Deliverance. [ John 8 v 36 ]

Next Sunday will be remembrance Sunday in our country,a day in which we remember and honour those who died in so many wars and conflicts. Recently I have been reading the history of Nazi Germany, a cruel and very , very wicked regime,most of us know what they did to the Jews,but they committed so much evil in those countries they conquered. The plans they had for Britain where severe ,and so it is on this remembrance Sunday, yes we remember and honour those who died in defence of this country,but more than that we want to give unceasing thanks and praise to God, for preserving us as a nation. Sadly to say as with so many nations we are slowly and surely leaving God out of the equation,we are a secular society,not a spiritual society,a society that is threatened with a greater evil than the Nazi es,a forgetting about God, forgetting that our nation and all nations greatest need is deliverance from sin and its awful consequences,both for time and for eternity.
A  prayer.../. Dear God we thank You for preserving this nation,but we pray that You will forgive the sin of this nation in forgetting You, and earnestly pray that You would awake this nation to their great need to be delivered from their sin through Your son Jesus  Amen/

Envy [ Proverbs 11v30 ]

I  found myself saying to a lady called Rosie, that I envied her, now why was that?,she is in many ways an ordinary person, why should I envy her?. The reason being is she has been used by God to lead many people to Christ,as I was talking to her she mentioned someone ,she was going to meet,who had just come to Christ, this person had been a prostitute and a witch.Rosie had witnessed to her and she had become a Christian, I was introduce briefly and she said she  loves Jesus. Do you never have a desire to see people come to Jesus? I do,Rosie said to me, stop envying and do it. The Lord knows I have tried, am I just ever going to be a sower, and very seldom a reaper?. Yes I envy Rosie, the word of God says he that winneth souls is wise. [Proverbs 11v30],this brings to mind an old hymn,/He that winneth souls is wise in the home beyond the skies, Ti's a blessed message oh the wondrous prize,he that winneth souls is wise/ Now Rosie is not a theologian ,there is nothing wrong with being a theologian , but she has heart for the lost.It also appears to me that she is led to the most needy,those who are broken and lost, maybe many of us are looking  in the wrong place.
A  prayer..../ Dear God ,lead us to some soul today,help us Lord to know just what to say,use us for Jesus thy dear sons sake Amen/

Judgment day looms. [ John 3 v16 ]

I read these words in one our national newspapers, EU judgement day looms, now that they be true, I don't know, but what I do know is, that there is a judgement coming.A person I work with asked me the question, /why are you glad you are gong to heaven,/ and I replied,because I am not going to hell. Now of course there are other reasons why I am glad I am going to heaven,I will be with my Saviour I shall at last see Him,and will truly be glory for me. But there is a hell, there is a place of eternal judgement, Christ reminds us of it continually in His ministry,He spoke of weeping and gnashing of teeth[Luke 13v28]. In Luke 16 we read of a rich man who found himself in hell a place of torments, and in Matthew 8 v12,Jesus speaks of those who would be cast out into outer darkness,and in Matthew 10 v28, He stressed the importance of fearing God above all others, because He has the power to destroy both soul and body in hell. So I am very glad that I am going to heaven and not to hell,the vast majority of people are living as if there is no God and no accountability, and no judgement, Acts7v 31, tells us that there is a day coming  when God will judge the world  by Jesus,yes judgement day is looming,so believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved[ Acts 16 v31 ]
A  prayer ...../Dear God we thank You for providing a way in which we can be saved from judgement through Jesus . Amen /

Jesus is pleading [ Revelation 3 v20 ]

I have before me a little card with a picture of Christ standing outside a door and He carrying a lamp and He is knocking on the door ,waiting for it to be opened. It is of course taken from the Revelation of John chapter 3 v20, in this chapter Christ is speaking to the church at Laodicea. This church was a self satisfied church,materially they were prosperous ,but they had let this effect their relationship with Christ. Christ is pleading with them to open their eyes to their true condition,and once again see things with the vision of Christ their Lord. Along with His pleading there is a warning that their Lord will have chastise them,a sign of their sonship [ Hebrews 12]. Although they were in a deplorable state their Lord loved them and desired what was best for them, and graciously pleads with them  to respond. Consider the words of v2o ,consider what they are saying to you,/ Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice,and open the door,I will come in to him ,and will sup with him , and he with Me/.
 A  prayer......./ Dear Lord help us to be on our guard against anything that could exclude You,anything that lessens our love for You .Amen /

Football just a game. [ Matthew 6 v33 ]

I like football, I am to old to play, I did play when I was younger,not very well,but now I am TV spectator,and even though this is so, I still do my bit of shouting,and commentating on the game I am watching.Now there is one person who has the most difficult job, is the referee, one sport commentator,wrote of the referee as displaying a hellish combination of incompetence and arrogance. We rightly say, oh it is only a game,and of course it is but it seems it is a channel for people to have an opportunity to release all their pent up emotions,on the poor referee,the opposing team,and even the opposing supporters. One writer , writes in a newspaper,/Modern referees need the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job , the probity of Caesars wife./ Now this is about sport, just a game, yes a game that  I love, as  Christians we must not let things, like sport or other areas of life get out of proportion. I can think of two well known Christians who were exceptional sportsmen ,yet they led aside that passion for a greater passion their love of Christ, and His call on their lives.
A  prayer...../ Dear God help us to not let the lesser things have  control of our lives,in Jesus name Amen/

Dont be fooled. [Numbers 32 v 23 ]

I remember when I was a young lad and I smoked cigarettes ,breaking into a cigarette dispenser and stealing cigarettes, but I also remember the fear I had about being found out. At this time there are many ,many people doing things they shouldn't be doing,consider the all the things that may include,adultery,stealing,lying,murder,alcholism. In our country I have mentioned the sexual abuse  practised by a famous person,which only came to light when he died. This has opened a can of worms, and it seems he was not on his own,one person has been arrested,and many others are living in fear in case the hidden things come to light. In one national newspaper I read the following,/ Major stars from the sixties/seventies are terrified of being named in connection with the J/S child abuse scandal according to PR Max Gilford/ This all reminds me of the words of Numbers 32v 23 / Be sure your sin will find you out/, the word sin may not be politically correct, but things have not changed,sin is still ,and if not repented off and forgiven ,will be found out,  and will be judged by a holy God.
A prayer..... /Dear God help us to forsake our sins,our secret sins, before we are faced with them at Your judgement seat in Jesus name. Amen /

Work. [ Colossians 3 v17 ]

 My job as a support does not entail to much physical work,with the exception of one day when I help run a group,this does not mean that it is not demanding,it brings with it challenges,in relation to those suffering from mental illness. I remember many years  when working as a labourer and I was pushing a wheelbarrow that  someone in passing said hard work is not easy,I did not needed to be reminded of this as I struggled with that wheelbarrow. I read this morning about dear Christians in  Kuwait who are exploited ,they start work at 4.30 am  and work till 5.30 pm .Work is important but not always fulfilling, I am fortunate that my job is,but as I have indicated I have had not so nice jobs,but they help to feed my children and keep the wolf from the door. I thank God that I have been working for over 20 years in my present job,I have experienced unemployment, so I know both sides of the coin.Today if you have a job,thank  God, if your job is difficult,a boss who is not very nice,don't become discouraged,or bitter,commit it all to God,and if you are unemployed ,remember you are precious and of worth.
A  prayer...../ Dear God help us whither we are working or unemployed, in all things give thanks, in Jesus name Amen /