To cry or not to cry that is the question?. [1 Thessalonians

Recently MP Jo Cox was murdered,I personally have never heard of her,but it appears she was[ believe it or not], a much loved MP,I must  confess I have shed a few tears as I have listened of people speaking about this lovely
young lady.She was married and had two children,it is all very distressing,
and terribly sad.It has started a question as to how we should react to such
an event,should we hold back the tears and signs of emotion,or should we try and maintain a stiff upper lip. What do you think?,well I suppose both can be acceptable,should we not let people do what is best  for them.What we do know is Christ is known as a man of sorrows,and familiar with suffering[ Isaiah 53 v3 ]We read of Him weeping at the  death of His friend,
and we are told ,'Blessed are they that mourn'  [Matthew 5 v 4 ],and in Romans 12 v15, we read,weep with them that weep.Yes it is alright to sorrow and weep when a friend or loved one is taken in death.It is the apostle who writes that we should  not sorrow,as those which have no hope[1 Thessalonians 4 v 13]

                                       A  prayer .
Dear God have mercy upon the family of Jo Cox,and upon those we know who have experienced bereavement,in Jesus name Amen

Free at last. [ Revelation 21 ]

Bruce Milne writing in his book 'Heaven and Hell',points out that evil was in existence before man sinned.He points  to Jude 6,how that the angels
did not keep their positions of authority,but abandoned their home'.[cf2 Peter 2 v 4].He then goes on to write,''Here is a valuable biblical precursor
of  the life of heaven.Humanity can exist in its fullest terms without sin.
And since the devil and his angels will be banished eternally from  that
heavenly order of the fulfilled kingdom of God[cf Jude 6b; Rev20 v7-10],
that future will be secure from any threat in a way the first perfected creation obviously was not''.When we are in heaven we will not be looking over our shoulders ,in case evil in any shape or form ,overtakes us. No ,sins power within us will no longer exist,and satans power to tempt us will also no longer exist.Evil will be banished, for ever,and ever,and ever,Miltons
'paradise lost',will be no more,and it will truly be, 'paradise regained'.
                                    A  prayer.
Dear God,we look forward to that glorious day when we at last arrive in heaven,free from evil,be it the world,the flesh,or the devil,in Jesus name we thank You ,Amen.



'

Trust and obey. [ 1 Samuel 15 v 22 ]

Just recently the Lord spoke to me about a certain something, but I was not sure or maybe willing to deal with. I asked Him to help me,I  ask others what should I do,and still I never dealt with it.This certain thing was becoming a problem,it began to effect my prayer life,what should I do?. Every time I had  a time of prayer,it came into my mind,and so it continued,until I sorted it out. Now the problem is resolved,there is nothing between my Heavenly Father and me,I have peace. Nothing between ,I suppose God was wanting me to simply obey Him,simply obey Him,it may be simple,just do it, left undone,it becomes a very serious problem.It is no good trying to ignore whatever God is saying to you,it may be something very simple,it may also be something very big,but if we ignore what God is saying to us,then it becomes very ,very ,serious,and will have serious consequences .To trust and obey is at the heart of our relationship with God,even though it may cost,but the price of not obeying brings a greater  cost,From Genesis to Revelation,we can read the folly of disobedience,think what we lost when our first parents disobeyed.So if God is speaking to you today,be it on a simple matter,or a large matter,be an obedient child,yes trust and obey,for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus,but to trust and obey.
                                        A prayer.
Dear God forgive us our disobedience,give us the grace to always obey You
in Jesus name .Amen.

Are you rich? [ 2 Corinthians 8 v9 ]

Billy Graham tells how he and his wife Ruth,were invited to the home of  one of the wealthiest men in the world.The man was seventy-five years old,
and as they sat at a meal,the man was closes to tears.I am the most miserable man in the world,he said.''Out there is my yacht,I can go anywhere I want to,I have my private plane,my helicopter.I have everything
I want to make me happy,and yet I'm miserable as hell''Billy  and Ruth,
spoke,and prayed with him,sought to point him to Christ,who alone gives
lasting meaning to life.Later in the day a local Baptist pastor,an English man,aged seventy five,he was a very enthusiastic Christian and had a deep love for Christ,he spent most of his free time taking care of his two invalid sisters.''I don't have two pounds to my name,'' he said,but I'm the happiest man on this Island''.''Who do you think is the richer man?'' Billy asked Ruth
who do you think is the richer man?'' ,we both knew the answer.
                                        A  prayer.
Dear God help us not to be hoodwinked into thinking that the meaning to life,is in things,or whatever takes our fancy,in Jesus name Amen.

