Fellowship ( John 15 v 34-35)

Hebrews 10 v25 reads,'Not giving up meeting together,as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching'.These words tell us that there were those who were in the habit of not meeting with other believers.Isolating one's self from believers is detrimental to oneself and to fellow believers. One of the reasons given  for meeting together is that we can encourage one another.People stop meeting with believers for different reasons,someone has hurt them in the church,so they  withdraw nursing that hurt,not forgiving those who hurt them.When Dietrich Bonhoeffer was arrested and imprisioned by the Nazies,he said what he missed most was the fellowship of fellow believers.As Christians we need each other,we need their prayers,their encouragement,their friendship,and likewise they need ours.

                                                             'Blest be the tie that binds 

                                                             Our hearts in Christian love;

                                                             The fellowship of kindred minds

                                                              Is like to that above.

                                                              We share our mutual woes,

                                                               Our mutual burdens bear

                                                               And often for each other flows

                                                               The sympathising tear'             ( Words John Fawcett)

                                                             

                                                              

                                                                 

Use me. ( Ephesian 2 v10)3

We have  considered the following prayers,'Help me', 'Guide me', not let us consider ,'Use me'.There is hymn writtenby Elsie D.Yale I will leave that with you.

                                      ( 1)      'There's a work for Jesus,ready at your hand ,

                                                  'Tis a task the Master just for you has planned

                                                  Haste to do His bidding,yield Him service true;

                                                  There's a work for Jesus,none but you can do.

                                      (2)       There's a work for Jesus,humble though it be,

                                                   'Tis the very service,He would ask of thee.

                                                    Go where fields  are whitened,and the labourers few;

                                                    Ther's a work for Jesus none but you can do.

                                               

                                              

Guide Me! ( 1 John 5 v 14-15) 2

 Let us consider the next short prayer ,'Lord lead me', a very simple prayer,prayers don't have to be long,God answers short praayers,he answers long prayers also.In Galatians 5 v18 we have these words, 'Led by the Spirit',we need  the Spirit of God in relation to our prayers and how much we need Him to guide and direct us according to the will of  God. A very important verse in Romans 8 v 26 - 27 we are told .'In the same way,the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for,but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And  He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God'. It is the great apostle who writes these words.He prayed for so much, but  there was a time he prayed to be healed of an affliction,and it didn't happen 2 Cor 12.William Hendriksen writes as regards the Holy Spirit interceding  for us,'The Holy Spirit's intrrcession reminds us rather of a mother kneeling at the bedside of her ailing child,and in her prayer presenting that child's needs to the heavenly Father'

Help me. (Psalm 121) 1

Here are three short prayers,'Help me! Guide me!Use me!let us consider these 3 things ,'Help.me'  The Beatles  sang a song  which started of  with the words Help me  ,yes it is a  prayer, Psalm 121is one of  seven  Psalms sung by pilgrims as they ascended up to Jerusalem to the temple. The opening verse reads,'I lift up my eyes to the mountains does my help  come from there?why does he mention the mountains?in Jeremiah 3 v 23 we read ,'Truly ,in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills,and from the mulitude of mountains'.Often the high hills and mountains where the place where false gods where worshipped to feel closer to their deities.And so verse two of Ps121 reads 'No,my strength comes from God ,who made heaven ,and earth, and the mountains'.The world is full of god's who are not god's,billions of people are looking to these god's.  William Plumer writes that .'He is alone is all sufficent.Men and angels,means  and instruments,the united powers of earth,and the wisdom of all creatures are as nothing compared with God. We are never safe till,ceasing from man, whose breath is in his nostrils,we look to God alone'.

A bad ending. ( Colossians 4 v 17)

 At the time Israel was a divided kingdom ,ten tribes were called Israel,and two tribes were called Judah,let us consider one of Judahs  kings Asa,read about him in 1 Kings 15v9ff and in 2Chronicles 14-16. Asa reigned for 40yrs,he did many good things removing  much of the  idolatrous symbols and worship of foreign gods.It is sad to say the people God's people had continually turned away from him,and that brought dire consequences upon them. In 2 Chron Judah is faced witth a mighty army with 300 chariots.Before the battle began Asa prayed v11 here is what he prayed,he acknowledges his peoples weakness but also God's greatness,and they won the battle.God sent a man to speak to Asa  15v 2 here is what he said,'The Lord is with you when you are with him.If you seek him,he will be found by you,but if you forsake him,he will forsake you' Asa continued to do much good removing the idols from the land,he even removed his grandmother because she worshipped false God's.Alas in his last years when he  was with faced with an Israels army ,he did not seek the Lord but sought help from a foreign power. (chap 16) When challenged by a prophet he became angry and put him in jail and brutally oppressed some of his people.He later became ill but never sought the Lord to be healed.So what lessons do we learn from this,well godly people can change and not for the better.He silenced the voice of God ,when you do that you are in big trouble,Last but not least he stopped relying on God,he did it his way, not God's, and that's being very foolish.

Is it I Lord?( Isaiah 6 v 8)

 Our Saviour said 'You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the  earth.(Acts 1 v 8)and on the bases of that the Christian Church became had a mission.From that moment on vast amount of people have taken the gospel to the unsaved.We honour them for many of them paid with their lives ,like Jim Elliot and four others.Here is a the names of some who sought to obey the call of God ,and were faithful to the gospel,'G .Paton ,David Livingstone,Hudson Taylor,William Carey C'T'Studd,Mary Slessar,Gladys Alward,Eric Liddell.They are gone and their works do follow them, we honour their memory.So that leaves us,in the Olympic's of old the torchbearers pass the torch on,so Christians are also called to pass the torch on from generation to generation.The challenge is this, are we willing to take up that torch?  

                                              I,the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry,

                                                All who dwell in dark and sin,my hand will save.

                                        1,who made the stars at night, I will make their darkness bright.

                                                 Who will bear my light to them? whom shall I stand?

                                                                     Here I am,Lord,is it I lord?

                                                                 I have heard your calling in the night,

                                                                        I will go Lord,if you lead me,

                                                                    I  will hold your people in my heart.

                                                                              Words  Dan Schutte

                               

She asked me a question. ( Acts 1 v 8)

I was visiting my dentist and recieving treatment by the hygienus,  she asked me a question,are you a  Catholic or are you a Christian?.I suppose the bracelet I was wearing,which has a little cross on it,caused her to ask that question.We had a good conversation and I said I was a Christian,and I asked her was she a .Christian? I believe she is,but she is not very knowledgeable about spiritual matters ,and the moral boundries there are in being a Christian,In the brief time I had I pointed out somethings ,and before I left I asked could I pray for her ?,and she agreed ,so I prayed for her.Maybe you could pray for that dear girl.In 1Peter3 v15 we read, 'Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.But do this with gentleness and respect'.Let us remember that we are to be witnesses that is one of our callings, don't neglect your calling,more than ever people need to hear about Jesus..