There is coming a time when we will have to choose between what is right and what is easy,these are words spoken in a popular movie. It is easy to do so many things, that may not be right,for example eating habits,so easy for all of us,to over indulge. It is so easy to watch the wrong things on TV, but it may not be the right thing.Its so easy to ignore what Gods word says about sexual behaviour,and tolerate secularism. Right decisions, are not easy decisions, consider a young man in Pakistan who was asked what religion he was,when he answered,that he was a Christian,he was beaten up,then petrol was thrown over him,and he was set on fire,four days later he died.His right decision in declaring he was a Christian was right,but it was far from being easy. It is easy for us to justify our lack of prayer, neglect of Gods word,or not going to meet with Gods people,but it is not right,because in making the easy decision,we are suffering spiritually.
A prayer.
Dear God help us to make the right decisions,in Jesus name Amen
Tuesday, 4 August 2015
Monday, 3 August 2015
Begone unbelief. [Hebrews 11.]
John Newton wrote a hymn which starts ,/Begone unbelief,my Saviour is near,and for my relief will surely appear/.We read how the disciples often fell into unbelief,in spite of the fact that Jesus was with them,and witnessed
many miracles.[Mark 16v14] Israel in the wilderness likewise had hearts full of unbelief,in spite of the wonders and miracles they had witnessed.
[Hebrews 4v6].Unbelief can open the door to many things,it can be the door to disobedience,and can shut us out of the blessings of God. The opening words of Newtons hymn,/Begone unbelief/,paints a picture of him speaking to it ,things are difficult,there are needs,challenges to face,his reply is to take a hike.He is refusing to let unbelief rein in his life,he is declaring you are not coming in,I do not want you in my life.Those words are not just bravado,but are spoken of one who believes that his Saviour is with him,
and will help him.This is not a passive thing,no, he writes of wrestling in prayer,we can only advance on our knee's,George Orwell visited the coal mines,and saw the hard labour that was needed to extract the coal,in those days,the miners literally worked on their knees. So it is if you and I are to advance in our Christian life,it must be on our knees in prayer.Our heart must be in that place of humble [as it were on our knees]dependence on God to undertake for us.
A prayer.
Dear God preserve us from a heart of unbelief,in Jesus name Amen.
many miracles.[Mark 16v14] Israel in the wilderness likewise had hearts full of unbelief,in spite of the wonders and miracles they had witnessed.
[Hebrews 4v6].Unbelief can open the door to many things,it can be the door to disobedience,and can shut us out of the blessings of God. The opening words of Newtons hymn,/Begone unbelief/,paints a picture of him speaking to it ,things are difficult,there are needs,challenges to face,his reply is to take a hike.He is refusing to let unbelief rein in his life,he is declaring you are not coming in,I do not want you in my life.Those words are not just bravado,but are spoken of one who believes that his Saviour is with him,
and will help him.This is not a passive thing,no, he writes of wrestling in prayer,we can only advance on our knee's,George Orwell visited the coal mines,and saw the hard labour that was needed to extract the coal,in those days,the miners literally worked on their knees. So it is if you and I are to advance in our Christian life,it must be on our knees in prayer.Our heart must be in that place of humble [as it were on our knees]dependence on God to undertake for us.
A prayer.
Dear God preserve us from a heart of unbelief,in Jesus name Amen.
Sunday, 2 August 2015
Covenant love. [Psalm 136]
In Psalm 136 we have a line that is repeated through out the Psalm,the AV has ,/For His mercy endureth for ever/,other translations have,/His love endures for ever/.The word mercy Plummer points out is often rendered ,
loving kindness,goodness,favour.I suppose if God was not loving there would be no mercy,but because He is loving we receive mercy.These words
are used as response to what God has done,the writer stresses,Gods creation,
redemption,provision.Modern man does not acknowledge God in any of these things mentioned,instead of creation we have evolution,instead of redemption we have superman,or some fictional character,and a denial of
mankinds need of redemption,and as to Gods provision,when is the last time you heard an unbeliever acknowledging God.In a well know movie one of the characters thanks God for deliverance,an other character,rather points to the rifles that had done the trick.What a sad surprise they will have one day,but those of us who by Gods grace and mercy ,can lift up our hearts ,and voice praise Him,M Wilcock,stresses the covenant love of God,
he writes,/That love is both indestructible,and boundless,because it endures for ever.As you look around at all that He has made,and follow through all
that He has done,at every point of the Psalm is saying,Covenant love did this/
A prayer.