I never thought they would do that. [ 1 Corinthians 10 v12 ]

Often when a crime is committed by someone you thought you knew,there is an unbelief about it,and we find ourselves saying ,'I never thought they would do such a thing.I remember hearing that couple who attended the church I was in leadership,that their marriage had broken up.The wife had left her husband for someone else,I never imagine such a thing was going to happen.The disciples did not suspect for one moment that Judas was going to betray Jesus,they may have known that he took money he should not have,but never in a million years would they have thought,he would have done such an awful thing. Who would have suspected David of committing
adultery,and murder,no one,you can hear them saying,I never thought he
would have done that.But just in case any of us are becoming to judgemental,consider the following words./Wherefore let him that thinketh
he standeth take heed lest he fall[ 1 Corinthians 10 v 12 ]/Yes let us all tread softly when we talking about those who fall,for the simple matter is this,we
all can fall,in some way ,make no mistake about it.
                                        A  prayer.
Dear God have mercy upon those who have fallen into sin,and grant us the
grace,that we may not follow in their footsteps,in Jesus name Amen.

Faith is refusing. Matthew 6 v34

Let us continue on at what D.Martyn Lloyd- Jones,and what he had to say about worry and its causes and cure./A large part of faith,especially in this connection,consists of just refusing anxious thoughts. That to me is perhaps
the most important and the most practical think of all. Faith means refusing to think about worrying things,refusing to think of the future in a wrong sense. The devil and all adverse circumstances will do their utmost to make
me do so,but having faith means that I shall say:'No;I refuse to be worried.
I have done my reasonable service;I have done what I believed to be right
and legitimate,and beyond that Iwill not think at all. That is faith,and it is
particularly with regard to the future. When the comes with his insinuations
injecting them into you- all the fiery darts of the evil one- say,'No; I am not
interested.The God whom I am trusting for today,I will trust for tomorrow.I refuse to listen; I will not think your thoughts.Faith is refusing to be burdened because we have cast our burden upon the Lord/
                              A prayer,words by D,Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
Dear Lord in your infinite grace,give us wisdom and grace to implement these simple principles,and thereby rejoice in you day by day Amen.

Worry. [ Matthew 6 v34 ]

D.Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote the following,from his studies on the sermon on the mount./Worry is always a failure to grasp and apply our faith.Faith does not work automatically.....you have to apply it.Faith does not grow automatically either;we must learn to talk to our faith and to ourselves,as the Psalmist in Psalm 42.Look at him turning to himself and saying,'Why art thou cast down,O my soul?' That is the way to make your faith grow......
You must question yourself about your faith.You must ask your soul why it is cast down,and wake it up.The child of God talks to himself,he reasons with himself; he shakes himself and reminds himself of himself of his faith.
,and immediately his faith begins to grow. Do not imagine that because you
became a Christian all you have do is to go on mechanically.Your faith does not grow mechanically,you have to attend to it.To use our Lords analogy,you have to dig around and about it,and pay attention to it.Then you will find it will grow.
                                         A prayer.
Dear Lord help us to work at our faith,and help us to grow in faith, in Jesus name Amen.

A stupendous caravan of. [ Psalm 103 ]

In 1 Timothy 6 v7 we  read,''We brought  nothing into the world,and it is certain that we cannot take anything out of the world''.This is true,there are no pockets in a shroud,our Lord told the parable of a rich farmer ,who  had it made ,until God interviend,and called into eternity,his riches, he had to leave.[ Luke 12 v 16ff]So that's it then,we go out of this world into the next,
and we all live happily ever after,or do we.? I read this recently,''Now I am
going alone......Every torment I have afflicted,every sin I have committed, every wrong I have done, I carry the consequences with me. Strange that I
came with nothing into the world,and now go away with this stupendous
caravan of sin.[Anita Drsai, Clear light of Day]I wonder will that be you?,
I hope not,yet if during this life I have not trusted Jesus for the forgivness
of my sins,I will  have  to face the wrath of God.If  we truly do that then our sins will be truly gone, yes completely gone,and there will be no record of them anywhere[ CP Psalm 103v11-13].
                            
