Are we deceived? [1 John 1 v 8 ]

John tells us ,/If we say we have no sin,we deceive ourselves,and the truth is not in us[1 John 1v8],in this we are reminded that we are not sinless,there is no sinless perfection, for even the greatest believer.There are people and they are deceived into thinking they are sinless,but they are not,experience tells us that we are not sinless,the lives of those saints mentioned in Gods word bears out the truth, that the greatest of saints sin ,and can commit the greatest of sins.The devil who is called the accuser of the brethren,will not only tempt the child of God to sin,but he will seek to deceive the child of God into the error of sinless perfection..The fact of the matter is God is continually seeking to perfect His children,if they where perfect already there would be no need for that. Pride I am sure plays a large role in the child of God life,as long as we live it will never be eradicated,it will manifest itself,in a multitude of ways.Consider the challenge of loving, loving God,loving others,can any of us say that we totally fulfil that criteria?. Consider what it means to be holy,are we as holy as God?,I think not,in fact I am sure we are not,no wonder John wrote,/If we  say we have no sin,we deceive ourselves,and the truth is not in us./
A  prayer....../Holy God save us from been deceived ,help us to see that  this journey that we are on, is a striving after perfection,which will only be completed when we stand before you in heaven, in Jesus name Amen/

The human situation.[John 3v 16]

So God is knowable,yet unknowable,it was Job the great sufferer who declared as regards God,/Behold He taketh away,who can hinder Him?,who will say unto Him,what does Thou?[9v12].We are often judging God, and His ways,we cannot understand why a God who is love,will also be a God who will judge mankind and send them to Hell.Again Job reminds us that God is not a man,as he was[9v32].Consider what Isaiah wrote about God,/For my thoughts,are not your thoughts, neither are your ways,my ways,saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways,and my thoughts than your thoughts.[55v8-9]God declared the hymn writer ,moves in mysterious ways ,His ways are pass finding out,as a Christian of many years standing,I have not all the answers,I don't rub my hands with glee ,when I observe suffering,be it an individuals suffering or a nations.The Bible teaches that this is a fallen world,it came into that state by sin,this is the cause of all our trouble,and we are all caught in the consequences of that.Christians are suffering in the disasters of this world, as well as non-Christians.God permits his children to suffer,their loved ones die of cancer,road accidents,some are raped,and exploited.Why? ,is God being cruel?,no ,likewise as regards the bigger picture world disasters,wars famine.Although  it may be hard to understand such suffering,the fact is we are told that God loves the world,and linked up with that love is Gods answer Jesus.
A  prayer../.Dear God. have mercy upon those who are suffering,wherever that they be in Jesus name Amen /

Knowable, yet unknowable. [ Isaiah 40]

C. S. Lewis served as a soldier  in the first world war,and when he retuned from seeing the awful slaughter ,he lost faith in God,whom he felt could have stopped it,and didn't.One can understand that reasoning,the lastest disaster in the Philippians,has been called an act of God,is this not so,is God not sovereign?,then Why?.To be very honest I could say I do not understand,and I don't,are the people in the Philippians terrible sinners?have they done some terrible evil?. Someone said to me today ,these disasters appear to happen to the poor,which makes it appear to be even more cruel,had they not enough to contend with?.These are not easy things to understand,and my answer may not satisfy,and the bases of my argument is based upon my belief that God is sovereign. It is Tozer who writing about the person of God,writes that He is incomprehensible,the prophet asked Israel this question,/To whom then will ye liken God?,or what likeness will ye compare unto Him?[Isaiah 40v18].Is it not  true we are always trying to create a God in our image,in doing this we,are no different than those who carve out a stone image, and bow down to it. So let us cast of  our pride and bow humbly, before God ,whom Tozer declares , is not like anything that is,He is not exactly like anything or anybody/he goes on to say,/Left to ourselves we tend immediately to reduce God to manageable terms/.
A prayer..../Sovereign God we rejoice that through Jesus Your son we know You,and yet at the same time You are unknowable. Amen /

Who are the chosen, who are the few?.[ 2 Peter 1 ]

