If we dont? [ Revelation 3 v 14-22]

We would all agree that no one is perfect ,and that is why there are no perfect churches,recently our Pastor ,asked us during the morning gathering,to tell him the good things in relation to our church.the folk responded in a positive way,we are a friendly church,I would say we are a generous church,someone mentioned the food,we have a fellowship meal once a month.In the book of Revelation our Saviour speaks to seven churches,He mentions the good things,but for a number He points out the bad things,lack of love,error,deadness,lukewarmness,and materialism.These things where not written to cause trouble in His church, we have to much of that ,the result is ,we are left with empty buildings. First of all our Saviour loves His church,His words were not meant to destroy these churches,is, it not true,where there are differences,love often is left outside the church.Next our Lord speaks openly to the churches,again how many devious things are hatched in secret by church members ,and then they strike.Next our Saviour wants the church to reflect  Him,His  desire for every church , that they may listen and respond to what He has to say,we all need to be listening to what our Saviour has to say,even if  it is a challenge ,to change,if we do, then we will be blessed ,if we don't.
A  prayer..../Dear God bless our local church,grant that we may not cause trouble,grant that our leaders,within the church,may be lead and guided by Your Spirit,and together may we walk in Your perfect will,in Jesus name Amen /

Safe and secure from all alarms.[ Psalm 46 ]

Proverbs 18 v10 reads,/The name of the Lord is a strong tower,the righteous runneth into it and are safe/A name is more than a means of identity,when those who know me think of me they remember who I am,I remember being asked to do a task by my manager,it was important,she said she asked me because I was dependable.So when we think of the name of the Lord we are reminded of who He is,but also His character,and all that His name stands for. Here we are being told that His name is a strong tower in other words ,in Him we will find security,and a place of safety. Consider what that means for you as a child of God ,though the earth be removed,you shall not be moved,you shall be safe,why?,because the Lord of hosts is with you,the God of Jacob is your refuge[our fortress and High Tower] Selah[pause ,and calmly think of that/AV] Proverbs 18v10,is an exhortation to the righteous those who are not depending on their righteousness but the righteousness of Christ[ 1 Corinthians 1 v30],for all those who are not saved there is no strong tower,especially in the day of judgement.If you are a child of God,you can lean on the everlasting arms, safe and secure from all alarms.
A  prayer..../Dear God help us to always see that in You and in you alone we are safe for time and eternity,through Jesus Your Son Amen/

There arose a great storm. [Mark 4 v35ff]

I have mentioned before about the severe weather our country is experiencing,last night and this morning the wind is howling outside,the forces of nature can be very powerful and fearful.As the disciples found out when they where in a boat,we read,/there arose a great storm[Mark 4 v37],the result was the boat filled with water.They thought they were all going to perish,with one exception,Jesus,He was with them,and he was asleep,in their panic they woke Him,they judged Him,accusing Him of not caring. They appeared to have forgotten what Jesus said as they set out on their journey,/Let us pass over unto the other side [v35]/.Remember difficulties,storms will not hinder, Gods word to us,it will be fulfilled,let faith focus on His word .Also let us not think that our Saviour does not care about our difficulties,not so,He is always focused on all that concerns us.I look back on so many situations,one time comes to mind,it was when our car got a puncture,and I had no means of changing the wheel,it was in the country,in the dark of night,my wife and four children were in the car.A man drew up from nowhere and loaned me the tool to change the wheel. Another time, again at night, our car broke down , a man stopped and took us home in his car,in those days there were no mobile phones,but there was prayer,and there was Jesus,looking after us,as He is looking after you,so fear not the storm,He will not fail you.
A  prayer..../ Dear God help us when we are in the storms, not to fear,because You are with us, and will not fail us, in Jesus name Amen /

The Scapegoat.[ Leviticus 16 v 15-22 ]

