The bumps,jumps,and lumps of life. [ Lamentations 3 v 22-23 ]

One thing I do not like about driving were I live,those speed bumps,no matter how one tries,they catch you out,and you feel the cars suspension is going to give way. Now I know that there is a good reason for these speed bumps,they are to make us slow down.I read this recently,/It is in and through,these bumps and jumps and lumps of history,that we are to prove faithful/ [D.R.  Davis ] In whatever period of history we find ourselves in, and in  whatever place we find ourselves in,be it a communist state,or an Islamic state,or a secular state,we are to prove faithful. Bringing it to a more personal level,a rocky marriage,a divorce,an ongoing unresolvable problem we are called to prove faithful. Whatever God has   intrusted to us,be it financial,a particular task,we are called  to be faithful,faithfulness will bring its reward [Revelation 2 v 10].In 1 Thessalonians5 v24 ,we read,  faithful is He that calleth you, yes God is faithful,I am sure most of us can say great is
His faithfulness [Lamentations 3 v23].Let not your presents difficulties cause you to be unfaithful,you may feel you cannot cope,yes that is true,
but you are not alone,He is with you,He has not forsaken you,nor will He,
He can grant the strength you need in all your trials,so be faithful, in all the
bumps,jumps,and lumps of life
                                     A  prayer
Dear God we thank for Your faithfulness in saving and keeping us,help us to be faithful for Jesus sake Amen .

The long term. [ John 16 v 33 ]

I am reading through the book of Daniel with the help of a commentary,by Dale Ralph Davis,in chapter 8 we have foretold the rise of different nations the Greeks, and the Persians,this would take place after Israels return from their 70 years captivity.R.P.Davies quotes John Walton,/The Israelites were to live out their faith in a Gentile world,under circumstances that would make it more and more difficult to do so.They had to count on the sovereignty of  God to sustain them generation by generation, crisis by crisis.  They also had to trust the power of God to control the flow of world
empires as they rose and fell. God's agenda is never in jeopardy, nevertheless,they were to be prepared for the long term./ As with Israel of old so with the new covenant Israel ,we who are called Christians,[Jews and Gentile],in a world that is full of uncertainty's,and persecution,must be prepared for the long term. The question is how?,well ,we have the answer in what J. Walton wrote,to count on God's sovereignty,to sustain us whoever is in power,and whatever crisis that arises,in the world and in our own personal circumstances, as he writes God's agenda for this world
, is never in jeopardy.
                                     A  prayer.
Sovereign God we look to You, and trust in You to sustain us for the long term,in Jesus name Amen.

A bubble. [ Matthew 7 v 24-27]

I was listening to someone on the radio in my car,she had lost someone in the  Lockabie disaster,when Pan Am Flight was blown up by terrorist,killing all on board,plus eleven people in in Lockabie .This lady has written a book,which I do not know the name of ,or even her name,but she said something very meaningful,which I managed to remember and write down./
We live in a bubble of invulnerability,until tragedy strikes and then we realise how fragile we are/ I remember many years ago in a factory,and a man called Sam,otherwise known as big Sam,he was a hard man, anyone who crossed him, had better watch out.Then I heard that his son had been killed in action in Aden,and when I got the chance I went to him to say how sorry I was for his loss,and at that moment he was no longer big Sam, but a father who had lost his only son,and he appeared very fragile.I asked a girl I know,how her parents were,as her mother had just lost her mother,she replied that both her parents were fragile.So many people live in what they we could call a bubble of invulnerability,money, fame,good health,nice home,nice job ,nice wife and children,and so on .The fact of the matter is,our bubble can so easily burst,and then we realise just how fragile we are,when that happens,this is an opportunity to find real security in Christ,for the fact is no one is very secure, no one.The old hymn goes,/  On Christ the solid rock I stand,all other ground is sinking sand/, my prayer for you is that you may find this to be true.
                                   A  prayer.
Dear Lord we are very fragile ,yet in Christ,we are safe and secure. Amen .

