The answer. [ 2 Corinthians 12 v1-10]

I was reminded of the words in2 Corinthians 12v 9/My strength is made perfect in weakness/,when I heard a preacher say about his mother,that when she experienced a great deal of illness,God caused her to exercise a ministry,that blessed many.I think we need to be continually reminded that that God will permit weakness in our lives,not to hinder us,but that we may be used to bless others.We desire to serve God ,to be used to win others for Christ,we think the last thing in the world we need is weakness.Yet that is exactly what was granted unto the apostle,a thorn in the flesh whatever that was, and my, how he prayed and prayed,and prayed,pleading that the Lord would remove this weakness,he pleaded,and the Lord said, no.Remember the 300,who were used to defeat a great army[Judges 7],remember the young man who slew a giant[1 Samuel  17]. God who grants us weakness,has a purpose,that He will be glorified,Christ our dear Saviour was crucified through weakness [2 Corinthians 13 v4],and in that weakness glorified His Father.It is one thing singing,I am weak but Thou art strong,and another to accept our weakness,and glorify God in our weakness,but that is what the apostle was called to do.and that is what we are called to do.In despair as you read this,you may be crying out how,oh how is it possible for me to do this?, the answer God gave Paul,/My grace is sufficient for thee,for my strength is made perfect in weakness[2 Corinthians 12 v9]/,is the answer He gives you,and me.
A prayer....../ Dear God grant us grace,that inspite of our weakness we may glorify You, in Jesus name, Amen/
[ I will resume my blog Saturday DV, every blessing]

God smiled [ Hebrews 11 v 5]

Did you see the photo of the elderly lady in Ukraine on the internet? ,the photo also showed Pro;Russian armed men waiting to ambush Ukrainian forces. The woman appears totally oblivious to the danger she was in,why?, she was reading her Bible,now I am not saying we should follow her example and walk into danger,or to read your Bible while driving. No but I do believe we can learn something from this old lady,she appears to show that she thinks reading the Bible is very important.Now let us ask ourselves how important is reading the Bible ,now reading the Bible is not  a competive activity,nor is the Bible a good luck charm. First of all it is Gods word in which He speaks to us,you and I don't need voices in our head,but we do need to  read the Bible, and to hear it with our hearts,not just with our ears. Now I know life can be very busy ,if you have a young family,children can be very demanding 24/7,but ask God to help you to fit in a time when you can read your Bible. If you have a limited desire to read the Bible ask God to give you a desire,He will,for He delights to give good things to His children. I will always remember that dear old lady,many may laugh at her,but I am sure God smiled at her with pleasure.
A  prayer..../ Dear God we praise You for Your word,help us to see it not as museum piece,but as something that we should value,read,and live by, in Jesus name Amen /

Pray and you will grow [ Ephesians 6v18]

Yesterday in work the IT system was not working,I had work to do,I prayed,and one of the other workers,said how an e-mail had been sent,telling us how we could get unto the system.So God answered prayer,and I was able to do my work,it reminds me and hopefully all of us,to bring all things to God in prayer, that prayer is not just a quite time,but  ongoing ,24/7. Our so called quite times are vital,the words of an old hymn came to mind,/When you left your room this morning ,did you think to pray,in the name of Christ our Saviour,did you ask for loving favour,as a shield today/
.None of us can pray to much, most of us don't pray enough,let not our prayer life be but a brief encounter,walk this day in continual communion with Jesus.We may forget many things,but let us not forget to pray,and as you look back,see how God has undertaken,because you prayed,and as you pray ,you will grow.
                                      Oh how praying rests the weary,
                                       Prayer will change the night today.
                                       So when life,seems dark and dreary,
                                       Don't forget to pray.[Words by W.O.Perkins/M.A..Kiidder]
A prayer...../Dear God open our hearts and minds,to the vital importance of prayer,help us to pray,in Jesus name Amen /      







                           
   
 

One hundred percent. [ 1 Samuel 15 v 22-23 ]

