Groaning [ 1 Corinthians 15 v 51-58]

A friend of mine has Parkinson disease,it is a progressive illness,which
gradually,effects the persons ability to cope.He needs 24/7 care,it is distressing for him,and his family,his wife and daughter are recovering from cancer.My friend and his wife are Christians,In  Romans 8 v23,we read,how ''the Christian groans inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons,the redemption of our bodies.''John Stott writing on the,incompleteness
of our salvation,as we share with the creation in the frustration,the bondage to decay and the pain. So one reason for our groaning is our physical fraility and mortality.The  apostle Paul expresses elsewhere;'Meanwhile we groan ,
longing to be clothed with our heavenly,dwelling.[meaning probably our resurrection body]....for while we are in this tent[our temporary, flimsy,
material body],we groan and are burdened.Stott also mentions how that our fallenness,causes us also to groan.'' He then goes on to say,'' Our groans express both present pain and future longing.Some Christians,however ,grin to much[ they seem to no place in their theology for pain]and groan to little.''
                                      A prayer.
Dear God grant us grace to bear with those difficult things we have to cope with,may our inward groaning not turn into complaining,in Jesus name we ask this Amen.

I feel weak [ Hebrews 12 v 1-2 ]

Sometimes I feel tired,like now,I suppose there are a number of reasons,the main one being my age.I am also get up early each day, and I do a bit of physical work.I am tired,of course there is a tiredness of spirit,when things
just pull you down.Often the answer is rest,so I may for a change go to bed early,I may.read a little before I do that. Samson was a man who manifested
great spiritual strength,yet experienced times of great weakness,Samson was raised up  by God to defeat the Philistines, when he was faced with them we read that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him[Judges 15 v19]When he sinned,he became  weak,sin weakens ,if there is sin in our lives it will effect us.  Here is the word of Lord to all of us,/  Let us throw of  everything that hinders, and the sin that easily entangles, and let us run with
perseverance the race marked out for us./That is the first thing we should do, and the next thing is,/Let us fix our eyes our eyes on Jesus,the author and perfecter of our faith.[Hebrews 12 v1 -2]
                                         A prayer.
                   
                          Search me, O God,and know my heart,
                          test me and know my anxious thoughts.
                          See if there is any offensive way in me,
                          and lead me in the way everlasting.
                                               Amen.
                                   [Words from Psalm 139]






























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Rescue the perishing. [ Isaiah 61 v 1-3 ]

I attended a meeting recently,the speaker was telling us about the work of a mission in the Philippians.The work they are involved with is with children, who live on a massive city dump ,were thousands of people live.Many dear children have no one to look after them,so they survive as best they can.All this is very sad,but one thing in particular ,was a photo he showed of little girls under ten ,selling themselves for sex.When things are bad in this world
they are very bad,but thankfully the Christian mission is making a difference.The fact of the matter is,all who are Christians are meant to make a difference,in this needy world.Jesus said we are to be light [to shine in the darkness],and salt[to stop the corruption].It was William Booth who raised an army of people,who went into the slums,and made a difference,to thousands of people. We cannot solve all the worlds problems,but we can help to a degree by our giving,praying,going,remember Christ will reward even the smallest act of kindness[Matthew 10v42].Our deeds will speak
[Matthew 5v16],but not only our deeds,but also our words,for as awful as mans physical needs are,their spiritual needs are also great,they need to hear about Jesus,if we neglect to tell them ?,who will?

                                       Rescue the perishing,
                                       Care for the dying.
                                       Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
                                       Weep o'er the erring one,
                                        Lift up the fallen,
                                        Tell them of Jesus the Mighty to save.
                                           [Words by Fanny J. Crosby]
                                        

Being resonsible [1 Thessalonians 4 v11]

John Stott wrote the following,''God's sovereignty never diminishes our responsibility''.We are always challenged in the Bible to act in a responsible
manner,while God will provide,we are expected to work.While God will
protect we are not to be irresponsible,and put ourselves in danger. Success does not come without effort,the farmer ploughs the field,plants the seed.
There is little point in praying to God to lead us not into temptation,if we
put ourselves in a place where we are vulnerable.We are responsible to work at our marriage,a good marriage does not happen automatically.As regards money,we cannot borrow,barrow,borrow,spend,spend,spend,and not reap the consequences.We cannot flirt with that work colleague,and expect God to keep us from ,its consequences.We cannot continually ignor the speed limit,without being stopped for speeding.You may be a five point Calvinist,but you are still called to be responsible.Salvation is of Lord,but we are still told to go into all the world and preach the Gospel.I hope you have got the picture,I hope I have got the picture.
                                           A  prayer.
Dear God help us all to grasp this truth that we are called to act in a responsible manner,in Jesus name we ask this Amen.

