Little providences. ( 1 Kings 17 v12 -14 )

 I read this recently,'Little providences make big differences', I remember getting a puncture I hadn't changed a wheel for along while,and a man passing by took over and changed it for me,a little providence. As I look back on my life I see God intervening in small ways.God does that,it was a lost donkey that brought Saul in contact with Samuel ,and what followed was ,Saul became Israels first king.I remember many years ago we had absolutely no money,and we had two commemorated Churchill coins given us a few years previous by my wife's aunt,so we cashed them in.A similar case arose,we were living by faith, no money,but I had a bought a trombone a few years earlier,so we were able to sell it and get some money for food. I had tried many places to get into Christian ministry, I saw in a Christian magazine a church advertising for a minister,and lo and behold I got the job. During my time at Bible college we lived by faith that meant trusting God for our needs, we did not get a grant, during that time there was man in the church we attended called Jackie Dunbar ,and during that time he give me on a regular bases two pound .We should think of Gods providence continually , even in those,'little  providences' ,they can make a difference,yes a very big difference.

Repentance (Luke 19 v 35 - 43

Cruden's writes the following about repentance,'Repent or repentance is used of regret  and sorrow for having done some deed. It is not always used for godly repentance,which means such sorrow as shall cause a complete change of action. Judas repented of his betrayal of Jesus,(Mat 27 v 8 ), but did not change his life.When it is used in regards to God it is in a figure of speech,which speaks of Him almost as if human; and since his actions are changed,attributes to Him the feelings in a man, would cause such a change'.Repentance is very important, it would be evidence by change. an abuser would stop abusing,a thief would stop thieving,take the example of Zacchaeus mentioned in Luke 19,he had an incounter with Christ,he was a hated tax collector,those tax collectors would exploit their position,making people to pay more than they should,but getting to know Jesus changed all that,he had Jesus as a guest in his home. We read that he stood up and said,'Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything I will pay back four time the amount'.'True repentance goes beyond a merely emotional response'. (Davis)

Death. ( 1 Corinthians 15 )

I had a birthday recently I was 79 ,my oldest son gave me a present of two books,one of them was called,'This Mortal Coil, a history of death'. I wonder if he is trying to tell me something?. One thing it did do was make me give up smoking, I joke I do not smoke, it made me laugh.Of course death is not  a laughing matter, but it is inevitable,but humanity is doing all they can to hold it back. I am reminded of the story how King Canute (who was also called Canute the great) is reputed to have tried to stop the tide come in, of course he didn't do that, he was a Christian, he was seeking to show were real power lay ,in God alone.In Revelation 1 v 18 we read of Jesus who holds the key of power of death and hell.Yes we cannot hold death back ,it will happen,what then? There are two destinies heaven or hell,we don't have to go to hell,and we can most certainty can go to heaven..When we trust Christ our sins are forgiven,and we are given eternal life, so it means when we die, we shall live again,in that wonderful future he has prepared for all those who trust Him.

Thy will be done. ( 1 John 5 v 14 - 15 )

I get so tired of seeing these wicked false religious people, sucking money out of people,and claiming miraculous healing which don't happen. So many desperate  dear people being deceived ,no words can describe the awfulness of these people who will eventually be dealt with by God,make no mistake about it ,it will happen. Those awful  people would nearly convince you to believe that miracles don't happen,but just recently I was  talking to a dear brother in  Christ recently,this brother is a very spiritual man.  He shared with me an experience in relation to his father,his father had cancer, he had many serious operations,but to no avail.One day a member of his family phoned him asking him to go to his father, as he was feeling awful. When he went to his father he found him standing very agitated,complaining of the terrible pain he was in, an ambulance was coming, so he told his father to get a few things. While his father was doing that, he cried unto God for him,and at that his father came back,and as he did he bumped into his son accidently. His father cried out, whats that?,then he said all my pain is gone,and it was. Now the thing is he was not healed of his cancer,but his pain had gone. 

                                                   '  In His will all things are possible.'

Meaning ( John 1 v1-5 )

 Is that all there is?,we are born ,live how many years and then we die, and that's it!, I have just finished reading a book  called,' Life change',in it 16 men tell their extraordinary stories.Those 16 people would as you would expect come from various backgrounds,a number of them were involved in crime ,drugs violence,but one was an entertainer ,another was an adventurer.The common denominator was they had no meaning to their lives,some had plenty of money,non of them believed in God.The question is what changed them?,what transformed their live?,or  should I say who changed them?. Let us ask the question first ,what is the meaning of life ?, why do we exist?, why? yes why?. Most live especially in our western society ,at a physical,and material level,that's it, so many are content to live at that level.But if for a moment we think about life at a deeper level, we may begin to ask the question ,surely there is more to life than this. People put a lot confidence in science, but they do not have the answer to the meaning of life.On a personal level ,there was a time when I had got away from the Lord ,and to me there didn't appear to much meaning to life,we are just here because of supposedly a freak accident,following a big bang.and planet earth with all the variety of life just happened of its own accord. Well thankfully like those 16 men  I found the answer in God through Jesus,we often here people say,that Christ is the meaning of Christmas He is , but He is more than that,He is the meaning of life.To get to know Him one must accept Him as their Saviour, and then all things will fall into place.

A word in season. ( Proverbs 15 v 23 )

 It was Charles Spurgeon's first year of ministry in London, Cholera struck. One family after another called Spurgeon to the bedside of loved ones and almost daily he stood by a grave. At first Spurgeon  threw himself into his visitation of the sick with all his youthful vigor. Soon , however, ''weary in  body, and sick at heart'', he began to think he was about to succumb. He was on the great Dover road dragging himself home from a funeral when a large broadside posted in a shoemaker's window arrested his attention .It did not look like a trade announcement, nor was it, it was a quotation from Psalm 91 v10 which read,  'Because thou hast made the Lord , which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee, neither  shall any plague come nigh dwelling'. These words greatly encouraged Spurgeon, and he appropriated them by faith.He felt refreshed and secure,and carried on his visitation of the dying, in a calm and peaceful spirit'.

Idols. ( Exodus 20 v 2 -4 )

 I was watching a popular TV program called the,'Antique Roadshow', one man had brought two wooden idols,to have them valued,he  said they had spiritual significance. When he was told  what they  were worth ,he said ,'I am not selling them, I am keeping  then to protect my home'. In relation to idols we read the following in Psalm115 ,they are made by human hands.they have mouths,but cannot see. They have ears,but cannot hear, noses ,but cannot smell. They have hands , but cannot feel,feet but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats.Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them'. Some idols were made of silver or gold, that did not change anything,they had no power to do anything, Even Socrates spoke of them with contempt, yet people did and still do,trust in such things.In making the point of the uselessness of idols, the Psalmist exhorts Israel ,to trust in the Lord,He will help and protect them,for He alone is the living God,in Him alone is there salvation through Jesus.So get rid of your lucky charms,and if are trusting in a wooden idol ,burn it,a stone idol, take a hammer to it, if money is your idol or any other thing is your idol ,forsake them and turn to the living God.

                                                      The dearest idol I have known,

                                                      Whate'er that idol be,

                                                      Help me to tear it from Thy throne

                                                      And worship only Thee.

                                                              W. Cowper.