Witnesses [Acts 1 v 8 ]

I recently visited a place called Rayleigh which is in the county of Essex, and I stood before a monument,erected to a number of people who were burnt to death for their faith.I will share with you their names,Thomas Causton,John Ardely,Robert Drakes, and William Tyms,each of these brothers stood for truth,to them truth mattered. Truth does matter we must not compromise as regards the truth,I believe it was John Ardely,who in reply to Bishop Bonner declared,/If every hair of my head were a man,I would suffer death in the opinion and faith I now profess/ These dear brothers suffered martyrdom,in many countries today,many are following in their footsteps,and so it will always be.The word witness in Acts 1 v8 ,comes from the English word  martyr, in other words bearing witness by ones death. In Jude v3 we read,/that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints/. The question we need to be always asking is,what about truth?,it is not the popular question,but them we are not in a popularity contest. It was the apostle Paul who wrote of the offence of the cross [Galations 5 v11],things have not changed,and will not change,and as Christians we must not change,we are to be witnesses to Him who is the way the truth and the life[John 14 v6]
A  prayer...../ Dear God help and empower us to be witnesses for the truth for Jesus sake. Amen /

Spared. [Romans 8 v32]

A man was out driving, a child ran in front of his car,he managed to stop in time,the child was soon snatch up by its mother,relieved the man drove unto his destination.That night he thanked God,for sparing that child's life,for sparing the child's mother from the pain of losing her child,and from  sparing him from the pain he would have felt if he had killed that child.When he had finished praying he opened his Bible and his eyes lighted on Romans 8 v32./He that spared not His own son,but delivered him up for us all/.His mind turned to the passage in Genesis 22,where Abraham was told to sacrifice his son Isaac, and how he was spared from doing that,but in that story we read that a ram was sacrificed instead of Isaac.Isaac was spared from death but the ram was not,so it is that Christ was not spared by his Father,in order that all who trust Christ as Saviour, would be spared from Gods righteous judgement,the hymn writer put it ,this way, the wrath of God that was my due upon the Lamb was laid.
A  prayer....../Dear God we praise You for such love,that spared not Your Son from Calvary,that we would be saved eternally, thank You in Jesus name Amen /

The central point is [ Romans 12 v1 -2 ]

We read in Acts 16v6, that Paul and his companions were forbidden of the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.Now why  was this so?,I do not know,I do not know why I was stopped going to Brazil,or other places,does it really matter were one goes to preach Gods word?,seemingly it does. It is at times difficult to know why we are not allowed to do certain things,noble ,honourable things   important things, and yet God the Holy Spirit says no.I find myself asking,is it possible to know Gods will ,in all things, and to keep in step with the Holy Spirit?. These words remind us first,about a Sovereign God,we can see the need,that is as far as we can go,but God see's the whole He has a plan.That plan in relation to us is, His will,His will, not ours,so if He forbids us to not go to a certain place,or to not speak to a certain person or people,thats part of His plan,and perfect will for us..The central point of Christ's coming is, that the will of God may be fulfilled,so likewise the central point of our Christian life is to yield our lives in total surrender to His will whatever the cost.
A  prayer ......../..Dear God forgive us for choosing dross instead of the perfect pure gold that is your will in Jesus name Amen /

He is unchanging. [Malachi 3 v6]

This Thursday I will be seventy,I was born in 1944,and it really amazes me how in my short life,so many changes have taken place.Materially things have change,for the better,I live in England not Ireland,when I was very young horses where still being used,to some extent.One could not have envisaged the changes that has taken place,people have changed in some ways,but our fallen nature will never change. Then there are changes that we experience,that unnerve us,and maybe frighten us,and even frustrate us,yes we live in a world of change.Here is the good news He who made this world, does not change,in the book of Malachi [3 v6],we read,/For I am the Lord, I change not/.,and then we read,/therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed/.The first thing is Gods unchangableness ,that is a great comfort,He will continue to be faithful,yes even to this world for He is a faithful creator[1 Peter 4 v19] To his children He will remain faithful,loving and caring,that will not change.Then we read,therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed,as children of God,the fact of the matter is ,we are far from being perfect children,but God being is unchanging in His mercy,that will never change,to an unfaithful, disobedient people He declared I have loved you with an everlasting love.[ Jeremiah 31 v3 ]
A  prayer..../Dear God we praise You for Your faithfulness,,for the fact that your love for us will never, never change, in Jesus name Amen /

