tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31876003321817611462024-03-18T20:42:38.172+00:00bill the preacherA daily devotional by the Reverend William A. Heasleybill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.comBlogger5637125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-83471405683139288052024-03-18T05:49:00.000+00:002024-03-18T05:49:41.286+00:00Saint Patrick. ( Acts 1 v 8 )<p> Yesterday was St Patricks day, he is the Patron of Ireland,he was born in Roman Britain ,at an early age he was taken as a slave to Ireland,and had a very hard time. After six years he managed to escape and returned home, eventually he became a cleric,and eventually he returned to Ireland to spread the gospel,it appears he may have had a vision of a man ,who told him to to Ireland, and so he obeyed.Let us consider a few things about Patrick,he did not get rid of all the snakes in Ireland.He is remembered as a Saint, but of course every Christian is a saint 1Peter 2v 9 tells us that all Christians are a chosen race , a royal priesthood ,a holy nation', we are all set apart for God.Speaking of the people who became Christians,he wrote,'Never before did they know God except to serve idols and unclean things.But now they have become the people of the Lord,and are called children of God'.Wonderful truth ,but as to the present saint Patricks day it has nothing to with the gospel,it is just simply a day in which people declare that they are Irish,or of Irish parentage, for most people, religion does not come into it. Many do not know much about Patrick,and know even less of his God and Saviour. Let us rejoice and praise God for those whom God raised up to proclaim the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,not only in history,but present day evangelist and missionaries.But let all of us who know Christ,remember that we also can and should tell people about our wonderful Saviour.</p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-42404011523462927732024-03-17T06:14:00.000+00:002024-03-17T06:14:46.533+00:00Forget me not. ( Luke 22 v19 )<p> Daniel Defoe wrote a book called,'Journal of a Plague', that came to London in 1665,many fled from the city,but there those who couldn't,many died.Yet there were those who survived,Defoe was one of them,he records in his Journal,as regards those who survived.'These poor recovering creatures,give them their due,appeared very sensible of their unexpected deliverance; and I should wrong them very much if I should not acknowledge that many of them were really thankful; but I must own that for the generality of the people it might too justly be said of them,as was said of the children of Israel ,after their being delivered from the host of Pharaoh, when they passed the Red sea and looked back, and saw the Egyptians overwhelmed in the water,viz, that they sang His praise, but they soon forgot His works.'' We need to continually remember Calvary,in fact we are commanded to do just that,why?because like Israel of old,we may forget , is it possible?,yes sad to say it is.</p><p> 'King of my life I crown Thee now,</p><p> Thine shall the glory be;</p><p> Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow,</p><p> Lead me to Calvary.'</p><p> Words Jenny E. Mussey.</p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-64189452321480349062024-03-16T05:47:00.000+00:002024-03-16T05:47:50.790+00:00No distinction ( Galatians 3 v 26 -29 ) <p>Not so long ago people were judged by what class they were ,working class,middle class,or upper class,we do not hear so much about that now.In many countries they have casts systems,that means there are those who are looked down upon, they were known as untouchables ,and could only work in the lowest of jobs.The class system,or even the cast systems,are an open invitation for pride to take over,and all that means.That aspect of pride encourages so much evil,people think that they are better than others,George Orwell's father served in the British colonial service in India,when he came back to England he brought with him a rigid class structure ,he had a tailor who made his suits,but any attempt by his tailor to have a conversation was met with a gruff monosyllabic responses.If he met him in the street he would not acknowledge him.As Richard Bradford comments Orwell's father saw his tailor as belonging to a lower class.At a more evil level ,Nazism had an ideological belief built on a false idea of their superiority ,we all know what that led to. So where does that lead us to? it leads us to what God has to say about humanity, that we are all one class,that is clearly declared in Romans 3 v23 ,'For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God',those words should put to rest any thoughts of superiority.As sinners we all need to be saved,we all need to take our place with all our fellow sinners,and bow humbly before a holy God and ask Christ to save us .When we have trusted Jesus as our Saviour ,we become Children of God ,He has no favourites in His family,there is no class or cast distinction ,we are all one in Christ Jesus.