructive manual as to how those in power should rule,but one can apply it to anyone.One well known saying that gives us an idea about this book is,/The end justifies the means/,even if the means is destructive,lacking in love,Machiavelli stressed that it was not necessary to keep ones word,don't worry about virtue,concern yourself with results. He taught that it was better to be feared than loved,to designate others to perform the dirty work,Hitler and his followers,it appears to me followed many of the principals led down in the Prince.He did not believe the Biblical truth, be sure your sins will find you out,and never took into account that God will judge the wrongs we do. So much for Machiavelli,let me tell you of a better way,love worketh no ill,and will not accept that the end justifies the means. To the natural man the teaching of Machiavelli has an attraction that appears to get results,but it takes little account of the awful price others will have to pay,the lives and rule of Stalin,Hitler and many others prove that. We all need to remember that God will judge ,our evil deeds, and that Christ suffered the most awful evil,for our good,He harmed no one,and in that death He manifested love of the greatest degree, for you and me.
A prayer....Dear God help us all not to be taken in by deceitful and destructive words,and to old fast to your word,we ask this in Jesus name. Amen/

God is looking. [Ezekiel 22v30]

In Ezekiel 22v30 we read,/And I sought for a man among them,that would make up the hedge,and stand in the gap before Me for the land,that I should not destroy it,but I found none/ The situation in Israel was so bad that Judgement was coming, as J.B.Taylor writes,the leaders were ungodly and those who should  have been godly had compromised their position. As I look at our nation and its leaders,I am very sad,laws are being passed that go against Gods holiness,even the so called national church,are running with the flavour of the day. How long I have looked for the leaders of our national church to take a clear stand,to point our nation to Christ,but it has not happened.God has no desire to pass judgement on any nation or person,but He will,it seems strange that the sovereign God should be looking for a man ,whom He would use to hold back His judgement,but He was,and He could find no one. William Gurnall wrote, /The power of holiness  has deteriorated among us,compared to what it was a generation ago/,ancient words ,that have a ring of truth about them  for these dark times.Yet I believe God is still looking for a man to stand in the gap../When Martin Luther foresaw the black  clouds of God's judgement coming towards Germany,he told friends that he would do his best to keep it from falling in his lifetime,and he believed that it would not. But he concluded,when I am gone, let them that come after me look to it./Sad to say they didn't , sin will inevitable bring judgement,righteousness exalts an nation,let us pray that God will raise up a man to stand in the gap, for the need of the hour is desperate.
A  prayer......./Dear God have mercy ,raise up your man to stand in the gap, in Jesus name Amen/




be

Slow to anger [ Micah 7 v18 ]

The book of Nahum is about God judging Assyria,Nineveh being the capital,that city had received great mercy ,when Jonah had prophesied against it,but it was only a temporary repentance. Here we have this city,returning to its former wickedness,why did God not destroy them sooner?, because says Nahum,the Lord is slow to anger.Why does God not act against this sinful world,because He is slow to anger,we should be grateful for this fact,for it were any other way,who among us would stand.I look back on my life and praise God, for being slow to anger. I love the words of  Micah 7  v18.  / Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity,and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of  His heritage? He retain eth not his anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy/. I  like those last words,/He delighteth in mercy/.Nineveh had forsaken Gods mercy, and as Henrietta. C. Mears, writes, when mercy is unheeded ,it will eventually bring Judgement upon this backsliding people.Think not that God will ignore evil, no , as Nineveh would find out,and as indeed all who forsake God, will find out. In spite of this for all who forsake their sin and seek forgiveness through Jesus Christ, God will truly delight to show mercy.
A  prayer...../ Dear God we thank You for Your patience with mankind,that You are slow to anger ,and delighteth in showing mercy to all who seek Thy forgiveness, through Jesus Amen /

A battle of the wills.[Jonah 4 v2]

The person of Jonah is an interesting person,what did he hope to gain by running away?,in fact the book of Jonah throws up interesting revelations about God.. As God reveals Himself  in this book,we see clearly the mercy of God,it is very,I stress very unfortunate that some Christians appear to have a God of the OT and a God of the NT.So let me stress God in the OT is merciful,loving,forgiving,and gracious,He does reveal His wrath against sin,and people are made to realise that ,God is to be feared and not to be taken lightly. Make no mistake He has not changed,God is still merciful,loving,forgiving,and gracious,and all people everywhere can experience this through Jesus His son.For those who reject His salvation through Jesus His Son, will experience the wrath of God,let no one be fooled about this. Jonah knew that God was  gracious,merciful,slow to anger,and extremely kind[4v2]. He also knew that God was a God who judged sin,and that is what he desired God to do,he wanted this nation,who where a very wicked and cruel people,to be destroyed and cast into hell.  But it did not happen and  Jonah knew it would not happen,he hoped so much that it would  happen,but He knew his God,in some ways he had a balanced view of God. The problem lay in Jonah he just could not come to terms with the fact that God,would spare such a wicked people, but to Jonah's dismay and displeasure, He did.
A  prayer......./ Dear God forgive us our blind stubborn ways,help us not to as it were spilt You in
two,but to accept You as You really are,and not according to our likes and dislikes,in Jesus name Amen




two,

Just as we are. [ Acts 16 v31]

I have a dear friend ,who was brought up in Dublin, his family where devoted Roman Catholics, his brother became a priest,and he went to seminary to also become one. Yet all the time he was seeking for an assurance of sins forgiven, to no avail,all the time he was at the seminary ,the trainees never studied the Bible. As he looked at his fellow trainees,he observed that none of them had any assurance of sins forgiven.One of the priests confessed to him,that he hoped that he was dead before Christ  returned,because he was filled with a dread,and wondered where could hide from Him,in other words he had no assurance of his sins being forgiven,and so lived in constant fear of judgement. My friend resigned from the seminary and continued to seek for what he desired with all his heart, an assurance of his sins forgiven. He eventually did find the answer when he simply trusted Jesus ,instead of trusting in the church,the so called sacrament's,Mary, the priesthood, good works. He realised that none of those  things could save him, the fact is ,we are not saved by things,but by a   person called Jesus.As the old  hymn tells us, we must come just as we are, and simply trust Him who alone can save.
A prayer  ...../Dear God we thank You that there is only one Saviour ,Jesus, He paid it all, thank you in His name Amen/

Witnessing [Matthew 10 v16]

