Praise. [ PSALM 150 ]

In Psalm 150 we have the word praise mentioned 13 times,how important is praise in our lives?it should be important.I am very conscious that I do not praise God enough. The Israelites praised God for His deliverance's,but in their difficult times they complained,don't let the difficulties you are experiencing rob God of His rightful praise.Anyone can sing when the sun is shining,but we turn to mourning in the dark and dismal days,very few of us sing Gods praise in the rain. God is worthy of our praise,the world praise so many things,that are not worthy of praise.Surely God alone is worthy of our praise, we may know this,but how hard we find to practise it, often when we meet fellow Christians and they fail to praise God,I include myself in this,the problem takes the place of praise.Of course we don't want just words,there is a popular songs which goes words have all I got,God looks on the heart,and it is heart filled praise He desires,and deserves.Why not all of us take up the challenge of praising God more,and when we do this,we will be glorifying Him.[ Psalm 50 v23]
A  prayer....../ Dear God so many things crowd in upon us,and so we forget to exercise  praise  to You who truly is worthy of praise,we ask that You may give us a heart to praise You,in Jesus name Amen /

The secret is surrender [ 1 Chronicles 29 v 5 ]

In Psalm 147 v 10-11,we read,/He delighteth not in the strength of the horse,He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him ,in those that hope in his mercy/
These may sound strange words to us,so what are we being told?,well the horse,and the strength of a mans legs speak of man's natural power.When Samuel came to choose a new king,he had to be reminded that God looked on the heart,not the outward appearance [ 1 Samuel 16v7],and the least expected person was chosen,David,a man after Gods own heart.Now of course God will use and choose whom He will,but His choice is so different from ours,He chooses the foolish things of this world,the weak things of the world,the base things of the world,things that are despised[1 Corinthians1 v 27-28].Why ? that no flesh should glory in His presencev29.Christianity came into being through weakness, a man hanging on a cross [2 Corinthians 13 v4].Christianity is not based on human abilities,but rather a reliance on God,and His power,that does not mean we wont have abilities,but we must  make sure that they are surrendered to Him.
A   prayer  of consecration......./All that I am and have,Thy gifts so free,
                                                   in joy,in grief through life O Lord, for Thee.
                                                   And when Thy face I see,my ramsomed soul shall be,
                                                   Through all eternity,something for Thee....Amen.
                                                        [Words by S.O. Phelps]





                                                 

Don't underestimate prayer.[ Exodus 3 v 7-9 ]

In a time of great trouble David prays ,no man cared for my soul[Psalm 142v4],he felt overwhelmed
by his situation,and yet in the midst of  his dire troubles what a wonderful prayer he prays.I visited a dear lady recently,she had just lost her husband of 6o years,can we even begin to understand the depths of her lost.I read regularly of so many of Gods dear children suffering,some being murdered.Someone I know who is very dear to me ,was abused for many years,I cannot even begin to imagine the depths of their suffering. There are so many people suffering in this world,from hunger,homelessness,persecution,wrongful imprisonment,the list goes on, and on. I visit people on a regular bases who suffer from mental illness,I feel so helpless.The question is what can we do well we can pray,is that all we can do?,it may be all we can do,but do not underestimate the power of prayer,David didn't,nor should we. So today whither in your own life,or the lives of others,there are awful things happening pray to God who loves,who hears and will respond.
A  prayer..../Dear God hear our prayer for those who are suffering ,and answer,hear our prayers for ourselves and answer in Jesus name Amen /

Preaching. [ 2 Timothy 3 v1-6]

I felt a call on my life to preach,when doors closed,I held unto the belief that God had called me to preach,this has never left me,but I have never found it easy.To me it has been a great challenge,a continual step of faith,first you pray as to what to preach on,then you study,again prayerfully,then you preach.It is a step by step act of prayer and faith,I believe one needs tools,commentaries,different translations,a concordance,one may not need to be college trained,but one will need to study.I was talking to a young man in training for the ministry,he was complaining about the number of essays he has to prepare,I reminded him what someone once said,being in the ministry is a lifetime of study.That is in keeping with what we are told in scripture,that we are study to show ourselves approved unto God,a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,rightly dividing the word of truth[2 Timothy 2 v15]Study in a sense can be hard work as Solomon points out in Ecclesiastes 12v12,that much study is a weariness of the flesh. I read something that implied if you used notes when preaching one was not relying on God,that is not so,as I have tried to point out,getting a word,and
preaching that word is an exercise of relying upon God,from start to finish.
A  prayer..../ Dear God,we ask for Your blessings upon all those who are called to minister Your word,anoint them by Your Spirit,and equip them for the task in Jesus name Amen/

