God is Spirit . ( John 4 v 24 )

A person asked me ,''show me God''? , idolatry is creating a god you can see,,but the Christian God is invisible. People  want to see, but one cannot see Him who is invisible  We are told  that  God is Spirit, ( John 4 v  24 ), Milne writes,'' no form can ever be made of the absolute one''. Leon Morris, writes, ''God's essential nature is Spirit '', and so it follows, that all His worshippers must worship Him in spirit and in truth..And that is also why our  Saviour told a very religious person,that one needs to be born again . ( John 3 v 7 ) Our Saviour  said ,that''Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit'' (Jn 3 v 6 )  How does  that Spirit birth happen ?, in John 1 v 12 -13  , we read,'' To those who received Him ( Jesus ) ,to those who believed in His name, He gave  the right to become children of God.Children  born not of human descent , nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God''. It means that God is not only with us, but is in us, And when that happens ,''we cry ,''Abba''  Father. The Spirit himself  testifies with our spirit that we are God's children . ( Romans 8 v 15 - 16 )                                                                                                                                                                                           How great is the love the Father                                                                                                               has lavished on us,that we should                                                                                                             be called children of God. And that                                                                                                           is what we are.                                                                                                                                                 ( 1 John 3 v 1 )

Hate . ( Romans 3 v 9 - 23 )

Sad to hear of another mass shooting in the dear old USA, seemingly he may have been adopted,who knows the reasons behind what he did. The thought came to me,  was it hate?. Hate is a very strong emotion ,hate drives love out, hate drives reason out,hate destroys.It is interesting that the commandments are fulfilled by love,One could fill a library of books on the subject  of hate,Writing on Cain who killed his brother ( Gen 4 ) the apostle of love John warns us that we do not become like him, if we hate  we become murderers ( 1 John 3 v 15 ).It is our Lord who challenges us as to our looking and thinking,.are equivalent to doing it. ( Matthew 5 v 27 - 28 ).Hitler was consumed with hate for the Jews,and had millions murdered,hate put our Saviour on the cross ( John 15 v 18 ),love can turn to hate, human hatred is a sin ,we all can let hatred take over, we have a choice ( Gen 4 v 7 ), like all  sins there is a beginning ,where we can by Gods refuse to hate,or we can run with it,and it ends up like  the mass shooting in USA,or like Cain , or even like Hitler. There are ways to overcome hatred forgiveness and love, we can if we choose too, refuse to  hate,if we don't we will cause suffering to others and we will suffer ourselves.The apostle declared, ''And now I will show you the most excellent way ,Love      ( 1 Corinthians 13 ).

Valentines day. ( Psalm 2 2 )

It was Valentines day on the 14th ,I do not always remember, you have guessed,to get my dear wife a card,but I did get one on the day, and I put  the following words on it.I may not always remember certain days,but I will always remember that I love you.It is sad when love is forgotten, when we  move on, with a new wife/husband,and the children are left behind, so sad.The vast majority of people in this world  do not care to remember the one who loves them most of all.Who is that ? the answer is very simple,  God,let me refresh your memory,for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3 v 16 )..He gave that is His love gift ,but what did He give Him to?,to die on that cruel cross,because of our sin,God can do no more,for on that cross, we see a  lonely figure,battered ,beaten,betrayed,and that's not all, it is what we do not see,for we read,that it was the will of the Lord to crush Him, ( Isa 53 v 10 ) .That's the part we cannot see,no one will ever comprehend the depth of that suffering,for sin was being dealt with, Jesus was taking the punishment for our sin.I awoke the other morning with the words from an old gospel song on my mind ,hear are the words.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             How can you refuse Him now?                                                                                                                 How can you refuse Him now?                                                                                                                 How can you turn away from His side?                                                                                                     With tears in His eyes, on the cross                                                                                                            there He died,                                                                                                                                            How can you refuse Jesus now?.                                                                                                                   ( Words by Holly Williams  )

