Now you know. [John 1v 12-13 ]

 In John chapter 3 we read of a man called Nicodemus  visiting Jesus by night,he was one of the countries top religious cleric's, belonging to very, very religious sect called the Pharisees.Their name means separated ones,they taught Gods word and tried to walk in it's teaching, he starts by complimenting Jesus,but Jesus as it were ignore what he said, and then tells him,except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Now this really stumped this very religious person ,it did not make sense to him,Jesus continues to emphasise this truth the importance of the new birth. Nicodemus still does not understand ,Jesus challenges him,you are a master of Israel and you don't know what that means.This reminds me of a story I read recently, about a godly man who sent his son to a Bible teacher. When he returned, the father asked him what had he learned.The son told him all he had learned. The father said,this is nothing,  go and learn more. The son returned one year later, this time he boasted about all he had learned, the father sent him back. When the son returned again, his face shone,the father embraced him,and said,you knew theology before, now you know Christ.
A prayer... / Dear God there are so many who know theology ,but alas don't know You or Your Son Jesus,have mercy  upon them open their minds and hearts to see the need of knowing Jesus as Saviour. Amen/
I  will return to my Blog Sunday week  every blessing Bill

Bring us through. [ Isaiah 41 v 10 ]

We can have great sympathy with those dear people who are being persecuted,and wonder how would we cope if the situations were reversed,I don't know,but I  do know that God would be with us,and  as he helps them so He would help us. Although we may not be suffering persecution ,the Christian life is a challenge,temptation,problems, can wear us down,and sometime we feel overwhelmed and feel that the situation we are in is to much or us cope with,a difficult marriage , and concerns with our children,financial pressures.I don't know your personal situation,and if I did I may not fully understand,but it appears to me that most of us have to cope with something,and that something ,can cause us to feel overwhelmed,especially those problems that don't go a way. So how do you feel?well here is the word of God for you and me today,/When thou passest through the waters,I will be with thee,and through the rivers,they shall not overflow thee, when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned,neither shall the flame kindle upon thee[ Isaiah 43 v2 ]/
A prayer...../ Dear God sometime we feel overwhelmed by our situation and circumstances,so today hold us up in the flood,bring us through the fire in Jesus name Amen/

Pray for the children. [ Isaiah 1 v17 ]

I wonder do you remember when you went to school ,and when your children went to school,in the west we are privileged and blest with a good education system.I could not have managed as regards unemployment if I had not been taught to read and write,think how much a blessing it is to be able to read a book,education is a great blessing.My thoughts turned recently to  to dear children who miss out in so much, but not only miss out in so much,they have to contend with co much.Consider what the Barnabas aid agency call children of courage,imagine what it must be like for children who are Christians or from Christian families who live with threats and intimidation every day. The authorities don't help,and their dear parents are powerless also,it is hard enough for children in this country,who are bullied.  So today, pray for children everywhere,yes for those who are being bullied,but for the many who are facing hostility and discrimination and even persecution,also for the many children who have lost their parents through aids,and have to fend for themselves,oh dear fellow Christians let us pray for the children.
A prayer.../Dear God have mercy upon the children in every land that are being neglected,abused, persecuted,orphaned,have mercy ,in Jesus name Amen /

Death could not hold its prey. [ John 11 v25 ]

I read recently that a dentist who purchased a tooth that was John Lennon's for about 15,000 pounds, was going to use it's DNA to bring back a clone of John Lennon.Let us be very clear ,he will not succeed in creating another  John Lennon,for when you are gone ,you are gone.There are people who will have their bodies frozen when they die,in the vain hope that they can be brought back to life ,it will not work for when you are gone ,you are gone.As to this life we have only one shot at it,we may wring our hands in despair,we may hope that scientist can change things but they wont,oh yes people in the West are living longer,but it is only delaying the inevitable,we are not going to live for ever on planet earth,every living creature on planet earth will die.Why? because of sin,what God told Adam is true ,read about it in Genesis2 v17,we where not made to die,but die we will, the only people who will not die,are those who are alive when Jesus comes back again[1 Thessalonians 4v13ff],whenever that will be.In my work I call on people,and I find they are not there,and this reminds me of that morn when some women went to a tomb wherein lay the body of Jesus,and to there surprise they found ,He was not there,read about it in John chapter 20.They discovered that he who was dead was alive,he had conquered death,and now lives in the power of an endless life.This Jesus said a wonderful thing,He said that if we believe in Him,even though we die we shall live eternally.[John 11 v25 ]
A  prayer.../Dear God we praise you that death could not hold its prey,for Jesus tore the bars away,and through His victory,we also can beat death, when we trust in Him as Saviour. Amen /

