What Jesus is offering. [John 4 v 1-26 ]

John Stott wrote,/Karl Marx wrote of,  the new man and the new society/,these two aspects Marx thought would emerge as a result of economic liberation.Now of course we all want to see a more fairer world,a world of economic equality, a world where the poor are fed,and clothed,and I believe we should pray for this,work towards this. But a Christian I know that this will never be enough,for be man, poor or rich,they have a deep spiritual need,to ignore this ,which the secular person does,is to court disaster. It is to ignore the the realities of a society that is out of touch with each other,and mans fallen nature,manifested in a multitude of ways. It is to ignore that man has a deep hunger ,which they try to satisfy by sex,food,entertainment,buying all sorts of things,it is thought that a quarter of our population is obese.Jesus , was continually calling people to come to Him who alone can satisfy their deepest need,society calls us to eat more,to buy more,to have more,Jesus stands and says to us I have come that you may have life,and have it more abundantly.Jesus said to a woman at a well,/ If you knew the generosity of God, and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink,and I would gave you fresh,living water...who drinks this water would never thirst again/.The woman did not understand what Jesus was offering to her and to all mankind,a life so different so fulfilling,that it would truly satisfy our deepest needs.
A  prayer..../Dear God help us to see that only through Your son Jesus,our deepest need can be met Amen /

Kiosk. [ Judges 21 v25 ]

I was listening to the radio,and someone said we desired freedom,but all we got was kiosk, we live in an age when so much is counted as acceptable,which in fact is unacceptable. Are we surprised that so many people are involved in wrong activities,there is a advert  on the TV,that shows a woman with her son,and as a guy passes by,she says to her young son ,I am going to ask Dave to move in,do you mind?. The advert is showing it as it is for so many people,we have a rootless society,were so many things are going wrong,what moral guidelines can we expect from a secular society?none,after all we are led to believe that we are only an extension of the animal kingdom. The secular politicians are pushing their secular ideas,they  are looking at things purely from a human point of view,they will not ask what does God think.We have an national church, but where is their voice in all this,they are unfortunately, as much in kiosk as the society they live in, no clear message, comes from them. I have just recently begun to pray each day for their leader,I know that there are many dear servants of God,in our country,but their voice is not heard, all we hear is the confused and distorted voices, of the spiritually blind. Oh where are the Elijahs, the John the baptists, the Wesleys, Whitefields, or even the Billy Grahams?, these men never compromised,they were men of their times,but most of all they were Gods men .
A  prayer..../ Dear God we cry unto You for our western society,a society that has no roots,a society that is blessed is so many ways,and yet is gradually heading to where all the nations that forget God,to hell,oh God in wrath remember  mercy. in Jesus name Amen /

And the Lord heard. [ Numbers 12]

And the Lord heard,Miriam and Aaron challenged Moses, it appears as my study Bible says they were filled with envy,and jealousy at Moses position and influence ,so they used as an excuse his marriage to an Ethiopian women to criticise him. I used to hear criticism from a lady in my church ,as to my accent,she said she could not understand me, but this was not the real issue,for she stirred up trouble,about the content in my sermons,it was all very hurtful and unpleasant.Like Miriam and Aaron she was challenging my leadership,and like Moses I felt overwhelmed,what could he do ,although a man whom God had used he was in fact a very humble and meek person. So what does one do when one is unfairly attacked? manifest a meek and humble spirit.Moses didn't say a word,and its then we read,/And the Lord heard/did not Miriam and Aaron not realise that  God was listening?,seemingly not,but He was, and He responded, by dealing in particular with Miriam,who appears to have been the ring leader,Aaron was a weak person,[CP Exodus 32]Today let us all take take to heart the words ,/And the Lord heard/,he hears not only our words but he knows the motives of our heart,He not only hears but He will act,and judge us,and chasten us.
A prayer ......./ Dear Lord forgive our foolish words,our spiteful,and hurtful words,and the sinful motives behind our words, Amen /

His will, will be done. [ Romans 13 v1 ]

