My forever friend. [ Proverbs 18 v24 ]

Millions of people will sing a famous song ,known as ,/Auld lang syne,/ by Robert Burns,that great Scottish poet.I have the poem before me.It is written in an old Scottish dialect,so it is difficult to understand,it is described as being extremely nostalgic,and a sincere expression of friendship.As its sung people usually join hands in friendship,as they look forward to the new year.They pledge that whatever changes life may bring,that old friends will not be forgotten.Friendship is important for us all ,some have many friends,
some have few,and some may not have any.The word of God tell us about a friend  that sticketh closer than a brother [Proverbs 18 v24]. Charles Landsborough,wrote a lovely song called ,/My forever friend/,here are a some verses from it.
                    He's my forever friend,my leave me never friend,
                    From darkest night,to rainbow's end,
                    He's my forever friend.
                    If you don't know the one I'm talking of,
                    I think it's time you knew,
                    Long ago and far a way upon a cross.
                    My friend died for you.
                    So if you'd like to meet Him,
                    And don't know what to do,
                    Ask my friend into your heart,
                    And He'll be your friend too.

Filled with fear [Psalm 23]

 Writing on Peter ,when he acted in a detrimental way to the gospel,and when the apostle Paul had to challenge him,and remind him of the truths of the gospel,and that what he was doing was wrong[Galations2 11-16]. John  Stott writes,/Paul knew Peter was acting from fear,not conviction,and even
Barnabas,inspite of everything he had seen during their first missionary
journey,was carried away by the flood and led astray/Fear can cause us to forget Gods truth,Gods promises,and cause us to act contrary to our held conviction based upon Gods word.Dear child of God are you filled with fear,are you acting out of fear,stop and remind yourself that God is with you.Retire into some quite place and talk to your Loving heavenly Father,
remind yourself that He is in control,and that He has promised to provide for you,to care for you 24/7.
                            The Lord is my Shepherd,I shall not want,
                             He maketh me to lie down in green patures,
                             He leadeth me beside still waters.
                             He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths
                            of righteousness for His names sake.
                             Yea though I walk through the valley of death I
                             fear no evil:for Thou art with me.
                             Thou prepares a table before me in the presence
                              of my enemies:Thou anointest my head with oil,
                              my cup runneth over.
                               Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the
                              days of my life,and I will dwell in the house of the
                               Lord for ever.
                                           [Psalm 23]
                             
                          
                                

There is a purpose in Life.[John 3 v16]

In the movie,'I  robot',one of the robots said the one who had made  him,the
one he called father,had made him for a purpose.As a Christian I believe my
loving heavenly Father has made me for a purpose.Gods ultimate purpose
is that we may all know Him,He made none us that we may end up in Hell.
At Christmas each year in the church I attend, we hold a Christingle service,in which an orange is used in getting over the message of Christ.The orange represents the  world,four little stakes are put into it,they represent the four seasons in the year,these have sweets on them, these represent the fruits of the earth, A candle is attached to the orange which is lit,the candle represents Christ,who is the light of the world,and red tape is also attached,this goes round the orange,this represents Gods love for this world,the whole world, every single individual in this world.For we are told in scripture that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believed in Him should not perish but have ever lasting life[John 3 v16 ] No one needs to be lost,that is not Gods purpose,we all can be saved ,because God sent Jesus to rescue us ,forgive us,free us ,and care for us,because He loves everyone of us.
                                   A prayer.
Dear God we thank you that you are a God of love,and that your ultimate
purpose in sending Jesus was because you love everyone of us,without exception. Help us to see beyond the lie that there is no purpose in life,and help us to accept Christ as our Saviour . Amen .

Gods enough.[ Philippians 4 v19]

One of the gifts the wise men brought ,was gold,now we know that the gifts
had a symbolic meaning,but to this poor couple,who would have to flee to
Egypt,the  gold was a very practical gift.It was Gods provision,it would help them,enabling them to survive, to feed them,and to care for baby Jesus.God is very practical,he understands what we need.I praise God for all his provision,for supplying my needs.He enabled me to learn to drive,without that ,I would not have been able to work as a support worker for 23years.I have mentioned that I lived by faith,when attending Bible college.There were times when we had literally no money and no food in the house,and had children to feed.God provided often with little gifts of money,but they were enough ,Gods little is always enough,remember the five loaves and
two small fish,it was Gods enough,remember the widow woman ,whom
Elijah was sent to,all she had was a little handful of meal,and little cruse
of oil[1 Kings 17],it was Gods enough,to feed Elijah,the woman and her son.So what ever your need may be,ask God ,and you shall receive,and
whatever He provides it will be enough.
                                        A  prayer.
Dear God we thank you that you promise to meet all our needs,and we thank you that what ever you supply will be enough,Amen.

Earthly power verus spiritual power. [Daniel 2v44/ John 18v 36]

I wrote the following recently, /earthly power versus spiritual power/,so many only see the earthly power, Earthly power takes many forms, political,
financial,sexual abuse,military,possible you can think of other aspects,of
earthly power.Because we live in a fallen world,earthly power can be cruel,
 corrupt,and oppressive.The New testament was written when a mighty power ruled,Rome,an empire that lasted for about 500years.In Palestine the
people were ruled also by their religion ,we see this in so many place now,
and it is not a happy situation for many people.The religious power,looked
with anticipation for a Messiah who would,break the yoke of their slavery,
take from them the burden of their oppressors. And so a child was born, born in obscurity,the long awaited Messiah had come,but He represented not earthly power but a spiritual kingdom.He was Gods gracious gift ,He loved this sinful world,and his purpose and plan would be at total odds with the earthly power,of Rome,and earthly religion.His power would be a spiritual power,that would bring in an eternal kingdom.this Messiah ,would defeat and conquer,death ,the Devil,and sin,these forces no earthly power can conquer,or defeat. To all who accept Him as Saviour they alone would be free, and would be part of a kingdom of unlimited power.of course the name of that Messiah would be Jesus.
                                         A prayer.
Dear God help us to look beyond earthly power,to our Saviour to whom all
power and authority has been given Amen

Becoming a child [Philippians 2 v 5-11]

About seven hundred years before Christ Isaiah the prophet,gave a wonderful prophecy,/Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign.
Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,and shall call his name Immanuel/.Those words were spoken to a unbelieving king called Ahaz,
it is interesting that when our Saviour spoke about those who would enter
the kingdom of heaven,must become as a little child,[Matthew 18v3]Christ was rejected by Herod the king,and by the educated religious leaders.I believe in child evangelism,for it was as a child I trusted Jesus,of course
salvation is not just for children.The words were spoken to His disciples,
who had been discussing who would be the greatest in Gods kingdom,they were thinking of a kingdom where they would rule over mankind,an earthly Kingdom[Acts 1v6]It took a  long time for then  to grasp,that Christs kingdom was not of this world[John 18v36].Not a kingdom with earthly values,but of spiritual values,the disciples did not grasp  what that meant,it was ,A.Lukyn Caffin, who wrote,/a kingdom in which earthly pride,and ambition,find no place/.
                           Make me,O Lord,a child again,
                           So tender,frail,and small,
                           In self possessing nothing,and
                           In thee possessing all.
                       
