One word. [Isaiah 53]

As I look back on my childhood,there are things I feel sad about,one incident comes to mind,a friend and I were walking to school,and for whatever reason we picked on a boy.I remember having him up against a tree,threatening him, later he and his mother called at my home, I cannot remember what I said,but nothing else came of it,but as I grow older, this incident keeps coming back to me.I was to a degree an agressive little boy,and again as I look back I wish I had been different, in some ways one had to stand up for oneself,yet I often went further than this.So do I stand in the corner of condemnation, no, for you see it is good Friday,and all those wrong things,much an all as I regret them have been forgiven. I wear a little cross, last night I fondly touched it ,for it reminded me once again ,that I am forgiven,that a miracle has taken place,in my life. There is no greater miracle than ,what was accomplished on Calvary, for me and my past sins,my dirty language,dirty thoughts, my violence,over them all, I hear a voice,saying one word ,forgiven.
A prayer..../ Dear God we thank You from the bottom of our hearts,for Jesus Your wonderful dear Son ,who died on that awful yet wonderful cross, that every sin we have ever committed can be forgiven,by simply trusting Him,Amen /

Passion. [ Ephesians 3 v19/ 5 v18]

I had conversation with one of my sons, and he was mentioning about the Pharisees, how they were sincere, and very passionate people,and yet they were the ones who hated our Saviour.They not only hated Him they despised so many people,they had so many rules, just like Islam,and like some so called Christians.Religious passion is not neccessary a good thing,if it is misplaced,and the person holds a distorted veiw. Present day Islam are clear examples of distorted veiws ,resulting in awful actions,but it also raises the question for we who are evangelicals.We need a passion but it must not become divorced from Gods truth,and must always have a love for God, and a love for others. Cold formal religion is of no use to any of us, we do need a passion,for Gods word,Gods people, and a passion for the lost. A passion that is Spirit controlled,Spirit led, and if it is, then it will glorify God and our dear Saviour,and that is what we should always aim at.

A prayer...../ Dear God free ,me from deadness, coldness,lukewarmness,fill me with afresh by Your Spirit, in Jesus name Amen ./

The best is yet to be.[ Jeremiah 29 v 11]

Yesterday was a very imporant day, it was my birthday, I am 68,amazing how God has spared me,so often one could have perished,in an accident,or through an illness. So I give thanks to God for His faithfulness, I really have so much to be thankful for,at an early age I trusted the Saviour , but became a prodigal for a number of years,until 48 years ago I attended a church service and the Lord restored me to Himself.As I look back I am so grateful for those dear Christians who have befriended me, for the many who have ministered to me,and encouraged me, but most of all I thank God for His faithfulness,I dont believe I am the center of the universe, but I do believe I am loved ,by a loving Heavenly Father.His Love is eternal, constant, and unchanging. I believe He has changed me, and will continue to transform me, by His amazing grace,whatever the years ahead hold, I can rest assured that I have a Saviour ,who will never , never, leave me,nor forsake me, and what applies to me applies to you , dear child of God, I believe the best is yet to be, the eternal glories shine afar,may that vision never dim in any of our lives.

A prayer..../ Dear God we praise You for Your faithfulness, mercy,grace and love in Jesus name Amen/

Love one another. [James 3 ]

I visited a friend and I asked how his minister was getting on,and I recieved a very negative reply,now it would have been easy to follow up what he said, but I resisted doing that. After a recent conversation with another person who criticised a certain person, a minister I know, I had joined in, and later on I felt the Holy Spirit,impress on my heart the importance of not getting involved in negative conversation.As a minister then as an elder I was hurt so often by what certain people said about me, of course they didnt come and talk to me face to face, oh no they spoke to others who did their dirty work. They spoke half truths, to suit their agender,trying their best to destroy me, and it is as serious as that, one got the impression if I had dropped down dead ,they would have rejoiced. So I am going, by Gods grace ,not to get involved in similar conversations, I hope you will follow my example,and if we do, we will glorify our Saviour, who said ,love one another.

A prayer...../Dear God may my conversation be acceptable to you today, in Jesus name Amen /

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 /