</p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-24422312766041242262024-03-15T05:34:00.001+00:002024-03-15T05:34:33.930+00:00'It is no secret' ( John 11 v 40 )<p> Stuart Hamble was a very famous person in the entertainment world,a song writer,singer and picture actor .He was born into a family of a traveling Methodist Preacher,He himself was not a Christian until one night he was persuaded by his wife to go and hear Billy Graham preach,he personally spoke to Billy after the meeting and he gave his life to Jesus.He told how he and his wife visited John Wayne and during the evening they had a conversation of how people can solve problems within themselves.Stuart made a statement,'It's no secret what God can do'',as they were leaving John said to him,'Stuart you ought to write a song about,it is no secret what God can do,that is a beautiful thought. When he arrived home he sat down at his organ,and at that moment his clock began to ''chime out the hour of midnight'' He got pen and paper,and to his amazement he wrote the words and music in 17 minutes.The song became a great favourite, I remember it well very popular,and very meaningful,here is one the verses and chorus.</p><p> 'The chimes of time ring out the news,</p><p> Another day is through,</p><p> Someone slipped and fell,was that someone you?</p><p> You may have longed for added strength,</p><p> Your courage to renew,do not be disheartened,</p><p> I have news for you.</p><p> It is no secret what God can do,</p><p> What He's done for others,He'll do for you,</p><p> With arms wide open,He'll pardon you,</p><p> It is no secret what God can do'</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-17083967971051612182024-03-14T05:46:00.000+00:002024-03-14T05:46:43.866+00:00Be careful (Romans 10 v1 )<p>In Psalm 78 the writer reminds his readers to not be like their fathers,now it is a long Psalm 72 verses,and most of it is taken up with a history of a people who were stubborn rebellious,disloyal and unfaithful,(v8) .In spite of all that God had done for them, rescuing them ,performing miracles, time after time,providing for them, making unreasonable demands of God, sinning against Him.Not content with what God give them what they demanded,the food they craved for, challenging God by saying,'Can God really spread a table in the wilderness'.? They were challenging God who was not pleased. they would come to regret what they had said, for God in his anger slew many of them v31.In spite of this they kept on sinning,in spite of all He had done, but when God slew them ,then they sought Him,and remembered all He had done for them,They turned to Him but it was insincere,their heart was not in it,So we could go on,this is how they behaved throughout their history.Our Saviour said how they persecuted the prophets. (Matthew 5 v12},but not only that, they crucified the Son of God their Messiah.The Jews I believed have paid a awful price for what they did ,but we must be careful not to write them off.Michael Wilcock writes,'Down the ages many supposedly Christian nations have despised,if not persecuted, the Jews,often in the name of God.The fact is we would know nothing of our Christian God were it not for Israel and Judah. There and there alone our Christian heritage,with all its ramifications, has its roots.'Salvation' above all,its central trunk, is from the Jews'.cp John 4 v 22.</p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-15282098610299391192024-03-13T05:40:00.000+00:002024-03-13T05:40:06.227+00:00Rest (Matthew 11 v 28 - 30)<p>I read recently the following in one of my daily readings called ,,'Word for today',the following story,'An old, tired -looking dog wandered into a women's garden.She could tell from looking at him that he had a good home. He followed her inside,down the hall, and promptly fell asleep. Two hours later,he went to the door and she let him out.The next day he came back , resumed his position, and napped for a couple of hours. This went on for a week. Curious, the woman pinned this note to the collar; '<span> Every afternoon your dog comes for a nap.</span> ' The next day, the dog showed up with a note that read;'He lives at a home with 10 children- apparently he needs some quite time. Can I come with him tomorrow?.'I hope that made you smile,but in the humour we have an underlying truth, relating to the business of life,and the pressures that many people are under,that can often lead to burn out,weariness and stress.We can be driven by the challenges that life puts upon us.I heard my son preach recently ,and the subject was ,'Where is your garden? In biblical times people would have an enclosed garden,which they would go to in the evening to relax,Jesus had such a garden called Gethsemane which he often went to Luke 22 v 39.,Jesus needed that a place where He could go to relax and commune with His Father.We all need such a place it may be in your car or out walking or wherever.Our Saviour said in Matthew 11 v28 ,' Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,and I will give you rest', where is your garden?