                          O Savior, make me small once more,
                          That downward I may grow,
                           And in this heart of mine restore,
                           The faith of long ago.
                               [Dutch poem]

Hope. [ 1 Timothy 1 v1]

When Germany invaded Poland,Britain and France declared war on Germany,this created hope,many Poles breathed a sigh of relief. Yet there hopes were soon dashed to the ground these two nations did not do anything.The result was, poor Poland,was conquered and so began a period of terrible suffering for the Polish people.For the Jewish population it was a death sentence,but the whole population suffered,under the Nazi's and under Communism.The hope they had when Britain and France declared war on Germany,had been a false hope.The message of Christmas is one of
hope,because it comes from God,all who place their trust in Christ will not be disappointed.Mankind's condition is terminal,we are all sinners and the wages of sin is death.When we trust in Christ we come from a place of no hope to a place of hope.The coming of Christ means lives can be changed,
sins forgiven,and deliverance from its power.Yes death will continue to happen, but it has not the final say,no,when Christ died he rose again,He defeated death,so that all who trust in Him,would likewise be resurrected.
                                 O little town of Bethlehem,
                                 How still we see thee lie,
                                 Above your deep and dreamless sleep
                                 the silent stars go by;
                                 yet in your dark streets shining
                                  is everlasting Light
                                 the hopes and fears of all the years
                                 are met in you tonight.

                                  How silently,how silently,
                                  the wondrous gift is given
                                 So God imparts to human hearts,
                                  the blessings of His heaven.
                                  No ear may hear His coming;
                                  But in this world of sin,
                                  where meek souls will receive Him,still
                                   the dear Christ enters in.
                                    [Words by Philips Brooks]

Good bye. [ Colossians 1 v 27]

It was just recently that I discovered ,that the original meaning for,good bye
is ,God be with you.Of course it has taken on a different meaning,but I must
confess I like the original meaning.It reminded me of the words of the prophet Isaiah ,a word spoken as to the coming Messiah,/Behold a virgin
shall be with child,and shall bring forth a son,and they shall call his name Emmanuel,which being interpreted is ,God with us,/[Isaiah7v14/Matthew 1 v23] In other words ,that little child in the manger was none other than God manifest in the flesh,truly God and truly man.This truth should take our breath away,it is absolutely mind blowing,something beyond our comprehension,I cannot explain the fullness of this,no one can. That is why
many people reject this truth,but not understanding something ,is no reason
to reject it.Why did God the Father send God the Son into this world?,well because He loves this world,yes love came down at Christmas.His love
caused Him to want to rescue us,from the power,and consequences of our sin.This meant that this child would have to die,and bear the punishment
for our sins,our part for this to happen,is to believe in Him,and then God
would be in us and with us.
                                        Good bye,

Stop talking and start praying.[ Jeremiah 29 v12 ]

 Recently while visiting certain people I got drawn into conversation about others,later as I thought on this conversation,I felt a bit uneasy.Should I not have guided the conversation in a more positive way,stressing the need to pray for those situations and people we had been talking about.The most important thing we can do is to pray,the thing is, there are so many people
with imperfections and only prayer can bring a change into their lives and for that matter,our own lives.I can think of circumstances in peoples lives that are beyond any help that I could can give . The main thing we can do is pray to God ,who alone can change people,who alone work in situations,that are beyond us. Pray and do not stop praying to our sovereign God ,is He not the only one that causes wars to cease to the ends of the earth.He is one who
spoke and all things came into being,is He not the one who saved the demon possessed,those no one could help.Is he not the one who changed David,when he was acting like a tyrant[2 Samuel 11-12].Talking about situations and people in a negative way is not helpful to any of us,we need to talk to God,first and foremost.
                                             A  prayer.
Dear God forgive our foolish negative talking,help us to talk to you ,who alone can bring change in Jesus name Amen.

Guidance assured. [ Psalm 48 v14]

The Christmas story involves different things,when I think of the wise men,
I am reminded of a God who guides . He may use different things and circumstances,but the important thing in the story of the wise men,that the word of God shone into their lives.[CP Matthew2 v4-6]. When I am seeking Gods will ,I always look for scripture to speak to me,to bring that note of assurance to my heart,as to His will.God used a star,the religious leaders to
guide those wise men and confirmed by His word..It was when God spoke to Abraham did he act,[CP Hebrews 11v8]when I travelled to England to take up my appointment as a minister,God spoke to me ,and said,/Behold, I send my angel before thee,to keep thee in the way,and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.[Exodus 23v20].What a wonderful word of assurance and comfort as we travelled to our destination.As I am retired I have been much in prayer as to what God would have me do,looking for a words of guidance .Surely I should put my feet up,and not be to concerned about doing this and doing that,the word that came to me was,/Son go work today in my vineyard /[Matthew 21v28].The scriptures tells us,/For this God is our God forever,He will be our guide even until death/ [Psalm 48 v14]
                                          A prayer.
Dear God we thank that you are leading  your children ,just as sure as you led the children of Israel in the wilderness,and just as sure as you guided the wise men,we thank you in Jesus name Amen .

Blessed unity [ Psalm 133 ]

I like the church I attend,they appear to be caring,and friendly,and are trying their best to influence their community,Now of course it is not a perfect church,I have my concerns,but I do thank God for his people,and pray for
many of them each day,and for the church in general.I would say it is the church that I have been most happy in,my sincere prayer is that I may not be a hindrance but a help to this church.It is a church in the past that has known conflict and division,but thankfully that has passed.The local church should be a place of refuge,not of conflict,a place of love,not hate ,a place of healing,not a place of wounding.In Psalm 133 we are told the blessing that are a result of unity,there the Lord commands the blessing.W Plummer,
writes, /Study to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ, who was meek and lowly,
who did not strive nor cry,nor lift up his voice in the streets,and never opened his blessed lips but in love/. Remember the words of our Saviour
that we should love one another,and that love will be an witness to the world [ John 13 v14],and as John the beloved disciple wrote that love is a very clear evidence that we are Gods children,if it is missing then we are deceiving ourselves,as to our relationship with God who is love.[CP 1 John 4]
                               Where unity is found,
                                The sweet anointing grace,
                                Extends to all around,
                                And consecrates the place.
                                To every waiting soul it comes,
                                 The grace on one descends on all.
                                  [Words by Charles Wesley ]

Old age [ 1 Kings 11 v 4 ]

The challenge of the Christian life,is just that,it is for life,one does not retire
from the challenges and the trials,that life brings us.It is a lifetime commitment,think not, that just because you are old that you will not face temptations.In 1 Kings 11v4,we read the following,/And it came to pass,when Solomon was old,that his wives turned away his heart after gods.
/Yes when he was old,as long as we are in this body of flesh,we can be assured that we still be capable of sinning in gross ways.If it happened to a godly man like Solomon,it can happen to any of us whatever our age.
There is no early retirement from being a Christian,we have to keep vigilant
to the very gates of death.Many a race horse has fallen at the last hurdle,and many a Christian has fallen in their old age,bringing shame on themselves,
and there loved ones,and on their Lord.Satan takes no pity on any one,be it
a child or old person,the flesh is not dead until we are dead,old age may bring limitations,but it will not limit our ability to sin.Solomons heart was turned away from his God,remember the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked,time and old age will not change this.So today let us old ones be on our guard,to remain vigilant,alert,and continually reliant upon our God.
                                             A  prayer.
Dear God and Father,help us who are old,to not act like  old fools,in Jesus name Amen.

