Elijah ( James 5 v 13ff)

   I like Elijah that great prophet ,he prayed and rain stopped for three and a half years,and then he prayed again,and the rain fell.Then the great event on mount Carmel ,where he withstood against  450 false prophets,and challenged Israel to follow God. ( 1 Kings 18 v16ff)What a man, a great prophet, yes he was ,but listen he was a man,as James points out he was ,'Just like you and I' ,( James 5 v17) In 1Kings 19  we see the mighty prophet full of fear,lying under a bush wanting to die,here is what he prays,' I have had enough,Lord,take my life'.Is that you today? ,well God understood how he felt,and prepared a meal for him,and give him rest.Later on God spoke to him quietly,softly,and he assured him that there was still  a faithful remnant in Israel. God renewed Elijah,and still continued to use  him,until he took him home to glory.Don't put anyone on a pedestal,honour those who should be honoured,but remembering that they are imperfect human beings as you are, and I am. 'Keep in touch with God',Elijah kept praying to God,and God brought him through,he will do the same for you, and for me.

Lift them up ( Luke 10 v25ff)

 I recently watch a movie about President Roosevelt and his struggle with polio,it was a very lovely movie,I enjoyed it very much. PR went to a particular place where polio were being treated.,there he met other people who had polio,one could say they bonded together.There came a day when left the place he was being treated,but before he left he said this to the residents,''Do what you do best,lift one another up''I think that is a challenge to us all,how do we do that?.Their are many ways,by showing kindness,love, ,and going the extra mile.A man in Angola walked 200 kilometres to a hospital in Zambia,he was asked why he did that ?,he said,'The people here show patients love and respect'.It is a Christian hospital,surely every Christian should show respect and love,,to everyone.Dont always preach at people,but offer to pray with them,and if thay need help ,help them.But do witness to them when you have an opportunity,everyone needs Jesus,never forget that,think of the words of David in Psalm 40,speaking of God's goodness,'He lifted me out of a slimy pit,out the a mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock,and gave me a firm place to stand'.Yes that's what the gospel does ,it lifts people up.

Only Him.(1 Kings11 v 9 ff)

 It was said of the king of the Hungarians,when he became a Christian,was reproached by a monk for continuing to offer sacrifice ,'to various false god's', he cheerily  acknowledged that he was hedging his bets', When Paul visited Athens a place of many god's,he became distressed that the city was full of idols,he found out later that one idol was dedicated to the unknown god.they were hedging their bets,in other word they were  hedging there bets.in case they got it wrong.When Assyria conquered the 10 tribes (called Israel) they brought in people from other lands to repopulate Israel,and we read  that they worshipped the Lord,but they also served their own God's.  (2 Kings 17 v 33)Of course this goes against what God said in Exodus 20v 3,which reads .'You shall have no other God's before me' in Isaiah 45 v5 ,God declares ,'I am the Lord ,and there is no other; apart from me there is no God'. We  cannot hedge out bets,we cannot worship football ,money,clothes, sex,pop stars,film stars,political leaders,other religions etc.

                                                           'The dearest idol I have known,

                                                            Whatever that idol be,

                                                             Help me to tear it from Thy throne'

                                                             And worship only Thee'

                                                                           W. Cowper.

He cares (John 11 v 35)

 Most of us know what the book of  Job is about, a man who suffered greatly,a man who lost all his ten children,all his possessions,and his health. The book of Job tells us about the man,this is what it says,'This man was blameless,and upright (he was not sinless,/these are my words) he feared God and shunned evil' My what a godly man  he was,what a testimony he had.So why did he suffer? it's a good question,what's the answer,for God permitted him to go through this.If you read the book of Job ,the main charactors are ,first God,then his friends,the devil, his three fiends. There is one other person mentioned his wife ,it is interesting as to her reaction.remember she is hurting,she is grieving,someone has said this,'good people can and do get angry'.pray for people who are grieving,  yes Christians get angry,even with God. One writer comments,' Job's  desperate plight provokes his to wife cry out,'Are you still holding  unto your integrity? Curse God  and die! (2 v 9) Yes Job was hurting dreadfully, and he rebuked his wife for saying that,'He replied ,'You foolish woman . Shall we accept good from God,and not trouble?'. Job a very spiritual man recognises that God has allowed these things to come into his life,for God is sovereign,there are no second causes,the hymn writer wrote ,'Every joy or trial falleth from above'whatever God permits painful things to come into our lives,He has a purpose,and it is loving purpose.There was moment in a storm ,and Jesus was asleep,and to the disciples it appeared that he didn't care, and so they woke him,with these words,'Master , carest thou not that we perish'( Mk 4 v 38ff) Believe me he cares (1 Peter 5 v7)

