Be patient ( 2 Peter 3 v 9 )

Let us continue to consider the exhortations in 1 Thessalonians 5 v  13 ff.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ''Be patient with everyone.''                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Mankind has not changed since this was written ,look out in the world, so many are in a hurry,not very patient . I remember years ago asking a man selling papers the way to the place I was going, he told me but I did not understand. I said that to him and he became very abusive ,it was obvious he lacked patience. We are not just told to be patient ,but to be patient with everyone  ,now that's a challenge , let us all remember ,how God is patient with you and me.                                                                                                                                                                                                           

It just happened. ( Genesis 1 v 1 )

Had a time away for a few days, in the county of Dorset,we stayed on a site in a cabin,with one of my sons,his wife and grandson aged two . One of the pleasures we enjoyed was that of seeing  squirrels,ducks,robins,deer's,we also visited monkey world, we really enjoyed our time away, seeing the wonder of Gods creation,it did not just happen,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              All things  bright and beautiful,                                                                                                                 All creatures great and small,                                                                                                                     All  things wise and wonderful,                                                                                                                 The Lord God made them all                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Each little flower that opens,                                                                                                                     Each little bird that sings,                                                                                                                           He made there glowing colours,                                                                                                                 He made their tiny wings.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             He gave us eyes to see them,                                                                                                                     And lips that we might tell,                                                                                                                       How great is God  Almighty,                                                                                                                     Who has done all things well.                                                                                                                    ( Words...Mrs. C.F.Alexander ) 

Billy Graham ( Acts 1 v 8 )

I watched on Utube Billy Graham ministering to a stadium filled with thousands of people,and listened to him preach. At the end of the service hundreds of people made their way down to the front of  the stadium to hopefully trust Jesus. The sermon he had preached was so clear I wrote most of it down ,it blessed me greatly, as far as I could judge ,Billy was a very faithful  servant of God , I call him Billy for that's what he will always be to me , he was a signpost pointing millions of people to Christ. If we are Christians, like Billy,we are called to be faithful, to be signposts, pointing people to Jesus. Billy was a man of God ,now he is with the Lord.    I read the following by John Piper                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             May it be so that when you are dead                                                                                                         and gone, the people you love and serve                                                                                                   will say, ''This one knew God. This one                                                                                                     loved God and lived for the glory of                                                                                                         God and showed us God day after day.                                                                                                     This one, as the apostle said, was filled                                                                                                      with all the fullness of  God.   ( Eph 3 v 19 )                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

In the beginning. ( Genesis 1 - 2 )

Listening to the radio, I heard a presenter tell us,that for a long time the belief among the school of scientist taught that the universe was eternal,in other words ,it always existed. But now they have realised that in fact there was a beginning,as I listened , I said to myself, I could have told them that years ago. Now don't get me wrong we owe a lot to scientist, but because a person is a scientist ,does not mean  he or she is infallible,yet it does appear that they also have their ''Popes''. A priest went to Einstein with a discovery that the universe is expanding, Einstein made little of him, and his theory, but lo and behold ,most scientist agree with that priest. Pride puffs people up, especially when it comes to scientist, humility is dreadfully lacking,among the egg heads of the scientific world, especially when it comes to creation,or should I say chance,all I can say in my limited knowledge ,that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Because He says so. ( Matthew 2 8 v 20 )

I was sending a birthday card to one  of my grandsons, and I wrote this in his card                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            'He will guide you,                                                                                                                                     He will help you,                                                                                                                                       He will be with you.                                                                                                                         Because He says so, and He always keeps                                                                                                 His word.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          What I  wrote for my grandson, applies to all who know Christ as Saviour,so  look to Him child of God, for guidance, for help,knowing that He is with you, because He says so ,and He always keeps His word.

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.''