Who are you looking to?[Psalm121]

There is a group of Psalms with title called,songs of degrees, written by David ,they are 120-134,they would be sung by pilgrims going up to the temple to worship. The best known one is Psalm 121,it commences with the writer lifting his eyes unto the hills,to the mighty God of creation who made the hills,the heavens and the earth.Think of creation ,the awesome power that brought it into being,and it is to the creator he lifts his eyes,and declares my help cometh from the Lord of creation.Who are you looking to for help?  look to God,to bring you the help you need. In v 3 we are told that he not will permit our feet to be removed,we don't need to run to the hills,but to the one who made the hills,stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.In v3-4 we are reminded that God unlike us does not slumber or sleep, continually His eye is upon the righteous and His ears are opened unto their cry,continually.In v5 we see the Lord as our keeper,remember we are kept by the power of God through faith[1 Peter 1 v5] In v6,he writes of the natural creation that they could  hurt us,illness famine sunstroke,God will not permit these to harm us.The last two verses speaks of God preserving our souls,and our going out and coming in,for evermore,not just yesterday,or today,but for evermore.
A  prayer..../ Almighty God we look to You the God of creation and the God of our salvation,in Jesus name Amen /

When You are gone. [ Hebrews 9 v 27]

When someone dies,we often say, they are gone,but the bigger question is this, gone where?in that old classic,the scarlet Pimpernel,we read the following,is he Heaven ?,is he in Hell?,that elusive scarlet Pimpernel.Most people do not give serious consideration as to the after life,nor do they give serious consideration about death,even though everyone of us must die.Maybe they are like smokers who never really think of the possible consequences of smoking,,they take comfort from the story about that their old granny who lived to 100years of age,smoked all her life,40 a day,she never got cancer,if only they could go into a hospice and meet those who are in the last stages of lung cancer,maybe that would make them think,maybe it wouldn't, .I wonder would they  think not only of death,but where they are going to after death. Consider what Solomon wrote, /It is better to go to the house of mourning,than to go to the house of  feasting,for that is the end of all men,and the living will lay it to his heart[Ecclesiastes 7 v2] A feast or a party is not conducive to serious thinking,you go  to such occasion's to eat, drink and be merry, but you think more serious thoughts at  the house of mourning,or one should.  They are gone,and that will be said of all of us,but will it be to Heaven or will it be to Hell?, will it be with Christ or without Him?.Remember when you are gone you are gone, there is no coming back,and there is no second chance,behold now is the accepted time,behold now is the day of  salvation [2 Corinthians 6 v2]
A  prayer...../ Dear God help people to make sure that when they are gone it will be  to heaven,through  Jesus Your Son Amen/

Dwelling on thr dark side. [ Deuteronomy 29v 29]

R.C. Sproul wrote,/We have to learn to think theologically/,in other words think biblical,not to be ruled by sentiment,or our own understanding.I hear people express ideas and questions and they have not considered what the Bible is teaching. Many people in the Bible experienced awful things happening to them,Job,Joseph and Paul,and our dear Saviour.The early Christians were thown to the lions and up to this present day,many dear Christians are experiencing awful suffering.The question many ask why can God not stop it?,well right away we see an error,God can stop it,so why does He not?.It appears that evil must continue in Gods purposes,He is working inspite of evil, redeeming a people to Himself.We only see part of the story,we should not judge things by the half time score.In Deuteronomy 29v 29,we read,/The secret things belong unto the Lord/,in a very real sense we must accept this,that there will always be questions we cant answer,Job never received an answer,God is not duty bound to give us an answer.In all our questioning we must fall back on scripture,and observe the character of God,He is holy,just,merciful,gracious,loving,and most important sovereign.None of us like seeing others suffer,God doesn't,but in His sovereignty,evil must run its course,let us not in ignorance judge God,His way is perfect.
A   prayer ......../ Dear God help us not to dwell on the dark side of our nature,especially within our mind,help us dwell on the light of your word,in Jesus name Amen/