                                  A   prayer
Dear God help us to seek you while you can be found,and have the sin problem  sorted out,by asking Jesus to forgive us .Amen

Faithfulness. [ Romans 10 v9-21 ]

In  Lamentations 3v 23,we read ,'Great is thy faithfulness',these words where written by a prophet,at a time of great suffering.It was a self inflicted suffering,it need never have happened.The people of Israel had continually sinned ,forsaken Gods ways, in spite of God sending prophets,to warn the people,it was all in vain,they refused to change,refused to listen to Gods
pleading with them.The result was ,God said enough, is  enough,when people ignore continually, Gods offer of mercy,what option is God left with?.In Romans 10v21,the apostle declares as to Israel's rejection of Gods pleading,''But to Israel he saith,All day long have I stretched forth my hands
unto a disobedient and gainsaying people''.Let us remember it is not God
who has forsaken man,but man who has forsaken God.From the moment
mankind sinned in the garden of Eden,they have been on the run from God.
So it goes on to this day, I have witnessed to many people,but sad to say
so few have responded,to the message of Gods love in Jesus.It is easy to blame the messenger, for that is all I am ,warts and all,but I know irrespective,of that,I must remain faithful. On that awesome day of judgement that is coming,it will be to late then,to change ,and trust Christ,for only those who have responded to Gods gospel will experience mercy.
                                           A  prayer.
Dear God like Jeremiah of old we declare,great has been your faithfulness,
and we ask for two things,that we your children may remain faithful,and
that in your mercy and faithfulness you will bless our faithful witness,to the salvation of the lost.Amen.

Henry V111. [ Luke 23 v 39-43 ]

One of England's most famous kings,was Henry the 8TH,he is remembered
because of how he treated his six wives,there is a way to help you to remember what their fate was ,which goes,''Divorced,beheaded, died,divorced, beheaded, survived.''He was not a man to be crossed,the nearer one got to him the more dangerous it was, as Thomas Cromwell, found out,when he fell out of favour with Henry,and was executed.  Henry was a religious person,but his treatment of his wives,would throw doubt as to whither he knew the Lord.It was recorded that when he was dying,he sent for the Archbishop Cranmer.When the Archbishop arrived,Henry was beyond speaking,so he asked the king to give some sign,either with his eyes or his hand,that he trusted in the Lord,the king managed to press Cranmer's hand. Did that mean he repented,did that mean he sought forgiveness? ,we cannot tell,we leave the final outcome with God.What I do know is this ,no matter how wicked a person has been,they can be forgiven, even if its at the point of death .The greatest example of that is the dying thief we read of in Luke 23 v 39-43 .
                            
                                 Between the stirrup
                                  and the ground,
                                 I mercy sought,
                                   and mercy found.

I apologize .[ Revelation 5 v 1ff ]

A lady was attending a coffee morning , watching a DVD depicting our Lords suffering,and she started to cry,and she apologized for crying ,the person leading the coffee morning replied,I should apologize for not crying.
 I confess I rarely weep  as I read or hear of His suffering,have I become to
firmilar with sacred happenings?When I read scriptures like Isaiah 52 v14
''As many were astonished at thee;his  visage was so marred more than any
man,and his form more than the sons of men''or the suffering recorded
in Psalm 22.I must confess I would not have wished to view my Saviours suffering.The physical suffering that He endured was awful,but that was only part of it,that other part I cannot even begin to imagine,for we read in
''We had all strayed like sheep, each of us had gone his own way; but the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all''[Isaiah 53 v6/ he bore the  sin of manyv12]Gods holy justice had to be satisfied,in order that we might be saved, so Jesus endured the wrath of God for sin,in order that we may
not experience it, no wonder that lady cried.
                                          
                                 Wounded for me,wounded for me,
                                 There on the cross He was wounded for me;
                                 Gone my transgressions and now I am free,
                                 All because Jesus was wounded for me.
                                        [ Words by G.W.R.]