You are a soldier. [ 2 Timothy 2 v3-4 ]

Often the apostle Paul wrote of the Christian life in military terms,in Ephesians 6 ,he writes of the armour of God,in2 Timothy 2 v3-4,he uses the term soldier,and in 2 Corinthians 10v3-4 ,he writes of war and weapons. I was a boy soldier for nine months,so I know a little bit about being a soldier,it meant discipline ,each day we had inspections,and could easily have found ourselves on a charge for something or other.When discipline breaks down,anarchy reigns,discipline is vital in any army,and especially in the Lords army. We need to pray,read the word of God,we need to meet with Gods people,we must take these things very serious,and not make excuses.Many children don't like discipline,don't like being told what to do,yet it is for their own good,likewise in the army of Christ,there are those who don't like coming under the discipline,of Gods word,of the Spirits directing,and so build up resentment in their hearts. Discipline is for our good but it is also for the greater good ,those who loose sight of the greater good loose sight of the fact we are part of an army,was it Lord Nelson who spoke of those happy band of brothers.Nelson for all his greatness did not win battles on his own,being a Christians it is an individual thing with individual battles,but we need also to remember that it is a collective endeavour.
A  prayer..../ Dear God  as part of Your army, help us to show a measure of discipline in our lives in Jesus name, Amen/

He has made a difference. [ Hebrews 13 v5-6]

An old man who was a Christian was ill and  coming near to the point of death,was visited by a friend,who was an unbeliever.The friend asked him how did he know there was God?,the old man looked at him,and shared with him the following.When I was a young man I felt so lost,but one day Jesus came to me and found me.As I went on I got married and had children,there where times when I did not know where our next meal would come from,but some how our needs were met. There where time when I had no money to pay the rent,and then I heard Jesus speak to me from His word,saying I will supply your need,and He did. There where times when I did not know what to do,and I heard Jesus say to me, fear not I will guide you,and He did.When I lost my dear wife,Jesus came to me and comforted me,assuring me she was in heaven,and that all would be well. Now as I face death Jesus told me,that I need not fear going through the valley of the shadow of death,because He will be with me.
A prayer..../Dear Lord Jesus thank You for coming into our lives ,blessing us in so many ways. Amen/

Are you clean? [1 Corinthians 6 v 9-11]

Sin no matter how it is dressed up is something that makes us unclean,so it was with David when he sinned,he had committed adultery,he prayed,/Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow[Psalm 51 v7]. There is an advert on the telly of a young child walking through a field and as she is walking she is being hit by paint and then the words come up,dirt is good. But of course dirty hands when one is serving food,or contaminated hands when a surgeon is about to perform an operation is not good. So it is that when it comes to Gods estimation of sin it  is classed as unclean, one of the articles in the tabernacle was a laver  a large container of water,it was for the priests to wash themselves, before they went into the tabernacle before the Lord,the penalty for not doing this was death[Exodus 30 v17-21]. There are a number of lessons in this,God requires us to recognise the importance of His holiness,that if we are to be accepted by Him,sin must be cleansed,must be removed.Consider how many people gave little thought as regards their sin in relation to God, they think that it is all about the good they do. I cannot stress this enough, we cannot enter Gods presence,unless we have been cleansed form our sin,not only can we not enter Gods presence,we will be excluded from His presence eternally.Now the washing in the tabernacle was only a type pointing us to a greater reality,and it is John in his epistle who tells us, that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin[1 v7],the penalty for neglecting this cleansing is spiritual death.
A prayer...../ Holy  God we praise You for Jesus Your son who shed His precious blood to cleanse us from our sin,help us to see that it is not optional. Amen/