Pure gold [ Job 23 v10]

I was reading from an old devotional called ,Steams in the desert, by L.B.E. Cowman,it was about a cocooned emperor moth,which a person kept for nearly one year.When the time comes for it to come out of its cocoon,it emerges through a narrow opening,so small one wonders how on earth,it can break free from its cocoon. Well as the person watched one day the moth started to exit from the cocoon,she felt compassion for the moth in its great struggle. She did not realise that the pressure that the moth experienced forced fluids into its wings ,so causing their perfect development. Well the person thought that they would help that moth so with a pair of scissors they enlarged the opening of the gap. Well the moth emerged from that cocoon, but not with those beautiful  wings which all admire,No as the author writes ,/the moth suffered an aborted life,crawling painfully through its brief existence instead of flying through the air on rainbow wings/. It was the patriarch Job who suffered so much who declared,/But He knoweth the way that I take ,when He hath tried me,I shall come forth as gold/[Job 23 v10] Let us remember that while the world try every means to improve and preserve their carcass of dust, God has a plan and purpose for all of our lives,that goes beyond the body beautiful,it is called perfect through suffering,this cannot be accomplished in the gym,or by plastic surgery,men  and women of God are developed ,into creations of beauty to the  glory of God, by the firey trials they go through.
A  prayer...../ Dear God help us to see the that You have a loving transforming purpose for all our lives, in Jesus name Amen /

24/7 [Proverbs 3 v5-6 ]

I have stared to read again a book by George Muller,called ,/Answers to  prayer,/,for you ,who don't know about George, in the 19th century he started an orphanage work up in Bristol,which continued to expand during his life.He did not receive any financial assistance,but simply trusted God to supply the needs of the children,himself and fellow workers.Money came in , in ,various ways,by prayer and faith he looked to God to supply the money that was needed. Yet he also stressed the importance of trusting God in everything,and seeking His will in everything.The scripture tells us,that in all our ways we are to acknowledge God [Proverbs 3v6],in other words to bring Him into everything,cooking a meal,driving ,friendships,buying ,giving,everything.When we do this God is honoured,when our plans our falling apart,He can guide us through,let us see that our relationship with God is just that,which means every moment of everyday ,can be filled with His presence.We need  to seek God continually,not just in moments of crisis,not just in the major things,but also in the minor things.In the Bible we have the major and minor prophets,they are all part of the whole,let not despise the day of small things,but let make our walk with God all inclusive.
A  prayer....../Dear God forgive our sinful independence,and grant that we may invite You into every aspect of our lives,in Jesus name Amen/

Strength [ Ephesians 6 v 10]

Before Moses was about to die, he blessed the tribes,to Asher he declares ,/Thy shoes shall be iron and brass,and as thy days, so shall thy strength be/[Deuteronomy 33 v25]Two things are implied ,first security,and safety. The tribes where  about to leave the wilderness,the wilderness sounded a pretty dangerous place,in the wilderness God had watched over them.,but now they were about to lave the wilderness and face enemies, they may face them,but they will not be overcome by them,they will not be removed from their inheritance,they shall be as a nail in a sure place.No enemy can rob us of those gifts that God has given us,but God may, if we forsake Him remove them./Next He tells them of a very wonderful truth,/ and as thy days, so shall thy strength be/.what new thing has God prepared for me to do?, will I have the strength to do it?,of course you will,here is the promise for you,As thy days , so shall thy strength be,we mayfeel like a flat battery,but the Holy Spirit will empower  us, for any appointed task, and we will declare like  Paul, I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me[Philippians 4 v13]
A  prayer....../ Dear God we thank,that You are ,our security and strength, through Jesus Thy Son Amen/