Poverty. [ Ephesians 2 v 8-10]

In 1Timothy 6 v7,we read, ''We brought nothing into the world,and it is
certain that we cannot take anything out of the world''.These words are often read at a burial  service,they remind us that all worldly wealth is left behind
when we die.These words bring a challenge to all of us,reminds us that we should not place to much store on material things,that true happiness does
not come with money.Yet that does not mean that there is virtue in poverty,
I receive information from many places in this world were so many dear people are suffering from the results of poverty.There is a mission I know,
and it is called,'The Medical Missionary News',it has kept that title,because
it tells you two things they are involved in supporting the physical and
spiritual needs of mankind.As someone has said,we neglect either to our cost,good works,and the good news of the gospel must always go hand in hand.The challenge for all of us who are Christians is to be generous in supporting ,those whom God lays on our hearts,we cannot give to every cause,but we can help some,and we should.
                                 A  prayer.
Dear God help us, to help those who are in need,and help to never loose
sight of mankinds need to hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ ,Amen.

One message.[ 1 Timothy 1 v15 ]

One man I admire is Billy Graham,one God has used mightily,I know there are those who have criticised him.Be that as it may he has remained faithful in his preaching of the gospel,and many people have been saved under his ministry.In 1954 he held a crusade in Harringay Arena in London.He tells how a Methodist preacher spoke to him,and said,''I have come here every night for ninety three nights,and I have heard one message.'' One message ,yes he preached the same message that the disciples of old preached,it will always be one message.What is that message?,Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,no matter how sophisticated we become,no matter how affluent we become,no matter what,it will always be that one simple message,Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
                              
                                  I love to tell the story
                                  Of unseen things above,
                                  Of Jesus and His glory,
                                  Of Jesus and His love;
                                  I love to tell the story,
                                  Because I know its true,
                                  It satisfies my longing,
                                  As nothing else will do.
                                          [Kate Hankey]
                  

What about the soul. [ Matthew 10 v28 ]

One day a lady came to William Wilberforce,[in case you do not know,he was a member of Parliament,who sought to have  a law passed ,banning the slave trade,in this he succeeded].well this lady asked,Mr Wilberforce,what about the soul?.He turned to the woman and said,Madam,I had almost forgotten that I had a soul'.Yes we do have a soul and we neglect it to our cost.If you are not saved then you must  consider the consequences,of neglecting your soul,living for only  this life,with no thought for the eternal consequences,and dying a lost soul.If you are a believer then remember that your relationship with Christ is of vital importance,let us all see to it,that whither we are saved or unsaved we should not forget our souls well being.
                                      A  prayer.
Dear God have mercy upon us,bear in upon us the importance of our souls,
and the consequences of neglecting our never dying souls,in Jesus name Amen.

He's my friend. [ John 15 v 15 ]

I have been involved with a Christian brother,who has Parkinson,recently my wife has also become involved,she is a very qualified care worker.The brother had to go into hospital,and it appears he has blood leaking into his
brain.My wife was asked to go and feed him,and this she did,and stayed with him until his wife came.During my wife's visit I spoke to her on the phone,and then she handed the phone to him,so I could speak to him.When my  wife came home she mentioned that the dear brother,said,'that's my friend'.I  must confess,  that touched me,that he considered me his friend .
Friendship is a very precious thing,and I will always treasure what that dear brother said,that I was his friend.I have a number of friends,,and of course I value their friendship,but the most wonderful friend I have is Jesus.Imagine
the King of Kings is my friend ,imagine the one who created all things is my friend,but let us not stop there ,He can be your friend also,just as he is mine,In Proverbs we read of a wonderful quality in friendship,''A friend loves at all times[17 v17],that's Jesus,then we read,'there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother,[18 v24],yes that's Jesus,He can be your friend.
In  John 15 ,we read,''Greater love hath no man than this,that a man lay down his life for his friends.[v13]Jesus showed that love and more,when He died on Calvary, but in that death on that cross,He died that those who were his enemies,you and me,might become His friends.[Romans 5 v10]
                                       A prayer.
Dear God,open our eyes to the wonders of your love ,for sinners such as us,we who are ungodly,we who are your enemy,can be forgiven and can
be made friends of Jesus Amen.
,

Seek and you shall find. [ Matthew 15 v21-28 ]

There is much being written about Muhammad ALI, formerly known as  Cassius Clay,now it is not hard to see why he rejected Christianity.The racial abuse in America was awful,and unfortunate,but the sad thing is many churches went along with it,as indeed in South Africia,many so called Christian people supported apartihite. One of the great things that Christ did was destroy the barrier between Jew and Gentile.But instead of being a light to the Gentiles,thay withdrew into narrow sectarianism. I come from a sectarian country.it can be very ugly, full of hatred, and intolerance. The sad thing is so called Christian countries do not always act,or think Biblicly,and so they act in non-Christian ways. ,When Mahatma Gandhi was dying,one of his relatives asked him,'Babaki you been looking for God all your life
,have you found him yet?,no was the rely,I'm still looking. Yet he had Christian friends,and he did visit Christian church's.Of course he had lived in South Africia,that did not help in his search for God.Are you still looking
?.well this is how you will find him,be prepared to see beyond those who
misrepresent Christ,pray and read the Bible,seek and you shall find.
                                   
