I am not a slave [ John 8 v 36 ]

Every year in London there is held what is called, the Proms, a season of classical music,which ends with a television coverage,it is very popular.
At the end of this event they play certain well known favourites,one is
Rule Britannia, which have the words,/Britain's never,never,never shall be slaves.The Jews protested when Jesus said that they would be set free if they came to know Him,[John 8 v32ff].They protested, saying that being
descendants of Abraham,they have never been  slaves. Jesus replied ,
everyone who sins is a slave to sin. I live in a free country ,you may live in the land of the so called free,but let us be honest we all are to some degree
 in bondage to sin.We all without exception yield to thought patterns,and
habits that hold us in bondage,when Jesus told those who wanted to stone a woman  for her sin,he turned this on them by saying ,if any one of you is
without sin,let him be the first to throw a stone at her,the result was they
all left.  [John 8 v1ff].Are any of us different from those people ?,the answer is no,we are all in bondage to our sinful nature.Forgiveness and freedom are offered to all who trust in Jesus, Bruce Milne wrote the following,/Jesus is the Saviour only of the desperate, who have nowhere
else to turn and no other on which to call/.
                                            A prayer.
                     Out of my bondage ,sorrow and night,
                     Jesus I come,Jesus I come.
                      Into Thy freedom,gladness and light.
                       Jesus I come to Thee.
                            Amen.
                       [Words by William T. Sleeper.]

Dead [Romans 6 ]

What happens when one comes to Christ,well when Paul became a Christian he stopped persecuting Christians, but it did not stop there.He jettisoned the old and followed the new,in fact things that he once gloried in,his birth,he was a Jew,he threw out ,also his religious standing,declaring that they were now of no value.All he once counted dear,he now counts as dung,yes when it comes to following Christ, we have to cast of the old,and embrace the new,in fact we have to die to self,we signified this when we were baptised ,as we go under the water , we are dying to the old self.Then as we come out of the water ,we are rising up to walk in newness of life[Romans6 v 1ff ] A lady shared, with a few of us Christians,that when she trusted Jesus, she was faced with a dilemma,for she was living with her boy friend,so she went to him and told him that she could not continue to live together,the result was she married her boyfriend.Yes becoming a Christian challenged her ,to forsake  the way she was living,as the apostle declared, how shall we,that are dead to sin,live any longer therein ?[ Romans 6 v2]
                                                 A prayer.
Dear God  help us by your grace to cast of the old,and to walk in newness of
life in Jesus name we ask this Amen.

Holiness [ Hebrews 12 v14 ]

The moment one starts on the narrow road,one is faced with the challenge of living a life of holiness.Holiness what does that word conquer up for you?. Misery sadness,depriving one of joy and happiness. To many the word ,holy has a negative meaning a kill joy meaning,It is not so,my sins brought unhappiness,look out upon the world ,consider that lives that are destroyed by infidelity.Consider the awfulness of habits that destroy us,many people are addicted to so many things,that is causing them harm and hurt.Many think things are the answer,but things do not fill our aching lonely hearts.Consider the damage lies have caused,the awfulness of the
violence,in this world,millions of people are affected by violence,need I go on?Holiness is living a life, of saying no ,those things that can harm us,and
can affect our relationships. Holiness is saying no to so much that is foolish,hurtful, and self centered, it is saying yes to a clear conscience,
being holy is the most positive and fulfilling way to live,and above all else it is pleasing to God.
                                          A  prayer.
Dear God help us to see how vital holiness is and how positive it is,and how pleasing it is to you in Jesus name Amen.

No other way. [ Galations 6 v14]

Every road has a beginning the narrow road,begins at the cross of our Lord
Jesus,why the cross?.The cross on which Jesus died was Gods answer, His only answer to our greatest need, the forgiveness of our sins.If  you think there is some other means whereby your sin can be forgiven,or if you perceive that the good you do will make up for the wrong you have done,you are sadly mistaken.If you think been sincere will count when you will stand before a holy God ,you are diluted.God will not see your good works,or your sincerity,your religiosity,the fact that you have been a good parent,friend, or neighbour.He will not see  your  faithfulness to your wife, your  employer,that you were a law abiding citizen, no.If you have not sought forgiveness  of your sins ,at the foot of the cross of Christ, then God will only see one thing,and one thing only, your sin,and so judgement will fall upon you, He will declare,I never knew you,depart from me,ye that work iniquity[Matthew 7 v23] Are you burdened with the wrong you have committed? is your conscience bothering you?,well Gods way out is the cross upon which His son died.It is through His death that God forgives every sin we have committed,there is no other way.
                                     A prayer.
Dear God cut through our blindness,indifference,our  stubbornness,help us
to see the awfulness of our sin,and our desperate need of forgiveness,help us
to come to Christ who died that we may be forgiven,in His name we ask this
Amen.
    [I  will  return to my Blog 28th Sept.  every blessing]

