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]

What if things get worse? [ Jeremiah 12 v5-6]

I  am reading one of my favourite books the book of Jeremiah, a man who witnessed the highs spiritually under king Josiah ,to the lows that followed,but a man who remained faithful,to God and his calling. So it is for every dear child of God ,the challenge to be faithful,yes in the highs and the lows,yes Jeremiah at times struggled,he grew weary at times.Now God is the God of all comfort,He is love,yet sometimes He does not give us the comfortable answer we desire,such was the case with Jeremiah ,in chap12v5ff,we have God speaking to His servant,he asks Jeremiah how is he going to cope  if things get worse?and things would most diffidently get worst.Things were bad in the nation,but it would become worse,and his own family did not help,as they plotted against him.Let us consider our Saviour,the difficulties he had to cope with during His ministry,but things got worse,one His disciples would betray Him,another would deny Him,all of them would forsake him,the Jews, and Romans would crucify Him,the people would mock Him,but things would get worse,His God would forsake Him [Psalm22v1/Matthew 27 v46]. So what are we going to do if things get worse?.God will heal He may not,God will provide He may not,well not in the way we think,the enemies of the Gospel will be banished,they may not,they may continue to cause havoc to Gods Children ,here is the word for us today ,/Be Thou faithful unto death [Revelation 2 v10]
A  prayer......../ Dear God ,help us to be faithful,come what may in Jesus name Amen/

Expectation. [ Proverbs 27 v1]

Years ago we had very little,things where hard,my childhood was hard,as it  was many peoples,two world wars,people living in poverty, people had,had enough,they wanted a better life. To a great extent,they got it,for many life has been so much better than what their forefathers had experienced.Peoples expectations have increased so much. Along with material prosperity has come amazing advances in technology,the things we have now are amazing,I am writing this on a computer,and it will go all over the world,and one may be tempted to think,the sky is the limit.There have also been advances in treatment of our ills,and every day we hear  of new treatments,a person said to my son ,in a few years we will beat death. This is the expectations we have,I suppose that may be one of the reasons we do not talk about death, the fact of the matter is we cannot,nor will we ever beat death.The Bible declares ,that it is appointed unto men once to die[Hebrews 9 v27],that is an appointment we will all have keep,you and I are going to die. Now, many people think they are going to heaven,that's their expectation, but if we have never trusted Jesus to forgive us our sins then heaven will not be our destination,I want to repeat something I have said before good people don't go to heaven only forgiven ones.
A  prayer...../ Dear God,open our eyes to how fragile we all are,that no matter how advanced we become,there will always be limits,grant us grace to embrace Your unlimitless love in Jesus. Amen /

Satan,sin, and death have not the last say,because.[ John 11 v25]

This week a family will be saying goodbye to their son,you see he has died, a lovely young man in his early twenties,after a valiant fight with cancer ,he died. I believed this young man touched many lives,especially his immediate family.What. can one say at such a time ?,are words not just useless,will not words just add to their sorrow,this is a dark night of the soul experience.Well let me tell you a story that Tony Campolo told,he was at his home church ,he was one of the preachers,after he had preached,an old brother arose to speak, he based his message on the following,/It's Friday but Sunday is coming/,he preached for an hour and a half,and  as he finished,he cried ,it's Friday,and 500 strong church shouted the relpy but Sundays coming. Dave Branon wrote ,/Out of that worst of days-out of the noontime darkness on that Jerusalem hillside, has come the only true hope for mankind ..Because Jesus, Took the nails,as the song says, He carried my sins far away,and one day He is coming ,O glorious day/ Yes it is Friday but praise God Sunday is coming, what a day ,glorious day that will be.
A prayer..../Dear God we thank You that Sunday is coming,we thank You for Jesus who died and rose again, Satan,sin,and death have not the last say,because Sunday is coming. Amen /

And sae the Lord be thanket. [ Psalm 116 v 12 ]