Sometimes it is hard to know whither to speak out or say nothing,witnessing for Christ is something all Christians should do,,but when to speak that is the question?.There seems to be we all need a degree of boldness,and a great deal of wisdom,as I grow older I am less inclined to speak,and that concerns me at times. My desire is that everyone without exception should know Christ,as I hope it is yours,but how to win them ,how to be a fisher of men,that is the question?That is the question I wrestle with ,I am sure we need to go forward prayerfully,to seek to be usable and effective ,how do we define effectiveness, depending on God?,yes, but we we need to ask God ,if there is anything we are doing that is stopping  Him, using us in an effective manner.The greatest barrier to effectiveness would be wrong practises ,our lives must be free from those things that cause people  not wanting to listen to are attempt,to speak to them about Christ.Jesus said let your light shine that men see our good works.[Matthew 5v16].Our Saviour continually challenged the religious  people,in regards to their hypocrisy,their hardness of heart,we must seek not only talk about Jesus but we must walk the walk. Often it is our walk that can grant us opportunities to  witness about Christ,but remember it is no guarantee that people will respond.The challenge for all us who know Christ, is to be His witness,by our lives and our words,and to leave the results with God.
A   prayer...../Dear God grant that You may use us to some degree to be effective witnesses for Your glory, in Jesus name Amen/

Our greatest resource. [ Luke 18v 1-7]

What is our greatest resource?,not our bank account,not our gifts,our greatest resource is prayer,what is Elijah remembered for,? prayer,what is the greatest,blessing that David left us ?prayer,his Psalms are but prayers put to song.What did our Lord do before Calvary?,He prayed,His crucifixion was peppered with prayer.The Devil would cause us to the doubt importance of Prayer,the pressures of life would cause us to have no time for prayer,the disappointments of life can cause us to despair ,and give up praying. There may appear many reasons not to pray,but there are overwhelming reasons to pray, our Saviour ,said that we should always pray[Luke 18v1], and He added , and not loose heart. We are called to perseverance in our Christian life [Ephesians 6 v18],and that includes prayer,indeed if we are going to persevere then we need to pray. In praying we are granted the strength to press on,there may be delays in our requests when we pray, God may not grant us our request when we pray,but there will be answers,needs will be met,doors will open,healing will take place,the enemy of our souls, will flee from us[James 4 v7].The saints prayers are precious to God,in Revelation 5 v8 they are seen as incense, arising to God, David prays,/Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense[Psalm 141 v2].You make think your prayers are weak,limited,and ineffective,but in Gods sight they are precious and pleasing,even in their imperfectness.
A  prayer...../Dear God grant us grace to pray in Jesus name Amen/

Prepare to meet Thy God. [ Amos 4 v12]

I have never heard of Black Friday,until yesterday,it originated in the United States in Philadelphia,it was called that because of congestion by traffic and predestines,out shopping the day after Thanksgiving.There are other reasons,but whatever the reason it is spreading all over the world,retailers like Walmarts , use it as special sales day ,where things are reduced greatly in price. This has even reached Belfast my home town,I know this as there was a news item,reporting on the violence by shoppers seeking bargains. I know we all love a bargain ,but as I watched the news item, I felt sad how people appeared to displaying sale rage. Later on I thought,if only those dear people would show the same concern for their souls,if only,but alas most of them ,live for the THINGS OF TIME.In Matthew 11v12,we read,/The Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force./ It is Denney who wrote,that the/ Kingdom of heaven is not for the well meaning,but for the desperate/ I never suffered when I became a Christian, but many do, many in this world,suffer greatly,but inspite of this they are desperate for that which is of more value that a 42inch TV,Christ the pearl of greatest price.
A prayer..../ Dear God have mercy on mankind who so easily are blinded by earths fading glory,grant Lord that there will be turning to the person of Christ, who alone can save and satisfy Amen /

Dont Give up on people.[ Luke 13 v6ff]

I purchased an orchid about 15th months ago,the people I bought it from instructed me as to its care,it is called cool breeze,and had a lovely bloom on it.They bloom for a long period ,but they also take a long time before they bloom again. For over a year it has had no bloom on it,I had cared for it watering it ,pruning where necessary,and kept looking for a signs of a new bloom. I must confess I felt like throwing it out,because I bought it for its bloom of lovely flowers,not for its big green leaves. I wanted flowers,well the good news is I have noticed two shoots beginning to grow,hopefully I will have my desire ,it flowering.It reminded me of a story  in Luke 13 v 6ff our Saviour told of a man who planted a fig tree,and when he came to gather fruit from that tree,there was none on it.He spoke to the man he had put in charge of this fig tree,saying how for three years ,he had come looking  for fruit,but had found none,and his decision was to cut it down.The man in charge counsels patience,and not to give up on the plant,who knows it may bear fruit.W. Barclay,  mentions 3 things in relation to this story [1] Uselessness invites disaster. [2] Nothing which only takes out can survive. [3]It tells us of the gospel of the second chance.  What I see in this story is very simple,don't give up on people,who knows under God they may change,I will think of that every time I look at my orchid.
A prayer...../ Dear God we thank You that inspite of our stubbornness, You never give up on us,help us to not give up on anyone in Jesus name Amen /

Obey the warnings [Acts 16 v 25ff]

I am reading one of my favourite books,/The wind and the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame/ a story about animals ,and their adventures,I love the characters,Mole,Ratty,Badger,and of course Toad of Toad hall.Mole is a lovely little fellow,who gets himself into trouble,by going into the Wild Wood,His friend Ratty,tried to warn him not to go into the Wild Wood,but he didn't listen. It is a sad commentary on most of us,that like Moly we ignore the warnings , children are warned not to talk to strangers,yet thousands of children are ignoring that warning,by going unto the inter-net,and responding to perverts,pretending to be their friend. Consider how many people ignore the warnings on cigarette packets,and still smoke,with all the consequences that can bring.People ignor the warning that they should  not use there mobile phones while driving,and find themselves in deep trouble with the law,simply because they ignored the warning.As I read the OT I read of a people who were continually being warned of the consequences of disobeying God,by ignoring Gods messengers.Gods warning must be taken seriously . If you are not saved ,is it not time for you to begin to take the warnings from God seriously?, a life without Christ,a death without Christ,brings with it a severe warning,of eternal judgement,ignore this at your cost, obey the warnings,before it is to late.
A  prayer...../Dear God help us to not ignor the warnings that you give,help us to flee from the wrath to come in Jesus name Amen]

The Bread of Life.[John 6 v 35]

I must confess that I love bread,I like trying different types of bread,like pumpkin seed,cranberry and orange loaf,walnut loaf,potato bread,wheaten bread,and my own particular favourite soda farls. Bread is called the staff of life,a basic food, without it many people would  starve to death. In John 6, we read how Jesus fed thousands of people with a few loaves and fish,this reminded the people of the manna that Israel lived on in their wilderness wanderings. The people Jesus fed thought that here was someone who would feed them,they would not have to go hungry,so they clamoured after Him. The miracles in Johns gospel are seen as signs,pointing a vital truth,all the people saw was the bread and Jesus their meal ticket.So Jesus began to teach them the meaning of the miracle,He clarifies their wrong understanding as regards the manna,God gave that 6v32,not Moses, lets us not rob God of the glory due to His name.Then He mentions the true bread that has come down ,here He is not talking about the manna,but Himself,He is the bread of life,and if they receive Him they would experience everlasting life,mankind has a deeper need that bread from the bakers,and it is to be found in Jesus[v 35]  In Christ ,W Barclay writes,/Life is there for the taking- and the refusing/,so whats it to be ?
A  prayer...../ Dear God we thank You for Jesus the bread of life who alone can save and satisfy Amen/