A little act of kindness.[ Matthew 10 v42]

I was in a large supermarket when a senior citizen came up to and asked me to help her ,she had a bottle in her hand,it is one of those bottles,in which to open ,one has to press the cap.This lady asked me would I open it as she would no be able to do it when she got home,and this I did.Later while on a visit to one of my clients, I read these word from a framed plaque,/No little act of kindness is ever wasted/, and I thought on the words of Jesus, about giving a cup of cold water in His name[Matthew 10 v42] We admire those people who have done  great deeds,but heavens values,are not earths,the woman a poor widow,who give but two small coins of little monetary value, was commended greatly by our Saviour,because in giving in giving her little offering,she was giving her all.[Mark 12 v42-44]. So today show a little kindness,speak a little word,smile a little smile,show a little tenderness,remember Jesus is watching,and it is approval,and well done that is most important..
A  prayer..../Dear Heavenly Father,You who feed and care for the tiny sparrow,grant us grace to follow Your example in Jesus name Amen/

A trip to Mars. [John 14 v1-6 ]

Applications for a one way trip to Mars top 100,000 mark,so this article read on the inter-net,my goodness why would anybody want to go to Mars,has anybody told  them they can buy Mars bars here,seemingly not.Anyone over 18 can apply,for a fee of 38 dollars, and for those who live in Madagascar or Afghanistan it cost 5 dollars. Maybe it is a plot to get rid of all the people in Afghanistan, for obvious reasons,I better stop going down this road.The person who gave me the print out said if we go to Mars we will be nearer God,he may have been joking.I have nothing against space travel ,but this all appears a pointless exercise.I suppose for some it would be a great adventure.When I look back on my Christian life ,it has been a great adventure,living by faith is not for the faint hearted,but my it is rewarding and it ends with the greatest adventure of all dying.When we pass through that door what wonders we will see,what joys we will experience,it will surely beat a one way trip to Mars. Why don't you come along and join the multitudes who will be there,oh yes whats the price?,oh don't worry about that it has all been paid for by Jesus.
A  prayer..../Dear Father God, we thank you that Jesus paid the price for us to go to heaven,we are guaranteed a place when we simply trust Him to be our Saviour Amen/

Drawing back.[John 21]

In Galatians 5 v7,we read,/Ye did run well,who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth./,these are very telling words. So many people start well,then they are gone, no longer do they meet with Gods people,no longer identify with their Lord.The Galatians where drawing back into their past religion,Judaism,drawing back to their old ways,there were people who seeking to unsettle them,bringing them under the law.Many things can cause us to give up and go back,wordly enticements like material success,wrong relationships,discouragements,feelings of injustice.Now you may have suffered whatever,and feel that Christians have let you down,and the sad thing is they do at times. So what can we say about these things?, well we must keep to the fore,this one solitary fact,Jesus said follow me. If we loose sight of this,if we fill our hearts with the shortcomings of life and people,we have started on the slippery slope of going back. The scriptures continually stress the importance of keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,not people, the apostle Paul points these Galations back to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ[6 v14]. There is a gospel song by Ira F.Stanphill ,which reads/I  traveled down a lonely road ,and no one seemed to care,the burden on my weary back,had bowed me to despair. I oft complained to Jesus how folk were treating me,and then I heard Him say so tenderly. My feet were also weary upon the Calvary road,the cross became so heavy I fell beneath the load. Be faithful weary pilgrim,the morning I can see, just lift your cross and follow close to me.
A  prayer......./Dear Lord Jesus help us to take our eyes of others,and even of self,and to keep our  eyes fixed firmly on You /Amen./

Onward ever onward. [ 2 Timothy 1 v7 ]