Venial or mortal. [ Isaiah 53]

Isaiah is the prophet,who under the Spirits power, was granted wonderful visions of the coming Messiah.He lived over 700 years before the Messiah
would come,and yet the visions are so clear,amazingly so,chapter 53,shows clearly the Messiahs death,it is as if he stood at the foot of the cross.Yet he
prophesied not just about the physical suffering,but the significance of his suffering. To appreciate the significance of the sufferings of Christ on that
cross,we must look beyond our human understanding,and focus on a three letter word.sin.Oh I hear you say,not sin again,yes we must not forget the truly awfulness of sin,in relation to a holy God. The consequence of sin is beyond our mind to grasp,the universal reality of sin,it is something that we are all involved in,sin.We are told clearly in Gods word that all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God.[Romans 3 v23 ]The Roman Catholic Church,have two classes of sin,mortal and venial,they see such things such
as those sins that are not so grave,as venial,such sins are seen as comparatively light affairs.Mortal sins are very serious ,like murder,sexual
offences,the so called seven deadly sins.Now lets not judge the poor RC's
are we not all like them,Hitler,Stalin,deserves Gods judgement,but not me
 ,like the RC's we see ourselves,as only committing venial sins,nothing to much to worry about.So I am as good as the next person,yes you possible are, maybe there are more RC's in the world ,than we realise.We think this way, because it comforts us, and because we do not want to face the gravity of our condition in the eyes of a holy God.The fact is in Gods eyes all sin is mortal,for if it is not forgiven,will take us to a lost eternity.
                                             A  prayer.
Dear God although all sin is abhorrent to You,and separates us from you,
and can take us to a lost eternity,you have provided the perfect remedy,
through Jesus death on the cross,as the prophet foretold,He would be
pierced for our rebellion, and crushed for our sin, help us to see our true condition,and save us by your grace , though Jesus your Son .Amen.

A new song [Psalm 40 v3]

In Luke 2v 13,we read how the angels praised God,at the birth of Jesus,it is called ,'the angels song of adoration.W Hendriksen,/If  the word song is used in its broadest meaning,not necessarily being a description set to music
....but rather of words which because of the parallelistic structure can be adapted to music, then we may speak of the angels song of adoration/ the birth of Jesus before and after is filled with song,the song of Mary[Luke 1v46-56].the song of Zachariah [LK 1 v67-80],the song of Simeon [LK 2 V25-32]. In the OT we have the Psalms which were sung in the temple,by a choir.It is in Psalm 40v3, we read,/And He hath put a new song in my mouth,even praise unto our God/. He was praising God for his deliverance,
ever since God delivered me I have had a song in my heart.For most of my Christian life I have had a song,a song of deliverance,a song of praise,most of the songs I have sung have been written by godly people. They have become my song,I remember my wife telling me how a well known Gospel
singer,sang to his dying sister. I remember a young Christian being critical
of a certain Christian songs,he did not see much difference between that and
a non Christian song,as to the music.He had point,as regards the music,but he missed the point,its the words, that are important.The words transport us to the eternal realms,reminding us of eternal truths and eternal values,yes God has placed a new song in the Christians heart,and on their lips,even praise unto our God.
                                          A  prayer.
Dear God we thank you for the song you put in our hearts,and upon our lips,in Jesus name Amen.
                                

Until then. [ Philippians 3 v 8- 14]

I appear to be dreaming more, the other night I dreamt of someone I knew years,as I woke I thought on my past life,as a young man. The fights I got into,that aggressiveness and sillyness,the lonliness I felt,as I think upon the
past of my childhood,I realize if I had only continued to follow Jesus,I did trust Him as a child,went away,came back,went away.What a fool I was,if only,I had not gone away,life would have been better,and I would have been a better person.Yet God was faithful,and in His mercy I came back,and my life changed,oh yes I have had to battle,with mindsets of the past,still am
battling,and by His grace I will continue to battle.Through many dangers  toils and snares I have already come,tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,and grace will lead me home.I am not a prisoner of my past,I do have many regrets,but I am not the person I once was,I am not the person I should be ,but one day,I will be.So until then my heart will keep on singing,
until then with joy I'll carry on,until the day I see that city,until then I'll carry on.
                                          A  prayer
Dear God thank You for rescuing us from our past,for helping us day by day,and the changes you have made in our lives,and for the grace to carry on,until that day we reach that city,to be with our wonderful Saviour. Amen.

Fools. [ Hebrews 11 v 36-38]

There he was standing holding a large board,with a Bible verse on it,he was just standing there.So I went over to him,introduced myself,and he told me that he had been a Hindu. He told how he had become a Christian,he had cancer ,and he tried to take his life,but God wonderfully intervened,and spoke to him,and he became a Christian.So there he was witnessing for Jesus,it challenged me,as it should challenge us all.We are all called to be witnesses [Acts 1 v 8 ],have we forgotten this?,are we neglecting this?. In
Acts 8 we read how the church was suffering persecution,the result was the Christians were scattered everywhere,but they did not retreat ,they preached the word.I read of many Christians who are in prison,and yet they continue to be a witness.When Paul and Silas where thrown into prison,they were a witness,and people got saved[Acts 16v24-34 ] The never ending challenge is to be a witness for Jesus,are we prepared for that. I am sure there are many who looked at that young man and thought he was a fool,yes he is a fool for Christ sake,God needs more people who will be fools for His sake.
                                       A  prayer.
Dear God bless that young man's witness for you,help us all to be witness
for You,even if we are considered fools,in Jesus name we ask this Amen.

Confession time. [Psalm 51]

                       Jesus take as I am,I can come no other way
                       Take me deeper into You,make my flesh life melt away.
                        Make me like a precious stone,crystal clear, and finely honed
                       Life of Jesus shining through,giving glory back to You.
                           [Words by Bryant]
I want us to consider the words of this song,it is a song of confession,a song of desire, it is a song of surrender ,and it is a song with an aim. Song of confession,he writes of his flesh life,that carnal side of his nature,where does our flesh life manifest itself?.The apostle Paul,[yes the apostle Paul],
wrote,/For I know that in me[that is in my flesh]dwelleth no good thing.
[Romans 7 v18].Have we not all felt the power of our flesh life?, I have,
everyday it rears its ugly head.I see what no else sees,nor would I want anyone else to see.But I see,and I know God see's,when our parents sinned
they covered themselves with fig leaves,and then they hid,from Him who see's everything[Genesis 3]. No there must no attempt by any of us to try
a cover up,or to think we can hide from Gods holy gaze. So lets not fool ourselves,and let us not fool around,but lets us come,confessing all to Him
who loves His imperfect,and flawed children.
                                       A prayer.
Holy God and Father,we come just as we are,confessing that we have lingered over fleshy thoughts, impure thoughts even in the most sacred times when speaking to You.We do not always think aright,speak aright,do aright.So often we follow afar off,lingering behind,because of our cold hearts,and weak desires,in your great mercy forgive us,through your Son Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen
  [PS. My computer skills are limited,so please make allowances ,for any faults you may see , when I publish my thought for today,I am not awhere how to put things right,every blessing]





                                                              

Looking unto Jesus .[Hebrews 12 v 1-3 ]

