Humility. [ Philippians 2 v5-11]

In his book called /The Unsearchable riches of Christ/,  Thomas Brooks writes in depth on humility,he quotes a aged saint who on hearing of a brother who had sinned said ,/He fell today I may tomorrow/. He wrote,/ humility is the first,second ,and third grace  in the Christian/,in being humble we are following in the steps of Jesus.Our Saviour taught, let him who is greatest, be servant of all.[Matthew 23 v11].It is one thing writing and reading about humility,and another living it out,as it is with,all godly characteristics,be it love, forgiveness,giving,sacrificial living,and yet that is the challenge,every sermon we hear brings a challenge,every devotional we read,all these brings a challenge,that we are called to rise to.Being humble is a challenge, for we all have a nasty streak of pride running through our lives,we are born with it,and that is what God aims to eradicate.1 Peter 5 v5,exhorts us to be clothed with humility,consider the humility that our Lord manifested,again it is Brooks who writes of an Earl called Eleazarus,that being given to immoderate anger, was cured of that disordered passion by studying of Christ and His patience.He still dwelt upon Christ and His patience,until he found his heart transformed into the similitude of Jesus Christ.
A prayer..../ Dear God grant us grace to be humble ,and in all things to be conformed to Jesus Thy son Amen /

Doing what we are told. [ 1 Samuel 15 v22]

I  heard something in work that made me feel anxious,so I have prayed about it,why?, because that  is what  we  are told to do.Do you remember your mother or father telling you to do something,something that you should have listened to and obeyed?and you didn't,and you got into all sorts of bother Well as a Christian we could save ourselves a lot of bother if we would simple do what God said.Take king Saul, if only he had simple done what God said, he would have remained king,he would have been blessed by God,instead of coming under Gods disfavour.Jonah experienced a nightmare because he did not do what God said. Even Moses lost out by not doing what God said[Numbers20 v8 ff],Solomon brought such disaster upon Israel by not doing what God said[1 Kings 11],the Bible is full of such illustrations. Consider the awful, awful,consequences brought about by Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, by not doing what God said,Eve was tempted ,then she looked how many wrong things have started by a look,[ Genesis 3 v6]if only she had followed Jobs example[31 v1]when he made a covenant with his eyes,but she didn't,alas..
A  prayer..../ Dear God forgive us for disobedience,grant us the grace to trust and obey You in all things ,in Jesus name Amen/

The cross. [ Galations 1 v 4 ]

I read this recently,/Christianity is a death cult. What kind of a religion has depictions of a divine nailed bleeding upon an instrument of death and torture, in every place of worship. And around the neck of every faithful follower Christianity is  a morbid death obsessed atrocity exhibition./I  wonder what you think of these words?. First  of all, if it was just about a person dying it would be pointless,and of course the death of Christ is not the whole story, if it was I would not be a Christian.The cross I wear is not a crucifix, in other words it is simple a cross but an empty cross ,to me this declare two vital truths ,death and resurrection. Christ did not die to bring us into a morbid obsession with death, He died and rose again,in order to bring all who believe in Him into eternal life[John 11 v25 ] Yes Christ did suffer an awful death, but it was not  a meaningless death,every year we have a remembrance Sunday,in which our country remember those who have died in war, there's was not a meaningless death.So it is, Christ death on the cross has a profound meaning,and that is,in His death, He was dying, that our sins can be forgiven,and in that dying He bore the punishment for my sin.If  He had not died, then we would never have our sins forgiven,never go to heaven, and would be condemned to Hell for all eternity, but because He died, my sins have been forgiven, and because He lives I shall live also.
A  prayer.../Dear God as many look on the cross wore by Christians,open their understanding as to it's true meaning ,in Jesus name Amen/

He saw beyond .[1Corinthians 4 v 8-18 ]