The word of God [ Psalm 119v 105-112]

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet,and a light unto my path[ Psalm 119v105].What a blessing the child of God has when they have the word of God.Those who do not have it walk in darkness,they trust in uncertain riches,they trust in their own understanding,they trust that they are secure,blinded by Satan and sin. W. Plummer writes,/ How sad is the state, and how guilty the conduct of those, who reject the light of Gods word. It alone can solve a thousand doubts. It alone gives  comfort in the day of distress.It alone preserves our feet from forbidden paths./ Do not neglect the word,dont let dust gather on your Bible,dont be to busy as to not read it, treasure it,love it,fill your mind with it,in prayer we talk to God,when we read His word He talks to us.
A   prayer..../ Dear God again we thank You for Your word give us a hunger for it,that our souls may be fed,and that our lives may be guided in all things in Jesus name Amen  /

Begone unbelief. [Hebrews 11 v6]

In Psalm119v49 we read /Remember the word unto Thy servant,upon which Thou hast caused me to hope/.What the writer is asking for , is that God would fulfil His word,to him,we can apply this to the  promises that God has given Him.The word hope here means ,waited,trusted. It is a fact that when God gives a promise,it is not always fulfilled right away,and in that waiting we are called upon to trust God,as Abraham did,who against hope believed God would fulfil His word[Romans4 v18]The waiting has a beneficial effect upon us,as W. Plummer writes,/True hope produces patience/,and that is a quality we all need,patience. When God gives us a word,He wants to take it seriously,
that we honour Him by trusting Him to fulfil His word. The word that He gives will be fulfilled nothing can hinder it,except unbelief [Hebrews 3v19],it is faith that God rewards.John Newton wrote,/Begone unbelief,my  Saviour is near,and for my relief,will surely appear./
A  prayer..../Dear God help us to completely trust in Your word in all things and at all times,in Jesus Name Amen.

Walking in the light. [ 1 John 1 v 6-7 ]

In Psalm 119v11, we read,/Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee/
how important it is to store Gods word in our heart,to memorize it,to meditate upon it,if we do then we will be guided in the way of holiness.In my study Bible I read, /Gods word restricts us
from doing that which might cripple us and keep us from being our best.Gods  guidelines help us follow His path, and avoid paths that lead us to destruction/.In v15-16 the Psalmist writes  ,/I will meditate in Thy precepts,and have respect unto Thy ways.I will delight myself in Thy statues,I will not forget thy word./Here is a man who is determined to follow God according to His word,how determined are we?the Christian life is one of walking in the light of Gods word,not according to the changing fancies of society. No drunkenness,no having casual sex,no going along with the crowd,no judging, doing good works,being generous,being faithful,
forgiving, and loving.Like the Psalmist let us not forget Gods word,for if we do that, then we will forget to follow God and His ways,we will be march to the worlds drumbeat,and not to Heavens.
A  prayer....../ Dear God  help us all to walk and live according to Your word in Jesus name Amen /

Praying for others.[ James 5 v16]

After I had preached, a person spoke to me,his mother was very ill,I listened but I did not know what to say possible because I might say the wrong thing, I felt a sense of hopelessness,later I thought why did I not pray with him?.Well I did not pray with him but I have been praying for him,the Bible tells us to pray for one another,[James 5v 16].Consider the challenging words spoken by Samuel the prophet speaking to Israel,/God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you/[ 1 Samuel 12 v23]  When we pray for someone we are bringing that person and their problems to God,with a confidence that He knows whats best for that person,and how best to help them.There are many who are suffering in this world,I can help somewhat,but I am very limited in resources,but God is not. Today you may meet someone,or hear of someone who is in difficulty,pray for them,don't judge them, leave that to God,our responsibility is to pray for them.God is no respecter of persons,your prayers do not take second place to your pastor, missionary,TV evangelist,or whoever.Go with boldness unto the throne of grace,God in mercy will hear and answer according to His perfect will [Hebrews 4v16]
A  prayer.../Dear God help us to pray,and help us to see the importance of praying for others in Jesus name Amen/