Stephen was the first martyr of the NT church,of course there had been many martyrs in the OT church.We read of Stephen in Acts7,his death sparked of a great deal of persecution, for the early church,this persecution was laid by a man called who later became a Christian.As to Stephen ,he
was arrested ,and brought before the Jewish authorities,there he preached a wonderful sermon,full of deep spiritual truths,of a people favoured by God,
and yet a people who time after time forsook God, a people who persecuted
the prophets,but it did not stop there,for when the promised Messiah came, they not only rejected Him,they had Him crucified.The more he spoke the more angry they became,It was W.Barclay who wrote, /But Stephen did not see their faces distorted with rage. His gaze had gone beyond time and he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God/ when he said that they rushed upon him and took him out and stoned him to death.Those words are a
challenge to all of us who may be enduring persecution,sickness,difficulties,
even death,like Stephen we must with the eyes of faith,look to Jesus. The book of Hebrews was written to people who where struggling with so many trials,so the writer of that great book,exhorts them, to cast of every hindrance,and to look unto Jesus, who endured the cross,despising its shame,because the eternal glories which he would enter into[Hebrews 12 v 1-2],so the question is for all us,where are we looking?.
                                               A  prayer.
Dear Lord Jesus we turn our gaze to you this day,to your glory,and the glory
that awaits us, Amen.
                                               

Ugly. [Matthew 22 v37-40 ]

I read on the internet of a young girl who was voted one of the ugliest girls in her school this was shown on face book. One wonders why would people do such thing,they maybe think they are being funny,but they are not,they are being cruel.Yet it goes further than this ,they are sinning,every time we are unkind,and hurtful,in anyway we are sinning.An unkind word,and unkind look,a failing to help others in need,a putting oneself before others,To succeed at the cost of anothers well being,to trample down others  ,because we can ,to refuse to help someone in need when
we can.When we gossip and spread rumours about others,all these and more are sinful,we are told to love others,yellow black and white,poor, rich,and
whoever,the downtrodden,the refugee,the vunerable,those who are vunerable,the successful,and the failures.Love others as ourselves,to even love our enemies,to bless them that curse us,to do good to them that hate us,
and pray for them which despitefully use us,and persecute us[ Matthew 5 v44].Going back to that young girl,who was called ugly,will she sin by not loving those who have tried to hurt her?,if she doesn't then she is sinning.
                                           A  prayer.
Dear God who is love,you who loves us all,inspite of the fact that people
are your enemies,help us to love,help us to love,in Jesus name Amen.
.

What is that light? [ Psalm 23]

The days during this time of the year are dark and dreary,the trees are naked
and bare,such are the seasons.Our life is like the seasons,and while we may fly of to sun drenched places,the seasons we experience in our lives can not
be avoided.I know some Christians who are going through seasons of pain,
cancer is ravaging,their bodies,and death looms up.This applies to everyone
no amount of money,no position of power can change this,it is part of the human experience.These seasons of pain are reminders of the extent of sin
on this world.I am convinced that most people even many Christian,fail to appreciate the truly awfulness of sin.Jesus knew,he knew that the only answer,to mankind's awful condition ,was the awfulness of His death on a cross. From the awful darkness of Calvary,light eternal shone forth,hope came,that light would lighten our darkness.The dreary dark seasons of our lives,could be transformed,my son Brian,speaking on the 23rd Psalm v3,as regards walking through the valley of the shadow of death,said where there is a shadow there must be light.What is that light?,well David says,I will
fear no evil for you are with me.The you, is none other than Jesus who is the light of the world,who says to all who trust Him ,I am with you always.
                                Standing somewhere in the shadows you'll
                                find Jesus.
                                He's the only one who cares and understands,
                                Standing somewhere in the shadows you'll
                                find Jesus.
                                And you'll know Him by the nail prints in His
                                hands.

Jesus .[ Matthew 1 v 21 ]

I was at a church meeting and I was told that the former leader was called Manasseh,he came from Africa. Seemingly when Calvin was in Geneva,
all children when baptised had to have Biblical names.A father wanted his
son called Martyn,but the priest baptised him Abraham.I called one of my sons Evan,which would be alright in Wales but we lived in England,and so he suffered,from the other children,making fun of his name.I like my name,William Alexander, now of course ,names usually have a meaning.
Take the name of Jesus ,it means, the Lord saves,my study Bible says,
'Jesus came to earth to save us,because we can't save ourselves from sin and
its consequences.No matter how good we are,we can't eliminate the sinful nature present in all of us. Only Jesus can do that,Jesus didn't come to help people save themselves He came to be their Savior from the power and penalty of sin.' So when you hear that name mentioned remember its meaning,and what that means to you personally.
                                       A  prayer.
                             Come ,Thou long expected Jesus,
                             Born to set Thy people free.
                           From our sins and fears release us,
                              Let us find our rest in Thee.
                                   [Words by Charles Wesley ]

We know in part [ 1 Corinthians 13 v 12 ]

Alfred Delp a Christian ,was arrested by the Nazies and executed,as he was being led to be put to his death,he nudged the person who was walking with him ,and said,' in half an hour I will know more than you do'.As to this life we know a lot and yet often it appears we  know so little.We struggle with terrible things that are happening,we struggle as to God and His ways.
We stare into the grave of a loved one and are mystified,we think ,why,was that dear man murdered by the Nazies?,why was millions of Jews exterminated?,and why this and why that,the scripture reminds us then shall we know.yes half an hour after we die we shall know more that any earth born being.I fear the problem is,God is to big for us to take in,He knows all about us how we think [Psalm 94 v11],and why we act as we do. But when
it comes to God we may know Him but it is a very partial knowledge,and so it will continue.But half an hour after we die,then shall we know,more than any person still on planet earth.So until that day comes let us content ourselves and trust in Him who is all knowing,and is all kind and all loving.
                                         A prayer.
Dear God grant us grace,to trust  ,in You and in your ways in Jesus name Amen.

The greatest miracle[John 3 v16/ 36 ]

People struggle in accepting the story of Jonah,who was swallowed by a great fish,but that is not the most astounding part of story.It is in chapter 3 v5 we read ,/ So the people of Nineveh believed God/, yes to me those words have greater touch of the miraculous that Jonah's experience in being
rescued by the fish from drowning.The people of Nineveh where facing
possible annihilation, by God,so believing and repenting of their sin saved them.During His earthly ministry,Jesus performed many wonderful miracles
but the greatest of miracles that He ever performed was when He died to save,men and women from the judgement of God .Some professing Christians,are uncomfortable with the doctrine of the wrath of God,and find it hard to accept OT accounts of God judging cities like Jericho,Sodom and
Gomorrah. They find it difficult to understand God who is love doing such things,but the fact is He did.The death of Chist was a death that appeased an angry God,that is what the the word propitiation means[Romans 3v25.
1 John 2v2/4 v10/In other words the wrath that abides upon all humanity,
[John 3 v36 ],was poured out on Christ.That means the moment we trust Jesus as our Saviour,we are no longer facing the wrath of God.The salvation which God offers to all ,is the greatest miracle ever to performed by God.
When we trust Christ we are experiencing a miracle,that moves us from a place of wrath,to a place of forgiveness and safety.
                                              A  prayer.
Dear God we thank You for sending your Son to save us,from wrath to come. Amen.

