Addictions [Hebrews7 v25 ]

Ten surprising addictions ,read the headline,among them is shopping,to me there is nothing  surprising about that.Next we have sugar again I am not surprised ,next video games,again no surprise.Of course addictions like,tanning,lip balm,and a few others,[I have been found out]and so it goes on.Are you addicted to anything,am I ?, Im sure I must be,recently I have been drinking more coffee,but I put single cream in it,I wonder, am I becoming addicted to this drink?.One thing I do know that mankind are prone to a mulitude of addictions,the list is endless,some our harmless.But being addicted to violence,sex, and other such addictions,is not harmless.
they can destroy peoples lives. When you have an addiction then you are under its control,where it leads you must follow.The cry of your heart is
very simple,I want to be free,So let me say this, it is possible,more than
possible,for Jesus did not only forgive,but to set people free. There is an old hymn which goes,/Would you be free from your burden of sin?, there is power in the blood,power in the blood,Would you o'er evil a victory win?
There's wonderful power in the blood/.Whats is this, have to do with addiction?,everything,when we are cleansed from our sin,we also can be totally free,simply by confessing your addiction , asking Jesus to save you and to set you free,for He saves to the uttermost[Hebrews 7 v25]
                                           A prayer.
Dear God of people we ask for those who are addicted,set them free ,have mercy in Jesus name Amen.
.

Unbelief. [ Romans 1 v16- 20]

I wonder if you heard on the news of a man in Israel,who had raised people
from the dead,fed thousands of people with just a few  loaves and fishes,
healed the blind,deal,and many others of various illness's.Who had walked on water,turned water into wine,and so on,what would  we think?,would we dismiss it, as  something that was very dubious,and wonder how much money he was making from his activities.I read the following in a novel,/Its a great diplomatic achievement,Its a miracle,Frau Lorning corrected him,and like most miracles nobody believes in it/. Why did the religious leaders at the time of Christ not believe in Jesus,why didn't the miracles,appear as of no account.It amazes me that when Jesus healed a woman on the Sabbath,all the ruler of the synagogue,could say,/There are six days in which men ought to work ;in them therefore come and be healed,and not on the Sabbath day[Luke 13 v15]. Oh yes they had their reasons,but were they being reasonably,did they not see ,the power of God was at work?, one group the Pharisees,believed in resurrection,and yet they did not believe in Christs resurrection. It is right to not believe many things
but when it comes to Christ,all men are faced with someone,who will not go away,and one day we all stand before Him,to rejoice in Him as Saviour or
tremble before as our judge.
                                            A  prayer.
Dear God in mercy forgive us our sinful unbelief,help us to see that without
faith in Jesus ,who and rose again from the dead ,we will perish in our sins Amen

Inperfect persevering. [ Jude v 24-25 ]

We often judge dear old Peter for his weakness,in denying his Lord,of  his
rebuking the Lord[Matthew 16v22],of his lack of  faith or should we say his loss of faith[Matthew 14 v31],for his error .[Galations2 v 11]So there we have Peter one of the disciples,one of the apostles,yet still a weak fallible human being. I have a book,called ,Dangerous journey,the story of Pilgrim's  Progress,written by John Bunyan. Although it was written a long time ago,we can still learn valuable lessons from it.It is about a man called Christian,and his journey to Heaven.On that journey he does not always keep to Gods narrow way,but by Gods grace,he recovers and keeps on going,and finally reaches,Heaven.Peter,you and I ,who know Christ, are on a very dangerous journey, we will not always be obedient,faithful,loving,or consistent in our journey to heaven.Yet in spite of this we need not despair,for all his faults and failings,Peter is in heaven,when he denied his Lord , I believe he repented,and went on [Mark 14 v72],and was restored[John 21] We often hear people speak of Gods love being unconditional,and it is,if you have failed,reach out to him,tell Him, you are sorry,He will lift you up,and help you to stand,and grant you grace  to go on.
                                           A  prayer.
Dear God forgave us all our failings,and in your mercy help us  to continue following our Saviour ,in whose name we ask this. Amen

Original sin. [ Romans 5 v12]

