He cares for His own. [ Psalm121]

Psalm 75 reminded Israel that God rules, Plummer writes,/Jehovah,being the sovereign Lord and Governor world lays those low that proudly exalt
themselves against his authority, and lifts up those that humbly submit
themselves unto him/The thousand year Reich lasted 9 years,the Soviet
Union is no more,this is not by chance,no, God rules.We can easily forget
this truth,and feel that human might and power is what matters,not so. Israel
experienced oppression under Assyria ,Babylon,Rome,these powers are gone Israel still exists.All world powers are transient,temporary,they rule as long as God sees fit, God is working all things after the counsel of His will.
[ Ephesians 1v11] Now we have mentioned Gods Sovereignty, in relation
to world powers and events,but let us also remind ourselves that God is vitally interested in us personally.As a father is interested in all things
concerning His children,so  God your loving heavenly Father is interested
in all that concerns His children.At this time my wife is seeking another position of employment,for her as for you,God can make a way ,promotion cometh from the LORD,[,Psalm 75 v6-7] He opens doors ,and His timing
is always perfect, in His providence ,He rules,and overrules,for you His child.
                                       A  prayer.
Sovereign God we commit all our ways to You,trusting in your providential
care for us Your dear children ,in Jesus name Amen.

I must have. [ Matthew 28 v20]

This morning the words of an old hymn came into my mind,/I must have the Saviour with me,for I dare not walk alone/.I think back to those days when I did it my way,the bad old days,in those days I walked alone like the poet ,I wandered lonely as a cloud.But now things are different,yes I do feel lonely, at times,but I am not alone.I have the Saviour with me.When Moses died,Joshua must have felt very inadequate, anxious, possible isolated,no longer could he rely on the man of God,he was gone. All sorts of feelings were pressing in upon him,the Lord knew how he felt,and so He spoke to him.Today, listen to the whispers of Jesus,listen to the whispers of Jesus.What did God say to Joshua?,'I will be with thee,I will not fail thee,nor forsake thee[Joshua 1 v5]When Jesus was leaving and returning to heaven,consider how His disciples must  have felt,he was leaving them,in one sense ,but in another sense He wasn't.he would be with them in the person of the Holy Spirit,and so He says,I am with you always, even unto the end of the age[Matthew 28 v 20]
                                          A prayer
Dear Saviour we thank you that you have assured us that you are with us always,and that no matter what changes come into our lives,that wonderful
truth will never change.Amen.
  [ I will return to my Blog on Monday,  every blessing, Bill]

I have a soul [Acte 16 v31]

The musical Les Miserables is a wonderful yet sad story,written by Victor Hugo,the Main character in it is a man called Jean  Valjean.He had served
19years on the chain gang,for stealing a loaf of bread,he is granted a ticket of leave,but is rejected by society.Starving and homeless he is befriended by a Bishop,who takes him in feeds him and puts him up.Jean steals silver plates ,is caught and brought back to the Bishop,who says he gave him the
silver,he then gives him,two extra silver candlesticks.Later on Jean is heard
saying,as regards the Bishop,'he told me I had a soul'. Think about those
words,for they challenge so much that this world and the Devil, would like us to forget.They tell us that man shall not live by bread alone,but by every
word that comes from the mouth of God[Matthew 4v4]It reminds us that we may gain the whole world,at the cost of our soul.[Matthew 16 v26]The most precious thing that we have is our souls,and yet we sell for the price of a....
you finish that,and then ask yourself is it worth it?.
                                       A  prayer.
 Dear God when you created us we became not just a living body,but a living soul,help us to see how vital that is,and that it is of the greatest importance,that we do not loose out eternal soul,help us to turn to Jesus,turning from our sins and ask Him to save us Amen.

Wise or Foolish. [ Matthew 7 v 24 ff ]

We have not had much rain for a while,but things have changed this week,and I watched the rain falling,a little chorus came to mind about the wise man and the foolish man in Matthew 7 v24ff, Jesus stressed  the importance of not only hearing Gods word ,and putting it into practise..He tells us if we only hear the word and do not act upon it we are foolish and heading for trouble,but if we hear the word of God and act upon it then all will be well.We might know the word of God,be a good sound
evangelical,and fail to live out what one knows,we are fools.Likewise if we
have heard the gospel,and fail to respond to it,we are fools,and heading for disaster.In Psalm 1,we are told the wicked,the ungodly shall not stand in the judgement[v7 ],Plummer writes,/ To stand is to maintain ones cause,to hold ones own,to be unhurt and unterrified.But in the last day the wicked will
have no confidence,no comfort,no support/. Like the foolish people who build their houses upon the sand the whole structure will come crashing down upon their heads.
                                             A  preayer.
Dear God help us to be not only hearers of your word,but doers,lest we be classed as fools,in Jesus name Amen

