We can be set free. [ Romans 6 v22 - 23 ]

And so it goes on,the Church of Christ continues to suffer, I have just read how a dear brother in Christ has died. His name was Peng  Ming ,he lived in China and was serving a life sentence on spurious charges of engaging in terrorism In prison he suffered beatings ,and was denied medical treatment, many have been praying for him that he would be set free. Well now he truly is free, basking in the presence of his Saviour. Free at last, in this world many  cry out for freedom, and yet people are still prisoners so many
wrong things rules their lives. Yes ,they are not in prison, but they are prisoners, and unless they turn to the only one who can set them free, they will remain prisoners. One day Jesus Stood up in His local synagogue , he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, and He  read,'' The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has  anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed''[61 v1-2 ]Jesus did  come to forgive sin, but also to set people free, These are tremendous words of hope for us all, we can be set free, let me repeat this, we can be set free, by Jesus.

                                          A  prayer.
Dear Lord Jesus we praise you forgive us, and free us from any sin Amen.

We can make a difference.[ Matthew 10 v 42 ]

I wonder as you look out in the world, at the millions of people who are hungry and homeless, many of them living in refugee camps, you ask yourself what good can you do?, I know, I have. Can our small efforts make a difference?, Well I remember reading about a man walking along a beach, thousands of starfish, were washed up on the beach. A young lad was gathering them up and putting them back in the water. The man cynically
spoke to the boy, he said,' what difference are you making', the little boy looked at him as he slipped a starfish into the sea, and he said,' well it made a difference to that one'. Yes we cant help everybody , but we can help somebody, and that's better than helping nobody.
                                  
                                         A  prayer
Dear God help us to do what we can in helping  others, even it is only one person, in Jesus name Amen.
   
        [I will recommence on 5th April, every blessing]

Giants [1 Corinthians 15 v57 ]

A little chorus came to mind ,here it is,
                            
                             Only a boy called David,
                             Only a rippling brook;
                              Only a boy called David,
                              Five little stones He took,
                              Then one little stone went into the sling,
                              And the sling went round and round,
                              One little stone went into the sling,
                              And the sling went round and round,
                              Round and round, and round and round,
                              And round and round and round;
                              One little stone went up, up, up,
                               And the giant came tumbling down.
We read about this event 1 Samuel 17,when this young lad David faced a giant,called  Goliath, Everyone in Israel was afraid of this giant, but not
David ,who as a young lad did what it says in the chorus, he defeated that
giant. The giant looked at this young boy and mocked him, but David replied,'' You come against me with sword and spear, and Javelin, but I
come against in the name of the Lord Almighty'', and he did, and he slew that giant. What giants are you facing today?, take encouragement from the story of David, as God Almighty give David the victory, so He can give you victory, trust Him.

                                  Thanks be to God, He gives us
                                   the victory through our Lord
                                               Jesus Christ.
                                    [1 Corinthians 15v 57 ]

Put Him first.[John 21 v15-22]

I don't know if you have ever read the book of  Zechariah,  it is about those Jews who came back from the 70years captivity in Babylon. The city of Jerusalem was in ruins the walls of the city had been demolished ,by the Babylonian army when they conquered the city, they also demolished the temple. When the captives came back the most important task for them was to rebuild the temple. Surely one would think that the rebuilding of the temple could wait, wrong, the temple was there link with God. The important thing in building the temple was to make God the centre ,in other words they would be putting God as first importance. Things in a sense has not changed for us Christians, Putting God at the centre of are lives is vital to our well being. There are a multitude of things that are of importance,but
believe me when I tell you there is none, let me repeat, there is none more
important than God. When we put God of secondary importance ,then
we are in fact excluding Him from our lives. God will not play second fiddle  to anyone or to anything, the challenge for all followers of Christ is at all times , to put Him first.
                                       A  prayer.

                             Jesus be the centre of our lives
                                             Amen.