Dear God we give thanks to You for your covenant love to your children,in Jesus name Amen.
loving kindness,goodness,favour.I suppose if God was not loving there would be no mercy,but because He is loving we receive mercy.These words
are used as response to what God has done,the writer stresses,Gods creation,
redemption,provision.Modern man does not acknowledge God in any of these things mentioned,instead of creation we have evolution,instead of redemption we have superman,or some fictional character,and a denial of
mankinds need of redemption,and as to Gods provision,when is the last time you heard an unbeliever acknowledging God.In a well know movie one of the characters thanks God for deliverance,an other character,rather points to the rifles that had done the trick.What a sad surprise they will have one day,but those of us who by Gods grace and mercy ,can lift up our hearts ,and voice praise Him,M Wilcock,stresses the covenant love of God,
he writes,/That love is both indestructible,and boundless,because it endures for ever.As you look around at all that He has made,and follow through all
that He has done,at every point of the Psalm is saying,Covenant love did this/
A prayer.
Dear God we give thanks to You for your covenant love to your children,in Jesus name Amen.
Saturday, 1 August 2015
Bless the Lord. [Psalm 134 ]
Psalm 134 commences by saying ,/Behold ,bless ye the Lord/,likewise in verse 2 we have the words ,/bless the Lord/.The Psalm ends with a prayer that God would bless ,the question is what does it mean to bless the Lord?.
It is Kidner writes,/To bless God is to acknowledge gratefully what He is,but to bless man,God must make of him what he is not,and give him what he has not/.That acknowledging God, is I believe an act of praising
Him. It is Plummer who wrote,/Because our mercies are ever new,our praises should be continual.Now here is the challenge for all of us,to praise
God continually,even in the night seasons of our soul.Spurgeon wrote,/Let
others flatter their fellows,or bless their stars,or praise themselves;as for us,we will bless Jehovah ,from whom all blessings flow/.
A prayer.
Fill Thou my life,O Lord my God,
In every part with praise,
That my whole being may proclaim
Thy being and Thy ways.
Not for the lip of praise alone,
I ask, but for a life made up,
Of praise in every part.
Amen.
[Words by H. Bonar]
It is Kidner writes,/To bless God is to acknowledge gratefully what He is,but to bless man,God must make of him what he is not,and give him what he has not/.That acknowledging God, is I believe an act of praising
Him. It is Plummer who wrote,/Because our mercies are ever new,our praises should be continual.Now here is the challenge for all of us,to praise
God continually,even in the night seasons of our soul.Spurgeon wrote,/Let
others flatter their fellows,or bless their stars,or praise themselves;as for us,we will bless Jehovah ,from whom all blessings flow/.
A prayer.
Fill Thou my life,O Lord my God,
In every part with praise,
That my whole being may proclaim
Thy being and Thy ways.
Not for the lip of praise alone,
I ask, but for a life made up,
Of praise in every part.
Amen.
[Words by H. Bonar]
Friday, 31 July 2015
Training for the ministry.[ Amos 7 v 14-15 ]
I was privileged to attend Bible college, I needed that training,but not everyone does,now there are those who look down upon those who have
attended Bible college.Likewise there are those who look down upon those
who not have attended Bible college.The fact is bible colleges serve a good purpose,but they are not essential for everyone.The fact is we all need training if we are going to serve God,and we should do all we can to equip ourselves.John Calvin, C.H.Spurgeon, D.L.Moody,had this in common they never had any formal biblical training,but no one can say they where not equipped to serve God in the ministry.It has been rightly said whom God calls,He equips,part of that may be Bible college training,but it is not necessary so.John Owen was born in1637 and went to Queen's college
Oxford,he rose to become Vice-Chancellor of that college.he is best remembered for his Death of Death in the Death of Christ.He was one of the most learned men of his time, he was asked by Charles 11 ,why he listened
to an uneducated tinker,he replied,could I possess the tinker's abilities for preaching,please your majesty,I would glady relinquish all my learning.
A prayer.
Dear God we ask that You would raise up anointed and equipped people
for service in your kingdom in Jesus name Amen.
attended Bible college.Likewise there are those who look down upon those
who not have attended Bible college.The fact is bible colleges serve a good purpose,but they are not essential for everyone.The fact is we all need training if we are going to serve God,and we should do all we can to equip ourselves.John Calvin, C.H.Spurgeon, D.L.Moody,had this in common they never had any formal biblical training,but no one can say they where not equipped to serve God in the ministry.It has been rightly said whom God calls,He equips,part of that may be Bible college training,but it is not necessary so.John Owen was born in1637 and went to Queen's college
Oxford,he rose to become Vice-Chancellor of that college.he is best remembered for his Death of Death in the Death of Christ.He was one of the most learned men of his time, he was asked by Charles 11 ,why he listened
to an uneducated tinker,he replied,could I possess the tinker's abilities for preaching,please your majesty,I would glady relinquish all my learning.