He will lead (Exodus 13 v 21- 22)

 I went to visit someone recently,I thought I knew where she lived,but I was wrong,I hadn't brought my sat nav,so I got out of  my car  to ask someone,she couldn't speak English. I asked someone else and they used the google map.so off I went and still couldn't find it. I wearily walked back to my car, I spoke to God and said where is the cloud(The one that led Israel in the wilderness),and the monent I said that, I saw the place I was looking for. Was that a coincidence, some would say it was,let us remember there are no coincidences with God,possibly He was reminding me that He is my guide, not was,He is my guide now,and will be my guide tomorrow and all my tomorrows, God guarantees that for all His children, the hymn writer say's . Can I doubt His tender mercy,who through life has been my guide?

                                                      'I will insruct you and teach

                                                      you in the way you should go'

                                                                 Psalm32 v8

The word of God ( 2 Timothy 3 v 14-17)

 In the autumn of 1526, Cuthbert Tunstall ,the Bishop of London had a large bonfire in which he burned as many copies of   William Tyndale's NT as he could ccontain.It appears a strange thing to do,why did he do that ?,well there were a number of reasons,such as a 'Fear of heresy  and misinterpretation: Catholic authorities believed that putting the Bible directly into the hands of ordinary people without clerical guidance would lead to false  teachings'.The Catholic Church has until recently discoursged people from reading the Bible.An elderly friend of mine who was a Catholic asked his priest why RC's were forbidden  to read the Bible,he replied ,'When people read the Bible they become  Protestants'.   One may smile at this but there is a degree of truth in those words.  Psalm 119 v130 reads,' The entrance of your words;it gives understanding to the simple',one person comments,'  It makes deep wisdom and guidance to ordinary,teachable,or humble people,regardless of human status or high scholarship'.

                                                         'Read and understand God's word   

                                                          it brings great reward'                                                                                   

The unchaging one (Hebrews 13 v8)

I opened a little book I  had, and read,'God is not the great I was',no he's not,he is the same yesterday ,today and tomorrow.The greatest people are yesterdays people,they are just a memory,we can rattle of their names,their greed, deeds,but they are gone,we can look at their graves, but they are gone, as one day we will be.Let us think about God,In Exodus 3 where Moses had an encounter with God,who spoke to him from a bush,God was sending him. to bring his people out of Egypt.Moses asked God what his name and he replied,'I Am ,who I Am'Tell the people,''I am has sent me to you.'' I  Am' has the meaning of being eternal and unchanging.Yes he is not the great ''I was''.I remember listening on Utube to a Muslim  who challenged those present to tell him when did Christ say he was God. I would like to give you an answer,in John 8 v 53 Jesus was asked by the Jews,'Who do you think you are?',in v 56ff' 'Jesus said,'Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.'they replied,'You are not yet fifty years old,'....And you have seen  Abraham!,and Jesus replied,' Very truly I tell you ,before Abraham was born,I am'.

