Forward ever forward [ Hebrews 11 v 13ff.]

I wonder what you think of this saying I heard today,/With one hand the past moves us forward,and with the other hand it holds us back./ I do not know who actually said this,but there is a truth in it,that makes one think,a sense of being pulled in two directions,at the same time, and yet in another sense going nowhere.There are so many people whose past have sought to move then forward,they make new lives for themselves.Our country is full of many,new people from all over the world,the hand of the past has moved them forward,poverty,hopeless situations,violent situations,oppressive situations,pushed forward by the hand of the past There are people from strong religious backgrounds ,who have been moved forward,and yet the same hand that  has driven them forward is the same hand that holds them back. The Jewish people remind me of a people who have moved forward by the hand of the past,consider all they have suffered,and yet they are held back by the their traditions,and their failure to move into the thing they should embrace ,a relationship with their Messiah, Jesus. Much an all as I found that saying interesting, I know God wants us to move forward,into a life that is not held back, by the hand of the past,or should I say the dead hand of the past. I jokingly said to someone recently onward,onward,upward,upward.we must not be backward Christians,we must be forward ever forward  Christians.
A  prayer...../ Dear Lord help us ever to be pressing forward,to the eternal glory that awaits every Christian in Your name we ask this Amen /

His genteness. [ Isaiah 40v 11]

In that lovely Psalm in 2 Samuel 22,we have David declaring,/Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation,and thy gentleness hath made me great[v36]/. When many people think of God they do not see Him as gentle,but here David acknowledges Gods gentleness,a gentleness that profoundly altered his life and blessed him. Plummer writes the following on these words ,/Jehovah is meek and lowly,lenient,gentle, and condescending.......It is this patience, forbearance,clemency and condescending of God,that makes great and good men all that they are,otherwise they would be ruined/ Let us give God all the glory ,He has blessed us exceedingly,if we have been raised to a position of greatness,then it is because of His gentleness. A modern chorus touches on this,
                                               O Lord, You tenderness,melting all my bitterness.
                                                O Lord, I receive Your love.
                                               O  Lord, Your loveliness,changing all my ugliness,
                                                O Lord.I receive Your love,
                                                O Lord I receive Your  love,
                                                 O Lord, I receive Your love.[G K]
A prayer....../Dear God we are amazed at Your gentleness that has truly worked wonders in our lives,we ask that You would continue that process in Jesus name Amen./

Doing nothing [ Ephesians 5 v 19-20]

Hudson Taylor was the founder of the China inland mission,he was an English man,also a doctor,he lived in the 19th century,until briefly into the 20th century. He went boldly where no other missionaries had gone before,as the name China inland mission suggests.God used him to blaze a path into China,and when you read of the many Christians there are in China now,it is because of the work of that mission. Old age caught up with him,and he found this a trial ,because he was unable to work as he once did.The writer of his biography,wrote how,Hudson could just about pray,and that he felt sorely his inability to labour as he once did.Hudson said the following,/The true joy of life,was to do all for Jesus sake,sacrifice and labour were alike,sweet when it was for Him.Then he added after a pause'But it is hardest of all,to do nothing for His sake./ So many people find it hard to do nothing,old age,infirmity,disability and the like,cause them to not be able to do what they once did.We should not feel guilty if this is so,what is written of Hudson in his doing nothing,was his bright and joyous spirit,not one single complaint or murmur past his lips,he was always cheerful.
A  prayer....../ Dear God we thank You for the memory of Hudson,one who served You faithfully,help us when we can do nothing to manifest ,joy ,peace,and contentment, in Jesus name Amen/

Praise. [Psalm 150]

A dear friend of mine recently had to have an operation for an hernia,the operation was a success,later when he was recovering on the ward,a nurse who attended at the operation,came to him,and asked him what church he attended.My friend was somewhat puzzled,and he told her,and then he asked her why she wanted to know?,she said when he was coming round from the operation,he was praising and thanking God, for His goodness. My friend was not aware that he had done this, but knowing him,I am not surprised,he is a fine man of God,what he did is not so much about what church he attends,but his walk with God,and he has walked with God,and does walk with God, every day.Our praise is not restricted to our church,praise should be in our hearts,wherever we are.There is a song, which goes,/Wherever I am ,I'll praise Him,whenever I can I'll praise Him,for His love surrounds me like a sea. I'll praise the name of Jesus,lift up the name of Jesus, for the name of Jesus lifted me/[ Anon]. People praise so many worthless things,is it not but right that we should praise Him who alone is worthy of our praise.
A  prayer..../Dear God oh for a heart to praise You,You who alone are worthy of our praise,we ask this in Jesus name Amen/