Fallen leaders [ Galations 6 v 1 ]

C.J.H. Wright , while emphasising God ruling,/ that He still has to work through fallen human agents/.that means people like you and me.While the scriptures stress certain qualifications for leadership, CP 1Timothy 3, the fact is Christian leaders will always be imperfect.They are fallen human agents,the leaders themselves must recognise this as well as the church.
We rightly object to attribute infallibility to any church leader,and I don't just mean the bishop of Rome. Church leaders must be humble enough to accept they could be wrong,yes they are to lead the church but not as mini dictators. The church must do all they can to support their leaders,leaders need encouragement just like everyone else.As I write this my thoughts
turned to king Davids moral lapse,why was he allowed to remain king?.If a leader falls morally how should this be treated?,does this rule him out of ministry for ever?,it did not rule out David. David manifested repentance and God forgive him,and he was allowed to continue. God dealt with David he would be chastised by his loving Heavenly Father,in Gods own way.Fallen leaders can be restored like of us,and in Gods will restored to the ministry,Peter was,God saw his tears.
                                       A  prayer
 Dear Father keep those who have the responsibility of leadership within Your church,and if they fall,grant repentance,and even restoration to their ministry,in Jesus name. Amen

Work a miracle. [ Romans 4 v 18-22 ]

Can these bones live?this was the question asked by God to Ezekiel [37v3] ,
Ezekiel was brought to a valley of dead dried bones,a place of despair,and of no hope. That was the present experience of Israel,people whose land had been devastated,thousands of their citizens slain,they find themselves in captivity, in a strange pagan land.In this vision God would work and replace death with life,despair for hope,captivity for freedom. Impossible,dead bones do not live, but with God all things are possible.Yes with God even dead bones can live,and in this vision they did.
   So it is in our lives,we find ourselves in a valley of dry bones,like Israel
a place of utter despair,and if asked the question can things change,can my valley of dry bones experience change?, like Ezekiel you answer I don't know,only God knows.God does know,but He does not only know,He can
bring change,for He can do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,according to the power that worketh in us[ Ephesians 3 v20] Ezekiel was told to say to the dry bones ,hear the word of the Lord[37v4] What is God saying to you in your situation,stand on it ,claim it,believe,and it will surely come to pass, in other words have faith in God.
                                         A  prayer
Dear God we bring our valley of dry dead bones to You, and ask that You
would work a miracle for us in Jesus name Amen.

First things first. [Ephesians 2 v 8-10]

There is a term I hear in social services ,it is holistic,it means seeing to a persons whole needs,phyisical,social,mental and even spitirual.It is Christopher J.H. Wright,who writes,/ of a truly holistic gospel/,Now I agree as a Christian,that I should look at the whole person,the homeless,the sick ,the oppressed,and so on.Of course many Christians have and do seek to minister,to peoples needs,and to a great degree meet their needs. This is nothing new,we have been created unto good works,which God has prepared for us to do.On a personal level, I in my job, minister to the mentally ill,and I support childrens ministeries, as many Christians do. Our Saviour went about doing good,I know the Christian life is not just about speaking and preaching.Yet in our attempt to be good Samartians,we must as our Saviour did ,speak the words of life,that must not be compromised, faith cometh by hearing,and hearing by the word of God. Our good works are not the gospel, but are a result of us embracing the gospel, we help people in their need ,even if they don't become Christians,our hearts should be open to all mankind,even though they may crucify us. The Gospel is good news for it starts at mans greatest need, our sin,and the need of forgiveness through faith in Jesus Gods Son,and then the good works must follow.
                                A  prayer
 Dear help us to speak the words of life to those who are dead in trespasses and sin,to tell them about Jesus the mighty to save, Amen.

The hidden things. [ 1 Corinthians 6 v 9- 11 ]

There is one subject that continues to be in the news,sex abuse,things that were hidden are now coming to light,old men are now having sleepless nights,hoping their evil deeds,will not be found out.Men of renown,
  will now be revealed as perverts ,they who had appeared to be honourable men will be seen as people of disgrace.They will exchange
freedom for imprisonment,a prison cell,and a life of living under a cloud. In
a world obsessed it seems with sex ,there is an awareness that there is a line that should not be crossed,The cries of the victims,have touched our society,
their cry for to long has not been listened to. I  appreciate that this subject is very messy,but sex is a reality in this world,Islamic countries try to cope with it,by  the way women dress,and often restrict their contact with men,yet there is incest in these countries,as there is in ours,most of it hidden from society,and the victims,because of the shame it will bring .
The Bible speaks of the hidden things being brought to light[1Corinthians 4v5],sexual sins could be described as the hidden things, many  who are involved in such things are finding the truth of these words,brought to
light.
                           A prayer
Dear God we confess our sinfulness before You,and pray that repentance and forgiveness be granted to those involved in sexual sins,in  Jesus name
 Amen.