</p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-24203104547091312362024-03-12T05:38:00.000+00:002024-03-12T05:38:50.704+00:00He is able. ( Psalm 121 )<p>It was George Muller who prayed that he would not like to a die a wicked old man,I prayed the same prayer recently,of course using different words.Like George I am an old man aged 79, and like George I feel very vulnerable.Let me stress this ,temptations do not cease when one gets older,it is Scrooge who sums it up,'We are all beset by foes,within and without,the devil,the world,the flesh,and for victory over these we are completely depended upon God'. How true those words are,and so I prayed to Him,I told I am not like Peter who foolishly boasted that he would not deny his Lord ,saying he would even die for Him (John 13 v 37),and we know what became of that,yet the Lord was merciful and forgive him .So I prayed for the Lord to keep me from evil, for I know that the consequences of falling into sin can be very severe. The Lord heard my prayer,how do I know?well He answered me as I was reading a daily reading, it read ,'The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;He shall preserve your soul', Psalm 121 v 7 . In Philippians 1 v 6,we read,'being confident of this,that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus'. God will finish what He started, He is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy. To the only wise God our Saviour be glory ,majesty,power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages,now and for evermore!Amen. (Jude 24-25)</p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-816555352974396542024-03-11T05:37:00.000+00:002024-03-11T05:37:56.416+00:00Worthless no, Unworthy yes.( Romans 5 v 8)<p>I was praying and I said to God,'thank you for all I mean to you,words fail me to express what you mean to me'.You loved me when I didn't love you,and you continue to love me and treat me as a loving heavenly Father. Nothing I could do to deserve your great love ,I was the prodigal that went away from you,and when I turned back to you ,you did not reject me,and turn me away,no ,you welcomed me back with open arms. Many people could say what I am saying,and say it more perfectly,how God welcomed them home from their wanderings away from Him. The old hymn says,'Though millions have come there's still room for one,there is room at the cross for you'.As long as this day of grace lasts there is always hope, there is a God who wants to restore you if you are a backslider,or if you are unsaved, to save you.If today you hear His voice don't harden your heart ,oh yes, God is speaking,remember you are not worthless, God values you in your unworthy state,how much does He value you?.Well someone has said,We can never diminish a person worth,for the King of Glory loves that person infinitely'.Look to the cross,look to the cross,see Jesus the sinless one,who left heaven to die on that cross,The hymn writer asks the question,'Alas! and did my Saviour bleed? 'And did my Saviour die? Would He devote that sacred head,for such a worm as I?. yes,Was it for sins that I had done,He groaned upon the tree?Amazing pity! grace unknown ! and love beyond degree!'</p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-78586820687411685842024-03-10T06:02:00.000+00:002024-03-10T06:02:37.250+00:00The Church. ( Hebrews 10 v 19 - 25 )<span style="font-size: medium;">John Stott states the following,'Some people construct a Christianity which consists entirely of a personal relationship to Jesus Christ and has virtually nothing to do with Church. Others make a grudging concession to the need for church membership, but add that they have given up the ecclesiastical institution as hopeless'. In Ephesians 5 v 25 we read,'Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her'.Paul who wrote those words writes in 2 Corinthians 11 of the great trials he had experienced,but then he adds,'Beside everything else,I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches'. Often those who leave the church are very critical of the church they have left,as they no longer identify with the Church.There are many people who stop meeting with their local church,it is Philip Yancey who has written a book called ,'Soul Survivor', He writes,'How my faith survived the Church'.We may have differences within the church but it does not give us the right to forsake the church.Jesus our Saviour tells the church that He will not forsake them,so we should not forsake the Church in fact we are clearly told that we are not to give up meeting together (Hebrews 10 v25 ) We are all individuals, but we are all part of the body of Christ,the church needs us and we need the Church. John Stott says three things about the church.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> The church is central to history.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> The church is central to the gospel.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> The church is central to Christian living.</span></div>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-37229737072540730032024-03-09T05:46:00.000+00:002024-03-09T05:46:48.173+00:00He will take care of you. ( Psalm 23)<p> Often when preparing a word an old hymn comes flooding back to me,such was the case recently,I was studying Psalm 37, a Psalm by David,it starts with these words,'Do not fret because of evildoers',the word fret has a meaning of anger , David was angry , displeased with wrongdoers.So what does he say we should do? bring God into the situation,God will deal with them. He also seeks to reassure the believers that God would look after them and provide for them and their families.Verse 25 reads,'I have been young and now I am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken , or his descendants begging bread.So I return to that hymn that came flooding back to me,words by C.D.Martin.