Support the family. [John 13 v 34 ]

The term backslider is a term that I never hear these days, but where I come
from, it was a common expression, used of someone who had gone away from  the Lord.  I have met many professing Christians who have gone back from following the Lord, and there are those I pray for everyday. Because
I remember my backsliding days, yes I trusted the Lord, but it was an off and on relationship, it was not till a week before my 20th birthday, I finally came home again. I was fortunate  that I was supported by a dear Christian, and that helped a lot, in fact I am indebted to different Christians, who have supported me through my Christian life. We all need those Christians who will support us, and befriend us, on our journey to glory, Timothy had his Paul, David had his Jonathan. Some  Christians have only churches they go to, but have no fellowship, some Christian ministers rarely visit their folk.
Yet let me stress it is important for us all to support our family, for that's what the Christian church is, a family. One of my sons who is a leader in a fellowship, arranged a curry evening, for folk in his fellowship . A lady who did not like curry volunteered to babysit, for a young couple, so they could go.that young couple really enjoyed their evening out, it had been a long time since they had enjoyed such an occasion. We need to support our family of believers, lets not leave it to others, or to the Pastor.

                                Blest be the tie that binds
                                Our hearts in Christian love;
                                The fellowship of kindred minds
                                 is like to that above.

                                 We share our mutual woes,
                                 Our mutual burdens bear,
                                 And often for each other flows
                                 The sympathising tear.

                                 [Word by John Fawcett]
   [I will return to my Blog on Sunday, every blessing ]

Secure [Psalm 121 ]

My wife and I were returning from the supermarket, she was driving, when all of a sudden, a car swerved around the central reservation into our paths. Fortunately my wife swerved, and the car missed us, it could have been so serious, but God protected us. I have driven thousand and thousands of miles I am not a perfect driver, yet God has preserved me form all harm. We live in a potentially dangerous world, we could be the best driver in the world, but that will not stop us being in an accident, being injured, or even killed,now I am not wanting to put fear into you, but rather to encourage
you to look to God, who alone is able to keep us safe, in the battle field, or on the road. It was John Ryland who wrote the following

                                Plagues and deaths around me fly;
                                Till He bids, I cannot die;
                                Not a single shaft can hit,
                                Till the God of love sees fit.

Open hearts. [ Acts 16 v 14 ]

Lead me to people whose hearts are open, that is a prayer I pray continually, so many people, hearts are closed  to Gods word. So is He?, I believe He is.
Let me share something, we had to have our boiler serviced, so a man came,
appeared to do the job. But later we were concerned that there was  a problem so we phoned the gas company, they sent another man to look at it. The first thing about this young man he was very polite, and before he left,
he shared with me that his mother had died, and how it made him realise how short life is, this opened up the door that enabled me to speak to him.I
suggested he read a particular scripture, which he said he would. I really
felt that here was a man whose heart was open to Gods word. All my Christian life, the importance  of witnessing about Christ has stayed with me ,it is a challenge,
I leave the result with God, I can do no other.

                                 When Jesus has found you,
                                 Tell others the story.
                                 That my loving Saviour
                                 is your Saviour too;
                                 Then pray that your Saviour
                                 may bring them to glory,
                                 And prayer will be answered,
                                  was answered for you.
                               [Words, Samuel. O.M.Cluff.]
                                



                                           

Thine be the glory [ Jeremiah 9 v23-24 ]

We finish the Lords prayer with the following words,''Thine be the Glory for ever and ever, Amen ''in other words we want to give all the praise to God.There's a term which I have not heard for a long time, and its this, ''He was a self made man''. Right away we are attributing praise to that person, consider the following words,' 'No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great army[Psalm33 v16]. Wealth and honour come from you, you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now ,our God, we give you thanks and praise your Glorious name.[ 1 Chronicles 29 v12-13 ]Why is it ,God throughout the Bible, chooses the most unlikely people for His purposes?. Consider a few Jacob, the twister, Rehab a harlot, Samson a strong but weak man, Gideon's 300,David the shepherd boy, who defeated a giant , Ruth a Gentile, and so the list goes on. Why did He choose them?, so that He would get the glory, He choose you and me in order that He would get the glory, the thing is, let us give Him the Glory, which is His due
                                      A  prayer.
Dear God we give you all the glory, for you alone worthy,in Jesus name Amen

Holy Ground [ Exodus 3 v1- 6 ]