A different road. [ Matthew 7 v 13-23]

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake [Psalm 23v3 ],the fact of the matter,the Lord will not guide his children in paths of
unrighteousness. Our Lord speaks of two roads,one that is broad,one that is
narrow,these two roads have two different destinations,the broad one leads to destruction,the narrow one leads to life.Many are on the broad road,few are on the narrow road,yes few there will be that are,or will be saved.As I prayed this morning it struck me ,how few of my neighbours are saved,In this world millions are saved but millions upon millions are not, it is a tragedy.It bears in upon one the depth of mankind's sinful condition,let us not be fooled by talk of the human spirit. To place our hope in that is
closing ones eyes to the tendency of humanity,to manifest indifference and
antagonism,to God and his Son Jesus. To place our hope in the human spirit
is to be blind to the testimony of history.To place our faith in the human spirit is to ignore the evidence of our own fallen nature ,we rightly say there but by the grace of God,for apart from Gods grace we could be a murderer,
a child abuser ,a drug abuser etc.I exaggerate not ,for the word of God clearly teaches us that we have a nature that is deceitful and desperately wicked.[Jeremiah 17 v9].The question I ask you,what road are you on?,for
you are not on a road that is going nowhere,what destination will you arrive
at ?.
                                A prayer.
Dear God,help me by your mercy to choose the right road, in Jesus name Amen

Lead me gently home. [ Psalm 23 ]

In verses 2and 3 of psalm 23 ,we have David declaring, He leads me/He guides me.It is so easy to be lead by every whim and fancy,guided by others ,those we feel we can trust. But David says very simply the Lord is leading him,surely that is the best policy,to follow where He leads and guides. Consider what that may mean,how do you see what it means for God to lead and guide?. It means wherever He leads and guides will be best for us even though it appears ,things do not work out as we think.It does not mean that we will not be tried,or  suffer loss,but it does mean,that we will be in the centre of Gods will for our lives.For all of us it means keeping our eyes on Jesus continually,and on our eventual destination Heaven. The apostle Paul was consumed with doing Gods will,but he always kept Christ and his goal in mind. Davids speaks with a certain confidence, He leads me,He guides me,as a child of God he was confident that the one who was his shepherd was with him,and was leading and guiding him. So whatever we may be facing today yes whatever,whatever decisions we are faced with let us like David say , He is leading me,He is guiding me,so all will be well.,

                                          A  Prayer.
                      Lead me gently home,Father,
                       Lead me gently home
                      Mid life's darkest hours Father,
                      When sad trials come.
                      Keep my feet from wandering,
                      Lest my feet should roam;
                       Lest I fall upon the wayside,
                       Lead me gently home.
                          In Jesus name we ask this,
                                      Amen.

I have learned.[ Hebrews 12 v 5-6//// Isaiah 54 v 10]

In  Psalm 23 the writer  David ,declares the Lord in my shepherd, now the wonderful truth is,every child of God can likewise say those words,with the same assurance.When the Lord is ones shepherd,then we all we read in this lovely Psalm,can apply to us.We can say with confidence that we shall not want,we may not get all we want,for that is not what David is saying,but our
Lord will supply our needs[Philippians 4 v19].  The apostle Paul , learned to be content,whatever his circumstances. [Philippians 4 v11].Davids circumstances where often difficult,life can be difficult,we think of many of Gods people who are going through difficult times.It is in these difficult times we really appreciate those words the Lord is our shepherd.It is in those difficult times we begin to grow,we begin to stop relying on self,and start relying upon our good shepherd.I would say that the difficulties we experience are vital for our growth,just as pruning is for a rose bush.A rose bush left to itself becomes a wild rose bush,a life that has not experienced trials,is a life that will not develop as God intends.Who wants a spoilt child,so it is God will discipline us in various ways,that we may learn to be content,learn to be more compassionate,more loving more
kind,more holy,and so on,that in our  Gethsemane,we will,pray through our tears,Thy will be done.
                                                A  prayer
Dear Lord and  good shepherd we commit our lives once again into your loving care,and pray in all that you send into our lives  we will grow,in Your name we ask this Amen.