A tyrant. [John 3 v16]

Nero the Roman emperor was educated by Seneca a Spanish born philosopher,and when Nero became emperor he explained to him the difference between a king that was good and a tyrant,the tyrant sows fear everywhere,while the good king is one ,/Whose care embraces all,who. while guarding here with greater vigilance,there with less,yet fosters each
and every part of the state as a portion of himself,who is inclined to the milder course even if it would profit him to punish/.  If  only Nero had followed those words ,he would be more fondly remembered.As we look back on history one can see many tyrants,or  view present leaders.
Some people  view God as a tyrant,some Christians view God in the OT ,
as cruel and vindictive,but He is not.He punishes sin wherever He finds it,and will in a coming day judge all,by Jesus,[Romans 2 v16] that does not make Him a tyrant,no it makes Him just,for sin must be punished.Consider the world is in rebellion against God,He continually pleads with humanity,
continually reminds them just how much He cares for all ,reminding us all each Christmas,of the birth of a child called Christ,born in a  manger,who
would die that we may go to heaven saved by His precious blood.
                                              A  prayer.
  Dear God have mercy upon those who live under the rule of tyrants,
and grant that multitudes of people,will come under the rule of Jesus, Amen

Prayer is. [ Romans 8 v 26-27 ]

I read these words,/Their unspoken prayer/, the spoken word is vital in communicating to each other,but when it comes to God,he understands how we feel.I remember seeing a lady sitting in the park,and I could see that she was upset.In Luke 7v36,we read of a lady who came to Jesus ,she never spoke a  word,yet Jesus knew what her need was,and He met her need. There are times when the pain we feel,cannot be expressed in words,often the bereaved our so often overwhelmed,by grief,that words fail them.But  God their loving heavenly Father can take the meaning,Then there are times when we can only utter a short utterance,as Peter did when he was in danger of drowning,[Matthew 14v30]. A lady had just lost her mother,and when the
minister asked her how she was feeling,she said she was afraid,he asked why?,she replied she was angry with God.He told her to pray,she said she could not tell God she was angry with Him,he said,God already knows that you are angry,so tell Him, well she did and that started a process of healing and salvation.
                       Prayer is the soul's sincere desire
                       Uttered or unexpressed,
                       The motion of a hidden fire,
                        That trembles on the breast.

                       Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
                        The falling of a tear,
                       The upward glancing of an eye,
                         When none but God is near

                       Prayer is the simplest form of speech
                       That infant lips can try;
                        Prayer, the sublimest strains that reach,
                         The majesty on high.
                          [Words by James Montgomery ]
                      
                        

Taste [Psalm 34 v8 ]

Recently I had an infection in my gum,the result was the dentist prescribed
me antibiotics,and they have done the job.You are meant to swallow them,
and not to chew them which I did,but on one occasion I  got the taste of one of the tablets,and it tasted awful,now I understand why you don't chew them
.Taste is one of the wonders  that God granted us,it enables us to have pleasure, in the things we eat.Not everything we like the taste of,will do us good,our government is considering putting a tax on fizzy drinks, because of their sugar content,to much sugar can cause our teeth to rot,this affects
many children.It is said that queen Elizabeth's[ the first] teeth were rotten
because of her sugar intake.We speak of people getting or having a taste for something,often that something may not be good for them. In the Psalm34 v8, we read,/O taste and see that the Lord is good;blessed is the man that
trusteth in Him/.What we are being instructed to do is personally know and trust the Lord,there are countless millions who have looked upon Christmas
cards,depicting Jesus ,who have never trusted Him.A cream cake is only
truly appreciated when we taste it,so it is if we are to appreciate our Lord Jesus we trust Him,and in so doing,we will discover that He is good.
                                          A  prayer.
Dear Lord Jesus,we thank you that we have tasted and found that you are good,as to your forgivness,mercy,peace,and love,and our prayer would be
that all would people everywhere would find you Amen.

Gifts [ 2 Corinthians 9 v 15/ Romans 6 v23 ]

My wife and I have thankfully finished wrapping up all the Christmas  gifts  ,this was made a bit easier,as we were giving some gift vouchers,and we had bought gift bags,but we still had our share of wrapping up to do.But as I said,thankfully it is all done , I hope the presents that we will give,will be a blessing.Of course Christmas is not the only time we gave and receive gifts,maybe your birthday falls on Christmas day,and you receive double the gifts.Of course we receive gifts other than at Christmas ,I wonder what
you consider to be that gift that give you most pleasure?.For me it was the gift of a car,my first car,the person who gave me it was a widow called Lila,I had not long learnt to drive,but could not afford a car.that car was a great blessing ,to me and my young family,I have owned many cars since, but the gift of that first car will always be remembered as the gift that give me most pleasure.As to Christmas,most of the gifts have been sorted out,but
now for the Christmas cards.As a Christian I try to buy cards relating to the true meaning of Christmas,a lot of shops,even though they profit from the season,sell cards with,reindeer's ,Santa,snow,etc,but not with anything  to do with Christmas.So I was pleased to see on sale ,a card with the following words on it,/Jesus is our Greatest Gift. Thanks be to God/.
                                       A  prayer
Dear God for your many gifts that you give us ,thank you,especially for Jesus your Son Amen.

He does not idly stand by.[Philippians 4 v5 ]

Sometimes anxiety overtakes us,I woke the other morning with the thought on my mind ,what if  ?,do you have a what if thoughts?. Oh yes there is a reality to the , what if thoughts ?, or a perceived reality,so what can we do.
Well there is only one port of call when anxiety strikes,God and His word,
consider the following. The Lord is near /Philippians 4v5/ ,consider what that means,the comfort it should give every child of God,it means He is with us in the storms,and He is with us when there is no storm.I remember a
friend telling how someone was attacking him,and people did not come to his aid,the Lord is not like that ,He continually encourages us that He will help us. CP .Isaiah 41 v10,/So do not fear , for I am with you,do not be
dismayed,for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right arm./ Hebrews 13 v 5-6,/Never will I leave you,never will I forsake you./
                                             A prayer.
Dear God and Father help us to be encouraged that You are with us,and will surely come to our aid, in Jesus name Amen.

Keep on praying. [ Philippians 4 v 6 ]

I cannot stress enough the importance of prayer,especially for our unsaved children.Recently I was speaking to Christian lady,she mentioned that her sons were not saved.She mentioned something very unusual, about one of her sons,that when he was four he lost his grandfather,this effected him greatly.One day she saw him lying out in the garden it was summer,he was looking up into the sky,and was saying ,were are you granddad?.From that point on he became a atheist,he is now a grown man,and he is still an atheist.For his Christian parents this is a cause for concern,I  have a friend who often mentions his concern for his two unsaved grandchildren.So be it your children or your grandchildren,who are not saved,pray.The conversion of Hudson Taylor is remarkable,he was staying with his sister,at that time his Mother was 50miles away. She was concerned about Hudson,so she went into her room and prayed for his conversion.Meanwhile at that time as she was praying,Hudson began reading a gospel tract,and the result he became a Christian. His mothers prayer was answered,mother, father,pray and keep praying for your children's salvation.
                                                  A  prayer.
Dear God we bring our unsaved children and grandchildren to you,have mercy and save them through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A time of promise [ Genesis 3 v15 ]

We have entered into that period of the year which is called advent,oh no  I hear some cry,shopping,writing out Christmas cards etc.I understand but let us all step back from that and remember what it is really about. Well it is about a time of promise,a promise of God sending His son into the world,
when into the darkness of a world lost and lonely,the light of the world would enter.With His coming this world would be changed,men and women would find hope,in their hopelessness,they would find faith instead of
emptiness,they would find and experience that most precious gift love.They would find meaning,in a world without meaning,forgiveness for sins,the burden of guilt would be lifted from their heavy hearts.They would find joy
instead of sadness,death need no longer be feared,it would be conquered.
All this and more would come because of advent when a little child would be born,and a child who was none other than the Son of God. His name was
Jesus and He and he alone would save us from our sin,yes advent is a time of  promise.
                                           A  prayer.
Dear God ,for Jesus the promised one we thank you,and pray that many will even yet come to know Him. Amen.