It some times surprises me as I look back on how many sermons I  have preached, and how many thoughts for the day I have written,when I was a full time minister I sometimes had to preach three times on a Sunday,how did I do it?. The first thing I would say , I believed God had called me ,and it appears that if He  calls He equips, and enables,this applies to any calling. The next important thing to remember is we have one who will help us in our calling,the Holy Spirit,whom our Lord said would help us[Matthew 10v20-21].I was speaking recently and I pointed out that Elijah the prophet was a man ,of like passions as you and I, in other words he had his faults and failings,but God used him.Recently I read about Francis Schaeffer  author and Christian apologist,that he was dyslexic,but God called him and used him.I personally never did very well at school,I am conscious of this,but it has not stopped me, and as I get up to preach, I have to remember I am not ministering from a perfect educational background. That does not mean I don't try to improve,I did attend Bible  college,and I diligently prepare for every sermon I preach, over time I have bought commentaries,and have a reasonable library.And so I am surprised ,yet confident in my God to continue, help me and use me,so onward ever onward.
A  prayer...../Dear God we thank You for all we have been able to do,inspite of our many limatations,in Jesus Name Amen /

Gentlness and meekness [ 2 Corinthians 10 v1]

One of the great lessons the disciples had to learn was the importance of a meek and gentle spirit,when a certain Samaritan village,would not receive Jesus,the disciples wanted to call down fire and destroy it.Jesus rebuked them, and reminded them of the purpose of His coming,that He did not come to destroy lives but to save them[Luke 10v 55-56]. I wonder how the Crusaders,and even dear Oliver Cromwell, reconciled their violence ,to what Jesus taught?. It is an amazing yet mind blowing truth that the meek would inherit the earth,[Matthew 5 v5]. no, said Hitler, it is the strong and powerful,those meek people,have no chance,and does not the god ,evolution teach us the it is the fittest that survive.Now of course being meek does not mean weak,the one who said, I am meek and lowly of heart was not a weak person.Our Saviour challenged those who were offending God,as was manifested when He went to the temple,and overthrew the tables of the money changers [Matthew21v12 ]. It is in 2 Corinthians 10v1 ,that we we read of the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I am slowly but surely learning the importance of these words,although I still manifest the old Bill,at times, I do pray for the necessary grace to be more like Him who was both meek, and gentle..
A  prayer....Dear Lord Jesus grant unto us a meek and gentle spirit Amen/

Christians also get sick [2 Corinthians 11 v23ff]

A friend of mine who is having ongoing treatment for cancer was seeing the consultant, and the consultant said ,/Christians also get sick/. Yes we do, being a Christian does not mean no problems,Christians loose their jobs,have miscarriages,have accidents,well we just have to read the book of  Job to see this.So what advantage does a Christian have over the non Christian?well they have the Lord,make no mistake about it,that is a tremendous advantage,in those dark trials there is one with them and His name is Jesus,he does not desert them when the hard times come.Next the word of God tells me,that God who is sovereign will work everything that happens for the good of His children[Romans 8 v28]. God hath not promised skies always blue,but He has promised strength for each day,and each trial. If the trial should lead to death ,the Christian need fear no evil,for the good shepherd will be with them [Psalm 23 v4] The word of God assures us that no matter how severe the trial,God is in control,and that the sufferings of this present time,are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us[Romans 8 v18 ]
A  prayer..../Dear God we thank You that You are caring for Your children,that You love them ,even when You allow them to experience trials ,in Jesus Amen /

Are you brave.? [ Psalm 139v23-24 ]

Bravery comes in many forms ,and often from the most unexpected people,there is bravery on the battle field,there is bravery of a bereaved soul. Of a person who faces one problem after another,who sacrifice their ambitions, for the sake of others, who face insurmountable odds. I wonder are you brave enough to pray this prayer?, /Search me O God, know my heart,try me,and know my thoughts.And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting[Psalm 139 v23-24]/I wonder are you and I willing to pray those words?.And if not ,why not?,could it be that we don't want God to challenge us,we are afraid what may be shown up,in our hearts ,yes our hearts,God starts at the most important place ,the heart. Then he prays, and know my thoughts,how is our thought life?,what has our minds being dwelling on today?.And see if there be any wicked way in me,well is there?.Again let me ask the question ,to myself and to you, are we brave enough to pray this prayer?.
Spurgeon comments,/This is a beautiful and impressive prayer for the commencement of every day./
                        A  prayer..../Search me O God. my actions try,and let my life appear,
                                             As seen by thine all- searching eye,To make my ways make clear.
                                             Search all my thoughts,the secret things,The motives that control.
                                             The rebel heart where evil things,hold empire o'er the soul.  Amen/
                                               [Words by Francis Bottome  ]                     

