Don't be fooled . [ Psalm 30 ]

 In Psalm 30 v 6, David declares,/And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved/.My study Bible comments,/Security had made David feel invincible,he had wealth,power,fame,and this had gone to his head,making him feel self-reliant,self-secure,and independent of God/ This a picture of the world,look at the Hello magazine,where the famously rich,display their wealth,we expect this from the world, but not from a godly person like David. God loved David to much to let such a state of affairs  continue,and so he sent difficulties into his life,it appears he experienced a near death encounter.The end of the psalm v8ff has David crying unto God,the verse in this Psalm that stands out is v5,he writes of Gods anger,yes God is angry with His children at times ,and rightly so,but His anger is not unceasing,His favour will once again be experience.Then we read something that is very instructive to all who are experiencing chastening from God,it will pass, joy will come in the morning.The lessons we learn from this Psalm are,don't be fooled by prosperity,do not let it blind you,do not be so foolish as to place your confidence in temporal things. If we do then God will deal with us,for whom the Lord loveth He chastens.When He deals with us however severely,let us not become bitter,but repent and cry unto Him, if we do ,we will find favour,and emerge out of the darkness of night, into once again a  joyful Christian experience.
A prayer...../Dear God help us value what is most imporant,help us to not loose sight of You,and to always put You first ,in Jesus name Amen /
/I will return to my blog on Thursday, every blessing/

Caleb [ Joshua 14 v6-15]

Let us consider the person of Caleb ,it was he with Joshua who  were spared by God,and of their generation where allowed to enter the promise land.In the Promise land he comes to Joshua who was in charge of the allocation of the land,he wants a particular piece of land.[ We are reading from Joshua 14 v6-15.] The first thing we see in this reading is a man who wholly followed the Lord,that in itself is a tremendous challenge,so many of us have divided loyalties,our Saviour said we cannot serve two masters[Matthew6 v24],we must make our choice.Next Caleb says,/the Lord hath kept me alive [v10],oh yes, see your doctor,take your medication,but remember it is the Lord who keeps you alive[ Revelation1 v18].This man was 85years of age,yet he says, I am as strong this day as I was in  the day that Moses sent me,as was my strength was then,even so is my strength now,for war,both to go out, and to come in.Then he  says give me this mountain,God will grant us the strength  we need for the task He wants us to do.Lastly he declares,if so be that the Lord will be with me,then I shall be able to drive then out.Here is a man of humble dependence on God,yes he had natural strength, he had abilities,he had desire,but success would only come from God.
A  prayer.../Dear God ,grant us to be wholly committed to You, in Jesus name we ask this Amen /

Obedience and faith. [Hebrews 11v1 ]

Consider the words of Hebrews 11v8/By faith Abraham,when he was called to go out into a place which he should receive for an inheritance, obeyed, he went out, not knowing whither he went/  When I felt the call of God on my life , I thought I knew where I was going,I  was wrong, I didn't, one place in particular stands out, a certain mission,I had completed my training,applied ,and never even got an interview,but they did send me word saying that I had not been accepted.Rejected by that mission,but still feeling the call upon my life,so I tried other doors,they all remained shut,but the call remained.Like Abraham I did not know where I was going,but I was called, I believed that with all my heart. Obedience and faith go together ,in a very real sense you cannot have one without the other.Now of course God calls us to do many things,to give ,to take on responsibilities,even to marry,to have children, and it is easy to draw back.Remember what I have said, obedience and faith ,go together,it did for Abraham,and so it is for all Gods children. Gods call we obey,not knowing our way, but faith makes us bold,so wrote the hymn writer.
A prayer...../Dear God we come to You by faith,we ask for grace,to be those who will in faith obey You, in Jesus name Amen /

Helping others [Luke 10 v 29ff]

What would we do if no one give us a helping hand,I am fortunate,that my colleagues at work are very helpful. I saw a young mother today struggling with two children, and I offered to help,she refused.I also remember offering a mother and her young son a lift in my car,through the snow she also refused, and I felt she thought that I was going to take advantage of her.I to appreciate that offers of help can be misunderstood,may be I was unwise,but my motives were pure.God see's the heart.  Consider the people Jesus helped, why did they not rise up and save Him?,but they didn't.Continually we read in the Bible how God continually promises to help.CP   =  Isaiah 41v10/Psalm 121 v 1-2/, unfortunately so many people only come to God to help them, when in trouble.They just use God ,but don't want a relationship that interferes with their life styles, they will accept the gift of help,but not the giver of every good and perfect gifts.My mother used to say if you cannot help don't hinder,there is a lot of wisdom in those words,and many heartaches would mankind avoid having ,if they followed that advice.Now we are not adding up Brownie points ,every time we help someone,salvation is not by works, it is a gift of God.God is well pleased when we help others,when we do it ,with the right motives and right reasons, and don't expect to receive thanks, we may, but we may not, remember God maketh the sun to rise and shine on the just and the sinner[Matthew 5 v45 ]
A  prayer.../..Dear God thank You for all the help You give us,help us to be more like You in Jesus name Amen./