Pass it on.[2 Corinthians 1 v3-4]

There is a saying ,that there is no gain without pain,having just been to the physiotherapist,I hope that this is true.It is true that there are a lot of painful experiences,which can bring forth gain,an operation,going to the dentist,going to the gym,and so on. Let us read the following from the Message,/God of all healing coumsel,He comes along side us when we go through hard times, and before you know it,He brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times,so we can be there for that person just as God was there for us 2 Corinthians 1 v 3-4 ]My heart goes out to those in need, because I remember when I was in need,my heart goes out to those who have suffered, because of the things I have suffered. I know the pain of being in the ministry,and I suppose my heart goes out to our young pastor, and would not want anybody to hurt him.God permits us to go through painful experiences,and He comes to us, when we are hurting,comforts us,upholds us,and most of all stands by us.So it is when we meet those who are going through difficulties,let us help in whatever way we can . God said  many times for Israel to remember there former state,and how He had helped them,so they are called act in a similar manner,to those in need.If you are suffering,or have suffered,and experienced Gods comfort,pass it on ,to a fellow sufferer.
A  prayer..../ Dear God thank You for the comfort You show us in our trials,help us to comfort others who are experiencing pain,be it physical,mental or even spiritual, in Jesus name Amen /

The whirlwind.[ Hosea 6 v1]

In Hosea 8v7,we read ,/For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind/. Israel had sought to form alliances with Assyria,they also had given themselves over to idolatry,they where the people God had chosen for His special possession,but they forsook Him,forgotten Him,although He had never forsaken them, nor forgotten them.Gods love for His own never changes,that's a fact that cannot be denied,it is us who do the backsliding.It is us who take our eyes of the Lord,we let our gaze wonder to the vain and foolish things of this world,things that cannot satisfy.When we do this we are setting ourselves up for a fall,and we will inevitably suffer,as Israel,and Judah would find out. My study Bible says,/When we seek security in anything except God, we expose ourselves to great danger.Without God there is no lasting security/.Israel would reap the whirlwind,consider how devastating a whirlwind is,we are becoming more,and more familiar with the devastation that strong winds can cause.Remember there is always a cost when we reject God,or when we backslide,it may not be obvious, let us not be fooled or bury our heads in the sand,or as it were  put the phone down,if we sow so shall we reap.
A prayer...../Dear God grant that we will never wander from You,and for those who have ,in wrath remember mercy,in Jesus name Amen/

Instilling fear. [ Psalm 23 ]

I  received one of those phone ,in which I politely say I am not interested,and then put the phone down,but I got sucked into this one ,and found myself listening to a very determined man. He went on about the possible short coming of an endowment I took out,even though I told him, I knew what I was doing,but to get home his point,he stated the amount I may loose out .he did not want to listen to me,he just wanted to make a killing,and so he said things that were unsettling,and sought to instill fear.I finished the conversation ,but I felt fear creeping in what if he is right,what if.?.The enemy of our souls wants us to run scared,panic and act in a way that will not be helpful,and so I prayed about it,brought it God, and as I did I remembered the exceeding a great promises,from a God who cannot lie [Titus 1 v2]. Yes if I was miss-sold it I should take action ,but I was not,the only action I am called to take is to trust in the Lord,whom I have trusted all my life,and have found Him faithful. I brought up 5 children, trusting in God to provide,He put shoes on their feet ,and clothes on their back, and food in their bellies. 
   A  prayer  by Charlotte Elliott..../O Jesus Christ my Saviour,we only look to Thee.
                                                        Tis in thy love and favour,our souls find liberty
                                                        While Satan fiercely rages,and shipwreck oft we fear.
                                                         Tis  this our grief assuages,that Thou art always near
                                                                                  Amen. .
                                                           lm 23 ]

Who needs weakness?. [ 2 Corinthians 12]

Weakness who needs it,the apostle was afflicted by weakness, he called it a thorn in the flesh,he see;s it as an affliction from Satan. [2 Corinthians12] In the previous chapter he describes his sufferings,and his overwhelming burden for the church of Christ.The apostle was a man consumed with the work of God,of making Christ known,and yet he is afflicted with a physical problem. The apostle did what most of us do,he prays for healing,after all there is so much to do,you don't send your wounded into battle,do you?,of course not.You send in your healthiest, fittest ,to fight,in sport you take off the injured,and yet God permits Paul to be weakened by an attack from Satan, why is it that in the service of God or the life of many of Gods children,He allows them to experience weakness,illness,bereavement?,take a look at what Paul had to endure[Chap11].Surely none of us need weakness?,wrong, that is the very thing we need,all of us,especially people like the apostle,but as I have said ,all of us. Why?in order that we will not be carried away by pride,the lowest of Gods saints, are all afflicted with that dreadful lurgy,pride,the apostle recognised this,we need to.The story does not finish there ,no,God promised Paul ,what he needed the most, Grace, his need would be supplied,and it would be sufficient to accomplish all God would have him to do.[Philippians 4 v13]
A  prayer..../ Dear God we confess we don't glory in our weaknesses,or even like them,and as You well know ,have prayed that You would remove them,help us to see that Your grace is what we ned the most, inJesus name we ask this. Amen /

Gods best. [ Hebrews 11 v 24ff]

I  have a little card with the following words on it, / Waiting on Gods best can be hard at times.....Remember His best is the best.It really is worth waiting for/ There is a saying fools rush in,and then discover how foolish they have been ,in looking back on my life,there where times when I ran before God ,instead of waiting for Him to open the door,thankfully God over ruled ,and shut the door.A person I know was looking for  somebody to marry,went on the inter-net,and was introduced to a person ,they met but near immediately she received a proposal of marriage,which she accepted,all  I could say was I will pray for you,what I wanted to say was, wait. Joseph had to wait until God  moved he may have thought , I was doing well in Potiphar's household why was I not allowed to stay there? why indeed the reason of course being,it was not Gods best for him. Often the road of life promises so much that appears good, yet may not be Gods best,let none of us be fooled by fools gold. Gods best may lead into many dangers,yes even death,but it is still God's best,our Saviour was offered the kingdoms of this world and its glory[Matthew 4v5ff],but he saw beyond this worlds fading glory to a glory of eternal values, a glory that would never fade,even though it meant enduring a cruel death on a cross.[Hebrews 12 v2].To choose that which is not Gods best will always be second best,no matter how it is dressed up,it is said of Moses that he made a choice to suffer for the sake of Christ,than to own the treasures of Egypt,for He looked forward to a great reward,one will never loose out ,when one chooses Gods best.
A  prayer....../Dear God help us always choose what You desire for us in Jesus name Amen /