The powers that be. [ Romans 13 v 1-7 ]

I  believe that democracy is  best,because it should mean that leaders and governments can be challenged,and changed.Hitler went along with the democratic system until he was elected,as I see what is happening in the Arab world,I wonder how many when they get into power,will continue to be democratic. What will become of the minorities in these countries?,will they be treated fairly?,or will they be persecuted?. The Bible tells us that the powers that  be, are ordained by God,[Romans 13 v1],these words were written when Rome ruled, of course the church of Rome did its fair share of ruling,I cant say it was their finest hour.God is not a democrat ,He rules by divine right,all the affairs of Life are under His control,all these things raise many issues,.The Bible makes it clear that all governmenst are accountable not so much to  those who elect them, but to God.So where does that lead us?well the word of God tells us what we are to do,we read, /Pray especially for rulers and their goverments to rule well so we can go quietly about our business of living simply,in humble contemplation. This is the way our Saviour God wants us to live/.[1 Timothy 2 v 1-3 ]
A  prayer..../ Dear God  guide and direct those who have the rule over us,and help us all to be good citizens in Jesus name Amen /

Deafness. [1 Timothy 2 v4 ]

A friend of mine has a hearing aid,I  was beginning to  have a conversation with him, and he said I must put my hearing aid in,so I can hear what you are saying, instead of not having it in and pretending I am listening.Jesus spoke to many people but it is obvious they did not hear or listen,as one preaches one wonders how many people really listen. Natural deafness shuts a person out from the natural sounds we hearing people take for granted,but even deaf people can hear through the deaf language.But what about those can hear? ,yet don't hear,when they are told about Jesus,they are spiritually deaf,and so they remain in their sin,lost without Christ.It need not be so,we must not give up on them,I was watching a movie, and in it a dam was being built,when suddenly it started to break up, one man  took it upon himself to warn those,who would have drowned,he kept shouting,until they heard,he did not give up.Nor should we give up praying,and telling those who are going to a lost eternity,who knows even today,you may be Gods voice,to those who are dead, and deaf spiritually.
A  prayer...../Dear merciful God,we ask that You may be pleased to use us,in your great rescuing of the deaf and dead,in Jesus name Amen/[

A boy called Messiah [ Matthew 16v 13-16]

A couple in USA wanted to call their son Messiah,but a judged ruled against it,saying it was a title,and it belonged to one person Jesus,she has ruled that boy should be called Martin.Seemingly in 2012 Messiah was the 387th most popular name in USA. The Jew's and Christians both hold views on Messiah,for the Jew He has yet to come,for the Christian He has come. The Jews believe Messiah will set up an earthly kingdom, Christians  believe He came to establish an eternal kingdom.The title Messiah means one who saves and liberates,and of course that is what Jesus does ,He saves and He sets free,he saves from the consequences of sin and its judgement by a Holy God,He sets free from sin and satans power.The wonderful thing is,it includes everyone,Gods purposes is for the whosoever,a free offer of Salvation is offered to all..One day a Jew called Andrew declared ,/we have found Messiah,which being interpreted means the Christ[John 1 v41],and having found Him,he brought his brother to him. Dear Christian what about your brother ,your sister,your parents,have you sought to bring then to Jesus the Messiah?.
A prayer...../ Dear God thank that Messiah in the person of Your son Jesus has come,help us to bring others to Him,in His name we ask this. Amen /

He knows the way. [ Psalm 107 v7 ]

