Forward ( John 6 v 66 - 68 )

There is only one way the Christian can go,that is forward,no looking back. ( Luke 9 v 62 )  , and no matter what,no going back. Fifty four years ago when I came back to the Lord, I struggled but a dear brother stood by me, and my course was set I continued on, following Jesus,no regrets .It has not been easy at times, but as we often say,we were never promised a trouble free life.But consider ,having Christ with me made all the difference,without Him how more difficult things would have been .                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Without Him I could do nothing,                                                                                                                Without Him, Id surely fail                                                                                                                       Without  Him I would be drifting                                                                                                                Like a ship without a sail.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Without Him I would be dying                                                                                                                   Without Him I would be enslaved,                                                                                                             Without Him life would be hopeless                                                                                                         But with Jesus I am saved                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Jesus, oh Jesus, do you know Him today,                                                                                                 Do not turn Him Away,                                                                                                                             Oh Jesus, oh Jesus,                                                                                                                                     Without Him, how lost I would be.                                                                                             

Heaven. ( John 14 v 1- 6 )

I was sitting out in my garden, and I thought on heaven, I thought what will I do in heaven?,  I know it will be wonderful. Recently I was watching You Tube,of a man, I cannot remember his name, but he was disabled.He suffered from a very rare disease,his muscles turn to bone,just over 300 people in the world suffer from it.He gave a short word of testimony ,and then he was asked to sing,along with a Christian group, and here is what he sung.                                                                                                                                                         Surrounded by Your glory,                                                                                                                         What will my heart feel?                                                                                                                           Will I dance for you Jesus,                                                                                                                         Or in awe of you be still.?                                                                                                                         Will I stand in Your presence,                                                                                                                    Or to my knees will I fall?                                                                                                                          Will I sing Hallelujah?                                                                                                                              Will I be able to speak at all?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          I  CAN ONLY IMAGINE

A prayer. ( Psalm 23 )

Many years ago when I was at Bible college ,one of the lectures illustrated how one can pray using  scriptures, and he did this by using the Psalm 23..it really sounded lovely. I believe most of us could  do this ,if we are familiar with this Psalm. I  mention this because in one of my daily readings ,'Every day with Jesus',which I find tremendously helpful,the late Selwyn  Hughes mentions this very thing,and illustrated it by using Psalm 23 also,I hope I am not breaking copy write ,but I would like you to read it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                A  prayer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Father, thank You ,that You are my shepherd. Because of this I shall not want for any good thing. I am grateful, too, that You make me lie down in green pastures and lead me beside quite waters. The way  You restore my soul in times when I am assailed by troubles , and the way You guide me in paths of righteousness, showing me the difference between right and wrong,is something for which  I can never thank You enough. Death was my enemy,dear Lord, before I knew You, but now I am not afraid  of that dark shadow, for I sense Your protecting hand  over my life. I know I will die  but I know , too, that I will live again. What a comfort that is to me. How I bless You, also, for Your anointing that covers me from the crown of my head to the tip of my toe. Because You delight   in me and continually pour into my life Your endless love, my cup always runs over. You do not leave me with a half -full  experience; Your generosity causes me to overflow. Blessed it be Your name forever.   Amen.                                                                                                                                                                                               

Enoch ( Hebrews 11 v 5 )

One of the most fascinating people we read of in the Bible is a man called Enoch, we read about him in Genesis 5 v 18 - 24/Hebrews 11 v 5. He lived 365 years, we are told that he walked 300 years with God, so for 65 years it appears he did not walk with God,I wonder what caused the change?this change came after the birth of Methuselah his son.This is a clear statement that although he was 65 he entered into a relationship with the living God. How did this come about?, well in Hebrews 11 v 5 we are told he was a man of faith.Faith brings us into a relationship with God, no matter what age we are, Without faith there can be no relationship with God,and to broaden it out,without faith in Christ there can not be a relationship with God ( John 14 v 6 ). He walked with God,,denoting an intimate fellowship with God,his  life pleased God,we read that he had a family,Leupold comments on this,''Celibacy is not requisite for a holy life''.When he had reached 365 years of age something wonderful happened God took him to heaven,he did not experience death,now of course death is the common experience now,but there is coming a day when Jesus returns,all those who are his will not die ( 1 Thessalonians  4 v 13 -18 )

Sudden death. ( Luke 23 v 38 v 43 )

George Whitefield said,''sudden death is sudden glory'', what a wonderful thought, of course it speaks of an after life in a place called heaven.Look out on this earth a one time beautiful planet.Oh yes there is still much beauty there to see,but we see so much that is fading,polluted ravaged and destroyed. Many species of animals have  have been annihilated,wiped out by mans greed,the rhino for its horn,to be used as aphrodisiac, surely the last thing mankind is an aphrodisiac' The elephant for its tusk,the whale was near hunted to extinction, and the weapons that mankind have developed could if used to their full extent would destroy us all.I do not believe that things will get better, we live on a fallen planted,the very creation,and the jewel of that creation, man ,manifests the evidence of that fall,in one way or another. When sin entered this world it brought with it ,as God declared it would,''you will surely die'',and so death has passed upon all of us. That it seems is all we have to look forward to,if only that where true,but alas, we have to pay a price for our sins, when God by that man Jesus will judge us,and for all eternity we will exist in Hell . Is that it? praise God,He is merciful,for He sent Jesus to die on a cross,that through His death our sins can be forgiven,if,I stress if,we repent ,and believe on Jesus to be our Saviour,then like George Whitefield, we can say,''sudden death sudden glory''.

Stop wishing. ( Psalm 31 v 15 )

I love the movie ,'Lord of the rings', very entertaining,the hero is a little Hobbit called Frodo who has a ring that must be destroyed,but there is so many difficulties,and so there is a point where Frodo  says to Gandalf, ''I wish the ring had never come to me,I wish this had never happened'', Gandalf replies,''All men who live to see such times,it is not for them to decide times ,all you have to do is decide, what to do with the time given you''.Can you see what God is saying to us,as regards what we have to face,sickness,many are facing wars,facing so many things.Like Frodo you feel it is to much, and you wish. Wishing will not change anything,it is what we decide that is important. Joseph found himself  a slave in Egypt what did he do , he worked hard,served those over him.Let us remember our times are in Gods hands, wishing will not change anything,but with a humble reliance on God,we can change for the better.                                                                                                                                                                                     I do not ask my cross to understand,                                                                                                         My way to see;                                                                                                                                           Better in darkness just to feel Thy hand,                                                                                                   And follow Thee.                                                                                                                                            (Adelaide A. Procter )

Scott. ( Matthew 22 v 8 - 9 )

I was out in a particular town and I noticed him a young man sitting begging, I had prayed that morning that the Lord may lead me to someone to witness to. When I spoke to the lad ,he told me his name was Scott and he was homeless ,out of work,but he would be starting a job at the end of the month.He had no one he could turn too,so he was sleeping rough.He told me he was a Christian, I asked him did he attend a church?, he said he did not think it was right to go to church, because he had no suitable clothes, to wear..I explained that that was not important, and to go just as he was, God would not mind, and hopefully the people in the church would not mind either,and he may receive some help there.I gave him a gift and prayed with him,and as I walked away from Scott with tears I cried unto God for him.                                                                                                                                                                                              Pray for Scott.