Ambition. [Philippians 2 v1-12 ]

A young man was driving to a job interview,as he was driving,as he came to certain intersection,and so he gave way ,and let a waiting motorist out,the driver acknowledged what he did,and the young man carried on. When he went into his interview,the man who did the interview,said he recognised him as the person who had given way, at the busy intersection,he went on to say that he was not going to give him the job.The reason being he believed the young man was not ambitious enough,the people he wanted,were those who were ruthless and would not give way to anybody.Our Saviour said blessed are the meek,for they shall inherit the earth[Matthew 5v5 ] Another little story,Tarzan was talking to Jane, and he said, you know Jane, its a jungle out there[my humour],for many people,those words sums up their outlook on life.A young man was being dismissed from his job,because he was told he had not performed as they thought he should have,and then the person said but you are a nice person.We need to be successful,but not to the point of being uncaring, and unloving,the fact is ,the world is crying out for nice people,the challenge for the followers of Christ,is to be nice,loving,yes meek,and gentle,we do not trample on anybody.
A prayer..../ Dear God help us to be ruled by Your Spirit, and not by the spirit of this world, in Jesus name Amen ]

Chosen. [ 1 Peter 2 v 9-10 ]

One of the great themes in the Bible is Gods choosing or electing certain people to salvation, it unfortunately is a subject of great controversy.In Ephesians 1 v4-5,we read,/According as He hath chosen us.......having predestined us/In the Gospels Jesus speaks often of Him choosing his disciples[John 15 v16],and of course we often use the term of Israel in the OT as Gods chosen people.John Stott wrote this,/The doctrine of election is a divine revelation, not a human speculation. It was not invented by Augustine of Hippo or Calvin of Geneva. On the contrary, it is a biblical doctrine, and no biblical Christian can ignore it./ Now this raises different issues,do we not have a Free will?,it is Luther who wrote of the bondage of the will. What we can say is ,we all have a will, and are accountable as to our choices. F.F. Bruce wrote ,/The predestination love of God is commended more by those who lead holy , and Christlike lives, than by those whose attempts to unravel the mystery,partake of the nature of logic- chopping/.In a sense we come back to where we started,the Bible clearly teaches that God chooses, why me, and not another?,maybe this is something we will never fully understand,like many doctrines,can any of us fully understand the trinity?, the answer is no,but the Bible teaches it, so I believe it.. The fact of the matter is the God of love chooses whom He wills, and in so doing receives glory and honour.
A  Prayer.......Dear God we rejoice that You are sovereign we cannot fully understand this doctrine,but we do know ,that You are a God of love,and will always make the right choice,thank You in Jesus name Amen/

A coincidence? [ James 4 v3-4/ 5 v17-18 ]

The longer I go on in my Christian life I see the importance of prayer and  how vital,the importance of taking everything to God in prayer.When we pray things happen, ask the question,what is happening?,our relationship with God deepens,and we do become stronger.We often say when we pray about something, or ask for something ,there are three ways God can answer,yes, no and wait. Why three answers because prayer is a two way activity,in which we the creature are praying to the creator. I was at a checkout at a supermarket recently and behind me was a mother and a child,the youngster wanted something and the mum said no,the child reacted in an overflow of emotions. Let us who are children[of God] remember we cannot have everything we want,as I look at the condition of my teeth,with there many fillings,and think of  all the treatment I had to endure,I wish I had been denied sweets. Many parents are literally killing their children with the amount of food they feed them,its a sort of dysfunctional love.Our heavenly parent God the Father, loves all His children with a perfect love,a love that will deny as He sees fit,and grant us what we desire, when He sees fit. Just recently my youngest boy lost his job suddenly ,but within a short time,he had a new job and is  now in line for promotion, a coincidence?, no we prayed, and God answered prayer.
A  prayer..../Our Father in heaven help us to pray, even when we dont feel like it,even when we cannot understand in Jesus name Amen /

What Jesus is offering. [John 4 v 1-26 ]

