Witch boy. [ Matthew 19 v14]

A little boy in Nigeria was found by an aid worker starving,and naked,he was such a tiny child,and was sure to die.This child was known as a witch
boy,seemingly there are many of them,but the good news this little mite has been rescued,and is being looked after.Many who heard about this on the net have sent money and his future is secure.A witch boy, we in the West
consider such a thing nonsense,but because of superstition,his parents cast him out,I suppose many such children are murdered, it is all very sad, Children are precious,thankfully we do not see them as witch boys ,or witch
girls.There was a time in this country when because of poverty,many children were abandoned,Dickens in his writings,sought to highlight this.We are grateful that God raised up people like Bernardo,George Muller,and other good Christian people, who  rescued multitudes of children.There are still many Christians who are doing wonderful things for children,they are supported by many caring people.As a Christian I see no child as a witch ,but I  do believe that children need Christ,for as a child,I know I did.
                                           A prayer.
Dear God have mercy upon the many children who are suffering in this world,abandoned by their parents,abused and misused,in Jesus name Amen.

The old paths [ Jeremiah 6 v16]

I heard an old Chinese,which goes,/Reverence the laws of Heaven,and the laws of the ancestor's/.I hope I got that right,but these word struck me,from a Christian point of view.Consider the society we live in there is much that's good in it,but there is much that's not so good.We have lost all reverence for the laws of heaven,and what our ancestors built we have torn down.When I was young ,to some degree there was a reverence for the laws of heaven,I am not sure what we thought of our ancestors.People have so much now,and yet in other ways they have so little,we live godless pagan society,were sex has become a god,pleasure has become a god,money has become a god.Many of our ancestors were godly people,who sought to live according to heavens laws. We have gained much,but lost much,we have sought much knowledge but are ignorant as to the reality of God, and it shows.The great prophet Jeremiah lived to a degree in similar times,he was called by God to challenge the people of his day as to sin,and its consequences,just like people now they had forsaken God,[Jer 2 v13]. So here is what he told them,/Thus saith the Lord,Stand ye in the ways,and see ,and ask  for the old paths,where is the good way and walk therein,and ye shall find rest for your souls.But they said,we will not walk therein/[Jer 6 v16] The result was absolutely awful,and tragic,as it will be for this nation and for all,who  like Israel .ignore Heaven,and the God of heaven.
                                          A prayer.
Dear God and Father,turn our nations back to Thyself ,before it becomes
to late ,in Jesus name Amen.

Mercy [ Ephesians 2 v 1-4]

I watched a new series on TV,called Dickensian,based on Characters by Charles Dickens. Bob Marley had been murdered and the police inspector
was Questioning Bob Crotchets wife,who confessed to the murder,she explained the circumstances,and it appears Marley had been sexually attacking her,and so she struck with a wooden object and had killed him.
The inspector is to torn between his belief that justice had to be done,which
would mean the lady in question would hang,and compassion for her and her family.He takes her to the police station to have her charged,again in keeping with time she was sure to be hung.But at the last moment he let's
her go free.As I looked at what was happening,the words flashed into my mind,mercy triumphs over justice.Yes she was guilty,mercy was shown to her,and I could not help but think ,there was moment in my life when I a
guilty sinner,facing the judgement of God,  was shown mercy.God was able
to show me that mercy,because His Son ,the just one,would die for me the unjust one. [1 Peter 3 v18 ]

                               Years I spent in vanity and pride,
                                Caring not my Lord was crucified,
                               Knowing not it was for me He died
                                              On Calvary.
                            Mercy there was great and grace was free,
                            Pardon there was multiplied to me.
                             There my burdened soul found liberty,
                                                At  Calvary.
                                 [Words by Wm. R. Newell]

Nice people .[ Ecclesiastes] [Matthew 24 v36 -51 ]

What if everybody had enough to eat,and everybody was nice,communisim wants everybody to have equal shares.But followers of Marx  of course are not usually nice people,they have a dream of changing the world,but often change it ,into a hell on earth.But let us for a moment dream, of a world that is different,where everybody is nice and everybody is fed,it will never happen,but just imagine it did.Do you think those nice well fed people would seek God?,C.S.Lewis writes ,/A world of nice people content in their own niceness,looking no further ,turned away from God,would be just as desperately in need of salvation as a miserable world-and might be more difficult to save./In my life time I have witnessed a dramatic change in vast
numbers of peoples lives,my own included. The material possessions that people have,is mind blowing,it is a common thing for people to go on cruises, yet just like the nice people, as C.S.Lewis writes,mere improvement is not redemption.
                                             A prayer.
Dear God open the eyes of all men,eyes that are blind to the fact that being
nice and being fed,is not enough,and will never be enough.in Jesus name we ask this Amen.

