Blindness. [Psalm 19]

To boldly go where no man has gone before,to explore new worlds,I wonder why?.Why do explorers ,explore,?why do they risk so much to see whats beyond,their natural vision?.Mankind it seems to me is driven by a
desire to discover the unseen,but this has nothing to do with faith. I am not criticising them,it appears that often as regards the universe mankind,desires to know how everything began.I  go out most nights, and look up at the sky
to observe the stars,and to praise God for His handy work,for I know the
reason behind the created world,the answer is a Creator,God.
   In the beginning God created heaven and earth,[ Genesis 1v1]He and He alone,is the reason for all things.We will never know our place in the world until we know Him who placed us in this world.Without a belief the universe, and tiny little planet earth,will always remain a mystery,that even the Sherlock  Holmes of the scientific world will never understand,and it will continue to be a tale of the blind leading the blind, and a competition
to see who will be greatest fool,[Psalm 14 v1]
       The creation is God speaking to us  of his glory,let not blind science,
blind you to what you see, let not your hardened heart cause you to not
hear what God is saying.
  Yet also remember that God is not only the God of creation but the God of salvation,to be blind to that truth is to be blind indeed,and to cut one of from life eternal.When Christ entered into this world ,God the creator was entering,to recreate you,making you into  a new creation.
                                                    A  prayer.
Dear God we thank that You are speaking to us all,help us to listen,in Jesus name. Amen.

.   

Blessings. [Luke 10 v25-37]

I attended  my GP,and he prescribed some medication,also I was reassured
as regards my diabetes,and left the surgery  thanking God that I live in a country where I receive health cover.We are blessed in this country that we have a health service,one can understand why many people are trying to come to this country.We are blessed in this country,and I thank God for these blessings.This morning I was reading about so many places that our experiencing conflict, I also read and see pictures of great poverty,children with no shoes,people dressed in rags,living in hovels. Yet I also read of many Christians giving their lives and talents in serving and helping,the orphans,the poor, the oppressed.
    We who are blessed are called upon to bless others,to not cross over on the other side of the road,to just look.The story of the good Samartian is a challenge to us all to get involved in helping those in need.We are not saved
by good works[Ephesians 2 v8-9],but we are called to a life of doing good.
Remember to whom much is given ,much will be required[ Luke 12 v48]
                                         A prayer.
Dear God we thank You for every blessing,help us to bless others,with our time,possessions,and most of all love in Jesus name Amen .

I like him. [John 15v12]

I was speaking to a friend as regards someone and I said him,and she replied I like him but I do not love him.We were both referring to a fellow Christian,consider what that person said,it is challenging,because it runs
contrary to being a Christian. Before our Saviour died he gave us a command, let us consider it,/This is my commandment that ye love one another,as I have loved you[John 15v12]/Now of course there were things that Jesus did not like about his disciples,He loved Judas,but He most defiantly like the fact that he was thief,and that he would betray Him.He loved Peter but He did not like the fact that that he would Deny Him.I am a Christian not because God likes everything I do,but He loves me,as a Father.Likewise we love our children,but there are things we don't like about them.
  It is the beloved disciple who touches on the importance of loving our fellow Christians,it is recorded that as an old man he was carried into the church,he would say,children love one another.In his epistle he wrote very challenging words,he that saith he is in the light,and hateth his brother,is in darkness[1 John 2v9].Beloved,let us love one another,for love is of God.......
He that loveth not, knoweth not God,for God is love[1 John 4v7-8]. If a man say,I love God,and hateth his brother,he is a liar.[1 John 4 v20].
                                    A  prayer.
Dear God forgive us, who have have experienced Your love in Jesus,for not
loving others as I should,in Jesus name, Amen.

The Magna Carter. [John 8 v36]

In 15th of June 1215 the Magna Carter was signed,by King John,it is also called the great charter,King John was not  very popular,so the Barons forced him into signing it,with his seal.This document sets forth the universal freedom of man,freedom of life,liberty,and property.  It
declared that rulers should be subject to the law,it is why Richard Nixon resigned as President of the United States of America.
   In the movie about William Wallace of Scotland, as he is being executed,
he cries out freedom.Freedom is the cry of so many,and yet the whole world
is a place where so many are in bondage.Our Saviour taught that whoever
sins is the slave of sin .[John 8 v34].
    We want political freedom,but do we desire to be free from sin?,those habits that are destroying us,The world appears not to be in a sexual revolution,but in bondage to sex.there are so many areas in life that mankind is in bondage to,vile tempers,vile language,vile thoughts.The sad thing is we may have political freedom,but apart from Christ we never  be free.
     Here is the good news Christ came to set us free,here is what He said,if the Son  therefore shall make you free,ye shall be free indeed[ John 8 v36]
                                        A prayer
 Dear Lord Jesus open the eyes of our understanding ,that we may see our bondage,and grant us grace that we may repent and trust in You,for forgiveness and freedom Amen