Unfufilled desire. [ Deuteronomy 32. v 11-12]

There are many believers living with unfilled desires,recently I was speaking to a fellow Christian,and she told me how she had wanted to serve
God in a certain way but it had not happened.I could appreciate what she was saying,because of my own experience,Years ago I wrote the following./The unfulfilled desire,that desire that appears good,and God glorifying,yet remains unfulfilled.The one with the desire may ask why?,or at least think it. Could I not have served God better if that desire had been fulfilled, why oh why was it not to be?. No answer seems to come,it all seems unfair,from our position it seems cruel,meaningless,purposelessness. ,Yet our lives are in His hands,He has a perfect plan,He will compensate,He will,the key word in every situation is trust, a trust in a loving heavenly Father./
                                              A  prayer.
Dear God,we commit all our unfulfilled dreams and desires into your hands,
and ask for grace to trust You ,in Jesus name Amen.
                                          A  final word.
                                  He leadeth me oh blessed thought.

A blind hymn writer.[ John 9 v 25]

Just heard on the radio the announcer telling us about Fanny J. Crosby,who lived till she was over 90.When she was a child she had a problem with her
eyes,the doctor who came to treat her,prescribed a treatment that caused her to become blind. In spite of this lady grew to be a wonderful woman of God,she never became bitter,believing God had a loving purpose even in her blindness.She is remembered for her hymn writing,she wrote over nine
thousand hymns,many are still sung today.God used her godly grandmother
to be a great influence in her life,I thank God for those whom God brought into my life who helped  me,in so many ways.It is interesting that she did not start writing hymns till she was 40,although she had been writing poetry
for many years,before  that.She is remembered for her hymn writing,God will use those gifts he has given us,what ever they be. Her hymn writing
blessed many ,many people,her life also blessed many people,one of them being,Francis,R.Havergal.She also was a hymn writer and wrote that lovely
hymn,/Take my life and let it be,consecrated,Lord, to Thee./.Remember our
lives consecrated to God can be used to influence others,to come to Christ.
                                         A  prayer.
Dear God we thank for such people like Fanny Crosby,may you continue
to bless the hymns she wrote,and dear Father help us all to see the importance of knowing Jesus,and living for Him Amen.

Such love.[Isaiah 49 v15-16]

My wife and I where in Southend on sea enjoying the find sunny weather,
and as we walk along the seafront ,my wife made mention as to a little child she noticed,it took her fancy.I found myself saying,the child in a mothers arms,that is hers, is the child that is most precious of all.We may love all
children,but we have a special love for our own children, God loves the world but He especially loves those in the world who are his children,they are special to Him.Child of God ,you are loved greatly by your loving heavenly Father.There was a point when Israel felt that God had forsaken them,so God declares,/ Can a women forget her suckling child,that she
should not have compassion on the son of her womb,yea she may forget,yet
will I not forget thee.Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands,thy walls are continually before me.[Isaiah 49 v15-16] And let us not forget they are nail scarred hands,for in the great redemptive purposes of God,God the Son showed a love that Alec Motyer says,/transcends in permanence the best earth can offer/.So let us doubt no more the love God has for us His children,that means you, and thankfully me as well.
                                          A  prayer.
Dear God forgive us for ever doubting your  love,and thank You ,that you do love us your children,with a unconditional,and eternal love,through your Son Jesus Amen.

Doublespeak [ James 3 v 2 - 10]

Stalin was very cynical about diplomacy,when they shout loudly about peace,the opposite would be expected,so that's when he used the word
doublespeak.In the old cowboys and Indian movies,the Indians would say the white man of spoke with a double tongue.In other words one could not trust what the diplomat or the white man said. The British Prime minister was told lies by Hitler,of course Hitler was a compulsive liar.It is an interesting word doublespeak,sometimes it is planned,often it is unplanned,
Peters was unplanned,when he said one thing,and did  the except opposite
[ Matthew 26 v33/  57ff]King Saul was another person who could not be trusted in what he said ,and David knew it[ 1 Samuel 19v6].In the movie
Brave heart,William Wallace was betrayed by the nobles who had promised to support him,but the thing that hurt him the most was when  the king,having assured him of his support, likewise went back on what he said. It hurts us when we are told one thing and the person goes back on his word,but let us be honest have we lived up to what we said to the Lord ,how that must hurt Him,when we do the opposite.
                                     A  prayer.
Dear Lord Jesus help us to keep our word,and never doublespeak, Amen .

