Our plan. ( Acts 16 v 6 )

Just finished reading about John Calvin, he was a very godly man,one the greatest scholars in the history of Christendom .I mentioned a while back about Hezekiah who was seen as the golden boy ,and I commented on this,that he was not pure gold, this could be applied to John Calvin, David had his Uriah,none of us our pure gold.  Calvin was a studious person, and what he wanted to do was study and write,promoting as John Piper writes,the Reformed faith. J.P writes the following, ''This is what he thought he was cut out for by nature. But God had radically different plans- as He had for Augustine and Luther- and for many of us who did not plan our lives the way they have turned out'' Think how the apostles lives where turned round,from being  fishermen, to being  fishers of men,David a shepherd in charge of his fathers sheep,to being shepherd king.Dr Barnardo  going to be a missionary,   in China ,instead he became the founder of a wonderful ministry for dear needy children.Always keep in mind ,your plans may not be Gods plans.All these dear people left behind a wonderful legacy  that continues to bless mankind..

What is the point of praying?. ( Luke 18 v 1 )

I want us to consider prayer ,why do we have to pray?,will it make any difference?, and the answer is yes. I found some helpful insight from Alec Motyer , ''We are aware that the Lord knows the end from the beginning and that he  has not only planned both  the beginning and the end but also plotted the course in between.'' Now that is where many people stop, seeing  prayer as a pointless exercise , but    A.M goes on to say,''There is at the heart of Gods changelessness a ,' mystery', a revealed secret, that the sovereign,unchangeable God accomplishes his purposes through the prayers of his people'' We see this throughout the scriptures,Gods people pray, for deliverance, healing,guidance, so on.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Alec Motyer.                                                                                                                       '' Prayer is one of the 'laws of God' by which he                                                                                           runs his world.''

Dunkirk. ( Ephesians 3 v 20 - 21 )

A writer asks this question about what role prayer played in the miracle of Dunkirk ?.we will touch on this,I have read a good deal on the 2nd world war ,and how powerful the German army was,Hitler had been preparing for that event.We see this when we consider how easily he conquered most of Europe  ,so lets consider Dunkirk in 1940  the German forces had trapped the British ,and French armies,there was no way out.Yet the German forces failed to take advantage ,they held back, well Hitler felt that the British would come to the negotiating table like the French.What ever the reason he held his army back,so enabling 350,000 , troops to be rescued . Now coinciding with all this the then King ,George V1, called for a week of prayer, so up and down the country churches joined in prayer, I believed strongly that it resulted in what one could call the miracle of Dunkirk.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Alfred Tennyson.                                                                                                            ''More things are wrought by prayer than this world                                                                                  dreams of.''

From victory to defeat. ( Joshua 6 - 7 )

I just read something very interesting ,and it it is based on a man called Achan, we read about him in the book of Joshua. Israel had just entered the promised land, they were promised it by God ( Gen 13 v15) So it came to pass but they had as a nation to go defeat those who occupied the land,and live there.The first place they came to was Jericho,of course  it was Gods victory,there part was to obey God completely, they where told not to take any of the plunder,it would be dedicated it to God.It appeared that everything had gone to plan,until the next battle, a little town called  Ai,and it was there they experienced defeat, which really discouraged them, but God spoke and told them someone had ,no he did say that ,He said Israel had acted unfaithfully ,and took  to itself  that which was Gods.The person who did this was Achan,Thirty six people had died ,and defeat was the result of his sin.but the blame was put on everyone. That's the way God saw it, I will continue this the next time, I will leave you with this thought,never underestimate your sins and its effect on yourself and others.

The wonder of it all. ( Galatians 2 v 20 )

With the death of dear Billy Graham my mind went to my early Christian day,when I bought records of lovely George Bev Shea singing. Just recently I heard a recording of him singing a song he wrote,I first heard this song sung in the church I attended,by a man called Ken Maxwell ,I was truly blessed when I heard it, I never forgot it,the name of that song is, ''The wonder of it all'',it was Bev Shea who also wrote the words, so I will leave it with you, may God bless these words to you..                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   There's the wonder of sunset at evening,                                                                                                   The wonder as sunrise I see,                                                                                                                       But the wonder of wonders,that thrills my soul,                                                                                       Is the wonder that God loves me.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Oh the wonder of it all,                                                                                                                             The wonder of it all,                                                                                                                                   Just to think that God loves me /you,                                                                                                         O, the wonder of it all,                                                                                                                               Just to think that God loves me/ you.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             There's the wonder of springtime and harvest,                                                                                           The sky,the stars the sun,                                                                                                                            But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul,                                                                                       Is the wonder that's only begun.                                                                                                             (Bev Shea sung at B.G  gospel events )                                                                                                                 

Is it time to cry? ( Luke 15 v 11 ff )

The story Jesus told of the prodigal, or the lost son, ( Luke 15 v 11 )has much to teach us in relation of people coming to Christ. A young man leaves home with money in his pocket,whose  one purpose was to throw of the restraints at home. This he did in a full measure,wine women and song, with the help of a lot of hanger on's,but in the end he ended up destitute. In his joys he give little thought for his loving father, it is interesting we do not have a mention of his mother.It does appear that when people are doing well they do not consider their need of a Saviour.I think of the people where I live, most of them have cars ,nice homes, nice clothes,nice food, so why do they need God,they rarely give Him a thought ,the word of God sums it up, ''in all his thoughts, there is no need for God ( Psalm 10 v 4 ).The young man never gave a thought  for God, or family, UNTIL  the water in the well dried up,his money ,nearly naked and starving,he comes to his senses, and he begins to think differently,and he then started home into the arms of a loving father. I know a couple of lads like that prodigal, who ended up in prison,and it was there that they cried out in desperation  to our Lord Jesus,                                                                                                                                                                                                        This poor man cried , and the Lord                                                                                                             heard him, and saved him out of all                                                                                                           his troubles.                                                                                                                                               He brought me up also out of an                                                                                                               horrible pit, out of the miry clay,                                                                                                               and set my feet upon a rock,and                                                                                                                 established my goings.                                                                                                                               And He hath put a new song in my                                                                                                           mouth,even praise unto our God.                                                                                                                 ( Psalm 34 v 6 / 40 v 2 - 3   )                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

We would see Jesus. ( John 12 v 21 )

.John Bunyan's last words from the pulpit were,'Live like the children of God, that you may look your Father in the face with comfort another day''.We often hear the term ,''like father like son',I suppose that we should be trying to aim at every day, that is the challenge,for all of us.A little boy asked a missionary,''are you Jesus'', of course none of us are ,Jesus,but we called to be like Him,in every aspect of our lives,in our home,or wherever we find ourselves. Like so many things ,we know this,but knowing and doing are two different things,it may surprise you to know that ,every Christian struggles in being what they should be, a little children's chorus comes to mind, it reads.                                                                            Be like Jesus , this my song ,                                                                                                                    In the home and in the throng  ,                                                                                                                Be like Jesus all day long,                                                                                                                          I would be like Jesus.