Hope [1 Timothy 1v1]

A  Jewish rabbi said we can live with out many things but we cannot live
without hope. I went into my garden and there they where,daffodils are on there way,winter is going,spring is coming,summer is coming,it will not be long before I will be able to sit in my garden,that is my hope. I hope for many things,some things may not happen,but I will continue to hope.My hope is not in blind faith, but in God ,who is always with me,and has promised to care for me,and love me.This old body may be showing signs
of wear and tare,but my hope is in the one who said He will make all things new.I am a sinner I am not in  denial to that reality,it is sad that so many people are in denial,no I am not in denial,but my hope is in a Saviour called Jesus who forgive all my sins.Why do I wear a little cross?to proclaim my
hope in Jesus,in Him alone.  Not only is my sins forgiven,the Bible speaks of  Christ in us the hope of glory[Colossians 1 v27]. In a world that is on its way out ,I have a blessed hope,the return of Jesus,who will issue in a  new heaven and a new earth,He will make all things new.
                                    A prayer
 Dear God in this dark world of sin,when often things appear hopeless we thank You that because of You we can have hope,thank You in Jesus name Amen.

Three reasons.[John14 v6]

Why do we need Christ?,what would your answer be if you were asked,well I want us to consider three reasons.
 [1]We need Christ if we are to have our sins forgiven,the supreme purpose for Him coming,was to save His people from their sins.The question you may ask ,is,what is sin?,whatsoever is not of faith is sin[Romans 14 v22].Sin is all those things  contrary to Gods law and,all unrighteousness is sin.[1 John 5 v17].[CP. ....[Romans 1 v20-32./3v9-23] ,our sin  must be forgiven,for the wrath of God is revealed against all unrighteousness[Romans 1 v18]
[ 2]
       We need Christ for without Him we will never go to heaven,but we will go to that unmentionable place,for all eternity.People make jokes of people
coming up to Peter at the gates of heaven,and him asking what have you done to be let in ?. Stuff an nonsense in Matthew 7v 22-23 .we read of those
who say what they hath done,but Jesus  turns  them away.It is not what we have done that gets us into heaven,but what Jesus has done.
[3]
       We need Jesus if we are to know God,if we are to be classed as Gods children,only those who know Jesus,who receive Jesus, can call  God Father.Many,many people say those words,Our Father who art in Heaven,and yet they know not Jesus as their Saviour.For the scripture clearly teaches,as many as receive Him[Jesus],to them gave He the right to become children of God,to those who believe in His name[John 1 v12]
                                             A  prayer.
Dear God help us to see that we must know Jesus as our saviour,if we are to know forgiveness ,to enter Heaven,and to Know God as our Father, We ask this in His name Amen.

Real or imagined. [Psalm 23 ]

Years ago we used to have a pressure cooker,and I believe that in some countries, they are still very popular,some people are afraid of using one
because they think it may explode.I have not heard of one exploding,they have a safety value that prevents this.I also know some people who would not use a micro wave oven,for fear that something may happen to them.
    We all have fears some are genuine others irrational,working among the
mentally ill ,I am in contact with some people who are so filled with fear,that they will not leave their homes,they are prisoners of fear.
      What can we do with our fears?well  what do I do?,I acknowledge my fear,whatever it is,oh yes ,although I am a Christian a long time there are times when fear takes over,and I loose Gods peace.
      Fear makes one panic,causes one to loose sleep,generally, is not helpful,
we could  call it blind panic.Now behold I show you a better way,faith,faith in what,in the one who is called the good shepherd, Jesus. He is the one who saves,when we put our faith in him,but He also said my peace I gave unto you [John 14v27]
     Consider the following words,I will fear no evil for you are with me[Psalm 23 v4],consider the words no evil,that takes in everything imaginable,the writer says no matter what evil he was facing he will not fear it,this is not  bravado ,no it is a man who has placed his faith in  Jesus the good shepherd[Psalm23v1]
                                        A prayer.
Dear Lord we confess that it does no take much to make us afraid,real or imagined,so today,grant us Your peace as we place our faith in you,Amen .