The Bible ( Psalm 119 v105 )

 There are people who have great knowledge and understanding,now I am not in that catagoria,I could read from an early age ,and we were taught the times tables example,=5and 5 equals 10.I do not remember in having interest in much that was taught in school. I remained through my school days in the lower levels.The result being, it didn't help one in to get a decent job,many were like that in those days, becoming a Christian did change my Life,I found something that gripped me, it was the Bible. As I went on  in my Christian life l studed the Bible,going to Bible college helped a great deal. godly men taught us,and one bought commentaries on the books of the  Bible ,which I still use.My advice to you is, read your Bible, get to know it ,and to understand it. Don't just rely on preachers,good and all as they are, one sermon a week is not enough,get all the helps you can on the books of the Bible,and if you do you will grow in  knowledge of  the Bible,but don't make just a head knowledge,let it touch your heart,and you will grow spiritually.

                                                                  ' The word of God'

                                                               'Read it ,study it,obey it'

Very important words ( Proverbs 4 v 20 -21)

 It was a wonderful wedding,the biggest one I've ever been at,one of my grandsons was getting married,they are  both Christians,After they became man and wife we all sat down for a meal,and then people were called to give a speech.It was lovely to listen to the speeches,many nice things were said,mixed with humour.I was not called to contribute,but if I had I would have said something of very great importance to my dear grandson and his dear wife,in fact it is of utmost importance for every Christian to hear,'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths' (Proverbs 3 v 5-6 )

The importance of prayer ( Luke 18 v1ff)

How important is prayer to you? is it only an emergence service?,lets turn to the book of Daniel,Daniel was in exile,but he and his three friends were promoted to high office.Let us think about Daniel,after King Belshazzar was overthrown by King Darius,Daniel was promoted to high office ,other ministers sought to  remove him from power.They could find no fault with him,so this is what they did,they went to the King and convinced him to pass a law that forbid anyone to to pray to any god except to the king,for thirty days,it also stipulated that if anyone disobeyed, they would be thrown into a den of lions. When Daniel learned about it, he went to his room,got down on his knees  and prayed, it was his custom to pray three times a day.The other ministers reported to the king how Daniel was praying,and he should be executed, the king could do nothing about it,and reluctantly agreed to it.So let us come back to the question I asked at the beginning,'How important is prayer to you?.

                                                          'We perish if we cease from prayer

                                                           O grant us power to pray'

My way or God's way? ( Psalm 118 v 14)

 Frank Sinatra most popular song was ,'I did it my way',I did read once he was fed up singing it,it is and was a very popular song, it is played at funerals a lot.It could be seen as the national anthem of unbelievers,it is a statement of man's independance from God.It rings very hollow when you hear it often enough,as a Christian I acknowledge my dependance on God,the more we  rest in God the better for us. Jesus said apart from me you can do nothing.  (John 15 v 5) It was the apostle Paul who said,I can do all things through him who gives me strength (Phil 4 v 13)It was God's grace that sustained him in all his weakness,we read these words that God spoke to him ,' My grace is sufficient for you,for my power is made perfect in weakness.' (2 Cor 12 v 9).Think of what he  accomplished in his life time,how ? by relying on God ,he was a man of great learning,but he still depended on God,and so must we,and whatever are calling in life may be,he will be with us, in the fulfillment of it.

Home truths. ( James 3 v 1 -12)

 I'm sure we all have heard the saying ,'Home truths'.it means simply telling someone something they are blind to,or do not want to hear.Some people do it to hurt someone,or destroy them,they don't speak in love to that person,more that likely to humilitate them,it is not the Christian way.In Colossians 4 v6  we read, Let your speech always be with with grace,seasoned with salt,' One comment on these words goes,' Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation,nor put them down, not cut them out'.Someone I admire is John Lennox,who publicly speaks with Richard Dawkins,and Christopher Hitchens in defence of Christianity,he is always very gracious ,not in anyway seeking to humiliate them.It is important to remembering we are not there to win the argument at all costs.The greatest example of gracious speaking was Jesus. They said of Jesus,'No one ever spoke like this man,'( John 7 v 46).And in Luke 4 v22 we read,'So all bore witness to Him,and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded  out of  His mouth'.May we be given grace to be more like Jesus,when we speak.

