He's my friend. [ John 15 v 15 ]

I have been involved with a Christian brother,who has Parkinson,recently my wife has also become involved,she is a very qualified care worker.The brother had to go into hospital,and it appears he has blood leaking into his
brain.My wife was asked to go and feed him,and this she did,and stayed with him until his wife came.During my wife's visit I spoke to her on the phone,and then she handed the phone to him,so I could speak to him.When my  wife came home she mentioned that the dear brother,said,'that's my friend'.I  must confess,  that touched me,that he considered me his friend .
Friendship is a very precious thing,and I will always treasure what that dear brother said,that I was his friend.I have a number of friends,,and of course I value their friendship,but the most wonderful friend I have is Jesus.Imagine
the King of Kings is my friend ,imagine the one who created all things is my friend,but let us not stop there ,He can be your friend also,just as he is mine,In Proverbs we read of a wonderful quality in friendship,''A friend loves at all times[17 v17],that's Jesus,then we read,'there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother,[18 v24],yes that's Jesus,He can be your friend.
In  John 15 ,we read,''Greater love hath no man than this,that a man lay down his life for his friends.[v13]Jesus showed that love and more,when He died on Calvary, but in that death on that cross,He died that those who were his enemies,you and me,might become His friends.[Romans 5 v10]
                                       A prayer.
Dear God,open our eyes to the wonders of your love ,for sinners such as us,we who are ungodly,we who are your enemy,can be forgiven and can
be made friends of Jesus Amen.
,

Seek and you shall find. [ Matthew 15 v21-28 ]

There is much being written about Muhammad ALI, formerly known as  Cassius Clay,now it is not hard to see why he rejected Christianity.The racial abuse in America was awful,and unfortunate,but the sad thing is many churches went along with it,as indeed in South Africia,many so called Christian people supported apartihite. One of the great things that Christ did was destroy the barrier between Jew and Gentile.But instead of being a light to the Gentiles,thay withdrew into narrow sectarianism. I come from a sectarian country.it can be very ugly, full of hatred, and intolerance. The sad thing is so called Christian countries do not always act,or think Biblicly,and so they act in non-Christian ways. ,When Mahatma Gandhi was dying,one of his relatives asked him,'Babaki you been looking for God all your life
,have you found him yet?,no was the rely,I'm still looking. Yet he had Christian friends,and he did visit Christian church's.Of course he had lived in South Africia,that did not help in his search for God.Are you still looking
?.well this is how you will find him,be prepared to see beyond those who
misrepresent Christ,pray and read the Bible,seek and you shall find.
                                   
  Here is a prayer you could pray./Dear God help me to find you,inspite
of those who misrepresent Your Son Jesus,in whose name we ask this Amen.

He is all knowing. [Psalm 34 v15]

There used to be a series on TV,many years ago,called the prisoner,it started with the lead actor,calling out,'I am not a number'.Lets face it many must feel that they are, a number,just a statistic,and yet they are not,well not in Gods eyes.Every single human being is important,and significant to God,and He loves every single person.How is that possible ?,how can God know every single person,know their every thought?,yet He does.God is all knowing,when the Psalmist David,thought about it,he declared,'Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,too lofty for me to attain.[Psalm 139v5]As I was praying,the thought came to me,that as I was praying,millions were also praying at the same time,and yet God hears everyone's prayer.Not only does He hear but He deals with us as an individual,He listens to us attentively.Nothing escapes His notice and His care.He is not overwhelmed by the vast amount of prayers,prayed to Him.No matter how deep our needs,no matter how complicated our prayers are, He can deal with them.No prayer is put on a file and forgotten about,He will deal with all our prayers,as He see's fit, and answer in His time.

                                 Come my soul,thy suit prepare,
                                 Jesus loves to answer prayer;
                                 He Himself has bid thee pray,
                                 Therefore will not say thee nay.

                                 Thou art coming to a King,
                                 Large petitions with thee bring;
                                 For His grace and power are such,
                                 None can ever ask too much.
                                     [Words by John Newton]

       

ALI. [ 1 Thessalonians 1 ]

Just  recently one the great idols of the 20th century has died,Muhammad ALI.There was time when I enjoyed watching boxing,but not now, George
Foreman ex-world champion said when he fought an opponent,he was not only drying to destroy him ,he wanted to kill him.I remember reading the life story of Jack Johnson,the first black heavyweight champion,of the world it highlighted the deep racial feeling in the Western World,especially in dear old USA,Why did ALI turn to Islam?the racial discrimination in his country.The sad thing was that many churches were deeply racist,so a lot of what he did was a challenge,to white America.It goes without saying that Christians should not be racist,why?,because we are called to love all men,irrespective of race,colour,or whatever.I purposely used the term idol
when referring to ALI,as a Christian I seek not to have any person or thing as an idol.Why ? ,because it involves worship,it is putting on a human,or whatever ,that which only God should receive.I remember seeing a picture
of Marlyn Monroe after she died,and a picture of ALI before he died,not very nice,but it should remind us that they in essence are just like everyone of us,flawed human beings.
                                         A  prayer.
Dear God help us to worship only you,save us from idolatry in Jesus name
Amen.