It started with a look.[ Matthew 18 v 9]

We used to be a children's chorus that went,/Be care little eyes what you see there's a Saviour up above looking down with tender love,so be careful little eyes what you see/.There is often a process in relation to sin,and it often starts with the eyes,Job was conscious of this,so much so that he made a covenant with his eyes,not to look lustily on a young woman[31v1]. The Message is more graphic,it reads,/I made a solemn pact with myself never to undress a girl with my eyes/.It is said that the eyes are the windows of the soul, so what goes in through those windows can have a serious effect on us. The sin of Achon started with just a look,you remember how he broke Gods command and took what Israel was forbidden to take[Joshua 7],the result was dire consequences for Israel,his family,and himself. When he was found out and was brought before Joshua ,he confessed his sin,he declared ,I have sinned[v20],a good old fashion term,yet there is nothing good about sin no matter how it is dressed up.Then he goes on to relate what he did,[v21] he saw ,in other words he looked, then he coveted, and then he took, that which was forbidden by God,just like our first parents, [Genesis 3v6].Yes it so often starts with a look,so today let us bear this in mind,let us follow Jobs example, and make a covenant with our eyes.
A  prayer....../ Dear  God  grant us grace in relation to the window of our souls,that our looking will not lead us into sin,in Jesus name Amen /

How long.[James 1 v4]

In Daniel 8,Daniel receives a vision of things that will come to pass,and there is a point in the vision,when the question is asked ,How long,before its fulfilment?[v13] . How long?,when the Israelites where in Egypt as slaves, I can imagine that many may have asked that question,how long before they would be freed.When Joseph was in prison for something he did not do,he must have wondered .how long?.It is a question the Jews may have asked as they waited on the promised Messiah,how long?.It is a question that many believers are asking ,how long before Jesus returns?,how long?,it seems to me it is a question,that may be on the lips and in heart of many people.Today you may be experiencing a deep trial,and you have prayed, and prayed ,and you are crying out to God,how long before Gods deliverance?.There are a number of things we can apply to this question,Gods deliverance and answer will come in Gods time,Christ did not die until His hour had come,Gods timetable is in keeping with Gods purposes.We may be wondering why is God permitting me to endure a particular trial,well the word of God makes it clear that God is developing godly character in His children's lives,that important quality of patience [1 Peter 1v7,/James 5v11],also trust in God,the question that the book of Job asks is ,would Job trust God in the trial.Also to trust God to fulfil His word,If God has given you a promise, trust Him to fulfil it,the words of a Bill Gaither song comes to mind,/Hold on my child joy comes in the morning,the darkest hour is just before the dawn/.[Psalm 30 v5] A prayer..../Dear God,grant us the grace to persevere,to have patience,and to believe that Your way is always best, in Jesus name Amen.

Conservative certainties.[ Job 19 v 25]

Next year will be the 100th anniversary of the first world war,and I suppose there will be a glut of new publications. I am never to sure as to the reason for that war, a war that would result in 37million ,people being killed,and had a great bearing on the next great war ,that would result in over 60 million people being killed.It is Paul Ham in his book,/The eve of war/,who makes this telling comment as to one of the reasons for the first world war.Many of the leaders spoke of the need for a good war,that would preserve,the old worlds conservative certainties,and that the prospect of war offered a grand opportunity to ignor difficult domestic reforms/.The term conservative certainties is a very telling remark,and it seems to me when I think of so many things,events,this term could apply to,many medical discoveries have been held back because of those in power wanting to hold unto conservative certainties. In many areas of life people refuse to accept the need of change because of conservative certainties,we have always done it that way,is the cry of many.One of the reasons I believe the powers that be, rejected Christ was because they saw Him as a threat to their conservative certainties.Those so called conservative certainties ,had blinded them to the need to change, many of the practices and beliefs that had crept in, contrary to Gods word.Those who embraced Christ would be set free,from those conservative certainties,into the freedon and liberty of Gods kingdom. A prayer...../Dear God we praise You for sending Christ,who through His death and resurrection ,has brought us forgiveness and freedom Amen /

It will survive.[ Matthew 16 v18]

It is Jeremiah[ chap24] who was shown by God two baskets of figs,one basket had good figs the other had bad figs,the bad figs represented those who would suffer Gods judgement when Jerusalem would eventually be destroyed by the Babylonians.The good figs represented those who where taken to Babylon before this would happen,[ cpv1], and among those people were 4 young men,who would take a stand for their God,and a witness that would inspire and encourage Gods people. Although they where removed from their home,from the place of worship,they stood firm even when it could have cost them their lives. God who is sovereign would preserve His elect, I read the following recently,/The end of the church in Syria?/ ,well is it?,no the God who preserved the church in the OT,will preserve the church in Syria in the 21st century. So many regimes have and are trying to extinguish Gods church but they will not succeed ,the gates of Hell,the powers of Hell shall not win. The church will survive and grow,because God is in control,secularism, materialism.fanaticism in the form of religion,and political despots, will not succeed,for Jesus said I will build my church and all the powers of Hell will not conquer it.[Matthew 16v18.] A prayer ..../Dear Lord build Your church ,preserve Your church,in all this world,help us to not despair about Syria,or wherever the power of Hell manifest itself against Your church, Amen /

Broken and falling apart. [ Mark 5 v1ff]

A friend of mine who is an artist said,that he found things broken and falling apart are more interesting to paint,than the apparent near perfect.Christ our Saviour during His earthly ministry appeared to favour ,the broken and falling apart, a man possessed with demons,[ Mark 5 v 1ff ],no one could fix him ,no one could help him Christ did. His last saving act was to save a thief, who hung beside Him on a cross,all the authorities could do was kill him, Jesus heard this broken man ,cry out to Him,and He responded by assuring him of eternal life.The thing about broken people,and the worlds full of likewise falling apart people, so often society is at a loss to change them,or even help them. There was a time when my first wife Eileen and I wanted to emigrate,but she was turned down because ,she had suffered a breakdown when her mother had died.They did want someone who had a brokenness about them, when most people fall in love, smoke as the old song goes gets in their eyes,but when they get married they find that the person they married is anything but perfect,and soon the marriage is over.All of us are to some degree broken,and yes falling apart,one of the things Cromwell is remembered for,is when he was having his portrait painted,he instructed the artist to paint warts and all,you see even he was,broken and falling apart,as we all are.Here is the good news Christ came into world to save all of us,broken and falling apart people. A prayer..../Dear God we praise and thank You that Jesus came to save broken and falling apart people. Amen/

The Good Woman. [ Matthew 5 v16 ]

