Vengeance ( Matthew 5 v 39 - 48 )

In Numbers 25 we read how the people of God became involved with the foreign people ,particularly the women and their immoral practise's they were possibly Baal-shrine prostitutes .It became very serious and God judged Israel by sending a plague,in which 24,000 had died.The Midianites were behind it ,it is thought that the king of Midian had taken  Balaam's advice (Numbers 31 v 16 ).The result was God was going to judge the Midianites. In Numbers 31 we read how God told Moses to raise an army,a thousand from each tribe and take vengeance on them for what they had done. Moses raised the army,and Israel fought against them and defeated them,Balaam for his crimes paid with his life.This was not Israel taken vengeance,  it was God taken vengeance. It is in  Romans 12 we read, 'Do not take revenge,my friends,but leave room for God's wrath,as it is written ; ''It is mine to avenge, I will repay,'' says the Lord. On the contrary. ''If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty , give him something to drink. In doing this ,you will heap burning coals on his head'' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Pruning ( John 15 v 1 - 8 )

I was on my usual daily walk, and I had step over a lot of branches that had come down, owning to the strong winds we were having ,a lot of them look like dead wood, it appears the wind was pruning the trees . It got me thinking as to why the Lord sends storms into his children's lives, could it be to remove the dead wood in our lives. Our dear Saviour says as much in John 15 ,there are Saviour talks about about Him being the true vine, and His father the gardener.As the gardener he does two things he cuts off the dead wood, that's the branches that are bearing no fruit, He could have been referring to the Jews who bore no fruit CP  Mark 11 v 12 -14 /20 - 21 . But the branch that did bear fruit,the gardener prunes it that it will bear more fruit ,it goes without saying that as a Christian ,there are many things in our lives that hinder us from being as fruitful as we should . So there is only one remedy they need  to be removed,it can be painful,but accepted aright it will produce as Hebrews 12 v 11,says , a harvests of  righteousness and peace. T Wright  writes this,'' The vine - dresser is never closer to the vine ,taking more thought over its long -term health and productivity, than when he has the knife in his hand''.

The few. ( Philippians 4 v 13 / v 19 )

Winston Churchill who spoke of how much the many owed to the few,the few being those very brave young RAF pilots,who did battle with the German air force. In 1 Samuel 14  we read of Jonathan and his armour bearer  facing  a garrison of Philistines,made the decision to attack them. Before he did this he said to his armour bearer, 'Come let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised,it may be that the Lord will act for us; for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few'. There are many example of God giving victory to the few,to even one,over their  enemies,the question is, has he changed?,no He is unchanging unlike you and I. The key to this is, if it is His will,that is  absolute vital , for then nothing is impossible.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         I see the mountains, and I'm afraid,                                                                                                           I see the valley's,and I'm still afraid,                                                                                                         The problems mount up,I've had enough,                                                                                                  My health is bad ,I'm giving up.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Then God He whisper's in my ear,                                                                                                             Remember I'm ever near,                                                                                                                           My supply will not run out,                                                                                                                       So do not fear, do not fear.                                                                                                                          I take the weak,and make them strong,                                                                                                      So do not fear, so do not fear.

Love, compulsory. ( 1 John 4 v 19 -21 )

   Sometimes we find it easier to forgive  sinners than the saints,that is our fellow Christians,all  Christians are saints,but they don't always act very saintly. And yet the challenge is for Christian to love one another,and that is not optional,it is a command by our lovely Saviour,''My command is this; Love each other as I have loved you''.Recently I was angry at a certain person, a Christian,and the Lord said to me,'forgive them for my sake'.We may ask why should I love or forgive that person,especially if they are a Christian they should know better, yes they should,but then we all do things we shouldn't. Jesus spoke to a crowd of religious people who wanted Jesus to agree to a lady who was caught in adultery, to be stoned to death,what did he say? , ''If anyone of you is without sin, let him be first to throw a stone at her'.( Read John 8 v 1 - 11)  Any person who refuses to forgive,who refuses to love,excludes themselves from a forgiving and loving God. ( C P Matthew 6 v 12/  15/  1 John 4 v 8./ v 20 )

Dress code. ( 1 Peter 5 v 5 )

As a preacher I go to churches where they have a dress code,I can  understand that ,and I would try to go along with it. It is when they start to put a spiritual emphasise on it I take exception. When you ask them why one should wear a tie,or why you should not take ones coat off when preaching , you are  told that God expects us to dress in a certain way when we come to minister ,that means wearing a tie. Or they say if  you were going to visit the queen you would not go any old way,let me say this , I dress very nice when I go to preach, because I like to wear those nice clothes that I have bought. but I can assure you God unlike us is not in the least bit interested in how I am dressed when I stand and preach, think about it,when a person stands up to preach without a tie on ,God says how awful he hasn't got a tie on ,I will strike him with a thunderbolt,does He expects me to bless his ministry dressed like that, I will not do it.I wonder how the greatest of prophets would have said to that,dressed with clothes made of camel's hair. (  Matthew 3 v 4 )                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              1 Samuel 16 v 7                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The Lord does not look at the things man looks at                                                                                   Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord                                                                                 looks at the heart.''

Pray on. ( Luke 18 v 1 )

While all Christians know the importance of prayer,there are times when for different reasons, some quit praying, of course there are reasons why that its so.Our dear Saviour was aware of this,so He spoke to His disciples and to all who follow Him,He said that ,'they should always pray and not give up'. (Luke 18 v 1 ) It was dear William Cowper who wrote,'When we don't pray, we quit the fight,prayer keeps the Christian armour bright, and Satan trembles , when he see's the weakest saint upon there knee's'. Dear Christian don't give up on prayer, pray when things are  hard ,pray when things don't happen,pray when your sad,pray when you have failed,pray when you succeed, pray when you don't feel like it,let not  negative feelings stop you praying,dear fellow Christian, pray.                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Oh how prayer helps the weary,                                                                                                                Prayer will change the night to day,                                                                                                          So when life gets dark and dreary ,                                                                                                            Don't forget to pray.                                                                                                                                            ( Words by M.A.Kidder )                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

A prayer ( Matthew 6 v 9 - 13 )

                                                             Proverbs   30 v 7 - 9 )                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             ''Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before                                                                       I die; Keep falsehood  and lies far from me;give me neither                                                                     poverty  nor riches,but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise                                                             I may have too much  and disown you and say,' Who is the                                                                     Lord?. Or I may become poor and steal  and so dishonour                                                                       the name of my God.'                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Let us consider this wonderful prayer,it is request that God would save him from the pitfall that we all have to face .He realises the  sinful tendencies of his sinful heart,let none of us underestimate how easy it is to fall into sin. We are beset by many evils in the world,and the worse evil is our wicked hearts,The words of the Lords prayer sum it up,'Deliver us from all evil  .' ( Matthew 6 v 13 )Next he prays that he may avoid the extremes of life,he does not want to win the lottery  ,but he also does not want poverty, who does?.Both riches and poverty have there pitfalls.,riches can easily cause us  to forsake God,poverty  can put pressure on us, to compromise . We need to take these warnings very serious ,or we may land up in serious trouble.