All I have to do is follow. [ Psalm 23 ]

In Deuteronomy 32 v 12 we read ,/The Lord alone led them/,the old hymn
reads,/All the way my Saviour leads me,/it is important to grasp this reality.
As I consider my life I can see so clearly God leading me,not always at the time,but in retrospect,we can say an amen to those words,that God alone led them. Again the words of a hymn come to mind,My Lord knows the way through the wilderness,all I have to do is follow.All I have to do is follow
they are challenging words,for so often like Israel through out their entire history, we find it so difficult  to follow. There are different reasons we
think we know best,but we don't,we lack faith ,forgetting that the Christian
life is a life of faith.We are just downright disobedient at times,and so God
has to discipline us,to bring us back into line. We learn many things when the Lord leads ,the importance of trust,in God our Father, who will always
lead us aright.Yes all I have to do is follow,consider the alternative,it bears not thinking about,consider the difficulties Israel got into ,by rejecting Gods.It will be the same for all of us,but it does not have to be,grant that it wont be.
                                              A  prayer.
 Dear God we thank You, that You have  promised to lead us all our lives
grant that we will rejoice in the knowledge that all we have to do is follow
grant us grace to do just that,in Jesus name Amen .

Restore. [Romans 9 v 15- 16 ]

I have a photo in my home, of me and two of my brothers,one is deceased,
we are all very young in it.It reminds me of so much,of junior school,of the friends I had,of my two older brothers.One early in life joined the merchant navy,the other joined the army,I myself was a boy soldier.We all had part
time jobs before we left school,none of us did all that well at school,we left school without any qualifications.We all married and had children,we all made decisions for Christ,but we all turned away,yes I turned away. Yet God in His mercy restored me to himself ,that was just over 50 years ago.He forgave me and the more I think about it, the more I think about my brothers
and pray that God in His mercy would restore that remaining brother to Him
self, I have another brother who is not in that photo,he likewise had a salvation experience when he was young,but unfortunately he turned away
I pray also for him that he would return to Christ. Is there hope? only God knows,He declares I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy [ Romans 9 v 15]
                                         A prayer
Dear God in Your mercy restore those who once walked with You,grant them another chance in Jesus name Amen.

Be on your guard. [ Ephesians 6 v13- 18]

Shakespeare's Merchant says,' the Devil can cite scriptures for his purpose'.It is important to realise that  there is a being called the Devil,who
will do all he can to undermine ,and pervert the scriptures.When he tempted Jesus [ Matthew 4],he quoted scripture [v6],but Jesus withstood him quoting scriptures ,correctly and effectively.The cults also can quote scripture,also
many people can, aided by the Devil ,Muslims believe in a prophet Jesus  they do not accept that He died on the cross,for our sins. So they are enemies of the cross, enemies of Christ,and enemies of His Church.These
false teachers says W Barclay/,bear upon their consciences the very brand of Satan,they are marked as his property,as belonging to him./It is vital
that we do not give way to seducing spirits, [1 Timothy 4v1]we need more than ever to hold fast to the word of God,in a world that is captivated by Satan at his will[ 2 Timothy 2 v26]. Satan is called a liar by our Lord,and spoke of those who apposed Him as being children of the devil [ John 8 v44] Strong words but they are  true the situation is serious,for the unsaved,
but also for us who are Christians, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood,but against principalities,against powers,against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against wickedness in high places [Ephesians 6 v12]
                                          A  prayer.
Dear God help us to not be seduced ,by Satan,and his willing followers,
in Jesus name Amen.

Give . [Psalm 87 v11 ]

I am continually asking God for so many things,legitimate things,but as I read Psalm 87v 11, I read,/Give me an undivided heart/.Now that is something I have never asked God for,this is a request from King David.
Surely this man after Gods own heart would not need to pray that prayer,
but seemingly He did.There is a saying which goes,divide and conquer,it was Elijah the prophet who said to Israel, /How long will you waver between two opinions [1 Kings 18 v 21],If the Lord is God ,follow Him, but if Bale is God,follow him/. [ 1 Kings 18 v 21].James writes of a double minded Man, who is unstable in all he does . [James 1 v 8.] In Matthew 6 v42, our Lord speaks of a singleness of vision. Two folk  I know,who
are employed to care for their employers home and property, live in a
home provided by their employer.They felt they should buy a property of their own,for when they retire,they spoke to their employer about it,he told
that it would be best if they did not buy that property,as it would distract them,from giving their full attention to what he is employing them to do. In other words he wants them to serve him with and undivided heart, they had to make that decision.
                                     A  prayer.
Dear Lord Jesus we acknowledge that often we do not love You,or serve
You with that singleness of vision or of heart,forgive us,and help us change
Amen
                                              