Sometimes I stop and remember former days,when I was young,no TV,very few had a telephone,or a car,poor housing,and many other things.Then I consider the here and now,the dramatic change in things,mobile phones,many people have a car,nice housing ,even computers,and I think how God has blessed me,and so many.in our nation. Yet so many people appear to take so much for granted,and are so quick to complain,and never raise a thank you to God. The days for many are gone when we would get things on tick,but how greatful are we?,it is a good question,how do you respond to the blessings that you have?. The Psalmist askes the same question,/What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benifites towards me?[ 116 v12]/,let us consider these words,here is the Psalmist response,/I will offer to Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving,and will call upon the name of the Lord/[v17] Spurgeon wrote,This is due to our God,good for ourselves,and encouraging to others/ I was speaking to a friend telling them of a particular blessing,and she said, how lucky I was, but I said, the Lord is good.No it is not luck,it is the Lord who daily loads us with benifites.I had to smile at a grace,called Burns grace[Robert Burns],I will end with it.
                                          Some hae meat and canna eat,
                                          And some wad eat that want it,
                                          But we hae meat,and we can eat,
                                           And sae the Lord be thanked.

God of Truth. [ Isaiah 65 v16 ]

In Isaiah 65v 16, I noticed the following words ,God of truth,this is mentioned twice,the double emphasises, stresses  the importance of these words.In John 14 v6 Jesus declared Himself to be the truth ,He declares  this so that we see the importance of truth,of who He is, as to why He came, and as  to what He said. All those things are vital ,if our concept of God is wrong then we are wrong,if our beliefs don't correspond to Gods truth then we are wrong.The reformation happened because the church of Rome lost its way,and let many things come in that were contrary to Gods truth,the Bible.The church of Rome had lost its way,in so many area's,and unfortunately they have never  recovered from that. The cults like JW's  appear to be people of the Bible,but unfortunately,it is their Bible,and can be called a mistranslation.The Mormons would say they are people of the book,but what book?they choose to believe a book that has no bearing on Gods book the Bible.The God of truth will only speak the truth,as revealed in His word the Bible,that truth reveals to us Himself ,reveals to us that are created by Him,that we are fallen human beings,that we are lost. It reveals to us Gods plan of salvation,not our plan,His plan,a plan that involved Jesus, coming into this world,one who was truly God,and yet truly man,and dying on a cross,that all who believe in Him, would be eternally saved.
A prayer..../God of truth we praise You for Your word of truth,that reveals Yourself,ourselves,and Jesus  who is the way, the truth, and the life. Amen /

Two important truth's.[ Romans 11 v33ff]

It was my wife's birthday recently and I jokingly spoke about trading her in for a younger model,the challenge of marriage is great,to make it work, and to be faithful.God is sovereign but we are called to be responsible this includes marriage and all of life,we may never be able to understand ,Gods sovereignty and mans responsibility,but they are clearly taught in the word of God. There was a time many years ago when my first wife and I lived by faith,when for 4 years I attended Bible college,we trusted God to supply our needs,and He did.When that period in our lives ended I sought employment ,that is the norm,for all of us,even the apostle Paul for a time worked at  his trade[Acts18v3]. People get saved usually by someone telling them about Christ,I have heard of people being saved  whom God has spoken to in a dream,this is not the norm,but it does happen. The apostle Paul was saved by a vision ,why did God do that,because He choose to,He is sovereign,God can do what He chooses,best to understand this..God truly moves in mysterious ways ,there is so much truth in those words,He may heal ,He may not,He may grant success,He may not,He may promote or demote as He see's fit. We are not meant to throw our hands up in despair ,but to trust Him,to bow always to His will for our lives,and to always remember that His sovereignty does not nullify our responsibility.
A  prayer..... /Sovereign God we bow to Your perfect will in all things, help us understand that we are always to be responsible,in Jesus name Amen /

The is the love I am frightened of [John 3 v6 ]

There is a great deal of loneliness in our country ,over 5 million old people say their main contact /companionship is there TV. It appears a sad statement,about the society we live in. I know we do harp back to the good old days,but I know for many,they where hard old days, but we did especially when I was a wee boy, make more social contact with people than now.I remember neighbours coming into our home,I can still recall the names of many of our neighbours,and their children.Now of course people were not perfect,whats the difference now,where it appears people keep to themselves?. There used be a popular song , which went ,/we all live in little boxes,little boxes in a row/,  it is said that an Englishman's castle is his home,but unfortunately the draw bridge appears to be up. Someone I know, was in our town center and sat beside a couple of people, and attempted to make friendly conversation,and was told in no uncertain terms ,where to go to.The society we live in appears to want to keep itself to itself,and yet is desperately lonely, it is like they are afraid,a modern song, has these words in it,/This is the love I am frightened of/.People are desperate for love,but it appears they are frightened of it,frightened because,if they love they may  be hurt ,for the fact is love can be a costly business. The greatest love ever witnessed ,is seen in Jesus, who was pushed away continually by those He loved the most,the more he loved them, the more their fear took over,to the point that they stopped pushing, and started nailing Him to a cross.
A prayer...../ Dear God Have mercy upon this lonely planet, upon it's  inhabitants ,who are so frightened of  Your  love, that cries out to them from a cross,I love you Amen /