Gods word. [ 2 Timothy 3 v15-16 ]

When the reformation started many began to cause civil unrest,which had to be put down,M .Luther was in favour of putting it down.Like Christ he realised that Gods kingdom would not come in by the sword.
      This is what he said, / I could have brought blood upon Germany,but I didn't,I simply preached and wrote Gods word, otherwise I did not,and the word did everything.
        When I slept and drank Wittenberg beer with my friends, the word so greatly weakened the Papacy, that no emperor or prince ever afflicted such looses upon it/
      The fact is the kingdom of God cannot be established by the sword,but by the sword of Gods word.[ Hebrews 4 v12]
      Sometimes when I preach Gods word I am disappointed that I do not see
people saved,and I have to remind myself God is sovereign,and His word will accomplish the purpose for which He sent it.It is a living word not a dead word,it is a powerful word, not a powerless word,because it is Gods word.
      I have just read of a so called Christian who is denying that Gods word is infallible,the first thing that Satan did was to place doubt on Gods word
CP Genesis 3 V1,and the sad thing is Eve and Adam committed rebellion,
and brought untold sorrow on mankind.
       Beware of any so called Christian who casts doubt on Gods word
,believe Gods word,for salvation,and for living the Christian life.
                                      A prayer.
Dear God we thank You for Your infallible word ,help us to realise the power of Your word,and the peace in believing Your word,in Jesus name
Amen.

Come [Matthew 11 v28]

I found myself singing,/Oh Jesus is a rock in a weary land a shelter in the time of storm/.Our Saviour said come unto me all ye that are weary and
heavy laden and I will give you rest[Matthew 11v 28]The world is full of weary people carrying heavy burdens,people who are grieving,people who are living with pain,mentally physically.One just has to listen to the news
to realise we live in a weary world ,in every street there are people carrying heavy burdens,in every church there are people carrying heavy burdens.
think what it must be like for people living in places continual conflict. we think of the places and people who are living under oppressive religions, or political oppression.Then there are the self inflicted burdens,habits that are destructive,how weary life is,and there appears no way out. But there is,
Jesus,,come to  Him,bare your soul,tell him all,plead with Him,invite Him in,and discover, that he is a rock in a weary land a shelter in the time of storm.
                               A  prayer.
Dear Lord we hear You saying come unto Me,help us to come with all our burdens and hang ups,self inflicted pain, and  find in You that rest we need.
                                         Amen.

Temporal or eternal. [ Colossians 3 v2]

Thomas a Kempis lived in the 14th century,he served God within a religious
order.He is remembered for a work called the ,Imitation of Christ,and to this dayis still a popular book,it has reached over two thousand printings. I am sure if we make the effort to read this book we will receive a blessing.Here
is a simple but challenging thing he wrote,/Make us of temporal gifts,but set your heart on eternal ones/
   Temporal that is an interesting world word,it is a reminder to us all,that we live in situation that is temporal.Consider the following words,/While we look not at the things which are seen,but at the things which are not seen,for the things which are seen are temporal,but the things which are not seen are eternal[2 Corinthians 4 v18] We can only do this with the sight of faith,Moses did it,CP, Hebrews 11 v 25-27,so must we,we are walk in the footsteps of men and women who lived by faith,living for the eternal,living
for Christ.Judas choose 30 pieces of silver,and forfeited eternal life,and
eternal blessings.
  Thomas challenges us to make use of our temporal gifts,how are making use of our temporal gifts?are we holding unto them,Jesus said do you love
me more than these?.
    We are told that the living God giveth all things richly to enjoy,but this is
followed by the challenge,to use our money to do good,to be rich in good works,generous to those in need,always ready to share with others.[1 Timothy 6 v17-18]
                                           A  prayer.
Dear God we thank you for our many blessings,help us to not set our hearts on them,help us to generous and kind to others,who are in need,in Jesus name.  Amen.
  

Will you be ready? [ Matthew 24 v 36-44]

In Northern Ireland we have the Giants causeway,a rock formation caused by a volcanic eruption.I have visited it a few times ,it is situated on the beautiful Antrim coast line.Within that rock formation there is a part that is known as a wishing seat,where you sit down and make a wish. I can just imagine the many who sat and made wishes,I wish for,what would you wish for?,the list is endless.Recently I heard a Christian song,which goes, /I wish they'd all be ready./ ,this is a song about the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ.I pray for many people, and my fervent prayer is that they will
 be ready ,when Christ returns again, we know not when,[Matthew 24 v36 ],the question is this,will you be ready?.The story is not finished yet,He is coming back again, let me ask the question, will you be ready? It will be glory for all who are his, the dead in Christ will be resurrected,and those who are living will be caught up into  Glory[ 1 Thessalonians 4 v13ff].But for those who are left ,they will have to face the music, judgement,which will be eternal,I try not to imagine what that will be like ,but the Bible makes it clear that is no laughing matter.[1 Thessalonians 1 v10 ]
                                     A  prayer.
Dear Lord have mercy help us all to be ready in the light of Your coming. Amen

I will build my church.[ Revelation 7 v9- 11 ]

Our Saviour said that He would build his church and that the gates of hell
would not prevail against it[Matthew 16 v18] In the 1970s in Cambodia the
Khmer Rouge devastated the population ,the church was reduced to a few thousand.Now in spite of restrictions it is reckoned that their are approx.
130.000 Christian, meeting in 2000 small congregations.Today in China
there more Christians than there are members of the Communist party.One survey has shown the following.
[1] For every African child born, two Africans are becoming Christians[in
black Africa]
 [2] There are 1.600 new Christian congregations formed each week across
the world.
 [3] There are up to 100.000 new Christians every day.
Jesus said He will build His church,He is doing it even in the secular west
we can be sure that He is building His church.Let us rejoice in that fact and
pray that in mercy,we may yet witness a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit
in saving power,in our neighbourhood,in our schools,in towns, and in our nations.
                                         A  prayer.
Merciful God we praise that you are still saving ,that our Saviour is building His church,grant that we will see a revival in the Lands and places where You have placed us in Jesus name Amen .

