Because it is real [ 1 John 4 v 8 ]

Often when I watch a movie,I am listening,and watching for something that I can put a spiritual meaning to.I have seen all three of the Hobbit movies,
and in the last one,the girl looses the one she loved.She cries out I don't want this,and then she asks the question ,why does it hurt so much?, and the reply comes back ,because its real.When you loose someone you really love it is very painful,because it is real.When Jesus stood outside the tomb where Lazarus was,we read he wept[John 11 v35].His love for Lazarus,and his two sisters was real,these were not crocodile tears.The one who came from heaven came because He loved this world and we its inhabitants [John 3v16],many judge God for not caring,they judge Him by there standards,I will wait until the final verdict comes in. But this I know with all my heart,Gods love for planet earth is real,how do I know this?well ,the cross, on which the dear Lord died,oh yes His love is real,for you and for me.
                                    A  prayer.
Dear God there are so many people and they in foolishness judge You,when all the time Your love is so real,the cross on which Jesus tells us in no uncertain terms that Your love is absolutely real. Amen.

Habakkuk's one.[[Habakkuk2 v4]

A Jewish Rabbi wrote,/Moses gave Israel 613 commandments,David reduced them to eleven[ Psalm 15],Micah to three [Mic 6v8], Isaiah to two
[ Isa 56v1],but Habakkuk to one, /The righteous shall live by faith/ [2 v4].
I wonder what you think of this,but the fact is without faith we cannot have a relationship with God.It was by faith that Abraham was accepted by God
cp Genesis 15v6,like Abraham, it is simply by faith. It is apostle Paul who sets out the bases of being accepted by God it is faith in Christ[Rom5 v1 ].In Romans 3 23,we are told that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.I passed a church recently with  a poster, with the following words on it ,/When you trust Jesus He erasers all your past mistakes/,but of course the Bible says,not so much mistakes,but sin.The word mistakes, is mistakenly used, it is in Gods word, and we must hold fast to this term.The righteous/just, are those who being justified by faith.Without faith we will stumble and fall,we are no different than those we read of in Hebrews 11.Whatever successes they had ,it was by faith,what ever difficulties they faced with,they faced them by faith,Whatever we may have to face,we face them by faith.Read Hebrews 11,of the list of those who choose to live by faith,do you want to join them?
                                       A  prayer.
Dear God we come to you through in Christ Your son,and by Your Grace live by faith,help us in Jesus Name Amen .

A simple prayer,but. [ Matthew 26 v 30-34]

I was speaking to the children at the church I attend,and telling them that God can become their loving heavenly Father if they trust in Jesus. So I told them a simple prayer they could pray ,and it goes like this,/Come into my
heart Lord Jesus,come in today,come in to stay,come into my heart Lord Jesus/. Now in saying that I stressed that they should really, really mean it,I did not of course put any pressure on them,and left it at that.Now the two things I stressed to the children,simplicity and sincerity,are very important ,
not only for children,but for adults also.I have listened to Billy Graham preaching,and there was a simplicity about it,it is important in speaking to
children or adults  as simply as possible. We must also emphasise the importance of a sincere response to the message,we are dealing with serious matters, when we are preaching,our Saviour continually stressed that if  one
desired to follow Him,we must not take it lightly.We do not want to put anyone of in following Jesus,but we must stress the seriousness of doing this. So today if you want Jesus,whoever you are,then you can pray that simple prayer,but you must be very very serious about it.
                                         A  prayer.
Dear God You who would have all men to be saved,grant that those children who heard my message,and those who read what I have written,
may sincerely trust Jesus Amen /

Ride to meet the darknesse . [ Revelation 6 v 2]

In the movie Lord of the rings,one of characters feels overwhelmed by the forces arrayed against them,and wonders what can one do?,he is told the following,/ When darkness comes,we will ride out to meet it/.There is much darkness in this world,it is the apostle Paul who reminds us,that/,we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,against powers,against the rulers  of the darkness of this world,against spiritual wickedness in high places. [Ephesians 6 v12]/.Now that sounds ominous and of course  it is, one just has to read of the suffering of many dear Christian, by religious people, to realise that there are evil forces abroad. Plus we have mankinds natural  condition,we are told that they love darkness rather than light.So we are faced with an army of darkness.
     If we lean upon our own understanding,as Christians,which we are forbidden to do,then we run  for the hills,run as fast as we can,rather than to face it,yes instead of riding to meet the darkness,we ride from the darkness. So the important thing is we must not lean upon our own understanding,we are called to trust,not just trust, but to trust in the Lord with all our hearts[Proverbs 3 v4]
      Let us remember that darkness cannot extinguishes light,so it is that
we can overcome the darkness ,by trusting in the Lord with all our hearts.
When the apostle Paul was in a storm,in danger of perishing, God sent an angel ,to reassure him that all would be well,and so he cries out,/I believe God,it shall be even as it was told me[Acts 27 v25] John the apostle wrote
/This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith[1 John 5 v4 ]
      So when darkness comes,let us ride out to meet it,with faith in God,a
belief that what ever darkness we are facing,it will not overcome us,in fact we shall be more than conquerors through Jesus our Lord. [ Romans 8 v17]
                                        A  prayer
 Dear Lord in this dark world that we live in,help us to not run from the darkness,to ride to meet it, by faith in You and Your precious word.
                                        Amen.
     