I  have just finished reading a brief yet informative account of the life of Gladys Aylward an English lady who served God in the land of China. She was born in London in 1902.The writer describes her as being neither pretty,nor clever,and small in stature,she had a dream  of becoming an actress. God had other plans for this little woman,was it  Oswald Chambers who said,/give up your small ambitions?/. She read a missionary magazine about China,of their poverty and of the many who never heard of Christ.She spoke to her brother,would he not go to China?,he replied, not me,why don't you go yourself?,it is  funny how God calls.We cannot shift the burden which God has placed on our hearts ,unto someone else,well  Gladys decided she would go to China,and so she did.She had many obstacles to overcome in getting to China,and getting to the place where she would serve the Lord,Yangcheng,where an elderly lady called Jeannie Lawson was.The Lord preserved and protected her, and eventually she arrived in the place of Gods appointment, to a  life, of serving God in what was a very inhospitable place,where white people where known as foreign devil's,But by her Christian example and ministry many people where helped and came to know Christ,Glady's became known as, Ai-weh-deh ,the Good Woman.
A  prayer.... / Dear God help us to respond to those burdens You place on our hearts,and help us to so serve You that people will see our good works and glorify You, in Jesus name Amen /

Stepping outside the norm.[ jOHN 2 V 5]

God sometimes asks us to do things that may appear strange,take the prophet Ezekiel among a number of things he was asked to do was to preach to a valley of  dry bone.Or what the Lord told the disciples, to feed thousands of people with a few loaves and fish[Luke 9v13],and for Moses to go back to the place he had run away from, because he had killed an Egyptian.What God tells people  if they want to be saved sounds very strange to many in this world to believe on a person who died on a cross, and to accept Him as their Saviour.To believe that the dead will be raised up again. Elijah also comes to mind ,he was told that birds would supply his food [1 Kings 17v4],for Ananias to go and pray for Saul,one who was known for hating Christians[Acts 9 v10ff].God not only works in mysterious ways but also in strange ways.Now of course we must not run with our imagination,,and we must be very carefully not to do something silly or dangerous,no let us work not on our own initiative,but as God directs. That means we do only what He directs us to do,let us as God directs be willing to step outside the norm,Ezekiel did, and so did our Saviour,when He left heaven, for planet earth.
A  prayer...../ Dear God help us to obey whatever You tell us to do,even it means stepping outside the norm, in Jesus name Amen/

Truth for our souls.[John 14 v6]

We must stand for the truth,of the word of God,now Shakespeare,Churchill,and Gandhi,and many other great people said many great things,here is a number of sayings by these three people,Shakespeare, said,/Tell Truth and shame the Devil/ , next Churchill,/This  truth is incontrovertible,people may resent it,ignorance may deride it,malice may distort it ,but there it is/ This is what William L. Shier,said,/ What did Gandhi teach me?, I suppose the greatest single thing was to seek the truth/.How important is the truth?,  to you, to me?. It is important that we all see the vital importance of truth, when one finds oneself before a judge,one swears to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,so help me God. A couple where arguing,and the wife turned unto her husband and said,you wouldn't know the truth if it was staring you in the face.Are you a seeker after truth?well consider, you may not like what you find, you may think it is not really important,and yet today there are people who are in prison,have been tortured, why? because of truth. Gods word is truth,it tells us what we would rather not hear,of our condition,and of our final destiny,if we reject Him who is the truth,even Jesus.
A  prayer....Dear God of truth,open our understanding to truth,open our hearts to receive Him who is the truth even Jesus. Amen/

Are we deceived? [1 John 1 v 8 ]

John tells us ,/If we say we have no sin,we deceive ourselves,and the truth is not in us[1 John 1v8],in this we are reminded that we are not sinless,there is no sinless perfection, for even the greatest believer.There are people and they are deceived into thinking they are sinless,but they are not,experience tells us that we are not sinless,the lives of those saints mentioned in Gods word bears out the truth, that the greatest of saints sin ,and can commit the greatest of sins.The devil who is called the accuser of the brethren,will not only tempt the child of God to sin,but he will seek to deceive the child of God into the error of sinless perfection..The fact of the matter is God is continually seeking to perfect His children,if they where perfect already there would be no need for that. Pride I am sure plays a large role in the child of God life,as long as we live it will never be eradicated,it will manifest itself,in a multitude of ways.Consider the challenge of loving, loving God,loving others,can any of us say that we totally fulfil that criteria?. Consider what it means to be holy,are we as holy as God?,I think not,in fact I am sure we are not,no wonder John wrote,/If we  say we have no sin,we deceive ourselves,and the truth is not in us./
A  prayer....../Holy God save us from been deceived ,help us to see that  this journey that we are on, is a striving after perfection,which will only be completed when we stand before you in heaven, in Jesus name Amen/

The human situation.[John 3v 16]

So God is knowable,yet unknowable,it was Job the great sufferer who declared as regards God,/Behold He taketh away,who can hinder Him?,who will say unto Him,what does Thou?[9v12].We are often judging God, and His ways,we cannot understand why a God who is love,will also be a God who will judge mankind and send them to Hell.Again Job reminds us that God is not a man,as he was[9v32].Consider what Isaiah wrote about God,/For my thoughts,are not your thoughts, neither are your ways,my ways,saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways,and my thoughts than your thoughts.[55v8-9]God declared the hymn writer ,moves in mysterious ways ,His ways are pass finding out,as a Christian of many years standing,I have not all the answers,I don't rub my hands with glee ,when I observe suffering,be it an individuals suffering or a nations.The Bible teaches that this is a fallen world,it came into that state by sin,this is the cause of all our trouble,and we are all caught in the consequences of that.Christians are suffering in the disasters of this world, as well as non-Christians.God permits his children to suffer,their loved ones die of cancer,road accidents,some are raped,and exploited.Why? ,is God being cruel?,no ,likewise as regards the bigger picture world disasters,wars famine.Although  it may be hard to understand such suffering,the fact is we are told that God loves the world,and linked up with that love is Gods answer Jesus.
A  prayer../.Dear God. have mercy upon those who are suffering,wherever that they be in Jesus name Amen /

Knowable, yet unknowable. [ Isaiah 40]

C. S. Lewis served as a soldier  in the first world war,and when he retuned from seeing the awful slaughter ,he lost faith in God,whom he felt could have stopped it,and didn't.One can understand that reasoning,the lastest disaster in the Philippians,has been called an act of God,is this not so,is God not sovereign?,then Why?.To be very honest I could say I do not understand,and I don't,are the people in the Philippians terrible sinners?have they done some terrible evil?. Someone said to me today ,these disasters appear to happen to the poor,which makes it appear to be even more cruel,had they not enough to contend with?.These are not easy things to understand,and my answer may not satisfy,and the bases of my argument is based upon my belief that God is sovereign. It is Tozer who writing about the person of God,writes that He is incomprehensible,the prophet asked Israel this question,/To whom then will ye liken God?,or what likeness will ye compare unto Him?[Isaiah 40v18].Is it not  true we are always trying to create a God in our image,in doing this we,are no different than those who carve out a stone image, and bow down to it. So let us cast of  our pride and bow humbly, before God ,whom Tozer declares , is not like anything that is,He is not exactly like anything or anybody/he goes on to say,/Left to ourselves we tend immediately to reduce God to manageable terms/.
A prayer..../Sovereign God we rejoice that through Jesus Your son we know You,and yet at the same time You are unknowable. Amen /