The best is yet to be .[1 Corinthians 15 v 51-58 ]

I am very fortunate that I live in a country where everybody who lives here,can have free medical treatment. Of course as one grows older the need of ongoing medical treatment increases. Old age brings its blessings but also
its challenges,there is no way we can stop the process of old age.I was
listening to an old gospel hymn,which  assured us that as Christians we are going to a land ,where we will never grow old. We need not despair of growing old, it is not the end for the Christian,one glad morning,we leave this old house that we live in,to an eternal existence. The Bible does
not tell us fully what that be like,but it assures us,that we are going to a city where the roses will never die.There will be no need of a health service,no need of medication,no need of false teeth,no more having to camouflage
those wrinkles. No more hearing aids,or walking sticks,or wheel chairs,no more,and so I could go on,no,for Jesus said,He will make all things new.
[Revelation 21 v 5 ]. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes,and there shall be no more death,neither sorrow,nor crying,neither shall there be any more pain,for the former things are passed away.[Revelation 21 v 4 ]
                                         A  prayer.
Dear God help those of us who are old ,to trust you,and we thank you that
old age is but the anti-room to a glorious future in Jesus name Amen .

I will pray for you. [ Isaiah 59 v16

Just recently a friend who is not a Christian,shared with me a problem he was having.As I listened I said some things,but the problem was difficult,
and in end I said simply I will pray for you,and he thanked me.Life can be so complicated,and one is not sure what to say to people,oh I know God can give us insight,but often if we are honest,we do not know the answer.So the best thing to do is pray about it,for I believe God is able to solve every problem.When we pray we are declaring that we need Him to resolve the difficulties,and to undertake,does this all sound to simple?,yes it is simple,
but is the wisest thing to do. Consider the time without number God sorted things out,often the situation was beyond us.Often we caused the problem ourselves,we see this  during that time at the time of the judges.,but God who is merciful helped them.It will be interesting to see how God will answer my prayer,for my friend,but I believe he will, he is not saved,but I am,and so I have confidence,that God will undertake,I do not know how,or when, but I know God my Father,He is a God of mercy and of grace,has He not shown this, by sending Jesus to die for the ungodly,consider how God has undertaken for us,in so many ,many ways,so pray believing.
                                             A  prayer.
Dear God we thank you that you not only hear our prayers,and in a very
loving way,answer them in Jesus name . Amen.

Blessings. [1 Timothy 6 v 5-19 ]

One of my sons ,attended a large church gathering,he mentioned a few things,how he was blessed by two testimonies of Gods saving power.
There were other things he appreciated,but he was critical of the preacher
who  misquoted scripture and seem to forget the context. Then there was the
emphasise on money ,which was over the top,emotional blackmail. Now I know that as a Christian,I am responsible ,to God,to give as God has blessed
me,I have known this all my Christian life. I do not believe I am under the law of tithing,but I use that as a principal,we do not give to get,but Gods word tells us to give and it shall be given unto us.I have found this to be true in my experience. But one thing I do not like is emotional blackmail,I do not need to be loaded with guilt, because God has blessed me.For all I have comes from God,we read in1Timothy 6 v17,that God richly provides us with everything ,for our enjoyment.Today thank Him for His blessings,but be careful that none of us put our hope in them,May we all do good,and be rich in good deeds,and be generous and willing to share.[1 Timothy 6 v18]
                                        A  prayer.
Dear God we thank your  for your many blessings,the enjoyment they give us,help us to be like You,and bless others as you have blessed us,in Jesus name Amen.
                                            

All the lonely people. [ Genesis 2 v18]

My wife is about to change jobs,and she is finding it hard,she has worked in the same job for over 9yrs.She works in what we call the caring profession as indeed I did,for 23yrs,it was for both my wife and myself,not just a job. No it was a calling,and was very rewarding, but here is a thought,should  we
not all be in the business of caring. It goes without saying that we live in a world that desperately needs people to be in the business of caring.The Beatles sang about all the lonely people ,where do they all come from?, loneliness is a very serious condition, and its not only old people who are lonely. Loneliness effects all ages,children get lured into wrong relationships.because they are lonely.The wonderful story of Robinson Crusoe ,written by Daniel De foe,tells of a man who was shipwrecked on a desert island ,for many years.Then there came a person into his life who he named Man Friday,that was a blessing,he had now a fellow human being for company. Yet loneliness is not easy to explain,but God saw mans need ,and gave him a companion called Eve,we are social beings,so let us look out for those lonely people and be sociable.
                                          A prayer.
Dear God and Father,we realise that only you can meet the need of the human  heart,in your son Jesus, Amen.

Agape [ Genesis 50 v 15-21]

Let us return to the challenge of agape that word which describes the challenge that all Christians,are called to live out.We can call it Christian love,William Barclay has many interesting things to say on this aspect of love,he writes,/Christian love, is not merely an emotional experience,which comes to us unbidden and unsought,it is a deliberate principle of the mind,
and a deliberate conquest and achievement of the will.It is in fact the power
to love the unlovable,to love people we do not like/ He does stress the difference as to how we love our nearest and dearest,and then goes on to sum up ,/that  Christian love demands that we should have at all times a certain attitude of the mind and a certain direction of the will towards all men,no matter who they are./ I remember reading about a missionary called
Isobel Kuhn ,its a long time ago since I read this,but basically she pointed out the unpleasantness of those she worked with.Their lack of social skills,hygiene,and general appearance left a lot to be desired,but she loved them. But we do not need to go to the missionary field,marriage can bring  a tremendous challenge,what if the person you are married to snores,or has bad breath,or has irritating habits that drive you crazy,whats the answer?,
the answer is agape,Christian love.
                                             A  prayer.
Dear God help us to rise to the challenge of agape,with those I live with,and
with all I come in contact with in Jesus name Amen .

Love [ John 3 v16 ]

In his book  New Testament words,William Barclay touches on the word love,he explains that in English we have only have one word for love.The Greeks have four words for love,and one of them is agape,[The NT was written in Greek], It has a very profound challenging meaning,which W .
Barclay explains in great detail,I will quote some of what he wrote,/Agape
love demands the exercise of the whole man ,Christian love must not only
extend to our nearest and dearest,our kith and kin,our friends and those who love us; Christian love must extend to the Christian fellowship,to the neighbour,to the enemy,to all the world/.In John 3 v16 we read that God loves this world,let us think about what that means for you and I, it must bring a challenge to all of us to broaden our limited concept of what love involves, it is a love that has no limits.
                                         A prayer.
Dear God we thank you for your world wide love,help us to appreciate what
that means for us your children in Jesus name Amen.

