The miracle of Salvation. [ Acts 9 v 1ff]

I often go out into my garden to look up at the stars but because of the lighting from street lamps ,or the clouds ,I see very little of Gods handiwork. One wonders how one could not believe in God if one was astronomer. There are so many things in this world and universe that should cause people to even acknowledge  their creator,but it is not so.In the movie Frankenstein the monster calls Dr Frankenstein his father,but in real life the vast majority of people,deny God as their father. Consider what John wrote in his gospel ,/All things were made by Him[Jesus] 1v3] and then he goes on to write,/He was in the world, and the world was made by Him[Jesus], and the world knew Him not.[v10] Even those who should have known Him ,did not[The Jews],for we read,/He came unto his own, and His own received Him not[v11].Why this blindness?is it not incredible that not only did they not receive Him, they murdered Him. When they had a choice of Jesus and a murderer ,they choose a murderer, things have not changed,Paul the apostle lost his natural sight, but he was given spiritual sight,that enabled him, to see Christ .The word of God makes it clear,that the natural man  receives not the things of God,for they are foolishness unto him,neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned/1 Corinthians 2 v14] All is not lost,the fact that I know God,reminds me continually that with God all things are possible,God can open our hearts, can cause the miracle of the new birth to happen,when by His grace we trust Jesus as our Saviour, when we hear the word of God,and the Spirit of God does His own special work [John 16 v8-11 ]
A  prayer..../Dear God  we ask that You would open the dark  hearts of people,to receive Him who is the light of the world Amen /

Light and darkness.[Colossians 1 v12-21 ]

 And God said let there be light,and there was light [Genesis 1 v 3],this was independent of the sun or the stars,how could it be?, I don't know, but I believe it to be so. Oh yes I believe in creation, God created light,we were not meant to dwell in perpetual darkness ,and yet we are told,that men love darkness rather than light, why?,because their deeds are evil [John 3 v19]Tell me how many people have you met today that are seeking after God,many church buildings are empty,the darkness seems ever to be increasing. As men live in darkness so they will end up in darkness eternally,in spite of mankinds advancements,darkness  continues to cover the face of the earth.Yet into this darkness stepped one man the God man,, Jesus,who said the most wonderful thing in the world,/I am the light of the world,he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life [John 8 v 12]He came to save those who sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to deliver all who trust Him, from the power of darkness,and translate them into His kingdom [Colossians 1 v14 ] . Let me ask you do want to be delivered from your darkness?,well in and through Christ it is possible. 
A prayer..../ Dear God thank You for sending Jesus to bring humanity out of darkness and into the light,Amen /

The reason not to fear. [ Hebrews 13 v 6 ]

I was told something that could easily instill fear in my heart,and others as well,but as a child of God I am called to trust in Him ,who continually tells His children to fear not.Yes there are dangers about,people who could harm us,there are dangers,from violence,illness, and so on.These dangers are real,but they are not in control of the child of Gods life,God is. Grant it,  Gods children do suffer,  I was reading about the Christians who are suffering in the Central Africa Republic at this time, I read these words ,/the Christians are dying like flies/, do pray for them,if we read Hebrews 11 we read of those who were delivered from dangers and death,but we also read of those who suffered greatly.Most of us are not in that situation,but the enemy of our souls is still active,likewise the world we live in is a fallen world. In the midst of life with all its dangers,pain ,and difficulties,Gods word for all of His dear children is, fear not. Here is a scripture for all of us as we face whatever,/Fear thou not,for I am with thee,be not dismayed,for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee,yea I will help thee. I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness[Isaiah 41 v10 ].
A  prayer......./Dear God free us from the bondage of fear,help us when fear arises to trust in You ,the living God ,in Jesus name Amen/

Not just to be admired. [ Matthew 7 v24-27 ]