Who are the chosen, who are the few?.[ 2 Peter 1 ]

I am sure many Christians ask God, Why?, is yours a bitter why?,or just a sad why?, I found myself asking a why? ,and it was this,why are there so few ,that are saved? . Someone asked Jesus,/Lord are there few that be saved?/.I think about the old hymn which says, who are the chosen who are the few?.Well Jesus did not answer this question,he turned the question on this man,and stressed the vital importance,of any one who will be saved to make every effort to enter into salvation. Millions live such careless lives,they strain for so many things,and give little thought,for that day in which there will be unending weeping, and gnashing of teeth. Many think they know Jesus, but He does not know them,and will declare to them, depart  from Me,all ye workers of iniquity[ Luke 13 v27]His words are aimed at those people who felt  that God was tied into a one nation salvation.Not so ,Jesus tells them that ,His kingdom will contain, people from all over the world,from east,and west,north and south,they will take their place in Gods kingdom.[Luke 13v29] Unlike earthly kingdoms, were the so called great are honoured,in Gods kingdom there will be surprises,the least unlikely will receive the greatest honour.W. Henriksen in his com on Luke writes /,as there are degrees of suffering in Hell [Luke 12 v47-48],so there will be degrees of glory in the restored universe[1 Corinthians 15 v42]
A prayer..../Merciful God  in Jesus name save,and  helpYour dear childen  to see what matters to You.Amen/

We will remember [1 Corinthians 11 v 23-26 ]

Today our country will be remembering those who have given their lives for their country,this small island has been in many ,many wars, the greatest being,the first and second world wars. The first world war was suppose to be the war to end all wars,sadly that never happened,nations have not yet turned their weapons into tractors.So with every new remembrance day,it appears that more people are being added to this list of dead.  Tomorrow  many churches will also be remembering the greatest conflict that has ever taken place, not a conflict that involved tanks,guns or any sort of weapons. To those looking on it just appeared that one man, a popular man,but to some a dangerous threat to the nation, was being silenced.But in reality on that cross ,that one solitary man was aiming ,to defeat death,Satan,and the power and consequences of sin. His suffering was greater than anyone could imagine,but He endured it,for He saw the glory that lay beyond,and He also realised the consequences of failure for mankind. As he hung on that cross,darkness came over the land,and Jesus cries out,My God,my God,why have You forsaken me?,but then we read, that just before he died,Jesus cries out,it is finished[John 19v30].W Barclay writing on these words that they were not words of weary defeat but words of triumph, a shout of joy,of victory.The resurrection was to follow,bringing home the completeness of His victory,and ushering in salvation,for all who believe in Jesus.
A  prayer....../Dear God as we look by faith on the cross ,we will remember Him,,and praise Him for all eternity. Amen/



all eternty

Tea and cakes.[ Genesis 4 v1ff]

Police in tea and cakes, council election probe,so read the headlines in our local newspaper,it refers to a local election that took place recently.A candidate bought tea and cakes ,for elderly residents at a sheltered housing complex 11 days before the election. It appears at first glance an Innocent gesture but it is seen as suspect ,was it a bribe?or just a gesture of good will?.  One coming day,all will be revealed,about that event and every event,that ever took place,it is called the great judgement morning when all our actions will be revealed for what they really where.Now of course the judgement will include the living and the dead [Acts 10v42],for the Christian the worth of their work will be judged,as W Barclay points out,/someday our work will be tested, and the test will be carried out by none other than Jesus Himself . CP . 1Corinthians 3 v10 ff. The Christian is saved only by Christ and His finished work,nevertheless good works are as Thomas Brooks declares,/ they are the infallible evidence of our salvation,and eternal happiness/ Works of any kind for salvation ,cannot will not, do not count,we cannot hope to bribe God,or influence God,in any way,on that great judgement day.
A  prayer...../ Dear God help us as Christians to be sincere,in all things,and grant that those who know not Christ to see that while works are important,they will never be important enough to save them,in Jesus name Amen /

A burden [Romans 10 v 13-17 ]

I must confess I carry a burden,that never leaves me ,sometimes this burden has got me into trouble,often I feel I have failed in carrying out that burden, Sometimes I am not sure how I am going to share my burden, one time a long time ago as I shared that burden with my dying mother.It later got back to me that my mother was upset with me,for doing this,yet I could do no other,it is a burden that God has placed in my heart.Everyday I arise very early and bring this burden to God in prayer,I know I can only do so much,yet I feel I have never done enough,and never will,sometime I feel weary with this burden,and wonder what is being accomplished,by my prayers,and my sharing this burden,is it all a waste of time?.Then I have to remind myself that God has given me this burden,and that I must be faithful, yes faithful,for it will be in my faithfulness that I will be judged.I have to remind myself that I am not responsible for others who likewise carry that burden, I am only responsible for myself, although it concerns me when others fail to carry out that burden,and makes me sad.My burden is to tell others about Jesus,
A prayer....../Dear God help us all to see that as Christians we are all called to tell others about our Saviour. Amen /

The barriers have come down.[ Ephesians 2 ]

It is A. W. Tozer who wrote in his book,/The knowledge of the Holy,/ about God being incomprehensible./Yet here is the wonderful truth we can know such a God,Frederick W. Faber  wrote,/Darkness to my intellect,but sunshine  to the heart/.I am more and more amazed, that I know this incomprehensible God, but I do.My earliest recollections of God was lying in my bed, and realising that God was my Father,this has brought great comfort to me,and has always remained with me. Writing on the birth of Jesus,John Donne wrote of, Immensity cloistered in the womb.The birth of Jesus is a mystery ,God manifest in the flesh, yet in that mystery,we have revealed to us ,a God who is knowable,and personal,in which a child can know Him,likewise an Einstein.The barriers have come down,the only barrier, to knowing Him ,are man made barriers,pride,and human reasoning. The story is told of a child who had a desire to meet with,the great king who lived in a great palace,he made his way to that palace,on his way he met a priest who asked him where he was going,to the palace to see the king,the priest laughed at him,you are only a child a nobody ,no way, will you be allowed into the palace.The young boy felt crushed and sat down by the road and started to cry,as he sat there a young man came along,and spoke to him,why are you crying,the boy told him.Well said the young man I am the kings son, come along with me,and so he took the child's hand,and brought him right into the palace ,and into the presence of the king.God is incomprehensible,but He is knowable through His dear son Jesus,the barriers have truly come down.
A  prayer....../ God of mystery,we thank You that we  can  know You through Your  son Jesus Amen /