Yahweh. [Genesis 39]

Alec Motyer writing on the words spoken to Moses by God, Exodus 3 v13-14 . what was his name?,Moses asked? God replied, I am who I am [YHWH] ,/The name YHWH ,to the active presence of God,...as a living force,vital and personal,in no situation is He the ornamental extra,in every situation, He is the key active ingredient./
    God is in every situation,do we really believe this?,if I loose my Job,if.....
God is active in every situation, the great example of this is the life of Joseph,when sold as a slave by his brothers,we read, the Lord was with Joseph.[ CP Genesis 39v2/v 23]
     Again quoting A.M./The name YHWH can also mean,I will what I will
be. That suggests a God,for all seasons,all eventualities,all tasks,all needs/
     Consider what these words meant to Moses, and the children of Israel
as they would face the unknown and challenging future ,What season are you in at this time? what difficulties are you facing?.
                            Got any rivers you think are impossible.?
                              Got any mountains you can't tunnel through?
                              God specialises in things thought impossible,
                              He'll do for you what no other can do.
                                        A  prayer
   Dear we bow before You are all powerful,you are in every situation,
and You are our God, we praise You in Jesus name Amen .

A true refection. [ 1 Peter 2 v12

Richard Dawkins  is a very brilliant man, but he is an atheist,as one looks at certain religions one can see how some people reject a belief in God.Yet because there are hateful cruel people in Islam ,and even those who come under the umbrella of Christian.Yet the spurious does not invalidate the truth that there is a God,likewise there are political systems that are cruel
 and wicked,but that does not mean we reject all politics. There are Christians and there are Christians,being a Christian means we are to manifest the life of Christ in our lives.Unfortunately we do not always do this,but many do,many Christians manifest lives that are evidence that they have trusted Jesus. Now of course no matter how Christlike we may be,people may  still hate us,dislike us,and reject what we believe. Today let
us who know the Lord seek to be the light in the darkness,forgiving others
who have hurt us,helping the helpless,to hurt no one with our actions,or words,and when we can to speak the truth in love.
                                A  prayer.
Dear God in world of distorted images, help us to shine,help us to reflect
a true likeness of Your son Jesus. Amen .

Who needs suffering? [John 17 v1 - 5 ]

Charles Parkhurst said,/Great faith is exhibited not so much in doing as in suffering/. This is something that we may not want to hear, after all who
wants to suffer? no one,yet consider Him whom we follow Jesus.How did He bring blessing upon us by His suffering.Consider the faith of Paul the apostle that was manifest through his suffering ,CP,../2 Corinthians11v
23ff,/12 v7 -10/Davids life was no bed of roses ,read his life in 1 Samuel 18ff. Consider the lives of the prophets ,Jesus spoke of the prophets who had been stoned and killed [Luke 13 v 34].Consider Daniel and friends who where faced with horrendous ,suffering,also dear old Job,who lost his children,his possessions, and his health[ Job 1 -2]There have been lovely Christian that I have known who exhibited great faith, a brother in my home
 church ,lost his lovely wife when they went to Brazil as missionaries. He experienced the same symptoms as his wife and was told he must leave Brazil or he would die,he stayed,and God blessed his ministry in a wonderful way.
     Are you suffering ?have faith in God ,trust Him for the necessary grace
to serve and to follow your Saviour.
                                        A  prayer
Dear God grant us the grace to rise  in faith so that whatever may come our way we may glorify our Saviour Amen.

Live so lightly. [ Job 1-2]

I read of a young Christian couple,they had just had a mortgage,to buy there first home,but they where concerned that material things would not weaken their love for their Saviour.They wrote out a prayer,which they often prayed.
/O  God, who has given us so richly of this world's goods to enjoy,help us to live so lightly to them,so wholly to You,that were they all removed tomorrow,we would scarcely notice the difference/
    Lets be very honest many of us would find it hard to pray that prayer,
and yet many Christians in the world are faced with loosing all their possessions as they face persecution,have lost their homes and possessions.
    So many of us whole tightly to what we have,not appreciating that all we have is just borrowed,it is in Gods hands, as Job declared,the Lord gave,and the Lord hath taken away,blessed be the name of the  Lord .[ 1 v 21].His wife had a different attitude,as she goaded him to  curse God and die [2v9 ]
I wonder if I lost all would I be like Job,or like his wife?.
                                      A  prayer.
Dear God we confess that we appreciate what You have given us,help us not to hold unto them to tightly,in Jesus name we ask this Amen .