I am reading a helpful book called./The soul winner. by C .H.Spurgeon/,in it we are instructed by a man who was used mightily used by God in soul winning.Likewise I have just finished a book by George Mullier on prayer,these books were written by men whom God raised up,to serve their generation.We can learn much from these men,and how we can serve our generation,their example is something we can benefit from,they are not just portraits to be admired,but examples to follow .We can admire everything about Christ and rightly so,but He says to us follow me,we are to be both an admirer of Christ and a follower.As we follow ,He will lead ,He will teach,and He will use us,according to His will,which is good and perfect.This means we are to live out the principals of His kingdom,and they are very challenging,very,it means not only being generous,but sacrificial,it means forgiven those who hurt us,it means loving ,showing Calvary love,no greater love than that.It means being reliant on God in all things,to be teachable,I  said to a person who was critical of the church he attended,could it be that God was seeking to teach him some valuable  lessons, but he was dismissive of what I said.It will mean being faithful,to our wedding vows,and faithful to all our vows,so that when at last we stand before our Saviour we will hear Him say ,well done good and faithful servant.
A  prayer..../ Dear Saviour whom we love,worship,and admire,help us to follow You in all things. Amen/

Weakness in prayer [Romans 8 v26-27]

I am thinking much about those words from Romans 8 v26-27, which reads,/Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities,for we know not what we should pray for as we ought,but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,because he maketh intercession for the saints ,according to the will of God/ We talk about mighty men of prayer,I have just finished read a book on a man called George Mullier of Bristol,and one could say he was a man of prayer,but even he would have to admit ,as we all would,that we are weak even in relation to prayer,as in all aspects of our lives,we are depending upon the Holy Spirit,especially in prayer,as the great apostle himself acknowledged.The Spirits knowledge is infinite,ours is finite,often when we pray it is two prayers inopposition to each other,we pray for the problem,whatever it may be,to be resolved,often it is answered as we request,but sometimes it is not, that's when the Spirit does his perfect work,and prays that Gods perfect will be carried out.I  have been praying about a certain thing for a long time,but  until now that prayer has not been answered,I believe the Spirit in love has been praying not yet,I have prayed in my life for things, noble things and the Spirit has prayed no.There is no problem in this,for every prayer should have at its core,the will of God,which we all need to submit to.
A  prayer ..../ Dear God help us to pray aright according to Your will,in Jesus name Amen /

Mistakes. [ Matthew 7 v1-5]

I was ministering at a small church recently ,I had chosen the hymns at home,but when I announced the hymns,I discovered that I had chosen the hymns from the wrong hymn book.I have two different hymn books with red covers,I had chosen the wrong one.When you make a mistake publicly it can hurt,and cause us to overreact,as I drove home drove home I found myself saying maybe I should stop preaching. I feel sorry for sports people who make a mistake in front of millions of people watching on the TV,they must feel devastated.When I am prone to criticise other drivers,I jokingly say why cant they be perfect drivers  like me?.We often say none of us our perfect, but do we include ourselves in that statement? often we don't,and so we judge people harshly.We all make mistakes morally,yet we judge those who do?the news paper reporters hound people to death,because that person has made a mistake. Our Saviour warned us against judging others,he reminded us that we all have failures,and inconsistencies in our lives,and that when we point the finger at someone,there are three fingers pointing back at ourselves.[Matthew 7 v1- 5].Our mistakes be they morally or whatever should make us more humble, and less  prone to judge or criticise others,it is true none us are perfect, we all choose hymns from the wrong hymn book.
A prayer..../ Dear God grant that as we come in contact with fallen humanity, that we always remember that we are also fallen creatures,in Jesus name Amen /

Fishers of men [Acts 1 v 8]

The next card I received has a picture of a man fishing,my friend wrote the following on this picture,/Captured one old man,how he spends his retirement, down by the ferry,fishers of fish,or fishers of men?that will be yours/.Is it possible, at seventy,I can become a fisher of men?,It has got me thinking and wondering if God would use me,so often I have felt like the apostles when they worked all night and caught nothing[Luke 5v 5]. When I stand before God I hope on that day to rejoice over even one precious soul,won for Christ,and yes within my heart there is and always has been a soul thirst,which has never been satisfied. It is important to remember that linked with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost,was the promise of power to be witnesses to the very end of the earth.Christianity did not become a world religion by dumb Christians,or by the apostles staying in Jerusalem.We rejoice over the great missionaries, Hudson Taylor,Judson of Burma,and the evangelism of the Wesley's,or the Salvation Army.It may be that the thought of those  people intimidate you,we are not to be cowed into dumb insolence,God can use us,the question we need to ask ourselves,is,am I willing to be used?
A  prayer..../Dear God lead us to one soul today,and teach us Lord just what to say,in Jesus name we ask this. Amen/