Some day the Sun will shine. [ Revelation 21 v 4]

It was Paul that great apostle, and great sufferer for the cause of Christ who  wrote in that great letter to the Romans,/For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time , are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us[8v18].In 2 Corinthians 4 v17, he also wrote,/For  our light  affliction, which is for a moment ,worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory/.Now Paul  suffered suffered a great deal, and yet here he wrote of our light affliction,yet his suffering was anything but light, cp [2 Corinthians 11 v23ff]  In  Romans 8 v18 ,Paul reminds us ,that all the suffering  that  the child of God endures will gave way to the glory of an eternal state,to an exceeding and eternal weight of glory.I read and pray for many Christians who are suffering,at this time,because they belong to Christ, and of course the nature of life brings with it different trials. The story is told of an old Highland woman who had to leave the clean air  and the blue waters and the purple hills and live in the slum of a great city. She still lived close to God,and one day she said, God will make it up to me,and I will see the flowers again.
A  prayer......./Dear God in this fallen world help us to see that some day the sun will shine again, in Jesus name Amen/

Criticism. [ Proverbs 25 v11-12 ]

A lady I know said my daily devotional is starchy,now many of us do not like criticism,I am not sure if I liked what that lady said,but maybe she is right.Whither I can change my devotional to be less starchy I don't know,we will see.We should be open to criticism even though we may not like it,it hits at our pride,and that is something we all have plenty of. Someone speaking of a certain politician said,there goes God but for the grace of God,we smile at this, but there is a lot of truth in those words.I believe we all have degree of wanting to usurp Gods rule,we all have a tendency to be little gods.Thank God for your critics ,yes their criticism may not be valid but it may be,pray about it,ask God as to the truth of it,and if its valid,ask Him to help you to change.
A  prayer......./Dear God  grant us grace to accept criticism,and the humility to change, in Jesus name Amen ./

What if ? [ Matthew 6 v 34 ]

I am blessed with grandchildren,who come and stay with us at times,recently  we went to the cinema to watch a movie about a snail called Turbo.I enjoyed this movie.This little snail receives power to go super fast and he has the opportunity to race in the Indianapolis's 500,but Turbo has a brother whose very concerned for him and he asks Turbo,/What if you wake up tomorrow and your powers are all gone,Turbo replies,Then we will have to make the most of today/ .Lets be honest, we are all ,what if people, to some extent,whats your what if?,finance,changing circumstances,physical,emotional.Our Saviour was well aware that we are a what if people,in Matthew 6, He exhorts us to not worry about tomorrow,in fact He says don't take any thought for it, it is a waste of time.He stresses what we should focus on is a loving God who will care for His children. He points out that God cares for his creation and that we are more valuable than many sparrows[Matthew 10 v31]There is little chorus comes to mind , /Yesterday ,today for ever,Jesus is the same all may change but Jesus never, glory to His name/. The one who was with you yesterday ,is with you today,and will be with you tomorrow,so fear not,trust Him to undertake ,He is faithful.
A  prayer...../Dear God I must confess that I am a what if person,I at times feel concern as regards the unknown tomorrow,forgive me,and help me to trust and not to be afraid, in Jesus name Amen /

Enough is enough [Matthew 23]

I am just finishing reading the book of Jeremiah, he is known as the weeping prophet,his task was to minister Gods word faithfully,and this he did. At times he struggled,when you consider what he had to do,one can understand his difficulties.The Jews were a people whom God had chosen,they continually backslid, copying the nations around them,by adopting their religions,by  killing the godly.They often ignored God laws, the priests,and so called prophets,and rulers ,committed many evil's,and all the time God  was speaking to them. God would deal with them,by letting their enemies triumph over them, then they would repent ,God would forgive,and deliver them,until the next time. So it continued till it became so bad that God would act in the most severe manner,that is where Jeremiah comes in,Jeremiah continually warned the people that disaster was coming,it appears even at this late stage ,God would show mercy, if they would only forsake their backsliding ways,and turn to Him,but it was not to be. In spite of  God dealing with the northern kingdom Israel,by removing them from the land,the southern kingdom Judah continued on in their evil ways.They took comfort in the fact that they had the temple ,but as is shown in Ezekiel there was a moment when the Lords presence left the temple because of the idolatry's practises taken place in it. The temple had become but a building, and nothing would save them, as they blindly stumbled on,ignoring Gods messenger, and God word, He would act in the most severe manner,yet in His mercy a remnant would be spared,and eventually would be brought back from exile.It appears that God said enough is enough ,and so judgement fell upon a nation,who killed Gods prophets,and continually rejected His ways [CP Matthew 23]
A  prayer....../ Dear God we ask for grace and mercy to be shown to this rebellious world in Jesus name. Amen/

Secular. [ 1 John 5 v 19]

We here the word secular mentioned a lot these days,just recently a judge was quoited in a newspaper, saying that because the nation we live in is a secular society,they must change the way they judge.In other words not on the bases of being a so called Christian country,it  appears to have a validity about it,but I wonder if it has?. We live in changing times, as Christians we do need to adopt,without compromising,while the history of our country is one of deep Christian influence,things have changed. To the word secular I would add sinful,sad to say many leading church people,appear to play down this fact, and that is a problem,because whatever the status of our nation,it is the Christian who is called to be the light,a person I know was spoken to by a minister,and was told they needed light ,not darkness.The word of God tells us that men love darkness rather than light,as we view this secular nation,we see so much darkness,,in so many areas of life.It applies to religious darkness, a Christless religion is a spiritual darkness,and as to those who are secular non Christians,they are in a darkness that will only lead them into a deeper, and deeper alienation from Him who is the light of the world.
A  Prayer...../ Dear God help us to not be fooled by the word secular,help us to see the true state of mankind is darkness,help us always to walk in the light,and to point people to Your dear Jesus who is Light of the world. Amen /

God is not sentimental [2 Thessalonians 1 v 7-9]

 I do not visit my first wife's grave often ,but sometimes I do,I know she is in heaven,on a recent visit I cast my eyes over the hundreds of graves in the graveyard, words of scripture came to mind, they read like this,/For the  Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice  of the archangel,and with the trump of  God, and the dead in Christ  shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air,and so shall we ever be with the Lord  [1 Thessalonians 4 v 16-17].Now these words were written for Christians ,words of instruction and encouragement.,on the other hand the words for the unbeliever, in 2 Thessalonians 1 v 7-9 ,are words of warning to every unbelieving soul,to seek the Lord before it is to late, I wrote in a recent blog, there is a storm coming,and the only way to escape this storm is in knowing Christ as Saviour, no other way,tears will not count,works will not count,God is not a sentimentalist,He has provided a way for people to be saved,any other way is a road to a lost eternity..
A  prayer ..../ Dear God we thank You that through Christ the grave is not the end, yes there is victory in Jesus .Amen /

