Love is. [ 1 Corinthians 13 ]

On this valentines day we turn our thoughts to the subject of love ,not romantic love, but Christian love.We become upset when certain Christians , we call them liberals do not accept certain doctrines, or people dont use the translation that Paul used, but we fail to rise to the challenge of Christian love.Now of course Christian doctrine is important , we need to hold fast to truth, but if I have not Christian love, if I am unforgiving, if I am not patient, if I am proud,rude, boastful, demanding my own way, irritable, keep a record of wrongs done to me, can I say I am loving?. And if I am not loving then ,no matter about my soundness in doctrine, my Christianity does not amount to much. Our Saviour was faced with people who held a mixture of truth and tradition, they majored in those things, but they failed in love[Matthew 23][ God of truth and love we ask that You would help us to be people of truth and love, in Jesus name Amen ]

How thoughtful [ Romans 8 v 31-39]

I love reading a good book, I have my favourite author, and just recently I thought that I would like to read about a certain politician, and just yesterday I was passing a charity shop when I noticed the book I desired, it cost me one pound. What a bargain and how thoughtful God was in helping me get that book,God is thoughtful in so many ways , sometimes I think He spoils me. I have experienced so many blessings from God, jobs ,cars, clothes and so on. In Romans 8 v32, we read,/He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all,how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things/. In stating this Paul is comparing the greater and the lesser, the greatest blessing that we have recieved is Jesus, He is Gods unspeakable gift, in Him we are blessed beyond measure, everything else is the lesser.I wanted a book He give me a book, let us remember God is most thoughtful, and kind.[ God and Father we thank You for your thoughtfulness towards us ,in Jesus name Amen ]

You are more kind.[1 Corinthians 13 v4]

Friends of mine have two grandchildren, and they have looked after them , while their mum and dad worked, the childrens other grandparents have also looked after them ,they are not Christians.[ my friends are]. One of the grandchildren speaking to his Christian gran, said that there was difference between them and their other grandparents,she asked what the difference was, he replied,/you are more kind/.This challenged me as I heard this, I asked myself how kind am I ?there is so much that is needed in this world , and one of the things we need more of is kindness, we can never be to kind. William Faber wrote,/There,s a wideness in Gods mercy like the wideness of the sea, theres a kindness in His justice which is more than liberty/ For the love of God is broader than the measure of mans mind, and the heart of Eternal is most wonderfully kind/.[ Father we thank You for being kind to us continually, help us to be like You ,to all we meet this day in Jesus name ,Amen ]

His way is best. [Psalm 18v30 av ]

Guidance is one of the most important things in our Christian life, so often I have sought to know what to do, and it is not easy. I remember my Bible college days, and how I sought to know Gods will, and how many doors shut in my face. I had one thing in my heart to serve God, to be a missionary,but above all else to preach, the door to so called missionary service did not open, but I have been able to preach . None of this has been easy, but I have had the promise that all things are working together for my good,I really believe that God guides, but in certain situations it is hard to see this,one thing I am glad about, God holds the key, and I am glad , so very glad. Of course guidance takes in all of our lives, the people we will marry, the ongoing decisions we have to make, we are told to ackowledge God in all our ways and He will direct our paths, I believe He will,but it will not necessary be the way we think, it will be His way,and His way is best.[ Dear God and Father lead us in the way we should go, in Jesus name Amen ]

No future in going back.[ Philippians 3 v12-14 ]

I found myself singing this morning the following,/Turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace/. Life is not a Hollywood script ,where everything ends with the happy good feeling, life can be difficult,there are no guarantees. Children do get hurt, marriages do break up, accidents happen, as a Christian the challenge is, to glorify God in every situation,be it short term or long term, does this depress you?,do you feel like giving up?. Jesus said to His disciples /, are you also going to leave ?[John 6v66]/, well are you? am I ?.if we do we will only be going back to what we left, back to the old hunts, the old habits, the old ways. There is no future in going back, so today let us all turn our eyes upon Jesus, and follow in His footsteps, to a future that will be eternally perfect,because the script is written by God it will have that perfect ending.[ Dear God help us not to major on the short term, help us to press unto a glorious future, in Jesus name Amen ]

Assurance. [ John 10v 27-30]

We finish looking at Psalm 23 with words of assurance as regards I believe our eternal future, now Barnes points out that David is thinking of the tabernacle, and he wants to always be engaged in holy occupation, constantly serving God. May God grant us holy desires, so many people are filled with unholy desires, God is not in their thoughts,we could pray that God would fill us with holy desires. I believe that for the child of God, the words,/ I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever/, have an eternal reality, our heavenly home. The words,/ I will /, have a certainty about them, we should know where we will spend eternity,we should know that we are saved,we should have an assurance of eternal life, do you?. 1 John 5 v13 ,reads,These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.[ Dear God fill us with holy desires, and the assurance of eternal life in Jesus name Amen ]

A certainty[ Jeremiah 32 v17/27]

Verse 6 of Psalm 23 declares,/Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life/,because the Lord was His Shepherd, He believed that His care for him would never cease.Life is very uncertain , yet in the midst of all its uncertainties we have the certainty of our Lords care for us.Tomorrow may bring whatever, but the important thing is it will bring with it, our good Shepherd, and the assurance that we shall not want, for He will provide. Mrs C Martin wrote,/Let not your heart be troubled, His tender word I hear, And resting in His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears, Tho by the path He leadeth, But one step I may see, His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me/. [ Dear Lord in the midst of a world of uncertainties help us to rest in the assurance that goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives, Amen ]