I cant get no satisfaction [Psalm 17 v15]

In Proverbs 27 v6,we read, /Hell and destruction are never full,so the eyes of man are never satisfied/,the man who wrote this, knew this truth in his own life, that is Solomon.He tells us something we all know,as regards death it is never satisfied,and wont be until Christ returns [, 1 Corinthians 15 v 54-57] and then  death will die,as the poet has said.From  death he goes on to mention, so the eyes of man are never satisfied, it is sad but true, Charles Bridges, writing on this,declares,/Man is always seeking for what he can never find,satisfaction in earthly things/. Earthly things cannot satisfy the deepest longings of the soul,the Rolling  Stones sung a song ,called,I cant get no satisfaction. Jesus often reminded people that  only He could satisfy humanities needs,only in Him is there true satisfaction. In John 4 He spoke to a women who came to draw water from a well,and this is what He said ,/But whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst ,but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life/  Consider, are all the nice goodies that you have,really satisfying the deepest need of your heart?,of course not, only Jesus can do that.
A  prayer....../ Dear Lord open our eyes to where true satisfaction is to be found,not in earthly things but in You. Amen /

Called to be a preacher.[ James 3 v1]

I  ministered Gods word,It was a challenging word ,the main thing is being faithful,sometime one thinks, should I change it, preach an old sermon.I take preaching of Gods word very seriously as every preacher should,was it Spurgeon who said, keep preaching,even if you hear the archangel  blowing his horn.The Preacher is the watchman,[cp Ezekiel 3 v17 ],and if that is so we will be held accountable ,James gives a word of caution, to all would be preachers,/My brethren , let not many of you become teachers,knowing that we shall receive  a stricter judgement[James 3v1] Many people looking at the preacher,think I could do that ,in fact I want to do it,and I am going to do it.They are unaware what it means,studying,that can be hard work, indeed as someone once said it is a life time of study.Most of the prophets experienced persecution,listen to what God told Jeremiah  [1v19],/ ,they shall fight against thee, and what Ezekiel was told  /But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee,for they will not hearken unto me, for all the house of Israel  are impudent and hardhearted/[Ezekiel 3 v7 ]So consider prayerfully, if the call to be a preacher is genuine,and if it is,then obey that  noble calling.
A  prayer....../Dear God guide all who at this time feel that they are called of God to preach,in Jesus name Amen /

Does God hate this worlds ? [ John 3 v16 ]

Ah, the finishing touch,that last dab of paint when you stand back and admire what you have done,very satisfying is it not?,of course it is. In Genesis 1 we read that when God had created everything but man,God saw that it was good,He took good pleasure in what He had made.Yet it was not the finished article,no  that was about to follow,for then He created man and woman,and then we read, He saw that it was very good [1v31].Much has changed,from perfection,to imperfection,from being flawless to being flawed,In many ways this world is not a pretty picture,this planet it appears has its finger on a self destruct button.Every day God hears the cries of the afflicted,every hour He sees the injustice and inequalities that are taken place, the words of Genesis 6 v5-6  must sum things up,how God views this world even now,/And God saw that the wickedness  of man was great upon the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart,was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth,and it grieved Him at His heart/One would think that God must hate this world,and all it's inhabitants,just like those Islamic militants do. Not so,for we read ,/That God so loved this world ,that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life[ John 3 v16]
A  prayer..../ Dear God we praise You for Your love,in Jesus,for this world and its inhabitants, in Jesus name Amen /

The unexpected .[ Psalm 31 v15 ]

