Pressure. [ Philippians 4 v 6 - 9 ]

Years ago we used to have a pressure cooker, I heard of people who would not have one because they were afraid of it blowing up, but on the one we had there was a saftey valve, so our one never blew up. It seems to me that for many life is like a pressure cooker , financial pressures, employment pressures, the list goes on, what can we do ?, explode with anger, and frustration ?,we may, but let me tell you of a better way. Go to God, and tell Him how you feel, bring all those things that are putting you under pressure, tell Him everything, and ask Him to help. The bible continually tells us that God hears us when we pray to Him, so today pray to Him, He will help you to bear the pressures of life, and He grant you the grace you need, read Psalm 23, meditate on it, pray over it. [Dear God so often we feel under pressure, so many things crowding in upon us, we ask that You may help us, through these times, by Your grace, we ask this in the name of Jesus Amen ]

Change [ 1 Corthians 6 v 9 - 11 ]

I watched a TV program last night, about two men who bought a lion cub from Harrods,and for a year they brought it up in their flat in London, but them it was taken to Kenya and eventually released into the wild. As I watched this program I was reminded of a scripture in Isaiah 11 were we read how, / the lion shall eat straw like the ox [v 11 ],some see this scripture as referring to Christs thousand reign on earth in the future, but it speaks to me of that transformation that takes place when a person trusts Christ as their Saviour, in 2 Corinthians 5 v17 we read,/ that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone, a new life has begun/. There is an old gospel hymn which goes,/ What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought since Jesus came into my heart/. [ Dear God thank for Your son Jesus who saves us and changes us. Amen ]

The wrecking process. [ Psalm 40 v1- 3 ]

Oswald Chambers wrote the following, / You may often see Jesus wreck a life before He saves it [Matthew 10 x34 ], I wonder what you think of those words?. People dont want to hear God from their comfort zone. The prophet Jeremiah had a two-fold ministry, [1]To uproot and tear down,destroy and overthrow. [2] To build up and plant. [ Jeremiah 1v10 ]. The sad thing is, so often ,we only look up, when we are down. It is so often that we only cry unto God, when we are at our lowest ebb , when we have come to an end of ourselves.We read these words in Psalm 130v1,/ From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help/, it is only when we come to an end of ourselves, and admit our need of Christ, can we ever be saved. So many will never be saved because they are not desperate enough,if God is wrecking your life it is not to destroy you, but rather to save you, He is waiting on you cry to Him in all your need and when you do He will save you. [Dear Lord Jesus help us to see that You love us, and desire to save us, help us not to resent the wrecking process in our lives, but rather to embrace and recieve Your love, through our tears, Amen.]

Songs in the night .[ Acts 16 v 22- 34 ]

We bought a new water feature for our garden, the pump is powered by a solar panel, it only works when the sun is shining it does not store energy, today is overcast, so it is not working. This reminds me of the old gospel song, which goes, / Anyone can sing when the sun is shining bright/,some of the most profound words in scripture were spoken by a man who had experienced great loss, he said,/the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord/. As we know ,life is not all sunshine, but we can still shine,consider two of Gods servants, Paul and Silas, they had been beaten, and thrown into prison, what did they do ? they prayed, and sang hymns, and God responded and set them free. In 2 Chronicles 20, Israel were facing what looked like certain defeat, king Jehoshaphat was filled with fear, so he prayed,the next day as Israel went out to face the enemy, he appointed singers, who sang the praises of God , and as they did, the Lord defeated the enemy, prayer, praise, the result victory, so why not try it.[ Dear God help us when it is difficult to pray and to praise You, and as we do grant us the victory in Jesus name we ask this Amen ]

I dont know what to do. [ Romans 12 v9 -16 ]

I dont know , should I cry or laugh? my two sides played yesterday, one won ,the other lost,sadness and gladness together. There is in life so much sadness , and so much gladness, in Romans 12v 15, we are exhorted to be happy with those who are happy,and weep with those who weep. A couple I know are going on a Caribbean cruise, it is easy to judge them, to feel resentment, or even envy, our Lord tells us not to judge [ Matthew 7 v 1], should we not rather do what the scripture says, to rejoice with them, I think so. Yesterday I met a dear brother , he seemed so glad to see me, he is self employed, but because of the times we live in ,work is scarce, he is struggling, there is so much sadness, and so many feel , no one cares, let us do what the scriptures tells us to do, to weep with those who weep, again let me add, stay away from judging others, just do what we are told to do, to be happy with those who are happy,and to weep with those who weep. [ Father unlike You we are not always happy with those who are happy, or weep with those who weep,forgive us in Jesus name Amen ]

Hold on [ Romans 8 v28 av ]

In Ephesians 3 v1 the apostle Paul wrote these significant words, /I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus/, at that time he was under arrest by the Roman authorites, my study bible says this,/Even though he was under arrest, Paul maintained his firm belief that God was in control of all that happened to him/. Today we may be tempted to despair of our circumstances, despair of those things that dont change, which we so desperaetly want to change, and nothing appears to be happening, we pray, and pray, and still no change. Well think of what Paul wrote, the prisoner of the the Lord Jesus, pray about it ,and let faith arise, and grasp and hold unto the truth, that you are not a victim, not forgotten , not insignificant, your times are in Gods hands, [Psalm 31 v15 av ], and that all things are working together for your good,[ Romans 8 v28 av ]. [Dear God there are things we struggle with, things we want to change, and nothing happens, help us to know Your peace, and help us to have faith in Your loving plan and purpose for our lives, we ask this in Jesus name Amen ]

Weakness [ 2 Corinthians 4 v 7- 18 ]

Salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit, we are but the messengers, as one witnesses to people about the Lord, one is made to realize more and more that salvation is of the Lord. We cannot save anyone , yes God will use us, our gifts, abilities, personalities, but in the end it is only the Spirit that can bring conviction, repentence, and faith.The glory must go to God, totally,we are as the apostle Paul wrote , but earthen vessels,a statement of weakness,whatever power Paul had in his ministry it was from God.[2 Corinthians 4 v 7 ] The idea of us being weak is not to discourage us, rather it is to encourage us to rely more upon God, so today , be faithful in your witness for Christ, pray much ,and leave the results to Him. [Sovereign Lord use us to be Your faithful witnesses, be pleased to bless our weakness as we tell others about Jesus, and to You be all the honour , glory, and praise , Amen ]