He has no excuse,she retorts......He is healthy.He is white.He is rich,He is well born.well educated.He has grace,....He is at ease with the world.
He is amusing. Confident. Yet he destroys it.What is missing in him?.....
How does he come to be like this?.He was not dragged up in the back
streets. He is blessed/So reads the words out of a popular novel,the lady
is puzzled,as to why a person with all his privileges,could do such terrible things.Why did king Henry of England murder three of his wises?.Why did
king David steal another mans wife and then have that man put to death?
What did that same man mean when in his prayer of repentance , he prayed,
/For I was born a sinner,yes,from the moment my mother conceived me/[Psalm51v5] ?.Well it is called original sin,there is a natural depravity in all
of us,that no amount of privilege,education,wealth can eradicate it.J Calvin
declared,/David confesses that he brought nothing but sin into the world,and
that his nature was entirely depraved/.Extreme words but sin is very extreme,wherever it  is manifested,in a palace, or in a hovel.So God devised a extreme remedy,His Son would die on a cross,,that death would bring in hope,for all who put their faith in Him.
                                                   A prayer.
Dear God thank you for providing an answer for our sinful nature,in Jesus Christ your son Amen

Check mate. [ Luke 12 v 15-21 ]

Chess is a wonderful game ,but the words a chess player does not want to hear his opponent utter is,check mate,it means that they have lost the game. No one likes to loose ,no one enjoys being known as looser,a runners up medal is not much consolation. Our Saviour spoke about loosing something else,vastly more important than loosing a game,this is what He said in
Matthew 16 v26,/ For what is a man profited,if he shall gain the whole world,and loose his own soul?,  or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul/. Let me ask you, what value do you put on your soul?, perhaps you have never give it much thought,well think about it now.There are people
and, we describe them as poor lost souls,in other words their situation is dire.which means their situation is serious.To loose ones soul is the most serious thing that can happen to anyone,that is why Jesus used extreme examples.What if one gained the whole world?imagine that, the world,it would make Bill Gaiths look like a pauper.and yet all that would be no consolation if we lost our soul.Nothing can compensate for loosing ones soul,absolutely nothing,it is our choice,you have not yet heard the words check mate,the games not over,there is still time,to make that all important
decision.What is that decision?, it is to trust and follow Christ,as Saviour
and Lord.
                                  A  prayer.
Dear God open the eyes of all to see what is of eternal value,our very souls
grant us the grace to forsake all ,to trust and follow Jesus Amen.

I am too nice. [Matthew 5 v44-48 ]

I heard a lady on the radio say I am too nice,I  really don't thing she was
stressing being to nice,she was really saying people were taking advantage of her.Can a person be to nice?well I am sure we would rather have genuine
nice people,than those who are not.Let's face it, we have all, had to deal with people who were not nice,employer,neighbours,even family,and even fellow Christians.What does it mean to be nice? does it mean that we go along with everyone,we never challenge someone who is doing wrong.Most of us are nice to some degree,but unfortionately not all the time,I am sure we need more nice people on the road,more considerate,less aggressive,
refraining from using their car horns.Alright we are all going try to be more nice,but how are we going to reactive to those who are not nice to us ?that is the challenge. Here is what our Saviour said,/Love your enemies,bless them that curse you,do good to them that hate you,and pray for them which
despitefully use you,and persecute you[ Matthew 5 v44 ].
                                                   A  prayer.
Dear loving Father help us to be nice,and help us with the even greater challenge to be nice to those who are not nice to us,in Jesus name Amen.

Witch boy. [ Matthew 19 v14]

A little boy in Nigeria was found by an aid worker starving,and naked,he was such a tiny child,and was sure to die.This child was known as a witch
boy,seemingly there are many of them,but the good news this little mite has been rescued,and is being looked after.Many who heard about this on the net have sent money and his future is secure.A witch boy, we in the West
consider such a thing nonsense,but because of superstition,his parents cast him out,I suppose many such children are murdered, it is all very sad, Children are precious,thankfully we do not see them as witch boys ,or witch
girls.There was a time in this country when because of poverty,many children were abandoned,Dickens in his writings,sought to highlight this.We are grateful that God raised up people like Bernardo,George Muller,and other good Christian people, who  rescued multitudes of children.There are still many Christians who are doing wonderful things for children,they are supported by many caring people.As a Christian I see no child as a witch ,but I  do believe that children need Christ,for as a child,I know I did.
                                           A prayer.
Dear God have mercy upon the many children who are suffering in this world,abandoned by their parents,abused and misused,in Jesus name Amen.