John Stott wrote,/Karl Marx wrote of,  the new man and the new society/,these two aspects Marx thought would emerge as a result of economic liberation.Now of course we all want to see a more fairer world,a world of economic equality, a world where the poor are fed,and clothed,and I believe we should pray for this,work towards this. But a Christian I know that this will never be enough,for be man, poor or rich,they have a deep spiritual need,to ignore this ,which the secular person does,is to court disaster. It is to ignore the the realities of a society that is out of touch with each other,and mans fallen nature,manifested in a multitude of ways. It is to ignore that man has a deep hunger ,which they try to satisfy by sex,food,entertainment,buying all sorts of things,it is thought that a quarter of our population is obese.Jesus , was continually calling people to come to Him who alone can satisfy their deepest need,society calls us to eat more,to buy more,to have more,Jesus stands and says to us I have come that you may have life,and have it more abundantly.Jesus said to a woman at a well,/ If you knew the generosity of God, and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink,and I would gave you fresh,living water...who drinks this water would never thirst again/.The woman did not understand what Jesus was offering to her and to all mankind,a life so different so fulfilling,that it would truly satisfy our deepest needs.
A  prayer..../Dear God help us to see that only through Your son Jesus,our deepest need can be met Amen /

Kiosk. [ Judges 21 v25 ]

I was listening to the radio,and someone said we desired freedom,but all we got was kiosk, we live in an age when so much is counted as acceptable,which in fact is unacceptable. Are we surprised that so many people are involved in wrong activities,there is a advert  on the TV,that shows a woman with her son,and as a guy passes by,she says to her young son ,I am going to ask Dave to move in,do you mind?. The advert is showing it as it is for so many people,we have a rootless society,were so many things are going wrong,what moral guidelines can we expect from a secular society?none,after all we are led to believe that we are only an extension of the animal kingdom. The secular politicians are pushing their secular ideas,they  are looking at things purely from a human point of view,they will not ask what does God think.We have an national church, but where is their voice in all this,they are unfortunately, as much in kiosk as the society they live in, no clear message, comes from them. I have just recently begun to pray each day for their leader,I know that there are many dear servants of God,in our country,but their voice is not heard, all we hear is the confused and distorted voices, of the spiritually blind. Oh where are the Elijahs, the John the baptists, the Wesleys, Whitefields, or even the Billy Grahams?, these men never compromised,they were men of their times,but most of all they were Gods men .
A  prayer..../ Dear God we cry unto You for our western society,a society that has no roots,a society that is blessed is so many ways,and yet is gradually heading to where all the nations that forget God,to hell,oh God in wrath remember  mercy. in Jesus name Amen /

And the Lord heard. [ Numbers 12]

And the Lord heard,Miriam and Aaron challenged Moses, it appears as my study Bible says they were filled with envy,and jealousy at Moses position and influence ,so they used as an excuse his marriage to an Ethiopian women to criticise him. I used to hear criticism from a lady in my church ,as to my accent,she said she could not understand me, but this was not the real issue,for she stirred up trouble,about the content in my sermons,it was all very hurtful and unpleasant.Like Miriam and Aaron she was challenging my leadership,and like Moses I felt overwhelmed,what could he do ,although a man whom God had used he was in fact a very humble and meek person. So what does one do when one is unfairly attacked? manifest a meek and humble spirit.Moses didn't say a word,and its then we read,/And the Lord heard/did not Miriam and Aaron not realise that  God was listening?,seemingly not,but He was, and He responded, by dealing in particular with Miriam,who appears to have been the ring leader,Aaron was a weak person,[CP Exodus 32]Today let us all take take to heart the words ,/And the Lord heard/,he hears not only our words but he knows the motives of our heart,He not only hears but He will act,and judge us,and chasten us.
A prayer ......./ Dear Lord forgive our foolish words,our spiteful,and hurtful words,and the sinful motives behind our words, Amen /

His will, will be done. [ Romans 13 v1 ]

I am reading a book on Abraham Lincoln ,I am reading the part were he and 3 others where standing for the Republican party nominee to run for President.Of these four Lincoln was the most likely one not to be elected, a man called Seward was easily the favourite,he was confident he would,to such a point that preparations for his victory was in full swing. But Abraham Lincoln won,a man who came from a poor background,he was self taught,now whither he was a Christian I am not sure,but he was Gods man for the task,that lay ahead,as indeed was king Cyrus,who did not know God [Isaiah 45 v4].One wonders why God does not just use Christians,but He doesn't,He is sovereign,He will use whom He chooses . He will raise up whom He wants to perform His will and purposes,and will remove them as He sees fit,in all things He will work out His sovereign will, as He did with Pharaoh  [Exodus 10v1/ Romans 9 v17 /.Man is not sovereign, he may act as if he is ,but  God who is sovereign, will get glory,and honour,we may not understand why certain people are put in power,but God does,remember the words of the hymn, He moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform.
A  prayer....../ Dear God we bow before You,acknowledge that Your ways are past finding out,that You rule and overrule in all things,that Your purposes cannot be overturned, or thwarted,in Jesus name Amen /

