I have a choice.[ Proverbs 3 v 5-6 /av]

As I woke from sleep this morning, worries started to crowd in as to the future,I hope to retire next year,and I was beset with anxiety,as regard my financial state.I who can say from experience ,that I have young,am now old,and I have never seen the righteous forsaken,nor his seed begging bread. Yet here I am worrying,of all people I should not worry,I who preached to many as regards God providing,I who have experienced God providing for all my needs,why am I worrying?. I suppose retiring is the big unknown for me I have sought to work all my life,I have worked over the retirement age,I hope to retire when I am 70.So what can I learn from all this?,well I have to do what I have always done pray,trust,and hold unto those exceeding and great promises from Gods word.It is said of Abraham that he moved from the known to the unknown,so it is for all of us,for life is full of changes,some we can see coming others we cannot,but change will come,death of a loved one,sudden unemployment,sickness,divorce,or our homes being destroyed by storms. If we are a child of God,we are called to trust God,that He will not fail us,He will test us,but for our betterment not for our detriment.Today am I going to run with my worries or am I going to trust God?  I have observed many people who run with their worries,it is not a pretty sight, it can destroy your very life.
A  prayer ..../ Dear loving Heavenly Father,as the devil attacks us with thoughts that can cause us to worry and fear,help us to resist him, and his lies.Help us to trust in your faithfulness in Jesus name Amen/

Blessed are the few. [Matthew 18 v20 ]

As I was praying this morning,I found myself praying ,bless the few,I suppose I think of my own ministry,usually to the few, blessed are the few,and those few are very important,to my Saviour.We often quote the words of our Saviour when we pray from Matthew 18 v20 that where two or three are gathered together in our Saviours name,He is present ,He the Lord of glory,does not find it a problem to meet with the few. Recently I received an invitation to minister at a fellowship, they later contacted me to say that ,they wanted to cancel that invitation because there would be so few there,and offered me an alternative appointment. I know they meant well but I have never had a problem in ministering to the few,because I know my Saviour will be there.Our Saviour ministered to vast numbers,but He also at times ministered to the few,to the two sisters, Mary and Martha,and often to individuals.I became a minister to a small church,and I know what that means,they called me in the  hope that the church would grow,we had our moments ,when people did come in,for a while some success with young people, but in the end we were left with the few. Those few were precious to me,and I loved them and prayed for them each  day,and as I ministered to them I knew that my Saviours unseen presence would be there.
A  prayer...../ Dear God help all those who are meeting together in small groups,help them to realise, that you love them just as much as the many,and may they be conscious of your promised presence ..Amen/

Dont give up.[ Philippians 3 v14 ]

Yesterday morning as I travelled to speak I noticed as I crossed over the bridge to get unto the road I had to get on,that there was a very big traffic jam.I managed to escape it by going a different way,and to my surprise I arrived in time to take the meeting.There were about 9 of us,and I felt the Lord helping me as I spoke,and as we sang the last hymn,the pianist played so well, and I believe we all received a blessing.Now what if I had given up when I saw the traffic jam?,I would have missed a lovely time ministering Gods word,and  we all would have missed a blessing.but we didn't.Sometimes we give up to soon,think of the people in the Bible who could have given up but didn't. .Jacob is famous for those words, I will not let Thee go,except thou bless me[Genesis 32v26], and he received what he desired. Consider the lady in Luke 8, who had suffered for 12 long years,she had spent everything she had on doctors,but to no avail .In spite of that she did not give up,instead she came to Jesus, and used the one thing that cannot be bought, faith , and she received a wonderful blessing. Be it for earthly blessing or heavenly blessings let us not give up
               .  I've Wrestled on towards heaven, Gainst storm, and wind, and tide.
                   Now like a weary trav'ller,that leaneth on his guide.
                   Amid the shades of evening,while sinks life's lingering sand.
                  I hail the glory dawning, in Immanuel's land.
                    [A. R.Cousin]
A  prayer ...../ Dear God  grant us grace to press on,to not give up, in Jesus name. Amen/
   

Wicked and unclean thoughts. [ 2 Corinthians 10 v 3- 5 ]

