Small requests. ( Psalm 37 v 4 )

I am sure we all have a favourite food,which we really love,I have a favourite bread, Irish brown soda bread,also known as wheaten bread.Now only one store sells the particular brand that I really like,but alas they only  keep it occasionally.Well as they say absent makes the heart grow fonder,so I usually buy a couple of loves, when they are in stock ,and put one in the freezer.I don't have to share this bread, thank goodness,as I am the only one in my home who likes it. Well the store recently had not stocked it for a while,and would you believe it, I spoke to God about it ,asking him that the store would get some in,and low and behold,it did, to my delight. Oh some people say ,we shouldn't bother God  about such things,such trivia,they may even think that one is being disrespectful ,not so,He the God of the greater things,yes He is,but He is also the God of the small things Matthew 10 v 29.I once read when Spurgeon's wife was ill and confined to bed,she told her husband that she had asked God, for two little song birds,and God answered, Spurgeon  jokingly said that she was God's spoilt little child. Child of God ,he loves us so very much ,and delights to answer even ,our smallest request.

Troubles their are many. ( Psalm 31 )

 David that man after Gods heart ,lived a very challenging life from dangers as a shepherd boy ,were bears and lions roamed,to facing a giant, and being hunted and hounded like a wild animal,by King Saul.In his later life his own son Absalom, sought to kill him,and so we could go on,how did he survive?.We will come to that,the good that came out of Davids life is his writings,writings inspired by Gods Spirit .Of course the  Psalms are a wonderful example of this. consider how they have blessed so many people.Psalm 31 is such an example ,again he is writing out of a life threatening situation,Unlike the many surrounding nations,who worshipped worthless idols,his hope he declares was ,'In you,Lord,I have taken refuge',in v 9-10,  he is honest to admit how he feels ,emotionally and physically affected,we may not smile in the storms of life,but we can trust in our God and Saviour, who does not  despise us for our weaknesses,but understands.and feels for us.  Our dear Saviour experienced the trials of life,one person has written,'He ,''co- suffers'',with us'.and encourages us to come to the throne of God with confidence so that we receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 4 v 14 -16.

                                                          '  Ask the Saviour to help you.'

Pray. ( Psalm 107 )

In Psalm 107 we have the ongoing experiences of God's people, in the wilderness,and the Babylonian captivity,being afflicted with sickness, deliverance in a storm,blessings and chastisement,and mercy.The history of the Israel of the OT has a repetition to it,blessing, sinning,chastisement,restoration.I want us to consider the deliverance in a storm v23- 30,sea travel was notoriously dangerous,wind power drove the ships but it also could destroy them.In the storm here mentioned,it was sent by God v25.Why does God send storms into His children's lives?, the fact is, He does for different reasons,sometimes we are not sure why.In the case of  Jonah it was for disobedience,in the case of Paul and Silas in Acts 27, the witness of  Paul ,to those in the ship, To the disciples in Mark 4 v35ff, to challenge them as regards faith ,or the lack of it.In Psalm 107 we read three times,'Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress'. We read that the storm was so bad, they could do nothing,it reads that,' they were at their wits end'. It appeared that they were going to perish, and its only then we read,that they cried unto the Lord, Spurgeon  comments,'Though at their wits end, they had wit enough to pray'.It is never to late to call on God,no matter how dark things look,the Lord answered,'He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed', not only that ,'He guided them to their desired haven'.

                                                                   

                                                                 ' Psalm 50 v15'

                                                 ' Call on me in the day of trouble;

                                                   I will deliver you, and you will

                                                   honour Me'.

