Keep on praying. [ Luke 18 v 1 ]

Genesis 18/ So judgement was going to fall on those cities ,unlike Jonah who appeared to want Nineveh to be destroyed, Abraham starts to plead with God. His request involved two things I believe ,the general population, and his nephew, he was pleading for mercy on them. We learn a very important lesson ,we need to pray for the lost, often that is all we can do,consider how Abraham persisted,recently I told you how my oldest boy came back to the Lord,I prayed for him everyday of his life, he is 43yrs of age. Of course as a child we ministered into his life, but we prayed ,and prayed, and prayed, and God answered.There are so many ,many people I have prayed for, literally for years,we may see results, but only eternity will reveal the answers to our prayers, and I believe there will be answers.
A prayer......./Dear Heavenly Father help us like Abraham that we may pray for the lost continually in Jesus name Amen.

I exaggerate not.[ Romans 1 v 18 ]

Abraham is told that judgement is going to fall upon the cities of the plains because of their sin, God cannot ignor sin, be it blatant or not so blatant. God of course does not usually act the way He was going to act with Sodom and Gomorrah,their extreme wickedness warranted it. Now it is possible that as you read this account in Genesis 18/19, you may thing well I am not as evil or wicked as those people, you may reason , I know Im not perfect ,but I an not that bad, grant it, but consider,even one sin if it is not forgiven ,will keep you out of heaven,and condemn you to hell for all eternity, I exaggerate not. To speak light of our condition ,is a clear indication that we are unaware of the gravity of sin and its consequences, yes even one sin. It also indicates that we think we dont need Gods solution, we dont need Jesus as our Saviour, and that is very foolish,and dangerous.We may not commit the extreme wickedness that some do, but the Bible clearly teaches that we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God [Romans 3 v23 ].
A prayer...../ Dear God help us to see the gravity of sin,yes even one sin, and grant us the grace to trust in Jesus that our sin may be forgiven Amen /

There most certainly is. [ John 3 v16 ]

We continue to consider Abrahams and his times, both Abraham and Sarah had recieved good news, but these heavenly visitors had come for another purpose, judgement.The cities in the plains, Sodom and Gomorrah and others, had become so wicked ,that like those at time of Noah, were ripe for judgement.The thought of judgement is not something that many Christians can come to terms with, some people in trying to come to terms with it, speak of the God of the new testament, and the God of the old testament. This is of course is wrong, for they are but one,and it has been said that Christ spoke of Judgement a great deal,more than others. In the best known verse in the Bible John 3 v16,we have both the love of God , and the judgement of God declared, and this recorded by the apostle of love, John. Let none of us live under the delusion that there is no hell, there most certainly is , as sure as there is heaven . Judgement was coming for those cities, why?, because of there sin, they had given themselves over to all sorts of wickedness. A book on Aushchwitz the German extermination camp has the following,/ Let nothing grow at Aushchwitz, Nothing, Except the will to never forget, Never. Of the darkness in the human heart, Ours, Which can put out even the sun, Forever and forever./ The darkness in the human heart, make no mistake our hearts are dark, so dark that we caused Jesus to die, look at the cross, and learn the truth that we are sinners, and if sin is not forgiven , it will be judged[John 3 v36 ], as Sodom and Gomorrah would find out.
A prayer..../ Dear God we thank You for saving us from hell, we praise You that You so loved the world that You gave Jesus ,to save us, thank You Amen/

It came to pass. [ Hebrews 11 v 6 ]

What God says, He will do, and not only will do, but can do,now God had promised Abraham a son,when the promise was given Abraham would have had no problem believing it,but now Abraham is 100 yrs of age and Sarah over 90. People that age dont have children, so Abraham and Sarah laughed when the Lord said that the child would be born the following year, the scriptures tells us , that they were old and stricken in age. We need to put ourselves in their place, this is not the age when an egg can be put within the womb, so that an older person can have a child,no humanly speaking it was not going to happen. Here is the important thing, God was in it, remember what God says He will do, and not only will do, but can do. And so the Lord asks a question,/ Is anything too hard for the Lord? Genesis 18 v14 / It is obvious what the answer is, Sarah and Abraham knew the answer, and believed [ Romans 4 v 19 ff/ Hebrews 11 v 11 ], and lo a child was born,it came to pass.
A prayer...../Dear God forgive are lack of faith,help us believe Your word,that what You promise us, You will do, in Jesus name we ask this Amen/