I would commend to your reading the writings by  William Gurnall, an old Puritan,I have three abridged volumes of his works,/The Christian in complete armour,/ I  purchased a daily devotional from his writings and I would like to share with you  one of those daily readings./ Christian, this is inperative for you to realize . When wicked or unclean thoughts first force their way into your mind, you have not yet sinned. This is the work of the devil, but if you so much as offer them a chair and begin polite conversation with them,you will become his accomplice...Your confidence must rest on this fact, unclean thoughts will not stay where the love of Christ reigns supreme. They are panicked by overhearing your conversations with Christ as an escaped murderer would be, upon realizing he has been spotted in town. And well they should be, for your holy thoughts will track down these evil thoughts and kill them on the spot. Both the trial and the sentence will be speedy. Secondly, steadfastly resist sins of the heart,thereby showing where your loyalties lie,....if you cherish Christs presence, declare your loyalty to Him at Satans first knock by renouncing every thought that is not a willing captive of God/
A prayer..../ Dear God help us to resist every evil thought,to not let it take root in our hearts,by Your Holy Spirit may every thought be brought into captivity, in Jesus name we ask this Amen /

Only one answer.[ Psalm 121]

In 2 Samuel4 v4 we read that David lived for 70years,how did he manage to survive?,as a shepherd boy ,he had killed a bear and a lion,he had fought with a giant.As a soldier he fought many battles,was hunted and hounded by Saul,survived a rebellion by his son Absolam,also he appeared to have escaped any life threatening illness,how did he survive?.In 2 Samuel 8 v6/7, we read ,and the Lord preserved David. We can take all the precautions we can, but in the end unless the Lord preserves us, we will not survive.David was very conscious of the fact that God preserved him, in Psalm 121,written by David we read the following,/The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil,He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this day forth, and even for evermore/.I often feel vulnerable,I marvel that I have driven thousands of miles,that I was saved from drowning as a child,that I have been in many difficulties,faced many testings and temptations, how have I come through it all?well there is only one answer as far as I am concerned,the Lord has preserved me.Dear child of God you will survive, you will be kept safe,you will be brought through ,for our times our in Gods hands.Live not in fear,but trust Your God,who will preserve you,until His appointed time comes when He will call you and me home, and as we stand on heavens shore we will look back in amazement and thankfulness ,and praise God for preserving us.
A  prayer.../ Dear God we bow before You in thankfulness ,for saving and keeping us,and for the promise that You will preserve us unto Your heavenly kingdom,through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen /

True holiness [ Luke 11 v37 ff]

In Luke 14v1 we read,/that they watched Him/,they watched Jesus,they wanted to see what He would do,it was the Sabbath.Strict Sabbath keeping was very important, but they carried it to far,it became a burden and oppressive,state of affairs,in Luke 11v46, our Saviour declared to the religious leaders,/you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden/.The story is told of a minister of a church that held very strict sabbath rules,he lived beside a lake ,his church was on the other side of the lake,and so he had to drive around the lake to get to the church.One day there was a very heavy fall of snow,that made driving not possible,this left him with a dilemma, how could he get to his church service,so he rowed across.Later the leaders of the church met with him,and accused him of breaking the Sabbath by rowing the boat across the lake .The minister said ,it was the only way he could get to the church to conduct the service,and then one of the leaders, but did you enjoy it.? .Some religious people would squeeze the joy out of life, the Psalmist requested that God would restore to him the joy of His salvation.[[Psalm 51v12].The term worldliness is often used in a distorted way,one of my great regrets was objecting to my wife,who is now in glory, listening to her favourite singer,in the end she sold  her record collection.
A  prayer..../Dear God help us to to be holy,help us not to judge others,help us  not to lay heavy burdens upon people,help us to understand what true holiness means, in Jesus name. Amen/

Women. [ 1 Thessalonians 5 v14 [Support the weak]

Yesterday in London Mrs Thatchers funeral took place,a lady admired by some, disliked by some,our first women Prime  Minister.That appeals to me, as one reads history, women have been treated so unfairly,it is women who suffer most in war,it is very painful to read,but how can it change?, I must confess I do not know. Continually we hear of women suffering, being forced into the sex trade,the terrible scandal in India,the abused women in their homes,and so it goes on. So today I give thanks for one women, who overcome so much ,and became Prime Minister, and who left her mark in history. Today let us pray for the dear women in this world who are suffering,in their homes, in their workplaces,in religious oppressive countries,of women who have been raped ,and suffered so much,and so we could go on.Let us pray for single mums, let us not judge them, leave that to a compassionate God,who loves them.
A prayer ...../ Dear God we lift up our voices to You for the many women who are struggling with the burdens they have to bear,for the many women who live in fear,of the many women who have suffered abuse, and neglect,in Jesus name we ask that You will help them . Amen /