Money. [ 2 Corinthians 8 v9]

I read in the paper that Swiss voters rejected a proposal to provide the entire population with a guaranteed income.Each adult would have received 1,760
pounds a month,and each child 625[Sw Fr].Of course the money offered  is
considerably less than most workers earn.Most of us could live comfortable
on such an income,and many people in this world would consider that they
were rich. Swiss live in a very prosperous country,while a great deal of the world live in poverty,In the same paper it was reported of a lady who admitted stealing text books from her school worth more than 27,000 pounds,and selling them online,some for as little as 8 pence,she had salary
of 58.000 pounds,a year from that school.Consider what Jesus did,we are told that he was rich, [2 Corinthians 8 v9],how was He rich?.Before he came to earth,he existed in heaven,there we are told He was equal with God,as one the divine Trinity[ CP. Philippians 2v6/John1v1.Colossians2v9]
Yet in coming into this world He did the complete opposite to what we would do,He became poor,became a servant,He continually challenged us about money,about materialism.It is not that He does not care about peoples needs.He fed the hungry,and we are assured that God will supply our needs[Philippians 4 v19 /Romans 8v32/Psalm 23v1].
                                        A  prayer.
Dear Lord if we are rich in this worlds riches,help to not trust in them,but to trust in you,help us who are your children,to learn to be content,and help us
all to be generous in our giving.Amen.

Immanuel's Land. [ Hebrews 11 v 8- 16]

A.R.Cousin wrote a lovely hymn called ,'The sands of time are sinking',the
theme of the hymn,is of the child of God,coming to the end life.He reflects on life,of his relationship with his Lord,He speaks of Gods mercy,and love
admidst the sorrows of life.He speaks of that day when in Heaven,he will bless the hand that guided,bless the heart that planned.As I read those words I look back with graditude and thankfulness,how my Saviour guided and planned for me.He then moves on to that moment when he enters heaven, how his one desire is to look upon Jesus.He writes,''I will not gaze on glory,but on my King of grace,not on the crown He gifteth,but on His pierced hands.
The hymn finishes with the following verse.
                                      
                                I've wrestled on towards heaven,
                                Gainst storm,and wind, and tide;
                                Now like a weary trav'ller
                                That leaneth on His guide;
                                Amid the shades of  evening,
                                While sinks life's lingering sand.
                                I hail the glory dawning
                                In Immanuel's land.

Are you thirsty? [John 4 v 1- 14]

Many years ago a man heard his servant saying,''if only I had 10 pound,I would be happy and content,so the man went to his servant, and gave him 10 pound.As he walked away from him,he overheard him say,I wish I had said 20 pound.If you where to ask me one thing that characterises mankind its this,''They Thirst''.As I look at many people in generation,many should be content,yet millions do the lottery,they are saying I thirst.Millions of people are hooked on drugs,I  include alcohol,tobacco,what are  they saying is ,I thirst.Likewise sex,they are on the internet,they are going to foreign,countries,to abuse children,many ordinary people are engaging
in sex outside of marriage.Power is another drug.likewise possessions,one could go on,but the words that I would put over all such things is ,''I thirst''.
It is the cry of mankind,and it leads to a lot of messed up lives,all they can
say is,I am dying of thirst,I want more and more and more,yet the more they get the more thirsty they become.Our Saviour met a lady at a well, she had, had 5 husbands,and at that time she was living with a man.She was a thirsty woman,she came to that well,a thirsty woman.Jesus said to her,''whosoever
drinketh of this water shall thirst again''[John 4 v13]He was using the water
to illustrate,that the deep thirst within her heart,could not be satisfied,by  the many men she had,she would always be thirsty.But said Jesus, I can give you water ,that will mean you will never thirst again. Are you thirsty?
come to Christ,only He, and He alone,can satisfy the deepest longings of
the human heart.
                               I heard the voice of Jesus say.
                               Behold,I freely give
                               the living water;thirsty one,
                               stoop down and drink,and live;
                               I came to Jesus, and I drank
                               of that life giving stream;
                               my thirst was quenched,my soul revived,
                               and now I live in Him.
                                 [ Words by Horatius Bonar ]