It is easy to rationalise disobedience, that is what King Saul did,[CP  1 Samuel  15],when he was challenged by the prophet Samuel.He declared that he had obeyed Gods command, he said what he did was legitimate,as he was going to make an offering unto God, It sounded very noble,but not in Gods eyes.God had told him to destroy a certain people,and all their livestock.He did not  do it,no he and his army kept the best of the livestock alive, he also let the enemies king live,and yet he
refuses to admit the wrong he did.There are people who can look one  straight in the face and tell you a lie,people with addictions are inclined to deny that they are addicted.I remember many years ago my friend telling his father that he not had drunk some milk,the thing that give him away, was the milk showing around his mouth.So here we have Saul lying ,but Samuel exposes that explanation for what it was, a lie.He also challenged Saul's explanation, that he kept the best of the livestock back to sacrifice ,to God,by declaring/,Hath the Lord,as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?,Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,and to hearken than than the 
fat of rams.For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry[1 Samuel 15 v 22-23] Partial obedience in Gods eye is no obedience,it must be total.
A  prayer....../ Dear God help me not compromise when it comes to obedience in Jesus name, Amen /

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Feeling sorry for yourself? .[ Matthew 8 v19-20 ]

Sometimes I feel sorry for myself,I have my reasons,as we all have,life is not fair,we never got the position we desired,why have we not more friends,why this, and why that?.As I was feeling sorry for myself my mind went back many years when sitting in room with my fellow students at Bible college,we listen to a lady singing a song,that touched our hearts.The words go like this ,/I travelled down a lonely road and no one seemed to care,the burden on my weary back had bowed me to despair. I oft complained to Jesus how folk where treating me. And then I heard say so tenderly. My feet were also weary,upon the Calvary road,the cross became so heavy, I fell beneath the load. Be faithful weary pilgrim,the morning I can see,just lift your cross and follow close to Me.[ words by Ira. F. Stamphill]/ We read that He was despised and rejected,that He came unto His own people and they received Him not,in fact they crucified Him.So today, let us take up our cross and follow Him.
A prayer..../ Dear Lord help us today to take up our cross and follow You. Amen /

A more glorious body. [ 1 Corinthians 15 v 42-43]

Recently at a group I help run, as I was just walking I was not performing,I was singing a song to myself,later I heard my colleague singing it,she realised what she was doing and laughed. This morning I have a song going through my mind,it is from an advert.on the TV,it is driving me mad,well not quite,but it is annoying.It appears  that we take in a lot of things unconsciously ,our brains take in so much,and to me one of the great mysteries of our brain is memory,how does it work?,it is amazing.The word of God declares that we are fearfully and wonderfully made[ Psalm 139 v14],when the Psalmist considers the human frame,it left him breathless and full of wonder.Consider the wonders of the human body,how we hear,see,and speak.and so we could go on.I think the wonder of the human body is most appreciated by a parent when they view their new born child.Modern man has been brainwashed to look at humanity through the eyes of godless human teaching, Christians see the wonder of the Creator Gods handiwork,that truly leaves one breathless.
Here is the message for us all ,God has made us, that is why we are here,He brought us into being for a purpose,it is only as one comes to know our Creator,that life takes on meaning.This happens when Christ becomes our Saviour,then we look at ourselves,in an altogether different way,yes we declare there is a purpose in life,a glorious purpose,when this body will give way to a new body,suited for a new heaven and earth.
A prayer...../ Dear God we praise You,that You made us for a purpose, these bodies are works of art,but one day these bodies will be changed into  even more glorious bodies, we praise You in Jesus name Amen /

The wonder of the Cross. [ Galations 6 v14]

It is said that familiarity breeds contempt,but it also can breed indifference, and lack of love ,how many marriages fail because one person feels that they have been taken for granted.There is a popular song which goes,/you don't send me flowers anymore/,let us be honest if we put as much effort into our marriages, as we did when we were courting,many more marriages would survive. It is in the book of Revelation,our Lord  speaks to the church at Ephesus ,and He tells them that they had left their first love [2v4],for them that first enthusiasm had gone,like early mist.It was William Cowper who wrote ,/Where is the blessedness I knew,when first I saw the Lord. Where is the soul refreshing view,of Jesus and His word/.The church at Ephesus had many fine qualities,but as 1 Corinthians 13,reminds us ,that if love is missing then,we are missing the point of our relationship with the Lord,which is based on love.The Christian life has a starting point ,at  the foot of the old rugged cross,do you remember that moment?,I do,or have you let that memory dim,and you have let religion,business, take over.In our church service we sang a song that challenged me,words like,/May I never lose the wonder,the wonder of the cross,may I see it like the first time,standing as a sinner lost,/I wonder have we lost the wonder of the cross?.
A  prayer..../Dear Saviour grant us each day a fresh vision of the cross,let us never,never lose the wonder of the cross, Amen /