Revelation and the Lamb. [Revelation 7 v 10]

The letters to the 7 churches in Asia in Revelation are very profitable to consider ,I suppose that's as far as many people go in their study of Revelation ,but I am.sure there is much we  can learn from this ,yes ,wonderful  book.Take the 5th chapter ,in this chapter we have insight into heaven,and we have a vision of heaven ,and it is made clear to us the person of Christ,who alone is worthy. We may not understand a lot of things about this book,but what is clear Jesus truly takes the Highest station,He is the Lamb who appears to have been slaughtered,but now stands before the heavenly throne,[5v6].He is also the lamb who will display great wrath,humanity will fear Him,and rightly so [6 v16-17]. He is the Lamb who shed His precious blood and washed away the sins of all those who trust Him[7 v14],without the shedding of blood there is no remission or forgiveness of sins[Hebrews 9 v22]. He is also the Lamb who will eternally care for His own,they will never be in want,never feel hungry,He shall lead them and comfort them[8 v16-17] .The children of God will face many difficulties and a great enemy,even the Devil or Satan, but through the victory of  the Lamb they shall be overcomers[12v11],those who fight against the Lamb shall be defeated[ 17v14].Only those who have trusted the Lamb,and whose names are in the Lamb's book of life, will enter heaven[21 v27] We finish this brief look  of Christ as the Lamb, John finishes by repeating the phase ,/The throne of God, and of the Lamb  /  22 v1/3 /here we have God and the Lamb coupled together,it is Matthew Henry, who writes,/All our springs of grace,comfort,and glory,are in God,and all our streams from Him are through the Lamb/.
A  prayer......./ Dear God , we thank You for the wonderful book of  the revelation,and though there are many things we struggle to understand,we thank You for Jesus the Lamb of God ,who is all glory of  Immanuels land. Amen /

He knows what He is doing. [John 13 v7 ]

There was a young king called Josiah he ruled over the southern kingdom ,Judah, the two previous kings had been Amon and Manasseh,they had failed,especially Manasseh ,to walk in Gods ways.Josiah was so different,he was a godly young man ,who tried to turn the nation back to God,and to some extent he succeeded[ 2 Chronicles 34 v33].To some it may have appeared that things where at last looking up,but it was only a temporary revival,and would vanish a way as quickly as it had come.Josiah went into battle against Egypt who was led by king Necho and was slain,Josiah was only 26. Jeremiah the prophet led the people in a lament for Josiah[2 Chronicles 35 v25] ,a godly young man,I am sure there where those who may have asked the question ,why?.Why in Josiah case ?,there is a clue in Isaiah 57 v1,God had determined to judge this people, so as Leupold writes,/The righteous are always taken away from the evil to come/.It may not seem like a mercy when some godly young person dies, but God has His reasons,we may think ,what a waste,but not so,God is not wasteful,especially with His children's lives.
A prayer....  /Dear God we ask for those who have suffered bereavement,grant unto them, trust in Your Sovereign , perfect will, in Jesus name Amen/

Do gooder.[ Acts 10 v 38 ]

John is known as the apostle of love ,and like James in his epistle ,he see's love as being an evidence of being Christs ,in 1John3 v17-18,we read,/But whoso hath this worlds good,and seeth his brother have need,and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him,how dwelleth the love of God in him?. My little children,let us not love in word,neither in tongue,but in deed and in truth./It  was M Luther who said we are saved by faith alone,but the faith that saves is never alone,the importance of good works is stressed  continually throughout scripture. In Ephesians 2v10,we read,/God has created us anew in Christ Jesus ,so we can do the good things He has planned for us long ago/. The good works are not just related to money,although a lot of it is,it is about supporting people in different ways,visiting,praying,whatever, and wherever there is a need. Our Saviour went about doing good ,He was a good doer,we all need to be good doer's,let us remember that even a cup of  cold water will receive it's reward ,likewise clothing ,visiting,befriending a stranger,[  Matthew 25 v 31ff] I remember many years ago when money was so scarce, friends bought my wife a new outfit,and also gave us a washing machine. I have never repaid them for their kindness ,but one day Jesus will.
A  prayer..../Dear God help to be good doer's ,to  follow the example of our Saviour . Amen /