It was my oldest boys birthday yesterday,it is a somewhat amusing trait that when we are young,we want to appear to be older,and when we are older we want to appear to be younger. There used to be a saying,which went,/act your age/,in other words, if you are an older person  stop acting like an adolescent teenager,and if you are adolescent teenager stop acting like a child.  Then we have the contradictory challenge we throw at youngster,grow up,when they misbehave.Of  course their are parents who dress their children like little adults,it all appears and sounds so confusing,then life can appear confusing,in so many areas.People who die, we think should not die,a seemingly nice person is revealed as a child abuser,we loose our job,we are forsaken or betrayed by those we thought where our friends,and so on. Life has always been like this ,if one reads the Bible we read of those who experienced so much pain,they felt confused that wicked people appeared to prosper,while the righteous appear to suffer.No one said life would be fair,and often it isn't,but let us not despair,God truly is on the throne and He will remember His own,,it was Job who suffered so much,who declared ,/Though He slay me,yet will I trust Him[13 v15],it was the great apostle, wrote of being perplexed,but then he added,but not in despair[1 Corinthians 4v8],because he saw beyond ,yes he saw beyond[v17-18]
A  prayer...../ Dear God forgive us that our thougths,and our vision is so earth bound, help us to see beyond, in Jesus name Amen /

Let us not doubt.[Psalm 121]

  In 2 Thessalonians 3 v2-3,the apostle contrasts two things,first he writes ,all men have not faith,then he writes, but the Lord is faithful. In writing that all men have not faith he could be referring to all in general ,or as the Message pharaphrses,/That all believers,are not believers/.  He has described them as unreasonable,and wicked men,the condition and behaviour of mankind can unsettle us,can breed uncertainy into our hearts,and cause us to doubt, and stumble. So to counter this the apostle quickly adds,/But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil/.Remember Peter began to sink when he took his eyes of the lord [Matthew 14 v30], likewise the disciples accused the Lord of not caring[ Mark 4v38].  So the apostle reminds his readers, and us, that in an uncertain world the Lord is with us, for He is faithful, and he will stablish ,and keep us from evil. Let us remember that whatever difficulties,trials,and uncertaines we are facing the Lord is with us,and he will enable us to stand.Not only that, He will keep us from evil,we have echoes of Psalm 121 here. Remember where sin abounds grace much more abounds[Romans 5 v20],so let us not doubt His faithfulness, or his ability to undertake for us His children.
A  prayer....../Dear God let us not doubt Your faithfulness, or Your ability to keep us from evil in Jesus name Amen/

He cares [Psalm 46 ]

There are many caring people in the world,but there are many uncaring people,and there are many people who feel no one cares.There are many people carrying burdens, and it seems that they have no one to go to,no one to help them with their burdens. So I read a lovely encouraging verse of scripture today,which reads,/Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you[1 Peter 5 v7]/. How do we cast our cares upon Him?.the answer ,prayer,go to Him ,unload all your cares upon Him,that is what he tell us to do,so let us do it,oh yes you will still be faced with the difficulties,but that does make it a pointless activity,it means you shared your cares with someone who really cares. Flowing from His heart of  care God, He will begin to undertake,He will to your surprise give that unique favour that will enable you His child to come through your difficulties, grace.He will by that same grace begin to change and perfect you,making you and me more Christlike. Oh Yes He will answer your prayers,in the way that He sees best,and always in a way that is for your good[Romans 8 v28 ],because He cares for you.
A prayer...../Dear loving heavenly Father we thank You that You care for us ,and so we cast our cares upon You, in Jesus name Amen /

He just keeps on loving. [ Psalm 130]

I was listening to the radio and I heard the following,/I like a bit of mystery,we should not reveal everything about ourselves,if we do they will stop loving us/. I was reading  about a lady called Brigitte Hoss who lived with a  secret which she kept hidden for most of her life,her father was Rudolf  Hoss who was the commandant of Auschwitz,where over a million Jews were put to death. This lady was afraid if she revealed her secret, someone would  take vengeance upon her,for what her father had done. The mystery of God is this, He knows all about us,He see's into our distant past,a past we would not tell anybody,there are things that I will take to my grave,things I would not want others to know,because it would put my relationship in jeopardy with them.Now when we become Christians we realise that God is all knowing,the theological term is Omniscience.Tozer wrote,/Our Father in heaven knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. He knows our inborn treachery/.We may not know our deceitful and desperately wicked heart,but  God does and if we are His children He still loves us,He saved us in our awful sinfulness,and will continue to love us,,come what may.
A  prayer...../Dear God we praise You, that in spite of our dark secrets You will continue to love us,through Jesus Your son Amen /