God Cares.( Matthew 25 v 31-46)

 In the land of Uganda there is a ,'Child Health Education and Rehabilitation Unit,'it is for special needs  children,it also has a strong emphasis on Christian witness.The name of this work is ,'ACHERU', the following is in brackets  (Afaayo,meaning God cares) One of the ways we know God cares is by God's children caring for others.It is not for the selective few to care for others,it is for all of us ,we should all be good Samaritans, good neighbours,and our lives should be full of Good works.(Matthew 5 v16);Let me just remind you that our good works have nothing to do with our salvation,the only work that saves us is Christs finished work on the cross. (Ephesians 2 v 8- 9)Verse 10 tell us that ,'we are God's handiwork',yes every bit of it,we are his new ceation ( 2 Corinthians 5 v 17) v10 goes unto to say that we have been,'created in a Christ Jesus to do good works,which God has prepared in advance for us to do'. How far in your list do good works fit in? our Christianity should have some degree of  good works ,It is James that stresses  that faith without works is dead,they are evidence that our faith is genuine (James 1v 18)So ask yourself what good works has God prepaered for you to do?

Unchanging one. ( Isaiah 41 v 10 )

I read this recently ,'The idea that, 'God is ever consant', these words signify His unchanging nature,   meaning His character,promises,and perfect being are immutable and eternal'. In Hebrews 13 v8 we read,' 'Jesus is the same yesterday,today and forever',and in Malachi 3v6 we read,'For I the Lord do not change', Linked together we see the Lord of the OT and the Lord of the NT are the same,a clear declaration of the diety of Christ,He is as one person puts it,'A foundation in a changing world'. Our dear Saviour said He would always be with us,that will never change.He will be us in the bad times,in our lonliness,in our failures,in times when we feel unloved,in our poverty,in our sorrow,when we are hurting. He tells us that He will be with us every moment of every day,not just be with us,but to help us,to undertake for us,care for us and love us,he will not turn to be changeable,no that's what we do,we are not consant,He is,he will never change.

Listening and doing. ( Matthew 7 v24-27)

 In most homes  we have mirrors,some Christian monastic communites  don't have mirrors they did this to combat vanity.I think I will get rid of my mirrors,every time I look in the mirror I see some old man, it surley can't be,I stopped asking who is the fairest in the land years ago,I never did get an honest answer from it .So lets turn away to something more profitable,to what James has to say, lets consider  1 v 22-25,  'Do  not merely listen to the word,and so deceive yourselves.Do what it says. ' It is not enough to say  ,that was a nice sermon,or I like that preacher,and not recognise the importance that just being a  hearer of what we have heard,and not putting that into practice.James further says, 'Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in mirror and after looking at himself,goes away and  immediately forgets what he saw'.It seems absurd that anyone could do such  a thing,but they do,let  us remember what Jesus told us in Matthew 7 v26-27,there He warns all of us against failing to do what He told us to do will bring serious consequences In James 1v25  we are told that those who act on what God has said will be truly blessed.

                                                   'To obey God's word it is better than

                                                    sacrifice,and it's also  rewarding'

                                                  

Anxiety. ( Psalm 23 )

 I must confess as I grow older I get a bit more stressed, a bit more anxious, especially as regards driving,Im all right locally,but I let my wife do the long distant driving. One could feel condemned and even judged by saying about being anxious,but I'm encouragd by what David wrote in Psalm 139 v 23 ,'Search me,O God,and know my heart; Try me, and know my  anxieties'Surely one would think that David the great warrior,the giant slayer would not be anxious about anything,but he was. It is not a sin to be anxious,it is what you do with your anxiety,that matters,remember God is not standing over us condemning us. When Moses was called by God, he was very anxious (Exodus 3), in Philippians 4 v 6-7,the apostle Paul writes.' Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known   unto God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus'.

                                                           'Take your anxieties to Him'

                                            

Grit ( Hebrews 13 v5-6)

A writer in one of my devotionals ,speaks about having grit,he gives examples of people who showed grit. One person describes grit as a combination of passion and perseverance,over a long time,decades, even for a life time. That sense of keeping ,right on to the end of the road,in spite of  all the difficulties,and obstacles one has to face. So that's it? , there is more to it than that,hear is what Moses said to God,'If your prescence does not go with us,do not send us up from here (Exodus 33 v 15)His  prescence makes all the difference.My youngest son was about to have a serious operation,he confessed that he was scared,so I texted him the words of Isaiah 41v 10,the opening words read,'So do not fear,For I am with you,' those words helped him.Yes me need grit ,but above all else we need His reassuring presence with us.Fanny Crosby wrote a lovely hymn, hear are two verses.

                                                     ' I must  have the Saviour with me,

                                                       For I dare not walk alone;

                                                       I must feel His prescence with 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'

His kingdom come. ( Matthew 6 v 9-13)

I am just about to read another book called,'Fall of Civilizations', their  greatness and decline , I hope I am going to enjoy it.Think of the 'Babylonian Empire' it  lasted about 300yrs,the Roman  Empire lasted about 500yrs. the British Empire lasted nearly 400yrs.Hitlers third Reich lasted for 12 yrs in stead of the 1,000 yrs that Hitler declared.These are just a few examples of the many empires that have been and have gone,they had all this in common,a beginning and an  ending. In 2 Corinthians 4 v 14 ,we are told that what is seen is temporary,that includes kingdoms.There is a kingdom that will have no end, it is the Kingdom of God,in  Daniel 7 v 27 we read ,'His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,and in Luke 1 v33,an angel  declared 'His kingdom will never end.' Rulers of earthly kingdoms are but brief players on the stage of history,as we all are.But the Kingdom of God is everlasting  and the one who rules that kingdom is none other than the eternal Son of God. Let us rejoice in the glorious future that we God's children will have in that eternal kingdom.

One day at a time . (Galatians 6 v 9-10)

 John Harrison said ,'Live everyday as if its your last,each day is a gift;' yes its a good reminder ,but the Christian does not stop there,life here is very important, it is gift from God,for in Him we live and move and have our being,as Christians we are to live each day to the glory of God.Remember our deeds and our words follow us into eternity,how will they be judged CP 1 Corinthians 3 v 10-15.There the Christian is not being judged for their sins,but the true nature of all that we have done,it speaks of  rewards v14.We are to live everyday in the light of Christ's coming,we know not the day or the hour of His coming. The world, the unsaved are in for an awful surprise,the Christ they opposed,the Christ they hated,the Christ of  their own making,yes there are mulitudes who will see not a prophet but a Saviour,but He will not be their Saviour he will be their judge .Yes each day is a gift, and that gift is from God,lets not waste it,every day opens opportunities,to do good,to encourage and  help someone,there is an old song goes,

                                                       'If I can help somebody ,as I pass along

                                                        If I can help somebody with a word or song

                                                        If I can help somebody,from doing wrong

                                                         No, my living shall not be in vain'.

                                                                  Words Alma.B. Androzzo