Pray without ceasing. [1 Theealonians 5 v17]

I pray about many things and people,people who need to be saved ,personal problems and it appears that nothing is happening,but I just keep praying,because prayer matters. It matters to all of us to keep praying ,it does us good to pray,we need to pray,we need a continual humble dependance upon our God.I mention about nothing happening when we pray ,that is we do not see anything happening,but God is taking note of our prayers.Will He answer?is it pointless fruitless exercise by us to keep on praying,no it is not,for it is a ministry of faith,that Gods will , be done,and His will involves so much we do not see,so lets us not fall into an attitude of blind unbelief,as William Cowper puts it. All  we are called to do is to pray without ceasing [1 Thessalonians 5 v17 ],pray as if everything depends on it, and it does so often.Last weekend my wife and I were faced with a decision, and I challenged my wife to pray about it,she sort of leaves it to me to pray ,but I said if she didnt pray about it then we will just forget about it. To me prayer is not optional,it is absolutely vital,it is saying to God, I dare not take one step without  Thine aid,it is a depending on God a trusting in God,a hoping in God,who knows the best answer,which we dont.So today and every day pray, pray ,and pray,yes pray without ceasing.
A  prayer ..../Dear God grant us the spirit of perseverance in prayer in Jesus name Amen/

Humility and grace. [James 4 v6 ]

The book of Daniel is about many things,but one of the things that challenges me is  the courage shown by the four Hebrew men,Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.It does not indicate that they showed any fear,but it does mention that they took thier life in their hands,in taking a stand for what they believed.Of course we may ask the question what would we do if we were in their position?,we dont know, we  would like to think that we would be like them. I know this I could not do what they did in my own strength,no I may just chicken out,after all who wants to be burnt to death,or chewed to death by lions.I like those words in James 4v6 /But He giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud,but giveth grace unto the humble/. I can only take from these words that those Hebrew men were humble,pride is the greatest block to to blessing, and seemingly a block in recieving the grace of God. These men were not religious fanatics but humble God fearing men,men who walked with God come what may,even if God choose not deliver them [Daniel 3 v17-18] Yes even if they were consumed in the flames,they would not bow down to a golden image.Often trials reveal our inner self,and we turn away from God because He did not heal that one we love,we prayed and we prayed we felt sure God would do a miracle, and He didnt. Or our marriage breaks up even though we have prayed and prayed and He didnt stop it happening. Such an attitude is one of pride ,and such God will oppose,but if we keep a humble spirit within us, He will not only give us grace, but more grace,that will enable us to come through the darkest of trials
A  prayer....../Dear God help us not to justify our proud spirits,help us to maintain a trully humble spirit,and grant unto us the grace we need for every trial, in Jesus name Amen /.

Luke warm. [Revelation 3 v14-22 ]

I have before me a little card with a famous painting on it ,Holman Hunts ,/The light of the world/, I have actually seen this painting it is in ST Pauls cathedral in London.It portrays Jesus holding a light in one hand, and with the other knocking on on a door. It is based on the words of Revealation 3 v20`and it reads,/Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with Me/ These words were spoken to the church at Laodicea a church that was luke warm,neither  cold or hot, a church that was just going through the motions,materialism had taken over. They failed to see themselves as their Lord saw them,naked and blind,now Jesus threatens to chastize them, no He had not given up on them,why?, because He loved them.It was W Cowper who wrote the following words,/Where is the blessedness I knew,when I first saw the Lord. Where is the soul refreshing veiew of Jesus and His Love/. It is so easy to slip away from a close relationship with our Lord,and the fire goes out, and we just go through the motions,but like the the church of Laodicea, the Lord still love us,still pleads for His rigthful place in our hearts.
A  prayer...../ Dear Lord help us not to grow luke warm, Amen/

The offence of the cross. [Galations 6 v 14-15]

I am very sad as I read continually of Christians being persecuted, I wonder why?,now we do not face persecution in this country,but there is concern when Christians are told that they are not allowed to wear a small cross. One asks the question were is it all leading,after all why should anyone take offence at someone wearing a tiny cross? ,why indeed, but seemingly they do. Mybe we should not be surprised at people taking offence at the cross, because of what it stands for, and what it challenges .It challenges a wrong concept of mankinds condition ,simply put we are all sinners, not just that we are imperfect but we are sinful in nature and in practice. It means we are lost away from God,we are Gods enemy[ Romans 5 v10] and although we are Gods creation,we are related to the devil [John 8 v44 / Ephesians 2 v 2].The cross tells us that no amount of religious laws can save  us,be they circumcision,abstaining from certain food,or meat with blood in it,or of keeping a sabbath,or visiting so called holy places. The cross rules out every other religion ,Islam,Hinduism,Mormonism, let me stress this again, the cross rules out every other religion. Need I go on?no I am sure you are getting the point,that the cross on which our Lord Jesus Christ died,is Gods only way, again let me repeat this ,the cross on which our Lord Jesus Christ died, is Gods only way.What we mean is the cross on which Christ died, totally fulfills Gods plan of salvation, even though it gives,and will continually give offence,to the vast majority of people in this world. But in the words of scripture, God forbid that I should glory ,save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.[Galation 6 v14]
A  prayer .../ Dear God we thank You for all You have accomplished through Your sons death on the cross ,forgiveness,pardon, victory over the devil,over death,over despair,and bringing all who trust in Jesus the free gift of eternal life,and freeing us from the bondage of law keeping, in Jesus name we thank You Amen /

