Our greatest need ( Hebrews 4 v 14 - 16 )

In Mark 6 v 49 ff  we read that Jesus sends his disciples in a boat to go over the lake of Galilee,our Saviour left them,and went up a mountainside ,for a much needed time of prayer. We do not have to go up a mountain to pray,Jesus choose to,what we do need to do, is pray. If you are to busy to pray then you are to busy,in this world with all its pressures  ,what do we need ? to pray.We need to stop making excuses,and pray,for it is in prayer we gain strength,wisdom,guidance,and all we need for life,it is in prayer that we are acknowledging our dependence on God. If we go in our own strength we will fail,it is all so simple but very ,very true,we need to pray, to live in the spirit of prayer,to call on God continually,to talk to Him. Let us remember that it is through our great high priest that we come in prayer,not through an earthly priest,or a so called saint,or through Mary, we just need Jesus,He is enough,more than enough. ( John 14 v 6 )

Wait ( Jeremiah 1 v 6 - 9 )

In an imperfect world it is hard to know what do ,it is hard to know should one raise one's voice ,or to stay silent.My mother used to say 'whatever you say, say nothing', If you say nothing things will just continue on, you say something things may get worse,you end up being attacked,causing division,hurt,pain ,misunderstanding, and yet things may ,I say may ,get better. I admire Martin Luther King,JR, his courage,and yet if he had not acted and not spoken out ,things would not have changed,and he would not have lost his life.,likewise Gandhi ,When Martin was in prison ,a newspaper was slipped to him, in it was an article by 8 clergymen, they  criticized what he was doing,saying what he was doing was unwise and untimely.One of the things he said  about this was,'For years I have heard the word''Wait'' ,it rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity This ''Wait'' has always meant ''Never''......We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights'. And so he went on following His dream,the waiting time was over,the fight continued,

Take it seriously ( Psalm 126 v 5 )

I have not read much about Saint Columba, but right away I would point that all Christians are saints, many translations use the term 'Holy Ones'. Well so we will call  him Columba he was reckoned to be of noble birth,a grandson of an Irish king. He went to the Isle of Iona ,and formed an abbey,and from there the gospel spread,all over Scotland and to places afar.The Abbey was a place of much prayer,here is what he said about prayer,'The measure of  your prayers is when tears come'.There is a saying ,'I often say my prayers , but do I pray?'.Our Saviour spoke of the danger of praying,that it can become just vain  repetition ,many people say the Lords prayer and it is just vain repetition. As one who prays I often concerned that my prayers will not be vain repetition,the word vain is important,it highlights the importance of praying from the heart ,not just from the mouth. Words are so easily spoken,in a thoughtless manner especially when we pray,   or when we sing a hymn.I am not trying to discourage anyone from praying,it is vital when we pray,that we take it serious , God will honour our prayers ,when we offer them  in faith,and humility, and yes and with a few precious tears.

Stained with tears ( Lamentations 1 v 12 )

Returning to the boy who as a man discovered the Bible he had as a boy, it was crumbled and torn,and that the worst ravages were in the passages relating to the Passion,stained that might have been from tears.The Passion of our Lord would indicate deep emotional feelings,such was the experience of our blessed Saviours,no one has ever experienced such depths of heart breaking emotion,that in that garden of Gethsemane were his soul was overwhelmed with  grief. Jesus knew the depths of suffering that awaited Him,and as He wrestled in prayer, His sweat fell like drops of blood  to the ground.Then we move unto  the cross,and we are not underestimating his physical suffering,which left him with a body,disfigured beyond that of any human being,and his form marred beyond human likeness,as people looked on Him they were appalled ( Isaiah 53 v 14 ).But that's not all,it goes deeper, for the God of Love, will not excuse the guilty (Exodus 34 v 7 ),and all will be judged ,for we are all sinners. I hesitate to mention what that judgement  means,but I will not take any pleasure in mentioning hell,but with great sadness,I must.may God forgive anyone who delights in mentioning hell,the place of the unforgiven,that place of no hope,and no escape. I will not go any further,enough to say, it is clearly taught in the Bible.  Let us return to Christ and what I would call , Christs hidden suffering, this involved Christ taking the punishment for all those who accept Him as Saviour,the depths of that suffering goes beyond anything we could ever imagine,we have but a glimpse of it,when Christ cried out,'My God, my God,why have you forsaken me?. But praise God all who trust Jesus as Saviour will never experience ,being forsaken by God. In considering Christs death ,one wonders why there are not more tear stains on the pages of our Bibles.

