Everyone is welcome. ( 3 v 16 )

                                                                                                                                                                                                            Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners                                                                                                       ( 1 Timothy 1 v 15 )                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     There's  a  way back to God                                                                                                                        From the dark paths of sin,                                                                                                                        There's a door that is open ,                                                                                                                        And all may go in,                                                                                                                                      Its at Calvary's cross ,                                                                                                                                Is where you begin ,                                                                                                                                  When you come as a sinner                                                                                                                        To Jesus.                                                                                                                                                               (E.H.Swinstead )                                                                                                                   

His eye is upon you. ( Matthew 6 v 25 - 34 )

Many years ago a lady used to visit parents  home, she liked to drink,her name was Porter, and eventually she would sing a song,she would not have won the X factor ,but I do remember some words from that song,they went,'Why worry,why worry,worry gets you nowhere at all'. So true our Saviour said as much in Matthew 6 v 34, 'Therefore do not worry about tomorrow ,for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.Today's trouble is enough for today'.Is it possible? well it is, if we keep our eyes on our loving heavenly Father.We are told that He cares for the birds of the air, and  to Him we are more valuable than them.Charles .H.Gabriel wrote a lovely song about Gods care for His children.                Why should I feel discouraged, Why should the shadows come,                                                               Why should my heart be lonely, And long for heaven and home,                                                             When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He;                                                                               His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Let not your heart be troubled, His tender words I hear,                                                                           And resting on His goodness ,I lose my doubts and fears;                                                                         Tho' by the path He leadeth, But one step I may see;                                                                               His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Whenever I am tempted, When ever clouds arise,                                                                                     When songs give way to sighing, When hope within me dies,                                                                 I draw the closer to Him, From care He sets me free;                                                                               His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He cares for me.                                                                             

Prayers are deathless. ( Luke 18 v 1 )

The thought has crossed my mind as regards my family, when I die who will pray for them ?, it  may seem a morbid question, but I love my family,and each day I pray for them. George Muller was a man of prayer and faith, I once read that he prayed for certain  people to be saved, most of them did get saved before he died,but not all, but after his death they did.   E M Bounds wrote the following,         ''Prayer is deathless,the lips that uttered them may be closed in death,the heart that felt them may have ceased to beat, but the prayers live before God, and God's heart is set on them and they outlive the lives of those who uttered them,they outlive a generation,outlive an age, outlive a world.''So let us all keep praying on in faith that God will answer our prayers after we have gone to heaven,for as the writer said ,'prayers are deathless.'


































I pray for many people everyday,among them are my grandchildren, and my children,I pray for there spiritual well being, and for many things concerning them,but what about when I go to home to heaven,who will pray for them then?.So I was encourage to read the following,by EM. Bounds,  ''Prayers are deathless.The lips that uttered them may be closed in death, the heart that felt them may have ceased to beat, but the prayers live before God, and God's heart is set on them , and they outlive a generation, outlive an age,outlive a world''.The other day I thought on my dear first  wife,she was a godly lady and knew the importance of prayer, she is now in glory.Recently as I prayed for one of my sons , I said to God that He may honour the prayers offered to Him for our son when she prayed when she lived .lived, for as the writer said ,''Prayers are deathless.''






















/

What kind of love is this. ( Isaiah 53 )

A preacher was visiting a church to preach, and he noticed a picture on the wall, of a little girl sitting on  Jesus lap, the words beneath the picture, spoken by the little girl ,read,''What are those marks in your hand''?.I know ,indeed every Christian knows,for by faith they have been to the cross,and whats  important they know why , the words of a hymn by  Bryn and Sally Haworth give us the answer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                              What kind of love is this,                                                                                                                           that gave itself for me?                                                                                                                               I am the guilty one,                                                                                                                                     yet I go free.                                                                                                                                               What kind of love is this?                                                                                                                           A love I've never known,                                                                                                                           I didn't even know His name,                                                                                                                     what kind of love is this.?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             What kind of love is this                                                                                                                           that died in agony?                                                                                                                                     He who had done no wrong                                                                                                                       was crucified for me.                                                                                                                                 What kind of man was this                                                                                                                          who laid aside His throne.                                                                                                                          that I may know the love of God?                                                                                                              What kind of man is this.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              By grace I have been saved,                                                                                                                      it is the gift of God.                                                                                                                                    He destined me to be His son,                                                                                                                    such is His love.                                                                                                                                        No eye has ever seen,                                                                                                                                no ear has ever heard,                                                                                                                                nor has the heart of man conceived,                                                                                                          what kind of love is this?                                                                             