The old paths [ Jeremiah 6 v16]

I heard an old Chinese,which goes,/Reverence the laws of Heaven,and the laws of the ancestor's/.I hope I got that right,but these word struck me,from a Christian point of view.Consider the society we live in there is much that's good in it,but there is much that's not so good.We have lost all reverence for the laws of heaven,and what our ancestors built we have torn down.When I was young ,to some degree there was a reverence for the laws of heaven,I am not sure what we thought of our ancestors.People have so much now,and yet in other ways they have so little,we live godless pagan society,were sex has become a god,pleasure has become a god,money has become a god.Many of our ancestors were godly people,who sought to live according to heavens laws. We have gained much,but lost much,we have sought much knowledge but are ignorant as to the reality of God, and it shows.The great prophet Jeremiah lived to a degree in similar times,he was called by God to challenge the people of his day as to sin,and its consequences,just like people now they had forsaken God,[Jer 2 v13]. So here is what he told them,/Thus saith the Lord,Stand ye in the ways,and see ,and ask  for the old paths,where is the good way and walk therein,and ye shall find rest for your souls.But they said,we will not walk therein/[Jer 6 v16] The result was absolutely awful,and tragic,as it will be for this nation and for all,who  like Israel .ignore Heaven,and the God of heaven.
                                          A prayer.
Dear God and Father,turn our nations back to Thyself ,before it becomes
to late ,in Jesus name Amen.

Mercy [ Ephesians 2 v 1-4]

I watched a new series on TV,called Dickensian,based on Characters by Charles Dickens. Bob Marley had been murdered and the police inspector
was Questioning Bob Crotchets wife,who confessed to the murder,she explained the circumstances,and it appears Marley had been sexually attacking her,and so she struck with a wooden object and had killed him.
The inspector is to torn between his belief that justice had to be done,which
would mean the lady in question would hang,and compassion for her and her family.He takes her to the police station to have her charged,again in keeping with time she was sure to be hung.But at the last moment he let's
her go free.As I looked at what was happening,the words flashed into my mind,mercy triumphs over justice.Yes she was guilty,mercy was shown to her,and I could not help but think ,there was moment in my life when I a
guilty sinner,facing the judgement of God,  was shown mercy.God was able
to show me that mercy,because His Son ,the just one,would die for me the unjust one. [1 Peter 3 v18 ]

                               Years I spent in vanity and pride,
                                Caring not my Lord was crucified,
                               Knowing not it was for me He died
                                              On Calvary.
                            Mercy there was great and grace was free,
                            Pardon there was multiplied to me.
                             There my burdened soul found liberty,
                                                At  Calvary.
                                 [Words by Wm. R. Newell]

Nice people .[ Ecclesiastes] [Matthew 24 v36 -51 ]

What if everybody had enough to eat,and everybody was nice,communisim wants everybody to have equal shares.But followers of Marx  of course are not usually nice people,they have a dream of changing the world,but often change it ,into a hell on earth.But let us for a moment dream, of a world that is different,where everybody is nice and everybody is fed,it will never happen,but just imagine it did.Do you think those nice well fed people would seek God?,C.S.Lewis writes ,/A world of nice people content in their own niceness,looking no further ,turned away from God,would be just as desperately in need of salvation as a miserable world-and might be more difficult to save./In my life time I have witnessed a dramatic change in vast
numbers of peoples lives,my own included. The material possessions that people have,is mind blowing,it is a common thing for people to go on cruises, yet just like the nice people, as C.S.Lewis writes,mere improvement is not redemption.
                                             A prayer.
Dear God open the eyes of all men,eyes that are blind to the fact that being
nice and being fed,is not enough,and will never be enough.in Jesus name we ask this Amen.