</p><p> Be not dismayed what'er betide ,God will take care of you!</p><p> Beneath His wings of love abide,God will take care of you!</p><p> Though days of toil when heart doth fail, God will take care of you!</p><p> All you may need He will provide,God will take care of you!</p><p> Trust Him,and you will be satisfied,God will take care of you!</p><p> Lonely or sad,from friends apart,God will take care of you!</p><p> He will give peace to your aching heart,God will take care of you!</p><p> No matter what may be the test,God will take care of you!</p><p> Lean weary on upon His breast,God will take care of you!</p><p><br /></p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-82831448033002077792024-03-08T05:50:00.000+00:002024-03-08T05:50:20.563+00:00Hoarded resources. ( James 4 v 6 )<p>A couple in the church I attend have just lost their son,he was in his forties,I have known the family for a long time.The thing a the lad Simon at an early age had to have a kidney transplant,was also a special needs person. So his parents had to give him a lot of care and at times that was challenging but they loved him dearly,the couple had a daughter,and she supported her parents as best she could. I would just say that Simon held down a part time job for a number of years and even learned to drive a car,but he still needed a lot of looking after.This death will affect them for a long time, death has that effect on many people, loss of a loved one can be exceedingly heartbreaking, the question is how does one cope?,human resources can only go so far in helping. So what is the answer?, the grace of God,Romans 16 v 20. speaks of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.We are saved by God's grace,but it does not stop there, He grants us grace everyday.God granted Paul grace with his affliction,that meant the strength to endure it. In 2 Corinthians 12 v 9, we read these words ,'My grace is sufficient for you',yes for you,what ever trial you are going through,He will by His grace ,grant you the strength to help you through.Annie Johnson Flint wrote the following,'</p><p> 'He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,</p><p> He sendeth more strength as our labours increase;</p><p> To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,</p><p> To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.</p><p> When we have exhausted our store of endurance,</p><p> When our strength has failed ere the day has half done,</p><p> When we reach the end of our hoarded resources</p><p> Our Father's full giving is only begun.'</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p> </p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-56409178387357261222024-03-07T05:44:00.000+00:002024-03-07T05:44:36.949+00:00He makes all the difference.( Romans 8 v 31 - 39 )<p> Writing on Psalm 44 Scroggie declares ,'Deity makes all the difference in a difficulty',just think that as we face today we are not on our own.As Moses faced the challenge of leading Israel God assured him that His presence would go with them. ( Exodus 33 v 14).When David faced Goliath,he declared the Lord was with him (1 Samuel 17 v 46.When Paul was a prisoner he tells us that everyone deserted him but then he adds,'But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength', the Lord was with him. (2 Timothy 4 v16 -17)The Lord being with them made a difference to them ,and it will make a difference to us,one could say they were special people,so they received preferential treatment, not so,their status is our status we are children of God .The Lord is with us as He was with them, oh yes they had greater gifts than us,God used them in mighty ways,but that does not make us nobodies or inferior in God's eyes.Everyday we can rejoice that God is with us, and means everything,you and I are the apple of God's eye.So let us be strong and courageous, let us not be afraid,let us not be discouraged,never forget that the Lord is with us wherever we go.( Joshua1v9.)</p><p> 'Behold what manner of love the</p><p> Father has bestowed on us, that</p><p> we should be called children of</p><p> God.' (1 John3 v 1)</p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>0</p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-35336477359222963442024-03-06T05:41:00.002+00:002024-03-06T05:41:27.616+00:00Amazing. (Ephesians 2 v 8)<p> There is one song I never get tired of hearing, its a song that touches many people,more than we realise, its 'Amazing Grace',written by John Newton,He wrote it out of his own experience ,he lived a very sinful life,and was bought to his senses by God,in the midst of a storm,when all seemed lost,it appeared a watery grave awaited him,and in desperation he cried unto God,and was delivered,not only from dying but without Christ and going to a lost eternity. Just before he died,a friend saw that he was struggling to say something,He leaned over to catch it,this is what he said,''My memory is almost gone, but I remember two things'',he whispered,feebly. ''That I am great sinner''. He paused to summon up his last breath, before finishing the sentence, .... And Christ is a great Saviour!'' Every believer can identify with John's experience, because we are all sinners ,and we all have a great Saviour, and we have all experienced the amazing grace of God.