The weather. [ Psalm 146 ]

Our weather is a bit unpredicable,we have been having lovely weather,but the forecast is for change, and snow has been mentioned. So many people are affected by the weather, especially those who suffer from mental illness.Many people go and live in sunnier climes, just to escape ,the dullness ,they want sunshine,and blue skies.I have a friend who just loves it when it rains, the hymn wrote, of the cold wind in the winter, the pleasant summer sun,how the Lord God made them everyone. So while we may just want sunshine and blue skies,yet have to live at times with the dullness and greyness of our country,let not the weather affect us, let us praise God,for all the seasons,may He help us to be praising Christians irrespective of the weather.

A prayer..../ Dear God help our moods not to be affected by the weather,help us to focus on You,for in the dull days You are ,our sunshine,and unlike the weather You never change, in Jesus name we ask this Amen /

Pray dont panic. [ Psaln 46 v10 ]

In case you dont know,our country is threatened with a strike by the drivers of the petrol tankers,they have voted in favour of a strike. About 12 years ago we did have an actual strike, I remember it so well , as indeed many people do, but at the minuite we only have the threat of a strike,and the unions have to give 7 days notice before they strike,in the meanwhile they are negotiating.The goverment made some ill advised statements, the result was a panic, by drivers,now this all coincided with me buying another car,and I was going to fetch it,I also knew that there was not much petrol in it, I felt concerned that I would not be able to get petrol,I had to travel a distance of about 30 miles. Well I prayed that not only would I get petrol, but I also would have no bother getting it,and so it came to pass,I found a petrol station not far from were I collected my car,and purchased a full tank of petrol.Things do happen when we pray, they really do,so let us all learn to pray and not to panic,see difficulties as opportunities to pray and see God working./Dear God help us to see that You are in control of all things,nothing catches You unawares, and that we can always trust You to undertake for us, in Jesus name Amen /

Gods way. [ 2 Corinthians 12 v1-10 ]

I will always be greatful that God helped me pass my driving test, so much depended on this, and I will always be grateful how God provided my first car,we had no money to buy one. And whom God used to supply our need, a dear widow, I remember as we walked to church,she pulled up beside us in her little morris minor,and said would I like to have it.A widow woman,it reminds me of how God used a widow woman to supply the needs of Elijah the prophet[ 2 Kings 17].The dear woman had so little, yet God blessed it,in an amazing way,if the blessing of God is upon our little,be it financially,or our limited abilites, we will be amazed what will happen,and what God will do. God does not despise our smallness,no it is the very opposite ,to what we thing, we despair at our littleness,we would only move when we have a full cup,but the path of faith is a path of depending on God to bless our smallness, even our weaknesses. The way of smallness, weakness is the way we are called to walk ,limping,thorns in the flesh, yes it is not the worlds way, but it is most surely Gods way.

A prayer...../Dear God we acknowledge that Your ways are not our ways, nor Your thought our thoughts, and that Your way is perfect,help us to follow in the footsteps of our crucified Lord, Amen /

I am trully blest. [ Lamentations3 v22-23 ]

I had a visit from a friend recently, as we talked,this dear brother started talking of the blessings in his life,it was not a smug Im all right Jack, but a humble declaration of Gods faithfulnes. I listened ,but it spoke to me,how God has blessed me, and cared for me, I do have so much, I am still able to work, even though I am by, my sell buy date.We are not just talking about positive thinking although there is something to be said of that, no, this goes futher than that,it is giving glory to God. What we have, we have recieved from the hand of a loving Heavenly Father,of yes we have had to work,act sensibly,but if the blessing of God had not been on our efforts it would not have prospered.It is the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich [Proverbs 10 v22 ],and like my friend I can trully say I am blessed. Blessed materially, but blessed spiritually,for I have the greatest friend anyone could have ,Jesus, and in that relationship I have so much,His presence with me everyday,His protection and His care for me in every situation. In Him I have the forgiveness of all my sins,He has gone to prepare a place for me,and one day,He will take me to it,yes I am trully blest