I was away the weekend preaching at a friends church,and as I was driving home ,I found myself singing an old chorus ,which goes,/ My Lord knows the way through the wilderness, all I have to do is follow/.It sounds simple,but let us be honest we do not find it so, even though Israel had a great leader Moses,even though they had a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud led the way. [Exodus 13v21], continually the nation failed to follow Gods leading.Now we do not have a pillar of fire or cloud leading us,bur for all that, God is leading us. That little chorus reminded me that God is leading us His children,by His word and by His Spirit,and here is a challenge for us,His way is perfect[ 2 Samuel 22 v21], He knows what He is doing,he makes no mistakes no mistakes.John Piper has  written a grand  book,called ,/ A sweet and bitter Providence/,Life is not a straight line,leading  from one blessing to the next, he goes on to write,/ The life of the Godly is not a straight line to glory, but God see's that they get there./ In Psalm 107v30, we read ,/so He bringeth them unto their desired haven/.
A  prayer...../Dear God and Father,as we travel to glory,help us to not loose faith,or to think that You have forgotten us,in Jesus name we ask this Amen/

It can happen to you.[ 1 Corinthians 10 v12 ]

The apostle Paul points out to his readers that the things that ancient Israel did ,the wrong things,and the consequences of their actions,were examples for them[[1 Corinthians 10].They were not examples that we are meant to follow,no their behaviour are examples of what we should avoid.If they followed their example they would suffer.Then he adds,/Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fallv12/,the Corinthian Christians may have thought that they would never fall into the same sins as the Israelites did,so he gives that warning.So let us consider a number of things,we are examples,be it for good or for bad, no one is an Island,we are all connected,before you get involved in something dubious,before you act unwisely,consider you are being watched,by your children,neighbours,and so on. Next it can happen to you ,and me,the very thing we see others do, that we thought we would never do in a million years,we can easily fall into. So do not be complacent,let us always bear in mind ,that we can fall morally,and tragically,it was Bunyan who wrote ,/he that is down need fear no fall/,in other words,walk in humility,and with an utter dependence upon God.
 A  prayer...../Dear God help us to be a Christlike example to others,and grant us grace to walk with a humble dependence on Your Spirit in Jesus name Amen ./
/I will return to my blog next Tuesday every blessing/

Poision chalace. [ Genesis 3 v6 ]

The thought came to me that certain things can be likened unto a poison chalice,they may be legitimate things,but there influence on our lives ,can effectively destroy our Christian walk.We may not even see the harmful effects on our lives,it may be our employment,politics,the imbalance on certain aspects,for example justice,now of course we live in an unjust world,and we must always be concerned with justice,but our concerns for justice must not be allowed to so control us that grace and mercy is pushed out of the way. Remember Christ died for the unjust,that means you and me,if we were to get our true deserts ,none of us would be saved,none of us would be blessed by a just but merciful God.In this hour of grace Gods purpose and plan is to forgive and forget,there will always be a need for justice,but there is also a need for mercy and forgiveness,remember if the Lord should mark iniquity who would stand [Psalm 130 v3].Now I emphasised justice and our possible imbalance,and that it can become a poison chalice,but it can be many things,are we open to the Spirits prompting,are we listening to Gods still small voice?,if not we will suffer in our relationship with others and with God.In the movie the Last crusade,there is that moment when the characters make a choice of what cup to drink from,they are all obsessed with this,to choose the wrong cup and to drink from it meant death,to choose the right cup and drink from it meant life,the ancient knight comments on the choice Indiana Jones makes ,you have chosen well,choose well the cup you are going to drink from, choose well.
A  prayer...../Dear God help us to  choose well the cup we drink from ,in Jesus name Amen /

Blew it again. [Hebrews 4 v 15-16 ]

I was not really thinking and I did something which in hindsight I felt guilty about,I wish I could always do the right thing, and never feel guilty,never feel I have let the Lord down.Am I the only one who feels like that?,of course not,consider what the great apostle Paul wrote,/I don't really understand myself,for I want to do what is right,but I don't do it.........I have discovered this principle of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong[Romans 7v 14ff] It does not make it any easier but it helps to know that I am not on my own,from saying these things Paul goes unto to say, /There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ[ Romans 8 v1], now that is a relief,that I do not stand in the place I once stood ,before I met Christ.It is John who reminds us that there is a place of forgiveness on our ongoing walk to glory,he tells us very simply,/If we confess our sins,He is faithful and just to forgive our sins,and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.[1 John 1 v9]. so tell God your sorry,now,and all will be well.
A  prayer..../ Dear God we thank You that You don not disown your children when they fail,and that there is forgiveness ,through Your son Jesus Amen /