A prayer.
Dear God we ask that You would raise up anointed and equipped people
for service in your kingdom in Jesus name Amen.
Wednesday, 29 July 2015
Most persecuted [ John 16 v33 ]
I have just read that Christian are the most persecuted minority group in the world.Someone has asked the question why?,well there are reason,now I know there are places that religion and politics,and tribal conflict can cause those who are Christians to suffer.Yet this does not fully answer the why by
any means,why did the religious leaders persecute Jesus,and have Him brutally put to death?,after all He went about doing good,why do many Christians who are law abiding citizens,pay their taxes,and generally make a positive contribution to their communities are persecuted?.There are reasons, Christians are called to be holy,we are told that men love darkness rather than the light,because their deeds are evil[John 3 v19],further it goes unto to say,that everyone that doeth evil hates the light[3v20].Yesterday I met a person I used to work with,I remember offering her a daily reading,I was not offensive,she refused it,that was it,no offence meant,but she went and reported me to the manager.A simple thing like that,why?,yes why do Christians suffer?,because we live in a world in rebellion against God,the word of God,tells us that the whole world is under the control of the evil one[1 John 5 v19],and so it is, that our Saviour said,in the world ye shall have tribulation.It appears a very depressing thing to say,but that is the
reality,but for the Christian there is a greater reality.No Christian is alone,
Jesus is with them,he gives peace,and power to endure and to be more than conquerors,and a promise of eternal glory.
A prayer
Dear God in the name of Jesus we ask for mercy on those Christians who are suffering .Amen.
any means,why did the religious leaders persecute Jesus,and have Him brutally put to death?,after all He went about doing good,why do many Christians who are law abiding citizens,pay their taxes,and generally make a positive contribution to their communities are persecuted?.There are reasons, Christians are called to be holy,we are told that men love darkness rather than the light,because their deeds are evil[John 3 v19],further it goes unto to say,that everyone that doeth evil hates the light[3v20].Yesterday I met a person I used to work with,I remember offering her a daily reading,I was not offensive,she refused it,that was it,no offence meant,but she went and reported me to the manager.A simple thing like that,why?,yes why do Christians suffer?,because we live in a world in rebellion against God,the word of God,tells us that the whole world is under the control of the evil one[1 John 5 v19],and so it is, that our Saviour said,in the world ye shall have tribulation.It appears a very depressing thing to say,but that is the
reality,but for the Christian there is a greater reality.No Christian is alone,
Jesus is with them,he gives peace,and power to endure and to be more than conquerors,and a promise of eternal glory.
A prayer
Dear God in the name of Jesus we ask for mercy on those Christians who are suffering .Amen.
Tuesday, 28 July 2015
Careless. [ Isaiah 45v22]
I am very conscious of the dangers on the road,not just for me but others,pedestrians,motor cyclists,and cyclists.Many years ago I witnessed
a man on a bike involved in an accident,later he died of his injuries.Just recently while driving hope I saw a cyclist on the road ahead,he was wearing a bright jacket,as I came near to him,he suddenly singled his intention of turning right.He did this without looking,I managed to change lanes,thankfully there was no one coming towards me in that lane. Such are the dangers of those who use the roads,that man did everything right,with one exception,he did not look,Now let us apply this spiritually,in this road of life that we are on ,we may be religious ,read our Bibles,pray ,go to church,and yet never have looked unto Jesus to save us. The world is full of religious people,who are not saved,who have not been born again.That man
on his bike was careless,he never looked,it could have cost him his life,
so it is,there are many careless as regards their soul,they think it does not matter ,but of course it does,to die without Christ is to commit spiritually
suicide.
A prayer.
Dear God we ask that You in mercy may awake sinners to their need of Christ. Amen.
a man on a bike involved in an accident,later he died of his injuries.Just recently while driving hope I saw a cyclist on the road ahead,he was wearing a bright jacket,as I came near to him,he suddenly singled his intention of turning right.He did this without looking,I managed to change lanes,thankfully there was no one coming towards me in that lane. Such are the dangers of those who use the roads,that man did everything right,with one exception,he did not look,Now let us apply this spiritually,in this road of life that we are on ,we may be religious ,read our Bibles,pray ,go to church,and yet never have looked unto Jesus to save us. The world is full of religious people,who are not saved,who have not been born again.That man
on his bike was careless,he never looked,it could have cost him his life,
so it is,there are many careless as regards their soul,they think it does not matter ,but of course it does,to die without Christ is to commit spiritually
suicide.
A prayer.
Dear God we ask that You in mercy may awake sinners to their need of Christ. Amen.
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