</p><p> 'Amazing grace ! how sweet the sound</p><p> That saved a wretch like me!</p><p> I once was lost,but now am found;</p><p> Was blind but now I see.'</p><p> John Newton</p><p><br /></p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-53243848368908267562024-03-05T06:11:00.000+00:002024-03-05T06:11:49.408+00:00He will answer. ( Isaiah 30 v19 )<p> In Psalm 65 v 2 we read ' O you who hear prayer',the NIV puts it this way,'You who answers prayer', no problem they compliment each other, CP 1 John 5 v 14-15.Scoggie writes ,'God heads and answers prayer,whether it be the silent supplication,or the vocal vow'.Take confidence from these words, God does answer prayer,so pray believing,trust Him as regards that problem,that need ,that decision, whatever, Isaiah 65 v 24 ,reads,'Before they call I will answer, while they are still speaking I will hear', Matthew Henry writes,'God will anticipate their prayers with the blessings of His goodness' .He may also delay ,we cannot dictate to God,but rest assured He will answer,in His time.William Cowper wrote the following.</p><p> 'What various hindrances we meet in coming to the mercy seat!</p><p> Yet who that knows the worth of prayer, but wishes to be often there.</p><p> Prayer makes the darkened cloud withdraw; prayer climbs the ladder</p><p> Jacob saw;</p><p> Gives exercise to faith and love,brings every blessing from above;</p><p> Restraining prayer,we cease to fight;prayer makes the Christians </p><p> armour bright;</p><p> And Satan trembles when he sees,the weakest saint upon his knees;</p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-64136572321356281562024-03-04T05:24:00.000+00:002024-03-04T05:24:35.670+00:00Two Extremes. ( Matthew 1 v 21- 22)<p>When I think of God and humanity I see two extremes,in Psalm 8 David asks this question,'When I consider the heavens the work of your fingers,the moon and the stars,which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them .William Macdonald writes the following,'Relatively speaking,the planet earth is a speck of dust in the universe. If this is so,what is a single man perched upon this planet? Yet God is interested in every individual!He has a personal, intimate concern for every human being'.It is amazing to think that,yet it is true,these two extremes exist,on one hand you have the being of God and in the other hand you have man. In Isaiah 40 v 18 we read,' With whom, then will you compare God?',the fact is there is no being that you compare with God ,no one.God in His fulness is beyond our power to comprehend,humanity in their foolishness make idols and say this my God,poor blind wretched creatures that we are.God's ways are past finding out,His thoughts are beyond our thoughts.No wonder the Psalmist declares ,'What is human kind that you are mindful of Him?,but He is,that's the wonderful thing He is mindful of humanity, and that means you and me,it was Hagar who declared ,'You are the God who sees me'.(Gen 16 v 13).He has not forsake humanity, even though humanity has forsaken Him.(Romans 3 v 11-12).Our dear Lord Jesus who is truly God and truly Man came into this world to seek and save you and me,but there was at a great cost ,that involved Him dying on a cross that our sins might be forgiven,that's a great mystery . In that act on Calvary He was declaring,that He not only sees us,and cares for us,He loves us personally.</p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-36862231840041100942024-03-03T05:44:00.000+00:002024-03-03T05:44:56.024+00:00Forgive .( Matthew 5 v 43 -48/ 6 v14- 15)<p> An awful lot of terrible things can happen in life,to awful to even contemplate,and yet it happens,and yet we are told to forgive.Every day people pray the Lord's prayer,possible not really thinking about what they are saying especially when they come to the words,'Forgive us our sins,for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.' ( Luke 11 v 4).It is easy for all of us to say those words,but to put them into practice that's another matter,we have examples in the the Bible of people doing terrible things,an example of that is in the life of Joseph. His brothers hated him to the point that they wanted to kill him,they were serious about it,he was the favourite son of Jacob,it is very worth while to read the life of Joseph .( Genesis 37 -50)You may know the story. His brothers did him wrong didn't kill they sold him into slavery,that was bad enough but his troubles did not stop there a wicked woman accused him of trying to rape her,she was angry that he had rejected her advances,so he was wrongfully imprisoned,.At no point do we hear Joseph crying out for vengeance.Instead when it was in his power to punish these people he forgave them.Of course the greatest example of forgiveness is shown by Christ whom we crucified.And yet in the midst of all that awfulness we hear our Saviour saying,'Father forgive them,for they do not know what they were doing'. (Luke 23 v34 ) One person has said the following,' Others may have in their hearts the unforgiving spirit; others may sin in ignorance; but we know better; we are Christ's men and women; and we must forgive as He forgave'.