I am a somebody.[ 1 John 3 v1 ]

Consider all the great people in the Bible,Abraham the great people of faith,Moses the great leader,Job the great man of patience,Ruth the great ,great grandmother of David,David the great king of Israel.All these and many more we could mention where great people,also the vast number of other people from church history,George Mullier,Martin Luther ,and so on,all these could be considered outstanding Christians,people whom God used. But what about you and I?,we are it appears insignificant  in comparison to all those great people. These people were great, but God is not only the God of Abraham, He is also the God of Billy, and the God of,you can add your name to that list,we all are significant in Gods eyes,He values every one of His children equally,we are all considered precious, and important.God listens to all His children's prayers,simply because they are His children, He does not brush us aside because He favours others,no He opens His arms and hugs all His children, all, I stress all.You see every child of God  has been brought into that relationship,at a tremendous price,that price being the death of Jesus,that means everyone of His children are so precious to Him.Yes in once sense we are all nobodies ,who have become somebodies by Gods love,mercy,grace.
A  prayer...../Dear God we praise that you love us all,that we who are nobodies are now Your children whom You love, through Jesus Your son Amen./

Comfirmation. [ Jeremiah 32 ]

Jeremiah was told by God to do something that did not make sense,to purchase a piece of land from his nephew,at that time the Babylonians where besieging Jerusalem [chap32]. God had showed Jeremiah that the Babylonians would take the city and that the inhabitants would be taken into exile,why bother to buy this land?.The buying of this land was a sign,to Jeremiah and to the Jews that God would after 70 years would bring the Jews back to there land.First of all we see that the symbol of buying the land was made clear by Gods word,baptisim,the Lords table,these symbols are meaningless without Gods word,the word gives the meaning. Jeremiah had to act in faith ,he wondered about what he was asked to do[32v25],so God  put a question back to him,Jesus often did this ,and the question God spoke to Jeremiah was,/Is there anything to hard for Me?/[32v27].Jeremiah had declared in v17,/Ah Lord God.......there is nothing to hard for thee/.Now he was being asked to believe what he had spoken.As a preacher I can challenge people to believe God,but make no mistake,it does not stop there,I will have to also act in faith, and believe God.Jeremiah acted on what God had told him to do,make sure that when you are acting,it is on the bases of what God has told you,What Jeremiah was asked to do, was confirmed by his nephew  coming to him and asking him to buy the piece of land,Gideon was granted confirmation as to what he was to do. To ask for confirmation before we act is often a Biblical principal,if it is of God then the door will open,the need will be met.
A  prayer..../Dear God confirm thy will to us and then help us to move in faith ,and to trust in You in Jesus name Amen/

Follow in their footsteps. [Hebrews 11]

So the storm has arrived,well we were warned,we did our best to secure things down,but there was only so much one can do. We have had so far a fence blown down,hopefully that is the only damage we will have,on the news we see that a young 14yr boy has been drowned.The life boat has been out searching for him,those who man those lifeboats are very brave,I remember the story of Grace Darling who with her father rescued seamen who where in danger of drowning.Some animals have received medals for their acts of bravery,pigeons played a big part in the ist and 2nd world wars.The  entertainment industry have invented super heroes,like superman,batman,they were pictured as saving the world. John Macarthur has written a book called, Twelve Unlikely Heroes/. they are people from the Bible. John Macarthur writes,/The great cloud of witnesses,the human heroes of Scripture point us to someone beyond themselves.  He is the one to whom they continually looked in faith,and on whom they constantly depended/. I can think of some modern day heroes ,here is a few of their  names Shamin Lahout,Behnam Irani,Augustine Ashiq Kingri Masih,Goa Zhisheng , Filep Karma. These heroes and many more like them,are serving prison sentences ,for being Christians,truly of whom the world is not worthy,let us thank God for them,and let us be encouraged to  follow in their footsteps,we like them can be heroes.
A  prayer...../ Dear God help us  to be faithful to our Saviour ,in our walk, and in our talk ,we ask this in Jesus name. Amen/

There is a storm coming. [John 3 v16 ]

We have been warned,there is a storm coming ,strong winds and rain, when the forces of nature take over there is not much one can do.Such events are recorded in the Bible when God used the forces of  nature to bring judgement upon those who He saw fit to judge. Consider the different judgements,the first being the flood Genesis 6-8,next we have was Sodom and Gomorrah [Gen 19],which God destroyed by fire.It would be an interesting study,to consider how many times God used nature to bring Judgement upon people.But let us consider, those words there is a storm coming,now what I am going to say will not be acceptable to certain people,why?. Well for some the fact that a God of  love,would judge people appears contradictory,there was famous scholar called C.H. Dodd, who could not accept this.Now he did something no true scholar should ever do ,he let his rational thinking take over so when it came to translating the word propitiation,he changed it to expiation,seemingly he was not even pleases with that also..Now it is D. A. Carson who writes,/  Propitiation refers to satisfying wrath, Expiation refers to cancelling sin/. You see without the wrath of God being poured out on Christ for our sin[ 1 John 4 v10],our sin could never have been cancelled. And if that had not happened all that would await every human being,would be the wrath of God. For those who have never trusted Christ ,there is a storm coming,just as sure as it came upon Sodom and Gomorrah,only it will be far worse,for it will know no ending.
A  prayer..../Dear God we ask that You would help us to see the importance,of trusting Jesus,in the light of the storm that is coming upon this world, in Jesus  name Amen /

Not finished with us.[ Jeremiah 29 v11]

Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet,[CP 9v1/13 v17/14v17] why?,because he was given insight as to what was coming upon his nation,judgement. One just has to read about the state of the nation,that had persisted inspite of God speaking continually to them.The idolatry,the injustice,oppression of the poor,Jeremiah was Gods messenger who challenged them ,pleaded with them,to no avail.So God was going to act, the Babylonians where coming, and they would show little mercy,they would loot and destroy,rape and kill,the temple that had become a superstitious symbol would be destroyed.God was determined to rid this people of their sinful ways,it was a hard task but God would accomplish His   plan and purpose for his people. First of all God loved them,with an everlasting love[31v3],a love that continued to plead with them,a love that would cause Him to deal with them ,even in the most severe ways.He did not strike them to destroy them,it was not a sign that He had forsaken them,for whom the Lord loveth  He chasteneth,He was not finished with them. In chapter 29 we have Jeremiah writing to the captives in Babylon instructing them and assuring them that God was not finished with them, v11 reads,/For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,saith the Lord,thoughts of peace,and not of evil,to give you an expected end/.
A  prayer.../ Dear God we thank You for the patients You show to us,and the  assurance that You deal with us Your children always in love,in Jesus Name Amen /
 [I will return to my blog Monday,God bless]