A challenge. [2 Timothy 2 v15]

John Stott in summarising the book of Ephesians , wrote,''The whole letter letter is a magnificent combination of Christian doctrine and Christian duty,Christian faith and Christian life,what God has done through Christ and what we must be doing in consequences.''As you read this how does your Christian life compare to what you read?,are we weighed in the balance and are we found wanting?,what about doctrine,there are those who say leave to the theologins.Why  do we need to bother with doctrine?,we do ,and that's a fact. The Bible is Gods revealed word to us,as to His being,that He is one,and yet He is three, not three gods,but one.In the Bible and only in the Bible we are taught , that we need to be saved,because we are sinners.We are taught how we can be saved,through Jesus,whose death brings forgiveness and acceptance with God.As a Christian do we know why we believe certain things?,I believe to some extent we can all be theologians,we must not leave it to the so called professionals.Nor must we reject Godly men who are qualified to teach us and help us,that would be pride.We all have a helper when it comes to understanding Gods word,the Holy Spirit.In 2 Timothy 2 v15,we read,''Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God,approved[tested by trial] a workman who has no cause to be ashamed,correctly analysing and accurately deviding[rightly handling and teaching]the Word of God''[Ampllified Version]
                                         A  prayer.
Dear God we thank and praise you for your word,help us by your Spirit to
study it and get to understand it ,in Jesus name Amen.

We can make a difference. [ Ephesians 2 v 8-10]

There is much in this world that can depress one,I just read an article in Time magazine on South Sudan, it was awful.The violence ,especially against women,then you watch the news on the TV ,the refugees,looking for a safe haven.A road rage incedent where a man in his Range Rover crashed into a car,and two little girls cannot now walk.I will stop there,what can we do?most of us try not to think about things.I was talking to a friend recently,and we were talking about all these  sad things,when I mentioned to him, those people who are working to make a difference,he replied,but it is so little. Thats one way of looking at it,but I remember the story of a boy who was walking along the shore in which many starfish where washed unto the sand, so he picked some of them up, and put them back in the sea.A man walking near by,said to the boy that's not going make much of a difference.Well said the boy as he put one of the starfish back in the sea,it will make a difference to that one. Its true we cannot solve all the problems in the world ,but we can make a difference,by helping some or even one person.
                                          A  prayer.
Dear God in this world where so many people are suffering,help us to make a difference ,in even one persons life.in Jesus name Amen.

Teach us Lord. [Psalm 90 ]

I wonder what you think of the following,written by D.Martyn Lloyd-Jones,
''We cannot read the Bible without coming to the conclusion that the thing
that really differentiates Gods people from all others is that they have always been people who walk in the consciousness of their eternal destiny.
The natural man does not care about his eternal future;to him this is the only world.It is the only world he thinks about;he lives for it and it controls him.
But the Christian is a man who should walk through this life as conscious that it is but transient and passing,a kind of preparatory school.He should
always know that he is walking in the presence of God,and that he is going
on to meet God,and that thought should determine and control the whole of
his life.''
                                          A  prayer.
Dear God help us to set our hearts on things above,where Christ is,and also help us to set our minds on things above,not on earthly things. Amen.

No half finished work. [ Jude 34 ]

Often I despair at my failure to be the man I should be,but I do not despair
as regards my loving heavenly Father.Now I am not saying that I see Him as an indulgent father,no,but I do believe that by His grace I am a better man than I used to be.I do not necessary see the change,but His sanctifying grace has not been a total failure,nor will it ever be,and I know that He will never give up on me and cast me aside.I take great encouragement from Gods word,which tells us,that God who has began a good work in me,will
carry it on to completion.[Philippians 1 v6].The one who has saved me from judgement will by his grace save me from myself,He will perfect that which concerneth me.[Psalm 138v8.AV]as Spurgeon wrote,''God will not leave off
till he has finished''.
                          
                               The work which his goodness began,
                               The arm of His strength will complete;
                                His promise is yea and Amen,
                                And never was forfeited yet.

An open marriage. [Romans 6 v23]

The young and very attractive young lady,looked out at me from the pages of a glossy magazine,this young and foolish young lady was giving an account of her open marriage.She and her husband had agreed that they could have sexual relationships with other people.Her husband was away from home a great deal ,so they thought that this was good idea.They had their ground rules,he had sex with prostitutes,and others,she told of her sexual encounters.She did not express any concern as to what she was doing
it was to her and her husband,a logical thing to do.When I had finished reading the article,I found myself saying but they are sinning,they are
breaking Gods law,which tells us clearly,that we are not to commit adultery.
[Exodus 20 v14]Sin is not just  the wrong things we do to each other, our wrong actions  are against a holy God.[ Psalm 51 v4]It can never be seen as
acceptable,no matter how we dress it up,no matter how sophisticated it appears no matter how we rationalise it.Adultery is a sin,you do not have be a genius to see the awful consequences of adultery,in our society.God tells us clearly that adultery is a sin,and sin always has consequences,always.
                                           A  prayer
Dear God help us, to not lean upon our own understanding,your word tells us adultery is a sin,help us not to yield to temptation,help us to seek forgiveness,through your son Jesus,Amen

Hands [ Psalm 139 v 13-18]

Returning to what I was writing about yesterday,on Melanie Reid,and the place where she wrote about her hands,she wrote,''Ah,how to describe them?.The things on the end of your arms.Who ever realises how astonishing,vital, supple,expressive and superbly designed our hands are?
she writes how most of us take them for granted,''apparently a quarter of the brain's motor cortex is dedicated to controlling muscles in your hands''Now the thing that struck me in this article was,Melaine's words,that our hands our superbly designed .Now I don't know if Melanie is a Christian,but in those words ,as regards our hands ,being superbly designed,she was intentionally or unintentionally,challenging the belief that all things happened by chance.You see ,where we have  design, we must have in essence a designer it follows,as sure as night follows day.What
Melaine stated is so obvious,yet so profound,and is a challenge,to the belief that everything just happened.
                                            A prayer.
Dear God we praise You,as the one who designed,and made all things,we acknowledge you as our creator,in Jesus name Amen.

The gift of life. [ Acts 17 v26-31]

There used to be a popular song,many years ago,it went ,'You need hands',I
was struck with something,I read in a magazine,written by a lady called Melanie Reid.She is tetraplegic,after she broke her back in a riding accident.
She wrote about her ,physical condition,how gradually things have become a bit better,here is what she wrote,''Nothing pins down the New Normal
better than my hands. Ah how to describe them?.The things on the end of your arms''.She goes unto write how gradually she has regained the use of her hands,and the wonder of being able to do even simple things,like opening a tube of toothpaste,turning the pages of a book,it is a lovely positive article.She ends her article by saying.''However constrained my movement,I'm profoundly grateful that my body can still somehow express
exasperation,warmth,emphasis,a silly story-and I can say,I'm alive''.There are a number of things I could say about this lady,her gratitude that she is alive, even  it is a struggle,life is a precious gift from ,even though it may mean we struggle,so today let us thank God for the gift of life,
                                      A  prayer.
Dear God thank you for the gift of life,that in you we live and move and have our being,in Jesus name Amen.