A good name. [Proverbs 22v1 ]

There is a rabbinical saying,there are three crowns,/the crown of the Torah[ the law]/,the crown of the Priesthood,and the crown of kingship,but the crown of a good name excels them all./Solomon wrote,/A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches,[Proverbs 22v1],another translation,ends that verse,/being held in high esteem is better than silver than gold/. In  Philippians2 v15,we read,/That ye may be blameless and harmless,the sons of God,without rebuke./,if one was being elected to office with in the church,we are told ,/blameless,having a good report of them which are without[1 Timothy 3 v7]. Charles Bridges ,wrote,/God's standards are so different than mans,it is not a popular choice/.Joseph was tempted to follow the worlds standard,but instead He choose Gods way[ Genesis 39]Just recently I read  of a very well known person ,who is stepping down from his ministry,because of a moral lapse.I love Nehemiah,for he was man of integrity,a  man who stood for His glory,At one time in my life ,word got back to me that they said I was lazy,boy that hurt,it went back to the days when  I was unemployed.Precious in all that a good name  is,  Bridges points out that it must not be purchased at the expense of conscience,and that though all men speak evil of us,let this not concern us if we have acted with a clear conscience.
A  prayer......../Dear God help us to live holy lives,loving lives, lives that you are pleased with in Jesus name. Amen/

What a day that will be.[ 1 Thessalonians 4 v 15-18]

I have just finished going through the book of Isaiah using A. Motyer's commentary.and was blessed by my time in that wonderful book.Using that commentary reminded of my time at Bible college.The lecturers would take us through the different books of the Bible,laying a foundation for us students for our future ministries.I felt very privileged to be given the opportunity to go to Bible college,and have fond memories of my time there. The college did not undermine my faith in Gods word,some colleges do,which is sad.It was an interdenominational college, the benefits of that is, it help one towards a positive attitude for all Christians,while not compromising what one held dear.There was big Wally,whose family run a farm,Bill the ex policeman,who was saved in an unexpected way,Norman who became my friend,dear Betty who served as a Deaconess for many years,Rosemary who is still serving God in South America,dear Etta who worked with  Child evangelism,and who sadly died of man cows disease. So I could go on ,these are my fond memories of the past,it reminds me that one day soon all those friends and I will be reunited again not at lecturers feet but at the feet of our risen glorified Lord ,what a day that will be for all of Gods dear children.
                         What a day its going to be when my Saviour I will see
                          When I look upon the face,of the one who saved by His Grace,
                         When He will take by the hand ,lead me to that promised land,
                           What a day what a day that will be.

If only. [ John 21 v 15-22]

A  Motyer writing on Israel ,penned these words,/If only-what might so easily have been/Isaiah had been reviewing Israels tragic past,and his conclusion was, /it could have been so different,the Lords mere presence would have sufficed to change everything[A.Motyer] The whole history of Israel is littered with failure ,to trust and obey God,the result was disaster,read the book of Judges,there we have a continual,habitual,going away from God. In Deuteronomy11v13ff Israel is promised blessings,if they would love the Lord,and remember Jesus taught ,If we love Him we should keep his commandments [John 14v15/23-24],so in one sense nothing has changed.I wonder how many churches that no longer exist,would be now thriving and growing if they had kept the commands of Jesus. It is in Matthew 23v37 we have the most tragic words spoken in the whole of the Bible,/O  Jerusalem,Jerusalem,thou that killest the prophets,and stonest them,which are sent unto thee,how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens, under her wings/Yes things could have been so different for Israel,if only,but what about us? can this be applied to our lives,sinner don't let these words ,if only, hunt you in eternity,and they will, trust Christ as your Saviour now. Backslider return to your first love,stop living with the regrets and repent and turn back to your Lord. Christian trust and obey your Lord and you will be blessed,don't live with what might have been,now is the hour to serve Him.
A prayer....../Dear Lord help us to trust and obey ,help us to not live with an, if only experience Amen /

There will always be the poor.[ Matthew 14 v 16]