Sometimes right away,sometimes not. [Nehemiah 2 v 4]

Recently I heard a dear sister testify of a prayer being answered,a reconciliation had taken place within her family,she had been praying about this for 15 years. In this society of the instant,we as Christian get sucked into its mind set,where as, if we read the scriptures we see ,that Gods ways are not always instant,far from it,oh yes God will answer quickly,in Isaiah 65 v24, we read,/And it shall come to pass,that before they call,I will answer,and while they are yet speaking,I will hear/. Yes God answers ,can be instant, but often they are not,but here is the important thing ,He does answer prayer.One of our sons lost his job recently ,but within a short time he another one,we all had prayed,God answered. Let us have confidence in God  to hear and answer our prayers.Our prayers may be answered in an instant ,or in 15 years,but we can be sure that if our prayers are according to His will He will answer. We drink a lot of tea in our country,tea comes in little bags,and you just pop the tea bag into hot boiling water,and you have an instant cup of tea,but years ago tea came loose,and one would use a tea pot,fill it water,boil the water ,then put in the loose tea.Most people left the tea pot on the heat for some time,in order to get what they felt was a proper cup of tea.the point is whiter it was instant or not,the same result,  a cup of tea.So it is with answers to prayer,we pray once  or we pray for a long time,the  result is the same,prayer is answered.
A  prayer...../ Dear God we praise You that You hear and answer prayer,sometimes right away, sometimes not,in Jesus name. Amen/

Money. [ Matthew 19 v 16-22]

Recently it was reported that a well known sports person,declared themselves bankrupt,they had earned over 20million  pounds during their career. In 1 Timothy 6 v17,we read,/Charge them that are rich in this world,that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches,but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy./ The Times news paper has published a list of the riches people in our country,seemingly London has the most millionaire's in the world.Having a lot of money is not a sin ,nor is being poor,it is placing our affections on our money,that is a great problem,[1Timothy 6 v10].A person may have a lot of money yet be a miser,because they love their money,but you do not have to be a miser to love money. We can broaden things out a bit more,what do we love?,now it is not wrong to love,but the problem is that our love can be an unbalanced love,pushing out God,eroding our relationship with Him,and even cause us to have wrong values,forgetting eternal values,to the point of forgetting that we have a soul,and my that is very ,very ,serious.In Titus 1 v11,we have the words ,/filthy lucre/,used in respect to money,many people are living of filthy money,they have ,cheated,lied,robbed,and even murdered for it. Let us all take note of where we place our affections,we may not be rich,but we can so easily,think that if we were rich all would be well, we would be secure,our security lies in God,
A  prayer...../Dear God forgive our foolishness,so often we replace You in our lives and in our hearts,with money,and things money can buy,in Jesus name,Amen /

So near,yet so far a way. [ Matthew 11 v 20ff ]

Following on in relation to whom I spoke to about knowing the Lord,and her honest reply, that she did not know Him. There she was working in that building ,a place of worship,that has stood there for centuries and yet she did not know the Lord,so near,yet so far.There are so many people like that lady,attended church,brought up in a Christian family,and yet they do  not know the Lord.There where two thieves crucified with Jesus,both could see Him,talk to Him, but only one trusted Him, the other died in his sins,so near yet so far a way.Such a tragedy ,it is not the advantages one has that matters it is entering into the truth of those advantages.Our Saviour spoke to many with spiritual
advantages but many of them like that lady I spoke to,never came to know the Lord,it need not be so.There are many who have been born with that proverbial silver spoon in their mouths,but have wasted advantages,their advantages.I was born in a place of spiritual advantages, a place where many have heard the Gospel,but are not saved. Being near Jesus is of no avail,it is knowing Him,that counts,of calling on Him, to save,that is what counts.Let me remind you that Jesus came for the supreme  purpose of saving people,knowing that fact,is not enough, and unless He saves us we will be lost ,eternally. The fact that we have been near Him, will only bring us into grater condemnation.
A  prayer..../Dear Lord have mercy on those who may be near You yet do not know You as Saviour,Amen/