There used to be a series on TV called tales of the unexpectant, which reminds me how suddenly the unexpected can come into our lives,this happened recently to my oldest boy.The fact is ,life if full of the unexpectant,indeed the title of that old TV series could be written over all our lives. This is why it is vital for us all to grasp the truth that God is in control,that He is sovereign,I mention this often simply  because I believe that we all need to be reminded of this continually. As to the unexpectant event concerning my son the last thing I said to him was,pray about it,in other words turn to the one who is in control. In His providence He brings the unexpected,it is not all hurtful things,it includes all things,which  again reminds us of what God says about the all things,that if we are a child of God then He will work those all things for our good[ Romans 8 v28].So whatever unexpectantly comes into our lives ,it will work for our good,God will see to that.Let us remember,in the words of an old hymn,that, all our times are in His hand,all events at His command.
A  prayer....../Dear God  help us not to be panicked ,or dismayed by the unexpectant,help us to trust and to not be afraid, in Jesus name Amen/

He is in control. [ Revelation 19 v6]

At this time there is so much turmoil in the middle east,plus the situation in Ukraine, and in many other places,not to mention crime.It appears at times that this is a runaway world,so many uncertainties,our Saviour said there would be wars and rumours of wars.That's the thoughts that came to me this morning,but then I reminded myself that although I cannot fully explain it,God is Sovereign.We are told in scripture that God is working all things after the counsel of  His own will[Ephesians 1 v11],in thinking of those words I am moving from sight to faith .The natural can only focus on what it can see,but the mind of faith focuses on Him they cannot see,a sovereign God.As we read the Bible we have a record of a people who lived through tremendous upheavals,as they saw heathen nations in power,and were uprooted from kith and kin,they could easily had said that this world was out of control, evil appeared to be on the throne.Jeremiah the prophet  wrote to people who had suffered a great deal,their nation trampled under foot,they had been taken into exile.So  he wrote  what God was was saying/For I know the thoughts I think toward you,saith  the Lord,thoughts of peace,and not of evil,to give you an expected end[29v11]. These words reminded those exile that God was in control,and in spite of everything looking to the contrary,He was in control,and was working His purposes out.
A  prayer...../Dear God we lift our eyes of faith and declare that You are in control,in Jesus name Amen /

Hate evil [ Psalm 1 ]

In Psalm 97v10, we read,/Ye that love the Lord,hate evil/,recently I pointed out that in Baptism,we are declaring that we have died to our old sinful ways.Here, we who love the Lord are exhorted to hate evil, consider, that those who do not love the Lord ,love evil,the drunkard loves alcohol,the child abuser loves their perverted sex,anything goes just as long as they get the thing they love.Those who worked in concentration camps loved what they were doing, it is a sad commentary on life that so many people love evil.The extreme religious people love the evil that they are doing,even though it is obviously evil,they have a perverted mind set that believes that what they are doing is pleasing God. Why should those who love the Lord hate evil,well look on Calvary,evil put our Saviour on that cross,my evil, your evil,Gods righteous anger burns  against all evil,and so like Him we should hate evil. W. Cowper wrote,[ Let this be our prayer]
                               I hate the sins that made Thee mourn,
                                and drove Thee from my breast,
                                The dearest idol I have known,
                                 Whate'er that idol be,
                                 help me to tear it from Thy throne,
                                 And worship only Thee,
                                  In Jesus name we ask this, Amen .





                           
   

The clown [ Matthew 11 v28 ]

I  am sure you have heard the story of the man who visited a doctor feeling depressed,well the doctor said to him,I'm told there is a wonderful clown in town,he is making everybody laugh,go and see him,his name is Grimaldi,the man looked at the doctor,and said I am Grimaldi.  I thought of this story when I heard the sad news of  the death of Robin Williams,a man who entertained many ,but behind the mask of acting, joke telling was a very sad person.It  makes us realise that you cannot judge a book by its cover,or a person by their wealth and fame,it is only God who sees the heart,it is He who knows what we are really like. He sees the insecurities,the loneliness,the sense of failure,the need to be loved,that when we  are smiling we are crying inside,people hear our words,He hears our thoughts.There are so many peoples like Grimaldi,and dear Robin Williams,putting on a good open show,putting on a good front. There is a popular song that goes,bring on the clowns,are you one of those clowns?am I?, well here is the word for for us clowns,stop clowning around,and start to see that there is a God ,who loves us just as we are, a God,who can heal the broken heart,and a God who can fill the empty void in our lives,He does this through His son Jesus,who says,/Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest[Matthew 11 v28]
A  prayer..../ Dear God come and heal our brokenness,come and fill our emptiness,with Yourself through You Son Jesus Amen /

