Parables [ Mark 4 v1-20]

In Mark 4, Jesus speaks the parable of the sower,when He had finished His disciples came to Him and asked Him to explain the meaning.He tells them
that they where permitted to understand these parables,but to those who were not His disciples,they would only have the parables,and then He quoited a scripture from Isaiah 6v9-10,which reads,/ that they be ever seeing but never perceiving and ever hearing but never understanding,
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven/ What is He saying?does that mean He does not want them to be saved?.Of course not,for God  our Saviour wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth
[1 Timothy 2 v4].M .Wilcock writes/ His hearers have to have a willing spirit,the parables would only make sense to the teachable but remained riddles to the self-willed./He quotes words from a hymn by ,Sir Henry
Baker'Who recount the treasure,by Thy word implanted ,to the simple -
hearted'.Any teacher would bear witness to the fact,that there are children
who do not want to be taught,the teacher is willing to teach them,but they just do not want to be taught,and so condemn themselves,of an education.
                                     A  prayer.
Dear God help us to be of the simple hearted,teachable, in Jesus Amen.

Kept. [Psalm121]

Before we go out in the car I usually pray,for there is such dangers on the roads,from other drivers,but also from oneself,I am not the perfect driver.A
number of years ago my wife and I where driving home,when I decided to overtake a lorry,when I realised that I was in trouble,as a car was heading towards us,we just about made it,it was a very scary moment.Later I wrote
in a journal I was keeping at the time,how God keeps us safe more than we realise,that does not only apply to our driving but to all evil, the evil tendencies of our own hearts. In 1 Peter 5 v5,we read, /Kept by the power of God/another translation puts it,/protected by the power of God through faith/.We are not to act irresponsible,but the fact is we are often in situations that could cause us harm,physically,materially,and spiritually. So go prayerfully not fearfully but trusting in your Lord to keep you from dangers within and dangers without.
                                          A  prayer.
Dear Lord we praise for  You for your saving and keeping power ,and ask in faith that You will watch over us this day. Amen

Injustice [ Romans 8 v28]

God in His word speaks out against injustice,the Bible society a few years ago brought out a Bible that highlighted those passages concerning injustice
There is a lot of injustice in this world,we have it daily mentioned on the TV or in the papers, a lot of its frightening ,none of it is nice,the poor being exploited,people being taken advantage of.The list is endless ,I think of dear Joseph,treated so unfairly treated by his brothers,then being unjustly imprisoned. Also David being hunted by king Saul,and David's adulteress
affair ,and his wicked treatment of Uriah. Think of the unjust treatment involved in adultery,how the children suffer,consider the treatment of the unborn child that is aborted.Also the treatment many supermarket chains
commit against their suppliers,as I buy very cheap milk,I wonder how much the diary farmers are receiving ,often they are receiving less than it takes to produce it. I am just touching the tip of the iceberg. Often not much can be done,though that does not mean we should not try. I know someone
who is being overlooked as regards promotion,he is a Christian,and I reminded  him  that God is sovereign,that man rules but God overrules,He is in control.This truth is something we must hold unto,when as children of God we experience injustice,we must rest in Gods sovereign rule.
                                               A  prayer.
Sovereign God help us to rest in the truth that You reign,and are in control,
especially in the lives of Your dear children in Jesus name we ask this Amen .

Hurry Lord [Psalm 70]

I know from experience that often we have to wait on God answering our
prayers,often we are reminded that God will answer according to His time table.Waiting patiently upon God is an important exercise in our spiritual development,but that does not mean that we will always have to wait,years for God to answer. There are situations  when we need an answer now,such was the prayer of David in Psalm 70, verse one reads ,/Hasten O
God,to save me;O Lord come quickly to help me/and he ends his prayer with similar words ,verse 5 reads,/Here I am poor and needy, come quickly
to me,O God. You are my help and my deliverer,O Lord,do not delay/
M . Henry,comments on Isaiah 65v24 which reads, /And it shall come to pass,that  before they call , I will answer,and while they are yet speaking I will hear./'God will anticipate our prayer,with the blessings of goodness before the prodigal arrived home the Father ran to meet him'. So if  you like the Psalmist are facing an immediate crises,pray with the Psalmist,/O Lord come quickly to help me/,pray it in faith .
                                            A  prayer.
Dear Father God, come to the aid speedily of your children whose needs
and circumstances need your urgent help,in Jesus name Amen.

