Lost innocence. [ Galations 5 v16]

The speaker at the church I attend issued us all with labels,we were to write on them, those things we would like to change,we then were to tie them to, two fans,it was pentecost Sunday and this was all related to what we would have the Holy Spirit accomplish in our lives.I never wrote anything, it is not that I dont need the Holy Spirit to work in my life,of course I do,as indeed we all do., but I needed time to think.Later in the day I was watching a cartoon about one of my favourite characters ,Winnie the Pooh,and as I watched it,I thought what I could have written on the label,Holy Spirit grant me the innocence of Winnie the Pooh. We loose our innocence in life so soon,never to regain it, in this life,the canvas of our lives,becomes so quickly stained,by dirty thoughts,and so many other things,we wish we could get rid of.Well it was Pentecost yesterday, reminding us that we have a divine helper,one who can aid in the ongoing battle with our lost innocence,so let us not despair as regards our lost innocence, and let us rejoice that one day we will regain it,when all things will be made new.[Revelation 21 v5 ]
A  prayer..../ Dear God grant us grace by the Holy Spirit to overcome our sinful tendancies,and to rejoice that one day You will make all things new,in Jesus name Amen/

What is bothering us?. [ Psalm 5 ]

In   Psalm 5, we have a prayer of David ,a cry unto God to be heard ,for God to hear,and take into account what is bothering him v1.What is bothering you?what are you thinking about?, we often hold things in our hearts that we dont tell anyone about,and we maybe dont even tell God. God of course knows ,he knows when we are tempted, when we shut Him out, and run with the temptation,and fulfill the temptation.It appears to me God waits for us,to seek Him with the things that are on our hearts. So today we have a choice, keep things bottled up,dont tell God . Whats really on our minds,our temptations,pain,resentment,anger,needs,again let me ask the question,what is bothering us?.Often pride is a factor ,we can never discount that sin,pride is a curse, and can only cause us trouble, in 1 Peter 5v 6-7 we read./ Humble yourselves therefore uder the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time/. This is the path the Christian must take,it is the path our Saviour took, He humbled Himself, then He was exalted [Philippians 2 v 8 -9 ]. Next Peter follows up his exhortation for  humility ,by encouraging us ,to cast all our care upon the Lord for He careth, for us,all our cares,let us hold nothing back, especially those things that are bothering us.
A  prayer....../ Dear God we bring to You all that is on our hearts,for we realise that when we do this, then we will recieve the help we need, in Jesus name Amen /

When God is silent. [ Psalm 22 ]

As I mentioned ,in my previous blog, I am reading the book of Job, in fact I have just finished it this morning,it is a very instructive book,it deals with suffering and its aftermath. We read at the beginning about God speaking about Job,to Satan, and permitting Satan to attack Job,but then silence. We dont hear God speaking until the end of the book,it is as if God has withdrawn Himself , and of course Job struggles with this.In 23v3 we have Job saying,/Oh that I knew where I might find Him, /this caused him distress,this silence of God,and all he had to listen to was his three friends,who added to his distress,by what they said,they said all sort of things about Job that were wrong .Some people write of the dark night of the soul,such was the experience of Job, such may be your experience at this time,it  was Charlotte Elliot who wrote the following,/Clouds of darkness round about Thee,for a season veil Thy face/. So what is the answer for Charlotte,for Job,  for you and I ?well  Charlette goes on to write,/ Still I trust and cannot doubt Thee,Jesus full of truth and grace. Resting on Thy word I stand,none can pluck me from Thy hand/. 
A  prayer....../ Dear God in the name of Him who cried out,My God, My God why have You forsken me,we come to You,and ask for the grace to trust You even when You are silent. Amen /

Begone unbelief.[Psalm 34 ]