Love ( 1John 3 v1-3)

John Denver wrote a lovely song,called ,'Perhaps Love',three of the verses start as follows,'Perhaps love is like a resting place,A shelter from the storm/ Perhaps love is like a window,Perhaps an open door/ Perhaps love is like the ocean,Full of conflict ,full of pain'.It is a nice to listen to,but it is a bit ambiguous,in other words it is not very clear,nothing challenging.Much in all as I like the song it leaves much more to be said,so where do we turn to? and the answer is the Bible,do you know that God is love,(1 John 4 v 8) what a profound statement.Not only is he love. he loves in the most wonderful way,one just has to look at the cross,that is the greatest manifestation of love one can imagine,as the hymn writer puts it,'The love of God is greater far,than tongue or pen can ever tell; it goes beyond the highest star,And reaches to the lowest hell; Could we with ink the ocean fill,and were the skies of parchment made;Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade; To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry,Nor could the scroll contain the whole,Tho stretched from sky to sky.'Yes it is beyond our comprehension,it is a love that reaches out to the world,but it is a personal love,as the apostle declared,'I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me' (Galatians 2 v 20)

Misfortune ( Psalm 30 v 5)

A Russian composer wrote a piece of music ,and called it,'I carried my misfortune',I'm sure many people could say that, it reminds me of words from Les Miserables ,'There's a grief that can't be spoken, There's a pain that goes on and on'.I was talking to a lady whose brothers wife had died,she was 91,they had been married 61 years,and he is struggling to cope.Yes there are so many people carrying misfortunes around with them, the Christian  is no different,and yet there is a difference,there is one who walks with us, his name is Jesus I like what he said to his disciples and to us also,'Lo I am with you always' (Matthew 28 v 20)  and he really cares for us,in all our misfortunes,all our sorrows,all all our losses. Though we walk through the darkest valley he is with us,we are not alone.May he grant unto us in our times of misfortune a abuntant measure of his grace,peace and love.

                                                            'In every pang that rends the heart

                                                             The man of sorrows has a part,

                                                             He sympathizes  with our grief,

                                                             And to the sufferer sends relief'

The will of God ( 2 Corinthians 12 v 7-10)

 Have you ever hoped and prayed for a miracle?at this time a dear friend of mine needs a miracle,I  do pray  for him,asking God ,and this is the most important point ,if it is God's will that he would heal him,John 5 v14-15 reads 'This is the confidence we have  in approaching God:that if we ask anything in according to his will,he hears us.And if we know that he hears us  whatever we ask we know that we have what we asked of him'.William Barclay wrote the following,'We are so apt to think that prayer is asking God  for what we want,whereas true prayer is asking  God for what He wants'.There is a great deal of wisdom in these words, remember what our Saviour  prayed in the garden just before he was betrayed,'My Father if it is possible,may this cup be taken from me',here was Jesus overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death'.and in his humanity he was not just asking  that he would he would not have to go through the terrible suffering he was going to experience,no he went on to pray,'Yet not as I will,but as you will' ( Matthew 26 v39)No human being would want to suffer what Jesus  suffered,remember he was truly a man and all that means,Paul writes in 2 Cor 13 v 4,'He was crucified in weakness'. Jesus came with the sole purpose of doing the will of God in all his weakness, but he triunphed over his weakness and boldly went on to fulfill his calling to be the Lamb of God ,that taketh away the sins of the world

                                                                'Thy will be done'

Doing good ( Matthew 5 v 16)

I take an interest in the work of 'The missionary aviation fellowship',they work in 24 countries,and have about 124 airplanes operating in those countries.They are a Christian humanitarian organization,they do so much good,but they also work with churches,and seek to spread the gospel.Papua New Guinea is their largest programine with a fleet of 14 aircraft.I just read an article how the power of the gospel transformed two waring tribes,that today former enemies are running  a church -run   health service work. The gospel means good news to a very needy world,people come to know Christ as their Saviour,and become new creations,they are better people.As Christians we are told that we should do good works,(Ephesians 2 v 10) That's what MAF are doing,and many other organizations are doing,and if we are Christians that's what we should be doing.