It makes no sense.[ Isaiah 41 v10]

At the fellowship I attended recently, we sang a hymn that was translated from Urdu ,the brother who was leading the meeting said that Urdu and Hindi are both spoken the same,but the written word is different, strange  but true. I cannot make sense of this,but there is a lot of things I cannot make sense of, I cannot make sense,why people do dangerous things,why people smoke,why people self harm. I cannot make sense of why  God loves the depraved ,and would be merciful to such,but the fact is he does .I cannot make any sense why Islam attracts so many people,and why they are filled with so much hate.I cannot make any sense how a massive plane gets into the air,or why football clubs are willing to pay a kings ramson for a player. Life is like looking through clouded glasses,it truly does not make any sense,mybe that is what you are thinking,but listen don't let this cause you to despair.It is only faith that can penetrate the apparent senselessness of life,faith in God who is in control,who is working His purposes out,and whispers into our ears ,trust Me.Take a moment to think on the cross,to many it did not make any sense,but as one who was lost and now is found it makes perfect sense.
A   prayer ..../ Dear God we look to You in faith, help us to trust in Your sovereign purposes, in Jesus name Amen /

Onward ever onward. [Philippians 3 v 13]

I was speaking  to a friend recently,he was saved over 60 years ago,and when that happened he wanted to keep it quite,but one evening,he told his family.They thought he was joking, but when he persisted that it was so,they believed him,and his mother said well I hope that I will not hear any of those awful swear words again,and she never did.When Christ comes into a persons life ,there should be a change, and it will always be a change for the better. My friend went on to say years later he  had the joy of seeing his mother saved ,when she was in hospital. Not only are we changed when Christ saves us, we want others to know Christ as there saviour. This is on going,that is the change, till the die,and when we die the change will be complete,and as long as we live we will always want people to know Jesus. The question I have to ask myself, is, how am I doing?
A  prayer..../ Dear God and Father save us from living in the past,help us to walk step by step in the footprints of our Saviour Amen /

Imperfection [ Psalm 103]

We live in the age of self assembly,I purchased a new chair recently,when it arrived,I found to my dismay I had to  assemble it,which I found was no easy task,but with much prayer and perseverance I did it.Last weekend we purchased a unit on which our TV would stand. So once again I started on the task of assembling it,when it was assembled it look nice ,although the drawers are a bit out of line,in other words it was not perfect,but I think my wife was pleased.It reminded me that we live in an imperfect world,I am conscious that a lot of my service for God,which includes all of my life  is imperfect,that includes my preaching.Our Saviour said be ye perfect,this is an exhortation,which we must always aim at,but ,there is that, but again,imperfection reigns.Now our acceptance with God depends on Christ 's perfect work on Calvary,but as a child of God we want to do our best,but alas so often we fail,but take heart,God loves us in spite of our imperfect service.I thought of that hymn, which speaks of ,gold of obedience,and incense of lowliness,truth in its beauty,and love in its tenderness,these are the offerings to lay at His shrine. These,though we bring them in trembling and fearfulness.He will accept ,for the name that is dear.[Words by J.S.B. Monsell]
A prayer...../Dear God accept our imperfect service from these humble imperfect lives, in Jesus name Amen/

Fate [ Genesis 1 v1 ]

Then fate stepped in,how many times have we heard  those words,who is this fate?,who is this evolution?it does not make sense.I don't want fate to step in,I want God to step in,fate is just a word.What is the meaning of this word?/the ultimate agency that predetermines the course of events/The ultimate agency is none other than God who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will[Ephesians 1 v11]And in the midst of life we can rejoice , that not blind fate,or chance evolution are not the deciding factors in Life.As we face life which will inevitable bring challenges,problems,decisions,we have someone who is there for us,a mysterious yet personal God,who says call upon me in the day of trouble,I will deliver thee,and thou shalt glorify me  [Psalm50v15].  As we go through life we need not face it on our own ,remember it is not good for man to be alone,we can know one who said I will never leave you nor forsake you.[Hebrews 13 v5 ] We can through Jesus be saved and to know,that we have a glorious future,not a black hole of nothingness[John 11v25].
A prayer..../ Dear God we worship You through Your Son Jesus,we thank You that life takes on meaning when we know You. Amen /

