Face the fact. [ Matthew 9 v 37-38]

I hope I am not despairing when I ask the question,where are the prophets
today?,those men who spoke with the voice of God. I remember a man call W.P.Nicholson whom God raised up and was used by God in a mighty way,in Ulster. My dear gran was converted under his ministry,he was to all accounts a rough diamond,but he was Gods rough diamond.The prophets of old had a limited success,on the whole the nation of Israel did not listen,it is still not listening,their Jewishness appears more important to them,than Gods word,and embracing their Messiah.There are many reasons why they
are still Christ rejecters,but the main reasons why, they should accept Jesus
 He is the promised Messiah. Now coming back to the thought on prophets,
would this nation,would even the church accept them or their message?.
I of course do not know,but I wonder would they?,my hope and prayer would be,that they would,after all this is the day of grace. Praise God that He is still in the work of saving sinners,oh I have used that word again,
sinners,I hope you are not offended,but you are a sinner ,as I am,and unless one is prepared to accept that fact,the preacher or the prophets message will
be in vain.
                                  A prayer.
Dear God look upon our nations in mercy,send forth anointed servants to speak with Your voice,and grant that there will be a turning to Jesus Amen

Understanding Gods Word. [Ephesians 4 v 10- 12 ]

I was reading a chapter in Micah and when I had read it I had to confess I had not a clue what most of it was about,but recently I have been using helps in my daily devotions,and so I  now have a better understanding of what I have read.Although I have been to Bible college many years ago,and have been a pastor,and faithfully read my Bible every day,there are still many area's of Gods word that I do not understand.The challenge and it is a wonderful challenge is to understand the Bible,its context,its message.
Consider the words spoken by Philip to the Ethiopian in Acts 8 v27,as he was reading the scriptures,/Understandest thou what thou readest?/,now Philip had been instructed by an angel to minister to this man. So it is God
has given unto his church,godly people who will minister His word,don't go along with those who say you just need the Bible.Of course we need the Bible, but all of us need help in understanding the Bible,as Christian of 50 years I have found it to be so. We are not taking away from our need of the Holy Ghosts help,those who minister Gods word need His help,likewise ourselves.I am studying the Minor Prophets at this time and I have been using a series of commentaries called,/The Bible speaks today/,I find then readable and helpful.
                                         A prayer.
Dear God help us not just read Your word,but understand Your word,we thank You, that you have raised up many godly teachers who can help us to understand what we read, we ask this in Jesus name Amen .

Nothing has changed. [ John 1 v 11]

At the time when Jesus was born there was an expectation that the Messiah would come.  This is shown in the account of the wise men's search for Jesus,they arrive in Jerusalem,and ask ,where is He that is born king of the Jews?[Matthew 2v2] Immediately king Herod is troubled,for after all he was king of the Jews,he felt threatened,again you would have thought he would have realised the true significance of this,but no.So this scheming,person calls for the religious leaders,and asks where Christ should be born,and they knew, and they told him,now these Jewish religious leaders,just  told him,and that was all,surely they should have beat the wise men to Bethlehem. The  point is they didn't, and we hear nothing else about them,now think how awful that was,they had a clear pointer that the Messiah had come. Not only the news about this possible king disturbed the people living n Jerusalem, it appears to me that fear ruled all three parties,it is obvious that Herod feared for his throne,and the others what was their fear?,the religious leaders possibly feared Herod,the people possible feared as to what this cruel tyrant would  do .All this because a child was born a child called Jesus,fear ruled in the hearts of all these Jews who were waiting for their Messiah,all  except those  Gentile wise men,there appears to be an irony in this,nothing sad to say nothing has changed.
                                    A  prayer.
Dear God open the eyes of Israel to see Jesus as their long awaited Messiah
                                           Amen.

The truth. [ John 14 v6 ]

As I observe the times I live in,and the rise of aggressive Islam,on the one hand,and on the other secularism,and in the middle we have another kingdom,the kingdom of God.The kingdom of God is under a lot of pressure ,which involves severe persecution,and a challenge to not be sucked into materialism,and pressure to compromise in the uniqueness of Christ,and the Gospel. We do need to pray for our Christian family,who
are being persecuted, that they will be faithful,yes even unto death, but we
need to pray that we who live in this secular world,may also be faithful to
Christ,even though it may cost us. We must not compromise as to the truth,
 as J Calvin wrote,that/ no religion is genuine unless it be joined to the truth/.We must not hide the truth ,or be ashamed of the truth,or be sentimental as regards the truth,remember we are responsible ,when it comes  to truth to tell others.Why? because we have been entrusted with the truth,the only way people will hear the truth is when we tell them.It is the truth that sets us  free,it is the truth that will save us from Hell, and take us to heaven. Now what is that truth,Jesus who said that He was the way, the truth, and the life,and that no one can come unto the Father but by Him[John 14 v6 ]
                                  A  prayer.
Dear God and Father,help us to hold fast to truth,in Jesus name Amen.