I am upper class. [ Isaiah 55 v 6-7 ]

You will never be any good,you will never amount to anything,how many people have been told this,even by their parents.Many nationalities have been looked upon as worthless,the English at one time despised the Irish,the white people despised the black people, India  have their untouchables.
So often people are labelled so that they end up despised,I am upper class,I am middle class,and you are working class.Why does humanity always want to create a despised class?because of pride,oh yes they will make up reasons ,Hitler the deceiver,and deceived one,was a being filled with pride.
Unfortunately it is in us all,the Jews took pride in their position,as the chosen people,which lead them to despise the gentiles,and the religious hierarchy despised the common people,and amazingly despised their Messiah,even crucifying Him[Isaiah 53].Such is the sin of pride, it is in us
all,why do we bristle when God tells us we are sinners?,pride. Let not your proud blind heart bring you to everlasting destruction,humble yourself before God,acknowledge your need of Christ and trust Him as your Saviour.
                                            A  prayer.
Dear God our hearts are so full of pride,help us to see the evil and dangers of this sin that clings to us,like a disease,and even blinds us ,causes us to
despise others,and even our desperate need of a Saviour,Amen.

Museum of procrastination.. [ 2 Corinthians 6 v2 ]

Recently while visiting a certain town,as I ,my wife ,son and his wife were walking along, I noticed a street musician,he was dressed in an evening jacket,and was playing a violin.They are called buskers,and people gave them money,this man was very gifted,so much so, that when my family
went do some shopping,I returned to listen to him.I stood listening and
as I did the music touched my heart,tears ran down my face,and I was truly blessed.During a break in his performing I spoke to him,he mentioned
that I must have been cold ,well I said,your music warmed my heart.I
mentioned how much I appreciated his gift,then I asked him was he a Christian?,he said ,not yet,not yet .It reminds me of an advert on the TV,
that welcomes people to the museum of procrastination,that word means
delaying or postponing,a putting of,some more convenient day.The Word
of God stresses the importance of  not delaying,it says come now,behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation[2 Corinthians 6 v2].Life is very uncertain ,suddenly things can change,and before we know
we are taken away,or our mind goes,then its to late,I beg you because I love you, to trust Christ today,do not delay.
                                           A prayer
Dear God help us to see the importance of not delaying,and help us to trust
Christ today,in His name we ask this Amen.

Are you saved? [ 1 John 1 v 7-9 ]

Yesterday we looked at why Jesus came,to save from our sin,and we high lighted that if we come to Christ  He will save us from our sins.No matter what we have done,there is forgiveness,this is illustrated  in the word of  God ,in Isaiah 1 v18 /Come now,and let us reason together,saith the Lord;
though your sins be as scarlet,they shall be as white as snow;though they
be red like crimson,they shall be as wool/.It is Barnes who points out that the term used for scarlet,and crimson, was a fast and fixed colour,in other
words, no matter how much you wore it and washed it,the colour remained.This reminds us that sin cannot be removed by any human effort,we can feel guilty,but that will not remove our sins,whatever effort,religious or other-wise,our sins remain, with us.So we need to look beyond ourselves to Him who alone can effectively deal with sin,no matter how terrible they may be.One of the things about sin, it can make us feel dirty,and one longs to be clean, God has made a way in which we can feel clean.So I am going to leave you with two verses from the ,OT and  NT,/In that day there shall be a fountain opened,to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,for sin and for all uncleanness [Zachariah13 v1]/Yes this was spoken Israel,but its greater fulfilment is for the world,the whosoever,which leads us to /1John 1 v7] /The blood of Jesus Christ his [Gods] Son cleanseth us from ALL sin/.
                                             A   prayer.
Dear God although our sins our many,and vile,we rejoice that you have provided a person through whom we can be cleansed and forgiven ,even Jesus Amen

          

Are you saved?. [ Romans 10 v13 ]

Are you saved?,saved from what,?if  I was to ask you the question,what would you say?, would you consider me a religious fanatic?. Well first of all let me say that being saved is a biblical term,it is not something dreamed up by some cult.It is term used by Jesus as to why He came,when Joseph
was told that Mary was going to have a child,he was told to name the child Jesus,for he shall save his people from their sins[Matthew1 v 21].Now let us ask the question in light of those words,has He saved you from your sins?. Can you say with hand on heart that He is your Saviour?,that you have been saved from your sins?.Are you blind and think that you have no need of a Saviour?there is an old saying that there are none so blind as do want to see.
Is your every thought pure?,is your every word free from lying,swearing,
and hurtful .Are you enslaved by drink ,gambling,sex,pride,violence and a multitude of other things.Jesus said that He had not come to destroy lives
but to save them[Luke v10 ].Is your life being destroyed by sin,is your life in ruins,hear the word of the Lord to you,/Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved[Acts 16 v31].
                                    A  prayer.
                      Out of my bondage,sorrow and night,
                      Jesus, I come. Jesus I come,
                      Into Thy freedom,gladness and light,
                      Jesus,I come  to Thee.
                       Out of my sin and into Thyself,
                       Jesus, I come to Thee.
                             Amen.
                       [Words by W.T. Sleeper]

