Our greatest need. [Mark 2 v 1-12 ]

In Phillippi the first convert mentioned was a lady named Lydia ,a business lady, a woman of means. We read this about her conversion, the Lord opened her heart, to respond to Gods word[Acts 16 v14].John Stott comments on this ,he wrote, ''The Lord opened her inner eyes to see and to believe in the Jesus Paul proclaimed. We note that the message was Paul's, the saving initiative was God's. Paul preaching was not effective in itself; the Lord worked through it''. Let us accept these word by faith we may not fully understand them, let us pray, and witness with a deep love and concern for the lost, and trust God . People are so effected by sin it takes a miracle to save them, and only God can work miracles, we can't. The greatest miracle
is the salvation of a soul, and mans greatest need is salvation, let's never loose sight of this truth. People restrict miracles to healing, providing, deliverance yes they can be classed as miracles, but without the miracle of salvation,we will go to a lost eternity. When four friends brought a man who was paralysed to Jesus, He appeared to ignore the mans physical condition, and spoke the words,'' Son your sins are forgiven''. Why? because it was his ,as it is ours, greatest need, to have our sins forgiven.
                                            A  prayer.
Dear Lord Jesus help to see that our greatest need is to have our sins
forgiven by you, Amen .

                                 

A place of prayer. [John 3 v 7]

In response to a vision Paul ,and his companions set forth,and sailed to the
Philippi the leading city in the area called Macedonia. Although the city had
Greek name, it was named after Alexander the Greats father, it was a Roman city. A city that was in fact a Rome in miniature, all things were Roman, they enjoyed freedom from scourging and arrest, and the right to appeal to Caesar, The coins bore Latin inscriptions, there did not appear to
be a Jewish Synagogue there so the local Jews met for worship by a river, We read that the place was a place of prayer, and as Alec Motyer  puts it,
''the church was quite literally born in the place of prayer' '.It was there that Paul and his companions told them about Christ, let us remember, although people pray and attend a place of worship, they still need a Saviour,that  Saviour is Jesus. As Jesus told a very religious person, he needed to be born again, that new birth comes about by trusting Jesus[John 1 v12 ]
                                   
                                Ye children of men attend to the word
                                 So solemnly uttered by Jesus, the Lord
                                 And let not this message to you be in vain,
                                 ''Ye must be born again''
                                      [ Words by W.T.Sleeper]

His will.[ Luke 22 v 41-42 ]

I have started studying the book of Philippians, written by Paul to those early converts. We read how the church came into being in Acts 16,Paul and his companions ,were kept from going into Asia, we do not know what that involved. We all need help to discern Gods will, to accept the closed doors, as part of his will, that does not mean that God has no work for us to  do, God knows what he wants us to do, God was not finished with Paul, no he was just redirecting him. Sometimes it is very hard for us to accept this, we are a bit like that so called prophet Balaam,who sought to go his way and not Gods. he tried and he tried to press on, and all the time, God was saying no. In the end God used a donkey to speak to him. The problem with Balaam was, his mind was set on other things, rather than the will of God, [cp 2 Peter 2 v15].It seems he succumbed to earthly rewards, and paid the price, by being put to death[Joshua 13 v22]. There are preachers and they are following the pound signs, as to were they serve God ,the question one would ask, who and what are they serving, Jesus said we cannot serve God and money[Matthew 6 v24].What was vital in our Saviours life was the will of His Father in heaven, and that should be ours.
                                           A prayer.
Dear God help us to discern what your will is, and what is not your will
in Jesus name Amen.

