Soften my heart. [John 11 v 35 ]

I am often amazed how those who report on news event,do it in a cold detachment manner,or so it appears.But recently a crack of light broke though as a reporter who was covering the events in Paris ,broke down while giving his report.It reminded me of a similar incident many years ago,when I lived in Belfast,that day became known as bloody Friday,when the IRA planted a number of bombs,that injured and killed a number of people.When the BBC reporter was given his report,he broke down also. Instead of complaining about those two reporters, we applaud them,for showing a quality in their lives that of empathy,and compassion.We can watch the news day after day,hearing and witnessing awful things,and it sometimes feels we have become desensitised,to the suffering of others. I am sure it would be profitable to pray that God would grant us a heart that feels for others suffering.not only their physical,mental,or whatever , but
for the multitudes who are lost,and going to a lost eternity,who desperately need Christ.
                                          A  prayer.
                            Soften my heart Lord,soften my ,
                             From all indifference set me apart,
                             To feel Your compassion,
                             To weep with Your tears.
                             Come soften my heart,O  Lord,
                             Soften my heart.
                             [ Words by G. Kendrick ]

                  

Empty hands. [Luke 18 v 10 ff.]

Jesus said that not everyone who called Him Lord would enter into the kingdom of heaven,many will say ,we have prophesied in your name,and in your name had cast out devils,and in your name done many wonderful works, and He will say to them, I never knew you.depart from me,ye that work iniquity[Matthew 7 v 21-23 ]It would appear their profession,was but empty words,and they appear to not appreciate, that our Lord wants genuine followers.Also when we stand before Him we we must remember that it is not what we do that saves us.There was great Christian scholar who wrote the following,'So you allow me good faith,I have never conceded myself good faith. And when once day comes when I have to appear before my Lord,then I will not come with my deeds,with the volumes of my Dogmatics in the basket upon my back. All the angels there would have to laugh. But then I shall also not say,I have always meant well,I had good faith, No, then I will only say one thing,Lord be merciful to me a poor sinner.'
                                          A prayer.
Dear God forgive us for looking beyond what Christ your son has done,
in your mercy save us in His name . Amen.

Heaven rejoices [Luke 15 ]

 I do love hearing or reading something that makes me laugh.I even try to make jokes up,though I think I better keep my day job,even though I am retired.Do we have any jokes in the Bible?,I cannot think of any,yet the Bible speaks of joy,and happiness,of rejoicing,I wonder what are the things that gave you joy, happiness, or what causes you to rejoice?.Well in Luke 15 ,we read how our Saviour was surrounded by people whom the society at that time considered sinners.Watching were the strict religious people a called  Pharisees ,who would not be seen dead talking to those sort of people. Their reaction was, they muttered,among themselves,saying this man welcomes sinners,and eats with them.Now to eat with such people was consider an act of acceptance,and that would never do for the Pharisees.So Jesus very patiently tells three stories short stories,about a sheep ,a coin,and wayward son,that  got lost,and then was found. Jesus explained that when the worst in society be they a family member ,or whoever turns to God for forgiveness,then heaven itself rejoices.The fact is this ,Jesus died for sinners,and when one turns to Him for salvation,heaven itself rejoices,it makes heaven happy.
                                            A  prayer.
Dear God we thank you for sending Jesus to seek and to save the lost,
and when  they are saved heaven itself rejoices ,Amen .

Answers to prayer. [Jeremiah 29 v 12-13]

A Christian friend told me about a wonder answer to prayer,years ago he
needed a car,so one evening he asked God to provide him with a car. The next day a friend he not seen for a good while,phoned him,he was pastor,  his church had paid for him to purchase a car. Then he said ,the Lord told him to give his old car to my friend,this he did. a wonderful answer  to prayer. In answer to our prayers God in his will,can provide us money,can get us a job,can heal,can deliver,can save us and set us free,will guide I stress in His will,better not to get what we prayed for if it is not his will.Also prayer may not be answered right away,it may,our faith may  tested,of course faith will always be tested.Elijah that great man of
faith prayed and it stopped raining ,but when he prayed that it would rain again, he had to pray seven times[1Kings 18 v43-44].Could be we may be the answer to that prayer we pray,possibly God will not respond till we change cp 2 Kings 5 v 12-14.Our very behaviour and atitutude may be hindering our prayer being answered.
                                      A prayer.
Dear God we thank you for the many, many answers to prayer,so right
now we lift our voices to you,and ask that in mercy and will you will answer our prayer in Jesus name Amen .