About prayer. ( Romans 8 v 26 )

Raymond Brown writes the following on prayer,'' It is better to seek for qualities  rather than things. We long for material things but God has gifts money cannot buy. We yearn for improved health but, though God can heal, greater reliance on Him would be better for us by far. Without our weakness,how could we be sure of our strength? We wish for a different job but in our present work there may be people alongside us only we can reach. We desire repeated success but occasional failure might prove a better teacher. Most ambitions need the refining fire. The ecclesiastical authorities in eighteenth - century England were bewildered when the  saintly  John Fletcher of Madeley, Wesley's successor, refused the bishopric of Rochester. Thinking he had sets his sights on even greater preferment , they asked him whether there was anything more he wanted. Within  seconds his priorities clear; ' I want more grace', he said '.

He hates us. ( 1 John 3 v 1 )

In Hosea 14 v 9,we read,' The ways of the Lord are right', but Israel failed to appreciate the way He was leading them.Again considering Deuteronomy 1 ,when they were about to enter the promise land,they had heard the report by 10 of the spies who went to view the land ,while agreeing it was a good land,they said,''We are not able to go up against this people, for they are stronger than we are''( Numbers 13 v 33)The people said Gods intention was to destroy them, and that He hated them ,( Deut 1 v 27 - 28) Fear had taken over ,they appeared  to have forgotten all Gods mighty works, that they had witnessed.They did not listen to the words of Moses, ''Have no fear of them. The Lord your God, who goes before you,is the one who will fight for you, just as He did for you in Egypt before your very eyes''. ( Deut 1 v  29 - 30 ).But  they did fear, they did drawback, contrary to what they felt, God did not hate them ,they were His children,His plan was not to destroy them, He loved them.As Raymond Brown points out, ''The Lord had chosen them not on the bases of their superior numbers,( 7 v 7 ),power ( 8 v 17), or morality ( 9 v 4 ), but simply  because He loved them  and wanted to use them''. Let us all remember this truth that God loves us .,He does not want to destroy us ,He does not Hate us.                                                                                                                                                                                                             I am thine ,O Lord,I have heard Thy voice,                                                                                               And it told Thy love to me;                                                                                                                       But I long to rise in the arms of faith                                                                                                         And be closer drawn to Thee.                                                                                                                           (Fanny J Crosby )                                                         

But. ( Matthew 10 v 22 - 25 )

The moment had come, the promise land lay before them, Moses speaks, reminding them of what God had given them, it was now time to enter and take possession of the land ,this is what God had  promised,they were not to be afraid or dismayed. (Deuteronomy 1 v 21).Instead of going ahead the people asked that they send spies into the land,and report back their findings.It appeared a good idea at the time,so 12 men were chosen,and when they came back,they said ,'It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us,'' so far so good,then there is that ,but..There are always reason not to obey God,if you are a Muslin in a Muslin land,there would be a but,if I trust Jesus my family will hate me, and even want to kill me, my friends will forsake me,society will reject me.This is what our Saviour said will happen '( Matthew 10 v 22 - 25 ).                                                                                                                                                    I have decided to follow Jesus                                                                                                                  No turning back, no turning back                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   The world behind me, the cross before me,                                                                                               No turning back, no turning back.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Though none go with me, I still will follow,                                                                                              No turning back, no turning back.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Will you decide now to follow Jesus,?                                                                                                       No turning back, no turning back.