TRUST ( Proverbs 3 v 5 )

                  Trust in the Lord ,so v 5 of Proverbs 3,many say they believe in Jesus who have never
                   trusted in Him as Saviour. When seeking to witness to people we discover that people
                   dislike the Saviour, they  may even hate him.People trust in many different things,the
                   rich trust in their riches, the strong man trust in his physical strength.But the Bible
                   exhorts us to trust in the Lord, why?, because we all need a Saviour and only the
                   Lord can save.There are to be no half measures when it comes to trusting the Lord,
                   with all our hearts, some would say that's a bit extreme,is He not worthy of our trust ?
                   of course He is.  Likewise when it comes to love there are again no half measures,
                   consider what Jesus said ,'' Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
                   your soul, and with all your mind''(Matthew 22 v 37. Total trust and total love ,to do
                  otherwise we will be heading for trouble ,whatever life brings at us.wherever He may
                  lead us.

                                                      God says simple , trust Me ,
                                                              will you?

Trust and acknowledge. ( Proverbs 3 v 5 - 6 )

              There are two verses in the Bible that have helped and challenge me right
               through my Christian life,they are Proverbs 3 v 5 - 6 ,I prefer the AV translation
              of these verses,I am going to leave these two wonderful and instructive verses
              with you,and then possible comment on them tomorrow.

                                         Trust in the Lord with all thine heart,
                                         and lean not upon thine own understanding.
                                         In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He
                                         shall direct thy path.

Now is the time. ( Revelation 3 v 20 )

              The first heavy frost arrived ,on my daily walk , I could see a number of people
              scraping the frost of  their cars windows  ,it is like someone has sprinkled icing sugar
              over everything .  We knew it was coming ,for we live in a land of seasons ,now Autumn
              is giving way to winter,the season come and the seasons go.It was the prophet Jeremiah
              who prophesied for over 40 years ,to what became known as the southern kingdom.
              His ministry was hard and unrewarding for things became worse and worse spiritually.
             Jeremiah   just kept on going, his  task was to faithfully tell the people Gods
             word. He challenged  them time and time again, to no avail.  In chap 8 v 20 we read
             words that caused him great sorrow,they

                                                           ''The harvest is passed,
                                                            the summer is ended,
                                                            and we are not saved.''

              They where about to enter a season of great suffering ,no matter what God said, no
              no matter how he pleaded with them,through the prophet, their opportunity  to be
              saved from the coming judgement was slipping away.  Now us let apply these sad words
              to the here and now,could it be that God has been speaking to you about being saved.
              And you are still not saved, that's a deep tragedy.Remember now is the day of salvation
              now is the time  to accept Christ as your Saviour, before it is to late.

                                                       The choice is your's
         

A song. ( Ephesians 5 v 19- 20 )

                 It felt like one of those days, things where getting me down, as I did my daily walk,
                 instead of talking to God, I put my words into a song. It was a song from my heart to
                 His ,and in that song I felt we were communicating with each  other.Me expressing how
                 I felt, and He expressing His love ,comfort, and assurance that blessed me. I thought
                 how David wrote many of his  Psalms,those Psalms that expressed the heart of a man ,
                 and the heart of God. I want to leave you words from one of Davids Psalms

                                                                Psalms 121

                                            I will lift up my eyes to the hills, 
                                            From whence comes my help?
                                            My help comes from the Lord
                                            Who made heaven and earth.
                                             He will not allow your foot to be moved,
                                             He who keeps you will not slumber,
                                             Behold, He who keeps Israel,
                                             Shall neither slumber or sleep.
                                             The Lord is your keeper,
                                             The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
                                             The sun shall not strike you by day,
                                             Nor the moon by night .
                                             The Lord shall preserve you from all evil,
                                             He shall preserve your soul.
                                             The Lord shall preserve your going out,
                                             And your coming in,
                                             From this time forth,and even for evermore. 

                                           
               
               
               

The Cross. ( Isaiah 53 )

         During the communist reign of East Berlin, there was built a giant  television tower,
         near the top of it was huge globe structure, housing a restaurant and other facilities.
         The remarkable thing was, that once it was finished , it was discovered   that sunlight
          always reflected off the globe in the shape of a cross.The authorities had tried everything
         they could to prevent this optical phenomenon  ( known as asterism )  , but nothing worked.
         No matter how hard they tried they could not get rid of the Cross.

                                            We sing the praise of Him who died,
                                            Of Him who died upon the cross;
                                            The sinner's hope let men deride,
                                             For this we count the world but loss.

                                             Inscribed upon the cross we see
                                             In shining letters God is love;
                                             He bears our sins upon the tree;
                                             He brings us mercy from above.

                                            The  Cross, it takes our guilt away;
                                            It holds the fainting spirit up;
                                            It cheers with hope the gloomy day,
                                            And  sweetens every bitter cup.

                                            It makes the coward spirit brave,
                                            And nerves the feeble arm for fight;
                                            It takes the terror from the grave,
                                            And gilds the bed of death with light.

                                           The balm of life,the cure of woe.
                                           The measure and pledge of  love,
                                           The sinner's refuge here below,
                                           The angel's theme in heaven above.
                                                 (Words ...Thomas Kelly )

                                       







                                           

                                             


     

The glory . ( Luke 24 v 13 - 32 )

                As I was out walking ,an old gospel song I used to sing, came to mind, its called
                The glory of His presence'', by Oswald. J. Smith.

                                                      I have walked alone with Jesus,
                                                      In a fellowship divine.
                                                      Never more can earth allure me,
                                                      I am His, and  He is mine.

                                                      On the mountain I have seen Him,
                                                      Christ my comforter and friend.
                                                      And the glory of  His presence,
                                                      Will be with me to the end.

                                                      I have seen Him, I  have known Him,
                                                      And He deigns to walk with me,
                                                      And the  glory of His presence will
                                                      Be mine eternally.

                                                      Oh the glory of His presence,
                                                      Oh the beauty of His face,
                                                       I am His, and His forever,
                                                      He has saved me by His grace.

His name not mentioned ( John 4 v 21 - 24 )

                       When you come to read the Bible, in every book, you would expect Gods name to
                       be mentioned ,but  it is absent in the book of Esther. Yet it is pointed out by M.
                       Wilcock, ''Esther's  story shows His hand unmistakably at work behind the scenes''
                       This is one of the major aspects of God and  His kingdom ,just before our Saviour
                       died ,He said something that many Christians have not grasped ,'' My Kingdom is
                       not of this world.If it were ,my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews.
                       but now my Kingdom is from another place''.During the Commonwealth under Olive
                       Cromwell there were those who felt ,that Gods earthly kingdom was being set up.
                       But they were wrong ,many of the Jews even among  Christ's follower's expected
                       Him be the Messiah ,who would overthrow all the powers of earth and rule over
                       them,but they were wrong.The Kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom,totally
                       different from the kingdoms of this would.Davids kingdom is gone ,the Holy Roman
                       Empire is gone.So it will always be , when we pray Thy kingdom come, what do we
                       expect? for the Christians to take power, it will not happen.But Christs Kingdom
                       will continue and continue to grow in the hearts men and women .Nobody and
                       nothing can stop the growth of Gods kingdom ,many have tried,many are still trying
                       but they cannot stop it, for the one who said My kingdom is not of this world also
                       said, ''I will build my Church,,and that nothing can stop it happening ( Matthew 16 v
                       18 )

                                                        My thoughts are not  your thoughts
                                                        neither are your ways my ways,
                                                        says the Lord..
                                                                    ( Isaiah 55 v 8 )