Poor in spirit.. [ Psalm 86 ]

I continue to read the Psalms with great profit,Psalm 86 was written by David,it is a prayer,in this prayer he starts by acknowledging his state and desire to be helped,he describes himself as poor and needy. Our Saviour
taught ,blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
[Matthew 5 v3 ].There is so much one could say about these words,consider
David the one who killed a lion,bear,and a giant,the one who led the armies
of Israel,the one anointed by God to be king,who would become their greatest king.A great man among men,but before God he declares himself to be poor and needy,poor in spirit.Thomas Watson writes,/He who is poor in spirit is much in prayer,he sees how short he is of the standard of holiness,therefore begs for more grace,more faith, more conformity to Christ./
                                     A  prayer
                            Just as I am ,without one plea.
                            But that Thy blood was shed for me,
                             And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
                            O Lamb of God I come.

                              Just as I am , Thou wilt receive
                              Wilt welcome,pardon, cleanse,releave,
                               Because Thy promise I believe,
                               O lamb of God ,I come.

                              Just as I am-Thy love unknown
                              Has broken every barrier down;
                               Now to be Thine,yea, Thine alone.
                              O Lamb of God I come
                                          Amen.

The church. [ Hebrews 10 v 23- 25]

Recently we met together in our fellowship the Pastor showed us a leaflet,that one would give to someone whose is interested in our church.
He pointed to the photo of our church building on the leaflet,and reminded us that the church is not the building,the church is the people.The building
is where the church meets,he then asked us to go outside where he would
take a photo, and have it put on a new leaflet,this we did,and duly had our photo's taken.It is important as individuals we see ourselves as part of the church. Now the church is made up of individuals,and as individuals we trust Christ to be our Saviour.[Have you did this?],but we must not as one
writer wrote, be seduced by the modern cult of individualism. How many
times, I  have heard people say to me,I do not  have to go to church
to pray,that is absolutely right,but if you are a Christian [are you?],then we are called to meet with other Christians,to pray with, and for them.The fellowship of other believers is vital for all of us if we are going to grow
spiritually,we all need each other. We read in Ephesians 5 v24, Christ also loved the church and give Himself for it,so get in the picture.
                                        A   prayer.
Dear God thank you that You love all of us as individuals,but  You also love us as a vital part of your church,help us to be part of it,for Jesus sake Amen

Pilgrmage [Hebrews 11 v 13-16 ]

It was a common thing in times past to go on pilgrimages ,Luther  went on a pilgrimage to Rome but what he saw there was not helpful.Often  the pilgrim would want to go to some so called saints shrine,like Thomas a Becket,whose shrine was at Canterbury,the road to that shrine was called the Pilgrims Way.I must confess I do not see the purpose of such pilgrimages.These pilgrimages where focused on people ,and places,so called holy places. One could point to the OT where people made pilgrimages to Jerusalem where the temple was,Psalm 84 was written for such a pilgrimage,yes it stresses the house of God,but as M. Wilcock writes
/The pilgrim loves the house only because of the one whose house it is,he is crying out for the living God. He goes on to write ,/Gods house is anywhere that Gods people congregate in His presence.The pilgrimage need mean
nothing more exotic, than regular church going,a determination not to give up meeting together, as some are the habit of doing,seduced by the modern cult of individualism,leisure, mobility,and lack of commitment/ This is one aspect of pilgrimage, which takes on the larger picture of that pilgrimage every believer is on, that pilgrimage  that Christian was on in Pilgrims Progress,that Celestial city.
                                           A  prayer.
Dear God help us,on our pilgrimage to Heaven,to be faithful,keeping our
eyes fixed on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, Amen.