Bit risky [ Acts 16 v31]

A lady of 101 came to know Christ,she mentioned to her minister the wonders of a person coming to the Lord at 101,he thought for a moment,then said ,bit risky.It is wonderful when we read of death bed repentance,I witness to someone not so long ago,,within a few weeks they had passed away.I can only hope that they had trusted the Saviour before they died.The Bible continually stresses the importance of  giving an urgency to a response of the Gospel.Isaiah 1 v18,urges us to come now
We are told ,behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation[2 Corinthians 6 v2 ].When it come to salvation it is of the utmost importance that we see the urgency ,of trusting Jesus as our Saviour. There is an old fashion word, procrastination,it means putting of ,we can apply this to jobs half done,I will finish it tomorrow.Putting of to tomorrow is a game we all play,sometimes it can cause real problems,like not renewing ones car insurance. Salvation must never be put of to tomorrow
because of the consequences,of not trusting Jesus,those consequences are horrendous,remember some more convenient day may never come,
                                    A  prayer.
Dear God help us all to see that knowing Jesus as Saviour is an absolute necessity ,if we are to be saved from a lost eternity,Amen .

False religion. [ Revelation 2 v 14- 16]

In the OT we read of the worship of Baal,here is few thoughts on this worship, the word Baal means Master,Lord,Possessor or even husband.
Gordon Bridger in his book writes,that Baal is seen not as a personal,but
rather an impersonal force.Now this Baal was a god of man kinds own making,it is a god that appeared to be suited to the people who followed it.
                           Baalism was a sexually corrupt religion.
It has touches of Mormonism,or even Islam with their multiplicity of wives,
they had cult prostitutes ,who did not do it for money,but in obedience ,and devotion their god. As I observe Islam it saddens me at what their religion demands of them.
                             Baalism was a frenzied religion.
You see this in 1 Kings 18,where we see Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal,to pray to their god to send down fire to burn up a sacrifice.So we read they got themselves in frenzy that they leaped upon the altar,they  cried  aloud,and cut themselves with knives,but to no avail.Consider the prophet Elijahs response, a simple prayer,and fire came down ,and burnt up everything.
                            Baalism was a cruel religion.
There was the real possibility that they practised child sacrifice,It is sad how cruel some religions are,even those who classed them selves as Christian,were very, very,cruel,the Spanish inquisition is an example of this.
Christianty surely should never be cruel,after all Christ was never cruel.
    As regards religion there are many options,unfortunately,as G Bridger
writes ,false religion has no eternal significance,in other words it will
never save.
                             A prayer.
Dear God preserve us from false religion, no matter how it is dressed up,
  in Jesus name Amen.
                          

Sucked in. [Joshua 7 ]

There is a little children's song which goes,/Be careful little eyes what you see,there's a Saviour up above, looking down with tender love . So be careful little eyes what you see/ The eye is called the gate to the soul,or simple the eye gate,it was that man of God who made covenant with his eyes in relation to not look upon girls,the A V, adds that,why should I think upon a maid ?[31 v1].The looking may seem innocent enough,we can easily say there is no harm in looking,but as Job well knew there can be.If we look on certain things our mind,heart can be effected.There is a song which goes,just one look that's all it took,David the man of God,the man after Gods own heart looked on a naked lady,and he descended into being scoundrel.Achan[Joshua7] looked on material riches,then he coveted them, then he took them,and brought disaster upon the nation,his family,and himself.People can get into so much trouble by simple looking and then running,.How many people have gone  into car sales room,just to look,and they end up buying a car,they did not want,or need.
      So let us take to heart the words of  that little chorus, /Be careful little eyes what you see,/,remember it only takes one look.,and we end up like
David,or an Achan,or in debt.
                                               A  prayer.
Dear God help us to keep a guard on our eyes,help us to not be sucked into
lust,and all that,this means in Jesus name Amen .