What are we building upon?[Matthew 7 v24ff]

Not far from where I live  the driveway of a home has collapsed leaving a large hole,one can only imagine the reaction of the people who live there. One the problems for some people who live in coastal areas is soil erosion ,causing their homes to collapse into the sea.Thinking of the broader picture, I think of so many people who are like the man who built his home upon the sand[Matthew 7 v 24ff],the result the house collapsed. The question we need to ask ourselves what are we building our lives upon? be careful ,it may collapse around you.What caused me to think on these things are the words I read of a hymn, by Johann Andreas Rothe,/Now I have found the ground wherein, sure my souls anchor may remain,the wounds of Jesus, for my sin. Before the worlds foundation slain,whose mercy shall unshaken stay,when heaven, and earth are fled away/. Can you say that? Christ is the only sure foundation, for all our lives,again in the words of another hymn,/On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand/E Mote]
A prayer..../ Dear Lord help us to stop and consider what we are building our lives upon,on sinking sand or on the Rock Christ Jesus. Amen /

We must not compromise [ 1 Corinthians 14 v33]

In all my long ministry I have sought to be faithful to Gods truth,I often realise that what I say may offend, it is not my purpose to offend anyone,I like to be liked. A young man I heard preaching recently spoke of how he sought to win others, and he didn't tell them,that they were dirty rotten sinners,he sought to bring them to an awareness of their need,of Christ by probing them with questions like,you cant give up something or other,words that may make aware of their need of Christ. Now I understand what he is trying to do and I pray that God will bless his ministry,I am sure I can learn from others,but the fact is we all are without exception,dirty rotten sinners,when it come to describing peoples condition the prophets,used very strong and uncomplimentary words.Now of course we must speak the truth in love,even though what we are preaching may offend,in Acts 20v31,we read how Paul warned everyone night and day with tears.We must not fudge the fact that we are all sinners,and the consequences of that fact, and the preacher,yes he may use different ways to win people to Christ,but he must be faithful to Gods truth,sin,Hell,Gods answer,Christ,the cross.
A prayer...../ Dear God grant us wisdom as we witness to the lost,and help us not to fudge the issues in Jesus name Amen /

Consequences [ Joshua 7]

In the movie ,Frankenstein, based on the novel by Mary Shelly,the creature who has no name,asked Dr Frankenstein,/Did you ever consider the consequences of your actions?/.It is a question that is very relevant to the whole of humanity,there are people in prison, who never considered the consequences of their actions,there are broken marriages caused by unfaithfulness. There are so many situations and people who do not consider the consequences of there actions,it is obvious that King David did not consider the consequences of his adulterous affair [2 Samuel 11-12].Let us all this day weigh up the consequences of our actions,here is the positive point, our actions can have good consequences,as well as bad,if you stop smoking you may escape lung cancer,if you are restrained in your spending then you will escape crippling debt.If you refrain from drinking and driving,then you may not kill someone, and end up in prison,if you refrain from owning a gun, you will not shoot someone,and if you trust Christ .
A  prayer.... / Dear God help us by Your spirit to always consider the consequences of what we say ,or do, in Jesus name /

Neglect. [ Joshua 9 v14 ]

Sweet hour of prayer,sweet our of prayer,that calls me from a world of care,And bids me at my Fathers throne,make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief,my soul has often found relief,and oft escaped the tempters snare ,by thy return sweet hour of prayer.We can thank the Lord for so much, but surely one of the greatest blessing is prayer,that place where we meet with our God and Saviour,and find mercy, and find grace to help in our times of need.That place where the one who knows just how we feel, listens, and listens,and understands, and feels for our pain,and is delighted to hear from us.It blesses me when my children get in touch with me,and saddens me when they don't,why because I care for them,and most of all I love them.It saddens me when I observe some children never bothering with their parents,they so easily it seems forget the sacrifices that was made for them.Our loving heavenly Father loves us so much and would challenge our foolish independence and indeed our sinful independence,when we shut Him out,and act as we did in our unsaved days,we never seem to learn the lesson,and that is the need to seek unto God,why?because we need Him,every hour of every day. So if today the path of prayer  has been neglected,acknowledge it,and turn again to that sweet hour of prayer,and delight your loving Heavenly Father.
Dear God we acknowledge that it is not so much knowing how to pray is the problem,it is to to our shame the neglect of praying itself,so today help us to pray, in Jesus name Amen /
.