But then. [1 Corinthians 13 v 9-13]

We read  in 1 Corinthians 13 v 12,'For now we see through a glass darkly',
what we are being told here is,our limited understanding as to truth,as to
the things we experience.There are things in the word of God I do not fully
understand,who can fully grasp Gods attributes and His ways.Yes we know in part,but just in part,but then ,says Paul we will enter into a fuller and greater knowledge,of heaven,and the God of heaven.As to Gods ways,well we all can say we know in part, so many dear children of God are wondering why,this  happen and that has happened in their lives.Why one person is healed and others are not,the why, will always be with us,because we only see through a glass darkly.The man who penned those words suffered greatly,and would die a martyrs death,why?. We do not know why when he got saved he was told that he would experience suffering [Acts 9 v16].We are told that as Christians we will suffer,but often we are left wondering why?.We know in part,not fully,but says Paul,'but then,face to face,now I know in part,but then shall I know,even as also I am known.'
                                Farther along we'll know all about it.
                                Farther along we'll understand why;
                                Cheer up my brother,live in the sunshine,
                                We'll understand it all by and by.
                                        [Words by W.B. Stevens ]

Safe and secure. [ Psalm 121 ]

Leaning,leaning,safe and secure from all alarms.Leaning,leaning,leaning on
the everlasting arms. The question is, can you say this, can I say this?,do we feel safe and secure?,the words of that old hymn ,come as a challenge,and a comfort.A challenge,as to what we are trusting in?,is it in the Lord?,or is it in self,remember Samson,he who slew Gods enemies. He was strong but he had a weakness,in the shape of a woman called Delilah,and she managed
to find  out the secret of his strength.So while he slept she gave him a
haircut,he was a Nazerite ,which meant he had to abide to certain conditions
,one of them was he was not to have his hair cut.The moment he had his hair cut  ,the Lord departed from him[Judges 16 v20].In other words he
lost his strength,and then he lost his eyes,and then he lost his freedom.Like Samson we can easily forget where are strength and security lies,not in any natural ability,be it our natural fitness,or our finance's. No, none of these things can be seen as a child of Gods security.Here is the word of the Lord
for all of us today,The Lord is my light and my salvation,whom shall I fear?
the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid. [Psalm 27 v1 ]
                                What have I to dread,what have I to dread,
                                 Leaning on the everlasting arms;
                                I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
                                 Leaning on the everlasting arms.
                                 [Words by E.F. Hoffman ]

Temptation [ Matthew 6 v13]

When our Saviour was tempted by the Devil,[ Luke 4 v1ff],the first temptation was to turn stones into bread.If you are the Son of God,said the Devil,turn this stone into bread, as if Jesus needed evidence who He was,He always knew who He was[ cp 2 v41ff].Let us remember who Jesus was ,
truly God and truly man,this is  something that the word of God clearly teaches.We cannot prove this truth by our rational minds,it is only entered into by faith,as is the doctrine of the sovereignty of God,as is the doctrine of hell and heaven.Remember the devil who is a liar [John 8 v44],will always seek to undermine faith, Consider how vulnerable Jesus was,he had not eaten for 40 days,he was starving,again remember the devil is waiting to catch us out when we are most vulnerable.The devil we are told goes about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour  [1 Peter 5 v8 ],but he also comes to us as a serpent,like he did with our first parents[Genesis 3].The fact is whatever way he comes ,we must stand firm,and resist him,how?,
the Bible tells us,/standing firm in the faith/,faith in God and His word,if we do we are assured,he will flee from us[James 4 v7],
                                      A  prayer.
Dear God grant us grace to overcome Satan in Jesus name Amen .

Man the inventer.[ Psalm 106 ]

In the book ,'A  History of Christianity', Diarmond McCullough,he writes
about the Greek gods,'that they were often fickle,petty,partisan,passionate, competitive-in other words,rather like Greeks themselves'.God forbid the making of graven images,of any likeness.but mankind find it hard to break the habit.One of the things that took place at reformation was,images were cleared out of places of worship,I was struck with this when I visited the cathedral in Malta's capital,which was filled with so much,in contrast with the cathedrals in England.The reformers sought to remove all the rubbish that had accumulated over centuries,statues of saints,of Mary,and relics.The places of worship became bare plain buildings,and the emphasise was on Gods word.But men like the Greeks of old still invent gods in their own image,still harp after so much rubbish,and reject the truth of Gods word,because it challenges  then to a relationship of faith in Him who is
invisible.The cry of so many is what must I do to be saved,and when they are told the uncomplicated truth,simply to believe on the Lord Jesus,they turn away.Because like the Gods that the Greeks of old they would prefer
a god ,and a way of salvation ,that  they have invented.
                                         A prayer.
Dear God we thank you that we have your word,and in that word,you have revealed yourself,and how we can be saved ,and how we can be kept from straying from your word,and your dear son Jesus Amen.

Amazing [Ephesians 2 1-8]

The other evening I attended a show at a local theator,called Celtic Women,
as you may guess it had an Irish flavour to it.I admire the wonderful gifts that  the performers manifested.One young woman amazed me as she danced around while playing the fiddle.The highlight of the show for me,was when a lone piper walked up the isle,and unto the stage,playing 'Amazing grace,'he was joined by other performers,who sang the words to that wonderful,hymn ,and as I listened,tears started to flow from my eyes. I was reminded of a  woman in Luke 7v37-50,who came to were Jesus was,and washed his feet with her tears.Why ?,because she experienced the forgiveness of all her sins.Like that dear person,I shed tears for the Christ who touched my life with his amazing saving grace, forgiving me all my sins.
                           Amazing grace ,how sweet the sound,
                            that saved a wretch like me.
                            I once was lost ,but now am found,
                            was blind ,but now I see.
                              [Words by John Newton.]

All will be well. [John 14 v1 ]

Recently I touched on the subject as to when the end will come, that before that happens there will be wars and rumours of wars,that nation will rise against nation,there will be famine and earthquakes in various places[Matthew 24v6-7] The history of mankind in relation to violence is frightening,and last week we were reminded afresh of its awfulness,when
gun men murdered over a hundred people.The fact of the matter is we cannot be given a guarantee that where we live will escape such violence.
A famous Prime minister,held up a piece of paper,and uttered those famous words ,/Peace in our time/.Shortly after that a world war commenced resulting in million upon millions of lives being destroyed.People would suffer untold misery and pain,such is the reality on planet earth,and make no mistake it will not change.Now as I listened to the reports of the violence in
Paris,my heart was so sad,at the suffering being caused,but I also felt my heart becoming a little bit fearful,but then I remembered what our Saviour
said,'but see to it that you are not alarmed'[Matthew24 v 6]A little chorus
comes to mind,/God is still on the throne, and He will remember His own./
Dear child of God panic not nor be afraid ,our sovereign God still rules and reigns over all things.He wants to assure all his children that they are under
his care,so whatever we may witness and whatever we may be going through,all,all ,will be well.
                                             A prayer.
Dear God and Father we thank you that you are in control,that our Saviour
has all power ,and in spite of wars and rumours of war,and so many other
things,you would say fear not,to us your dear children,in Jesus name we pray this Amen.

Soften my heart. [John 11 v 35 ]

I am often amazed how those who report on news event,do it in a cold detachment manner,or so it appears.But recently a crack of light broke though as a reporter who was covering the events in Paris ,broke down while giving his report.It reminded me of a similar incident many years ago,when I lived in Belfast,that day became known as bloody Friday,when the IRA planted a number of bombs,that injured and killed a number of people.When the BBC reporter was given his report,he broke down also. Instead of complaining about those two reporters, we applaud them,for showing a quality in their lives that of empathy,and compassion.We can watch the news day after day,hearing and witnessing awful things,and it sometimes feels we have become desensitised,to the suffering of others. I am sure it would be profitable to pray that God would grant us a heart that feels for others suffering.not only their physical,mental,or whatever , but
for the multitudes who are lost,and going to a lost eternity,who desperately need Christ.
                                          A  prayer.
                            Soften my heart Lord,soften my ,
                             From all indifference set me apart,
                             To feel Your compassion,
                             To weep with Your tears.
                             Come soften my heart,O  Lord,
                             Soften my heart.
                             [ Words by G. Kendrick ]

                  

Empty hands. [Luke 18 v 10 ff.]