                                                   

He is real. ( Luke 4 v 14 - 21 )

 The devil is called the god of this world, he is not a god in essence,but this  he desires more anything else, that people worship him as god.He is barefaced in this we see his brazenness ,when he tempted our Lord to bow down and worship him Matthew 4 v 9.of course our dear Lord,reminded him that God alone must be worshipped, and served. He has more success with fallen humanity, in a moral sense,and in a spiritual sense, history teaches us that.Surely Hitler and Nazism manifested a satanic  influence, also the genocidal tendencies that many in power have manifested. In 2 Corinthians 4 v 4,we read that he blinds the minds of unbelievers, so they will not be saved ,from hell,because his joy is one of destroying humanity.Our Saviour called him the prince of demons, Matthew 9 v34,and the prince of this world,John 16 v11. Often the devil is depicted  by the world as a comical character,but God's Word tells us that he is like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour 1Peter 5 v 8.The vast majority of people don't give much thought as regards him,and of course he is happy with that,he wants people to believe he does not exist.There is much more could be said about him,but the good news is,'The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devils work, 1 John 3 v8, the devils works are manifold and are always evil,and destructive,when we sin we following in father devils footsteps.John 8 v 44/ Eph  2 v 2.John Stott writes ,'in Christ we can escape his tyranny,' when we accept Him as our Saviour.

Too good to be true?. ( Acts 16 v 31 )

 The wonderful truth as regards salvation,it is free, religious observance,good works, can not save a person,it is not a flat pack ,something that we have to assemble ourselves. Most religions are flat packs,in other words you have fulfill certain things to qualify ,to be accepted, and go their special place after death, but even them it appears that there are no guarantee ,that you will make the grade. Here is a wonderful thing the moment one trusts Christ,one is saved, no if's or buts,it seems to good to be true, but it is. Is there a catch?, no,we receive Christ in simple faith,in all our need,repenting of our sin, that means turning away from them. The result will be, your sins will be forgiven.You will receive God's Holy Spirit, who will enable you to live the Christian life . This is possible because Christ paid it all ,through His death on the cross,it is on the bases of what He accomplished on the cross,that is sufficient . 

                                               'God forbid that I should glory,

                                                save in the cross of our Lord

                                                         Jesus Christ.'

                                                       Galatians 6 v14.

                                               

                                            

Our substitute. ( Galatians 2 v 20) 1

I 1 Peter 2 v 24 we read,' He himself bore our sins in His own body on the cross',there are two things I would highlight in that statement ,Christ on the cross was our substitute,in other words he was taken the sinners place.The second thing is ,He was taking the sinners punishment,so let us consider the first ,our Saviour being the sinners substitute.It is Charles Dickens who wrote the novel called ,' A tale of two cities',its setting is French revolution,during the Reign of Terror,under Robespierre,were many people were executed including the King and Queen.In the novel Charles Darny was being held in prison awaiting to be executed,he is married to an English girl,she had a friend who loved her,called Sydney Carton. He made the heroic decision take the place of Charles,and this he did,and so went to the guillotine and died in place of another.So Christ went to the cross in our stead . It is in Romans 5 ,the apostle Paul  writes,'Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this, while we were still sinners Christ died for us'. he follows that up by saying, in our unsaved state we were God's enemies'.It is amazing to think of such love,after all who would die for those who hated and despised Him, Christ did.

                                                    ' Man of sorrows ! what a name

                                                      For the Son of God who came

                                                      Ruined sinners to reclaim!

                                                      Hallelujah! what a Saviour.

                                                      Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

                                                      In my place condemned He stood;

                                                      Sealed my pardon with His blood;

                                                      Hallelujah! what a Saviour.                                                      

                                                      

                                                    

Be discerning. ( Acts 17 v 10 - 12 )

I am going through the whole of the Psalms as my daily reading ,using a devotional commentary , a friend of mine is likewise reading the Psalms,he is not using any commentary.Both are valid ,some proud people tell you don't need books,it seems so spiritual  to say that you just need the Bible.I don't agree , in fact I strongly disagree. The  fact is I am limited, as we all are, and as a minister ,I know that people need to to be taught from God's word.I realise that there people who are preaching ,and writing books,that to say the least are dubious,and doing a lot of harm to people.It is not a new thing,in the OT we read of false prophets, who laid God's people astray, with dire consequences.We are all as Christians  called to be  discerning. CP 1 John 4 v 1-3. Which reads,' Dear friends , do not believe every spirit , but test the spirit to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Then he goes unto tell them how to recognise  who is genuine ,and who is not genuine.The is a major theme throughout the epistle,who is genuine and who is not. John Stott highlights certain things as to how we judge people,' Moral, doctrinal,'social . faith ,love,and holiness.If these things are missing, then  we may ask the question as to there genuineness.  .