Welcome [Matthew 9 v11]

When my computer comes on, the word welcome comes on the screen,it is a nice word, it makes one feel wanted.One of the lovely things I observe as I read the gospels our Saviour was always welcoming,He welcomed everybody He did not discriminate, from the rich to the poor,from the despised to the desperate,they were all welcome,without exception.I remember a friend I used to visit , who suddenly made it clear that I was no longer welcome.There is an Irish song which goes,/If your Irish come into the parlour, there is a welcome there for you/,does that mean if you are not Irish, there will no welcome.Many, many Christians in the Lands where Islam rules are finding they are not wanted,at one time in England,Jews were not allowed to live there, they had to leave, it was Oliver Cromwell who showed the Jews a favour.Nations tolerate other nationalities,who come to live in their countries,but that's not the same as making them welcome.I suppose it will always be like this,but as a Christian,I am called to have a welcoming spirit,of making all I come in contact with feel wanted, irrespective,of colour,race,culture,and so on.
A prayer..... Dear God forgive me when I adopt an unwelcoming attitude towards anyone, help me by Your Spirit,to embrace all I come into contact with, in Jesus name Amen /

A citizen of two kingdoms.[ Matthew 22 v21 ]

J Stott wrote,/Many of our spiritual troubles arise from our failure to remember that we are citizens of two kingdoms. We tend either to pursue Christ and withdraw from the world,or to become preoccupied with the world,and forget that we are also in Christ/ In ,/We go to church on Sunday,the vows that we make, we break them on Monday,the rest of the week we live as we please, but come Sunday morning we are down on my knees/. One of the things I have had to learn as regards my employment,I am not there to evangelise,but I am there to live as a Christian .Oh yes if I get the opportunity I will speak of Christ,one cant help but do that,but there is to be no Jekyll and Hyde spirit in my life,I am a Christian no matter where I am, I know a dear brother who works in a very challenging job,he is so occupied with his work that he rarely meets with other believers.Paul said he was a Roman citizen,[Acts 22v25 ], but he reminded the believers that we are also citizens of heaven[Philippians 3 v20 ]. As a citizen of whatever country, I am called to obey their laws,pay my taxes,keep the speed limit etc,but as a citizen of heaven,I must not compromise the rule of Christ in my life,I must be on my guard against the spirit of this world,a spirit that can so easily take over.to
A  prayer...../ Dear God help me to be good citizen of the country I live in,yet help me to not forget my heavenly citizenship, and what that means for me,in Jesus name Amen /

The vunerable [ Isaiah 40 v 10-11]

I support a children's  mission ,and I received a letter from the director of the mission,enclosed were photos of 23 children all wearing pyjamas. Why were they in pyjamas?,well these dear children all come from  very poor backgrounds,they never in all their lives owned a pair of pyjamas.They received them at Christmas and were so delighted,as I am,is it not so true, that often it is the vulnerable who suffer,the women,children and the elderly.It is giving me more and more concern as  I hear on the news of children being used as sex objects,of child trafficking.We may be inclined to blame God,why does He not do something?,well He is, the mission I support are doing something. There are many people doing something, but it seems so little,but it is not,we should never underestimate,the good people do, even to one person,God doesn't,how do I know that?because I know what He has done for me,and His heart goes out to every orphaned child.Until Christ comes again,the world will continue to manifest its fallen nature,but He will raise up His servants who will be His channel of blessing,to the vulnerable.
A  prayer.... Dear God of the loving heart,bless all Your servants who are reaching out to the vulnerable, in Jesus name Amen/

I am with you always.[Matthew 28v20]

