Mental illness. [Psalm 23 ]

I must confess I sat up and watched the snooker last night, which I really enjoyed, but I suppose I will be tired today. As a young man I used to play snooker , so I know just how hard it is to play, and it makes one appreciate the skill those young men displayed in the final of the Masters. Two shots by R O Sullivan really stood out, a shot into the side pocket, and a snooker within the lip of a pocket. It is interesting to note that R O Sullivan suffers from mental health problems, and yet there he is one of the best players in the world. Mental illness gets a very bad press, yet it is but an illness, not a nice illness for often it does not go away, so thats why I suppose I admire people like R O Sullivan, people who inspite of their problems manage to cope, and even be successful. [ Dear God we pray for all who suffer from mental illness, that You would help them, to not only live a normal life but also to excel in Jesus name Amen ]

I had a dream. [ Daniel 6 ]

Last night I had a dream, I seem to be dreaming more , it must be my age[Acts2v17], in my dream there was a lion, I was not afraid, I even took up a pitch fork to defend myself,but the lion did not attack me.Lions are powerful creatures, this became clear to me last year when we visited a zoo, we came to the lion inclosure, we were very near them,and for once they were not docile, the male lions were fighting over a female. The whole thing was very impressive, their size, and power, made one realize how hard it would be to defend oneself even with a pitch fork. The word of God tells us that the devil is like a roaring lion that is on the prowl seeking someone to devour, but it also tells us, that we are not to run away[1 Peter 5v8-9]My study Bible says,/ Keep your eyes on Christ, and resist the devil. Then says James, he will flee from you. [James 4v7]/[ Dear God and Father,as we are faced with the enemy of our souls, help us by Your grace to not run away, but to resist Him, in Jesus name Amen ]

Man flu [John 14 v1-6]

I have man flu, my nose is running, will I survive? of course I will, it is only a cold, the sun shall shine again, my cold will go. One day all sickness will be no more, no more cancers, no more death, no more earthquakes, no more cheating,lying, hating hurting, one day.[Revelation21v1-4] All these things will be gone forever, what a day that will be for the child of God, when they will be changed,[ 1 Corinthians15].As my study Bible says,/ In this present time, we all face limitations. Some have physical , mental or emotional disabilities. Some are blind...some may be deaf, some may be lame./Let us all look up for our redemption draweth nigh, when all will be changed, a little chorus comes to mind,/ It will be worth it all when we see Jesus, lifes trials will seem so small When we Christ. One glimpse of His dear face. All sorrow will e-rase, So bravely run the race, Till we see Christ.[ Dear Father grant us grace to bravely run the race till we see Jesus our Saviour Your Son ,Amen ]

Oh come all ye faithful [Matthew 25 v 14-30 ]

The importance of faithfulness cannot be exaggerated in the Christian life, God wants us to reflect His faithfulness, He is a faithful creator,He is a faithful Father to His children.In John 6v66,we read how,/ many of His disciples turned away and deserted Him/, Jesus had told them things they could not understand,so they left of following Him. He then turned to the twelve and asked,/ Are you also going to leave?/,they didnt ,they continued on, but later on they did forsake Him in the garden [ Mark 14v50 ] .There are many things than can cause us to leave of following Christ, to forsake Him,or to forsake our appointed task.The challenge I would bring to all of us is to be faithful to our Saviour, that in that coming day we will hear ,/ well done , My good and faithful servant,/[Matthew 25v21][ Dear Saviour help us to be faithful to You in all things Amen ]

Dont be fooled. [Romans 3 v 9ff]

I read this morning about a taxi driver who returned 13.000 dollars to a lady who had absentmindedly left it in his cab. My initial thought was good for him ,he didnt even want a reward, but then I had a thought if sin had not entered the human race, this would be the norm. I dont want to take away from what that man done, but we need to be reminded of a number of things. For all have sinned [Romans 3 v23],even the most honest person is a sinner, there are no perfect people,we all come short of the glory of God. The reason Christ came was because of your sin and mine, let us not be fooled in thinking less of our condition,than the Bible teaches, and let us if we are not saved, trust in Jesus for the forgivness of our sins. If we have done this ,then let us raise our voice in thankfulness to God , for His great mercy. [ Thank You Lord for saving my soul. Thank You Lord for making me whole. Thank You Lord for giving to me , Thy great salvation so rich and free, in Jesus name Amen ]

Secure [1 Peter 5 v7 ]

Life is very uncertain, here today gone in the afternoon, I dont want to depress you or myself, but it is very important to remind ourselves, that we are secure in our God, whatever happens.If you are feeling insecure , get your Bible out, and read Psalm 23/27/46/121/, Matthew 6 v25-34/Romans 8 v 28[av],this is the word of God to you today.So often in my Christian life ,in moments of insecurity , God has spoken,when the shelves were bare, and the cupboard was empty, and you have children to feed, and He has assured me through His word that He would supply and He did. When unemployment was looming up , God has spoken and acted , a door has opened, and so I could go on, I am just simply reminding all of us , that our security, is in our God and Saviour.[Dear God we thank You that we are secure in You, in Jesus name Amen ]

It is alright to laugh.[Galations5 v22-23 ]

There is so much in the world that is sad, so many serious issues,sickness, poverty,injustice, hell, and so the list goes on, and yet God has also given us the gift of laughter, the capacity to enjoy a good book, a good movie, a lovely painting, a nice meal. The question is ,do we have to feel guilty if we laugh,and enjoy ourselves ?,we are told there is a time to cry, but there is also a time to laugh, there is a time to grieve, but also a time to dance.[Ecclesiasties 3v4] I was at a church on Sunday and the minister who is a godly man, said something that caused me to laugh, an elderly Christian took offence and walked out, he felt that what the minister said was inappropriate. I dont know if it was inappropriate, all I know is it made me laugh, and who knows mybe it made the Lord smile.[ Dear Lord we ask that you would help us to have a balance in our lives,to laugh as well as to cry, to endure but also to enjoy life, Amen ]