Providence .[ Daniel 4 v34-35 ]

We do not hear the term Providence used very much,even from pulpits,I
cannot remember hearing this term used ,and yet it is very important,it is a statement of faith,in God who rules and over rules in all things,that He is working all things out according to His will.The  Westminster confession of
Faith defines the providence of God as follows;/God the great Creator of all things doth uphold,direct,dispose,and govern all creatures,actions,and things,from the greatest even to the least,by his most wise and holy providence,according to his infallible knowledge,and free immutable counsel of his own will,to the praise of the glory of his wisdom,power,
justice,goodness,and mercy./ I stated that this a statement of faith,because William Cowper, wrote God moves in a mysterious ways His wonders to perform.As Romans11v33 declares,/How unsearchable are His judgements
and His ways are past finding out/. Consider that the God created all things
reassures us that  all things came not into being by chance.It also reassures us that God is in control even though man is out of control,and if you are a child of God,let me again stress my life verse,That all things are working
together for  good,to them that love God ,[even though what is happening to you may be painful and bad] ./Romans 8 v28/
                                      Blind unbelief is sure to err,
                                      And scan His work in vain;
                                      God is His own interpreter,
                                      And He will make it plain.
                                            [Words by W. Cowper]

Dark clouds. [Genesis 50 v20 ]

William Cowper was a wonderful poet and hymn writer,he wrote one of the most meaningful hymns ever written,/God moves in a mysterious way,His
wonders to perform/.What depth of meaning there are in words of that hymn,reminding us that in the words of Romans 11 v33,/How unsearchable are Gods judgments and His ways past finding out/. There are times I look up at the dark clouds gathering and I am reminded,of the 3rd verse of that hymn, ''Ye fearful saints fresh courage take,the clouds ye so much dread,are
big with mercy and shall break,in blessings on your head''. Yes let not  fear rule our lives,remember the words of Joseph to his brothers,those brothers
who had hated him,had tried to destroy him.Joseph said, ''But as for you,ye thought  evil against me,but God meant it unto good'' Let us take heart at
Josephs words,the evil people would cause us,God can work it for our good.
So take courage child of God,He will cause those dark clouds in your life ,to shower you with His blessings,as He did with Joseph.
                    
                      And we know that all things work together
                      for good to them that love  God,to them who
                      are the called ,according to His purpose.
                                     Romans 8 v28.
    [I will return to my blog on Monday 15th,  every blessing ]
                             

Are you born again?. [ John 3 v 16 ]

Becoming a Christians and being a Christian involves the Holy Spirit,when we trust Jesus as our Saviour,we are born again by the Spirit of God.The words of our Saviour make it clear in John 3,that we must be born again,this is not an experience ,that we attribute to religious fanatics,for those non conformist,Pentecostals, no it applies to all men everywhere,for high church,or low church,and those of no church.It is for all ,red ,yellow,black and white,it is for royalty, rich, poor, children.When Jesus said that we must be born again,he meant everyone,he meant you and me.Gods children are those who have been born again,by the Spirit of God,we are not connected to God ,other than by, a special relationship.That which is born of the flesh is flesh,but God is Spirit,and it means that there must be  a spiritual birth if we are to have a relationship with Him. Jesus said we cannot enter Gods kingdom,unless we are born again by Gods Spirit.In John 3,we have the key
to being born again, faith in Jesus,and in John 1v12-13we read,/But as many as received Him[Jesus] to them gave he power[authority,privilege,right] to
become the sons[children] of God,even to them that believe in his name.
Which were born,not of blood,nor of the will of the flesh,nor of the will of man,but of God./
                                       A  prayer.
Dear God open our eyes to what Jesus said,that we must be born again,
Amen.