A lovely word. [ Isaiah 9 v6]

I was just reminded of a lovely word while studying it is mainly used in the OT.  it is Shalom it means peace. / Shalom means more than a ceasing from hostilities, or the ending of a conflict. Shalom is a word that conveys wholeness. It embraces peace with God, and wholeness in relation to him,it
conveys harmony in our relationship with other people,and peace within ourselves./[ G  .Bridger]
    Let us be honest, so few know such complete wholeness,is it possible?
one would like to think so.This peace must come from God and Him alone,it begins when we embrace the Prince of peace, Jesus.It is Vine who points out that Shalom is often rendered  salvation,[ Gen 26v 31/41v16]
hence the peace offering is called the salvation offering. The wonderful thing that Christ sacrificial offering on the cross did was deal with sin,
until that happened peace with God was not possible. This happens when we trust Jesus as our Saviour,as we read in Romans 5 v1 .Therefore being justified by faith,we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
    When that happens then truly we experience Shalom, wholeness,that peace that passeth all understanding.
                                    A prayer.
 Dear God we thank that we can know peace through Your son Jesus .Amen

There is a storm coming [ Romans 1 v16-18]

As I sat in my living room, I heard the wind howling outside,and the thought came to me,there is a storm coming.In the OT we have mentioned
the day of the Lord,for Israel it meant the great overthrow of their enemies,
a day which would issue in tremendous blessing.But they were to discover
that it meant more than that,consider the words of the prophet Amos,Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord[5 v18 ].Whereas Israel saw the day of the Lord as a judgement on their enemies,but what they did not realise that they had become the enemy.Not only did they not realise it,but they refused to accept it even though  God continually spoke to them through His
servants. Jesus said to the Jews,ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.[Matthew 23 v31].Stephen a devout Jew who had come to know Christ,paid the price for challenging the Jewish leaders, when he declared,/Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?/,Stephen followed in the footsteps of those prophets by being stoned to death.
   There is a storm coming ,the day of the Lord,a day of judgement,a day in which all who have by their actions and rejection of Gods son, declared
themselves to be the enemies of God.
     God at this time is offering mercy to all who repent,and seek forgiveness
but if that mercy is rejected,then mercy will be forfeited.
                                          A  prayer.
 Dear God open the eyes of those who know not your son Jesus ,that there is a  storm coming,Amen.

Memory [ Matthew 7 v 7]

A lady I know who is elderly,is beginning to loose her memory,and strange as it may seem she is becoming a nicer person.This dear person had a very difficult childhood,which she has never managed to get over.She carried those memories which caused her pain,and effected her spiritual growth. Can we overcome the bad memories?,now let us not underestimate the power of memories ,childhood or otherwise,in many ways we  are all moulded by our past,for good or ill.So many people are prisoners of their past,abuse,traumatic events,poverty,broken marriages,the latter can have an effect on all who are involved.The question is, can things change?the fact of the matter many will never change,maybe they are to scared to change. Yet there many who would love to change,and cant,some do and are the better for it.Is it possible to change? well, it is a challenging question,is it possible?,yes, when it has accomplished its God given purpose.That purpose is two fold, to bring us to Christ,and to make us more like Christ.
The point is Christ is the answer,through Him change is possible,every possibility that you have sought the Lord,and seemingly nothing has happened,consider what He is accomplishing,that is more important than we realise.Next faith must be refined,has He given you a pacific word,well continue to seek the Lord claiming that particular word.
                                           A  prayer
Dear God we ask that you may hear our prayer,help us to understand Your will,give us the assurance that You would heal us of past hurtful memories,
in Jesus name. Amen/

Courage [ Joshua 1 v 9]

Yesterday I mentioned how Jean-Baptiste Mussillion the preacher at Louis 14th funeral snuffed out the candle on top of his casket.I mention this to my son and his reply was that he was very courageous to do such a thing,and then he told me how Louis the 15th had someone put to death in the most horrible way imaginable,most of these kings believed that their power was absolute,we  see this in the reign of Henry the 8th,how he had his wives murdered, so what that preacher did at Louis 14th funeral was a very courageous act.When rulers think their power is absolute they are trying to usurp God ,for it is only God who has absolute power. Think how courageous that preacher was,and think also courageous the prophets were
we see this especially in the ministry of Elijah,or Jeremiah,or even the apostle Paul, Esther also comes to mind.They and many others could have been put to death for daring to speak out Gods word,daring to take a stand for what is right.In many places Christians are being persecuted threatened
of course we must not be surprised ,for our Lord said,/Blessed are they that our persecuted for righteousness sake[/Matthew 5v10],and He goes on to say,/Rejoice, and be exceeding glad,for great is your reward in heaven[5v12].
      It takes courage to speak Gods truth,it takes courage to face the enemies of the cross,many of us I am sure would be very fearful,if we faced persecution.I believe God will help us,so often He tells us that he will.It is important that we see beyond persecution,to the glory that awaits us,as Jesus did[Hebrews 12v2]
                                    A  prayer.
Dear God have mercy upon those of Your dear children that are being persecuted,grant unto them courage, grace,hope,and Love in Jesus name Amen

Greatness [ Daniel 4 ]