We thank You. [ Psalm 100]

We are fearfully and wonderfully made, each day I thank God ,for being able to see, speak, hear, also for taste, and a sound mind, and much more.
We take so much for granted, and sadly to say we only begin to appreciate
these things when they begin to malfunction, or we loose them. All these
things are precious gifts, sadly so many people do not acknowledge the giver of these gifts, yes they are gifts, from God. We are told that every good and perfect gift is from above ,coming down from the Father[James 1 v17]. Consider today the blessing you have, food, clothes, homes, education, and so much more. The old harvest hymn, reminds us that,

                                All good gifts around us,
                                Are sent from heaven above;
                               Then thank the Lord, oh, O thank the Lord,
                                For all His Love.
                                         [Words by, M. Claudius]
                             
                      

Trust Him. [ Habakkuk 3 v 17-19 ]

The winter months can be dull ,cold, and dreary, but today the sun has broken through, yes it is not all doom and gloom. In the darkest of days we
need to remember the sun will shine again, I think of the words of a hymn which goes,''Sometimes a light surprises ,the Christian when he sings;
                     It is the Lord who rises ,with healing in His wings,
                     When comforts are declining, He grants the soul again,
                     A season of clear shining, to cheer it after rain.

                     In holy contemplation, we sweetly, then pursue,
                     The theme of Gods salvation, and find it ever new,
                     Set free from present sorrow, we cheerfully can say,
                     E' en let the 'unknown  tomorrow, bring with it what it may.
                    
                     It can bring with it nothing,but He will bear us through,;
                     Who gives the lilies clothing, will clothe His people too;
                      Beneath the spreading heavens, no creature but is fed;
                      And He who feeds the ravens, will give His children bread.

                     Though vine nor fig-tree neither,their wonted fruit should bear,
                     Though all the field should whither, nor flocks nor herds be
                      there.
                      Yet God the same abiding,His  praise shall tune my voice;
                       For, while in confiding, I cannot but rejoice.
                        
                                    [Words by W. Cowper ]

No one is innocent. [Romans 3 v23 ]

Consider the following words from Romans 3 v 10 -11,''There is none righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks after God'' . We are inclined to load ourselves with guilt because people are lost, the fact is mankind is lost because  mankind our sinners,who have turned away from God. That's not my fault, it is not Gods fault, it is their
fault, we have just passed through Christmas, how many have turned to Christ?.  I have witnessed to hundreds of people, very few have responded,I
watched a film recently about Japan, they for a great deal of their history
worshipped their Emperor, yet there was a time when people turned to Christ, but the authorities, brutally eradicated them. Whose fault is that Gods? mankind make their choices, and so often it is the wrong choice. People say what about those who have not heard the gospel?, remember they are not innocent, no one is innocent. Let me repeat this, no one is innocent, not one single person, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God[Romans 3 v23 ] As I have said I like many Christians have witnessed to many people, and that is all we can do, and that is all we are meant to do. I witness to people that God in His mercy will save people,
that they trust Christ, if they don't ,it only adds to their guilt.
                                     A  prayer.
Dear God in your mercy, for you are merciful, save sinners, help us to be faithful in our witnessing, in Jesus name Amen.
.

Healing. [ Acts v 29- 30 ]

A friend of mine is setting up a healing ministry, what does that entail?, he
shared with me how it would work, people would be vetted, those who come to be prayed for would be advised to continue taken their medication.
It appears often when praying for the sick, one has to proceed with care. people are so vulnerable. I knew a man who sought for healing, believed he
had been healed and he wasn't,. He continued to drive his car, and had a couple of accidents, mercifully the Lord did take him home. There are preachers who teach that one should claim healing even though it has not happened, claim it in faith. That is what that dear man did, stopped taking
his medication, now of course God may give you a word ,promising healing,if it is from God it will happen. No one can guarantee that one will be healed, but it does happen in response to prayer and faith. Yet for many it does not happen, but them the vital thing is the will of God, this is not
a cope out, but a reality, that we need grasp. Elisha the great man of faith died of an illness,[2 Kings 13 v14 ],we will all die eventually, but God may
for His glory ,heal, and so prolong a life, He may not. The age of miracles is not passed, healing can still happen, we cannot force, or blackmail God to make it happen, but let me say it can happen.
                                       A  prayer.
Dear God we ask for wisdom in discerning Your will in all things, we think of many people who are ill, may it please You to heal the sick, for the glory of  Jesus we ask this Amen.