Hate.[ 1 John 4 v 20 ]

Now let us consider our next theme, love,there is so much said about love,the NT emphasizes different aspects of love physical,brotherly ,and what we can call Christian love,Agape,this expression of love is a God love.God is love,as His children we are meant to reflect God love,and John makes it clear that it is not optional. This love involves many things,but it especially involves loving our fellow Christians,it is a command,Jesus said,/These things I command you , that ye love one another[John 15 v17 ],the question is are we obeying this command?. In stressing the importance of loving our fellow Christians John  contrasts two extremes,hate and love. In stressing hate he is using a term  for the most extreme breakdown in relationship,the lesser is just as serious,  all unlove has serious consequences. Simply because it challenges what Christ commanded us,that we are to love one another,we may not hate our fellow Christians ,but we may not like them,we may despise them,we may not forgive them for hurts caused.Such a spirit has its consequences,[ CP Matthew6 v15] John deals with hopefully that which is not two common,  but is very serious,that of a professing Christian hating another Christian. Can you think of a situation where it may happen?well it can happen, but John spells out what that means, whatever the cause,that person is in darkness,[cp 1 v9-11]and it is likened unto being a murderer[3 v15]which is clear indication that he ,or she is not saved,now that is very serious.
A  prayer....../Dear God ,You love all men, and forgive all who seek You,help us to be more like You in Jesus name Amen /

Evidence [1 John 5 v7 ]

Next let us consider Christ and His divinity,I recently watched the movie,the D  Code ,a movie that was based on a book of fiction,the theme of that book/movie was that Christ was not divine,and that the church had suppressed this truth. To the writers of the NT ,the divinity of Christ was vital,to them Christ was not  only the son of man,but also the Son of God.John in his Gospel  declares,/But these are written,that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ,the Son of God[ John 20v31],in his ist epistle he uses the term Son of God,I think 6 times,and many other references he makes that stress Christs divinity.This is an absolute vital doctrine which we must not compromise on,to the Jew,Moslem,cults ,and liberal so called Christians,this truth is a stumbling block,.I finish by quoating John Stott,/The true Christian ,born from above,believes in the Son of God,keeps the commandments of God,each involves the other/.
A prayer..../God and Father we worship You and Your Son through the divine Spirit ,Amen /

Evidence of us being Christians. [ 1 John 4 v 1-3 ]

I have just read 1st John ,which stresses a number of things which I would class as evidence,proff that we are truly belong to Christ,this is just a brief outline,Truth, Love,and Works. There are other aspects of this epistle these  ,but we will consider these three. Truth as to the person of Jesus,in 4v1 John warns us not to believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit,the world is full of many who peddle error. We are to realise that not everyone who talks  about God ,is speaking the truth,as the Message puts it,there are a lot of lying preachers loose in the world. John advises us test what they say,and the biggest test is what they teach about Jesus,in John two things are stressed about Jesus that indicates that we are Christians,we believe in Christs humanity, and His divinity. In other words  Christ was truly human, and truly divine,if we deney this, which many do ,we are judged  to be error.Right at the very beginning John stresses Christ humanity 1v1,Johns personal testimony is as follows,WE[his fellow apostles and himself], heard Him,they saw Him ,they touched Him,in other words Christ was a real living human being. I will touch on His divinity,next time,take time to think about Christs humanity ,His perfect humanity,but a humanity that felt pain,experienced temptation,hunger,and rejection,which equipped Him to be our great high priest [Hebrews 4 v15].Also His sinless humanty which qualified Him to be our Saviour,the lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world.
A  prayer....../ Dear God we thank you for Jesus ,the Word who became flesh,who lived a perfect life,and  who died as a perfect sacrifice for sinners Amen ./

A hoax [ 2 Thessalonians 2 v 8 ff]