It is impossible. [ Romans 4- 5v1 ]

I was driving home when I noticed these words on the back of a bus,/ save yourselves/ I dont know what it was telling those who would read it, but I know what it spoke to me of . It spoke to me of many of the religions in this world,my son Brian said a good question to ask a J W is, who are you trying to save?.I get very suspect of people who are always saying how they are praying and fasting, and giving,and they have a spirit that is judging others. In the end of the day are they trying to save themselves?, ask yourself why are  you religious?,remember works are a proff that we are trully saved,they show that we have true saving faith.But we are not talking about the evidence of salvation, but the means of salvation , which is not what I have done but what Christ has done that saves. You see it is only what Christ has done, His death on the cross, the shedding of His precious blood , that can deal with sin. Islam appears to be a saving yourself, but they are not on their own,many people feel that the good that they do will get them into God good books, but the fact is ,they will not, cannot , save anyone, let me stress this again.good works while being an evidence of salvation cannot save, for the clear teaching of scripture is this,/ God saved  you by His grace when you believed, and you cannot take credit for this, this is a gift of God. Salvation is not a reward, for the good things we have done so none of us can boast about it[Ephesians 2 v8-9]
A  prayer..../ Dear God we thank for saving us through Jesus Your Son,we ask that you will open the eyes of those people to the folly of trying to save themselves in Jesus name Amen/

Truth. [ 2 John 1 v1-2 ]

I was sitting in an Mc Donalds and I heard a pop song/ Words come easy when they are true/,I wonder is that true?,there are many words that are true, that dont come easy. Even as a preacher there are words I have spoken that have not come easy, but they needed to be spoken,it is easy to talk about heaven, but harder to talk about hell.It must be hard to tell a youngster that they have failed ,or that they are being dropped from the team,or whatever.It is not easy for the girl to tell her boy friend she will not marry him because she does not love him, no, even true words may not come easy.Even telling people that  God is love may not be easy when a disaster has taken place, a famous TV presenter give one of his reasons for not believing in God, was the cruelty he witnessed in nature. So what do we do?,should we stop telling people, or warning people about hell, or that God is love?,I dont believe so, we should obey God and speak the truth in love. Some people dont take in to account the hurt they cause others, as they twist the truth,or even distort the truth. Let us never forget that truth is vital and that Jesus said He was the way the truth and the life[John 14 v6], it does not stop there, He went unto say that no person could come unto the Father but  by Him.
A prayer..../ Dear God in a world were truth is at a minimum, help us to rejoice in truth ,to hold fast to the truth,and in love proclaim the truth, in Jesus name .Amen/

Three things to remember [Joshua 1 v5 ]

What gave Joshua the courage to lead Israel after the great man Moses had passed away?,imagine the challenge that must have been,the people may not have accepted him.Imagine what it must have felt like for the successor to Charles H Spurgeon,or D M L Jones,can any body fill the gap  those great men left?. The answer is no,but then Joshua was not meant to be another Moses,the Lord choose Joshua, to fulfill  His new purpose,a purpose that He would be equipped by God to fulfill.We are not meant to be clones but to be ourselves,someone recently said as they criticised a certain church leader that he was not that bright. He may not be all that bright, but if God has called him, He  knows what He is doing , the fact is Gods ways are not our ways, cp 1 Corinthians 1 v 26-29. So going back to my origional question? what give Joshua courage to lead Israel? and the answer is found in Joshua 1 v 5, God said three things to him.[1]I will be with thee, Joshua wherever you go I will be with you.[2] I will not fail thee,many things may fail you Joshua, but I will not fail you, [3 ]Nor forsake thee,Joshua everyone may forsake you ,but I wont. What God said to Joshua ,He is saying to all His children ,to you and to me,so as we face each new day let us all take courage.
A  prayer...../ Dear God we thank You for this three fold promise ,that You are with us,that You will not fail us nor forsake us, in Jesus name Amen /