I am upper class. [ Isaiah 55 v 6-7 ]

You will never be any good,you will never amount to anything,how many people have been told this,even by their parents.Many nationalities have been looked upon as worthless,the English at one time despised the Irish,the white people despised the black people, India  have their untouchables.
So often people are labelled so that they end up despised,I am upper class,I am middle class,and you are working class.Why does humanity always want to create a despised class?because of pride,oh yes they will make up reasons ,Hitler the deceiver,and deceived one,was a being filled with pride.
Unfortunately it is in us all,the Jews took pride in their position,as the chosen people,which lead them to despise the gentiles,and the religious hierarchy despised the common people,and amazingly despised their Messiah,even crucifying Him[Isaiah 53].Such is the sin of pride, it is in us
all,why do we bristle when God tells us we are sinners?,pride. Let not your proud blind heart bring you to everlasting destruction,humble yourself before God,acknowledge your need of Christ and trust Him as your Saviour.
                                            A  prayer.
Dear God our hearts are so full of pride,help us to see the evil and dangers of this sin that clings to us,like a disease,and even blinds us ,causes us to
despise others,and even our desperate need of a Saviour,Amen.

Museum of procrastination.. [ 2 Corinthians 6 v2 ]

Recently while visiting a certain town,as I ,my wife ,son and his wife were walking along, I noticed a street musician,he was dressed in an evening jacket,and was playing a violin.They are called buskers,and people gave them money,this man was very gifted,so much so, that when my family
went do some shopping,I returned to listen to him.I stood listening and
as I did the music touched my heart,tears ran down my face,and I was truly blessed.During a break in his performing I spoke to him,he mentioned
that I must have been cold ,well I said,your music warmed my heart.I
mentioned how much I appreciated his gift,then I asked him was he a Christian?,he said ,not yet,not yet .It reminds me of an advert on the TV,
that welcomes people to the museum of procrastination,that word means
delaying or postponing,a putting of,some more convenient day.The Word
of God stresses the importance of  not delaying,it says come now,behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation[2 Corinthians 6 v2].Life is very uncertain ,suddenly things can change,and before we know
we are taken away,or our mind goes,then its to late,I beg you because I love you, to trust Christ today,do not delay.
                                           A prayer
Dear God help us to see the importance of not delaying,and help us to trust
Christ today,in His name we ask this Amen.

Are you saved? [ 1 John 1 v 7-9 ]

Yesterday we looked at why Jesus came,to save from our sin,and we high lighted that if we come to Christ  He will save us from our sins.No matter what we have done,there is forgiveness,this is illustrated  in the word of  God ,in Isaiah 1 v18 /Come now,and let us reason together,saith the Lord;
though your sins be as scarlet,they shall be as white as snow;though they
be red like crimson,they shall be as wool/.It is Barnes who points out that the term used for scarlet,and crimson, was a fast and fixed colour,in other
words, no matter how much you wore it and washed it,the colour remained.This reminds us that sin cannot be removed by any human effort,we can feel guilty,but that will not remove our sins,whatever effort,religious or other-wise,our sins remain, with us.So we need to look beyond ourselves to Him who alone can effectively deal with sin,no matter how terrible they may be.One of the things about sin, it can make us feel dirty,and one longs to be clean, God has made a way in which we can feel clean.So I am going to leave you with two verses from the ,OT and  NT,/In that day there shall be a fountain opened,to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,for sin and for all uncleanness [Zachariah13 v1]/Yes this was spoken Israel,but its greater fulfilment is for the world,the whosoever,which leads us to /1John 1 v7] /The blood of Jesus Christ his [Gods] Son cleanseth us from ALL sin/.
                                             A   prayer.
Dear God although our sins our many,and vile,we rejoice that you have provided a person through whom we can be cleansed and forgiven ,even Jesus Amen