Doctrine. [ John 5 v 39 ]

I have just finished studying Titus, written by Paul to Titus in the island of Crete and according to John Stott the theme of this letter is simply,'' Doctrine and duty''. J  Stott ,gives an outline of the Christian Life.
                              [1]Doctrine and duty in the church][1 V5-16]
                              [2] Doctrine and duty in the home[2v1-15]
                              [3 ]Doctrine and duty in the world [3v1-11]
Doctrine just means a set of beliefs, everybody has some sort of belief , even an atheist is ruled sort of belief, Stalin  believed in the teaching of Marx,So we have a world  that  is full of different beliefs. Because  humanity disobeyed God, and went there own way, and so we have a world that has chosen to not worship or follow God. Israel of old was used by God ,to be a witness for Him,  they had Gods word, which taught them the right way, as to God Himself, and His will. Those scriptures promised that a Saviour would come, the Jews for all of their history believed this ,and of course He did come in the person of Jesus. He declared that He was the truth and the life ,the only way to God the Father[John 14 v6 ].To know God we must know Jesus, the question you may  ask is why?. Because He said so, because only in Him can the barrier of sin be dealt with, only when it is dealt with can we have a relationship with a Holy God.

                                     A  prayer.
Dear God help us to see the importance of doctrine, as revealed in your word, in Jesus name we ask this Amen.


               

                                                                                                      

Peculiar people. [ John 15 v12 ]

I heard things about a local curch that is causing me concern, and yet as I read the letters to the churches, in the New Testament, it reminds me that some things never change. Most of the letters written to these church, voiced concerns, about  doctrine and behaviour. The great apostle  Paul who had to deal with so many difficulties in the churches, wrote,'' I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches''[ 2 Corinthians 11v28] It is easy to talk and gossip ,but that is not the answer, we need to pray, for those churches that are knowing difficulties. After all they are part of our Christian family, yes they may have different views on different things ,that we hold ,they are still Christians. There is a group of churches in England,
and they where known as the, 'Peculiar People', this  is taken from the AV,
and has an entirely different meaning now. Most people used the AV when this movement came into place, in modern translations it is translated,'' His own special people''. As one observes some Christian groups, and even may
I say, some Christians, we may be inclined to label them, peculiar people,
but let us remember, in spite of their strange ways, they are ''Gods own special people'' . So let us all without exception pray for those peculiar people who are Gods special people.

                                          A  prayer.
Dear God you know us your people, and how often we act in peculiar ways
we ask that in mercy You may perfect that which needs perfecting,as
individuals and as local churches, in Jesus name we ask this Amen.

Obedience [ Acts 1v 8]

I went up to a dear Christian brother and  spoke to him,he has just been diagnosed as having dementia, he is a former London City missionary. Even before he became a missionary he would visit ships in Tilbury docks, as I spoke to him he said how he still seeks to witness to people about Christ. His name is David, and I said to him you have witnessed to hundreds of people, yes people from all over the world. Let us never loose sight of this fact we all are called to be witnesses of Christ. Yes by our lives, but also by our words, you may have forgotten this , or neglected this , but we cannot shirk our responsibility to tell others about Jesus. How can we do it?,we are reserved, we are shy, we do not want to be known as a religious fanatic, we want to be liked, and accepted. People will  ostracise us, they may even
resent us, and what we have to say, make fun of us, pick on us .In looking back on my like ,and the times I have witnessed to people, I suppose I could have done it more tactful, with greater wisdom. Yes that is true, but I did try, I did pray,I  did obey,and the challenge to obey has not changed, to be a witness for Jesus.

                           Will you leave yourself behind
                            If  I but call your name?
                            Will you care for cruel and kind
                            And never be the same?
                            Will you risk the hostile stare,
                            Should your life attract or scare?
                            Will you let Me answer prayer
                             In you and you in Me.
                             [Words G. Maule/J L.Bell]