I am reading a book on Abraham Lincoln ,I am reading the part were he and 3 others where standing for the Republican party nominee to run for President.Of these four Lincoln was the most likely one not to be elected, a man called Seward was easily the favourite,he was confident he would,to such a point that preparations for his victory was in full swing. But Abraham Lincoln won,a man who came from a poor background,he was self taught,now whither he was a Christian I am not sure,but he was Gods man for the task,that lay ahead,as indeed was king Cyrus,who did not know God [Isaiah 45 v4].One wonders why God does not just use Christians,but He doesn't,He is sovereign,He will use whom He chooses . He will raise up whom He wants to perform His will and purposes,and will remove them as He sees fit,in all things He will work out His sovereign will, as He did with Pharaoh  [Exodus 10v1/ Romans 9 v17 /.Man is not sovereign, he may act as if he is ,but  God who is sovereign, will get glory,and honour,we may not understand why certain people are put in power,but God does,remember the words of the hymn, He moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform.
A  prayer....../ Dear God we bow before You,acknowledge that Your ways are past finding out,that You rule and overrule in all things,that Your purposes cannot be overturned, or thwarted,in Jesus name Amen /

What are we building upon?[Matthew 7 v24ff]

Not far from where I live  the driveway of a home has collapsed leaving a large hole,one can only imagine the reaction of the people who live there. One the problems for some people who live in coastal areas is soil erosion ,causing their homes to collapse into the sea.Thinking of the broader picture, I think of so many people who are like the man who built his home upon the sand[Matthew 7 v 24ff],the result the house collapsed. The question we need to ask ourselves what are we building our lives upon? be careful ,it may collapse around you.What caused me to think on these things are the words I read of a hymn, by Johann Andreas Rothe,/Now I have found the ground wherein, sure my souls anchor may remain,the wounds of Jesus, for my sin. Before the worlds foundation slain,whose mercy shall unshaken stay,when heaven, and earth are fled away/. Can you say that? Christ is the only sure foundation, for all our lives,again in the words of another hymn,/On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand/E Mote]
A prayer..../ Dear Lord help us to stop and consider what we are building our lives upon,on sinking sand or on the Rock Christ Jesus. Amen /

We must not compromise [ 1 Corinthians 14 v33]

In all my long ministry I have sought to be faithful to Gods truth,I often realise that what I say may offend, it is not my purpose to offend anyone,I like to be liked. A young man I heard preaching recently spoke of how he sought to win others, and he didn't tell them,that they were dirty rotten sinners,he sought to bring them to an awareness of their need,of Christ by probing them with questions like,you cant give up something or other,words that may make aware of their need of Christ. Now I understand what he is trying to do and I pray that God will bless his ministry,I am sure I can learn from others,but the fact is we all are without exception,dirty rotten sinners,when it come to describing peoples condition the prophets,used very strong and uncomplimentary words.Now of course we must speak the truth in love,even though what we are preaching may offend,in Acts 20v31,we read how Paul warned everyone night and day with tears.We must not fudge the fact that we are all sinners,and the consequences of that fact, and the preacher,yes he may use different ways to win people to Christ,but he must be faithful to Gods truth,sin,Hell,Gods answer,Christ,the cross.
A prayer...../ Dear God grant us wisdom as we witness to the lost,and help us not to fudge the issues in Jesus name Amen /

Consequences [ Joshua 7]

In the movie ,Frankenstein, based on the novel by Mary Shelly,the creature who has no name,asked Dr Frankenstein,/Did you ever consider the consequences of your actions?/.It is a question that is very relevant to the whole of humanity,there are people in prison, who never considered the consequences of their actions,there are broken marriages caused by unfaithfulness. There are so many situations and people who do not consider the consequences of there actions,it is obvious that King David did not consider the consequences of his adulterous affair [2 Samuel 11-12].Let us all this day weigh up the consequences of our actions,here is the positive point, our actions can have good consequences,as well as bad,if you stop smoking you may escape lung cancer,if you are restrained in your spending then you will escape crippling debt.If you refrain from drinking and driving,then you may not kill someone, and end up in prison,if you refrain from owning a gun, you will not shoot someone,and if you trust Christ .
A  prayer.... / Dear God help us by Your spirit to always consider the consequences of what we say ,or do, in Jesus name /