</p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-33652806236193399312024-03-02T05:50:00.000+00:002024-03-02T05:50:48.261+00:00None righteous . ( Jeremiah 23 v 6/ 33 v16 )<p> In the epistle to the Romans chap 3, Paul writes as regards receiving the righteousness of Christ, let me just explain what that means,in Isaiah 64v 6,we read ,'But we are all as unclean thing,and all our righteous deeds are as filthy rags'.There is nothing we can do to make ourselves righteous in God's sight,no matter what we do in our unsaved state,it will never make us righteous in God's sight, we will always be unclean like the leper of old. Why?, because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, that includes the Jew and Gentile.v 22, in Gods sight there is no difference.So God does something wonderful when we trust Jesus as our Saviour He imparts Christ righteousness to us. The hymn writer sums it up like this,</p><p> 'Jesus ,Thy blood and righteousness</p><p> My beauty are,my glorious dress;</p><p> Midst flaming worlds,in these arrayed,</p><p> With joy shall I lift up my head.'</p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-35916181992668324692024-03-01T05:49:00.000+00:002024-03-01T05:49:04.509+00:00Failed ( 1 Corinthians 3 v 10 - 15 )<p> I was preaching recently , I had prepared as much as I could,but when I went to preach there was a moment when I lost my way a bit.No one appeared to notice it and they said how much they appreciated what I had said,but somehow their nice words did not change how I felt, I had failed and I confess I was discouraged.Of course the biggest critic of ones preaching is oneself,as I have said,I did all I could in preparation and prayed to God to bless my ministry. So often we loose the plot we forget that the bread and fish that fed the thousands,had first to be broken.God can take our brokenness,what we may think is a failure God can bless it.I am sure it will be a surprise to us on that day when what we have done will be evaluated,what will be burnt up and what will remain.It will not be what I think,or what others think,but what God thinks, He will test the quality of what we have done, so I rebuke myself,and leave him to judge the worth of what I have done.. I'm conscious that people may think I am talking about salvation by works,I'm not,works have no part in our salvation (Ephesians 2 v 8-9),it is the finished work on Christ that saves us.The works are a vital evidence that we are saved,and seemingly those works that we have mentioned, that stands God's test will receive a reward. ( 1 Corinthians 3 v 14)</p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-77625469398260449842024-02-29T05:54:00.000+00:002024-02-29T05:54:51.764+00:00Suffering and the will of God.( 2Corinthians 4 v17-18 )2<p>Let us follow on from last time and consider 1 Peter 4 v 19 which reads,'So then ,those suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful creator and continue to do good'.Consider the first part of this verse,'Suffering according to God's will', one may say,that cant be right, yes it is,God's purpose for Christ was suffering,our Saviour knew that, The hymn writer wrote ,'Every joy or trial, falleth from above',we like the first part as to the joy,but not the last part,the trials,but this is what we are being told can be the will of God for us.If we end up in prison for Christ ,we must see beyond the persecutors,to our sovereign God,and accept that it is part of His will for us.What should we do when we suffer according to God's will,we should do what our Saviour did, He glorified His Father ( John 17 v 1-5), we are to glorify God in everything,yes even in suffering.There is something else we should do,commit ourselves to our faithful creator,and continue to do good.A great example of that is seen in life of Joseph, when he ended up as a slave in Egypt,we read,'The Lord was with Joseph',(Genesis 39 v2) ,and when he was thrown into prison prison,we read,'The Lord was with Joseph',(Gen 39 v21)and he continued to do good. If we in the will of God are suffering,unjustly,we must not think He has left us,no He is a faithful creator,He is with us,and bear in mind that the suffering we may be experiencing are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us ( Romans 8 v18 )</p><p> 'Every joy or trial falleth from above</p><p> Traced upon our dial, by the Sun of love</p><p> We may trust Him fully,all for us to do,</p><p> They who trust Him wholly,find Him wholly true'.</p><p> Words Frances B. Havergal.</p><p> </p><p> </p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-28722532587680214022024-02-28T05:50:00.000+00:002024-02-28T05:50:08.103+00:00Suffering ( John 15 v18 - 25 ) 1<p>In 1 Peter 4 v 18 -19 ,we read ,'if it is hard for the righteous to be saved. what will become of the ungodly and the sinner. So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their Creator and continue to do good'.The church that these words were written to,were suffering ( 4 v12 -13) So lets consider them,what these verses mean,'if it is hard for the righteous to be saved,'Edmund Clowney writes the following,' The word for hard means ' with difficulty'; it does not imply uncertainty of the outcome but the difficulty of the road that leads to it.' There is a refining process taking place in every Christians life ,through the sufferings and trials which they will experience.