Healing [James 5 14-15]

I must confess I am never sure whither God will heal a person or not, I was at a friends recently. He spoke of a man who was not a Christian ,and how his daughter prayed for him and God healed his cancer.He mentioned other
incidences ,of people being healed,in the church in which I was a minister,
two of my members told of healing's ,one was very badly scalded ,she was prayed for,the other told of her father being healed of cancer.Now I have mentioned it before my first wife died of cancer,I did pray,but she died,so you see how I am not sure whither God will  heal a person or not.  God can heal,but may not,but he may,Paul's experience,is an example of this [2 Corinthians 12].Jesus healed many but he did not choose to heal everybody,
we must not think that He has to.Recently while visiting a Christian lady,
she told me that she had cancer,a severe type,it had a high number ,that indicated ,that was very bad.That evening I read James 5 v14-15 ]which tells us to call for the elders anoint the person with oil,and pray in faith,and the person would get well.This was done,she did not become well at that time,but the treatment she is having,appears to be dealing with the cancer.
                                          A  prayer.
Dear God we know that with you,nothing is impossible,help us not rule out
your healing power,in Jesus name Amen.

Whats important. [ Matthew 16 v26 ]

Leon Morris writes,/When men concentrate on the trivial they are apt to overlook the important/.As we read the life of our Saviour He was continually saying to those He met to consider what is really important.To seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness [Matthew 6 v 33 ]. His words to Peter come as a challenge to all of us ,/do you truly love me more than these things [John 21 v 15].If you are not saved it means you are concentrating on the trivial it means that you have not realized that you are selling your soul like Judus for 30 pieces of silver.When he realized what he had done he went out and hung himself,alas for him,for he had a dreadful end,a lost eternity.What are you trading your soul for?,the words of an old gospel hymn comes to mind ,/if I gained the world but not the Saviour/.Is that you? what is the world you are seeking for? ,it  can be different for all of us.For some they are blinded by lust ,success,things,popularity,the list is endless,whats on your list?.There was a great king who tried everything wealth, pleasure,he had the means and the power.He had hundreds of women,and when he considered all he had achieved and accumulated he declared, everything was meaningless,a chasing after wind[Ecclesiates [2 v11].Let us, not  be a fool,let us get our priorities right,choose Christ and then everything will fall into place.
                                          A  prayer.
Dear God help us to see, that knowing Christ as my Saviour is by far, the most important  thing in all the world Amen.
                                    

Go. [ Matthew 28 v 18ff]

Every year in our country we hold remembrance services for those killed in wars,in the 20th century there have been many wars.Britain has had a long history of wars,and as we look at the world today,we still see so many conflicts,and one would love to see the end of war.It is amazing that humanity has not destroyed itself,our Saviour in Matthew 24v6ff spoke about wars and rumours of wars,of nations and kingdoms in conflict ,but then He adds ,but the end is still to come.So when will the end come?, well Jesus tells us,/ The gospel of the kingdom will  be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations,and then the end will come /.He does not give us a date,but simply what must take place before the end comes,and that's where we come in,therefore says Jesus ,go and make disciples of all nations.We can never take the go out of the gospel,the challenge for all believers is to obey what Jesus told us to do,to be His witnesses to a world in conflict a world that is intent on self destruction.We have been given a task,ours is not to question why, we know the why, Jesus has told us,there must be unquestioning obedience.The end will come,it is not for us to know
times or dates,but simply to go and be witnesses for Christ,in the power of the Holy Spirit.[Acts 1 v 7-8]
                                      A  prayer
Dear God forgive us our foolish curiosity as to the end times,help us to simply obey your command and tell other about our Saviour, Amen