I read the following,'' Do what you can with what you have and leave the results to God''. I think these words are very important. Consider the words,
'do what you can', we may think there is nothing we can,as regards so many things. That is not true, there is something we can all do, and should do, pray. Prayer is the most vital thing we can do, we must never underestimate its importance. Consider what our Saviour had to say about prayer, and how He prayed, prayer is never a waste of time. Next do what you can, with what you have. Five thousand plus, hungry people needed to be fed, but all they had was a little boys lunch, five small barley loaves,and two small fish[John 6v9].That is were Andrew stopped, how can that feed five thousand, plus?well he handed the lunch to Jesus, and in Jesus hands, the multitude was fed. You may be looking at your limitations, your limited resources,
the lesson we learn from this account is, God can bless the little we have ,if
we place it in Jesus hands, and trust Him ,remember He is not limited.
A prayer.
Dear God help us to do what we can, to give what we can, to place every-
thing in your hands, and to trust you to bless, in Jesus name we ask this Amen.
Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Tuesday, 13 June 2017
All things new. [Revelation 21 v1-5 ]
Pray for Paul, now I am not referring to the apostle Paul, but to someone I met out walking, he was using a walker , a three wheeled one. As I drew up to I drew up to him, I wished him good morning, and asked how he was keeping, he told me he had suffered a stroke. One way it had effected him was his taste buds, in other words everything was just food, no taste to it. He lives on his own, he did not look very happy. The good think was I managed to speak a word of witness to him, so that's why I want you to pray for Paul, pray that the Lord will save him. We are all without exception going to experience a deterioration, if its not our body, it could be our mind
But I told Paul that as Christian there is coming a time when we will receive
a new body, that will never deteriorate, yes the future is bright for the child of God ,on that day there will be no negatives.no walking frames, no hearing aids, no pace makers, no lonliness ,Jesus declares,'' I am making everything new''[Revelation 21 v5 ],
A prayer.
Dear Saviour thank You for the blessed hope, that awaits all who believe in
You, Amen.
But I told Paul that as Christian there is coming a time when we will receive
a new body, that will never deteriorate, yes the future is bright for the child of God ,on that day there will be no negatives.no walking frames, no hearing aids, no pace makers, no lonliness ,Jesus declares,'' I am making everything new''[Revelation 21 v5 ],
A prayer.
Dear Saviour thank You for the blessed hope, that awaits all who believe in
You, Amen.
Monday, 12 June 2017
Gifts [ Romans 12 v 1-8 ]
There are just some things one is not good at, and that's a fact, when I was younger I used to play different sports, but I was never great at them. Still it
is important to get involved, for a number of reasons, social ,keeping fit, or just for fun. Well what about our spiritual gifts, we are not all gifted,in the same way,I used to sing ,and sometimes a person would say I wish I could sing like you, I thought it a bit amusing when a woman would say that to me. The thing is, we all have gifts, in Romans 12 we have the following gifts, J . Stott, divides them into two categories, speaking gifts, and serving gifts. Now I know there are other gifts mentioned in 1Corithians12,these can be controversial, but they are there. Also we have gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4,now whatever you think of the gifts ,they have been given for the good of Gods people. I believe God has granted to all of His children's ,
gifts, which we are meant to exercise, so let us do that. let us not get carried away, or puffed up as regards whatever gift God has given us, as John Stott puts it ,to think soberly about our gifts, according to the grace given us.
A prayer.
Dear God we thank You for the gift of eternal life through Jesus, and we thank You for the gifts granted unto your people, by the Holy Spirit, in
Jesus name Amen.
is important to get involved, for a number of reasons, social ,keeping fit, or just for fun. Well what about our spiritual gifts, we are not all gifted,in the same way,I used to sing ,and sometimes a person would say I wish I could sing like you, I thought it a bit amusing when a woman would say that to me. The thing is, we all have gifts, in Romans 12 we have the following gifts, J . Stott, divides them into two categories, speaking gifts, and serving gifts. Now I know there are other gifts mentioned in 1Corithians12,these can be controversial, but they are there. Also we have gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4,now whatever you think of the gifts ,they have been given for the good of Gods people. I believe God has granted to all of His children's ,
gifts, which we are meant to exercise, so let us do that. let us not get carried away, or puffed up as regards whatever gift God has given us, as John Stott puts it ,to think soberly about our gifts, according to the grace given us.