In 1810 in London a chimney sweep knocked on the door of a house in Berners Street,just north of Oxford Street.He had been sent for,he said,mystified the residents said they had no need of a sweep and closed the door.This was just the beginning throughout the day tradesmen,and goods began to arrive at the home ,2,500 raspberry tarts doctors,fishmongers,midwives,furniture,groceries, and so it went on.Who perpetrated this hoax was never discovered,but it was hoax on a grand scale,the reason why it happened is not clear,it was thought that the person who was responsible had hired rooms in the street so he and his friends could observe the scene.A hoax is described as a humorous,or cruel trick,when a person or persons are deceived .As I was driving today I noticed JWs ,are they not believing a hoax,the world is full of people believing a hoax,and it is far from being funny,in fact I see it as being cruel, for those who invented such ,are damming  souls to a lost eternity .Christianity is based on truth,on Him who is the way the truth and the life[ [John 14 v6 ],who he is and what He did is clearly shown in the Jewish scriptures, in His coming he totally fulfilled ,whom He was , the Son of God,the Saviour of sinners,the one who died and rose again.from the dead.
A prayer ..../ Dear God have mercy upon those who are taken in by hoaxers, open their blinded eyes to see Jesus the true and only Saviour of the world ,Amen/

Addiction.[ john 8 v 36]

Recently a lady was sent to prison because  she let her little child starve to death,she never reported the death and continued to collect the child benefit .This went on for two years,until it was discovered,this lady was addicted to drink, her addiction blinded her to the seriousness of what she was doing .Now in prison as she sobers up for the first time in many years she may start to consider what she did,she may not,she may still be blinded by her addiction. I started smoking when I was a young lad,a lot of people smoked in those days,thankfully many are stopping now.When I came back to the Lord ,I believe He helped me to quit the cigarettes,and I have never backslid into smoking.I also have not drunk alcohol for 49years,now I mention alcohol,it is not a sin to drink alcohol, but like so many things,be it food,sex,power,or whatever, they are all things that can become addictive. When Christ forgives us our sins,He can also set us free,this is all very possible,Millions have discovered, freedom, and forgiveness through Christ ,as the old hymn puts it,though millions have come there's still room for one,there,s room at the cross for you.
A  prayer ...../Dear God we thank You that in love You sent Jesus to forgive us our sins and to set us free Amen /

Only in Christ [ John 15 v 5 ]

I think it was Winston  Churchill who said gave me the tools and I will do the job,and it is Peter in his 2nd epistle who writes,By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life[2 v3]. The challenge for all of us is to live a godly life,what does that mean to you?,I see it as loving  God, loving others,loving truth. The Christian life is one of love not a legalistic grinding out, a love relationship,when our Saviour appealed to Peter it was on the bases of love[John 21].I can assure you that living a life of love is a mighty big challenge,the biggest challenge that any one could face. How can we rise to that challenge day after day?by getting to know Christ personally and intimately[The Message]. In Him is the divine power, and linked with His divine power we have the divine word,those exceedingly great and precious promises.It is Christ who is author and finisher of our faith [Hebrews 12 v2],so it is we can go forward into each new day ,we must place our confidence in Him.William Barclay writes,/What Christianity says is that mankind is
 capable of becoming sharers in the divine nature-but only in Jesus Christ can their destiny come true, and only in Him can our potentiality be realised/
A  prayer...../Dear God we thank that through Jesus we can face life and be victorious Amen/

He shall choose [ Psalm 47 v4 ]

Life is about making choices,and often we are not clear as to the choice we should make,recently we bought a car,it appeared to be what I wanted,I had done my homework,and  I had prayed,but when we got it,we found it had problems,so we had to get rid of it,we changed it for another car.What had gone wrong ?,I had made my choice but it was not Gods choice,that is the conclusion I have come to. Newman in his hymn ,Lead kindly light, which really is a prayer ,prays for Gods leading,he writes/,I loved to choose my path,but now lead lead Thou me on,one step enough for me/.The Christian life is one of following Jesus,of making choices as to what is the will of God,and  this is not easy,we often make choices even after praying that may not be Gods choice.Could it be that God allows us to make the wrong choice,in order to teach us lessons that we need to learn?. In Psalm 47 v4 we read,He shall choose our inheritance for us,very meaningful words,with hindsight we appreciate many things,and I am ever so grateful,that God choose my pathway.Here is a prayer by Horatius Bonar, which we can end with.
               /  Thy way, not mine, O Lord,however dark it be,Lead me by Thine hand choose out the path for me. Not mine,not mine the choice,in things or great or small.Be Thou my guide, my strength, my wisdom, and my all.  Amen./

Jesus saves. [ Mark 5 v1ff]