  Here is a prayer you could pray./Dear God help me to find you,inspite
of those who misrepresent Your Son Jesus,in whose name we ask this Amen.

He is all knowing. [Psalm 34 v15]

There used to be a series on TV,many years ago,called the prisoner,it started with the lead actor,calling out,'I am not a number'.Lets face it many must feel that they are, a number,just a statistic,and yet they are not,well not in Gods eyes.Every single human being is important,and significant to God,and He loves every single person.How is that possible ?,how can God know every single person,know their every thought?,yet He does.God is all knowing,when the Psalmist David,thought about it,he declared,'Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,too lofty for me to attain.[Psalm 139v5]As I was praying,the thought came to me,that as I was praying,millions were also praying at the same time,and yet God hears everyone's prayer.Not only does He hear but He deals with us as an individual,He listens to us attentively.Nothing escapes His notice and His care.He is not overwhelmed by the vast amount of prayers,prayed to Him.No matter how deep our needs,no matter how complicated our prayers are, He can deal with them.No prayer is put on a file and forgotten about,He will deal with all our prayers,as He see's fit, and answer in His time.

                                 Come my soul,thy suit prepare,
                                 Jesus loves to answer prayer;
                                 He Himself has bid thee pray,
                                 Therefore will not say thee nay.

                                 Thou art coming to a King,
                                 Large petitions with thee bring;
                                 For His grace and power are such,
                                 None can ever ask too much.
                                     [Words by John Newton]

       

ALI. [ 1 Thessalonians 1 ]

Just  recently one the great idols of the 20th century has died,Muhammad ALI.There was time when I enjoyed watching boxing,but not now, George
Foreman ex-world champion said when he fought an opponent,he was not only drying to destroy him ,he wanted to kill him.I remember reading the life story of Jack Johnson,the first black heavyweight champion,of the world it highlighted the deep racial feeling in the Western World,especially in dear old USA,Why did ALI turn to Islam?the racial discrimination in his country.The sad thing was that many churches were deeply racist,so a lot of what he did was a challenge,to white America.It goes without saying that Christians should not be racist,why?,because we are called to love all men,irrespective of race,colour,or whatever.I purposely used the term idol
when referring to ALI,as a Christian I seek not to have any person or thing as an idol.Why ? ,because it involves worship,it is putting on a human,or whatever ,that which only God should receive.I remember seeing a picture
of Marlyn Monroe after she died,and a picture of ALI before he died,not very nice,but it should remind us that they in essence are just like everyone of us,flawed human beings.
                                         A  prayer.
Dear God help us to worship only you,save us from idolatry in Jesus name
Amen.

Money. [ 2 Corinthians 8 v9]

I read in the paper that Swiss voters rejected a proposal to provide the entire population with a guaranteed income.Each adult would have received 1,760
pounds a month,and each child 625[Sw Fr].Of course the money offered  is
considerably less than most workers earn.Most of us could live comfortable
on such an income,and many people in this world would consider that they
were rich. Swiss live in a very prosperous country,while a great deal of the world live in poverty,In the same paper it was reported of a lady who admitted stealing text books from her school worth more than 27,000 pounds,and selling them online,some for as little as 8 pence,she had salary
of 58.000 pounds,a year from that school.Consider what Jesus did,we are told that he was rich, [2 Corinthians 8 v9],how was He rich?.Before he came to earth,he existed in heaven,there we are told He was equal with God,as one the divine Trinity[ CP. Philippians 2v6/John1v1.Colossians2v9]
Yet in coming into this world He did the complete opposite to what we would do,He became poor,became a servant,He continually challenged us about money,about materialism.It is not that He does not care about peoples needs.He fed the hungry,and we are assured that God will supply our needs[Philippians 4 v19 /Romans 8v32/Psalm 23v1].
                                        A  prayer.
Dear Lord if we are rich in this worlds riches,help to not trust in them,but to trust in you,help us who are your children,to learn to be content,and help us
all to be generous in our giving.Amen.