We can be changed. [ 2 Corinthians 5 v 17]

I recently visited ,Duxford war museum,it still is in use as a place where planes fly,it was one of the air fields used in the second world war. As one
went round the museum,which covers a great deal of land,one was reminded of the destructiveness of war,of a missile that could carry a neutral bomb ,and the development of fighter aircrafts.Mankind has a wonderful  ability to inventive means of destroying each other,from the primitive to the sophisticated.Europe for the last 70years has known peace,but the 20th century was one of continual conflict.Will things change?one would hope so ,but it will not happen,one just has to consider Islam,and the other waring factions. Scripture tell us that mankind's has a violent nature ,why do people take pleasure in violent sports,and violence.Consider the following ,/mouths full of cursing,feet swift to shed blood,destruction and misery,the way of peace they do not know[Romans 3 v 14-17] These words do not exaggerate ,and of course they are very depressing,but there is hope the only hope,for Christ is saving and changing people like you and I,if  we are violent I believe God can change us,for anyone who truly comes to know Christ,can become a new person,they can be transformed.[2 Corinthians. 5 v17],it is truly amazing how God can change those who come to Him,it is a miracle of grace.
                                          A  prayer.
Dear  God save us by your grace in Jesus name Amen.

Most of all. [ Lamentations 3 v 22- 24 ]

It is morning and I am eating my breakfast,porridge,followed usually by a mug of tea,and my favourite cheese scone. Then today I hope to go a visit Duxford aircraft museum,the sun is shining,I am very conscious how God has blessed me,I am blessed with so much ,I can see ,hear,speak,have a sound mind, and so I could go on.But the greatest blessing I have is Jesus,
He  is my Saviour,Lord,and friend,and in Him I am accepted,by God my Father. I may loose all those blessings but I will never loose Jesus. we are
 are inseparable.nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus.[Romans 8 v 38-39],I will leave these words with you.
                    For I convinced that neither death nor life,
                    neither  angels nor demons,
                     neither the present nor the future,nor any powers,
                     neither height nor depth,
                     nor anything else in creation,
                     will be able to separate us
                     from the love of God
                      that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
                                  A  prayer.
Dear God for every blessing we thank You,and especially for Jesus your Son. Amen .
 

Truth. [John 14 v 6 ]

It has been said that the pen is mightier than the sword,Stalin  read continual and was greatly influence,by the teaching of Marx,and others.It was Stalin who brought into being the newspaper Pravda ,the word Pravda means truth. Yet the fact of the matter was,when the communist came to power they used Pravda ,not to proclaim truth ,but the states falsehoods,it simply became a propaganda channel,for the state. We talk of a free press
yet the press is often,controlled by certain powerful rich people,who have their own agender.The fact is one would be a fool to believe everything one reads in the press.It was Pilate who asked the question,'what is truth',[John18v38] everybody has a belief,based upon something,unfortunately 
that something can be far removed from the truth.It was Jesus who said that
He was the way, the truth, and the life,[John 14 v6] , He is shown as the truth by His fulfilling of the scriptures,[OT],He also showed by his works,and his death and resurrection.The Bible tells us that we are sinners
and that there is only one way that sinners can be forgiven,set free,and granted eternal life,the answer is very simple through Jesus,who alone
is the way ,the truth ,and the life.
                                            A  prayer.
Dear God open the eyes ,and hearts of people,to accept Jesus your Son Amen.

Contentment. [ Philippians 4 v 11-19]

I saw a friend,I had not seen for a while,and I asked after her husband, and his job, which is demanding,and she replied,he has a job. It was a matter of fact answer,and yet it was a very clear,and positive ,no complaining.
It made me think of my job history,some, or most of the jobs I worked at,
where far from perfect,a labouring job,a factory job,a cleaner,and others I could mention. The wages were usually not great,and the work not very interesting,and I found some of them hard to cope with,but I had job.These jobs kept me occupied,give me a social contact,and we had enough to live on,like my friend said,about her husband ,'he had a job'.Things may not always be what we would want them to be,but may be we need to see,
beyond life's shortcomings,to Gods mercies,and therewith be content.
                                         A prayer,
Dear God we ask that you would help to cope with whatever situation you have placed us in,to see the mercies,and to be content,we ask this in Jesus name Amen.