Now it is permanent. ( Matthew 18 v 3 )

I read of a boy who acquired a Bible ,he read it mostly in secret,he kept it hidden in a brown paper  cover so no one would know what he was reading.But he read it a lot and would  mark some passages that impressed him,and moved him.Years later as a man he comes across this Bible among his books and notes how crumbled and torn it was,and how the worst ravages are in the passages relating to the Passion- there,stains that might be from tears. I often think we underestimate young peoples desire for God,after all does not our blessed Saviour tell us that we need to become as little children. Looking back in my life as very young  boy, I had a spiritual experience when  I realised that God was my Father,then at a children's meeting staying behind  and asking Christ as my Saviour. Looking back ,I at times connected with God although not on a permanent bases,one wishes that it had been more permanent. If only, but one cannot change the past,with all it flaws and so many things that make me  ashamed,but I believe that something of those spiritual encounters remained with me,until one Sunday evening 56 years ago I came into ongoing permanent relationship with my heavenly Father through Christ my lovely Saviour.

Yesterday ( Psalm 147 v 3 )

I  wrote this little poem,don't be to hard on me,or to critical ,so hear goes, ' I love you less today,Than the love of yesterday,I love you less today,For love has ebbed away. I loved you more yesterday,Now I'm poorer than yesterday,So sad to loose the love of yesterday,And all because I love you less, than the love of yesterday'.There was a time when divorce was rare,but not now it appears that people are falling out of love more often.Nat King Cole sung a lovely song,the first verse goes,'When I fall in love,it will be forever. In a restless world like this is.Love is ended before it's begun.And to many moonlight kisses. Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun'. I  suppose those two things I have written, sum up life for many,why?,it is the human situation,we live in a broken world,people are crying out for love, and to be loved. Is there an answer ?,yes ,so were do we start?,we can start with one who knows us, God.  Consider when I speak of God, I am talking about the God of love. He knows that we are broken,He knows everything,and through Christ He offers us love,yes we can stay the way we are,it is our choice. Why not ask Him into your life and accept Christ as your Saviour. Then God becomes your loving heavenly Father, He will love you,that does not mean that He will accept everything you do,He will, as all loving Fathers do ,chastise you,He will be with you in every trial ,He will be near you at all times,when you pray He will listen,and answer,in a way that is best.You will always be loved even in your failures,and your successes .Look at the cross, see Jesus dying for sinners,that's means you and me,that is the extent of Gods love, for us all ,we broken things.

Trust ( Joshua 1 v 9 )

One of the most precious things in any relationship is trust,a child automatically trusts its parents, but when a parent abuses that trust,it can affect a child for the rest of their lives. Many marriages end because trust has been broken by the wife or husband,some marriages survive ,but it is hard to win back that trust .When a promise is broken, things can fall apart, yes trust is important,in any relationship When it comes to our relationship with God ,trust is vital, I know I can trust God,he will never let me down. When difficulties arise the most important thing is to trust in the Lord,though your heart may be pounding,  and you can't sleep,we are called to trust him,to trust Him when the way is dark, when you don't know which way to go,or what to do,it is then that we are called to trust Him whatever we are facing.Here is the important thing we need to remind ourselves , that God can be trusted, nothing can  stop him,from keeping his word.Hear is a prayer  ,'Dear loving heavenly father ,my heart is weak, help me to trust you,my heart is full of fear,help me to trust you, as I look back,I thank you ,that you have never failed me,and I praise you, that you never will ,in Jesus name I ask this Amen.'