My wife is a very generous person,she gave me her cold,recently I was vaccinated against ,shingles and the flu,for that I am grateful.We are very fortunate we have a good,not perfect health service.A friend was telling me about the country he used to live in,if you don't pay,or if you are not able to pay,you do not get treatment.So again I want to say how grateful I am for the health care in our country.Good health of course is important for all of us ,but not all of us are blessed with it,as not everyone is blessed materially.Now as one who lost a mother and a wife with cancer,and as one who was brought up with not to much financial blessing,I can truly say I am not bitter as regards the difficulties in life.The important thing is to trust the Lord, in the sad and difficult days,and to remember that there are always mercies to thank God for. The word of God tells us that He chooses the poor,and then it adds who are rich in faith.as heirs of the Kingdom[James 2 v5]James writes of those who despise the poor[2v6],but God doesn't,in this country there is a tendency to despise ,and judge the unemployed,we shouldn't.There will always be poor people,let us not judge them,but show compassion to them,and help them.
A  prayer....../Dear God we bring to you the poor and those who are suffering,have mercy upon such,and help us who have been blessed,by You,to bless others in Jesus name Amen./

He will hear your prayer.[ John 15 v 21-28]

Isaiah 62 emphasises the importance of prayer . A. Motyer,/ Our prayers are by His will, in some way are  a vital ingredient in the implementing of His promises/,So we find the prophet prayingv1,but not only the prophet we have in verse 6,others who are given the responsibility of prayer,as A.Motyer writes,/those who would intercede ceaselessly until the full work of salvation and righteousness is accomplished. Those who engage in prayer are the true guardians/ There are different reasons why we pray,to give thanks,praise and worship to God,to make our requests unto God,to intercede with God,for the needs of so many,our families,neighbours,fellow workers,goverments,for all men. For salvation,healings,problems,that wars may cease,that justice would prevail,H.C.Leupold,writes,/ God honours believing prayer and heeds the intercession of His children./We may not be a prophet or a preacher,but God is no respector of persons,do not feel intimidated by your lowliness,but instead have faith in a God who hears  all His childrens prayers.
A prayer...../Dear Heavenly Father,help us to pray believing,in Jesus name Amen /

Seeing it as it is. [2 Peter 3 v 4-13]

I read these words by A Motyer,/Thus we are enabled to see sin as God sees it and to see ourselves in the helplessness He knows besets us/ The fact of the matter is we do not see sin as God sees it,think of how it is effecting this world at present,and how it effects us personally.There are three major things that are in the news, that show how sin is affecting ,this world,in Africa the Ebola out break,it reminds me of the black plague,I saw on TV a dead body,lying on the street,no one would touch it,also a man falling down in the street,no one would run to help him.Then we have the Islamic movement,with their appalling behaviour,then we have the protests in Hong Kong against a regime with an absolutely appalling history,with the guilt of millions and millions of people whom they have murdered.I highlight these three examples to illustrate the effect of sin ,which many do not appreciate
which I do not appreciate fully.Sin is played down in our churches,ignored by our politicians,we often play down its consequences,but God sees sin for what it is,and what it does.His answer is Jesus ,His Son,who would die on a horrible cross ,on which He became a sacrifice for sin.Through this death millions are been saved and eventually will live in a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.[Revelation 21v1./Isaiah 66v22]
A  prayer...../ Dear God open our eyes to sin and its consequences,the effects on this world ,the effects on ourselves,and help us to be faithful to Your word,in Jesus name Amen /

Time versus eternity. [ John 10v 27-30 ]

When its gone its gone,I am not talking about some bargain at the supermarket but time,how do you look on time?. There is a saying that for the old the years pass quickly,and the days slowly,since I started working a four day week it appears to me that time is flying by.For many there are not enough hours in the day,they are so busy,for others the day drags by,they have not much to do,but watch TV.
I heard a phrase recently on the radio which made me think,it went,/the universal tyranny of time /,I wonder what you think of that?tyranny is a strong word,indicating cruelty,being oppressed.It appears to me that time has an unreality to it,but whatever we think about it,nothing will change it. Is time everything?,God we are told has placed something greater in our hearts,something which most people choose to ignore ,in Ecclesiastes 3v11, we read,He has placed eternity in our hearts./.My study Bible reads,/This means that we can never be completely satisfied with earthly pleasures, and pursuits/.As to life ,mankind has a want in them which is never,and indeed can never be satisfied,within are brief lifetime,we run about like headless chickens,we run about with our tongues hanging out seeking that which can never satisfy.No matter how much they are told mankind will continue to seek the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,and all the time Jesus is saying ye will not come to Me,for the gift of eternal life,the choice is ours,make sure it is the right choice,please.
A  prayer....../Eternal God forgive our blindness,and foolishness,in choosing to focus on time,and the things of time, open our eyes to eternal realities in and through Your Son Jesus. Amen /