Our God reigns [ Psalm 46 ]

It is very disturbing as one hears and reads of the Zika virus that is spreading,across the Americas,caused by people bitten by a certain mosquito.The consequences for pregnant women's unborn children,that they are born with brain defects is a very is very frightening prospect for many people.Recently we had the disease in Africa,which thankfully has been brought control ,then the spread of Aids,which has killed many people. Yes
there are so many dangers in life,disease,violence,accidents,earthquakes,and
so many other things.These things remind us that we live in a fallen world,
,nature is not a tamed beast,the scientific world promise much but death
will always stalk this world.In spite of the advances mankind  will never get back to paradise which we lost[Genesis 2-3].Proud scientist and their disciples want to burn at the stake those who dare to mention that God created this world,and the false religions rail against the Son of God.
Child of God ,fear not,why?, because, the Lord our God Almighty reigns
,yes He the sovereign God reigns,Hallelujah, [Revelation 19 v6].
                                        A  prayer.
Dear God whatever awful things we are hearing about,help us not to fear,whatever trials we are experiencing ,help us to trust in you,we  know
that whatever comes into our lives,our times are in your hands ,in Jesus name we ask this Amen.

It will be worth it all . [ 2 Corinthians 4 v17]

We come to last of the last of Beatitudes,/Blessed are you when people insult you,persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you/ This is
happening in so many places,it is not happening to me and maybe  not to
you.Who knows it may begin to happen,things can change,we may not be imprisoned,but we can be picked on at work,or by neighbours,or even our families.Remember Jesus said,/Think not that I am come to send peace on earth:I came not to send peace,but a sword[Matthew 10 v34].So why should
we put up with it, well, said Jesus,/because of  Me/.Our natural reaction to being picked on would be to respond in kind,the challenge is to respond in Christ like manner,CP, Matthew 5 v38ff]The Beatitude continues,/Rejoice and be glad,because great is your reward in heaven,for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who before you/.Persecution is not a new thing,but
it is important to hold unto the words,that it is not the end of the story,for our Saviour tells us that great will be our reward in heaven.Yes the cross now,but one day it will be a crown,and in the words of an old Hymn.
                             It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
                             Lifes trials will seem so small,when we see Christ,
                             One  glimse of His dear face,
                             All sorrow will erase,so bravely run the race,
                             Till we see Christ.
                            

We can overcome [ John 16 v32-33 ]

Blessed are those who are persecuted,because of righteousness,for theirs is
the Kingdom of Heaven.[Matthew 5v10]Dr.M.L.Jones writes,/This is what is going to happen,because you are a Christian,says Christ/ Being righteous
is going to make you different,and of course we are different,in a world
obsessed with so many things,be it sex,money,pleasure,violence and idolatry,the Christian marches to the beat of another drum.Marching to that
drum beat means as far as the world see's ,you are out of step,you are the odd fellow.Daniel got into serious trouble for praying,Shadrach,Meshach and Abednego,got into serious trouble because they would not bow to a false god.Things have not changed,nor will they,in fact we are told,that everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
[2 Timothy 3 v12] ,Remember what our Saviour said,/In the world you will
have tribulation[John 16 v33]/,but then He goes onto say,/But take heart,I
have overcome the world/.It is W. Barclay who comments on these words,/
They were going to see that the world could do its worst to Jesus and still not defeat Him.They were going to see the world doing its worst when it crucified Him; they were going to see His invincibility when he rose again.
And He says;'' The victory which I will win can be your victory too.The world did its worst to Me,and I emerged victorious.Life can do its worst to you,and you too can emerge victorious.You too can possess the courage and the conquest of the cross./
                                 Jude 24-25
To Him who is able to keep  you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.To the only God our Saviour be glory,majesty,power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord,before all ages,now and forevermore . Amen.
                                      
 

Are you hungry and thirsty?.[ Matthew 5 v6 ]

