It is just a matter of faith. [ Hebrews 11v6 ]

In the book by John Blanchard, ,/Does God believe in atheists?/I read the following,/It is certainly not a scientific matter to decide whether or not there is a God/ There are scientist like Richard Dawkins who I am sure is a brilliant scientist who declares that there is no God,he is an evangelistic atheist. Why should a scientist cross over into the area of faith?it appears to me that being an atheist is nothing to do  with science, but simply a case of rejecting the whole concept of faith. When the scientist would say the universe began with a big bang, I would simply have to say,that I believe that in the beginning God created heaven and earth. When the scientist would point to the suffering in the world,I would have to say that I believe that this is a fallen world,a world affected by sin.When the scientist would say that when one is dead, that is it,I would have to say that I believe,in an after life. You see it is a matter of faith that makes me a Christian,not science,not philosophy,not education,but simply faith.Faith in a God ,who sent His son Jesus into the world to die for our sins,and declares have faith in Him.The way of faith does not give us all the answers,but it brings us into a relationship with a God who has all the answers. Hebrews 11v6 ,reads,/Anyone who wants to approach God must believe, that He exists, and that He cares enough to respond to those who seek Him/
A prayer..../Dear God help us to hold fast to the truth,that knowing You, and walking with You is a matter of  faith, we ask this in Jesus name Amen /

What is heaven worth?.[ Matthew 5 v11-12]

Let those will mock and scorn your faith. What is heaven worth if you cannot bear a little shame,so wrote William Gurnall.I am no different than anybody else I like to be accepted,who wants to be thought a religious fanatic,to be ostracized,to be talked about,who wants that,but the fact is in our walk with Jesus we are bound to at times to be mocked ,scorned,and of course it can go further than that,with persecution.This world is not a friend of Grace,consider the words of Christ,/Blessed are ye,when men shall revile you,and persecute you,and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely,for my sake[Matthew5 v11]The servant is not greater than is lord,if they have persecuted Me,they will also persecute you[John 15 v20] It is the way of the cross that leads home, let me repeat this it is the way of the cross that leads home,but our Saviour reminds us,/Rejoice,and be exceeding glad,for great is your reward in heaven[Matthew 5 v12] Remember it is the cross here, and the crown there,whatever degree we may be suffering,it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.
A  prayer..../ Dear Lord grant us grace to bear with the,scorning and mocking of men,help us to daily take up our cross and follow You,and to know that it will be worth it all when we see Jesus Amen /

Good Friday. [ Isaiah 53 ]

The word good is an adjective a describing word, we use it in so many ways,good morning,good bye,good luck,we even use it to describe the Bible calling it the good book.One of my favourite cartoon characters , was Charlie Brown,and he often used the term good grief.He used this term when something would go wrong ,like his unsuccessful kite flying,or when the little girl  pulled away the ball every time he tried to kick it.Good grief,put together it appears a contradictory term, like good Friday ,how can the Christian church celebrate an event so grisly,horrendous,cruel,and horrible?The death of a man dying on a torture rack,called a cross,cannot be in anyway ,surely called good.Yet for all that,as Christians we call it good Friday,firstly because of who died on that cross, and secondly  why He died. Who was He ? He was that long awaited Saviour,the promised Messiah,His name was Jesus,He was unique,He never sinned, and He was the Son of God,the God man.Why then did He die? well on the cross He became a sacrifice for sin,sin that eternal barrier to a holy God,through His death all who believe in Him  receive forgiveness of sins,and so become children of God, so that is why we call it good Friday.
A  prayer......../Dear God we thank You., that You so loved this world  that You gave Your only begotten Son that if we believe in Him we would not perish but have everlasting life Amen /

A message of hope. [John 1 v1-14 ]