Time. [ Psalm 90]

Michael Faraday wrote,/What is the longest, and the shortest thing in the world,the swiftest, and the most slow,the most divisible and most extended,the least valued and the most regretted,without which  nothing can be done,which all that is small, and gives life and spirits to everything that is great?/The answer he said was time,as I grow older I am conscious how fleeting life is, and how quickly the years pass.In Ephesians 5 v16 and in Colossians 4v5, we are told to redeem the time.This is a challenge ,for it is something we can waste,instead of using it wisely.As I was doing this message I looked at the clock, and I heard myself saying I have not got much time,as I have to get ready and go to work.I have not got much time,it is true, life at best is very brief,the words of Psalm 90v12, come to mind,/So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom/. Now a word of caution,we are not meant to be slaves of time,and to run  around with a clock in our hands,but we are called upon to use time wisely. One translation of Eph5v16 goes like this, Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days, now that is the challenge we are faced with, may God grant us grace to obey it.
A  prayer....../Dear God  unlike You we are creatures of time,who fail to make most of time allotted to us,do help us Father to make the most of every opportunity to serve you,we ask this in Jesus name Amen /

Gifts. [ Matthew 25 v 14ff ]

Michael Faraday was a brilliant scientist,also a wonderful communicator,but he was not very good at maths,he often bemoaned this fact.Some people used to say when I ministered in song ,I wish I could sing like you,the fact of the matter is,there will always be things that we cannot do,and maybe should not do.Some of us have a few gifts, others have many,then there our degrees of gifting, every pianist will not be a concert pianist,every artist will not be a Turner,every poet will not be a Robert Burns.But we all have some gifts,I remember a teacher telling about a young lad who was asked what he was good at,he said he could spit further than anybody else,now of course I am not encouraging spitting,it is not a very nice habit,but I am making a point that we all have some gifts, they may not be perfect gifts,but use then , do your best to improve them,pray Gods blessing on them.Do not hide your gifts,God has given them to you, and do not be intimidated ,by those with greater gifts. I remember many years ago when I visited a minister friend in Wales,who invited me to accompany him to a meeting he was preaching at,he asked me to sing.Now the dear people of Wales are noted for their singing,and as I waited to minister,we sang a hymn,and I could hear this lovely Welsh person singing,a lot better singer than I was,what should I have done run out the door?, no I got up and sang.
A  prayer....../Dear God help us to use whatever gifts You have given us in Jesus name Amen /

Jeshurun. [Matthew 14v 25ff]

Speaking to Israel about God [Deuteronomy 33v26-27] ,Moses declares, /There is none like the God of Jeshurun,the term Jeshurun is a term of endearment, which would remind them of the  affection and love He had for them.This in spite of their  many faults and failings, yes God did punish them,did rebuke them,but He loved them,I am sure we all need to hear this term of endearment..Then he says ./who rides through the heavens to help you/God dwells in heaven,but this is not an escape from this world,no,He is not a God a way up there who does not care,no,  His eyes are upon the righteous, His ears are open unto their cry[Psalm 34 v15],and in their difficulties, He will come and help them. Next He tells them/The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms/The things of time are temporal,my car will eventually end up on the scrap heap,the so called gods of the ancients are are gone,but we have one who is eternal,a refuge that cannot fail us,yea will not fail us.Underneath us are the everlasting arms of the everlasting God,remember dear Peter,and his walking on the water[Matthew 14 v25ff],no we more likely remember him sinking in the water.But I wonder as Peter looked back on that experience, what he remembered, I like to think he remembered His Lord holding him up,saving him. As a sinner I was sinking to hell Jesus came and lifted me up,and ever since then, He has upheld  me and cared for me,and will continue to do.
A prayer.../Dear God we thank You that You love us,are near to us,and uphold us in Jesus Name Amen /