God delaying.[ Habakkuk 1 v 3 ]

I am reading the life of Abraham at this time, and I have come to the place were he is visited by the Lord and two angels ,it was just before God would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.Now the Lord had promised Abraham a son , but that was years ago, and nothing happened. This couple Abraham and Sarah were very old ,humanly speaking they were past it, at this stage they both thought it could not happen,so when they were told it was going to happen, they both laughed. Why did God keep them waiting? why does He keep us waiting? I recieved a promise from God a few years ago, no sign of it coming to pass, why the waiting?. There are a number of reasons, to develop patience and that we may more appreciate the glory of God, when it does happen. In Proverbs 13 v12 we read , Hope deferred makes the heart sick , but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. Charles Bridges comments on these words./ Here however the child of God is often tried in his faith, but never disappointed of his hope. Long we may have to wait, but never let us despair/. Yes like Abraham and Sarah we may have to wait till God fulfills His word,but oh the Joy when it comes to pass.
A prayer....../Dear God help us to hold on by faith to the promise you give us ,even when it is delayed, knowing that delay is not denial, in Jesus name we ask this. Amen /

He understands [ Hebrews 4 v 14 - 16 ]

In the Billy Graham book he writes of a person whose friend had lost a love one,/I told people I didnt understand why my friend didnt snap out of it and stop dwelling on her mothers death so much , but when her brother died, she said, now I understand./ Now I understand ,as one who has works with mentally ill people ,I hear so often how family,and friends, fail to understand mental illness.The beauty of our relationship with Jesus He fully understands how we feel ,because He entered into the lives of suffering mankind,be it mental illness,or whatever illness. Not only illness but every aspect of human experience, the lonliness, the rejection, the failures ,Jesus understands. In Hebrews 4 v 15 [TM] we read,He,s been through weakness and testing,experienced it, but not sin. Hebrews 2 v 17 - 18 [TM] reads, it was for people like us.......He had to enter into every detail of human life.Then ,when He came before God as high priest to get rid of the peoples sins,He would have already experienced it all Himself-all the pain, all the pain, all the testing- and would be able to help where help was neded.There are those who cry out no one understands how I feel, but it is not true as the old hymn declares, no one understands like Jesus, no matter what.
A prayer..../Dear Lord we thank You that You understand the human situation, and when we come to You in all our need You understand. Amen /

The finished article. [ 1 Corinthians 15 v 50 -58 ]

In Billy Grahams latest book , /Nearing home, life, faith and finishing,/he writes about his late wife Ruth, that while out driving ,they came to a sign, which read,/ End of construction. Thank you for your patience/. Ruth chuckled at those words, and then went on to say,/I want those words engraved on my stone ./As Billy rightly points we are all under construction by God, in 2 Corinthians 3 v18. we read, / and the Lord who is the Spirit, makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into his Glorious image/.Now this is only applies to the Christian, in are natural self many things bear in upon us and bring a degree of change into our lives, parents , circumstances,many things play their part in changeing us.But Paul is referring to the change brought about by the Holy Spirit in the Christians life ,till as M Henry puts it,/till grace here be consummated in glory for ever./ The bible refers to us as earthen vessels[ 2 Corinthians 4 v7 ], and yet the Holy Spirit is going to transform us to beings of great beauty ,in the book of Malachi 3 v17 the saints are referred to as Jewels. Jewels and there will not be one flaw in any of us, for He will perfect that which concerneth us [Psalm 138 v8 / Philippians 1 v 6 ].Yes one day we imperfect beings will be perfect ,and complete, to God be the glory.


A prayer.......Dear heavenly Father we praise You that You are changing us,that You will not give up on us, but will continue on till the job is finished, till that day when we will stand in your presence the finished article ,Grant it, in the name of Jesus Amen .