Remind me Lord. ( John 21 v 15 )

Psalm 24 v1 reads 'The earth is the Lord's,and everything in it,the world all who live in it '.These words should reminds us that we are but custodians ,of what we possess.Yes we use the word mine,and some sense that is  true,but it is not the whole. The verse we read  tells the full story,as regards in this world ,which includes every human being,that everything belongs to God.Those possessions we have,everything is on loan,Job had to learn that lesson, he had seven sons and three daughters,he lost them all,he was very wealthy,he lost it all,he was very healthy but that changed .( Job 1 ) Consider all that happened to him,he said,'Naked I came from my mothers womb,and naked I shall depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away,and then he adds,'May the name of the Lord be blest'. (1 v21 )The cry of many is,mine,mine, mine,and God say's no , they are mine,I own everything ,yes everything,So let us a remember to thank God for ever blessing,and acknowledge Him for every good and perfect gift. Someone said that one of their favorite descriptions of stewardship is,''When God gives you a gift,hold it loosely''. I  understand that statement to mean  that whatever God gives us in not exclusively for our benefit, but is intended for the whole family of God'.

                                        'Dear God and Father we thank you for every gift we possess,

                                        but if I forget that they are just loaned to me,remind me Lord,'

                                                                   

If only ( Hebrews 12 v 1 - 2 )

 As one looks back on ones life,there are many 'if only's', if only I had done better at school I could have got a better job.if only I had kept following the Lord when I was young.I had a reasonable singing voice, if only I could have developed it more.I played two musical instrument in my time,but not very well,if only I  had got training, and improved that gift.Yes we can all look back and say if only,so many people  get trapped in that mind set, yes the past,'if only's', rule our lives and not for the best. we say if only I had not been born into that family ,in that country,in that neighbourhood, if only I had not had that accident,yes, if only. Here is what a wise man said,'The past is not a place of residence,but a place of remembrance'.The thing is we will always remember our past,but we must not let our  past to imprison us. There was a great man who had a wonderful future,he had a wonderful education,but he gave it all up,when Christ became his Saviour ,and so he went on to serve Him.Many years later he wrote,

                                                    'But one thing I do ; forgetting what lies 

                                                     behind and straining forward  to what 

                                                     lies ahead, I press on toward  the goal 

                                                     for the prize of the upward call of God

                                                     in Christ Jesus.

                                                                (Philippians 3 v 13 - 14 )

The Mighty Grasp. ( Philippians 2 v12-13 )

 I read this in one of my daily readings,a verse from a poem by John Campbell Sharp,called ,'The Mighty Grasp',  

                                                'Let me no more my comfort draw

                                                 From my frail hand of thee;

                                                 In this alone rejoice with awe,

                                                 Thy mighty grasp of me! '

Jesus said ,' Without Me you can do nothing', that does not mean we shouldn't do nothing?,no, it means that in all our doings there must be a continual dependence on our Saviour. That means every day and every hour of everyday He will be our strength and helper,everyday it must be more of Him and less of us.In Philippians 2 v12 ,the Christians are called to ,'work out their salvation  with fear and trembling',now we are not told  to work for our salvation ,salvation is not a merit salvation ,it is not our merits that save,it is the merits of Christ that saves.Alec Motyer writes the following,that working out involves ,'obedience, responsibility,and sensitivity'.That is our work ,but let us remember God is at work v 13 ,for God the Holy Spirit is with us,to hold us up,without Him we could do nothing but fail,may we draw great comfort from that,and let us rejoice with awe,in His mighty  grasp of you and me.

Unworthy ( Romans 5 v 6- 11)

 I have a friend who becomes frustrated when he hears how some Christians are seeing great blessing ,even miracles,I have known my friend for a long time and he struggles with various difficulties,at this time he is suffers from panic attempts. I suppose there are people who would judge him I don't ,I have not walked in his shoes,I do pray for him and his wife who struggles with him,but loves him,and indeed I love them both.Bill Gaither wrote the following,'I believe help thou my unbelief', I take the finite risk of trusting as a child,I believe, help Thou my unbelief. I walk into the unknown trusting all a while,I long so much to feel the touch,that others seem to know.Yet should I never feel a thing,I claim Him even so. I walk into the unknown trusting all the while'.I somehow identify with those words with my friend,for over 40 years, he has walked with Christ,struggling with so many things.you see it is not feelings that bring us through, it is faith in God, who chooses those who are weak.I know a lovely lady who had a terrible time growing up ,yes she has had her struggles, she knows the Lord,and I believe the Lord loves her,and I love her to.Let us remember we can't see our invisible God, but He sees us,and knows us  like nobody else  ,and here is the wonder of it all,'He loves us'.

