March on. [ 1 Corinthians 1 v26-31]

It was the time of the Judges,where we read,'everyone did as he saw fit'[21v25],unfortunately,this led the nation continually to go astray ,which means they did evil in the eyes of the Lord. The result was the Lord punished them,and caused their enemies to rule over them,and they oppressed them,then after a period of time they came to their senses ,they then cried out to the Lord for help,and He raised up leaders who laid them to victory. These leaders were mainly men,but there was one exception
Deborah[chap  4-5],who was a prophetess.The result was ,their enemies were defeated,and when the battle was over,she and a man called Barak sang a song of victory.One line of that song struck me as interesting,it reads
O my soul, march on in strength[Judges 5 v21].These words came  as a 
challenge to me,and I hope to you,consider again who was singing these words, Deborah  a women.That was going against the trend,where men lead
,yet God will use whom He will,be it a woman,or a child,or even you,or even me. But, we may say Lord I am weak,but God says to us afresh,  march on in my strength[46 v1], and if do you will know the victory,as Deborah did.
                                        A  prayer.
Dear God,we are weak,but in your strength we can march on ,and be victorious,in Jesus name Amen.

The eternal glories [ Hebrews 11v 8-16 ]

I can imagine standing in heaven,and thinking how absolutley wonderful that I did not miss this,and yet I could have.I can only imagine what heaven be like,we know there will be no suffering,of any kind,that every aspect of our exsistance will be perfect,yes we will be perfect.We will never be bored
we will all truly love each other,no more bickering,or fighting,no more
disappointments.There we will perfect communion with God,nothing between us to hinder our relationship,no guilt or failures,no accidents. In
1 Corinthians 2 v9,we read,''No eye has seen,no ear has heard,no mind has conceived what God prepared for those who love Him''now of course as he writes in verse 10,there are things God has revealed to us by His Spirit.But the glories and wonders that we will experience in heaven,is hidden from us,the apostle Paul having experienced a glimpse of Heaven,writes that,''
he heard unexpressible things,things that man is not permitted to tell[2
Cor  12 v4].Charles Hodge writes,''The vail which conceals the mysteries
 and glories of heaven God has not permitted to be raised.It is enough that we know that in that world the saints shall be made perfectly holy and perfectly blessed in the full enjoyment of God forever''
                                         A  prayer.
Dear God help us to keep the eye of faith on the eternal glories that shine afar,to remember we are aliens and strangers on earth, in Jesus name we ask this Amen

Compromise. [ Daniel 3 ]

There's been a load of compromises,on the road to my horizon,so goes the words from an old song. It may only be what we would call a secular song ,
but many of, us can identify with those words. It has been said that the art
of politics,is compromise,likewise if labour disputes are to be resolved there
has to be compromise.There is legitimate compromises and ill- legitimate compromises,and its the latter that causes us concern.One tries to be consistent to only make  legitimate compromises,but somehow we fail,and we look back with regret.Cardinal Wolsey was lord, chancellor during Henry V111 reign,but he was hated by Anne Boleyn who became Henry's
wife,and she conspired to destroy him.The king had him arrested and was being brought to the Tower of  London,to be tried,and to be executed.
Before he reached the tower he became very ill ,and was taken to Leicester
Abbey,where he died,but before he died,he said,'' If  I had served God as
diligently as I had served the King,he would not have given me over in my
grey hairs''. For him there had been a load of compromises,and he paid the price,we all can justify making ill-legitimate compromises,but what we will
find like Wolsey,there is a price to pay.which we will find hard to live with.
                                            A  prayer.
Dear God help us all to not follow the worldly adage of  the means justifying the end,in mercy help us,to be faithful to you in all things
in Jesus name Amen.