(1 v 6-7 / Job 23 v 10), In 4 v 12,Peter tells them,'Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you'.Every day on Planet earth many of God's people are experiencing severe suffering,I read this recently ,'Around 45,000 believers have been killed by Islamists since 2009 in the North and middle belt of Nigeria'.If your a Christian in many countries you suffer, and that's a fact. Our Saviour said, 'in the world you should have tribulation,' (John 16 v 33) That word for tribulation can involve a multitude of things that comes to us in life,it comes with the territory,but our dear Saviour said,'But take heart! I have overcome the world'.In Romans 8 v37 we read,'In all these things( trouble,hardships or whatever) we are more than conquerors through Him(Jesus) who loved us'.</p><p> 'Through many dangers ,toils and snares</p><p> I have already come;</p><p> 'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far</p><p> And grace will lead me home'.</p><p> ( Words John Newton)</p><p><br /></p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-62858577244320230172024-02-27T05:36:00.000+00:002024-02-27T05:36:22.282+00:00Thy will be done. ( 1 John 5 v14 - 15 )<p>In Charles R. Swindles book .'The Mystery of Gods will ,there are two quotations , the first one is by Arthur Ashe a former professional tennis player who died from Aids he contacted during a blood transfusion, he was just 49,here is what he said,'' God's will alone matters, not my personal wants or needs.When I played tennis, I never prayed for victory in a match.I will not pray to be cured''.The next one is by Henri Nouwen which reads,'In many ways ,you still want to set your own agenda. You act as if you have to choose among many things,which all seem equally important.But you have not fully surrendered yourself to God's guidance. You keep on fighting with God over who is in control.' As a person who lost a young wife who died of cancer, I did pray that she may be healed,and so I hoped against hope she would be, yet I received a scripture just before she died ,that indicated she would die.The disciples did not believe that Jesus was going to die,even though He told them,but He did ,because it was the will of God.It is not wrong to pray for a particular thing,as long as we bow to the fact ,in the words of our Saviour,' Thy will be done'.</p><p> 'He always wins who sides with God;</p><p> To him no chance is lost;</p><p> God's will is sweetest to him</p><p> It triumphs at His cost.</p><p> I'll that He blesses is our good ,</p><p> And unblest good is ill;</p><p> And all is right that seem most wrong,</p><p> If it be His sweet will.' ( W B, Faber)</p><p><br /></p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-87177229137288095092024-02-26T06:05:00.000+00:002024-02-26T06:05:02.024+00:00Flee. ( Revelation 20 v 15)<p>In some stores one can read a notice which tells you,'When its gone its gone',it is referring to a sales item,if you want it, buy it now,for you wont be able to buy it at that price anymore. I have a favourite pair of shoes they are stylish and comfortable,I wear them occasionally,for the same shoes are no longer available,yes when its gone,its gone.Now let us consider something far more serious,in Psalm 90 written by Moses,we have these words, 'So teach us to number our days,That we may apply our hearts unto wisdom',(v 12) In this Psalm it deals with' our sin,life's brevity,and God's wrath'.(Scroggie) Lets consider those three things,first sin, a word that has gone out of fashion,in a secular country were mankind's moral values take first place,not God's.Sin is anything that is contrary to God's moral law,all unrighteousness is sinful,no matter how it is dressed up.The word of God makes it very clear what sin is, and as we will see,its has consequences.Next the brevity of life,we are told to consider how very important that is. we will all die sometime,Moses lived to 120 yet life at best is still very brief. Next let us consider God's wrath, many do not want to consider it,but it is a fact,heaven is real, hell is real.The word of God says after death there is judgement. ( Hebrews 9 v 27) In Ps 90v11 we read ,'Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve', Nome of us can grasp God's wrath and its fulness ,it is something we need to fear (Matthew 10v 28)The only way we can escape God's wrath is by trusting Jesus for salvation, if we die here without having our sins forgiven,they will not be forgiven or overlooked by a holy God,only judgement awaits the unforgiven ,of that we can be sure.Likewise if we trust Jesus heaven awaits us</p><p> 'The soul that sins shall die!</p><p> My awful doom I heard;</p><p> I was forever lost!</p><p> But for Thy gracious word,</p><p> That ; whosoever will believe</p><p> Shall everlasting life receive.'