Standing alone.[ Romans 8 v 31ff ]

One of the most popular westerns ever made was the movie, High Noon about a law officer,who was faced with four outlaws who were going to kill
him,and no one  was prepared to help him,except an old drunk,and a young boy.In the end he had to face them alone,he had considered running
away,but he knew they would follow him.There are many Christians living in societies were those around them hate them,and would gladly kill them
many our fleeing,but there are many who cannot flee for whatever reason,and humanly speaking they are on their own.Humanly speaking they don't stand a chance,yes it would appear they do not stand a chance,but they are not on their own,no more than we are.There is one standing by every child of God,irrespective of circumstances,one who can preserve, protect
and keep according to His will.The apostle Paul experienced great trials,he wrote of an occasion when all men forsook him,but then he adds, nevertheless the Lord stood with me,and strengthened me[2  Timothy 4 v 16-17].
                                            A prayer.
Dear God for all your dear children who have no human help,and are standing alone ,against those who would gladly destroy them ,have mercy,and come to their aid ,in Jesus name Amen.

Now thats love.[ Romans 5 v 8]

Bruce Milne, writing on Christs  self humbling to death,says/,This is love,
not that we loved God,but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins[1 John 4 v10].In the end there is no other explanation of the cross other than the love of God. There can be no other,for we certainly do not deserve it and can never earn it / The following words
were written in pencil on the wall of a narrow room,of an asylum by a man
said to have been demented.
                  Could we with ink the ocean fill,
                   And were the skies of parchment made,
                   Were every stalk on earth a quill,
                   And every man a scribe by trade.
                    To write the love of God above,
                    Would drain the ocean dry,
                    Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
                   Tho stretched from sky to sky.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish ,but have everlasting life[John 3 v16]. Now that's Love.

We cannot withdraw those words.[James 1 v19]

Recently our Prime Minister was caught out by what he said,he did not realise that what he was saying was being recorded.Ex President Nixon was
caught out by what he said,though he did try to tamper with what had been recorded. After a recent football match a player said,about one of his team mates,'he likes to cheat a lot',later he apologised for the confusion that his comments had caused,he indicated that he wanted to withdraw what he had said.All those mentioned would so like to withdraw what they said,but what is said is said. The poet  wrote.
                            The moving finger writes
                             and having written moves on.
                             Piety nor wit,shall lure it back,
                             to cancel half a line.
Be it the written word or the spoken word the same principal applies, they cannot be taken back.So today let us all be careful as to what we say,
remember they cannot be taken back.I have lost friends by what I have said,
friends I love,words that hurt do not disappear,they  cannot be erased.
                                     A prayer.
Dear God cause us to watch our words,put a guard on our lips,help us to speak aright,help us to not always speak what we feel ,in Jesus name Amen

Life. [ 2 Corinthians 4 v18]

During my recent holiday, I saw two images ,one in a magazine and the other in a cathedral.The first one was a photo in a magazine of a famous
movie star,she was titled a sex goddess,but the photo showed her after she had died,it was not very nice,she no longer manifested a beauty,it had gone.
The other  image was in the cathedral,two stone carvings ,one showed a dead knight laid out in all his armour,a person of power,the other placed
beneath,showed a skeleton like figure.Both these images reminded  me how soon our natural beauty and power vanishes.The beauty and power that men
place great emphases on soon fades,all is very temporary.Now I do not want to depress you but we all need reminded that we all moving very quickly to
an expected end.And yet it is not an end,for there is an eternal existence awaiting us all,when we will give an account of our mortal lives.If we know Christ as Saviour all our service will be judged, that which has not honoured God will be burned up,we will be rewarded for what may be left.[ 1 Corinthians 3 v11ff]. For those who are not Christians their works will have no bearing on that day[Ephesians 2 v 8-9],only faith in Christ and his finished work will saved,nothing else will be taken into account.
                                      A  prayer.
Dear God  teach to number our days that we apply our hearts unto wisdom,in Jesus name Amen..

One word. [ Romans 1 v 7 ]

While on holiday I bought a little place mat,it had my name on it William underneath the name it read,/Good natured,bright and hardworking,a
reliable person.That pleased me,I asked my wife did that sum me up ?,but I asked myself the same question , and hopefully those words reflect to some degree the person I am.I am not going to be blinded by my pride.Those
qualities are commendable but I also know that like the weather I am a changeable person.I know there is a dark side to my nature.A side I would not want to see in print ,a side of me that could bring such misery,and pain
to myself and others,and dishonour to my Saviour and Lord.I do try to live up the good side,but daily I hear my sinful self,and Satan,drawing me over to the dark side.Recently at the church I attend the minister asked us to
share with the person next to us something positive ,that we had experienced in the previous week,the lady next to me,asked me to share
my positive experience,and I replied grace.
                              Amazing grace how sweet the sound
                               That saved a wretch like me
                               I once was lost,but now am found,
                               Was blind but now I see.
                               Through many dangers,toils and snares,
                               I have already come,
                                Tis grace that's brought me safe so far,
                                And grace will lead me home.
                                        [ J . Newton]

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.