Strange Gift. [ 1 Peter 1 v 6- 8]

Yesterday we talked about gifts,well say you have accepted that gift,how would you feel about what I read recently/Martyrdom is consider  by the Egyptian Church to be one of the highest gifts that God can bestow on
His faithful followers./Can we take those words in,what do you thing?
Consider the words of Philippians 1 v29,/For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for Him./ these are very challenging words, martyrdom seen as the highest gift,suffering seen as a privilege,well that's the way it is,none of us want to
suffer in any way,but let us remember,our suffering,be it martyrdom or
imprisonment,is for  Jesus sake.If we bear that in mind them it is bearable,and brings a glory into our suffering[ Acts 7 v55-56] My study Bible writes of four benefits in relation to suffering for Christ.  [ 1] It
takes our eyes of earthly comforts. [2] It weeds out superficial believers.
 [ 3]It strengthens the faith of those who endure. [4] It serves as an example to others who may follow us.
                                        A  prayer.
Dear Lord have mercy upon those who are experiencing suffering,grant unto them grace ,peace and hope in Your name we ask this Amen.
.

The greatest gift [Romans 6 v23 ]

I wonder how many gifts you have received? ,I can think of so many,that I
have received,can you remember the first gift you received?,or the last?What would you consider the most important gift,or even the most precious gift?. Recently I was offered a sum of money as a gift,which I could not
accept,the thing about gifts, they are freely given,you do not pay for a gift,
no they are free.The greatest gift anyone can receive is summed up in a verse of  scripture, it reads,/For the wages of sin is death,but the gift of God
is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord [Romans 6 v23] Consider the purpose of this gift ,three things are mentioned,wages,sin and then death.
Sin costs,make no mistake about this,death natural , we die,we were not
created to die,but sin changed all that.Here death must be seen as even more than the physical,but also the spiritual,that death, does not mean the end, no it means an eternal existence,in that unmentionable place. So God in His mercy has sent His son to die on the cross,that our sins may be forgiven.
The result our sins can be forgiven,if,yes if,we accept the gift that He is offering us ,Jesus Christ.He offers us it, freely,no charge,freely,the question
is will you receive this most precious gift?,eternal life,by accepting Jesus as your Saviour?
                                              A  prayer.
Dear God you give us so much,and we are thankful,and yet sad to say,so
many of us refuse the greatest gift of all,that gift of eternal life through Jesus your son, help us to accept this wonderful gift ,of Jesus, Amen]

Dare to leap higher [Hebrews 11]

While looking in the window of a book shop,I noticed the title of one book,
which read,/The salmon who dared to leap higher/Hebrews 11 is a wonderful account of people who like that salmon dared to leap higher.They are people who believed God,trusted God ,and obeyed God,and in so doing they leaped higher.They dared to go where others would not go, attempted
what others thought was folly.Their vision was on the eternal realms,and they lived in light of that vision.They were prepared to give up kith and kin,to step out not knowing their destination.They  were prepared to sacrifice that which was dearest to them,believing that even death could not hold its prey.They were prepared to gamble everything for their God no half measures.They saw the riches of this world for what they are,of limited value,so they choose the riches that is found in Christ there saviour.In
summing up these people ,one could truly say,by faith in God they dared to leap higher.
                                    A  prayer.
                      Lord lift me up,and let me stand ,
                      By faith, on heaven's table land;
                      Where love,and joy,and light abound,
                       Lord ,plant my feet on higher ground.
                   [Words by  Johnson Oatman,Jr/Ada R. Habershan]

Cannot be destroyed. [ Matthew 16 v18]

Recently while on holiday we visited a craft fair,it was held in a large building.As I walked up the stairs in the building I noticed a plaque on the wall,and what I read made me  realise that the building had been a church
building. This building reminded me of the sad fact ,of the decline of the Christian church,and how a country like England has moved away  from
God.We live in a secular society,where Christian beliefs are scorned on,
where people have raised up other gods,the god of evolution,the god of sex
gods of pleasure,gods of false security,gods who can give no security. Thankfully there is a church still in this land,God has not ,nor will He ever forsake His church.Yet I have stood in the ruins of Ephesus,and am reminded that places and countries that once were so called Christian,are no longer so.And yet in these countries there is still a remnant according to grace.As I  read the OT I see that in spite of apostasy,in spite of the temple,
and Jerusalem being destroyed there remained a remnant,and so it will
always be.The church of Christ cannot be destroyed,as our Saviour said,/
/I will build my church.and the gates of Hell will not overcome it[ Matthew 16 v18]
                                          A prayer.
Dear God in the name of Your dear Son Jesus,build Your church ,Amen.