A prayer..../Dear God thank You for Your faithfulness , yes great has been Your faithfulness, and above else for Your dear son Jesus Amen/

The answer is ,faith. [Mark 4 v35-41 ]

I bought a mug with the words ,keep calm I,m a Man Utd fan,which I am,and as I watched them play [football] the other night I was anything but calm, I watched them hold on to win. Keep calm, it is hard to do sometimes ,in situations that are more important than a football team performing,when your life appears to be falling apart.I was with someone yesterday and he was getting so worked up, and my heart went out to him,as to what he has to cope with. Is it possible to keep your head, in other words keep calm when all around are loosing theirs?,that is a big challenge for all ou us.The disciples were anything but calm when a storm arose [ Mark 4 v 35 -41 ] Jesus was in the boat with them,asleep,He must have been exhausted,and they went to Jesus, woke Him, and asked,Master carest Thou not that we perish?.They really lost their calm ,to ask Him such a question, yet it is important to be honest, especially to our Lord, He can take it, and would prefer us to be honest, at all times in our relationship with Him. Jesus does not immediately answer them,He arises and speaks to the sea ,Peace be still, and the wind ceased, and there a great calm. Now note He didnt say to His disciples,peace be still,no he did something more important He told them they needed to exercise faith,they had lost their faith and so lost their calmness. What Jesus is saying to the disciples, and to us, if we are not going to be overcome with the storms of life, we need to exercise faith,it is as simple as that.

A prayer....../Dear God help us to live by faith, to face the storms of life, by faith, in Jesus name Amen /

A right spirit. [ Romans 12 v17 -21]

David was a man of God a man after Gods own heart, and yet he experienced his share of troubles,some undeserved others of his own making.Dont be disappointed if the best of men fail to live as they should, but observe how they act in success, and failure,and the important thing is dont judge them. When David was being hounded by Saul unfairly, he refused to hurt Saul,humally speaking ,he could have,he would not touch the Lords annointed.What he did was leave it with God to deal with Saul,consider the words he spoke to Saul,/The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee, but mine hand shall not be upon thee[ 1 Samuel 24 v12 ] There was no Count of Monte Cristo spirit in him,mybe you are experiencing unfair treatment,watch your spirit, and leave God to act on your behalf.Romans 12 v19 - 20 tells us,/Dear friends, never take revenge,leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the scriptures say,I will take revenge,I will replay them back, says the Lord./ but it does not stop there ,it would be easy to stop there and rub our hands with glee as we wait for God to destroy them,no it goes on to say,/Instead , if your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads/.

A prayer ..../Dear God grant me a right spirit in all things in Jesus name Amen/

Hardness of heart.[ Revelation 2 v1 - 7 ]

My love for you will never die, so goes a popular song, yet the person singing it may have been married three times, it was our Saviour who said to a group of Christians,that they had left their first love [Revelation 2 v4 ] .The warm flush of desire,and warmth ,of wanting to be in His presence, had disappeared,they were just going through the religous motions. They sang the hymns,prayed words but their hearts were not in it, it had become but an empty shell. When love goes out of a marriage,the marriage will suffer,and whan love goes out our relationship with our Saviour,that is sad, but it is more than that, it is a sin. We need to repent , our Saviour is not pleased with us when we replace love,with an other, true love is meant to stay true,meant to remain faithful,not to change like the weather. One of the reasons our Saviour gives for divorce is hardness of heart,[Matthew 19 v8 ],there is no better way of saying it,hardness of heart,and make no mistake about it it is a sin. Surely our Saviour does not deserve such an attitude, no more than a wife or a husband, we are commanded to love, yes commanded, and if we dont, we are sinning. You may bring out you reasons, for not loving,but consider, has God not a mountain of reason not to love this world,but that does not stop Him loving [John 3 v16 ]

A prayer..../Dear God forgive me for my hardness of heart,for my coldness towards others and especially towards You,by Your Spirit renew a right spirit within me, in Jesus name Amen /