I came away from a meeting recently with a feeling of uncertainty as regards finance not mine,it made me think of how uncertain life is.One day you may be rich, the next day poor,one day you are in a fine healthy position, the next ,well you know what I am saying. I am reading the book of Job at this time ,he was godly man, but under a permitted attack by satan,he lost ,his children,finance, and health. Yes, even for the godly, life can be uncertain, there are no earthly guarantees, ah ,no earthly guarantees,exactly,if we stop at that point ,uncertainty will creep in,and we will begin to panic,begin to let fear take over. As  Christians we have a sure and certain hope that nothing can destroy,we are told nothing can seperate us from the love of God [Romans 8 v 35ff].,we are told that Jesus is always with us[ Matthew 28 v20 ],these are eternal guarantees, and cannot be broken. God has promised to care for us,I have been young, but now am old, and I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging bread [ Psalm 37 v25 ]and I never will. Because the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, because He is with me, I will fear no evil,as regards the present or the future ,I rest on Him assured that goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life[Psalm 23 ], so begone unbelief, my Saviour is near, and for my relief, will surely appear.[John Newton]
A prayer...../ Dear Lord help us not to live in uncertainty, and to challenge fear ,by faith in You, and in Your word,in Your name we ask this Amen /

Ignorance is not bliss.[ Acts 8 v 26 -39 ]

I took someone to a barbers shop,the people who run this shop were from Turkey,I got into a conversation with one these people,he had beads in his hand. Being a Muslin ,I inquired if they were prayer beads, he said they were not, I am not sure if he was being truthful, but I asked what are the words used with  prayer beads,he spoke words in Arabic, I asked him what they meant, he said he didnt know. He didnt know,our Saviour pointed out the pointlessness of praying meaningless prayers,surely the thing about a true and meaningful relationship is not ignorance, but enlightenment, revelation. The old hymn declares I once was blind but now I see,if we are walking in blind ignorance, as regards our religion, then we are not walking in the light but in the dark.As a Christian I am challenged to grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ [2 Peter 3 v18 ], how can I do this? ,simply, by the Word of God. Psalm 119 v130 reads,/ The entrance of Thy words giveth light, it giveth understanding unto the simple/, in that word we find Christ,and without that knowledge we will perish in ignorance,without that knowledge we will not grow spiritually.When it comes to knowing God, and growing  spiritually,ignorance is not bliss,it is downright foolish, and dangerous
A  prayer...../ Dear God help us all to grow in grace and in the knowledge of of our Jesus Christ . Amen /.

Not in vain. [ 1 Corinthians 15 v 58 ]

We were on holiday last week,a few things stand out, I got witnessing to two people, one was a street musician, his name was Bill [strange  name], I wonder why it is easier to witness to those who are poor.? We dont know the outcome of our witnessing only eternity will show the full extent of  those words we have spoken.Many a dear missionary,served God in hard ,and what appeared fruitless places ,but there is coming a day when God will open His box of surprises, and they shall rejoice ,as they look upon those  who responded to what appeared to them a fruitless weak witness. I have during my Christian life ,taught a Sunday school class,spoke at childrens meetings,in old peoples homes,preached many, many sermons,, has it all been in vain, no, here is the word of God for us today./Therefore, my beloved brethern, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord [ 1 Corinthians 15 v58 ]
A  Prayer..../ Dear God grant us the grace and faith to leave the results of our witnessing in Your hands in  Jesus name Amen/

When danger threatens. [ Psalm 91 ]

Daniel  Defoe the author of the classic book, Roninson Crusoe lived in London, when the great plague of 1665 struck. Daniel wrote an account of this event,in it he tells how many sought to leave the city,if they could,but even that was filled with difficulties as one needed a certificate of health from the Lord Mayor without it one would not be able to travel for fear of spreading the disease.What was Daniel to do?, he considered his situation , his business would possible suffer if he left London,but then if he stayed he might die of the plague. His older brother advised him to leave London, to run away from it. Daniel made plans to leave,but things happened that appeared to him, that Gods providence was indicating for him to stay.He shared this with his brother who laughed at what he told him,told him of stories of foolhardy people who like him had suffered ill, at such ideas. There came a point in Daniels experience ,he cried unto God,/I know not what to do , Lord, direct me/.and it was then that the words of Psalm 91 came to him, he read the following./ I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him will I trust . Surely He shall deliver thee from the noisome pestilence..........A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee....neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling /. Daniel stayed and God preserved him.
A  prayer ....Dear Lord help us to know how to act,when dangers threaten,help us to seek Your will,and grant us grace to trust in You and in Your word ,in Jesus Name Amen /.