As I go on in my Christian life I  receive comfort from the knowledge that I am not alone,Jesus  said ,to his disciples,and to all who are His./I am with you always[Matthew 28 v20]. W Barclay wrote,/In the Christian life we have a presence, Jesus,He is at once the goal  of our journey, and the companion on the way. He   is the one we are going to meet and the one who travels with us/ Whatever difficulty we may have to face this day,He will be there to help us,whatever dangers we may face this  day, He will be with us to protect us.We can step into the unknown future with one who will lead us and guide us,as sure as He guided Israel in the wilderness ,so He will guide us His children. Words of an old song I used to sing come to mind,/Fear thou not for I am with thee, I will still thou pilot be,never mind the tossing billows take my hand and trust in Me/ If fear is pressing in upon you,and you don't know what to do,here the word of Lord for you,/I am with you always/ He is greater than our greatest problem,He is stronger than our greatest weakness,for you see with God all things are possible
A  prayer....../Dear Lord Jesus as I face this day,let me not be afraid of change,for You the unchanging one will be with me,help me not to be afraid of anyone for You will protect me,and help me not to despair of any given task I have to do,for You will be there to help me Amen /

Preserved,protected,and promoted.[ Psalm 40]

I  look at so many things and cannot see an answer, cannot see how they can be resolved, there are things I have been praying about for years,and no answer that I  can see. That I can see,maybe in these words I have a clue,or maybe it is what I don't see that is important,what do I not see?the hidden ways of God.God whom we cannot see is at work in hidden ways, ways that are part of His plan and purpose,we want knowledge of why,we think we should know everything,but the secret things belong to God,we may never know the answer now,but we will in eternity.Yet that is one aspect,there is another,and we find another answer in an old gospel song ,which goes ,/The answer is already on its way,Jesus said it, I believe it and its so/.Yes you have prayed,nothing appears to be happening,that is the time ,to wait, to trust and not panic,to be still and know that He is God. The waiting time is an exercise in faith,a time of trusting God to undertake,to see what He will do,to work on our behalf,to open the doors that are shut fast,to realise that only He has the key,to open that door, and make a way.Read the book of Esther, and the life of Joseph,read and learn the lessons therein,see how God worked in their lives and times.Joseph, Esther ,Gods people ,consider  how He delivered them. Consider the words of David, a man who was preserved,protected, and promoted,he says./ I waited patiently for the Lord,and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry[Psalm 40v 1]
A  prayer....../Sovereign God we bow before You, trusting You to undertake for us,to make a way where there appears to be no way,to deliver when there appears no one who can deliver,to help us when all help is gone, in Jesus name Amen /

Plenteous redemption. [ Psalm 130]

One of the themes of Psalm 130 is that of waiting for the Lord,that He would respond to the cry of His child,that he would forgive and grant mercy unto him.There are untold millions of people who are looking to so many different gods and in the end they will be unforgiven,and lost.But for the child of God there is hope,yea there is hope for all who call,and look to the God of the Bible,they will not be disappointed.His hope is placed in God and His word,God cannot  lie,what He says He will do.He goes on to describe the extent of his desire,it is like a sentry on night duty,who longs for the morning.So it is with a deep longing the penitent saint waits on God to receive His mercy,the night of sorrow for sin has been long,with that divine favour of mercy and forgiveness,and that the Son of righteousness would  arise with healing in His wings.For only if that happens can the saint move on, not living under a cloud,and stop living a defeated Christian life,sin has many consequences,it affects our peace. The writer of the Psalm although down, has confidence in a faithful God,to forgive and restore him to a place of usefulness.His is a confident hope for himself and for others, God is not limited in His mercy,no with Him is plenteous redemption.  Plummer=/ The greatness of our redemption may be estimated by the glory of its author, by the greatness of the price paid, by the number redeemed, by the depths of sin and misery from which they are rescued, and by the glory that shall follow the completion
A  prayer ..../Dear God we thank You that in Christ ,Your son there is mercy and forgiveness Amen /

There is forgiveness. [Psalm 130]

Psalm 130 ,begins,/Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee ,O Lord/ here we have a cry of a person who is his really down, and yet out of that dark experience,he composes a prayer and a song,that would bless multitudes. There are many reasons why a person may feel so distressed,the death of a loved one,persecution,injustice,but in this case it is in relation to his sin,as I consider the laws that are being passed in our Parliament, it could easy drive one to the depths of despair. Yet when I consider my own sin,there is still within me and indeed in all of us,a depth of depravity,I am glad you cannot see my heart. Lockyer wrote,/here in Psalm 130,there is no complaint about others- only about the writer himself- his own sins iniquities and desires/ .Well what can one do when overwhelmed by a sense of one sinfulness?,he reasons with God,v3,/If Thou shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord ,who shall stand?, the answer is no one,the fact is the whole world is full of sinners,and I sometimes wonder why does God not just wipe us all out, like a spoilt dinner on a plate that is only fit to be thrown into the waste bin, yet God doesn't . Why? Because there is forgiveness with Him,that Thou may est be feared, Lockyer ./Thus, Divine forgiveness, called the smile of God, binds the forgiven one to Him in a reverential trust and love/.
A prayer..../ Dear God we praise You that there is, yes, there is forgiveness with You,a holy God, but a forgiving God, and a God who is to be feared,we pray this in Jesus name Amen /