Immanuel's Land. [ Hebrews 11 v 8- 16]

A.R.Cousin wrote a lovely hymn called ,'The sands of time are sinking',the
theme of the hymn,is of the child of God,coming to the end life.He reflects on life,of his relationship with his Lord,He speaks of Gods mercy,and love
admidst the sorrows of life.He speaks of that day when in Heaven,he will bless the hand that guided,bless the heart that planned.As I read those words I look back with graditude and thankfulness,how my Saviour guided and planned for me.He then moves on to that moment when he enters heaven, how his one desire is to look upon Jesus.He writes,''I will not gaze on glory,but on my King of grace,not on the crown He gifteth,but on His pierced hands.
The hymn finishes with the following verse.
                                      
                                I've wrestled on towards heaven,
                                Gainst storm,and wind, and tide;
                                Now like a weary trav'ller
                                That leaneth on His guide;
                                Amid the shades of  evening,
                                While sinks life's lingering sand.
                                I hail the glory dawning
                                In Immanuel's land.

Are you thirsty? [John 4 v 1- 14]

Many years ago a man heard his servant saying,''if only I had 10 pound,I would be happy and content,so the man went to his servant, and gave him 10 pound.As he walked away from him,he overheard him say,I wish I had said 20 pound.If you where to ask me one thing that characterises mankind its this,''They Thirst''.As I look at many people in generation,many should be content,yet millions do the lottery,they are saying I thirst.Millions of people are hooked on drugs,I  include alcohol,tobacco,what are  they saying is ,I thirst.Likewise sex,they are on the internet,they are going to foreign,countries,to abuse children,many ordinary people are engaging
in sex outside of marriage.Power is another drug.likewise possessions,one could go on,but the words that I would put over all such things is ,''I thirst''.
It is the cry of mankind,and it leads to a lot of messed up lives,all they can
say is,I am dying of thirst,I want more and more and more,yet the more they get the more thirsty they become.Our Saviour met a lady at a well, she had, had 5 husbands,and at that time she was living with a man.She was a thirsty woman,she came to that well,a thirsty woman.Jesus said to her,''whosoever
drinketh of this water shall thirst again''[John 4 v13]He was using the water
to illustrate,that the deep thirst within her heart,could not be satisfied,by  the many men she had,she would always be thirsty.But said Jesus, I can give you water ,that will mean you will never thirst again. Are you thirsty?
come to Christ,only He, and He alone,can satisfy the deepest longings 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 ]

The house of mourning. [ Psalm 90 ]

I attended a funeral of a dear child of God,she was aged 94,what a difference this funeral was,from the previous one  I attended,The previous
one was for a person who did not know the Lord, secular songs were sung ,and  the minister barely mentioned the Lord. I spoke to that minister,and expressed my concern,he felt that the funeral went alright,but
I didn't.The funeral of the 94 year old was taken by a brother who was faithful,we heard about the broad road that leads to destruction ,and the narrow road that leads to heaven.We heard of how the lady had trusted the Saviour and had served him,and how she was now in heaven.In this secular age people often want Christian ministers,to still take the funeral service.
The result is, all one receives is the bare bones of a Christian message,those who need to hear about Christ ,do not,it is  all so very sad.In  Ecclesiastes 7v1,we read,''It is better to go to the house of mourning,than to go to a house of feasting,for death is the destiny of every man,the living should take it to heart.''
                                              A  prayer.
Dear God help us as we stand between the dead and the living,to be faithful in telling forth the good news of Jesus. Amen.

Its still happening.[Hebrews 11 v35b-40]

Recently I was talking to a friend about Christians being persecuted,and then he mentioned the fact that people are suffering in this country.Now I know we can get into conflict,as some do,for wearing a cross,or praying with someone. I felt that this brother had things out of balance,to my knowledge there is no serious persecution going on in this country.I do not think we should court persecution,at times Christians have suffered persecution,in this country.When John and Charles Wesley went to streets  to proclaim the Gospel they were attacked by mobs,the Salvation Army suffered in a similar way.Who knows what may happen if we were more forthright in preaching the Gospel.Yet sad to say many Christians are suffering persecution,I pray for such everyday,just recently I read of a Christian couple in India who  were beaten, and then burnt to death.Now that's persecution,while I do not want to underestimate any Christians suffering,I have to acknowledge that being beaten, and burnt  to death,is beyond doubt, severe.One would think after all these years ,such things should not happen,but it does.,Gods people will always suffer, Jesus told us so, [John 16 v33],but he added ,''take heart I have over come the world.as W  Barclay comments,'The world did their worst to Jesus,and He emerged victorious,so it is ,whatever persecution we may suffer,we can emerge victorious.
                                              A prayer.
Dear Lord have mercy upon all your suffering Children,grant then an escape
from their suffer,and for those other who are suffering for you  ,grant them grace,so that they may glorify your name Amen.

