We dare not ignor it [ Hebrews 9 v 27-28 ]

I've decided to die just after Christmas,so read the words in the news paper,the person who said this has cancer,for which she is being treated for. She has decided that she does not want any more chemo,and so she is letting the natural way do its bit. This dear lady has cancer she wants to call it a day I would not criticize her,it is her decision.Death is the great unmentionable in our society,and yet I heard of a lady who spoke on the phone about her dying,she was very positive about it.She was a Christian,and she felt ready to face death,as a Christian, how positive would I be as regards my own death?..There are those who don't want hear if they have cancer,and are going to die,which is understandable,I am not going to judge them,but to be forewarned is to be forearmed.In other words we have an opportunity maybe for the first time in ones life to prepare for death, and that cannot be a bad thing.Yet as A.Motyer writes ,/life has its own peculiar preciousness which not even the illumination of immortality[2 Timothy1 v10] takes away/.Now that's very true for many reasons,but the fact still remains that we need with an urgency to prepare for death,the question is why and how?.Well the why,the Bible tells us that there is an after death existence,when we will all appear before a holy God who will judge us,we are sinners that leaves us to face His judgement.So that is the why,now the how,that is very simple,by trusting in Jesus all our sins can all be forgiven.
A prayer....../Dear God help us to not bury our head in the sand as regards death,help us to see the need to be prepared when death calls,by trusting Jesus as our Saviour,in His name we ask this. Amen/

He knows us through and through.[ Psalm 139 ]

A.Motyer writes the following in his commentary on Isaiah ,/God the Creator who in the Old Testament originates all,maintains all,controls all  and directs all to the appointed goal.Therefore,to believe in Him is to be assured of safety within this world,to know that present and future are secure in his hands./ We are so fragile,it does not take much to unsettle us,we can so easily find ourselves under the juniper tree like Elijah,filled with fear and despair,feeling sorry for ourselves
I suppose that is what one the things I love about the Bible it tells it how it is,the greatest of the prophets were but men,likewise the greatest of every child of God,this is recorded for our benefit ,recorded for our encouragement. James writing in his epistle informs us about Elijahs weakness,that in spite of this ,he prayed,and God still heard[ cpJames 5 v17-18] Let us learn from this are security and safety and acceptance are in the hands of the God of grace.
A prayer....../Dear God,we thank you that you know us through and through,You know how fragile we are,how inconsistent we are,how fearful we can be,and yet You love us and care for us,we praise and thank You in the name of Jesus name Amen /
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The best is yet to be.[ 1 Corinthians 15 v51-58]

As I grow older I am beginning to loose my teeth,at this moment in time I have an infection in one of my teeth,and of course my hair is white and thinning,I suffer from back ache,it is all downhill from now on.Not really the future is bright, it is the apostle Paul writing about the things he and others were suffering for Christ ,/though our outward man perish,yet the inward man is renewed every day.[2 Corinthians 4v16].The hymn write ,wrote,change and decay in all around I see,yes that is so,but my inward man will not ,decay,in fact says Paul,there is something wonderful happening,I like what my study Bible says,/our very weakness allows the resurrection power of Christ to strengthen us moment by moment/.This happens in our daily communion with our risen Lord[Isaiah 40v29-31],that's why it is vital we do not neglect that communion,and we keep our eyes fixed on future glory,when all things will be made new,that includes a new and incorruptible body.
A  prayer....../Dear God we thank You that the best is yet to be,we have a glorious future ,help us to keep our eyes fixed firmly on Jesus. Amen /

The unchanging nature of God. [ Malachi 3 v6 ]

Isaiah 40 is one of the most wonderful chapters in the Bible,it starts with words of comfort to Gods children,they have been forgiven,but as A. Motyer points out,/it was not just a word expressing comfort and kindliness ,but it is seeking to persuade,inviting them to respond to love/.His people had sinned,God had dealt with them,now he desires to comfort them and restore them,the question is would they respond?.In this chapter we are told of a loving tender God CP,/He shall feed His flock like a shepherd,He shall gather the lambs with His arm,and carry them in His bosom, and shall gentle
lead those who are with young/, contrary to what some people think,God in the OT,is the God of the NT,He is the God of love,whose heart goes out to his creation in love.Those who choose to live outside His love are still invited to embrace His forgiveness in His Son Jesus,and those who have,to rest in His love.A.Motyer writes,/This love is part of the unchanging nature of God,and thus guarantees a continuing relationship come what may/.
A prayer.,,,,,/Dear God of Love we worship You,and praise You,and rest in Your love in Jesus name
Amen./

Misconceptions.[ Romans 8 v26 ]

]In Isaiah  38 we have recorded Hezekiah's sickness,he is told by the prophet Isaiah to put his affairs in order for he was going to die.Consider, we are all going to die,have we put our affairs in order?,are we ready to die?do we know Jesus as Saviour?.Now when Hezekiah hears these words,he is overwhelmed with grief,and so he prays.We read how he reminded God of how he had walked before Him in truth,with a perfect heart,and had did that which was good in His sight.Now God tells Isaiah that he had heard his prayer,and saw is tears[v5]. A.Motyer points out,God alludes only to his tears,
 Hezekiah resorts to a bargaining with God,and fails to see, that the ground on which prayer is answered is not human faithfulness,but the faithfulness of God.His prayer was far from perfect,but as A.Motyer points out,/The Lord in mercy hears our prayers,even when they are based on a false assumption/. So let us learn from this that our relationship with God is based on Grace, not on merit,and that is why in spite of our misconceptions God will be merciful.
A  prayer......../Dear God have mercy upon our foolish misconceptions,and overrule in all things,grant us a clearer understanding of Your perfect will in Jesus name. Amen /

Christ in you the hope of glory. [Colossians 1v 27 ]

Continuing on from yesterday,as regards ,believing determination,and along with that A.Motyer writes,/Hope is the cordial the people of God need to keep them going/.What is that hope firstly,/God,they are told that He will come and save them,on writing about the unsaved, the apostle Paul points out three tragic things in Ephesians 2 v12,that they were without Christ....having no hope,and without God in the world.What a hopeless state  they were in, the scripture tells us,/if in this life only we have hope,we are of all men most miserable/[1 Corinthians 15v19].One commentator points out,that in the Roman catacombs[were many Christians were buried,or in tombed] hope the commonest inscription.There is no such word on the tombs of the heathen dead/Only  through knowing Christ as ones Saviour is there hope,apart from Him there is only loss,and despair.With  Him the future is bright,as we march on into eternal Glory,one has said it is glory here and glory there.
A prayer....../Dear God the God of all hope we worship You and praise You for Jesus,our hope Amen/

Believing determination. [ Romans 4 v 18-22]

I may just borrow a number of phrases from A.Motyer commentary of Isaiah,writing in chapter 35 v 3-4,the prophet declares,/Strengthen ye the weak hands,and confirm the feeble knees.Say to them that are of a fearful heart,Be strong,fear not,behold,your God will come with vengeance,even with a recompense,he will come and save you./ A.M.writes this,/It is a call to the fortitude [ the word fortitude has a number of meanings, courage, backbone] of faith,not grim determination,but believing determination/ The Bible tells us the the just shall live by faith [Galations 3v11],and so as we move on,towards our goal and home,it must be, by faith and faith alone.We are saved by grace through faith,now there is a life of holiness,a life of taking up our cross day by day,and following Jesus. An non Christian said a Christian who was experiencing difficulties,I do not know how you cope and go on, the Christian with a twinkle in his eye,replied, but I do.
A prayer....../Dear God grant us that believing determination,to go on until we see our great king in His beauty,in His name we ask this. Amen/