Money ( Exodus 20 v 3 / 17 )

A friend told me about a relative who was ill,the person is elderly and married, all of sudden they have relatives coming out of the woodwork, they really must love  her, or could there be another answer?, it may be , because she is wealthy It is a sad comment that the love of money shows people  for what they are, our Saviour spoke of some of the religious leaders who took advantage of widows ( Mt 23 v 14).It is very sad that the death of a loved one can bring out the worse in some people, but them we must always  remember that  we are living in a fallen world ,the effects of it manifest itself in a multitude of ways. This applies to our love of money ,people will kill for it,cheat for it,betray for it,you name it,they have done it, all for the love of money. This does not just mean in the major things but in all things,after all you have to look yourself in the mirror,make no mistake we soon find out that we have a thing called a conscience,and let us not  forget,God in all this, He is not after your money, you are more important than your money, but when it comes to humanity ,our money , possessions , they are not more important than God,. Jesus says  come follow Me, but you must rid yourself of all other  gods.                                                                                                                                                                                                  Luke 16 v 13                                                                                                                                                  Jesus said                                                                                                                                  You cannot serve God and money.                                                                                                                 

The tent of meeting . ( Exodus 33 v 7 - 11)

The tent of meeting which we read about in Ex 33,was not the tabernacle,it was tent pitched outside the camp, . It was a place where Moses went to commune with God,but not only Moses but the people also went the only difference was Moses went into the tent, the people waited outside .When Moses went into the tent a cloud came down  and God spoke to him,  soon as that happened the people started worshipping God. It is Alec Motyer who writes , ''The tent of meeting was a provision for personal spirituality ( Anyone enquiring of the Lord ), a place apart ( outside the camp ) and a reality of divine fellowship ( a tent of meeting ) The tabernacle and the tent represent two proper sides of true religion ; ordered , ordinances of God , and the private place of prayer of secret prayer, worship and fellowship.                                                                                                                                                                                              But when you pray, go into your room                                                                                                      close the door and pray to your Father,                                                                                                      who is unseen. Then your Father, who                                                                                                      sees what is done in secret,will reward                                                                                                      you.                                                                                                                                                                    ( Matthew 6 v  6 )

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''