Karl Popper said that,/every scientific discover must remain tentative for ever/,John Blanchard sums it up by saying, ,/In true science , the latest word is never the last word/.Yet many scientist speak with an arrogance,that neglects to acknowledge this,it is sad that we hear reports on the news,how that they the scientist are discovering new knowledge as to how the universe began. A big bang ,and somehow everything fell into place,and somehow this little planet,was in the exact right place,for life to come into existence.Then somehow from sludge, life somehow formed,and somehow all the vast variety of life,came into being,and somehow creatures grew their own feathers,somehow ,and so we could go on. I am not saying things don't change, but somehow I cannot accept the impossible is probable,apart from God. Now we owe a lot to science and we should honour them,but only as people with a very incomplete knowledge, they are people who need to show a greater degree of humility,and speak from a position of limited knowledge.I  am a person of very limited knowledge ,but I do not believe in the god of science,or the god of evolution,but I do believe in God who made everything,of mankind who spoilt everything.I believe in God who through His son Jesus has made it possible for all things to be made anew. Easter is a message of hope for all mankind,it tells us that sin can be forgiven,and that even though we die we who have trusted Jesus shall live.
A  prayer....Dear God we come before You in awe and worship,the with whom nothing is impossible,we praise You for the miracle of creation,and the miracle of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen /

Don't be fooled . [ Psalm 30 ]

 In Psalm 30 v 6, David declares,/And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved/.My study Bible comments,/Security had made David feel invincible,he had wealth,power,fame,and this had gone to his head,making him feel self-reliant,self-secure,and independent of God/ This a picture of the world,look at the Hello magazine,where the famously rich,display their wealth,we expect this from the world, but not from a godly person like David. God loved David to much to let such a state of affairs  continue,and so he sent difficulties into his life,it appears he experienced a near death encounter.The end of the psalm v8ff has David crying unto God,the verse in this Psalm that stands out is v5,he writes of Gods anger,yes God is angry with His children at times ,and rightly so,but His anger is not unceasing,His favour will once again be experience.Then we read something that is very instructive to all who are experiencing chastening from God,it will pass, joy will come in the morning.The lessons we learn from this Psalm are,don't be fooled by prosperity,do not let it blind you,do not be so foolish as to place your confidence in temporal things. If we do then God will deal with us,for whom the Lord loveth He chastens.When He deals with us however severely,let us not become bitter,but repent and cry unto Him, if we do ,we will find favour,and emerge out of the darkness of night, into once again a  joyful Christian experience.
A prayer...../Dear God help us value what is most imporant,help us to not loose sight of You,and to always put You first ,in Jesus name Amen /
/I will return to my blog on Thursday, every blessing/

Caleb [ Joshua 14 v6-15]

Let us consider the person of Caleb ,it was he with Joshua who  were spared by God,and of their generation where allowed to enter the promise land.In the Promise land he comes to Joshua who was in charge of the allocation of the land,he wants a particular piece of land.[ We are reading from Joshua 14 v6-15.] The first thing we see in this reading is a man who wholly followed the Lord,that in itself is a tremendous challenge,so many of us have divided loyalties,our Saviour said we cannot serve two masters[Matthew6 v24],we must make our choice.Next Caleb says,/the Lord hath kept me alive [v10],oh yes, see your doctor,take your medication,but remember it is the Lord who keeps you alive[ Revelation1 v18].This man was 85years of age,yet he says, I am as strong this day as I was in  the day that Moses sent me,as was my strength was then,even so is my strength now,for war,both to go out, and to come in.Then he  says give me this mountain,God will grant us the strength  we need for the task He wants us to do.Lastly he declares,if so be that the Lord will be with me,then I shall be able to drive then out.Here is a man of humble dependence on God,yes he had natural strength, he had abilities,he had desire,but success would only come from God.
A  prayer.../Dear God ,grant us to be wholly committed to You, in Jesus name we ask this Amen /

Obedience and faith. [Hebrews 11v1 ]

Consider the words of Hebrews 11v8/By faith Abraham,when he was called to go out into a place which he should receive for an inheritance, obeyed, he went out, not knowing whither he went/  When I felt the call of God on my life , I thought I knew where I was going,I  was wrong, I didn't, one place in particular stands out, a certain mission,I had completed my training,applied ,and never even got an interview,but they did send me word saying that I had not been accepted.Rejected by that mission,but still feeling the call upon my life,so I tried other doors,they all remained shut,but the call remained.Like Abraham I did not know where I was going,but I was called, I believed that with all my heart. Obedience and faith go together ,in a very real sense you cannot have one without the other.Now of course God calls us to do many things,to give ,to take on responsibilities,even to marry,to have children, and it is easy to draw back.Remember what I have said, obedience and faith ,go together,it did for Abraham,and so it is for all Gods children. Gods call we obey,not knowing our way, but faith makes us bold,so wrote the hymn writer.
A prayer...../Dear God we come to You by faith,we ask for grace,to be those who will in faith obey You, in Jesus name Amen /