</p><p> Words A T .Pierso</p><p> </p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-32887799786785256882024-02-25T06:04:00.000+00:002024-02-25T06:04:15.155+00:00No guarantees. ( John 11 v25 )<p> A lady who is tetraplegic who broke her neck in a riding accident in 2010, writes a column in a news paper every week gives an honest record how she copes,she's very brave, and one has to admire her,and of course I pray for her,she is not a Christian ,but who knows,yes who knows.Here is part of what she wrote in her column recently.'Like most people, when I was healthy,I happily wrapped myself in expectations. You assume you will at least live as long as your parents, that you will remain happy and active until at some great age you will slip away in your sleep,brains and joints fully intact.But there are no guarantees. ' The heading on her column reads,' Just let me get to 70,please, and l'll be ever so grateful'. Yes there are no guarantees,that she will reach 70,there are no guarantees for anyone ,our days are numbered and it's God who is doing the numbering.Psalm 31 v 15,declares,'My times are in your hands'. It is Spurgeon who says on this,''My times are in Thy hand ''- the hand of my Saviour' .These are wonderful words ,Herbert Lockyer wrote,'How slow we are to learn that His hand holds all our times!'I often take encouragement from the words of a hymn by John Ryland, 'Plagues and deaths around me fly; Till He bids,I cannot die; Not a single shaft can hit,Till the God of love sees fit'.It is wonderful to know that when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we need fear no evil,for Christ will be with us whenever that will be.</p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-47092290560187644632024-02-23T05:51:00.000+00:002024-02-23T05:51:18.133+00:00The word of God. ( 2 Peter 3 v 1 -14 )<p> Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a fugitive?,well if one studies the life of David you will get the idea.It all took place during the reign of king Saul Israel's first king, His reign started well but he began to act in ways that didn't please the prophet Samuel or God.In 1Samuel 13 v 14,we read that he was going to be replaced by someone else,he was not told who that would be.So you can imagine how he felt ,he must have always been looking over his shoulder,thinking is he the one .God's replacement was to be David ( 1 Samuel 16)When David came on the scene he became a super star,and it came to a head when his fan club started to sing,with words that pierced Saul's heart Cp 1Samuel 18 v7. Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'.Immediately Saul became angry and suspicious that this young man David was going to replace him, and he was right,and so began the reason that David became a fugitive .Saul was not going to give up his throne,from that moment on he sought to kill him David.He never would succeed although he would try time and time again to do so ,God's word would be fulfilled,David would become king,Gods word will always be fulfilled,nothing can stop the purposes of God. Before our Saviour died and rose again,and ascended to heaven,He declared to His disciples,'I will come back and take you to be with me'.(John 14 v 3),we do not know when,but it will happen, let us live in light of that great and wonderful event.</p><p> 'He's coming soon,He's coming soon,</p><p> With joy we welcome His returning,</p><p> It may be be morn,it may be night or noon,</p><p> We know He's coming soon.'</p><p> Words Thoro Harris.</p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3187600332181761146.post-77779754934238886642024-02-22T05:56:00.000+00:002024-02-22T05:56:32.160+00:00Don't run away. ( Psalm 50 v 15 )<p> Scroggie calls, Psalm 55'An Ode of the Oppressed' it is a Psalm by David, who is in dire straits, so David did what he often did, turned to prayer. It was a desperate prayer for a desperate situation and it is in those situations the prayerless pray, there is some truth in the saying,'There are no atheists in foxholes'. But David wasn't an atheists he was a man of God and a man of prayer,well how does he feel in this desperate situation?.After all he was a mighty warrior, a man after God's heart, we have a very honest record as to how he felt.Here are some of the words that describe how he felt, 'troubled ,distraught,anger,anguish ,horror,trembling'.In light of that, he says,'Oh ,that I had wings of a dove, I would fly away and be at rest',and more words to that effect.Let us take our eyes of even godly people,and let us be honest there are times that we are overwhelmed by the problems we face,and we just cry like David,I want to be out of this,I need a rest I can't bear it no more.But then David changed his focus, and bringing to his God all those who were causing him such pain. Yes it may seem easy to flee,but as Scroggie says,'it is rarely noble'.So he stands his ground,an example to all of us,to not give up the fight,and tells us to do this very important thing,'Cast our cares on the Lord,and He will sustain us; He will never let the the righteous be shaken'v 22. He ends the Psalm with these profound words,' But as for me,I trust in You'.</p><p> 'What a friend we have in Jesus,</p><p> All our sins and griefs to bear;</p><p> What a privilege to carry .</p><p> Everything to God in prayer.'</p><p> Words Joseph Scriven.</p>bill heasleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980472347291038997noreply@blogger.com0