He is in control. [ Revelation 19 v6]

At this time there is so much turmoil in the middle east,plus the situation in Ukraine, and in many other places,not to mention crime.It appears at times that this is a runaway world,so many uncertainties,our Saviour said there would be wars and rumours of wars.That's the thoughts that came to me this morning,but then I reminded myself that although I cannot fully explain it,God is Sovereign.We are told in scripture that God is working all things after the counsel of  His own will[Ephesians 1 v11],in thinking of those words I am moving from sight to faith .The natural can only focus on what it can see,but the mind of faith focuses on Him they cannot see,a sovereign God.As we read the Bible we have a record of a people who lived through tremendous upheavals,as they saw heathen nations in power,and were uprooted from kith and kin,they could easily had said that this world was out of control, evil appeared to be on the throne.Jeremiah the prophet  wrote to people who had suffered a great deal,their nation trampled under foot,they had been taken into exile.So  he wrote  what God was was saying/For I know the thoughts I think toward you,saith  the Lord,thoughts of peace,and not of evil,to give you an expected end[29v11]. These words reminded those exile that God was in control,and in spite of everything looking to the contrary,He was in control,and was working His purposes out.
A  prayer...../Dear God we lift our eyes of faith and declare that You are in control,in Jesus name Amen /

Hate evil [ Psalm 1 ]

In Psalm 97v10, we read,/Ye that love the Lord,hate evil/,recently I pointed out that in Baptism,we are declaring that we have died to our old sinful ways.Here, we who love the Lord are exhorted to hate evil, consider, that those who do not love the Lord ,love evil,the drunkard loves alcohol,the child abuser loves their perverted sex,anything goes just as long as they get the thing they love.Those who worked in concentration camps loved what they were doing, it is a sad commentary on life that so many people love evil.The extreme religious people love the evil that they are doing,even though it is obviously evil,they have a perverted mind set that believes that what they are doing is pleasing God. Why should those who love the Lord hate evil,well look on Calvary,evil put our Saviour on that cross,my evil, your evil,Gods righteous anger burns  against all evil,and so like Him we should hate evil. W. Cowper wrote,[ Let this be our prayer]
                               I hate the sins that made Thee mourn,
                                and drove Thee from my breast,
                                The dearest idol I have known,
                                 Whate'er that idol be,
                                 help me to tear it from Thy throne,
                                 And worship only Thee,
                                  In Jesus name we ask this, Amen .





                           
   

The clown [ Matthew 11 v28 ]

I  am sure you have heard the story of the man who visited a doctor feeling depressed,well the doctor said to him,I'm told there is a wonderful clown in town,he is making everybody laugh,go and see him,his name is Grimaldi,the man looked at the doctor,and said I am Grimaldi.  I thought of this story when I heard the sad news of  the death of Robin Williams,a man who entertained many ,but behind the mask of acting, joke telling was a very sad person.It  makes us realise that you cannot judge a book by its cover,or a person by their wealth and fame,it is only God who sees the heart,it is He who knows what we are really like. He sees the insecurities,the loneliness,the sense of failure,the need to be loved,that when we  are smiling we are crying inside,people hear our words,He hears our thoughts.There are so many peoples like Grimaldi,and dear Robin Williams,putting on a good open show,putting on a good front. There is a popular song that goes,bring on the clowns,are you one of those clowns?am I?, well here is the word for for us clowns,stop clowning around,and start to see that there is a God ,who loves us just as we are, a God,who can heal the broken heart,and a God who can fill the empty void in our lives,He does this through His son Jesus,who says,/Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest[Matthew 11 v28]
A  prayer..../ Dear God come and heal our brokenness,come and fill our emptiness,with Yourself through You Son Jesus Amen /

Baptism [Romans 6 v1ff ]