                                        'Why me Lord,what have I ever done to deserve such love?

                                          and He answered and said  , the cross was not for those who

                                          think themselves worthy'.

He is with you. (Matthew 28 v 20 )

It was David Livingstone  who prayed,'God send me anywhere! Only go with me. Lay any burden upon me,only sustain me'. What a challenging prayer, would you pray it?, would I pray it?. It is a good question,think what he was praying,to go anywhere.I remember offering to go to Brazil,to the interior,a place that was known as the green hell .That meant taking my wife and children , but God didn't permit me to go, and I certainly would not have wanted to go if the Saviour was not with me. It was Moses who said to God,' If your presence does not go with us,do not send us from here', (Exodus 33 v15) In verse v 14, God had said ,'My presence will go with you',Moses was expressing his relief at what God had said,Is it not a relief child of God to know that the Lord is with you,as one man comments,'Safety does not consist in absence of danger but in the presence of  the Lord'.Wherever you are,whatever you are facing at this time,the Lord is with you,the Psalmist could say,'Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me'.  ( Psalm 23 v4 ) As you lay your head down on your pillar tonight,rest assured that He who never slumbers or sleeps is watching over you,and is with you.

                             'I must have the Saviour with me,for I dare not walk alone,

                             I must feel His presence near me, and His arm around me thrown.

                             Then my soul shall fear no ill; let Him lead me where He will,

                             I will go without a murmur,and His footsteps follow still.

                                                         Words Fanny Crosby.  

9

Her heart was still. ( John 21 v 15 )

 In Genesis 19 we read how God was going to judge Sodom and Gomorrah for their sinful behaviour, which  included homosexuality. God revealed what He was going to do to Abraham,now Lot and his family lived in Sodom, and Abraham pleaded with God to shew mercy to those cities if  there were at least ten righteous people in them, God assured him if there were ten righteous people in the cities He would not destroy them.God earlier had sent three heavenly visitors,these visitors went and warned Lot and his family to leave Sodom, his son- in- laws refused to leave but they didn't take it serious,so they stayed.Times have not changed so many refuse to accept that God who is the righteous judge,will judge humanity for their sinfulness. That's because they do not accept the seriousness of their sin ,be that as it may,God  has provided a way of salvation  ( John 3 v16),and for those who refuse that way,will be Judged. (John 3 v 36) Now back to  Lot and his family, they were told to flee for their lives,but don't look back.So the judgement began and we read ,'Lots wife looked back', and she was turned into a pillar of salt.I wonder why she looked back?.I come from Ireland but I live in England,and I am happy where I live, but there are many exiles who through their song indicate a longing to go back'Lots wife was leaving Sodom and Gomorrah,but her heart was still there.So it is we  cannot follow Jesus when our hearts are somewhere else,it is all or nothing.

                                                                         A Prayer

                               'Lord I give you my heart,I give you my soul to live for You alone,

                                Every breath that I take,every moment I'm awake,Lord have your

                                way in me'

                                                                   Words Hillsong.

                                                            

The Bread of life. ( John 6 v 25ff)

 I was a visiting a friend and he told how a friend give him a loaf of bread he had made,he described the bread as being the most loveliest bread he ever tasted.He went on to say if he had that bread regular, he would live to a 150.His wife was present and I don't think she wanted that to happen,we all laughed  at the idea.  Bread has been called the staff of life,in other words it is very important to many people to sustain life. When Jesus performed the miracle of feeding over 5000 people with bread and a few fish,they  flocked after Him,seeing him as the local food bank. He explained to them a greater truth,a spiritual truth,He reminded them  how God fed their ancestors with manna in the wilderness yet they died.Then He goes  on to say that He was the true bread of life that has come from heaven,and if they accepted Him into their lives by faith they will live not for a 150 years but for ever. We who have have taken Him who is the bread of life into our lives are very privileged,but with privilege comes responsibility,In Matthews account of this miracle (14 v 13ff) Jesus said to the disciples as to the feeding of the multitudes,'you give them something to eat',untold millions have never heard the gospel,we need to reach them and feed them the Bread of life, Jesus.