verse of the day

Sunday, 4 August 2013

Fate [ Genesis 1 v1 ]

Then fate stepped in,how many times have we heard  those words,who is this fate?,who is this evolution?it does not make sense.I don't want fate to step in,I want God to step in,fate is just a word.What is the meaning of this word?/the ultimate agency that predetermines the course of events/The ultimate agency is none other than God who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will[Ephesians 1 v11]And in the midst of life we can rejoice , that not blind fate,or chance evolution are not the deciding factors in Life.As we face life which will inevitable bring challenges,problems,decisions,we have someone who is there for us,a mysterious yet personal God,who says call upon me in the day of trouble,I will deliver thee,and thou shalt glorify me  [Psalm50v15].  As we go through life we need not face it on our own ,remember it is not good for man to be alone,we can know one who said I will never leave you nor forsake you.[Hebrews 13 v5 ] We can through Jesus be saved and to know,that we have a glorious future,not a black hole of nothingness[John 11v25].
A prayer..../ Dear God we worship You through Your Son Jesus,we thank You that life takes on meaning when we know You. Amen /

Saturday, 3 August 2013

Uncertainties. [ Job 19v25-26 ]

Seemingly a piece of pottery as old as 3,000yrs could prove the reigns of David and Solomon, why do they need a bit of pottery?,is the Jewish people not evidence that such people existed?.Seemingly not,no we need a little bit of pottery,I suppose if this little bit of pottery had not turned up Solomon and David never existed,they were only mythical folk hero's,like Robin Hood,they are just legends.Those wonderful Psalms which we treasure ,mostly written by a man called David,are  really falsehoods,put together like the book of Mormon, but no real bases of truth. That's ,that ,then,no its not,because it is based on unbelief,the Bible is called the word of God, because that is what it is. J. I . Packer mentions modern uncertainties, there have always been uncertainties,ancient and modern. again it is J.I.Packer  who writes as to our modern age, we lack certainty,he goes on to write,/We know in our bones that we were made for certainty, and we cannot be happy without it/.As a young man I looked at life and it made no sense, it had no meaning,but I heard the word of God preached and certainty came into my life in the person of Jesus.In the Bible,we find the truth of creation,we find the truth of mankind's condition,but from Genesis to Revelation ,we find the message of salvation,that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
A  prayer..../Dear God we thank You for Your word,that in a world full of uncertainties,we can say I know whom I have believed,  in Jesus name Amen /

Friday, 2 August 2013

Truth [John 14 v 6]

Why did a mother and her boy friend systematically abuse her child?,to the point that the child died,it is hard to understand,and of course questions are being.asked,why did social workers,doctors,or even the police,let it happen?.As I listened to this on the news report,I found myself answering,they did not let it happen,the mother and her boy friend did it,they continually told lies,convincingly. It is very hard often to know when a person or persons are lying,and people do lie,murderers lie,they will plead not guilty,all sorts of people lie.That couple who killed that child lied,telling lies is not a trivial matter,no, there are no such things as white lies. The preacher who is living a double life is living a lie ,the person who cheats on his wife is living a lie.People who tell lies often do not care about the consequences it has on others,or on themselves.There was a time when the source of the Nile was sought for,the source of lying we are told, is Satan[ John 8 v44],he lied to Eve,and he continues to whisper lies to mankind,every false religion is a lie,so called holy books are filled with lies,yet so many believe them,his lies can be so convincing.The Bible tells us that Satan hates the truth,in fact it says there is no truth in him,the people who rejected  Christ ,and sought to murder him,showed their true parentage. .As John reminds us, This is the condemnation,that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than  light ,because their deeds were evil.
A  prayer..... /Dear God,help us to tell the truth at all times,and help us to accept Christ who is the Truth].  Amen

Thursday, 1 August 2013

Gods choice [ 1 Corinthians 1 v 25-31]