I saw on the net,a short article on the riches woman in the world,I wonder is she really satisfied?.I think of another women whom Jesus spoke to,the 
conversation took place at a well,Jesus asked her for a drink,and so the
conversation developed,she was surprised,at the fact that a Jew would talk to her.Jews were fussy whom they would speak to,but then Jesus was not
concerned with bigoted view points.Well Jesus said that if she asked him,
he would give her living water,this she did not understand,because she was
thinking of natural water.Then he said to her,everyone who drinks of the natural water,will never thirst again,but the water he would give would her would meet her deepest need,it would be like a spring of water,welling up to eternal life.[John 4 ]Which leads us on to another of the Beatitudes,/
/Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they shall be filled[Matthew 5 v6].Could it just be that Jesus is speaking to you who don't Him,and reminding us who do know him ,that only he can meet the deepest need of the human heart.
                                 I heard the voice of Jesus say,
                                 'Behold, I freely give
                                 the living water;thirsty one,
                                 stoop down and drink,and live,
                                 I came to Jesus, and I drank
                                 of that life-giving stream;
                                my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
                                 and now I live in Him.
                                     [Words by Horatius  Bonar ]

Peacemaker. [ Romans 5 v1/ 14 v19]

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of  God[Matthew 5v9].I know a Christian who lived near noisy neighbours,one of the neighbours effected most by the noise,was becoming very annoyed,and was
threatening to do all sorts of things, to the noise maker,things were becoming very difficult.So the Christian phoned the police,told them what was happening the police came and spoke to the noisy person,and from that time on the noise level went down.The Christian who reported the noisy neighbour,told me he saw the situation was getting out of hand,so he sought to bring peace into the situation,which he did. The Christian should be a peace maker,in the community,and dare I say so, in the church also. In a world full of so much conflict,we need more peacemakers,and in a world that is at war with God, Dr. M.L.Jones, writes,/The peacemaker is ultimately concerned about the fact, that all men should be at peace with God. That may come to know Christ, for it is only then will they be at peace with God,and it is only then will they be called the children of God./
                                             A  prayer.
Dear God we would ask for two things,that you would help us who are your children,be peacemakers,and that we may see people coming to be at peace
with you,through Jesus. Amen.

Pure in heart. [ Galations v5 v16ff ]

Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God [Matthew 5 v 8]
It is Dr. M.L.Jones ,writes that this is undoubtedly one of the greatest,
utterances to be found where in the whole realm of scripture.The gospel of
Christ is concerned about the heart,what is the state of our hearts,that's what
God is asking. Vine writes,/The heart is used figuratively for the hidden springs of our personal life.The Bible describes human depravity as in the heart,because sin is a principle which has its seat in the centre of man's
inward life,and then defiles the whole circuit of his action[Matthew 15 v19-20]/When we surrender to Christ our sins are forgiven and we receive Gods Holy Spirit who enables us to break the sinful tendencies in our heart.So it is we exhorted to live by the Spirit,and if we do,we will not gratify the desires of our sinful nature[ Galations5 v16]. It was David who prayed ,
/Create in me a pure heart,O God,and renew a steadfast spirit within me[Psalm 51 v10].Like David I pray those words regularly,for I know how
easy it is for our sinful hearts ,to become dirty and defiled,captivated by
sinful passions.One day these sinful hearts ,will be changed,completely,
and we will see God.
                                      A  prayer.
Dear God create in us clean hearts,like unto yours  in Jesus name Amen .

Mercy. [ Ephesians 2 v1-10 ]

Blessed are the merciful for they shall be shown mercy[ Matthew 5 v7]I remember a man telling me about his brother who fought in the 2nd world war,that as he was retreating from the Germans,he taken prisoner.The German officer pointed him in the direction of Dunkirk and let him go.Later when the Allies invaded Normandy he showed mercy to captured Germans.The sad thing was some Allied soldiers did not always take prisoners,but that person showed mercy.In James 2 v13, we read,He shall have judgement without mercy,that hath showed no mercy.Shakespeare wrote,/How shalt thou hope for mercy,rendering none/,in other words if we do not show mercy to others ,we should not expect mercy to be shown to us.Our dear Saviour said ,that there is a blessing upon those who show mercy,and of course  He was speaking to his disciples. Those whom He saved have been shown extraordinary mercy,the least then they can do is to show mercy to others.
                                Years I spent in vanity and pride,
                                Caring not my Lord was crucified,
                                 Knowing not it was for He died,
                                                 At Calvary.
                                 Mercy there was great and grace was free,
                                 Pardon there was multiplied to me,
                                 There my burdened soul found liberty,
                                                At Calvary.
                                             [Words by Wm.R.Newell]
                               