Jesus said that not everyone who called Him Lord would enter into the kingdom of heaven,many will say ,we have prophesied in your name,and in your name had cast out devils,and in your name done many wonderful works, and He will say to them, I never knew you.depart from me,ye that work iniquity[Matthew 7 v 21-23 ]It would appear their profession,was but empty words,and they appear to not appreciate, that our Lord wants genuine followers.Also when we stand before Him we we must remember that it is not what we do that saves us.There was great Christian scholar who wrote the following,'So you allow me good faith,I have never conceded myself good faith. And when once day comes when I have to appear before my Lord,then I will not come with my deeds,with the volumes of my Dogmatics in the basket upon my back. All the angels there would have to laugh. But then I shall also not say,I have always meant well,I had good faith, No, then I will only say one thing,Lord be merciful to me a poor sinner.'
                                          A prayer.
Dear God forgive us for looking beyond what Christ your son has done,
in your mercy save us in His name . Amen.

Heaven rejoices [Luke 15 ]

 I do love hearing or reading something that makes me laugh.I even try to make jokes up,though I think I better keep my day job,even though I am retired.Do we have any jokes in the Bible?,I cannot think of any,yet the Bible speaks of joy,and happiness,of rejoicing,I wonder what are the things that gave you joy, happiness, or what causes you to rejoice?.Well in Luke 15 ,we read how our Saviour was surrounded by people whom the society at that time considered sinners.Watching were the strict religious people a called  Pharisees ,who would not be seen dead talking to those sort of people. Their reaction was, they muttered,among themselves,saying this man welcomes sinners,and eats with them.Now to eat with such people was consider an act of acceptance,and that would never do for the Pharisees.So Jesus very patiently tells three stories short stories,about a sheep ,a coin,and wayward son,that  got lost,and then was found. Jesus explained that when the worst in society be they a family member ,or whoever turns to God for forgiveness,then heaven itself rejoices.The fact is this ,Jesus died for sinners,and when one turns to Him for salvation,heaven itself rejoices,it makes heaven happy.
                                            A  prayer.
Dear God we thank you for sending Jesus to seek and to save the lost,
and when  they are saved heaven itself rejoices ,Amen .

Answers to prayer. [Jeremiah 29 v 12-13]

A Christian friend told me about a wonder answer to prayer,years ago he
needed a car,so one evening he asked God to provide him with a car. The next day a friend he not seen for a good while,phoned him,he was pastor,  his church had paid for him to purchase a car. Then he said ,the Lord told him to give his old car to my friend,this he did. a wonderful answer  to prayer. In answer to our prayers God in his will,can provide us money,can get us a job,can heal,can deliver,can save us and set us free,will guide I stress in His will,better not to get what we prayed for if it is not his will.Also prayer may not be answered right away,it may,our faith may  tested,of course faith will always be tested.Elijah that great man of
faith prayed and it stopped raining ,but when he prayed that it would rain again, he had to pray seven times[1Kings 18 v43-44].Could be we may be the answer to that prayer we pray,possibly God will not respond till we change cp 2 Kings 5 v 12-14.Our very behaviour and atitutude may be hindering our prayer being answered.
                                      A prayer.
Dear God we thank you for the many, many answers to prayer,so right
now we lift our voices to you,and ask that in mercy and will you will answer our prayer in Jesus name Amen .

Healing [James 5 14-15]

I must confess I am never sure whither God will heal a person or not, I was at a friends recently. He spoke of a man who was not a Christian ,and how his daughter prayed for him and God healed his cancer.He mentioned other
incidences ,of people being healed,in the church in which I was a minister,
two of my members told of healing's ,one was very badly scalded ,she was prayed for,the other told of her father being healed of cancer.Now I have mentioned it before my first wife died of cancer,I did pray,but she died,so you see how I am not sure whither God will  heal a person or not.  God can heal,but may not,but he may,Paul's experience,is an example of this [2 Corinthians 12].Jesus healed many but he did not choose to heal everybody,
we must not think that He has to.Recently while visiting a Christian lady,
she told me that she had cancer,a severe type,it had a high number ,that indicated ,that was very bad.That evening I read James 5 v14-15 ]which tells us to call for the elders anoint the person with oil,and pray in faith,and the person would get well.This was done,she did not become well at that time,but the treatment she is having,appears to be dealing with the cancer.
                                          A  prayer.
Dear God we know that with you,nothing is impossible,help us not rule out
your healing power,in Jesus name Amen.

Whats important. [ Matthew 16 v26 ]

Leon Morris writes,/When men concentrate on the trivial they are apt to overlook the important/.As we read the life of our Saviour He was continually saying to those He met to consider what is really important.To seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness [Matthew 6 v 33 ]. His words to Peter come as a challenge to all of us ,/do you truly love me more than these things [John 21 v 15].If you are not saved it means you are concentrating on the trivial it means that you have not realized that you are selling your soul like Judus for 30 pieces of silver.When he realized what he had done he went out and hung himself,alas for him,for he had a dreadful end,a lost eternity.What are you trading your soul for?,the words of an old gospel hymn comes to mind ,/if I gained the world but not the Saviour/.Is that you? what is the world you are seeking for? ,it  can be different for all of us.For some they are blinded by lust ,success,things,popularity,the list is endless,whats on your list?.There was a great king who tried everything wealth, pleasure,he had the means and the power.He had hundreds of women,and when he considered all he had achieved and accumulated he declared, everything was meaningless,a chasing after wind[Ecclesiates [2 v11].Let us, not  be a fool,let us get our priorities right,choose Christ and then everything will fall into place.
                                          A  prayer.
Dear God help us to see, that knowing Christ as my Saviour is by far, the most important  thing in all the world Amen.
                                    

Go. [ Matthew 28 v 18ff]

Every year in our country we hold remembrance services for those killed in wars,in the 20th century there have been many wars.Britain has had a long history of wars,and as we look at the world today,we still see so many conflicts,and one would love to see the end of war.It is amazing that humanity has not destroyed itself,our Saviour in Matthew 24v6ff spoke about wars and rumours of wars,of nations and kingdoms in conflict ,but then He adds ,but the end is still to come.So when will the end come?, well Jesus tells us,/ The gospel of the kingdom will  be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations,and then the end will come /.He does not give us a date,but simply what must take place before the end comes,and that's where we come in,therefore says Jesus ,go and make disciples of all nations.We can never take the go out of the gospel,the challenge for all believers is to obey what Jesus told us to do,to be His witnesses to a world in conflict a world that is intent on self destruction.We have been given a task,ours is not to question why, we know the why, Jesus has told us,there must be unquestioning obedience.The end will come,it is not for us to know
times or dates,but simply to go and be witnesses for Christ,in the power of the Holy Spirit.[Acts 1 v 7-8]
                                      A  prayer
Dear God forgive us our foolish curiosity as to the end times,help us to simply obey your command and tell other about our Saviour, Amen