I am reading a book bought to me as a Christmas present called ,/The Churchill factor/,written by Boris Johnson,it is enjoyable and easy to read.
No doubt Churchill was a great man,a one of personality,whom God raised up,as to his spiritual position I leave that with God.I mention that he was great man,but he was a man a flawed individual,who suffered from times of deep depression,which he called his black dog days. The greatness of any human being is a flawed greatness be it Churchill or whoever,I could mention the flaws of many so called great men,but I wont.
    Let us consider Louis the 14th of France,known as the Sun King,who built that wonderful palace of Versailles,he wanted to be remembered as the
greatest French king ever.So he stipulated that at his funeral service in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris,all would be darkened except the one candle on his casket at the front.But when Jean-Baptiste Massillon the preacher got up to give the funeral oration,he walked over to the casket and snuffed out the light. With that he commenced his message with the words,'Only God
is great.Only God is great.
                                               A prayer.
Dear God we thank You for raising up Churchill,at a time of great need,in this world,but we turn our eyes from him and  to You,and declare that only You are truly Great. Amen .

We have a sure guide. [John 14 v6]

In Ezekiel 21v21 we read how the king of Babylon, consulted with
images,and looked to the liver,he also used arrows with names or places on them,they would be shaken,and one would be drawn out,as in drawing of lots. People are desirous to know the right way to go,that would give them most success,let us face it none of us know what the next second will bring
People consult mediums,their star sign,toss a coin,ask a friend,all desire to make the right decision,in moving,in buying,and so on.So many want a deeper meaning to life,and think they have found by going and joining,a cult,a religion,many young people are trying to join up with the Islamic SS,even though it may mean becoming a suicide bomber,or committing atrocities,like beheading children.Many joined the Nazi party and believed
that they were not accountable to anyone except Hitler.
   In a world of confusion Jesus declares that He is the Way,the Truth,and the Life,and that no one can come unto the Father,but by Him[John 14 v6]
If we are going to be guided in life then  we need to know Him,He is Gods
answer  to humanity.
     When we know Him then we will have a sure guide,He will guide us,lead us through this confusion maze we call life, He  assures us that we
will not walk in darkness[ John 8 v12] Not only will he guide us but He will be with us,going before us,opening or closing doors,and no matter how dark the valley we may go through,we need fear no evil,for as I have  said He
will be with us.
                                          A prayer.
Dear Lord Jesus we thank You that in a world of uncertainty,with You, we
have a sure guide, Amen

Gods perfect will. [ Romans 8 v 26 ]

David Prior writing about the prophet Habakkuk comments about his praying,/ Like us the prophet did not fully appreciate what he was asking. God who customarily answers prayer in a way far beyond our thoughts or dreams/ Consider as a parent one has had to say no to ones children,because you knew that what they wanted would have been harmful.When it comes to prayer, often ,not always ,our knowledge is limited as to what it would mean if God answered as we think He should.Paul the apostle reminds us ,
we know not what we should pray for as we ought[Romans 8 v26] We need not despair,for we are clearly told that although He may not answer in the way we desire He does answer, in a way that is is best,yet even then we may not think so, but rest assured,He does.The most fervent prayer ever prayed
ended with the words,/nevertheless not what I will,but what Thou wilt
[ Mark 14 v36] .Let us consider what that means in all our lives today,when we bring our hopes and desires to God in prayer.
                                            A  prayer
Dear God we bring all our hopes,and desires to You right now,be pleased to answer what is best for us,according to Your perfect will,in Jesus name Amen /

Eyes that speak [Matthew 13 v 10-17]

In the movie the ,Book Thief,the young Jew in hiding,asks the young girl,
what was the day like,she gives him the usual answer.He was not satisfied with her answer, so he says,/if your eyes could speak what would they say?/
and so she spoke in a different way,not just in a black and white manner,but in the language of the colours  of the rainbow. There are so many people who are colour blind,as to what they see ,they refuse to let their eyes speak.The people who opposed Jesus saw things in black and white,when he healed someone they said a Sabbath breaker,when He fed people,they only saw someone who could provide a meal ticket,when he delivered the demon possessed ,they charged Him in being in league with the Devil.The people in his home town could only see the carpenters son, others could only see Him as a prophet,a teacher,all of them only saw with their eyes,black and white,instead of the colours of  the rainbow.When you look at Jesus,is it just in black and white,or is it in the colours of the rainbow?,in other words,if your eyes could speak,what would they say?
                                     A prayer.
Dear God let us not be condemned to seeing  in black and white,help us to
see Jesus as to whom He really is,help us to see the colours of the rainbow,in Jesus name Amen.

Because it is real [ 1 John 4 v 8 ]

Often when I watch a movie,I am listening,and watching for something that I can put a spiritual meaning to.I have seen all three of the Hobbit movies,
and in the last one,the girl looses the one she loved.She cries out I don't want this,and then she asks the question ,why does it hurt so much?, and the reply comes back ,because its real.When you loose someone you really love it is very painful,because it is real.When Jesus stood outside the tomb where Lazarus was,we read he wept[John 11 v35].His love for Lazarus,and his two sisters was real,these were not crocodile tears.The one who came from heaven came because He loved this world and we its inhabitants [John 3v16],many judge God for not caring,they judge Him by there standards,I will wait until the final verdict comes in. But this I know with all my heart,Gods love for planet earth is real,how do I know this?well ,the cross, on which the dear Lord died,oh yes His love is real,for you and for me.
                                    A  prayer.
Dear God there are so many people and they in foolishness judge You,when all the time Your love is so real,the cross on which Jesus tells us in no uncertain terms that Your love is absolutely real. Amen.