A little bird told me [ Ecclesiastes 10 v20]

I let something slip out when I was speaking to someone,and later on I felt concerned that it may be repeated,and so cause a misunderstanding.It was a reminder to me,and I do need reminded,to watch my words,for we all know the danger in careless words.Once we say something anything,those words
cannot be taken back.In Ecclesiastes 10 v20,we read,''Never make light of the king,even in your thoughts.And don't make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom. For a little bird might deliver your message and tell them what you said''.I suppose that's were the saying comes from a little bird told me,but the important thing is this,be careful what we say,even to our closest friends.Remember people love to share things,years ago,I remember an old lady who came into our home,and the first thing she would say was,''did you hear what'',Again  we read in Ecc 5 v2 ,''Do not be quick with your mouth,do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven,and you are on earth,so let your words be few''. In other words ,God is listening,that should cause us all  to pray everyday, for God to help us ,to watch what we say.
                                         A prayer.
Dear God forgave us those things we said ,that we should not have,dear God help us to watch what we say in Jesus name Amen.
                     [I will return on Tuesday 9th every blessing]

Nothing but the truth. [ Psalm 119 v 104-105 ]

When Pope Nicholas 5th was on his death bed  he summoned his cardinals,he told them that loyalty of the 'uncultured masses' of believers was best obtained through giving them 'something that appeals to the eye'. Ideas and theology carried little weight ;a popular faith'sustained only on doctrines',he assured them, would' never be anything but feeble and vacillating. Of course he being the infallible one,his successors took up what he said as from God,the result the Vatican,and the Sistine chapel.On a recent holiday in Malta,I visited the cathedral in the capital,and was struck by the dazzeling grandure of that building.I have visited many cathedrals in England and in contrast to the cathedral in Malta,they are bare places.It goes back of course to the reformation,when the emphasise was the truth, that were taught in the word of God.The fact is, dazzeling building are but dazzeling buildings,it is the truth that we find in Gods word, that ,and that alone is what is vital.The result of following pope Nicholas teaching,has caused the church of Rome to loosen their grip on Gods truth.When it comes to my faith ,I want the truth,the whole truth,and nothing but the truth,and I will only find that in Gods word.
                                           A  prayer.
Dear God tear away from your church all that weakens our faith in your word in Jesus name Amen.

An unfeeling immense universe. [ Hebrews 11 v1-2 ]

Many years ago I took one of my sons to the cinema,before the movie began,they played a particular song,with the words,''Is anybody out there?''
This was amusing to my son and me,for we were the only people in the
cinema.In this universe with its unimaginable vastness,many people are asking the same question is anybody out there.Surely they think , there must be similar planets,as ours,with living creatures,and if there are ,are
they friendly or aggressive?.The fact is there is no evidence that there are
any such planets,so does that mean we are alone as David Atkinson writes
in an unfeeling immense universe.Here we are the inhabitants of a very ,
very small planet,within a universe that has billions and billions of stars and planets. The good news is we are not alone,as D A.writes,''God is there,God cares,God rules,God provides''.Selwyn Hughes wrote the following,''Let us
be thankful that all creation is energised and controlled not by an impersonal force but by a personal being.Behind everything that moves is not a cosmic force but a compassionate face.We can give a name to that face and know that person: Jesus'' [CP Colossians 1 v15-17].
                                            A  prayer.
Dear God we thank you for Jesus through whom all things were created and sustained,and above all else we thank you that that we are not alone,Amen

Perfect peace. [ Philippians 4 v4-9]

As I said yesterday there are two types of peace,[a] Peace with God.[b]The peace of God.Let us consider the latter,D.A.Carson writes ,''The world is powerless to give peace.There is sufficient hatred, selfishness,bitterness ,
malice,anxiety and fear that every attempt at peace is rapidly swamped.'' So
here is what John 14 v27 says,''Peace I leave with you'',Jesus did not leave
us a promise of wealth,even perfect health,but that which we need so very much,peace.Then Jesus says,''my peace I give unto you'',He is the source and the giver of true peace.Next Jesus says,''I do not give to you as the world gives,''W.Barclay  wrote the following,''The peace which the world offers us is the peace of escape,the peace which comes from the avoidance of trouble,the peace,the peace which comes from refusing to face things''He
goes unto write,''The peace which Jesus offers us is the peace of conquest.
It is the peace which no experience in life can take from us. It is the peace
which no sorrow,no danger,no suffering can make less.It is the peace which
is independent of outward circumstances''
                                              A  prayer.
                            Drop Thy still dews of quietness
                            till all our strivings cease;
                            take from our souls the strain and stress,
                            and let our ordered lives confess
                            the beauty of  Thy peace

                            Breathe through the heats of our desire
                            Thy coolness and Thy balm;
                            let sense be dumb,let flesh retire;
                            speak through the earthquake,wind, and fire,
                            O still small voice of calm.
                                     In Jesus name Amen.
                               [Words by J.G.Whittier ]