They have been set free. [ Psalm 34v6 ]

I have just read on the internet that two clergymen in South Sudan have been released from prison.There was the possibility that they could have sentenced to death,so the situation was very serious.What changed the situation?, the prayers of Gods people,many through out the world have been praying,to our God who answers prayer. This is a needy reminder of the power of prayer,the situation looked so grave for these two men,but now they are free.This is an encouragement for all of us to pray to the God who delights to hear His children ,speak to Him.What difficulties are you facing,
pray,doors apparently closed fast,no way forward,pray to the God who says,
Behold I have set before thee an open door,and no man can shut it.[Revelation 3 v8].Facing obstacles?,Jesus said if we have faith we can move mountains [Matthew 17v20],so pray to God to remove that obstacle. But you say I am an ordinary person ,good that's  the attitude,humility is vital,so do not let  that  stop you from praying ,God will  hear prayer.Elijah the super star prophets,no Elijah the ordinary bloke, prayed ,and there was no rain for three years and six months,he prayed again and it started to rain[James 5 v17].The challenge in life for you is to,pray ,pray ,pray,mixed with faith ,to our God who hears and answers prayer.
                                     A  prayer.
Dear God we thank You for answering the prayers of your people for your
two servants in Sudan,Lord we rejoice that You hear and answer prayer,
so help us to pray believing in Jesus name Amen .

How?. [ Hebrews 11v3]

The Scripture is not concerned with the mechanics of miracle.The supernatural of the Bible are not concerned with , 'How'?, but with 'Who?.and ,'Why?'.[ M  Wilcock] People are always trying to explain miracles,that it was the Reed sea instead  of the Red sea,the Israelites crossed. The fact is miracles are miraculous event that just cannot be understood,or explained.Evolution is mankind seeking to gave an explanation as to how,things came about,in spite of the utterly bizarre rational involved. The Bible tells us ,'Who',in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, but still people cry out how.Why did He create us, because He choose to,for his own good pleasure
.Consider how many people ask the question 'Why'?,in relation to why we are here?, and the evolutionist reply it just happened,unable to see how utterly impossible that was.Yet man keeps on looking for answers,there can never be any logical answer to our existence, we just cannot explain the
,'How'?. A miracle is the only explanation that satisfies ,even though we cannot explain the 'How'?.When the early astronauts went into space they read from the Bible,In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
[Genesis 1 v1]
                                       A  prayer.
Dear God help us to stop asking 'How'?,and believe the ,'Who'?,that being You, in Jesus name Amen.

Enough is enough. [ Gegesis 6 v 3]

I thought of a joke,here goes,what did Noah's wife say to her husband when they were in the ark,'oh,I forgot to water the garden'.When it comes to the story of the ark it is seen as a child's story,yet it is far from that,it is a story that involved judgement upon a world in complete disobedience with God.We do not know how many perished,but we do know how many were saved.As with Sodom and Gomorrah sin was the reason,when speaking to Abraham [Genesis 15]telling him about his descendants,and how they would be slaves in Egypt,and then they would return to the land of Canaan,He speaks of the present inhabitants the Amorites.This is what He said,/The sin of the Amorites has not reached its full measure v16/.In other words these inhabitants sinful behaviour would reach such a dreadful point,that as Leupold writes that these wicked nations would forfeit their right to live. As Kidner writes,this throws significant light on Joshua's invasion,that it was an act of justice,not aggression.It appears to me there is a point when God says enough is enough and then acts.[ It is sad that so many Christians fail to see this maybe those who lead them are to blame.] God is very patient with the people of this world,but there will come a time when things will reach such a state and God will say,enough is enough,as with nations the world,so with individuals,dear friend heed the warning.
                                     A  prayer.
Dear God  in wrath remember mercy to this sinful world,to wicked nations,
and rebellious individuals in Jesus name Amen.