They that mourn [Matthew 5 v 4 ]

Blessed are the that mourn for they shall be comforted[Matthew 5 v4]It is
Dr. M.L.Jones who comments,/That this is a spiritual mourning,and nothing to do with a natural life in this world/. So what does he mean by this?,well
 recently I attended two funerals,of two very godly women.As people spoke of their lives I must confess I felt overwhelmed,I rejoiced at what I heard but it caused me a great deal of sadness,as I considered my own life,and my limited accomplishments.May be you feel like that at times,your own heart accuses you,and of course the accuser who is the devil lends his voice, and you go into a season of mourning.But it is then the Spirit of God speaks to us,reminding us,that there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ[Romans 8 v1] And that no one can bring a charge against Gods elect,it is God who justifies,who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus who died,more than that,who was raised to life,is at the right of God and is also interceding for us [8 v33-34]. The result is I am comforted,but let me also reassure you ,that in all our sorrows ,the God of all comfort will truly comfort his sorrowing children,for with every pang that rends the heart the man of sorrows has a part.
                                         A  prayer.
Dear God and Father we praise you that you do comfort your children,as to their spiritual standing,and in all their sorrows,in Jesus name Amen.

We shall inherit the earth [Revelation 21]

Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth[Matthew 5 v5].It is J.Stott who writes that we appreciate the words of Saviour in Matthew 11v28 /Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest/,but ignore the verse that follows,/Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me,for I am meek and lowly of heart,and ye shall find rest unto your soul/.what Jesus is saying is,come be like Me,in 1Peter2v23,we read/,When they hurled insults at him,he did not retaliate,when he suffered, he made no threats,instead ,he entrusted himself to him who judges justly/.As to being lowly of heart,Jesus said,I am among you as one who serves[Luke22v27].[ CP . Philippians 2 v 5 -11].When it came to choose a new Roman Emperor the person chosen would pretend to not want it,yes it was just a pretence.But not so with our Saviour ,his meekness and humility
was genuine,and so he calls us to be like him,not self asserting,or self seeking,or given to retaliate when offended,as W. Hendriksen writes,/The
meek person leaves everything in the hands of Him who loves and cares/.As
to inheriting the earth,well I have my little garden,but there is coming a day
when we shall see the fulfilment of these words when we will inherit the new heaven and the new earth[Revelation21v1ff]
                                          A pray
                     Dear Lord Jesus help us to be like You, Amen.

Poor in spirit. [ Luke 18 v10ff]

Now let us consider the first blessed,Blessed are the poor in spirit , for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.[Matthew 5 v3]Now our Saviour is not saying blessed are the poor,but the poor in spirit,in Luke 6 v20,our Saviour said ,blessed are you  poor,He does not mention in spirit,so what does He
mean?. D.M.Jones writes,/The Bible nowhere teaches that poverty is a good
thing.The poor man is no nearer heaven than the rich man,speaking of them
as natural men.Our Lord was even there speaking of poor as meaning not
possessed by the worldly spirit,poor in the sense if you like,that you not rely on riches/ A person once said to me that I was poor,but I did not feel poor,for I was relying on my Heavenly Father,who would supply my needs.
Blessed are the poor in spirit ,for theirs is the kingdom of God,these words are best understood in the story Jesus told in Luke 18v 10 ff,about two men who went up to the temple to pray,one was very religious,the other considered a sinful person.The religious person prayed  about himself,how better he was than others,the other man stood at a distance,he would not even look up to heaven,he beat his breast ,and said God,have mercy upon me a sinner.Our Saviour that man was accepted by God,you see he was poor in spirit,and so was blessed.
                                 Just as I am without one plea,,
                                 but that Thy blood was shed for me,
                                 and that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee,
                                 O Lamb of God I come.

                                Just as I am,poor,wretched blind,
                                sight,riches ,healing of the mind,
                                yea,all I need,in Thee to find,
                               O Lamb of God I come.

                                Just as I am,Thou wilt receive,
                               wilt welcome pardon,cleanse,relieve,
                               because Thy promise I believe,
                               O Lamb of God I come
                                     [Words by Charlotte Elliiott]