A prayer.
Dear God we thank You for the gift of eternal life through Jesus, and we thank You for the gifts granted unto your people, by the Holy Spirit, in
Jesus name Amen.
Sunday, 11 June 2017
Signs and wonders [ Mark 8 v21 ]
Donald English writing of the disciples and the occasion when Jesus told them to watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod[Mark 8 v15].Yeast is usually seen as an image for that which is evil [Lev 2v11;1 Cor 5 v6-8;Gal5v 9]Donald English writes that Jesus is warning them against falling into the Pharisees' mistake of needing incontrovertible proof about who he was[Mk8v1],or of Herod in refusing to follow the light he had
and authorizing the death of John the Baptist [Mk 6 v14-29 ].I remember a
person who I worked with saying that she had asked Jesus to be her Saviour, but nothing happened, no tingling feeling down her back, so that was that, nothing had happening. The disciples only thought Jesus was talking about bread for their next meal. D E, writes,'' the disciples have not yet got their eyes off ground level. The one group is demanding far too much; the other expecting too little''. A life or faith based on signs and wonders will surely be disappointed, I am not ruling these out, but, I know our call to follow Jesus is one of faith in Him, not in signs and wonders,
A prayer.
Dear Saviour help us to look to you alone ,not in signs and wonder ,or even feelings Amen.
and authorizing the death of John the Baptist [Mk 6 v14-29 ].I remember a
person who I worked with saying that she had asked Jesus to be her Saviour, but nothing happened, no tingling feeling down her back, so that was that, nothing had happening. The disciples only thought Jesus was talking about bread for their next meal. D E, writes,'' the disciples have not yet got their eyes off ground level. The one group is demanding far too much; the other expecting too little''. A life or faith based on signs and wonders will surely be disappointed, I am not ruling these out, but, I know our call to follow Jesus is one of faith in Him, not in signs and wonders,
A prayer.
Dear Saviour help us to look to you alone ,not in signs and wonder ,or even feelings Amen.
Saturday, 10 June 2017
Kindness[ Galatians 5 v 22 ]
Many years ago I was told someone said something about me that was unkind, and it stuck with me, and hurt me deeply. But the person lives in
Ireland so it made it difficult to resolve it, I have prayed about, but it keeps rearing its ugly head. Then I read something written by Selwyn Hughes
on kindness, a quality within the fruit of Spirit. He wrote'' The interesting thing about kindness is that we remember an act of kindness when all other
events have been forgotten''. Which takes me back to the person who
supposedly said something hurtful about me. I have mentioned before that there was a time when my wife and I lived by faith. It was a testing experience, we just about got through but it was not easy, we had three
children. One evening the person called at my home and gave me a gift,
which helped us. Remembering that kindness lessened the hurt I was feeling, yes we do remember the kindness shown to us, when all other events have been forgotten. So today let us show a little kindness to someone, they may remember that more than any sermon we have ever
preached, or they just might remember.
A prayer.
Dear God help us to be kind ,after all ,you are the most kind person one could think off, in Jesus name Amen
Ireland so it made it difficult to resolve it, I have prayed about, but it keeps rearing its ugly head. Then I read something written by Selwyn Hughes
on kindness, a quality within the fruit of Spirit. He wrote'' The interesting thing about kindness is that we remember an act of kindness when all other
events have been forgotten''. Which takes me back to the person who
supposedly said something hurtful about me. I have mentioned before that there was a time when my wife and I lived by faith. It was a testing experience, we just about got through but it was not easy, we had three
children. One evening the person called at my home and gave me a gift,
which helped us. Remembering that kindness lessened the hurt I was feeling, yes we do remember the kindness shown to us, when all other events have been forgotten. So today let us show a little kindness to someone, they may remember that more than any sermon we have ever
preached, or they just might remember.
A prayer.