But what way? [Acts 26 v 19 ]

A thought came to my mind this morning,/ God will make a way,but what way?, in Acts 16 v6-7 we read how Paul and his companions were kept back from preaching the word in the province of Asia,likewise when they tried to enter a place called Bithynia the Spirit would not allow them. It reminds me of my experience,as a young man ,my wife and I felt the call of God upon our lives,so we went to Bible college, before that we had tried to go with New Tribes mission ,later we applied to go to Brazil, then to the Irish Baptist mission,but none of these doors opened up.Did that invalidate our calling ?, no, no more than it invalidated Pauls calling,it was just Gods way of leading us to His appointed place. God will open a way,but the question is what way?what way is He leading you?do you feel the call upon your life? ,seek and you shall find,the door may open right away for you,it may not. God leads us in many ways before we reach His appointed destination, but we will reach it,what God starts He will finish,He will not leave us to flounder half way there.Paul was finally called to go to Macedonia,where God blessed His ministry, and a church came into being
A  prayer......./Dear God grant us grace to obey Your call in our lives,to be guided by Your Spirit in Jesus name Amen /

Our ultimate reward . [ Romans 8 v18 ]

Just recently a scandal has broken out in relation to a hospital,the old and vulnerable were neglected,they were not cared for,those in charge lost sight of the fact that patient care is more important ,than status,and reaching targets.One wonders why this was allowed to happen,why the staff went along with it,why?but they did,yes they were trained professionals,but they lost sight of the truth,that when love is absent,people suffer.I work in the caring profession,to me it is not just a job,it is a calling to care and to love those I serve. The story of the good Samartian comes to mind, a man was attacked and left for dead,two very religious people,ignored him,again consider how much cruelty ,and pain has been inflicted by religious people,we point to Islam,but the Church or those who represent the church have been guilty,also of awful things. Torturing ,burning people,judging people with a proud severity which is far removed from our loving Saviour,so often He cut across such things,and declared He had not come to condemn, but to save, so often He took a stand  for the marginalised,He never went along with the crowd.Such love cost,He did not always receive thanks from those He helped,He was not awarded a CBE,MBE ,or a knighthood,no they did not crown Him,with a crown of gold, but with a crown of thorns,and His  reward was a cross, but His ultimate reward was eternal. [Hebrews 12v2 ]
A prayer ....../Dear God help us not  to compromise in our service to others,to never forget the importance of love, in Jesus name Amen /

I once was blind. [ Pslm 19]

One of the things I miss is seeing the stars, oh yes I can see some,not many,living in a built up area ,with its street lighting ,it makes it hard to see more than a few stars.I wonder if the stars were more easy to see,would it make people more God conscious?all most people can see is this earth,and that's all. People are to earth bound ,the Psalmist declared, /The heavens declare the glory of God,and he goes on to say that they are speaking to mankind,[Psalm 19],but as I said that voice is silent,to many people,because of street lighting etc.Now of course seeing the stars may not have any effect upon people,other than something to admire, Ibiza is known for its lovely sunsets, and many tourists, make their way to the beach in the evening to view its beauty,but that's all it is to them, a thing of beauty. Most do not see God who created such beauty,but one day they will,but then it will only add to their condemnation,not their salvation. Yet even acknowledging God as a creator, is of no avail,if one has not had a saving revelation, many people do believe in a God of creation,but do not believe in Christ by whom all things were created.I may not see many of the stars, but I have never seen Christ,but I have had a divine revelation of Him, who is my Saviour,yes I once was blind but now I see.
A  prayer......./ Dear God we thank You that Your handy work is all around us,in a flower,a sunset,and the stars,but most of all we praise You,that in Jesus we see one who made all things,and by His death on a cross,died to bring us to Yourself Amen /