I  was told something recently that made me feel very sad,about a dear Christian brother and his wife,he used to be a Pastor and was hurt by different things that happened in his life,in that he left the ministry. He left feeling very hurt and I feel disillusioned with Christians,went back to a secular job,later I heard that his oldest daughter had committed suicide,and that his wife has become seriously mentally ill.This dear brother is in the process of seeking a divorce from his wife,all in all it is a very sad state of affairs, I tell you this because I want you to pray for that couple,it breaks my heart to hear what has happened to them. There are so many broken people in life,lives that are so messed up,but I believe that I have a God who has the answer.I work with the mentally ill,I see people whose lives are so broken,and they don't get better,maybe your life is broken,through no fault of your own,or maybe it is your fault,whatever the reason,Christ is the answer,let me repeat this Christ is the answer. I believe this with all my heart,and would point you to the one who can save to the uttermost,even Jesus.
A  prayer ..../ Dear God we pray for that dear couple,have mercy and help,for You are the help of the helpless,and for the many broken lives in our world,that they turn to Christ Amen /

It can happen. [ Jeremiah 32v27]

Got any rivers you think our impossible ,got any mountains you cant tunnel through,God specialises in things thought impossible,so goes that old gospel song..These are words we need to hear,for so often we are pressed into a corner,and the odds are stacked against us,there seems no way out. So let me encourage you , and myself that with God all things are possible,let me repeat this with God all things are possible,He can make a way, where there appears to be no way,He can supply all your needs.  These words are not written to mock us but to encourage us,to trust in a sovereign God, and that the miracles recorded in the Bible are not just restricted to the Bible. I was talking to a Christian recently who shared his experience with me,it related to when he lived in what was then Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. He contacted polio ,and this effected his breathing,to such a point that the hospital ordered an iron lung,before it arrived, his local church,and his church in England both prayed for him.The next day while lying in his hospital bed,he felt a stiffness in his back,when the nurse came in to tell him  that the iron lung had arrived,my friend greeted her in a way that surprised her.They examined him throughout the day and found no trace of polio,he was healed, he went on to serve the Lord
A  prayer...../.Dear God we acknowledge that You are a God of the impossible,grant Lord we may have faith to trust You  for the impossible in Jesus name Amen /

The answer is on it's way [ Romans 4 v 17ff]

I hear myself saying it will happen,and then ,but when?,I am talking about what I believe God has promised me,one prays and prays and prays and it has not happened.I phoned one of my sons recently and as I spoke to him he said, I was just about to call you, and I jokingly said,before you call I have answered. I recently prayed about something and when I looked at my email,the answer had come,but often it is keep on asking,keep on seeking,keep on knocking. I think of the Soviet Union,and the many Christians who endured so much,and how we prayed and prayed,that things would change,and praise God they did.Consider how long Joseph's trial lasted, how he must have prayed and prayed,the fact of the matter is must run their course,until God see's fit to end that particular trial. Sometime it appears that nothing will happen ,that child they prayed for,that relief from a particular trial,has passed them by,but then it happens,a child is born,the trial is lifted.In such times of trials the Christian is called on to exercise patience,and perseverance,and trust in God who is faithful,and will always keep His word.
A  prayer....../Dear God  grant us grace to hold on in our trials ,to trust in Your perfect will for our lives, and that delay is not denial,in Jesus name Amen /

Slow to anger[ James 1 v19 ]

Lastly let us consider from James 1 v 19,/slow to wrath/it is a bit funny for I had nearly completed this blog when I touched a key,and it was gone,to where I don't know,I must confess I felt angry, felt like doing something drastic to my little lap top,but I didn't,the world is full of people who are quick to get angry,with dire results,and although by Gods grace I have changed, there are times when the old Billy manifests his ugly side.People would be amazed if they knew me as God does, I am sure that applies to all of us. In Proverbs 16 v32 we read,/He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty/,Bridges in his commentary,tells how the Emperor Valentinian ,said as he lay dying, that his greatest conquests ,was the one he had over a haughty spirit/.Our wretched heart has so many inclinations to do evil,so many things, that if they are not kept in check, can destroy us. What we must do if we are to begin to overcome a hasty spirit, is to acknowledge the wrongness of it, stop making excuses,and start confessing to God any failure in any area of our lives, until we do this, there is no hope of us overcoming it.Acknowledging it, confessing it ,forsaking it,only with Gods sanctifying grace have we any hope of victory,as Bridges so rightly comments,/Christian, never forget the source of victory-Through Him that loved us [Romans 8 v37 ]
A  prayer......./Dear God ,You know us better than we know ourselves,grant us grace to change in Jesus name. Amen /

