Interruptions ( Proverbs 16 v 9)

Just recently my wife and went on a short holiday,we were staying at a holiday home, But when we arrived we were told there was no internet connection. We were a bit upset about it,they said we could come over to the reception which was connected to the inter-net.So I did eventually  go over , there was a young girl called Jada on reception who offered to set it up,I accepted her offer. As she was setting it up,I told her that it was important for me to have the use of my laptop,as I puplished a  Christian  message everyday,then she said,' I would like to be a Christian',so I witnessed to her about Christ,even showed her the daily reading for the day ,I asked her would she like me to pray for her,she agreed with that.She seemed a genuine girl ,I didn't pressure her into making a discision,and so I left it at that.I thought about what had happened  if  I had, had the use of the internet I more likely would  never have been able to witness to that young  girl.Let us all remember God is in control of our lives,are going out and our coming in,those interruptions  we get frustrated with, are in Gods hands.Hopefully what happened will lead to the salvation of that young girl ,now here is your part , pray for that young girl ,that she will come to know Christ as her Saviour.

Minute beings ( Isaiah 40 v 22)

I like where I Iive  ,but one thing I don't like is the fact when one looks up into the heavens,I usally can only see a few stars,because  of light pollution. It must be wonderful to be an astronomer,the universe is so vast,when it comes to distances it is absolutely mind blowing,and the number of stars and planets,only God knows. In the vastness of the universe our little planet is very ,very small,a pin prick,and just imagine how small we are,we are less than pin pricks. And yet we read  that it is this planet and its imhabitants that are very special in God's eyes,as indeed every individual .For every individual in its initial state was the crown of His creation,but it all went awfully wrong,disastrously wrong.Yet is spite of that God still loved them,yes these minute creatures ,would still have a possiblity of being saved,Yes in the great scheme of things,these sinful rebellious creation are not overlooked by a Sovereign God.And so He put into action a plan that would redeem you and I to Himself,by sending Jesus into this world, to be a Saviour for all those who put their trust in Him.

                                            'Yes God so loved these minute beings,

                                             that He gave His only begotten Son

                                             that whoever believes in Him should

                                             not perish but have everlasting life.'

                                       

                                          

                                             

Momey, money,money.( 1 Timothy 6 v 10)

 In the early church,there was published a Christian  document of instructions ,the following was given to travelling apostles' (missionaries) and prophets.Such would need hospitality  ,So here is what was written,'He shall not abide more than one day,or if  there be a need,a second likewise; but if he abide three days,he is a false prophet.And when he departeth let the apostle receive nothing but bread,until he findeth shelter;but if he ask money,he is a false prophet'. It was the apostle Paul who declared,'We do not peddle the word of God for profit'  (2 Corinthians 2 v 17) It is Peter writing to the leaders of the church said 'do not be greedy for money'(2 Peter 5 v2 ) Edmund Clowney writes,' Enemies of the gospel rejoice when scandle brings to light the vast sums garnered by television evangelist in the United States. Even  preachers with a recognizable gospel message discredit their words with aconstant demands for money, money that must pass through their hands to build their empires'.My dear wife who is self employed ,works mainly with the elderly,and she has said to me 'its not just about the money' Although the labourer  deserves their wages,that includes ministers,they should never be exploited,nor also they should never exploit others.

It is a sin to tell a lie (Proverbs 12 v 26)

Sometimes it is hard to know when one is telling the truth,I'm reminded of Walt Disney's  version of Carlo Collodi's book  'Pinocchio'.It was Geppetto the impoverished wood carver who carved Pinocchio out of a block of wood,and it magically became alive.There is point in this lovely story that his nose grows longer when he is speaking to Geppetto because he is telling lies.It is funny and yet  its not funny,our nose may not grow bigger if we tell lies  ,it is more serious than that,it is a sin, and if it is sin then we shouldn't do it.There is a couple in the Acts 5 called Ananias and Sapphira who told a lie which is described  as lying unto the Holy Ghost,and God struck them both down dead.Of course everyone does not get struck down dead for telling lies,otherwise there would be no survivors. Nor does our nose grow longer when we tell a lie,if that where so we would all have long noses. There is something that is impossible for God to do,that is to tell a lie,(Hebrew 6 v18),it is not impossible for us to tell a lie,but may we seek to be more like our loving heavenly Father.