I know . [ Revelation 21 v1-5]

There was a popular song years ago,with words like ,''I know where I am going'',I believe that one  of the wonderful things about being a Christian is,we know where we are going.As a Christian I have the assurance of a wonderful,which even death cannot destroy.Look out on this world,where
is it going?,in the words of Ecclesiastes is it all ,meaningless[2 v26] The fact is evident,that the world is not going to change,wars and more wars will continue,who knows where it will lead.But again for the Christian it is not all doom and gloom,for as John Stott, writes,''History is neither meaningless nor purposeless,it is moving towards a glorious goal''.In Ephesians 1 v 9-10,
we read that God has a plan for the fullness of time,when as JS, writes of ''that time,when time merges into eternity again,and to unite all things in him[Christ],things in heaven and earth.''He goes on to write,''In the fullness
of time,Gods two creations,his whole universe ,and his whole church,will be united under the cosmic Christ,who is the supreme  head of both''As a
Christian I know where I am going,do you?.
                                              A  prayer.
Dear we praise you that because of Jesus your son the future is truly
glorious ,we do know where we are going.Amen

How do we respond?. [ 1 John 4 v10 ]

One of my sons went to his GP,because of a problem,the GP,assured him,that it was something simple.None of us can be sure that we wont have a problem that will something simple,that is the nature of life.We cannot change the way life is,but we can trust in our invisible God ,reassured that
He knows.If we are child of God then he is looking after us,if you are not a child of God then you cannot have the assurance that God is looking after you,even though he loves you,which he does.But ones own children are special,so Gods own children,I mean those who have Jesus as their Saviour.
I again stress that God loves you,but his special love, are those who ,he gave everything to save.On the cross God gave everything ,in order that we may be saved,I mean everything.Take all the wealth, there is in all the universe,it does not compare to his son Jesus That is what we are told in
in 1 Peter 1 v18-19./Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things,as silver and gold.......but with the precious blood of Christ./ The thing I want to ask you is this,do you think that you can reject
such love,and not suffer the consequences,to do so  is like spitting in Gods face.
                                    A  prayer.
Dear God as we look on Calvary by faith,we see how much He loves us,
help us to  see the importance of Jesus,in His name we ask this Amen.

Toad the backslider. [Luke 15 v11-32 ]

One of my favourite books is Kenneth Grahams, Wind and the Willows,its a lovely story,with all its different characters.Mole,Ratty,Badger,and dear old Toad of Toad Hall.Now Toad was an creature of means,he was vain and was taken up with the latest craze,until he got tired of it,one thing after another.The thing that really got a hold of him was the motor car, the moment he saw one he fell in love with it.Unfortunately he kept crashing
his cars,so he just kept buying more.His  three friends,Mole ,Ratty ,and Badger,felt they should do something to help him,to break his reckless behaviour.But for all their efforts Toad refuses to change,and it is dear old
Badger who declares him a backslider.What is a backslider?,well it is best
seen in the history of Israel,they sinned,God would forgive them and restore then,only for them to go back to their old sinful ways.Early on in my Christian life as a child I was like that,a backslider.Well the good news is
that Toad did come to point when he ceased his backsliding ways.So it is
was with me I stopped my backsliding ways,God forgave me and restored me,no matter how far you have wandered away from God,He is merciful and can restore you,He still loves you.
                                      A  prayer.
Dear God forgive our backsliding ways,and restore us to yourself,in Jesus name Amen.

Here is love. [ 1 John 4 v 9-10]

I thank God for those dear gifted and spiritual people,who have written hymns and spiritual songs.The church has always had those who have blessed  us ,as in the OT,we have the Psalms.they are unique,as they are Gods word set to music.The modern hymns and songs have blessed us,they are not Gods word,but they point us to God,and help us to give expression to our longings ,desire after God,our love for our God and Saviour.I want to
leave a hymn with you today,its a modern one,written by William Rees,I hope it will bless you as it has me.
                               