Hold your tounge [ Proverbs 19v 20 ]

Let us consider the next admonition of James 1 v19, /slow to speak/,now it  is not saying slow of speech, rather slow to speak,something like a young child who has not yet spoken. Nor are we being told not to speak,although sometimes silence is golden,there are times we will have to speak up. It is important that we consider carefully what we are going to say,speaking in a rash unthought of way,inconsidered way,can cause all sorts of problems,and can be very destructive, James deals with this in his epistle[3 v2ff].This being slow to speak is something we need to practice all the time,I was recently at a meeting where a brother who is noted for his not being able to control his speech,I longed to challenge his going on, thankfully I didn't. I believe in free speech but not in foolish,uncontroled speech.There used to be a saying, it was,/hold your tounge/,it is a very wise saying,if we practiced that more,less people would be hurt,and we would avoid ,putting our foot in it,some of us have mighty big feet.
A prayer....../ Dear God help us to be slow of speech in Jesus name Amen /

Are we listening? [ James 1 v19 ]

There is a verse in James which I believe we need to consider,I know I do,it is to be found in James 1v19,it reads/Wherefore , my beloved brethren,let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak,slow to wrath/ This is a verse we should memorise,pray over it every day asking God to help us practise these very challenging words. Now although it is aimed at men, it applies to male and female,James addresses them in a loving way,my beloved brethren,you will get further if people know you are speaking in love.His words are addressed to everyone ,so we are told, let us be swift to here,my study Bible comments,we talk too much and listen too little. If that is so, maybe we need to ask,who are we trying to impress?,it applies also to our relationship with our God,especially with God,but we need to practise it with everyone,with our children,our wives/husbands,those we come into contact with.  So here is the word for all of us today and everyday,be swift to listen.
A  prayer..... / Dear God help us to be good listener's in Jesus name Amen/

Gods answer. [ Acts 4 v12 ]

In many ways the world has become a smaller place,the world is beamed into  our living rooms,and each day we see on the news, what is happening all over the world.Often one wishes one did not see what was happening,the conflict in Syria,where countless thousands of people have died,and the awful suffering of children.A little 12year old boy lying in a hospital bed, with 40percent burns and asking the question why did they drop a bomb on us as we played?.This is the 21st century we have made so many advances, surely these things should not be happening,Jesus said there would be wars and rumours of wars, and so it is,the cross declares how desperate mans plight is. Today's paradise can quickly change into a hell on earth,peace can change into war in a moment,the threat of extinguish ion hangs over this world.Technology cannot change human nature,money and possessions cannot change human nature,education cannot change human nature, only Christ can .The world will come to an end one day when Christ returns,until that happens,nothing will change,with the exception of those who surrender their lives  to Christ, they will change,and with that change a new creation is born,we are called Christians.We look beyond the smoking rubble of this world to a new heaven and a new earth ,when the old will have passed away,with all its pain .
A  prayer.../ Dear God and Father in a world of violence,in a world of confusion,in a world of lostness,turn the needy lost souls of this world to Your answer Jesus. Amen /

Giving/investing [ Revelation 22 v 12]

The young pastor spoke a challenging message, it stressed giving,investing maybe would be a better term, it was about ,not getting anything in return. At the end he asked for anyone to make a comment, I spoke and said,my wife and I give generously but do we give sacrificially?that often when I give it is in a calculating way. It is something to think about,to pray about,and obey the Spirit's prompting,what does God want me to do?.I am thinking about money,but  I realise that  it involves more than that. What does it mean for you?I have read of many dear people,like David Brinard who witnessed to the American Indians in such a sacrificial way,of many who served God on the so called mission field at great sacrifice. F B Meyer. /Measure thy life by loss instead of gain. Not by wine drunk, but by the wine poured out/,He further wrote,/Christs people have always been a suffering people,and it is in exact proportion to their anguish that they have enriched mankind.They have saved others but not themselves/. I mentioned about investing, and not getting any thing in return,but that is only to do with the here and now,it is in eternity that Christ will reward all investment in His kingdom.[cp Matthew 25 v14ff]
A  prayer...../ Dear God help us to invest in Your kingdom in Jesus name Amen /