I shall not fear,if. [ Matthew 28 v 20 ]

Moses had gone up Mount Sinai,to meet with God ,he was there a long time
and the people complained, they where in the wilderness,he was no longer around.So they acted sinfully,by having Aaron,make an idol,which they declared to be their god.When Moses came down from the mount,things had deteriorated ,and severe action had to be taken.It was then God spoke to Moses,as regards the people moving forward to the promise land, he promised that an angel would go before them,to drive out His enemies.He tells Moses that He will not go with them,because of their tendency to sin,the result might be,their destruction. Moses reasoned with God,and He assured him that he would be with him personally,but Moses wanted more he wanted Gods presence to be with his people.God  granted him that request.[Exodus 32-33]The point I am coming to is this,Gods presence with us is vital,without that we cannot,go forward,but with His presence with us, we can confidently go forward.Although Jesus is in Heaven He is also with us by His Spirit,as we face whatever this day has for us,we are not alone,here the words of Jesus,''I am with you always''.
                          
                                     O Jesus I have promised
                                     to serve Thee to the end;
                                     be Thou for ever near me,
                                     my Master and my friend.
                                     I shall not fear the battle
                                     if Thou art by my side,
                                     nor wander from the pathway
                                     if Thou wilt be my Guide.
                                             [Words by J.E.Bode]
          [ I will return to my blog on Saturday,every blessing  ]

Remember who you are.[ 1 John 3 v 1-3 ]

It is John Stott who writes the following,''On 28May 1972 the Duke of Windsor,the uncrowned King Edward 8th,died in Paris.The same evening a TV programme rehearsed the main events of his life.Extracts from earlier films were shown,in which he answered questions about his upbringing, brief reign and abdication.Recalling his boyhood as Prince of Wales,he said; 'My father[ King George V] was a strict disciplinarian. Sometimes when I  had done something wrong, he would admonish me saying,'' My dear boy,
you must always remember who you are''.John Stott goes unto to write, 'It is
my conviction that our heavenly Father says the same to us every day; 'My
dear child,you must always remember who you are'
                                           A prayer.
Dear loving heavenly Father,help us to remember that we are your children,
so that we may not bring dishonour to your name,in Jesus name we ask this Amen.

Happy birthday, Sir David Attenborough. [ Psalm 19 v 1-6 ]

Sir David Attenborough has just turned ninety,in case you do not know he is a world famous naturalist.He has made many program's for TV,which have
been shown over all the world.He is much loved and appreciated,and to celebrate his birthday he appeared on a special TV programme,with a studio audience,a number of people appeared on the programme,others from around the world were shown,one being Prince William,all spoke highly
of Sir David.I enjoyed the programme,but when it was over,I thought that the one who should have been honoured,never got a mention.No it was all
about Sir David,the creature,not the creator,it's like He does not exist.Of course for many people,including Sir David ,He doesn't.Now of course I am not as educated as him,he was educated at Cambridge University,I am not a qualified naturalist.I suppose I am a silly Billy,who cannot accept the just happened theory,but then this is nothing new, CP, Romans 1 v19ff.I suppose I agree with old Paul Robeson song,which went, ''Only God can make a tree''.It appears to me that Sir David,and his follows reject that God created all things, as not being rational,and yet go on to accept the totally
irrational,of a god called evolution.
                                  
                        I think that I shall never see,
                        A poem lovely as a tree.

                        A tree whose hungry mouth is prest,
                        Against the earth's sweet flowing breast.

                        A tree that looks out God all day,
                        And lifts his leafy arms to pray.

                        A tree that may in summer wear,
                        A nest of robins in her hair.

                        Upon whose boson snow has lain,
                        Who intimately lives with rain.

                        Poem's are made by fools like me,
                        But only God can make a tree.
                           [Words by Joyce Kilmer ]