Dear God help us to be kind ,after all ,you are the most kind person one could think off, in Jesus name Amen
Friday, 9 June 2017
Do you love me more?. [Matthew 16 v24-25 ]
A dear friend told me of his early Christian experience, how when he told his parents, he had trusted Jesus, they became very antagonistic. They had a
very bad opinion of Christians, believed them to be all hypocrites. And so started a time severe testing for my friend, as they tried with all their means
for him to give up being a Christian, and this increased when he told them he was going to be baptised, the result was he became homeless for short time. My friend got married to a fine Christian, he went to Bible college, and became a minister. When his parents became old things changed, his mothers attitude softened, and he managed to gave her a Bible. His dad became very ill, and he was able to witness to him,and just before he died, my friend prayed a simple prayer of salvation, and his father became a Christian.While we are to honour our parents, we must honour God first, and while we are to love our parents ,we are to love Christ more.The devil can use our nearest and dearest to turn us away from being a Christian. Even our Lords family thought He was out of His mind[Mark 3 v21 ],the people he had grown up with ,were offended at Him[Mark 6 v3]. Peter rebuked Him for revealing that He was going to suffer and die [Matthew 16 v21-23 ].And of course the religious establishment ,hated Him and crucified Him.
A prayer
Dear Lord help those who are suffering for your sake, grant unto them the
grace to not give up. Amen
very bad opinion of Christians, believed them to be all hypocrites. And so started a time severe testing for my friend, as they tried with all their means
for him to give up being a Christian, and this increased when he told them he was going to be baptised, the result was he became homeless for short time. My friend got married to a fine Christian, he went to Bible college, and became a minister. When his parents became old things changed, his mothers attitude softened, and he managed to gave her a Bible. His dad became very ill, and he was able to witness to him,and just before he died, my friend prayed a simple prayer of salvation, and his father became a Christian.While we are to honour our parents, we must honour God first, and while we are to love our parents ,we are to love Christ more.The devil can use our nearest and dearest to turn us away from being a Christian. Even our Lords family thought He was out of His mind[Mark 3 v21 ],the people he had grown up with ,were offended at Him[Mark 6 v3]. Peter rebuked Him for revealing that He was going to suffer and die [Matthew 16 v21-23 ].And of course the religious establishment ,hated Him and crucified Him.
A prayer
Dear Lord help those who are suffering for your sake, grant unto them the
grace to not give up. Amen
Thursday, 8 June 2017
Be honest. [Galatians 5 v22-23 ]
In one of my devotional reading, the writer is ministering on the fruit of the Spirit, there are five qualities ,they are, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.[Galations5 v 22-23 ]
It is Selwyn Hughes who writes'' Most of us[myself included] might
acknowledge that a few of these qualities are operational in our lives.........
To have some without the others is to be a lopsided Christian''. Well join the club, I am afraid that I am a lopsided Christian, it is important to be honest with ourselves, and with God. Honesty is not only the best policy ,for the Christian, it must be the only policy. If we are addicted to some sin ,some habit, some characteristic, that is controlling us,affecting our well being,
affecting our relations with others, and especially with God, then it is time,
to stop making excuses, stop thinking of self, be honest ,go look in the mirror, and see beyond the outward, yes I am talking to us ,who are Christians, for we are good at putting on a show.Let us look at the characteristics, of the fruit of the Spirit ,and let us stop fooling around. A great saint prayed, 'make me as holy as saved sinner can be'.
A prayer.
Dear God we thank You for saving us, yes we are sinners saved by your
grace, but Lord we want to progress in our relationship with You, so help us to be honest before You, perfect that which concerns us, that we might be more like our Saviour in His name we ask this Amen.
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.[Galations5 v 22-23 ]
It is Selwyn Hughes who writes'' Most of us[myself included] might
acknowledge that a few of these qualities are operational in our lives.........
To have some without the others is to be a lopsided Christian''. Well join the club, I am afraid that I am a lopsided Christian, it is important to be honest with ourselves, and with God. Honesty is not only the best policy ,for the Christian, it must be the only policy. If we are addicted to some sin ,some habit, some characteristic, that is controlling us,affecting our well being,
affecting our relations with others, and especially with God, then it is time,
to stop making excuses, stop thinking of self, be honest ,go look in the mirror, and see beyond the outward, yes I am talking to us ,who are Christians, for we are good at putting on a show.Let us look at the characteristics, of the fruit of the Spirit ,and let us stop fooling around. A great saint prayed, 'make me as holy as saved sinner can be'.
A prayer.
Dear God we thank You for saving us, yes we are sinners saved by your
grace, but Lord we want to progress in our relationship with You, so help us to be honest before You, perfect that which concerns us, that we might be more like our Saviour in His name we ask this Amen.
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