Uncertainties. [ Job 19v25-26 ]

Seemingly a piece of pottery as old as 3,000yrs could prove the reigns of David and Solomon, why do they need a bit of pottery?,is the Jewish people not evidence that such people existed?.Seemingly not,no we need a little bit of pottery,I suppose if this little bit of pottery had not turned up Solomon and David never existed,they were only mythical folk hero's,like Robin Hood,they are just legends.Those wonderful Psalms which we treasure ,mostly written by a man called David,are  really falsehoods,put together like the book of Mormon, but no real bases of truth. That's ,that ,then,no its not,because it is based on unbelief,the Bible is called the word of God, because that is what it is. J. I . Packer mentions modern uncertainties, there have always been uncertainties,ancient and modern. again it is J.I.Packer  who writes as to our modern age, we lack certainty,he goes on to write,/We know in our bones that we were made for certainty, and we cannot be happy without it/.As a young man I looked at life and it made no sense, it had no meaning,but I heard the word of God preached and certainty came into my life in the person of Jesus.In the Bible,we find the truth of creation,we find the truth of mankind's condition,but from Genesis to Revelation ,we find the message of salvation,that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
A  prayer..../Dear God we thank You for Your word,that in a world full of uncertainties,we can say I know whom I have believed,  in Jesus name Amen /

Truth [John 14 v 6]

Why did a mother and her boy friend systematically abuse her child?,to the point that the child died,it is hard to understand,and of course questions are being.asked,why did social workers,doctors,or even the police,let it happen?.As I listened to this on the news report,I found myself answering,they did not let it happen,the mother and her boy friend did it,they continually told lies,convincingly. It is very hard often to know when a person or persons are lying,and people do lie,murderers lie,they will plead not guilty,all sorts of people lie.That couple who killed that child lied,telling lies is not a trivial matter,no, there are no such things as white lies. The preacher who is living a double life is living a lie ,the person who cheats on his wife is living a lie.People who tell lies often do not care about the consequences it has on others,or on themselves.There was a time when the source of the Nile was sought for,the source of lying we are told, is Satan[ John 8 v44],he lied to Eve,and he continues to whisper lies to mankind,every false religion is a lie,so called holy books are filled with lies,yet so many believe them,his lies can be so convincing.The Bible tells us that Satan hates the truth,in fact it says there is no truth in him,the people who rejected  Christ ,and sought to murder him,showed their true parentage. .As John reminds us, This is the condemnation,that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than  light ,because their deeds were evil.
A  prayer..... /Dear God,help us to tell the truth at all times,and help us to accept Christ who is the Truth].  Amen

Gods choice [ 1 Corinthians 1 v 25-31]

Carrying on from yesterday,as regards the two lads I spoke to,it turns out that they are part of the gypsy community,the boy who was a Christian told me how God was moving among the gypsy population. He told me that he had attended a conference and over two hundred young people had got saved,he said it was the greatest thing, that his people where becoming Christians.The history of the Gypsy population is one of being despised and marginalised,many of then died at the hands of the Nazi es.Of course they often are a law unto themselves and this brings them into conflict with the general public.Like all humanity they are sinners,but then Jesus came into the world to save sinners,and seemingly that is what He is doing among the Gypsies in this country. It reminds me what Paul wrote ,that God chooses and saves the most unlikely people,the foolish things,the weak and base things,and those who are despised[1 Corinthians 1 v26-28] .Most of the well to do people are missing in these days,I wonder why,it need not be like that,God loves everyone,he love you,and wonder of wonders He even loves me.
A prayer..../Dear merciful God in Jesus name continue to save many more people from the Gypsy population. Amen ]