Blessed Trinity.[ Ephesians 4 v 4-6 ] ]

My pastor was speaking on creeds,the Apostles creed, the Nicene creed,and the Anthanasian creed,I believe that they are important,for in a changing world, they remind us that there are things that do not change.The creeds remind us who God is a Triune being,There are those who say we worship three gods, but not so,the Anthanasian creed lays great stress on the trinity, it is a long creed,but here are a few things which it says,/We worship one God in Trinity,and in unity, neither confusing the Persons, nor dividing the divine Being. The Father eternal, the Son eternal,and the Holy Spirit eternal,but yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal.the Father is God,the Son is God,and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three Gods, but one God.All three Persons are co-eternal with each other and co-equal/ It is vital that we hold fast to this Biblical truth ,to not be swayed by human reasoning,ours or others. Mankind is good at inventing gods, Israel said, let us make us gods [Exodus 32v1 ], and so it is,that there are many so called gods, in this world. But there is only one true God,the God who has revealed Himself through His word,Father,Son ,and Holy Spirit,blessed Trinity
A  prayer....../ Dear God we thank You that You have revealed Yourself through Your word,as the triune God,Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen/.

A way of escape. [Acts 16 v31 ]

Yesterday we considered the resurrection in relation to the believer,but what about the unbeliever?, well it is in the book of Daniel ,where we read in 12v3/Many who have been long dead and buried will wake up,some to eternal life,others to eternal shame/ In Revelation 20 we read of the great white throne when all  will be judged,this is not a judgement of the believer,but the unbeliever,their lives will be weighed in the balance and found wanting.They will be condemned to an eternal existence without mercy,and love, in that place called the lake of fire.Matthew 25v 46,reads, /And these shall go away into everlasting punishment/,the soul is eternal,and will live eternally,for the unsaved that means an eternity ,in hell.The question one  really needs to ask oneself is where shall I spend eternity?the answer is this,in hell,if I have not trusted Jesus as my Saviour. The reason Jesus came and died, was for the purpose of saving people from such an awful fate,as we are  reminded continually in the Bible. Jesus is a  Saviour,He shall save His people from their sin [Matthew 1 v21]. The consequence of unforgiven sin,is severe,God must judge sin, must,he cannot overlook sin,cannot ignore it,were sin remains,unforgiven it must be judged,must. But God who is loving desires that all may be saved, has provided a way of escape,and unless we take it ,we will be judged ,and condemned to a lost eternity.But the good news is this,that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. [John 3 v16 ]
A prayer...../ Dear God  we thank You for Your love in sending Jesus ,and that through Him we can be saved Amen .

Believest thou this? [John 11v 1-46]

On a recent program on the TV called Africa,which focused on the awesome desert called the Sahara,we were shown a plant that that was but a dry whithered plant. To the naked eye it was dead,but when was a little drop of rain ,it came alive, it is called the Resurrection plant.I immediately saw the truth which to the presenter, and to many who were  watching,were blind to,of the coming day, when the resurrection of humanity will take place. As one looks at death,,and the body,it appears that is the end,especially when a persons ashes are scattered on the sea or where ever. How can there be a resurrection?,how can a body that that has been consumed by worms, eaten  by fish,or wild animals,come back?,surely when its gone it is gone.  To our human reasoning it is impossible,but what is impossible with man is possible with God. The event that happened in a place called Bethany,were a man called Lazarus had died,and was in a  process of corruption,is an evidence,shown by Jesus of the resurrection of the dead.[ John 11] There is of course the evidence of Jesus Himself ,Jesus   who was crucified,,was laid in a tomb,but He is not there He is risen. And He says to all humanity,I am the resurrection, and the life, he that believeth in Me,though he were dead yet shall he live[v25].
A  prayer.../ Dear God we thank You that because of Jesus ,death has not the final say,and that through Him there is hope beyond the grave,for all who believe in Him . Amen /

He is always there. [Hebrews 13 v 5 - 8 ]