   

One day.[ 2 Timothy 4 v8 ]

Many dear Christians have come through difficulties in the year that is about to go,I read about them continually,in the lands  where Islam holds sway,they are in prison cells ,being tortured,abused and humiliated.It could
be said of them of whom the world is not worthy,all they receive is hate,from the Christ haters,but one day,yes one day,they will be honoured
and receive that crown of Glory,from their Lords hand. One day all will be changed,by Him who will make all things new,a new heaven and a new earth,populated by new creations.One day every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.One day there will be no sickness,no loneliness,no inner uncleanness,or outward rebelliousness.One day all will
be revealed and explained,then shall we know,One day we will reign and rule with Jesus,it will be a perfect rule,no more injustice,no more torturing,no more jailers,no more prisons. One day Christ will return ,and all will be changed,especially us,no more striving for perfection,Christ will present us faultless[Judev24 ]
                                    A  prayer.
Dear God how we long for that one day,when our Saviour we shall see,until that day, grant us grace, to finish this race,with joy in Jesus name Amen
                                        

Let Him. [Psalm 121]

Well Christmas is over,did it live up to your expectation?,for me I suppose I could say I had a nice Christmas,met with family,and it all went very well.
Yet I am conscious that many in this world did not have a merry Christmas,
is it a question of the have's and the have not's?.Should a season make any difference to our lives?after all Christ is the reason for the season. Yet we may know this ,and yet we may find it very hard,to look beyond our poverty
pain,loneliness. Consider the words of Psalm 121 v1-2,/I will lift up my eyes unto the hills,from whence cometh my help.My help cometh from the Lord who made heaven and earth./ The hills where the places where many shrines where ,forbidden by God,let us not make a shrine of Christmas,or of anything.Let us lift up our eyes to the Lord,we are exhorted to look unto Jesus [Hebrews 12 v2 ],.Let Him be our joy,let Him be our reason for living
not the season,not our family,friends or whatever,these things may be important ,but they should not have the burden placed upon them of being all important.I know it can be hard when certain things are absent from our lives,but the very nature of life,is filled with uncertainty,so many things can be swept away in a moment.So today lift up your eyes to  the Lord,for comfort and love,his love is unending,in fact nothing can separate us from that love,Romans 8 v 35-39].
                                  A prayer
Dear Lord come and fill the emptiness of our hearts,with Your dear presence,
Amen.

Not a million miles away. [Acts 17,v 22- 34 ]

I heard a person singing a song about God being a million miles away,it is what he felt but it is not true.In Acts 17,the apostle Paul was speaking in Athens,to very religious people.They were worshipped many gods,and even had an altar,dedicated to the unknown god.They were not taking any chances ,so just to be on the safe side they  erected this altar.They were religious,there are those who would say it does not matter who or what one whorships,as long as one is sincere,but  the apostle did not think this,he was grieved,their religion was nothing more than idolatry.Consider, that no matter how religious, one is,if it is not a  relationship that is not based on faith in Christ,it is but idolatry.
    So the apostle starts to challenge their false beliefs,preaching unto them,
about Jesus and the resurrection,why?,surely they are sincere,well ,sincere they may have been,but they needed to know that there is only way to God,
and that there is only way to God,that being Jesus[John14v6]. He exhorts them to seek the Lord,whom he says is not far from any of us.[Acts 17v27]
  Yes God even though He be in heaven, he is not far from any of us,and can be reached ,by a simple prayer.We can make it hard to come to Christ, is not hard,if we believe ,if we repent from our sins,God will be found,what is stopping you?
                                          A prayer.
Dear God we thank You that You are not hard to be found,you are not a million miles away,and can be found through Jesus Your son. Amen.
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