Holiness constantly refreshed. ( 1 John 1 v 9 )

When the priest served in the tabernacle, before they could carry out their priestly duties it was required of them to wash their hands and feet with the water from the bronze basin provided.When they were consecrated to the priesthood, they had to make a sacrifice ,plus their whole body was washed, this was never repeated. (  Ex 29 v 10 - 25 ). A. Motyer comments ,''But on a daily basis the water in the basin provided for the cleansing of any defilement contracted by the priests. The situation is exactly as in John 13 v 10 -  there is the bath, there is the wash- hand basin.  And our mothers were right when they called us to the family table, not with' Have you had a bath?, but 'Have you washed your hands?. Yes we have been forgiven, when we came to Christ, but we still become defiled and so we have the need of  a daily cleansing . The   Corinthian church were warned as regards the need of  this ( 1 Cor . 11 v 29 - 30 ) As AM writes, ''The Lord invites and allows us to come freely; but we  have no permission to come carelessly or casually''.                                                                                                                                      ( The title is from. Alec Motyers book )                                                                                                                                             

Why am I here. ( Psalm 48 v 14 )

I was watching a nice old movie, when I heard one of actors say, ''The good Lord Himself has put him there''.  I had been thinking of my earlier years when my wife and I applied for missionary work, and it did not happen, it was all very disappointing, but eventually we ended up in darkest England. Sometimes I think of those days of trying to go ,to the so called mission field and wonder. I wonder what  am I doing in the town of Grays in England?. Yet those words spoke to me, I am here because God put me here , you  may think like me ,what may have been, in your life, if, why does it appear you missed your calling,or so you think. Like me you were willing to go anywhere God would send you,like me you may have gone to Bible college to train for the mission field,but it did not happen. We can broaden it out to different goals,be it whatever,and may not have worked out like you thought,and you wonder why. I mention the sovereignty of  God a lot,for early on in my Christian faith , I have never faltered in my belief ,that God rules and over rules in all the affairs of my life,and so here I am in town that most of you have never heard about, why?, simply because,'the good Lord Himself has put me here'                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             ''Yes the Lord is good''

I shall not die until. ( Psalm 30 v 3 )

It was John Bunyan who wrote,  '' Following Jesus means having the wind in your face'', It appears to me that he had the wind in his face, a great deal. In case you do not know who he was,I will tell you a little bit about him ,he was born in 1628 died 1688. He had a basic education, before he became a Christian,well he was a sinner,but are we not  all sinners?, of course, but some people show it more than others. We read that he was born near Bedford,when he was 15 , his mother and sister died within a month of each other, his father married within a month of their deaths.It was a time of great unrest,and he served time in the Parliamentary army.He recounts how a fellow soldier took his place on sentry duty, and was shot in the head with a musket ball.God is sovereign, and has a plan for a lives,Daniel was spared in the lions den,his three friends survived a fiery furnace, I was saved from drowning as a young boy. Until God degrees we will not die                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Plagues and deaths, around me fly;                                                                                                           Till  He bids, I  cannot die;                                                                                                                         Not a single shaft can hit,                                                                                                                           Till the God of love sees fit.                                                                                                                         ( Words.. John Ryland )

In His hands. ( Psalm 31 v 15 )

                                                                                                                                                                                                                     My times are in Thy hand;                                                                                                                         My God, I wish them there;                                                                                                                       My life, my friends,my soul I leave                                                                                                           Entirely to Thy care.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       My times are in Thy hand,                                                                                                                         Whatever they may be;                                                                                                                               Pleasing or painful, dark or bright,                                                                                                             As best may seem to Thee.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             My times are in Thy hand,                                                                                                                         Why should I doubt or fear?                                                                                                                       A Father's hand will never cause                                                                                                               His child a needless tear.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               My times are in Thy hand,                                                                                                                         Jesus the Crucified;                                                                                                                                   The hand my cruel sins have pierced                                                                                                         is now my guard and guide.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                ( Words.. Henry F, Lyte )