Baptism [Romans 6 v1ff ]

From the moment one became a Christian,things changed,the act of  baptism proclaims this,cp Romans 6 v1ff.My study Bible points out that that baptism was by immersion,new Christians were completely buried in water.This symbolised the death and burial of the old life,the wrong things we once did,we are dead to,if we once stole we no longer do that,if we were sexually permissive we are now dead to that,and so on. When we come up out of the water we are entering into that resurrection of new life in Christ.Some people see baptism as just a witness that they have become a Christian and it is that,but it is also a declaration that one is dead,to the old sinful ways. That is why Paul declares,how shall we, that are dead to sin,live any longer therein?,Leon Morris points out that for many baptism is seen as a comforting,and inspiring piece of ceremonial.He goes on to point out ,/that we should not let the modern associations of baptism, blind us to the point Paul is making so strongly.He is saying that it is quite impossible for anyone who understands,what baptism means to acquiesce cheerfully in a sinful life.The baptized have died to all that/
A  prayer...../ Dear God help us to live that new life in Christ,a life that has nothing to do with those dead practises of this world,in Jesus name Amen/

I remember.[ Acts 16 v31]

In my 70 years I have witnessed a lot of change,in some ways life is so different,the housing situation has changed,it takes nearly a kings ransom to buy a house,if you can get a mortgage. To even rent a property is very expensive,it seemed so different years ago,although the standard of housing has improved.When I was young the home we lived in a rented property,that had no warm water,an outside loo,no bathroom,two small bedrooms,which we all slept in,and when people came to stay,it really was a tight squeeze. We had a wind up gramophone,a radio in which,ran on a battery,that needed charged up at the local bike shop.I do remember horse drawn vehicles and trams,later replaced by trolley buses, both these where powered by electric.So many people have cars,then very few people had,when TV came it was only the few who had them.Very few people had washing machines,most of the washing was done in the sink,in the kitchen,later in time we would go to a place called a laundrette. I  could write so much more about the changes ,but enough for now, but there are things that do not change, death, judgement,the need to be saved the need to know Jesus as ones Saviour,that will never change.
A prayer....../Dear God grant that  in a world that is for ever changing ,that You do not change,we do not change, we are still sinners who need a Saviour, Amen/

Confidence. [ HEBREWS 4 V14-16]

I smiled to myself,for a thought came into my life,that  I am burdening God to much with my prayers,what a silly thing to think,I  think it is sad that a certain church have made poor humans into Gods,they pray to saints,and have exalted dear Mary to the supreme mediator .The fact men and women,cannot even if they are in heaven , be mediators, are still only men and women. We exaggerate mankinds abilities,and in so doing, limit Gods abilities.It is not that we do not recognize godly people,we do,but they  are still people with limations. The confusion arises when we stray from Gods word,in 1 Timothy 2 v5, we read,/For there is one God,and one mediator ,between God and man,the man Christ Jesus./Christ who is the God man is more than able to deal with all our prayers,not only is He able but He who became man and experienced life in its fullness,understands,what we are going through.The old hymn ,declared,/no one understands like Jesus,/ so we can come to God through Him,who is touched with feelings of our infimities [Hebrews 4 v14]. Let us not limit the Holy one of Israel,He can more than cope with our prayers,so we can with confidence take everything to Him in prayer.
A  prayer...../God open our eyes and heart, to pray,continually and with confidence through Jesus our Saviour and our great high priest, Amen/

Plan B.....[John 14 v6 ]

I heard a dear brother speaking at funeral service,in his address he mentioned,having a plan b,I have heard a particular football manager being criticised because He had no plan b.Generals usually have a plan b,even if it means retreating, so many people have a plan b,in relation to selling there homes, or when one retires. Coming back to the message I heard preached,the preacher  was referring to  salvation,there is no plan b,what God has provided,He has provided,and that is it. The work of salvation is Gods work,not mans,it originated in God,it was carried out by God,there is nothing of man in it,absolutely nothing.It is from start to finish an act of divine love, love to the loveless says the hymn.It was an act of supreme sacrifice,manifested in majestic humility,and for Jesus an act of unbelievable bravery.This  can never be seen as plan b,it is offered freely  to all who call upon Him.in faith, unlike mankind, God is no respecter of persons, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved that whosoever makes it all inclusive,people are continually erecting barriers,race ,gender,etc, but God is ever pulling them down,with that gracious invitation,that whosoever may ,can come.
A prayer......../Dear  Lord thank you that there is no  plan b,there is only  Jesus,He is altogether lovely,and He alone is sufficient,to save to the uttermost, Amen./