Bad news,Good news. [John 3 v16]

There was a story on the Internet of a lady and what she did to her child,it was very disturbing.I read some of the remarks as regards this story,they were filled with a note of despair as to humanity, people felt depressed. Now I do want to cause any of us to be depressed,there are many things I
could write that would be very depressing.Many of us are glad when we read or hear of a good news story,like a crowd of people in London,who managed to lift a taxi up enough,to release a woman trapped under it.Yes there are  good news stories,but the best good news story of all is Jesus,
who died and rose again.Why?,because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.[John 3 v16].God so loved the world,that means everyone,that means whoever ,that means you.Would not perish,
that means you can be saved from Hell,and have everlasting life,that means Heaven,now that truly is good news.
                                          A prayer.
Dear God we thank You for the good news of the gospel,of a love that is vast ,yet personal,a love that was sacrificial, the cross,and that by believing in Jesus we can be saved. Amen.

The power of the Gospel. Romans 1 v16]

I was listening recently on a CD ,to a Bible teacher and a colleague talking
about the deterioration within society,in USA,Europe,including England where I live.While I agree with what was being said,it left one feeling a bit down,a no hope situation.Do you feel that way?as you look at this world,
especially in the West,secularism ,materialism,atheism,appear the dominate
forces.But let us just draw back from this ,and let us look up,to a sovereign
God,is He  not able to break into lives,is He not able to turn nations,as well as individuals,to Himself?.The early church faced a far more daunting task
than the church faces today,but Jesus said He would build His church,and he is continuing to do so.In the 18th century unbelief was becoming
fashionable and many of the clergy preached little more than a barren moralism ,so writes Tony Lane.In the midst of that,God raised up John and Charles Wesley,and George Whitefield,and they preached the gospel,and
multitude got saved. The word of God tells us that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes[Roman 1 v16]. Jesus will
build His church,so let us be faithful to that old but ever new gospel,and let
us not despair.
                                                A  prayer.
Dear God we lift our hearts and voices to You,and ask that you in mercy
will turn sinners to Jesus your Son, Amen.

We are so forgetful. [ Luke 12 v15ff ]

Tony Lane in the Lion book of Christian thought on the subject of science
writes,/Modern science has given birth to technology,which has transformed our lives.It has helped to undermine man's sense of dependence upon God.
As Bertrand Russell aptly put it, a fisherman in a sailing boat is more likely
to pray than one in a motor boat.The benefits of technology also make it easier to live for this world alone and to forget about the next/.This is not new ,the nation of Israel where warned often about forgetting God,[Deuteronomy 4 v9/ 6 v12/  8 v10ff /.There were different reasons why Israel would forget God prosperity,wanting to be like others,and being like others.When it comes to humanity ,forgetfulness is a common trait,the Lord told a story of a rich farmer ,who in essence had forgotten about God,he was totally absorbed in the good life,God was not in his thoughts,he had it made,Then at the pinnacle of his success the unexpected happened,he died,and the epitaph written over his grave by God, it read,/ You fool,this very night your soul will be demanded from you[ Luke 12 v15ff] In telling this story Jesus was warning against greed,reminding us that our lives do not consist in the abundance of our possessions. [12 v15].Let us never forget that there is an after life,and one day we will stand before God and   He will say,well.
                                     A  prayer.
Dear God we praise You for all the blessings of life,forgive us if in our pursuit of whatever, we have forgotten about You.Forgive us for not seeing
that greatest blessing is the one we most need ,Jesus your Son. Amen.
                             

Suicide.[ LUKE 15 V 11- 32 ]

A healthy 75 year old lady went to a clinic in Switzerland and ended her life, she said that she was over the hill,and could not face the deterioration
that would take place that old age would bring. This lady had worked with
the elderly and was not happy with what she observed,she did not want to end up in a nursing home,unable to care for herself.One could say,well it was her choice,I wonder what her family will think,.We usually associate suicide with people whose mind is unbalanced,but this lady made a rational decision .Maybe the term rational is a key to this,I do not know if this lady was religious,so much of life now,is filled with people who see only this life.Their reasoning is purely human, as a  Christian, I know life is full of things I would rather not face.The challenge for the Christian is to trust God, whatever comes into their lives,be that old age,or some disability,or prolonged illness. There are many people who are facing so many difficult things,I read of people experiencing,imprisonment,torture yet they endure this because God is with them,and they trust Him in spite of all they are going through.I am not going to judge those who have ended it all.What I
would say if you feel like ending your life,I point you to the one who will help you to live,whatever you are facing,His name is Jesus,turn to Him,right now.
                                   A  prayer.
Dear God comfort the families and friends of those who have committed suicide,help them through this awful  time. Thank you that you are the God
of hope, and in your son Jesus ,we can face life until you take us home,
Amen.