The term scapegoat is taken from the Bible,it relates to the day of atonement when sacrifices would be made for the sin of the nation,a number of animals would be sacrificed.Now of course the sacrificial system was never meant to be permanent,cp Psalm 40v6-8.  The sacrificial system was a type of Christ,who would be sacrificed,and it his sacrifice that dealt with sin once and for all.cp Hebrews 10.When animal sacrifices where being made ,Israel would be pointed to the coming of the Messiah, the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world cp John 1 v29. Now on the day of atonement two goats would be brought,one would be slain as a sin offering,its blood with the blood of a bull would be taken into the holy of holies and sprinkled on the mercy seat or the atonement cover.Then Aaron would go to the other goat,lay both hands upon the goats head, and confess all the sins of the nation,then the goat would be taken, and released into the wilderness. The actions on the two goats remind us of two aspects of Christs sacrifice, the first goat in its death reminds of our sins being forgiven for without the shedding of blood,there is no forgiveness of  sins.Next the second goat that carried the sins of the people into the wilderness , reminds us of the removal of sin,and  that when our sins are forgiven through Christ, they are gone, never to be remembered against us anymore.
A  prayer......./Dear God we humbly thank You for Jesus,who through His death on the cross,effectively, dealt with sin. Amen/

Lost her soul [Matthew 16 v26 ]

A young woman was arrested for murdering a number of people,the report on the TV showed her as a lovely child  but she became involved in drugs,and it was down hill after that. A photo of her  showed a young woman who looked scary,her sister who was interviewed ,said her sister had turned into a monster. One person who had known her, said ,she had lost her soul,those words struck a cord with me,she had lost her soul.Our Saviour reminds us that our souls are the most valuable thing we have,worth more than all the world.[Matthew 16 v26]. Lenski in his commentary writes the following on this verse,/The Jews are keen in regard to finance,well here is the whole matter reduced to a simple question of profit and loss. Write on the credit side of the ledger, the whole world,and then on the debit side,the life,the man himself,and the profit is nothing. Yet Satan needs no such price to buy men's souls,all he needs is a little piece of this world/ There is an old hymn which reads ,have you counted the cost if your soul should be lost ?well have you?
A  prayer  ..../ Dear God we pray for that young woman ,have mercy upon her,we ask that you would help us, not to be blinded to the cost of loosing our souls, in Jesus name Amen /

Help our unbelief. [Mark 9 v 20ff]

Sometimes I feel like that man in Mark9v20ff who had a child who was demon possessed,who when challenged by Jesus as regards faith,cried out, and said with tears,/Lord, I believe help Thou mine unbelief/.Now earlier this man had brought his child to the disciples, they could not do anything,they had failed,possible because of a lack of spiritual preparedness,could it be that they had grown careless, after all they where Jesus disciples.Let us remember that we must whoever we are,continually rely on the Lord,and continually seek the Lord,let us remember the days of self reliance are gone,and if we turn again to those days we will fail. As to the man he was learning an important lesson,the followers of Jesus will fail us,will not at times be able to help us.,people look to Popes, Archbishops,ministers, but sometimes they disappoint us, W Barclay writes,/The Church may at times disappoint us,and Gods servants on earth may at times disappoint us. But when we battle our way face to face with Jesus Christ,He never disappoints us/ When he came to Jesus he was faced with a challenge ,did he have faith,his response was two fold,he had faith but it was not perfect,but here is the important thing Christ granted his request.
A  prayer...../Dear Saviour help us not to give up in despair when Your servants fail us,forgive our weakness in so many areas,especially in relation to faith Amen/

Holiness [Psalm 51]

In Leviticus 10v10 ,we read, / And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy,and between unclean and clean/.now we no longer have a sacrificial system, or food laws,but the principal for the child of God has not changed. In chapter 11, we have the words,/Ye shall be holy,for I am holy/,these word are repeated twice [v44-45 ] What does it mean to be holy? what do you think it means?,it has nothing whatsoever to do with what we eat,let us go to the heart of the matter,,Jesus said,/out of the heart of men,proceed evil thoughts,adulteries,fornication,murders,thefts,covetous,wickedness,
deceit,lasciviousness,an evil eye, blasphemy,pride,foolishness. All these evil things come from within,and defile a man[ Mark 7 v21-23] So today let us watch our hearts,for holiness starts in our hearts.
A  prayer....../Dear God create in me a clean heart,and renew a right spirit within me in Jesus name Amen /