Carrying on from yesterday,as regards the two lads I spoke to,it turns out that they are part of the gypsy community,the boy who was a Christian told me how God was moving among the gypsy population. He told me that he had attended a conference and over two hundred young people had got saved,he said it was the greatest thing, that his people where becoming Christians.The history of the Gypsy population is one of being despised and marginalised,many of then died at the hands of the Nazi es.Of course they often are a law unto themselves and this brings them into conflict with the general public.Like all humanity they are sinners,but then Jesus came into the world to save sinners,and seemingly that is what He is doing among the Gypsies in this country. It reminds me what Paul wrote ,that God chooses and saves the most unlikely people,the foolish things,the weak and base things,and those who are despised[1 Corinthians 1 v26-28] .Most of the well to do people are missing in these days,I wonder why,it need not be like that,God loves everyone,he love you,and wonder of wonders He even loves me.
A prayer..../Dear merciful God in Jesus name continue to save many more people from the Gypsy population. Amen ]

Wednesday, 31 July 2013

Witnesses. [Acts 1 v8]


I was in McDonalds and before me in the queue where two young men,one looked at the little cross I wear and asked me was I a Christian?,he asked me how long I had been a Christian I told him.The young lad I was talking to told me he had been a Christian for about a year,he said his friend wasn't,his friend said he was trying to become a Christian.I  told him it was not trying it was trusting,and that Christ saves not us. A chance encounter no,I had prayed that God would grant me an opportunity to witness to someone and He did.It was brief witness,but God can use those simple words, to bring that young man to Christ.It should be every Christians desire to see people come to Christ,on looking back on my life, I see that I have been a sower,yes I have seem people come to Christ, not a lot,but the main thing I have never lost the desire to witness. Let us remember some of the last words that our Saviour spoke, /ye shall receive power,after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you,/rely on the Holy Spirit,/and then our Saviour said,ye shall be witnesses unto Me[Acts 1 v8 ]
A  prayer..../Dear Lord help us to be  faithful witnesses,by our lives and our words Amen/

Tuesday, 30 July 2013

Preaching [ 2 Timothy 4 v2 ]

I  ministered the word of God on Sunday,and I have come away with a feeling of uneasiness,and I wonder why?,maybe  I preached to long, whatever ,and yet I faithfully proclaimed the word God give. Preaching is very challenging,and  ,it is not easy,and yet it is very rewarding. First of all I preach because I believe God has called me to that task,and  all I am called to do is be faithful. When I stand up to preach I am not performing, I am ministering, in order to do that ,I sought to prepare myself ,by going to Bible college,by reading and studying the word of God.Being a minister of the word of God means a life time of study,one does not just get up and speak,no, we have to give ourselves to study,we must pray our way through our study and our preaching,no matter how gifted one may be,there must be real dependence on God. Our confidence must be in God, and His word,that word I preach will accomplish what God desires it to accomplish, I must by faith leave its effectiveness to God the Holy Spirit,it is God we are told grants the increase [1 Corinthians 3 v6-7 ] .As a preacher I believe Satan will seek to discourage ,in many ways,I had one lady in a church ,where I was leader who caused me so much pain,Satan I believe was using her,to seek to overthrow my ministry.My task is to be faithful,I am called to preach the word,in season out of  season,reprove,rebuke,exhort with all long suffering[2 Timothy 4 v2]
A  prayer..../Dear God help our pastors and all those called to minister the word of God,to be faithful,in Jesus name Amen /

Monday, 29 July 2013

He will not fail you.[ Nahum 1 v7 ]


I was travelling to see a dear Christian couple in my car ,when I got a puncture,I was able to pull over,I was not able to phone the emergency services.What to do?well where I had stopped was  a garden centre,so I got it of the busy road I was on to the garden centres car park.It is long time since I changed a wheel,but I started to do it,and as I did a couple came along and the man offered to help,which he did.It made me think of the  many people God has sent to help me through out my Christian life,so many,from people giving me gifts,3 cars,financial gifts,food parcels,practical help. my wife and children who help me so much,the list it appears to me is endless.I am so grateful to God for all these people He sent. All these things were not chance happenings,they were part of  Gods providential care, to God be the Glory.Be encouraged dear child of God ,God will take care of you, His care for you ,will never cease, He will move the most unlikely people to help you,he will use whatever means He chooses,but He will not fail you.
A prayer...../Dear loving Heavenly Father ,thank You for Your unceasing care for Your children, we praise You in the name of Jesus  Amen /