Suffering ( Revelation 2 v 10)

There are many different types of suffering ,it is Peter in his epistle writes of a particular suffering, it was suffering that  the early church would begin to experience, It would begin under the emperor Nero would inflict  upon the church of Christ,so it started on the first century until the 4th century.Of course it has neaver really ceased for up until this day many ,many Christians in many lands are suffering persecution.One may be surprised at that, surely one would think in should not be happening in 21st century.Our Saviour said ,'Blessed are those who are perseuted because of  righteousness,and in John 15 v20 He also said ,' If they persecuted me,they will persecute you also'. Peter who would suffer martyrdom declared to those Christians he was writing to,'Dear friends , do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal  that has come to test you,as though something strange were happening to you'. (1Peter 4 v12) Peter declares their suffering as God testing them,they could escape persecution  if they would deny Christ.In the 2nd century the bishop of Smyrna was arrested and he was brought before the Roman authorities,the proconsul urged him to offer incense to Caesar,he was told 'Take the oath', and I  shall release you. Curse Christ'Polycarp replied, 'Eighty -six years I  have served Him,and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me',and so he was put to death.

                                                                     A prayer

                                     'Lord help us to never deny you,even it means death'

                                                                       Amen

                                                             

I am a new creation. ( Romans 6 v 18 )

 Edmund Clowney writes ,'There are two ways of life. One is determined by the will of God. The other is marked out by the the will of the Gentile nations,what pagans choose to do. The two cannot be blended; no one can serve two masters.'  Nothing is changed ,I  remember 61 yrs ago when I came back to the Lord,I had a very good friend ,we had been friends since we were kids,but from that time on he went his way and I went God's way. Becoming a Christian means you are dying to your old way of life,It is illustrated in Baptism, where we read in Romans 6 v 3. 'All of us who were baptised into  Christ Jesus were baptised into His death.' it unites us with our Saviour in his death',So when you are baptised you are declaring I have died to my old life,no more bad language, sinful behaviour, wrong thought life, bad and sinful habits, we should see ourselves as dead to them. Baptisim speaks of resurrection, that means a life that is different, people will see the difference ,we will not be perfect in our behaviour,we may fall into sin,but we will not walk in sin.John writing to Christians tells them to confess their sins,and God will forgive them. (1 John 1 v 9 )

                                                  'More purity give me,more strength to o'ercome;

                                                   More freedom from earth-stains,more longing for home;

                                                   More fit for the kingdom, more used would I be;

                                                   More blessed and holy,more Saviour ,like Thee'.

                                                                           Philipp Bliss

He knows how we feel. ( Hebrews 4 v 15-16 )

 One of the reasons God sends trials and diffiulties into our lives is that we may better understand other peoples suffering.The best word to describe it, is empathy,which means the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person.One person puts it like this ,'It involves stepping into someone else's shoes and  experiencing their emotions,thoughts and perspectives'.It is  generally felt that many people don't  understand mental illness, its not until they  personally experience mental illness they begin to understand what it means.At this time I am experiencing something different, and I wondered why,the answer that came to me was,now I  know how other people feel who are experiencing what I'm feeling. Consider our Saviour who is not only our Saviour, but our great High Priest,and one the quaifications of  Him  being our High Priest was the fact that as Hebrews 4 v15 tells us,'For we do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses, but we have one  who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet he did not sin'.It can truly be said ,no one understands like Jesus,and that's a great comfort to all of us,you can never say to Him that you don't know how I feel,He does,and He cares.