Faith alone,scripture alone,Christ alone. [ 2 Timothy 3 v 15-17]

I come from Ireland the land where saint Patrick brought the gospel,and each year we have saint Patricks day, in protestant north we acknowledged it  but that was all.I praise God for Patrick who was a saint,a saint now what does that mean?.Lets face it, it is a very misunderstood term,which has led to so much unbiblical thinking and teaching,and to say the least is very,very dangerous.The reformation came into being by God ,returning people back to the Bible,to the truth of faith alone,scripture alone,and Christ alone.In other words we are only saved by exercising faith in Christ alone,as is seen in Gods word.The then church went beyond this, they brought in church teaching and tradition,just like the scribes and the Pharisee's,with the oral law.The result was Jesus called them blind guides,that their teaching were but rules made by men.[ Matthew 15v 13/9].He had much more to say to them as to the harm they were doing to the ordinary people[Matthew 23]I have a friend who attended a religious place , to be trained as a leader in that religion,the Bible was never taught.My friend left that so called Christian training place,and eventually left that so called Christian church,because in spite of him being very religious,he had no assurance of his sins being forgiven.That changed when he turned to Gods word the Bible,and discovered Christ as his Saviour.
                                     A prayer.
Dear God we thank for Your word,which alone makes us wise unto salvation,through trusting Christ alone. Amen.

When they are gone,they are gone.[ Hebrews 4 v 14-16]

A number of  Christian denominations use terms in an unbiblical way,one
is the term priest,they call those who lead the people priests.I raised this with a Christian once ,she replied,it does not matter as long as you are able to serve God.But it does matter ,where as in the OT church the term Priest was legitimate. The Holy Spirit indicated that the way into the Most Holy Place had not...been disclosed,until the coming of Jesus[Hebrews 9 v8].Until Christ came priests where necessary,but once Christ came that priesthood was no longer necessary.A new priesthood came into being which was foretold in the OT.CP,Psalm 110v4.no longer would there be sacrifices,no longer would we need a priest on earth ,it was finished,because it was only meant to be temporary.[CP Hebrews 7 v18-19].We only need Christ to intercede for us,as he has made it possible for us to enter Gods presence by the shedding of His blood on Calvary[Hebrews10 v19].He is an all sufficient saviour and priest,one who fully understands us and our condition [ Hebrews 4 v14-16].In introducing another priesthood into the church of Christ,we are rebuilding what God has destroyed[Galatians 2 v18],and that's a serious thing to do.I have not touched on the priesthood
of every believer,which is a separate issue to one I have written on.
                                     A  prayer.
Dear God we thank You for Jesus our great high priest, Amen .

Only Jesus .[ John 14 v6 ]

Through out the scripture we are continually reminded that the greatest of men are but men,James reminds us that great prophet Elijah was just a man like us [James 5 v17]. No where in scripture do we read of anyone praying
to the dead,the dead still exist but there dealings with this life is finished.
Why did God bury Moses,and to this day no one knows where his grave is.
[Deuteronomy 34v5-6].The reason being his connection with Israel was finished,he served Gods purpose,we are not meant to hold unto the dead.
Barnes in his commentary,points the reason being ,that his grave would not become an object of superstitious honour.Israel had to learn this lesson,if only the church of Christ  could have learned this lesson,yes we honour the
memory of godly people,but it must stop at that,they are gone,their work for
God is finished.The most godly of people have only one task that is pointing people to Christ,who alone saves us,and who alone intercedes for us,as the scripture teaches us,in 1 Timothy 2v5 ,we read,/For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus/.
                                  A  prayer.
Dear God we thank you for the apostles and prophets ,help us always to look beyond them to our Saviour Jesus. Amen.

