Waiting for an answer ( Hebrews 6 v 15 ]

                              Selwyn Hughes writes a number of observations
                              on prayer, as our experience bears witness,waiting can be
                              the most difficult,'' The waiting times said a
                              philosopher , are the times that try men's souls.
                              They certainly are. Ask yourself now; How good
                              am I at waiting for God's answer to my prayer?.
                              The ability to wait says more about your spirituality
                              than almost any other thing''.

                                                      Psalm 40 v1

                               I waited patiently for the Lord ; He turned to me
                               and heard my cry.

Knowing God . ( John 20 v 28 )

                             David Atkinson, wrote,'' A god whom we
                               know through our own reasoning is not
                             the God of the Bible or of the  Christian
                             church.'' A friend of mine was talking to
                             Jewish lady, who expressed an interest in
                             Christianity . so he told her about Jesus, and he
                             told her that He was God , He showed her a
                             passage from the OT, which the Jew's still
                             use, as the word of God . It reads ,'The virgin
                             will be with child and will give birth to a son,
                             and will call him Immanuel. 'Immanuel means
                             'God with us', This scripture was fulfilled when
                             Jesus was born ,and it means what it says.

                                                A. W. Tozer.

                             ''God came to us in the incarnation, in incarnation;
                             in atonement He reconciled us to Himself, and by
                             faith and love we enter and lay hold on Him.''
                           
            

God is to be.... ( Proverbs 3 v 7 )

                          One day a group of boys were out not doing
                          anything special. One the lads suggested that they
                          do a bit of shoplifting, most of the group agreed ,
                          but one lad did not,  he  said he was not prepared  .
                          to , they asked him why ?,he was silent, then he spoke,
                        ''  he said if his father found out, he would not be
                          pleased. My father loves me, but he will still
                          punish me ,I am afraid of that'', with that he turned
                          from his friends and went home.

                                              Proverbs 1 v 7.

                               The fear of the Lord is the beginning
                               of  knowledge ,but fools despise wisdom
                               and  discipline.
                                

Join the club. ( Luke 15 v 11- 31 )

                          So it did not happen, the fastest man to run
                          the metres ,did not win the final at the World
                          championship in London. To many he is an idol
                          who appeared unbeatable, but it was not to be.
                          Of course if one follows sport ,we soon find out
                          that favourites do not always win. Simply, because
                          we are talking about human beings ,not machines.
                          The football team I follow on the TV will not
                          always win, because that's the way life  is. Failing
                          is not nice, no one likes to fail ,but we will, the
                          question is this we can grow in failures, or we can
                          shrivel up and die, that goes for a failed marriage,
                          a failed business , a failure , morally. As a Christian
                          I believe one can rise from failure, the fact is, we are
                          all failures, for we are all sinners. To not recognise
                          that fact ,is the greatest failure of all, to accept this
                          truth, is the first step in rising up from all our failures,
                          and it starts at the cross of Jesus.
                        
                        

Are you overweight ?. ( Hebrews 12 v 1 - 2 )

      I was watching the ,'World Athletic  Championships', and
      Mo Farah   was running, and of course he won the gold  .
      The thing that struck me about  him was, he is very thin,
      and yet he is world champion. The fact is  none of the other
      competitors carried  much  weight, fat people don't win
      races. It is the writer to the Hebrews who likens the Christian
      life, as a race, a spiritual race. He writes to all the competitors
      and says,'' Let us lay  aside every weight'', The question we all
      have to ask ourselves, what  is holding us back?, or who is
      holding us back?.

                                      A  prayer.
      Dear Lord and Saviour, grant us grace to rid ourselves of those
      things that are weights, that we know is holding us back, be it         
      so called friends, habits, past experiences, Amen.
               

The revealed will of God. ( Exodus 20 v 1 - 17 )

                             I believe God guides us , it would strange
                             for a Christian to say otherwise. We think
                             of knowing Gods will, to those who are going
                             into Christians ministry. While that is important
                             it involves all of Gods children. The Bible tells
                              us to acknowledge God in all our ways, and He
                             will direct our paths . ( Proverbs 3 v 6 ). That is
                              a general exhortation , and for a lot of things
                              there are clear answers , in Gods word. Look at
                              the ten commandments,  (Exodus 20 v1-17 ),
                              also in the  writings of the apostles, and the
                               words of our Saviour. We don't  need any special
                               revelation to know that committing a adultery,
                              or murder, to do so is sin.

                                                      A PRAYER.
                           
                               Dear God and Father help us to obey Your word
                               in Jesus  Amen.

                                                                                                           
                           

He giveth ( Ephesians 1 v 7 )

                         I was struck by the words from James 4 v 6
                         ''But He gives us more grace '' , Alec Motyer
                         writes ,'' His resources are never at an end,
                         His patience is never exhausted, His initiative
                         never stops, His generosity knows no limit;
                         He gives more grace.
                      
                                      Annie Johnson Flint
                          
                          He giveth more grace when the burdens grow
                          greater,
                          He sendeth more strength when the labors
                          increase.
                          To added affliction He addeth His mercy
                          To multiplied trials,His multiplied peace.

                           When we have exhausted our store of
                           endurance,
                           When our strength has failed ere the day
                           is half done,
                           When we reach the end of our hoarded
                            resources,
                            Our Father's full giving is only begun.

                           His love has no limits, His grace has no
                           measure,
                           His power has no boundary known unto
                           men.
                           For out of  His infinite riches in Jesus,
                           He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.