The Israelites asked a question,/Is the Lord among us,or not?/[Exodus 17v7 ],why should they ask such a question?,they of all people had witnessed Gods power in so many ways. Go forward to Matthew 16v 8-11,here we have our Saviour ,rebuking His disciples for their lack of faith,and so He says to them ,/ do ye not yet understand, neither  remember the five loaves of the five thousand,and how many baskets ye took up/He also spoke of the four thousand. How quickly Israel  appeared to forget what God had done,why? in the disciples case they were rebuked for lack of faith,in Israels case they could only see the difficulty,and this caused them to act in an irrational way.They saw God as an absentee land lord,one who was no longer around,is God only the God of the good times?,is the God of the past not the God of the present,it was Gideon who asked the question,/If the Lord be with us,why then has all this befallen us?[ Judges6 v13],.I wonder are you tempted to ask the same question?.It is so easy to let the cares and pressures of life,squeeze faith out of us,to the point that we gave up.As I thought on this I think the problem with Israel, the disciples, and us is,a wrong concept of what it means to follow God.Let us remember God has not promised skies always blue, no He hasn't,but He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us,He has promised strength for each day, and to be our light in the darkest of valleys,so let us stop our complaining, and trust in one who loves us, with an unconditional and everlasting love.
A prayer..../Dear God and Father forgive our foolish ways, help us to be faithful in the good times and in the difficult time,help us to trust and not complain, in Jesus name Amen./

The sword of the Spirit. [ Hebrews 4 v12 ]

And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God[Eph 6 v17] Here we have the last piece of the Christian armoury,the sword of the Spirit ,it  is John Stott who points out,the sword is the only one that can be used for attack as well as defence. We are in a war zone the enemy is strong, defeated but not yet vanquished ,and it is the apostle Paul who writes in 2 Corinthians 10v3 ff/The weapons of our warfare are not carnal/ ,this struggle can only succeed by spiritual means,the Spirit of God and the word of God, these are mighty weapons ,with these weapons we can see strongholds ,false imaginations and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God,cast down. I remember speaking to a young man, a Mormon, I mention that scripture, God is not a man[Hosea 11v9], and I saw a cloud of doubt come over his face. Again I quote John Stott./ Every Christian evangelist, whether a preacher or a personal witness knows that Gods word has cutting power,being sharper than any two edged sword. We must never therefore be ashamed to use it, or to acknowledge, our confidence that the Bible is, the sword of the Spirit./
A  prayer ....../ Dear God we thank you that You have granted us,all that we need to live our Christian life, help us to not neglect, these means which You have left at our disposal in Jesus name Amen /

We are saved.[1 John 5 v13 ]

And  take the helmet of salvation[ Ephesians 6 17 ] could it be that the writer is saying that our salvation is like a helmet that protects us from our enemy,and his attacks.The enemy will  attack us in various ways,consider how he attacked Job,and how he attacked Paul [2 Corinthians 12 v7]. Maybe you are under attack from satan,inspite of all his efforts he cannot  succeed,it is Paul who asks a number of questions,in Romans 8 ,the first one is,What shall we say to these things, that is the things he has been writing about ,that of our justification and glorification.These are two things the enemy will attack us on,for it is an amazing truth that we are justified,even though we are sinners,and it is an amazing thing that we know we are going to glory. As I said in an earlier blog as regards the person who said I was not saved,this was an attack by the enemy.Charles Hodge wrote,/That which adorns the Christian,which enables him/her to hold up their head with confidence and joy, is the fact that they are saved/
A  prayer...../ Dear God we praise You that we are saved,we thank You that the enemy of our souls can not change this, that no power can seperate us from Your love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Amen /

Be obedient. [ Acts 1 v8 ]

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace[Ephesians 6 v15] W Barclay wrote the following,   /A soldiers sandals,these were sign of one equipped and ready to move. The sign of the Christian is that he /she are eager to be on the way to preach the gospel to,and to share the gospel with, others.He is always ready to take the news of Christ to those who have never heard it./ This is not only for those great Christians whom we admire,like Wesley.Booth,Billy Graham,we are all called to tell others about Jesus.We may not have the abilities or gifts that they had,but as I heard from a pastor many years ago,availability is the thing.Now of course when many today have no contact with the church,we don't need to go to some far of place with a strange sounding, and a strange language, and culture, we may ,if God calls,no, the heathen are all around us.The lost are everywhere,in are families,neighbourhoods,work places.Our Saviour said we should be witnesses in Jerusalem,Judea, Samaria,be a witness where you are,just be obedient,and who knows where one will be called to , I ended up in England.
A prayer...../Dear Lord Jesus,help me to be available,and obedient ;in great commission of spreading the gospel. Amen /