From the moment one became a Christian,things changed,the act of  baptism proclaims this,cp Romans 6 v1ff.My study Bible points out that that baptism was by immersion,new Christians were completely buried in water.This symbolised the death and burial of the old life,the wrong things we once did,we are dead to,if we once stole we no longer do that,if we were sexually permissive we are now dead to that,and so on. When we come up out of the water we are entering into that resurrection of new life in Christ.Some people see baptism as just a witness that they have become a Christian and it is that,but it is also a declaration that one is dead,to the old sinful ways. That is why Paul declares,how shall we, that are dead to sin,live any longer therein?,Leon Morris points out that for many baptism is seen as a comforting,and inspiring piece of ceremonial.He goes on to point out ,/that we should not let the modern associations of baptism, blind us to the point Paul is making so strongly.He is saying that it is quite impossible for anyone who understands,what baptism means to acquiesce cheerfully in a sinful life.The baptized have died to all that/
A  prayer...../ Dear God help us to live that new life in Christ,a life that has nothing to do with those dead practises of this world,in Jesus name Amen/

I remember.[ Acts 16 v31]

In my 70 years I have witnessed a lot of change,in some ways life is so different,the housing situation has changed,it takes nearly a kings ransom to buy a house,if you can get a mortgage. To even rent a property is very expensive,it seemed so different years ago,although the standard of housing has improved.When I was young the home we lived in a rented property,that had no warm water,an outside loo,no bathroom,two small bedrooms,which we all slept in,and when people came to stay,it really was a tight squeeze. We had a wind up gramophone,a radio in which,ran on a battery,that needed charged up at the local bike shop.I do remember horse drawn vehicles and trams,later replaced by trolley buses, both these where powered by electric.So many people have cars,then very few people had,when TV came it was only the few who had them.Very few people had washing machines,most of the washing was done in the sink,in the kitchen,later in time we would go to a place called a laundrette. I  could write so much more about the changes ,but enough for now, but there are things that do not change, death, judgement,the need to be saved the need to know Jesus as ones Saviour,that will never change.
A prayer....../Dear God grant that  in a world that is for ever changing ,that You do not change,we do not change, we are still sinners who need a Saviour, Amen/

Confidence. [ HEBREWS 4 V14-16]

I smiled to myself,for a thought came into my life,that  I am burdening God to much with my prayers,what a silly thing to think,I  think it is sad that a certain church have made poor humans into Gods,they pray to saints,and have exalted dear Mary to the supreme mediator .The fact men and women,cannot even if they are in heaven , be mediators, are still only men and women. We exaggerate mankinds abilities,and in so doing, limit Gods abilities.It is not that we do not recognize godly people,we do,but they  are still people with limations. The confusion arises when we stray from Gods word,in 1 Timothy 2 v5, we read,/For there is one God,and one mediator ,between God and man,the man Christ Jesus./Christ who is the God man is more than able to deal with all our prayers,not only is He able but He who became man and experienced life in its fullness,understands,what we are going through.The old hymn ,declared,/no one understands like Jesus,/ so we can come to God through Him,who is touched with feelings of our infimities [Hebrews 4 v14]. Let us not limit the Holy one of Israel,He can more than cope with our prayers,so we can with confidence take everything to Him in prayer.
A  prayer...../God open our eyes and heart, to pray,continually and with confidence through Jesus our Saviour and our great high priest, Amen/

Plan B.....[John 14 v6 ]

I heard a dear brother speaking at funeral service,in his address he mentioned,having a plan b,I have heard a particular football manager being criticised because He had no plan b.Generals usually have a plan b,even if it means retreating, so many people have a plan b,in relation to selling there homes, or when one retires. Coming back to the message I heard preached,the preacher  was referring to  salvation,there is no plan b,what God has provided,He has provided,and that is it. The work of salvation is Gods work,not mans,it originated in God,it was carried out by God,there is nothing of man in it,absolutely nothing.It is from start to finish an act of divine love, love to the loveless says the hymn.It was an act of supreme sacrifice,manifested in majestic humility,and for Jesus an act of unbelievable bravery.This  can never be seen as plan b,it is offered freely  to all who call upon Him.in faith, unlike mankind, God is no respecter of persons, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved that whosoever makes it all inclusive,people are continually erecting barriers,race ,gender,etc, but God is ever pulling them down,with that gracious invitation,that whosoever may ,can come.
A prayer......../Dear  Lord thank you that there is no  plan b,there is only  Jesus,He is altogether lovely,and He alone is sufficient,to save to the uttermost, Amen./