Oaths [ Mark 6 v 26]

Going back in history to the second world war when awful things where happening,and why both Germany and Japan armies kept on fighting,and why they fought so fanatically.One of the reasons I believe was,that both armies took oaths of absolute obedience .These oaths bound  them to their
leaders ,to Hitler,and in Japans case to their Emperor,honour was at stake.
To take an oath of absolute obedience to anyone is wrong,for it means that
you are bound by that oath. For both armies it meant doing things that no
one should ever do,in acting in barbaric ways. The fact is taking oaths can
get us into all sorts of trouble we read how king Herod made an oath to a young girl,he swore an oath that he would give her whatever she desired.
Her request was for the head of John the Baptist,Herod  deeply regretted
when he heard her request,yet because he had made an oath,and the breaking of that oath would have affected his honour in the sight of those present,he had dear John executed.Many people bind themselves to things
they should not ,and find themselves doing things they bitterly regret.
Whatever one may think about oath taking,God expects no one to stand by an oath or to take an oath that involves committing themselves to some dubious ,moral evil action.
                                          A  prayer.
Dear God help us not to bind ourselves with anyone or any authority to
commit any dubious wrong actions ,in Jesus name we ask this Amen.

He makes all the difference. [1 John 4 v19 ]

I found my self singing ,oh yes we can sing unto Lord without the musical
instruments,or worship leaders,and outside the church building.Wherever I
am I'll praise Him ,after all He is worthy of our praise,is this not so?.In 1 John 4v19, we read,/We love Him,because He first loved us/,yes we do love Him,was not always so,do you remember those times?.Well I do ,yes I
remember those days when I did it my way,my wrong thought patterns,my
carelessness,yes I did it my way. That well known song ,I did it my way
 has become top of the pops at funeral services,it is obvious that people are going into eternity and not appreciating the significance of the words.
Yes they did it their way,not Gods,such was my life once,not appreciating the danger I was in.Then something wonderful happened ,in loving kindness
Jesus came and with the cords of love drew me to Himself.As I look back
I can now see the great danger I was in,only a breath a way from a lost
eternity. I was rescued from a life that in essence had no meaning,to a life that has a purpose,yes there have been the struggles,the disappointments.
Everybody has struggles,and disappointments,but not everybody has the Saviour with them ,and let me assure you,He makes all the difference.
                                  A  prayer.
Dear God, for sending Jesus we thank You, we thank You that His coming to are lives has made all the difference Amen.

A nightmare. [ Job 1-2 ]

She was getting very annoyed,and I heard her say this is a nightmare,it was
to do with something very simple,and of little consequence,she was getting
herself into such a state.It was then I spoke to her and reminded her that it was not nightmare,and that there are many things could be classed as nightmares.I can think of so many nightmare situations in this world,
recently I was speaking to a Christian whose young son died of cancer,and
he said it was a nightmare.The challenge so often for us is to keep things in proportion to not let the insignificant things become what they are not.I could mention so many awful things that many people are suffering,and
facing.I mention one family and what they are going,the husband has Parkinson,then the daughter was diagnosed with cancer,the daughter is married and has two little children,and then the wife has been diagnosed with cancer.Now all that is serious ,very serious,let us all try to not let things get out of proportion,that problem that was seen as a nightmare was easily solved.
                                        A  prayer.
Dear God help us to keep things in proportion,and help us to remember those who are in what one could call nightmare situations,to pray for them
and to support them in whatever way we can in Jesus name Amen .

Thou God seest me. [Psalm 34 v17]

All through his life David experienced many difficulties,as a young shepherd ,he faced a lion and a bear,which he killed,later a giant,then the
Philistines. One of his greatest enemies was Saul king of Israel,who out
jealousy and fear sought to kill him.On one occasion he fled and hid in a cave in Adullam [1 Samuel 22],he was on his own,his friends and family
had not yet joined him,and my he felt utterly alone.It is in Psalm 142
we read how he felt,he felt no one was concerned  for him,do you feel this,we all do at times. He felt no one was cared whither he lived or died,he felt desperate ,like a prisoner. We turn to another soul who was in difficulties,her name was Hagar,she was pregnant and alone,at that moment
the angel of the Lord visited her and spoke to her,reassuring her. When he left her ,she called the name of that place,Thou God seest me[Genesis 16 v13].There are times like David we may feel very alone,feel no one cares,no one is concerned for us,feel desperate,be assured that God has not forgotten you,nor has He forsaken you. In Psalm34 v 17, we read,/The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry/.
                                        A  prayer.
Dear God we thank You that will never leave us,nor forsake us,and that You are not a million miles away,we cast our burden upon You,knowing that You will care for us,in Jesus name Amen.