Habakkuk's one.[[Habakkuk2 v4]

A Jewish Rabbi wrote,/Moses gave Israel 613 commandments,David reduced them to eleven[ Psalm 15],Micah to three [Mic 6v8], Isaiah to two
[ Isa 56v1],but Habakkuk to one, /The righteous shall live by faith/ [2 v4].
I wonder what you think of this,but the fact is without faith we cannot have a relationship with God.It was by faith that Abraham was accepted by God
cp Genesis 15v6,like Abraham, it is simply by faith. It is apostle Paul who sets out the bases of being accepted by God it is faith in Christ[Rom5 v1 ].In Romans 3 23,we are told that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.I passed a church recently with  a poster, with the following words on it ,/When you trust Jesus He erasers all your past mistakes/,but of course the Bible says,not so much mistakes,but sin.The word mistakes, is mistakenly used, it is in Gods word, and we must hold fast to this term.The righteous/just, are those who being justified by faith.Without faith we will stumble and fall,we are no different than those we read of in Hebrews 11.Whatever successes they had ,it was by faith,what ever difficulties they faced with,they faced them by faith,Whatever we may have to face,we face them by faith.Read Hebrews 11,of the list of those who choose to live by faith,do you want to join them?
                                       A  prayer.
Dear God we come to you through in Christ Your son,and by Your Grace live by faith,help us in Jesus Name Amen .

A simple prayer,but. [ Matthew 26 v 30-34]

I was speaking to the children at the church I attend,and telling them that God can become their loving heavenly Father if they trust in Jesus. So I told them a simple prayer they could pray ,and it goes like this,/Come into my
heart Lord Jesus,come in today,come in to stay,come into my heart Lord Jesus/. Now in saying that I stressed that they should really, really mean it,I did not of course put any pressure on them,and left it at that.Now the two things I stressed to the children,simplicity and sincerity,are very important ,
not only for children,but for adults also.I have listened to Billy Graham preaching,and there was a simplicity about it,it is important in speaking to
children or adults  as simply as possible. We must also emphasise the importance of a sincere response to the message,we are dealing with serious matters, when we are preaching,our Saviour continually stressed that if  one
desired to follow Him,we must not take it lightly.We do not want to put anyone of in following Jesus,but we must stress the seriousness of doing this. So today if you want Jesus,whoever you are,then you can pray that simple prayer,but you must be very very serious about it.
                                         A  prayer.
Dear God You who would have all men to be saved,grant that those children who heard my message,and those who read what I have written,
may sincerely trust Jesus Amen /

Ride to meet the darknesse . [ Revelation 6 v 2]

In the movie Lord of the rings,one of characters feels overwhelmed by the forces arrayed against them,and wonders what can one do?,he is told the following,/ When darkness comes,we will ride out to meet it/.There is much darkness in this world,it is the apostle Paul who reminds us,that/,we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,against powers,against the rulers  of the darkness of this world,against spiritual wickedness in high places. [Ephesians 6 v12]/.Now that sounds ominous and of course  it is, one just has to read of the suffering of many dear Christian, by religious people, to realise that there are evil forces abroad. Plus we have mankinds natural  condition,we are told that they love darkness rather than light.So we are faced with an army of darkness.
     If we lean upon our own understanding,as Christians,which we are forbidden to do,then we run  for the hills,run as fast as we can,rather than to face it,yes instead of riding to meet the darkness,we ride from the darkness. So the important thing is we must not lean upon our own understanding,we are called to trust,not just trust, but to trust in the Lord with all our hearts[Proverbs 3 v4]
      Let us remember that darkness cannot extinguishes light,so it is that
we can overcome the darkness ,by trusting in the Lord with all our hearts.
When the apostle Paul was in a storm,in danger of perishing, God sent an angel ,to reassure him that all would be well,and so he cries out,/I believe God,it shall be even as it was told me[Acts 27 v25] John the apostle wrote
/This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith[1 John 5 v4 ]
      So when darkness comes,let us ride out to meet it,with faith in God,a
belief that what ever darkness we are facing,it will not overcome us,in fact we shall be more than conquerors through Jesus our Lord. [ Romans 8 v17]
                                        A  prayer
 Dear Lord in this dark world that we live in,help us to not run from the darkness,to ride to meet it, by faith in You and Your precious word.
                                        Amen.