A new world coming. ( Revelation 21 v 1 )

 In Romans 8 v 22- 27 we have the word groaning mentioned three times,the first one relates to creation as it where groaning like a woman in child -birth for the new creation.When sin entered into this world everything  changed for the worst.W .Hendriksen writes,'Creation is subject to arrested development and constant decay,though it aspires,it is not able fully to achieve'. Paul writes of it being frustrated,but in verse 21 he writes of creation being liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.Again as WH writes ,'Natures destiny is intimately linked up with that of''the sons of God''A great day is coming  when all that is wrong with creation will be totally changed.Calvin says these groans are birth-pangs,not death panges' Our Saviour in Rev21 v5 proclaims ,'I am making everything new' that includes creation.

                                                           'There is an new world coming'

I will follow Him. ( Matthew 7 v13-14)

I was being shown the way to my bedroom in the hotel in which I was staying and the young lady said,'Follow me', it was then quietly ,I sung a few lines from the 'I will follow Him' song. I then asked her was she following Jesus?,she  said she wasn't,and then I said ,you should be.This may sound strange to some people but everybody should follow him. The question is why?firstly if you are not following Jesus,you are on the broad road to destruction,it is a broad road,many choose that road,it appears an easy road,but its not,it's a road where there are so many pitfalls,so many dangers,The end of that road leads to destruction, that does not mean we cease to exsist,no, our soul never dies,so for ever and ever our soul continues to exsist in a a state of awfulness,there is no escape,no way out ,no hope,no happiness,no joy,. only a weeping and wailing,intense grief and unending sorrow.I don't want anyone to go there,God dosen't either.and so He sent Jesus into the world to save them,but alas so few follow him,so few,so why don't you trust him to be your Saviour.

Are you listening? (Hebrews 12 v 25)

 I'm sure you have said,or you have heard how people in frustration say,'Your not listening',let us lift it to a higher level,God knows all about people not listening,his people,time after time he spoke to them and they did not listen.God continually spoke to His people,and unfortionately they refused to  listen,he pleaded with them,beseeching them to listen ,but they would not listen. Here is an example,from the prophet Zechariah he had returned from exile in Babylon,and ministered to the people in Jerusalem. In 7 v8ff it starts with him receiving a word from God  to his people,God exhorted his people to 'Administer true justice,show mercy and compassion to one another.Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,the foreigner or the poor.Do not plot evil against one another'.Very reasonable but here is God's reply,'But they refused to pay attention,stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears'.These words were spoken to Israel before the exile,time after time still they would not listen.So God says,'When they called, I would not listen.'Not only would he would not listen,he poured out judgement upon them,very servere judgement.Just recently I have witnessed to a number of people,one in particular,a man who has turned away from God.I did not say much to him,other than he had a choice,like him we all have a choice,if we turn away God ,won't listen to him,there is consquences,so if today you hear his voice ,harden not your heart.

Only one God.( John 10 v 30)

 What can we say about God ?in Psalm 103 v 8  reads,'The Lord is compassionate and gracious,slow to anger,abounding in love'.People appear to ignor these words,and indeed reject what they would call the God of the OT,as if the NT is proclaiming a different God,and of course that's not true.There is only one God  there is none other cp Isaiah 45  v5-6 ,/14/18/21/22. chap 46 v9,47 v10.There is not two god's ,there is only one God,his nature is the same in the NT as it is in the OT.The God who is compassionate in the OT,was compassionate in the person of Jesus who was God manifest in the flesh '1 Timothy 3 v 16/ John 1 v1/v14'.These words were written by John,who also recorded the confession by Thomas ,who called Jesus God and Lord ( John 20 v28.) As for Jesus the writers of the gospels ,wrote how compassionate he was Cp Matthew 9 v36-38/Mark 6 v34/ Luke 7 v13/ John 11 v35.As God in the OT is gracious we read in John 1 v17 we read ,'Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.We leave it at that,what I have written ,hopefully will show you that there is only one God  in the whole of the Bible.