Confused. [ John 8 v12 ]

The strange behaviour of  Rachel Dolezal, and the questions it raises, as one who has worked with mentally ill people,I ask the question is she mentally ill. She is a young white lady,who lives in America,who disguised herself,darkening her skin,and styling her hair to  the appearance that she was black.and got a position, working for the,National Association for the advancement of coloured people although she has white parents yet she even asked a black person to admit to being her father. One of the questions being asked is she suffering racially confusion like some people  who suffer from gender confusion.I think the key word in all this, is confusion,for a number of reasons people latch unto confused thought patterns. I have worked with people who had very confused thoughts,they claimed to be you name it,and although it sounds crazy as to what they believe,no amount of reasoning can change that. The confused  way of thinking becomes a obsession and nothing can change it. Now what I am saying may not apply to Rachel ,but it may,time may tell us to as to why she has acted in such a confused way.In 2 Corinthians 10v5 we read casting down imaginations/ if we live according to our own flawed reasoning we can easily ,fall into confusion,be it sex gender,or racial gender or whatever,think of the awful nonsense that the Nazi party believed,and multitudes blindly followed,and the consequences for the world.
                                      A  prayer.
Dear God have mercy upon the confused multitudes of this world who  are blind to reality,preserve us all, and help us to stay close to you,in Jesus name Amen.

An avalanche. [ Hebrews 13 v 3]

I read this recently,/In the first century ,an avalanche of suffering and
discouragement threatened the Christian community[M . Williams]Things have not changed for a vast amount of Christians in the 21st century.These
words could apply to believers in Iran,Eritrea,North Korea,Northern Nigeria ,Pakistan,Burma,China,Vietnam,Cuba, and many other places. I have never suffered for being a Christian,but my heart goes out to those who are suffering,they are my brothers and sisters.One thing I do is pray daily for them,I receive most of the information ,through CSW,and Barnabas aid agency.CSW site is WWW.CSW.ORG.UK.and Barnabas  / barnabasfund.org/Seek to get informed as regards the suffering of Gods family,and pray.The apostle Paul experienced tremendous suffering for Christ ,read about his suffering in 2 Corinthians 11,he lists all of his suffering ,and then he adds,/Beside everything else,I face daily the pressure  of my concern for all the churches v23/We as Christians have many concerns ,but like Paul let us not forget our Christian family who are experiencing an avalanche of suffering, and discouragement.
                                       A  prayer.
Dear God in your great mercy uphold your dear people in those lands where they are facing an avalanche of suffering,and discouragement, In Jesus name, Amen.

Unconditional surrender [ Romans 12 v1-2 ]

I  wonder would the war against the Nazis have ended sooner if the allies had not insisted upon unconditional surrender?. We will never know,I personally believe, unconditional surrender was the only option ,it meant
that the Nazis would not be resurrected.Unconditional surrender means you have no bargaining power,one would have to except whatever terms that was offered. If one is to be saved ,it is important, to realise there is no bargaining with God,we must come to Him on His terms,in fact you are
declaring that you are dying to self. This does not only apply to when one comes to Christ it applies throughout ones Christian life,as Paul declared,
I  die daily[ 1  Corinthians 15 v 31.] I was aware of this recently when we
sung an old hymn at our church,titled ,/I surrender all/.it is so easy to sing the words,but not really take in what they mean.I surrender all,Abraham ,
said God,take now thy so,thine only son,whom thy lovest......and offer him
...for a burnt offering.[Genesis 22v2 ].I surrender all ,what if he asks me to,
well you can fill in the rest,but that's the choice as Christians we have to make. As a Christian I have no bargaining power with God,all I can do
is obey,better to surrender than live in rebellion against God.
                                           A prayer.
Dear God help us to stop bargaining with You, and help to mean what we say or sing ,in Jesus name Amen .