Avoidance. [ John 26 v33-35/ 69-75]

We are encouraged to pray to our Heavenly Father,' lead us not into temptation,' God will help us, this I believe, but we have a responsibility, to avoid those things in which we have a particular weakness. For example if I had a problem with alcohol it would not be a good idea not to work in a pub. A child abuser was challenged as to why he started up a children's home, when we was child abuser, He said he started the home up not to abuse children,but simply , because he enjoyed working with children. It was a very poor excuse,and does not hold water, it would surely have been better for him to avoid children altogether. He knew his weakness, as he had worked with children in different positions, there he had abused children. So why start a home up, one can only assume he was doing it so he could more easily prey on children. Solomon wrote of the dangers of falling into sin, and warned his readers ,yet he himself fell. [1 Kings 11v1-8 ]Knowing ourselves should help us know, it is always best for us to be like Joseph, who fled from Potiphar's wife, she had tempted Joseph to have a sexual relationship.[Genesis 39v6ff]
                                       A  thought.
                               He sinned, and fell, so may I.

Palm Sunday. [ Zechariah 9 v 9]

On Palm Sunday we are reminded that the coming of Christ and his saving
ministry is a fulfilment of the Old Testament. When Jesus met with the two people on the road to Emmaus [Luke24],after his death and resurrection, He
spoke to them, and reminded them how what had happened to Him ,was a fulfilment of the scriptures. He them gave them a Bible lesson,beginning with  Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning Himself.[Luke  24 v27].So it is when we read of Jesus entering Jerusalem we have a fulfilment  of what was foretold in Zechariah 9 v9.His birth was foretold, the events of His life was foretold,
His death was foretold, His resurrection was foretold, and His coming again is foretold. When we think of Palm Sunday we are reminded of a number of things, yes its fulfilment, as declared by Zechariah, The righteousness of Jesus ,let us remember that He was without sin, and then we read, having salvation, the greatest need you and I have is to be saved, there is only one Saviour ,Jesus. Next we read He was gentle, He did not come with weapons of war, for He is the Prince of peace, He treated all with gentleness, we read in 2 Corinthians 10v1,of the meekness and gentleness of Christ. There He was riding into Jerusalem, the crowds where cheering and praising Him, but soon they would turn on Him, and cry crucify Him, He knew this yet bravely He rode on, to face His destiny, the cross, because of His love for you and me.

                                          A prayer
Dear God on this Palm Sunday, we  praise for your wonderful Son Jesus
who died that we may be forgiven all our sins Amen.

Bad leadership. [ 1Timothy 3 ]

Barry Webb wrote,'' Bad leadership is a perennial problem, and it always leads to scattering and lostness''.This is very true ,I know that it is not always the leaders fault that causes division in churches,but it does happen.
One thing I continually pray for is, that I may not cause division in the church I attend. I am a Christian of long standing ,and I see things that I feel
are not right, it would be so easy to stir things up, what I do is pray about those things. After all it is the church of Christ, it  is not mine, the greatest weapon we have is prayer, so we should pray to the Lord of the church. Many churches are led by ministers who by their lives and ministry ,bring the church into disrepute. The old saying is very true ,the sheep look up and  are not fed, in the church in which I was a minister, there was little rug in the pulpit, with the words ,''preach the word''. That is every leaders responsibility, to preach Gods word, but also seek by Gods grace to show
by their lives  godliness, in 1 Timothy 3v7, we read that a leader in Gods church,must have a good reputation with outsiders. When a Christian leader
 fails in this ,he is failing in his calling, yes the calling to be a leader in the Church of Christ is truly a high calling, may those of us who are called to this high calling, manifest that reality in our lives, by Gods grace.

                                    A prayer
Dear God grant unto your church good leaders, men of godliness of character, and faithfulness, in their ministering your word,in the name
of Jesus who loved and died for His church we ask this Amen.

Be careful. [Ecclesiates 10 v 20]

Recently as I was talking to a friend, my phone went, I fumbled  with my phone but did not answer it. Soon after this I spoke to my wife on the phone and she informed me that she could hear me having my conversation with my friend, my phone had not been turned of. I told my friend this and he recalled how a minister had to resign from his church. Before his church service, he went into his  vestry wearing the microphone, and in the vestry
he had a conversation with someone about a couple of people in his church.
What was said was not very nice, but the minister did not realise that the microphone was on and everyone in the church could here what he was saying, which was very serious .Consider the following words  from
Ecclesiastes 10 v20,''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 and tell them what you said''.
                                          A prayer.
Dear God help us be careful in all we say, as regards others and as regards You,in Jesus name Amen.

We are all different [ Psalm 133 ]

He is trying to make us become....., well the man who does that is asking for trouble, he was a young Pastor, and he will have to learn the lesson ,that he is there to lead the church, and to leave the driving to driving his car.People
of course need to change ,but I remember years ago how a whole lot of trouble began in a certain group of churches, when a new hymn book was introduced. As a visiting speaker I go along usually with what the church
 does, the main thing I am there to preach the word. It so easy to cause disharmony in churches, the task of every Christian, is to strive for unity. The church of Christ is made up of different points of view, in government, views of eschatology, [the doctrine of last things]. People have a right to different views, as long as it is nothing heretical, within every family there will be differences, we should seek to be tolerant. We must make effort ,yes effort ,to strive for unity, to love Gods church.

                                    Live in harmony with one another.
                                                  [Romans 12 v 16 ]

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]