Money [ Matthew 19 v 16ff]

I was watching a program about the Faroe Islands,a small kingdom ruled by
Denmark,although it has a degree of self government.It has a small population,fishing is one of the main means of livelihood.It is a very inhospitable place,it is not a place where life is easy.But they love football,
again the weather does not make it easy,but as  I have said,they love it,not much money in it,yet one of the people being interviewed said  he felt things were going to change,the reason being was money.In 1 Timothy 6 v10,reads,/ For the love of money is the root of all evil/W  Hendriksen, translates it like this,/For a root of all the evils is the love of money/.
Consider it was a love of money that drove Judas to betray Jesus,consider
how many crimes are committed for money. A rich young man when faced with choosing money and the Saviour, he chose money[Matthew 19 v16ff]
It is a challenge to consider this subject,but it must be faced,whatever that means for you or me,I do hope and pray that we all make the right choice.
                                                A  prayer.
Dear Lord help us all to not let money become become something that we love .Amen.

Sad providences [Job 23 v10]

 J. Flavel author of ,/The mystery of providence/,wrote of sad providences,
that  even by the hands of these providences, God will do us good[Romans
8 v28]By these God is but killing your lusts,weaning your hearts from a vain world,preventing temptations and exciting your desires after heaven.
This is all the hurt they shall do to you,and shall that sadden us?/I  have found it so,consider how unrestrained certain lusts are in people.Paul the apostle declared that there was no good thing in his flesh[Romans 7v 18]
That being the case for all of us,God in his mercy,works in our lives,by sad
Providence's,be it through bereavement,poverty,unemployment,and a multitude of other happens.In our unsaved days these things run their course,no new years resolution did much to change us,Often God has to use severe means to curtail out thought patterns. Consider Job and all he suffered,yet this spiritual man,declared,/But He knoweth the way that I take
;when He hath tried me,I shall come forth as gold[Job 23 v10]God is in the
business of changing us,I read this recently,our happiness is not His goal,
rather He works in our lives to make us more holy. Contrary to what people
say as regards holiness,it is a blessed state,it is a happy state,a state of being free.
                                            A  prayer.
Dear God we bow to your will,we ask that you would perfect that which concerneth us,even though the process may be painful, in Jesus name Amen.

Standing alone.[ Romans 8 v 31ff ]

One of the most popular westerns ever made was the movie, High Noon about a law officer,who was faced with four outlaws who were going to kill
him,and no one  was prepared to help him,except an old drunk,and a young boy.In the end he had to face them alone,he had considered running
away,but he knew they would follow him.There are many Christians living in societies were those around them hate them,and would gladly kill them
many our fleeing,but there are many who cannot flee for whatever reason,and humanly speaking they are on their own.Humanly speaking they don't stand a chance,yes it would appear they do not stand a chance,but they are not on their own,no more than we are.There is one standing by every child of God,irrespective of circumstances,one who can preserve, protect
and keep according to His will.The apostle Paul experienced great trials,he wrote of an occasion when all men forsook him,but then he adds, nevertheless the Lord stood with me,and strengthened me[2  Timothy 4 v 16-17].
                                            A prayer.
Dear God for all your dear children who have no human help,and are standing alone ,against those who would gladly destroy them ,have mercy,and come to their aid ,in Jesus name Amen.

Now thats love.[ Romans 5 v 8]

Bruce Milne, writing on Christs  self humbling to death,says/,This is love,
not that we loved God,but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins[1 John 4 v10].In the end there is no other explanation of the cross other than the love of God. There can be no other,for we certainly do not deserve it and can never earn it / The following words
were written in pencil on the wall of a narrow room,of an asylum by a man
said to have been demented.
                  Could we with ink the ocean fill,
                   And were the skies of parchment made,
                   Were every stalk on earth a quill,
                   And every man a scribe by trade.
                    To write the love of God above,
                    Would drain the ocean dry,
                    Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
                   Tho stretched from sky to sky.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish ,but have everlasting life[John 3 v16]. Now that's Love.

We cannot withdraw those words.[James 1 v19]

Recently our Prime Minister was caught out by what he said,he did not realise that what he was saying was being recorded.Ex President Nixon was
caught out by what he said,though he did try to tamper with what had been recorded. After a recent football match a player said,about one of his team mates,'he likes to cheat a lot',later he apologised for the confusion that his comments had caused,he indicated that he wanted to withdraw what he had said.All those mentioned would so like to withdraw what they said,but what is said is said. The poet  wrote.
                            The moving finger writes
                             and having written moves on.
                             Piety nor wit,shall lure it back,
                             to cancel half a line.
Be it the written word or the spoken word the same principal applies, they cannot be taken back.So today let us all be careful as to what we say,
remember they cannot be taken back.I have lost friends by what I have said,
friends I love,words that hurt do not disappear,they  cannot be erased.
                                     A prayer.
Dear God cause us to watch our words,put a guard on our lips,help us to speak aright,help us to not always speak what we feel ,in Jesus name Amen

Life. [ 2 Corinthians 4 v18]

During my recent holiday, I saw two images ,one in a magazine and the other in a cathedral.The first one was a photo in a magazine of a famous
movie star,she was titled a sex goddess,but the photo showed her after she had died,it was not very nice,she no longer manifested a beauty,it had gone.
The other  image was in the cathedral,two stone carvings ,one showed a dead knight laid out in all his armour,a person of power,the other placed
beneath,showed a skeleton like figure.Both these images reminded  me how soon our natural beauty and power vanishes.The beauty and power that men
place great emphases on soon fades,all is very temporary.Now I do not want to depress you but we all need reminded that we all moving very quickly to
an expected end.And yet it is not an end,for there is an eternal existence awaiting us all,when we will give an account of our mortal lives.If we know Christ as Saviour all our service will be judged, that which has not honoured God will be burned up,we will be rewarded for what may be left.[ 1 Corinthians 3 v11ff]. For those who are not Christians their works will have no bearing on that day[Ephesians 2 v 8-9],only faith in Christ and his finished work will saved,nothing else will be taken into account.
                                      A  prayer.
Dear God  teach to number our days that we apply our hearts unto wisdom,in Jesus name Amen..

One word. [ Romans 1 v 7 ]

While on holiday I bought a little place mat,it had my name on it William underneath the name it read,/Good natured,bright and hardworking,a
reliable person.That pleased me,I asked my wife did that sum me up ?,but I asked myself the same question , and hopefully those words reflect to some degree the person I am.I am not going to be blinded by my pride.Those
qualities are commendable but I also know that like the weather I am a changeable person.I know there is a dark side to my nature.A side I would not want to see in print ,a side of me that could bring such misery,and pain
to myself and others,and dishonour to my Saviour and Lord.I do try to live up the good side,but daily I hear my sinful self,and Satan,drawing me over to the dark side.Recently at the church I attend the minister asked us to
share with the person next to us something positive ,that we had experienced in the previous week,the lady next to me,asked me to share
my positive experience,and I replied grace.
                              Amazing grace how sweet the sound
                               That saved a wretch like me
                               I once was lost,but now am found,
                               Was blind but now I see.
                               Through many dangers,toils and snares,
                               I have already come,
                                Tis grace that's brought me safe so far,
                                And grace will lead me home.
                                        [ J . Newton]