Little sinners. [ jOHN 3 ]

I am sure you have heard of the term,saved by the skin of ones teeth,well just recently I read an account of an incident that happened in Ibiza in my sons new book,about a young man while on drugs, jumped in the sea.He was pulled out with great difficulty,by a friend ,who eventually give up  trying,leaving the young man to drown. My son Brian went over put his hand on the young mans head and pulled him out of the water by the hair on his head,so saving his life. He and others held him down till the police came and took him away,so we have a young man who was saved by the hair on his head.The question I ask myself  was he saved only to be lost when he dies. Being saved physically is one thing but being saved spiritually is another thing. People are brought to the actually experience of being saved in different ways,and in different degrees of repentance. Some people where drunkards,adulterers,thieves,even murders, cp...1 Corinthians 6v 9-11,but what about at the other end of the spectrum?,the clean living church going people,who get saved,sometimes such people appear disappointed ,no drinking,no drugs etc,there testimony is not very exciting.Now all have sinned to a lesser or greater degree,because a person did not indulge in the baser sin, is no reason,to think that their salvation, is any less important than the drunkard.Let us remember many sins or few sins brings us under Gods condemnation, and wrath,which leads only to one place HELL.
A  prayer........Dear God we are amazed and thankful for saving us sinners,help us never to underestimate that miracle of Grace through Jesus Your Son Amen/

Stop fretting [ Psalm 37 ]

So many times I have found myself waiting ,when I desired to be working,even at this time I feel a degree of frustration,feeling so much ,wanting to minister God word. God has his reasons for the waiting time,we possible need to  rest,let us remember how kind and considerate God is,He will never cause His children a needless pain. In Mark 6 v31, we read,/And He said unto them ,come ye yourselves apart unto a desert place and rest awhile./He knoweth our frame,He knows we need to rest,to rest in Him,when Elijah the prophet felt exhausted,he rested,but he was ministered to by angel ,even feeding him[1 Kings 19v5-7]. God was not finished with him,no he was teaching him  valuable lessons,before his next task.Psalm 37 v7 ,reads,/Rest in the Lord wait patiently for Him,fret not/We see others being used,and we fret,and we say why not me,there must be some work that I can do,fret not,the sovereign God has not forgotten you,waiting time is never wasted when God is in it. Moses had to wait 40years before God at last called him to greater service,Paul had to spend time in Arabia,So today rest in the  Lord and wait patiently for Him,yes focus on Him,and stop fretting.
A  prayer.../ Dear Lord we commit all our waiting time to You,help us not worry or fret Amen

King Canute. [ PSALM 100 ]

King Canute was a Viking who became king of England in 1016,he is seen  in two ways,as a fool or else was a very wise man.It all relates to him ordering the tide not to come in,,and of course it just did the opposite.He was also know as a wise king ,now a wise king would be foolish to try and order the tide not to come in,it appears he was just trying to show,in the words of a poem by Paul Berro, that,/Not even a king can control the seas/. Which reminds all of us that no one can control the sea,indeed there are so many things we cannot control.We cannot control the common cold,or a tummy ache,or where we where born,etc,because we are not God.  Friedrich Nietzsche,believed that God was dead, I  believe he replaced God with man,and the Nazi es ,followed this through, placing man at the centre of the world.Canute had the right idea,the truth is, only God controls the tide,only God is truly in control. The Bible tells us ,the fool has said in his heart there is no God[Psalm 53 v1 ] ,for goodness sake don't be a fool,don't accept a God replacement policy,we are not equipped to be a god. Embrace the one who is truly in control,of our lives and our destiny
A  prayer....../Dear God we bow in humility before You,as our God and Saviour Amen/