I am sure many Christians ask God, Why?, is yours a bitter why?,or just a sad why?, I found myself asking a why? ,and it was this,why are there so few ,that are saved? . Someone asked Jesus,/Lord are there few that be saved?/.I think about the old hymn which says, who are the chosen who are the few?.Well Jesus did not answer this question,he turned the question on this man,and stressed the vital importance,of any one who will be saved to make every effort to enter into salvation. Millions live such careless lives,they strain for so many things,and give little thought,for that day in which there will be unending weeping, and gnashing of teeth. Many think they know Jesus, but He does not know them,and will declare to them, depart  from Me,all ye workers of iniquity[ Luke 13 v27]His words are aimed at those people who felt  that God was tied into a one nation salvation.Not so ,Jesus tells them that ,His kingdom will contain, people from all over the world,from east,and west,north and south,they will take their place in Gods kingdom.[Luke 13v29] Unlike earthly kingdoms, were the so called great are honoured,in Gods kingdom there will be surprises,the least unlikely will receive the greatest honour.W. Henriksen in his com on Luke writes /,as there are degrees of suffering in Hell [Luke 12 v47-48],so there will be degrees of glory in the restored universe[1 Corinthians 15 v42]
A prayer..../Merciful God  in Jesus name save,and  helpYour dear childen  to see what matters to You.Amen/

We will remember [1 Corinthians 11 v 23-26 ]

Today our country will be remembering those who have given their lives for their country,this small island has been in many ,many wars, the greatest being,the first and second world wars. The first world war was suppose to be the war to end all wars,sadly that never happened,nations have not yet turned their weapons into tractors.So with every new remembrance day,it appears that more people are being added to this list of dead.  Tomorrow  many churches will also be remembering the greatest conflict that has ever taken place, not a conflict that involved tanks,guns or any sort of weapons. To those looking on it just appeared that one man, a popular man,but to some a dangerous threat to the nation, was being silenced.But in reality on that cross ,that one solitary man was aiming ,to defeat death,Satan,and the power and consequences of sin. His suffering was greater than anyone could imagine,but He endured it,for He saw the glory that lay beyond,and He also realised the consequences of failure for mankind. As he hung on that cross,darkness came over the land,and Jesus cries out,My God,my God,why have You forsaken me?,but then we read, that just before he died,Jesus cries out,it is finished[John 19v30].W Barclay writing on these words that they were not words of weary defeat but words of triumph, a shout of joy,of victory.The resurrection was to follow,bringing home the completeness of His victory,and ushering in salvation,for all who believe in Jesus.
A  prayer....../Dear God as we look by faith on the cross ,we will remember Him,,and praise Him for all eternity. Amen/



all eternty

Tea and cakes.[ Genesis 4 v1ff]

Police in tea and cakes, council election probe,so read the headlines in our local newspaper,it refers to a local election that took place recently.A candidate bought tea and cakes ,for elderly residents at a sheltered housing complex 11 days before the election. It appears at first glance an Innocent gesture but it is seen as suspect ,was it a bribe?or just a gesture of good will?.  One coming day,all will be revealed,about that event and every event,that ever took place,it is called the great judgement morning when all our actions will be revealed for what they really where.Now of course the judgement will include the living and the dead [Acts 10v42],for the Christian the worth of their work will be judged,as W Barclay points out,/someday our work will be tested, and the test will be carried out by none other than Jesus Himself . CP . 1Corinthians 3 v10 ff. The Christian is saved only by Christ and His finished work,nevertheless good works are as Thomas Brooks declares,/ they are the infallible evidence of our salvation,and eternal happiness/ Works of any kind for salvation ,cannot will not, do not count,we cannot hope to bribe God,or influence God,in any way,on that great judgement day.
A  prayer...../ Dear God help us as Christians to be sincere,in all things,and grant that those who know not Christ to see that while works are important,they will never be important enough to save them,in Jesus name Amen /

A burden [Romans 10 v 13-17 ]

I must confess I carry a burden,that never leaves me ,sometimes this burden has got me into trouble,often I feel I have failed in carrying out that burden, Sometimes I am not sure how I am going to share my burden, one time a long time ago as I shared that burden with my dying mother.It later got back to me that my mother was upset with me,for doing this,yet I could do no other,it is a burden that God has placed in my heart.Everyday I arise very early and bring this burden to God in prayer,I know I can only do so much,yet I feel I have never done enough,and never will,sometime I feel weary with this burden,and wonder what is being accomplished,by my prayers,and my sharing this burden,is it all a waste of time?.Then I have to remind myself that God has given me this burden,and that I must be faithful, yes faithful,for it will be in my faithfulness that I will be judged.I have to remind myself that I am not responsible for others who likewise carry that burden, I am only responsible for myself, although it concerns me when others fail to carry out that burden,and makes me sad.My burden is to tell others about Jesus,
A prayer....../Dear God help us all to see that as Christians we are all called to tell others about our Saviour. Amen /