Are you normal? [ Isaiah 44v3 ]

I had to smile as I read the following, /Remember as far as everyone else is concerned,we are a nice normal family/. I am sure we can all identify with those words,as they apply to our families and even to ourselves. When I worked with mentally ill,the point was made, as to what is normal. In other words what we consider as normal , is not the same for everyone,your family life may be orderly,other families may not be.Because people don't conform to your norm does not mean that they are abnormal.I remember a
lady I knew telling how she baked a lovely cake,for a friend,and to her
friends husband,put a slice of corn beef between his piece of cake and ate it.
I don't think the lady baked them any more cakes,it went against her norm,
I am sure there is behaviour that is abnormal.The church family is full of all
sorts of individuals whose norm differs with each other,and here is the important thing ,in the words of song I just heard on the radio,/My God loves me,His faithful love endures/.Yes He loves us all ,even though we may not act in the so called norm, for that's the way He is.
                                       A prayer.
Dear God help us to Your norm ,in holiness,love,and faithfulness,in Jesus name Amen.

Toxic. [ John 14 v16 ]

Gardening is a very popular activity ,every year we have the Chelsea flower show,is a major event.The Queen is one of the first to see this major event,
it is open for anyone to go,many thousands do visit,it is also shown on the TV.Well just recently my wife and I visited a lovely garden centre,with some lovely gardens,as I admired the lovely  flowers,and noticed a bee,and I thought ,this is bee heaven. Bee heaven, and this got me thinking about that  place where the rose's never die,here they last but for a season soon their beauty is decayed, I am going to a city where the rose's never fade.So
 goes the old gospel hymn,and of course it is not to be taken literally,but it is
making a point between ,the realms of time and the eternal realms.This world where not only roses die,we all die,there is a saying old soldiers never
die,they just fade away.But it is not true, all of us die,but not all of us will be going to that wonderful place called heaven,where no one dies.It was Milton who wrote Paradise lost,yes as to this world paradise is lost,someone said that since we were expelled from heaven, we have been trying to create
a paradise on earth. The fact of the matter ,it is the impossible dream,we are
building on toxic waste,in which we will all suffer the consequence of sin.
                                                  A  prayer.
Dear God open our eyes from the change and decay we view all around us,to that greater faith vision,that You have prepared for all who trust Jesus as their Saviour.in Jesus name. Amen.

Trials [Psalm 13 ]

Psalm 13 by David,is about a man that is suffering,yes he may have been a
great man,but he would still experience suffering.Envy no one,be they a great person,a queen, a big personality,for behind that so called greatness
there may be a hidden suffering. The Psalm starts with the words ,/How long/,he is growing weary in his suffering,and feels the Lord has forgotten
him. The continual suffering has clouded his judgement,and the man of God
feels like he has had enough. Trials comes in all sorts of sizes, and durations
,we are having work done in our home,the person who is doing the work is taking a long time,and my wife is finding this a trial,to me this can be classed as a small trial.A lady in our church is caring for a husband who has
Parkinson's disease,then she informed me that her daughter has cancer,now
what she is going through is a major trial. What ever trial you may be suffering it is real to you,and painful,but God has not forgotten you,you may think He has ,but it is not so. To remind us of this fact ,God speaks to us in ways we can understand,and so He tells us,/Can a woman forget her nursing child,and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget,yet I will not forget you. See I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands,your walls are continually before Me.[Isaiah 49 v 15-16 ]
                                   A prayer.
Dear God I trust in your unfailing love,my heart rejoices in your salvation,
I will sing to the Lord,for He has been good to me, in Jesus name Amen.