Thorns.[ 2 Corinthians 12 v10]

I was feeling upset about an on going problem, which does not go away,yes I have prayed about it continually ,now just recently I have bought a daily devotional called ,/Streams in the desert/,which  I would recommend to you. So I read a reading from it,and the whole reading touched my heart,I want to pass on part of that reading./George Matheson the well known blind preacher from Scotland, once said,/My dear God,I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses but not once for my thorns.I have always looked forward to the place where I will be rewarded for my cross,but I have never thought of my cross as a present glory itself./ Then George ends with a prayer,which we can all pray.
  /Teach me, O Lord, to glory in my cross. Teach me the value of my thorns. Show me how I have climbed to You, through the path of pain.Show me it is through my tears that I have seen my rainbow. Amen/

How long.. [ 1 Thessalonians 4 v 15-18]

Sin has effected not only mankind,but the very creation,the apostle Paul writes in Romans 8 v22,/ For we know that the whole creation,groaneth and travaileth in pain,together until now./ Here are
comments from my study Bible,/Sin has caused all creation to fall from the perfect state in which God created it. The world is in bondage to death and decay/The words of the old hymn proclaims  this truth,/Change and decay in all around we see/.I wonder do you, like me ,ever utter the words ,how long?.I know I do,as I read daily on the suffering of so many,suffering which we all will experience to some degree. How long before we see the end of wars and more wars,how long before we see the end of child abuse,and women being down trodden in many countries.How long before we see the end of injustice,to end of greed,and so we could go on,saying how long. As a Christian I have a sure and certain hope,and it is summed up in the words of that old hymn.My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.Yes that is my hope,it is called that blessed hope, and rightly so,for when He comes back again, he will make all things new.For those who have trusted Him,we will enter into that new heaven and that new  earth.No longer will I utter those words how long,no longer will Satan and sin rule,no ,our Saviour will rule eternally in righteousness and holiness.
A  prayer..../Dear God help us not to loose hope of a better day coming ,when Jesus returns Amen /

When I was a child.. [ 1 Corinthians 13]

Do you remember the games you used to play when you where young?,blind mans bluff,hide and seek,kick the tin,cowboys and  Indians.I remember swinging  around a lamp post,of climbing trees,these where the days when no one had TV,I remember my friend and I playing with his train set, playing football in the street,not so much traffic in those long lost days.Now I am a seventy year old man,I don't do those things any more,if I did I suppose people would doubt my sanity,no,now no more childish things.It is the apostle who wrote,/When I was a child, I spake as a child,I understood as a child, I thought as a child,but when I became a man,I put  away childish things[1 Corinthians 13 v11] He contrasts three aspects of our being,speech,,our understanding,and the way we think,now in this chapter we are being challenged about love.Let us apply this  to those things ,speech,understanding,and the way we think,as I speak to day will my speech be that of love?,will my understanding be guided by love?, and will  my thought life be controlled by love?.
A  prayer...../Dear God so often we are childish,forgive us,grant us grace that we nay grow into mature and loved controlled Christians,in Jesus name Amen/

Words are so easily spoken. [ Proverbs 15 v 4 ]

Did you ever say to yourself,why did I not keep my mouth shut?you say something that you wish you hadn't said,something said in confidence,something that was said for your ears only, I am sure we all
can identify with what I am saying,and the words of James come to mind,the tongue can no man tame[3 v8]. Words unfortunately are so easily spoken,if only we would think before we speak,or better still, pray before we speak. Much, so much good can be accomplished by words,as in the case of our Saviours word,consider the things He taught ,the sermon on the mount,contrast with Hitlers speeches,he had a wonderful ability to give speeches,and yet consider how those speeches inflamed men's hearts to hate,destroy, and to kill. Tony Campolo has written a book ,let me tell you a story, and it has as it's content 15 chapters ,/What we overhear about/,it would be a challenge to write a book with the contents being, /What we should not have said about/.I leave this verse with you for your prayerful consideration,/Let your speech be always with grace,seasoned with salt./[Colossians 4 v5] A  prayer........./Dear God forgive our foolish ways and foolish words,right now we consecrate our tongues to You in Jesus name Amen /