No. [ 1 Corinthians 13 ]

As I began to read my Bible reading I read,''Husbands,love your wives and do not be harsh with them''[ Colossiams3 v19].My sense of humor took over
as I heard myself saying,no,I laughed at what I had said.Yet it is no laughing matter,because it challenges us to obedience,obedience to God.
Marriage we are told is not to be entered into lightly,because after the honey
-moon period,reality will begin to kick in.Husbands we do marry perfect wives,no more than our wives marry perfect husbands.In many cultures it is
the husband that rules,and often that rule can be harsh,can be severe with wives receiving a beating.The word of God challenges such behaviour,and
such an attitude,and challenges us all to love,if you want to know what that means ,consider the following,''Husbands, love your wives,juat as Christ loved the church,and gave himself up for her''[Ephesians 5 v25]
                                        A  prayer.
Dear God and Father help us love each other ,as Christ loved us. Amen.

Conscience. [ 1 Timothy 1 v 5 ]

Following on from yesterday,Eric Liddle is remembered as a man who followed his conscience.He refused to run on Sunday or as many call it
the Sabbath,and in doing so he forfeited a sure gold medal.Our conscience
is not a perfect guide  ,but often it would help many of us to follow are conscience.How many marriages would have saved if people had followed their conscience,this applies to so many things,Consider  how Joseph followed his conscience,by refusing to sleep with another mans wife,even though it cost him so much ,a period in prison.[Genesis 39 v6ff].Duncan Hamilton,writes,''In everything Lidell followed his conscience, choosing to do what was right because to do anything else, he felt,would sully the gift God had given him to run fast.''
                                            A  prayer.
Dear God let us learn from those who have acted wrongly,ignoring their
conscience,and paid the price,and let us follow in the footsteps of those  who have heeded their consciences,in Jesus name Amen.

                              

Joint citizenship [Matthew 22 v 21 ]

He was a superstar of his day,admired by many,had his own fan club,he
lived at a time when amateurism was popular,in other words you performed
just for the love of it. His name was Eric Liddell,known as the flying Scots
man,he was actually born in China,and the Chinese claim him as theirs,and the one who won their first gold medal at the Paris Olympics. In a sense this may have been true,but in another sense he had a higher calling,that was to serve God in China,As Dungan Hamilton writes,Eric considered athletics as an addendum to his life,rather than his sole reason for living it.Like every Christian we have two citizenship's,one heavenly[Philippians 3 v20],the other earthly[Acts 16v37].Both are important, as a citizen of earth ,I should
 honour and obey,the laws of the country I live in,our Saviour never advocated rebellion,but to gave to those who rule the honour due to them then he added,and to give God the honour due to Him[  Matthew 22 v21].There was never a time that Eric did not carry both these truths out,he was a fine citizen of Scotland but he was above all a fine and devoted citizen of  Gods kingdom.
                                    A prayer.
Dear God and Father help us to be good citizens of the country we live in ,and citizens of Heaven, in Jesus name Amen .

Pray. [ Psalm 91 ]

There are so many situations in the world that  are beyond control,dictators who do what they want,and nobody appears able or willing stop them.Then there is ,and you can add a lot of other things,wars,and the suffering they cause.There are countries where many of the population go hungry,drought has ravaged these countries.One could go on and on,plus I have not mentioned,personal problems that you may be experiencing,so many things to cope with.As a Christian I am called not to ignore these things,but to respond,by the most important weapon we have, prayer.The old hymn speaks of taking everything to God in prayer,for only in God is their hope,only through God can these problems whatever they are, be solved. Time after time I read in Gods word ,how God hears and answer  prayer. Psalm 50 v15,tells us to call upon God in the day of trouble ,when we go to God in faith and in the name of Jesus,God will respond.
                                       A  prayer.
Dear God we bring all things to you through your Son Jesus,in faith,Amen

The only safe thing to do .[Galations 6 v11-16]

Dick Lucas writes,''The world cannot do without religion.But since it rejects the truth of Christ it must find its religion elsewhere.The  elemental spirits of the universe are glad to oblige: their leader considers himself the prince of this world,and therefore is happy to provide a religion that can seem to satisfy people while keeping them from God. the closer in language his
religion can be to the truth ,while yet being quite different,the better this wily prince is pleased.He has his emissaries as closely involved with established religious institutions as possible''Consider Islam believes in a virgin birth,and that Jesus is coming again,but they do not believe that Christ is the Son of God,and that He died on the cross.The cults speak of a Christ who is not a Biblical Christ,Gandhi honoured Jesus,but not as Saviour.I want to quote D.Lucas again,what he writes is very Important ''The only safety seems to lie in a faith which glories only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.To trust Only in that cross for forgiveness of our sins,to know only Christ crucified as our message to the world,and daily take up our cross,is to live as those who no longer belong to the world,nor expect to be honoured by the world''.
                                     
                                Jesus keep me near the cross,
                                There a precious fountain,
                                Free to all,a healing stream,
                                Flows from Calv'ry's mountain.

                                In the cross ,in the cross,
                                Be my Glory ever;
                                Till my raptured soul shall find
                                 Rest beyond the river.
                                    [Words F.J. Crosby ]

Unpayable debt. [ Romans 12 v1- 2 ]

Debt is not a new thing,but it appears to be a massive thing now,most countries appear to survive on what they can borrow,and so their debt increases.In the rich West borrowing is a way of life,and for many this way of  life brings many into great difficulties,which can lead to bankruptcy.
Many are filled with despair,and do not know where to turn to,there is hope,
organisations like CAP,Christians against poverty,are helping many,to resolve their difficult circumstances.Now at this time in my life my wife and I are not in debt,and I give God thanks for that.Yet there is a sense I will always be in debt,and it is a debt which one has called an 'unpayable debt'.The apostle Paul wrote of being a debtor,the fact is when we have been to the cross,and experienced the love of God and when we consider all that this means,forgiveness,freedom and a wonderful future,and being saved from wrath to come we are blest.We  are debtors,but it is not a debt that we can pay,but it demands a response,the question we must each ask ourselves is,how are we responding?
                                             A  prayer.
Dear God we owe you so much,it leaves us stunned,at the extent of your love to us,yet challenged ,as to how we can respond,thank you in the name of Jesus who loved so very much by dying on Calvary Amen.

Jesus is Lord. [John 20 v 28 ]

In Philippians 2 v 11,we read there is coming a time when every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.For a vast multitude this realisation
that Jesus is Lord,will not mean that they are saved,but that simply they will
be faced with a reality that can no longer be denied.For those who are saved it will be that moment of glory which they have long waited for,for they have acknowledge that Christ is Lord during there earthly existence
Now what does it mean that Jesus is ones Lord?.William Barclay writes the following, '' He means that for him[or her] that Jesus Christ is unique,that they are prepared to give to Jesus an obedience he is prepared to give to no one else;that they are prepared to give Jesus a love,a loyalty,an allegiance
that they will give to no other person in all the universe''.He points out this all comes about,out of a heart of love,because Christianity consists less in the minds understanding than it does in the heart's love.
                                          A  prayer.
Dear Lord Jesus ,we bow before you and proclaim that You are our Lord Amen.