Whe the last bell rings. [ Matthew 25 v31-46 ]

There is a song by Foster and Allen, called,' When the last bell rings', the
words highlight the importance of responding to the many needs in this world. Here is part of this song.

                          Do you see them with, their hands
                          out in the streets,
                          Do you notice they have no shoes
                          on their feet.?
                          Are they crying through their tears?.
                          Do you just close up your ears?
                          It's to late to turn around when the last
                          bell rings.

What do you think the song is telling you?, what is it telling me?, to not ignore the needs of others. We are not saved by good works, but we are accountable ,before God. We of course cannot help everybody, but we can help some, we can show that we care, that we love. James in his epistle ,
challenges empty profession .He writes ,''Faith by itself ,if not accompanied by action is dead.[1v17].......Show me your faith.[v 18].Remember it is to late to turn around when the last bell rings.

                                       A  prayer.

 Dear Lord help us to show the reality of our faith, to not ignore the needy
Amen.

Be a witness [Acts 1 v 8]

In Acts 1 v8 we read,'' But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses.'' Just recently I thought I have not witnessed to any body for a while, I was in a particular place and I started a conversation ,and later on I thought why did I not tell him about Jesus?. Yes it nice being friendly, but it is vital that people come to know Jesus, but you may say I don't want to be seen as a religious crank, I do not want them to cross over unto the other side of the road, when they see me coming. Well what about when you are at work, now of course you are there to work, but there will be opportunities, to witness. Yes our lives must witness, we must be Christians who live honest and upright lives ,like Daniel.[ 6 v 4]. But we must manifest the reality of Christ in our live, and that reality may open the opportunity to tell people about Christ. Let us remember that faith comes by hearing the word of God, how will hear if we do not tell them?. Be wise, and gentle in your witness, be prayerful, be an example, yes be a witness for Jesus,

                                         A prayer.
Dear God help us by your Spirit to be a witness for you with our lives and
with our words,for Jesus sake Amen.

There is a better day coming [Revelation21 v 5 ]

I know there is much that is lovely in this world, I am blessed, in so many ways, I look at my latest grandson and am blest, the Lord is good, praise His name. Yet we all know that there is so much pain in the world, the list is long, famine ,war's. I read recently read this about the country of Colombia,
one third of the children ,of all children are anaemic, stunted growth affects 13percent of  children under 5.There are an estimated 150,000 people[all ages] living with HIV. Domestic violence is high, sexual abuse of children, plus the poverty, and the drug lords. I mention Colombia but every  country,
is plagued by the effects of the fall when sin entered this world. There is no guarantee that it will change, in spite of all the advances we have made. I don't despair although it causes me a great deal of sadness, because as a
Christian, I am assured by Gods word that there is a better day coming,
when Jesus will make all things new[Revelation 21v1-4 ]I cannot fully
comprehend what  this will mean, but it will be wonderful, there will be no more evil statistics, no more worries. Yes there is a better day coming, you can be part of it ,by trusting Jesus as your Saviour.

                                       A  prayer.
Dear God have mercy on this needy world, so much  is tainted with sin, so much sadness, but we thank you that there is a better day coming because of Jesus ,Amen

A strong faith [Hebrews 11]

I was listening to a song ,dealing with a mans love for a lady, and he sang how it was Gods plan. I believe He has a plan for my life, looking back, many times I could not understand the details. The fact is ,there is so much I don't understand, and possible never will , this side of glory. The Bible tells that as a Christian we walk by faith, we live by faith, now we read in Hebrews 11v 1,' 'Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen'' ,I was not there at that moment when the world was creation, I have never seen Jesus, I have never seen heaven. Yet because God's word tell us clearly, of these things,we believe, Abraham left everything in response to Gods call, not knowing were he was going.but as has been said, he  knew who was with Him, God. I read an interesting article in a national news paper, the writer declares,''Why I envy those with strong faith'', what is stopping him, well he ends the article ,by saying how his rational mind ,was the barrier.The question one may ask is faith in God irrational?, why should it be thought so, are the Jewish nation with all its history, just a myth. I wonder why Hitler wanted rid of the Jews, and why do people, still hate the Jews?. Is the Christian faith borne out of lies, was Christ a deluded person?, are we all deluded?. Of course not, this world is full of people who are deluded , the Christian is a person who has by faith reached out to God, who has reached out to him/her, in the person of Jesus. This encounter with Him has changed their lives completely ,forgiveness, and the gift of eternal life followed

                                      A prayer.
Dear God when by faith I came to you, I discovered that faith is the key to
knowing you, and have discovered that faith is beyond our so called  rational mind, in Jesus name Amen.

A Poem. [Galatians 5 v22-23 ]

David Jackson writes about a friend a Dr Kenneth Moynagh,who served the
Lord in Rwanda, David considered him a very godly person, a very Spirit filled person and a man who was filled with the love of God. After his death a poem he wrote was published,based on the ninefold gifts of the Holy Spirit,we read about in Galatians 5 v 22-23.

                     Joy is Love exalting, and Peace is Love at rest;
                     Patience, Love enduring in every trial and test.
                     Gentleness, Love yielding to all that is not sin.
                     Goodness, Love in actions that flow from Christ within.
                     Faith is Love's eyes opened the living Christ to see;
                     Meekness ,Love not fighting, but bowed at Calvary.
                     Temperance, love in harness and under Christ's control,
                     For Christ is love, in person- and Love, Christ in the soul.
                                          

Lust of the eyes [Genesis 2-3]

We continue looking at 1 John 2 v15ff,we now consider ,the lust of the eyes, the door to the soul. Today men and women will look at another human being and lust after them, it can go further than that. There is no human being who is free from the lust of the eyes, be it the Pope, preachers, no one is free from it .It has a broader meaning that physical, it is as one
writer puts it, a tendency to be captivated by outward show. It all began in
the garden of Eden when Eve disobeyed God, she looked at the thing,that
 forbidden fruit, and so the pattern was set. King Ahab[1 Kings 21]looked at a vineyard which was another's, he coveted it, and went on to possess it , after his wife had the owner put to death. Let us be honest, we have
all lusted after something, most people only see the big car,big salary, big house, eyes only on the things they see. The non-Christian cannot see beyond the temporal, as Christians we must not be lead or controlled by the things we see, but by Gods Spirit.
                                              A prayer.
Dear God as we look at things today ,help us not to run with those evil
schemes of our sinful heart, or the devil's temptation in Jesus name Amen.

Love not the world. [1 John 2v 15-17]

In 1 John 2,the apostle John exhorts the Christians, to not love the world v15,now of course God loves this world [John 3 v16].There it is, redemptive we must love sinners, but not the worlds falseness with all its evil, and its consequences. C. H. Dodd wrote,'' Our author means human society in so far as it is organized in wrong principles, and characterized by base desires false values, and egoism''. John highlights aspects of this fallen world v16 ''The lusts of the flesh'', this takes in the sexual, desires, but involves more,W. Barclay writes,'' food, effeminate in luxury, slaves of pleasure; lustful and lax in morals; selfish in the use of pleasures''. Ruled by these things and much more, spiritual values are ignored or resented.W. Barclay wrote,'' We need not think of  this as the sin of the gross and blatant  and notorious sinner. No respect for the personalities of others...anyone who lives in luxury while others live in want, anyone who has made a god of his own comfort,and of his own ambition, in any part of life,is the servant of the flesh's desires''.

                                        A prayer.
Dear Lord free us from the lust of the flesh, in all its aspects in Your name we ask this Amen.