Easy or Right. [ Exodus 20 v 1-17 ]

There is coming a time when we will have to choose between what is right and what is easy,these are words spoken in a popular movie. It is easy to do so many things, that may not be right,for example eating habits,so easy for all of us,to over indulge. It is so easy to watch the wrong things on TV, but it may not be the right thing.Its so easy to ignore what Gods word says about sexual behaviour,and tolerate secularism.  Right decisions, are not easy decisions, consider a young man in Pakistan who was asked what religion he was,when he answered,that he was a Christian,he was beaten up,then petrol was thrown over him,and he was set on fire,four days later he died.His right decision in declaring he was a Christian was right,but it was far from being easy. It is easy for us to justify our lack of prayer, neglect of Gods word,or not going to meet with Gods people,but it is not right,because in making the easy decision,we are suffering spiritually.
                                      A prayer.
Dear God help us to make the right decisions,in Jesus name Amen

Begone unbelief. [Hebrews 11.]

John Newton wrote a hymn which starts ,/Begone unbelief,my Saviour is near,and for my relief will surely appear/.We read how the disciples often fell into unbelief,in spite of the fact that Jesus was with them,and witnessed
many miracles.[Mark 16v14] Israel in the wilderness  likewise had hearts full of unbelief,in spite of the wonders and miracles they had witnessed.
[Hebrews 4v6].Unbelief can open the door to many things,it can be the door to  disobedience,and can shut us out of the blessings of God. The opening words of Newtons hymn,/Begone unbelief/,paints a picture of him speaking to it ,things are difficult,there are needs,challenges to face,his reply is to take a hike.He is refusing to let unbelief rein in his life,he is declaring you are not coming in,I do not want you in my life.Those words are not just bravado,but are spoken of one who believes that his Saviour is with him,
and will help him.This is not a passive thing,no, he writes of wrestling in prayer,we can only advance on our knee's,George Orwell  visited the coal mines,and saw the hard labour that was needed to extract the coal,in those days,the miners literally worked on their knees. So it is if you and I are to advance in our Christian life,it must be on our knees in prayer.Our heart must be in that place of humble [as it were on our knees]dependence on God to undertake for us.
                                         A  prayer.
Dear God preserve us from a heart of unbelief,in Jesus name Amen.

Covenant love. [Psalm 136]

In Psalm 136 we have a line that is repeated through out the Psalm,the AV has ,/For His mercy endureth for ever/,other translations have,/His love endures for ever/.The word mercy Plummer points out is often rendered ,
loving kindness,goodness,favour.I suppose if God was not loving there would be no mercy,but because He is loving we receive mercy.These words
are used as response to what God has done,the writer stresses,Gods creation,
redemption,provision.Modern man does not acknowledge God in any of these things mentioned,instead of creation we have evolution,instead of redemption we have superman,or some fictional character,and a denial of
mankinds need of redemption,and as to Gods provision,when is the last time you heard an unbeliever acknowledging God.In a well know movie one of the characters thanks God for deliverance,an other character,rather points to the rifles that had done the trick.What a sad surprise they will have one day,but those of us who by Gods grace and mercy ,can lift up our hearts ,and voice praise Him,M  Wilcock,stresses the covenant love of God,
he writes,/That love is both indestructible,and boundless,because it endures for ever.As you look around at all that He has made,and follow through all
that He has done,at every point of the Psalm is saying,Covenant love did this/
                                              A prayer.
Dear God we give thanks to You for your covenant love to your children,in Jesus name Amen.

Bless the Lord. [Psalm 134 ]

Psalm 134 commences by saying ,/Behold ,bless ye the Lord/,likewise in verse 2 we have the words ,/bless the Lord/.The Psalm ends with a prayer that God would bless ,the question is what does it mean to bless the Lord?.
It is Kidner writes,/To bless God is to acknowledge gratefully what He is,but to bless man,God must make of him what he is not,and  give him what he has not/.That acknowledging God, is I believe an act of praising
Him. It is Plummer who wrote,/Because our mercies are ever new,our praises should be continual.Now here is the challenge for all of us,to praise
God continually,even in the night seasons of our soul.Spurgeon wrote,/Let
others flatter their fellows,or bless their stars,or praise themselves;as for us,we will bless Jehovah ,from whom all blessings flow/.
                                      A  prayer.
                    Fill Thou my life,O Lord my God,
                     In every part with praise,
                     That my whole being may proclaim
                    Thy being and Thy ways.
                     Not for the lip of praise alone,
                    I  ask, but for a life made up,
                      Of praise in every part.
                            Amen.
                [Words by H. Bonar]