I have read the book of Leviticus many times, but personally I have not studied it in depth,at this time I am studying it,using as a help a book by Derek Tidball ,I am up to chapter 8 and have found this book very helpful,
this chapter deals with the ordination of Aaron and his sons.This was carried out publicly by Moses,for all to see,it was not done in secret.The first thing that was done was,they were washed,symbolically indicating
cleansing.there is standard for all Christian ,holiness,besetting sins must be dealt with.So from cleansing to clothing.and it is here that DT points out that there is no mention of footwear,I never noticed that before ,indicating
that they performed their duties barefoot,as DT points out,''as was considered fitting for those who were standing on holy ground in the
presence of the Lord''My mind turned to the time when Moses met with God at the burning bush,and was told,'' Take  of your sandals, for the place
where you are standing is holy ground''[Exodus 3 v 5 ]Now I am not saying that we should take of our shoes  when we come to worship Him,but I would say we should at all times remember that God is Holy.Robert Louis Stevenson,would conduct family worship in the mornings for his household.
he always concluded by praying the Lords Prayer.One morning in the middle of the prayer,he left the room.His wife followed him ,thinking he was unwell.He told her, I am not fit to pray the Lords Prayer.''Robert had suddenly discovered that when one comes into Gods presence we are standing on Holy Ground.

                                      This is the place
                                      Where dreams are found,
                                      Where vision comes
                                      Called holy ground.

                                       Holy ground,
                                       I'm standing on holy ground
                                       For the Lord my God
                                       Is here with me.

                                       Your fire burns
                                       But never dies;
                                       I realise
                                       This is holy ground.

                                       The Great I Am,
                                       Revealed to man;
                                       Take off your shoes,
                                       This is holy ground.
                                    
                                       [Words by Dave
                                         Bilbrough]

Tiny sins and big sins.[ James 2 v10 ]

The Roman Catholic church teaches that there are two classes of sin, mortal and venial '',Mortal sin is described because it is a great offence against the law of God, and is so called because it is deadly ,killing the soul and subjecting it to eternal punishment. It can be forgiven. but they believe that an unknown amount of punishment remains to be expiated in purgatory. Venial sins on the other hand, are small and pardonable offences against God or our neighbour. Technically, venial sins need not to be confessed since they are comparatively light and can be expiated by good works, prayers, extreme unction,and the torments of purgatory''[Loraine Boettner]It is Derek Tidball who says that there is no hierarchy of sin, and yet many people see that there is, of course there are sins that are more serious ,and yet all sin in Gods eyes is serious. God we are told is holy and the reality is that all sin is equally offensive to God, He looks not on any sin in a light manner,and will judge the offender,our human reasoning thinks that, the Hitlers,child murders,etc deserve hell,in fact we would rule  them out of ever getting into heaven.But the fact is even one sin would bar us from heaven,because in Gods sight all sin is an act of rebellion,and must be
dealt with ,rebels will never be allowed into heaven. Until we see sin in its entirety, and that it needs  forgiven, we will never be saved, never.
                                    
                                         A  prayer.
Dear God help us all to see the seriousness of all sin,that there is no hierarchy of sin,that all sin needs to be forgiven ,or it will condemn us to a lost eternity,in Jesus name we ask this Amen.

The fire is extinguished [Isaiah 53 ]

Let us return to that verse in Leviticus 6 v13,''The fire must be kept burning
on the altar continuously, it must not go out''. Consider what this may mean
in relation to Christ ,for as Derek Tidball writes,'' The ultimate significance of  Leviticus finds its fulfilment in Christ''.It was John the Baptist who called Jesus the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.[ John 1v29],and in that great chapter of Isaiah 53,we read of one who was a lamb
being led to the slaughter[v7 ].Now consider those words in Leviticus as regards the fire on the altar not going out. In Hebrews 12v29 and Deuteronomy 4 v24, we are told that God is a consuming fire, the animals
that were sacrificed by fire, reminds us of Gods wrath  being poured out, continually. All through Israel's history the fire on the altar would continually be as it were be poured out on the animals that were sacrificed. So it would continue until the lamb of God, Jesus would experience the wrath of God for all who would be saved, in other words the wrath of God that was their due would be extinguished, they would be saved from wrath to come.[1 Thessalonians 1v10]For as we are told in Isaiah 53 v10,that it was the Lords will to crush him, the result would be ,those who trusted in Him would not be crushed.So it is that on a coming day those who have not trusted Him will be crushed.

                           The wrath of God that was my due
                            upon the Lamb was laid.
,