                                  Here is love vast as the ocean,
                                  Loving kindness as the flood,
                                  When  the Prince of Life,our ransom
                                  Shed for us His precious blood.
                                  Who His will not remember?
                                  He can never be forgotten
                                  Throughout heaven's eternal days.

                                  On the Mount of Crucifixion
                                  Fountains opened deep and wide;
                                  Through the floodgates of Gods mercy
                                  Flowed a vast and gracious tide.
                                  Grace and love,like mighty rivers,
                                  Poured incessant from above,
                                  And heaven's peace and perfect justice
                                  Kissed a guilty world in love.

Leadership. [ 1 Timothy 3]

Joshua was called to be leader of Israel after Moses died,Moses had finished the task God had allotted hum to do,he had led the people out of Egypt.Now Joshua would lead the people into the promised land,it would not be easy,
leadership is never easy. When Moses was called by God to go into Egypt,
he made all sorts of excuses[Exodus 3-4],as why he should not go.Jesus called people and they made excuses [Matthew 8 v21],when Jonah was called to go to Nineveh,he ran away[Jonah 1 v3].Leadership in any area of life ,will bring its challenges,it will often bring sacrifice.Now lets return to Joshua,God had prepared him for this task of leadership,he had served an apprenticeship under Moses.Now he was being called from being an apprentice ,to be a trailblazer,under God he would lead,make decisions,
and be an example.Timothy who was called to a leadership role was told,
that he was to be example,for the believers in speech,in life,in love,in faith
and in purity[1 Timothy 4 v12].That is the greatest challenge in leadership
be it,the church,or the home,or in the work place,being an example.That  is  why it is a high calling,may none us disgrace our calling.
                                       A  prayer.
Dear God grant us grace to follow where you lead,and help us to be an example,that will glorify our Saviour. Amen.

A challenge. [2 Timothy 2 v15]

John Stott in summarising the book of Ephesians , wrote,''The whole letter letter is a magnificent combination of Christian doctrine and Christian duty,Christian faith and Christian life,what God has done through Christ and what we must be doing in consequences.''As you read this how does your Christian life compare to what you read?,are we weighed in the balance and are we found wanting?,what about doctrine,there are those who say leave to the theologins.Why  do we need to bother with doctrine?,we do ,and that's a fact. The Bible is Gods revealed word to us,as to His being,that He is one,and yet He is three, not three gods,but one.In the Bible and only in the Bible we are taught , that we need to be saved,because we are sinners.We are taught how we can be saved,through Jesus,whose death brings forgiveness and acceptance with God.As a Christian do we know why we believe certain things?,I believe to some extent we can all be theologians,we must not leave it to the so called professionals.Nor must we reject Godly men who are qualified to teach us and help us,that would be pride.We all have a helper when it comes to understanding Gods word,the Holy Spirit.In 2 Timothy 2 v15,we read,''Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God,approved[tested by trial] a workman who has no cause to be ashamed,correctly analysing and accurately deviding[rightly handling and teaching]the Word of God''[Ampllified Version]
                                         A  prayer.
Dear God we thank and praise you for your word,help us by your Spirit to
study it and get to understand it ,in Jesus name Amen.

We can make a difference. [ Ephesians 2 v 8-10]

There is much in this world that can depress one,I just read an article in Time magazine on South Sudan, it was awful.The violence ,especially against women,then you watch the news on the TV ,the refugees,looking for a safe haven.A road rage incedent where a man in his Range Rover crashed into a car,and two little girls cannot now walk.I will stop there,what can we do?most of us try not to think about things.I was talking to a friend recently,and we were talking about all these  sad things,when I mentioned to him, those people who are working to make a difference,he replied,but it is so little. Thats one way of looking at it,but I remember the story of a boy who was walking along the shore in which many starfish where washed unto the sand, so he picked some of them up, and put them back in the sea.A man walking near by,said to the boy that's not going make much of a difference.Well said the boy as he put one of the starfish back in the sea,it will make a difference to that one. Its true we cannot solve all the problems in the world ,but we can make a difference,by helping some or even one person.
                                          A  prayer.
Dear God in this world where so many people are suffering,help us to make a difference ,in even one persons life.in Jesus name Amen.