Saved [Matthew 1 v21]

Christmas will soon be on us,the shops are filled with people buying,much of  it for others, Christmas presents,the season appears to have good impression on many people,in that they think of others.One of the people I visit wants to give some groceries to the local food bank, different groups
are providing meals on Christmas day.People send cards that express good will towards people,so we do not want to be  negative.Yet there is a sadness,caused by my concern, for the mulitudes who celebrate Christmas,
and yet do not know Christ,who is the reason for the season.Millions and
millions of people celebrate what?,time of work,eating,drinking,all good in themselves,but in essence nothing to do with Christmas,we could do away with much that goes on,and still celebrate Christmas. For Christmas is simply about one thing,the coming of Jesus into this world,why should we celebrate this?, because of whom Christ was and why He had come.He was none other than the son of God,but also the son of man,he became the son of man that we could become son's of God.How was He going to do that? ,
He  would  grow up to die on a cross,on that cross He became a sacrifice, for our sins. He had a destiny in coming to this world,it is summed up by what the the angel said ,He shall save his people from there sins.[Matthew 1v21],has He saved you yet?
                                         A  prayer.
Dear God hep us to see beyond the tinsel and Santa Clause, to Jesus who
alone laid down his life for our salvation, in Jesus name Amen .

Final words.[ 2Timothy.4 v6 -8]

The words of the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4 v6-8,are very instructive,he wrote just before he died,at the hands of the Romans.When he became a Christian he was not promised an easy life,but a life in which he would suffer[Acts 9 v16],and so it came to pass [CP 2 Corinthians 11-12].Of course Paul was the expounder of the grace of God,for salvation,and for living the Christian life. Let us learn from this great mans experience, we are saved by the grace of God,and enabled to live our Christian lives,how?
by the grace of God. As he comes to the end of his life,he sums it up in words of thankfulness,and wonder,he first of all writes,/I am ready/,let me ask you ,are you ready?have you trusted Jesus as your Saviour?.Then he writes ,/I have fought a good fight/,yes when we become a Christian we must be prepared,to fight the world the flesh and the devil,that means taking up our cross and following Jesus.Next he writes,/I have finished the course/,it is not about being first,second or third, but simply finishing what we have started. Next he writes,/ I have kept the faith/,in other words he had
not surrendered his commitment to what he believed in.As he faced the end he wrote of what lay ahead,not the darkness of death, but the wonderful radiance of eternal glories with His Lord.
                                    A prayer.
Dear God keep us faithful to You as we face trials and difficulties,help us to finish the course,in Jesus name Amen .

A no god.[ Romans 1 ]

Someone said to me that the religion that is most in decline is atheism,now I cannot say if this is true,but if it is,it is interesting.I am not sure of the reasons why people are atheists,observing the unanswerable in life,like tragedy's,leaning on ones own understanding,belief in the lie of evolution.
 Religion gets a bad press,and rightly so,especially Islam,with it's cruel practises.Of course you could say politics have also caused a tremendous amount of suffering.People with  a big idea fire the peoples imagination,that blinds them ,and causes them to commit awful things.But for the atheist everything is blamed on people having a belief in God.
   One the problems as I see it in advocating atheism ,they cannot give any meaning to life,how did life begin,a big bang,creates more problems than answers. What causes the life force in all of us?did we really start as sludge?,it all appears a bit absurd.Could this world with all its diversity
just have happened?have the atheist not just replaced God for another god
 called  evolution?.
     Now there is no end of questions,it boils down this,are we going to place
our faith in a no god,or in the God of the Bible,whom we are told made all things,but not only made all things, He so loved this world,messed up by sinful man,that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on
Him should no perish but have everlasting life[John 3 v16]
                                       A  prayer.
Dear God we worship You as Creator of all things,as sovereign over all things,and as saviour of all men.through Jesus Your Son. Amen.