God's Comfort

Lamentations 3:32
Though he causes grief, yet He will show compassion.

When going through grief, try to focus on God's goodness.
Ask him to comfort you.  Feel His arms around you. And
He will give your heart relief.

God allows sorrows and tears but He also opens our hearts to the

joys of tomorrow.

Brevity of Life.

Psalm 39:4
''Lord, make me to know my end.  and what is the measure of my
days.  That I may know how frail I am.

Lord, each one of us know that our life here on this earth is so short
compared to eternity.  Bless us Lord, fill us, use us to tell of Your love and goodness as much as we can and for as long as we can until we see you.
In Jesus Name.  Amen.

Considering the certainty of death can provide a dynamic approach

to life.

Do not Judge

Matthew 7:1
''Judge not, that you be not judged.''

   Don't judge too quickly what you see.
     Treat first impressions lightly.

   misunderstandings multiply without communication

jesus our true Friend.

John 15:13
No one has greater love than to lay down his own life for
his friends.

What do we expect of a true friend?  To me it is loyalty,someone whom we can talk to and trust completely, someone who can take
our good and bad sides.  Jesus is our true friend, a friend who would never betray us, nor will ever ignore us.  He loved us so much that he gave his life for us, and without that love we would
not have been saved.

I remember a childrens Hymn I used to sing in Church as a child. 'Be a friend of little children, be a friend to me.  Take my hand and
ever lead me close to thee.'  This hymn was normally associated as being a childrens hymn, but like many of these hymns they go across the board to both adults and children alike.

Jesus is our true friend, and he will not let us down.  Yes, he will take our hand and he will lead us.  and through our walk with him
he will bring us closer to God, and that closeness will feel like we are actually touching him.

Let us strive to be like Jesus.  Let us be a true friend to others, as he
is a true friend to us.

The feeling and knowing of contentment.

1Timothy 6:6
Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

O Lord, help us to be content with all that we possess.
   And may we show our gratitude, with heartfelt thankfulness.

You are rich when you are satisfied with what you have.

Do not misuse God's name.

Exodus 20:7
'' You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord
will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.''

Have you ever cringed when you've heard someone use God's
name as a curse?  I have.  But it seems to be so common today, and I do not think they realise how serious it is.  They are showing disrespect towards God instead of respect.  the way we use God's name conveys how we really feel about him. We should respect God's name and only use it to praise or worship him,but we should never use his name as a curse.  Also we should not take the abuse of God's name lightly or dishonour his name.

Do not weary.

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me , all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will 
give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

We often wish we could escape troubles- the pain of grief, loss, sorrow and failure, or even the small daily frustrations that constantly wear us down.  God promises to be 'close to the broken -hearted,' to be our source of power, courage and wisdom,helping us through our problems. 

Sometimes he chooses to deliver us from these problems. When trouble strikes, don't get frustrated with God.  Instead, admit that you need God's help and thank him for being by your side.  Also remember that he will give you strength to see through your problem

if you ask him.

The Birth of Jesus.

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:  The virgin will be
with child, and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.

Matthew 1:21
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus
because he will save his people from their sins.

Children throughout the world are excited for the coming of Christmas.  Letters to Santa are being written, and children are hoping they receive the gifts that they long for.  Gifts are handed out among family, relations and friends.  But we must never forget the true meaning of Christmas, and the most precious gift of all is the birth of Jesus Christ.   Isaiah predicted the birth of Jesus, and he was  
to be called Immanuel ( God with us).  Jesus, means 'The Lord Saves.'   He came to save us.  He came to bring us Hope.  He came to bring us God's Peace.  He came to bring us Love and Joy.  If you celebrate advent in your church, you will understand the meaning of the candles that will be lit each Sunday up to Christmas.

When you open your presents on Christmas day, remember the birth of baby Jesus.  And enjoy Christmas day.

Showing Respect to God

Exodus 3:5-6
'Do not come any closer,' God said.  'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.  'Then he said, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.'  At this Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.


Like many of you I was brought up to show respect towards my parents.  In the dictionary, respect means: to treat with esteem- to have high regard for someone.  God is our friend, but we must never forget that he is also our sovereign Lord, our Creator and heavenly Father.  To approach him frivolously shows a lack of respect.  when we come before God we must remember who he is
and show him respect.  Do you go before him casually, as if he is just someone your talking to in the street? Or do you go before him
showing the respect he deserves?  Moses took of his sandals (Exodus 3:5-6) showing respect before God and conveying his own
unworthiness.

Never forget who you are talking to when you come before God.

Never forget who you are worshipping when you are in church.  God deserves respect.

Dealing with our mistakes.

Proverbs 28:13
He  who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses
and renounces them finds mercy.



Numbers 33:2
At the Lord's command Moses recorded the stages in their journey.

It is important for each of us to admit the mistakes we have made,even though we may find it hard to do so.  Praying to God also helps us to realize our mistakes, and we can ask him to forgive us.  Reading and learning from God's Holy Word can also

help us on our spiritual journey, and this can also help in our spiritual  growth.  It is good for us to check on our progress and avoid repeated mistakes.

Compassion

2Kings 4:32-36
When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch.  He went
in, shut the door on the two of them ( the boys mother and Gehazi) and prayed to the
Lord.  Then he got on the bed and lay upon the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands
to hands.  As he stretched himself out upon him, the boys body grew warm.  Elisha turned
away and walked back and forth in the room and then got onto the bed and stretched
out upon him once more.  The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.  Elisha
summoned Gehazi and said.  'Call the Shunammite.'  And he did.  When she came, he said
'Take your son.'  She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her
son and went out.

Here in this passage Elisha was showing God's love, care and compassion for
people who are hurting physically or mentally.  We can not raise the dead, but 
we can show compassion to those around us who are hungry, lonely or hurting
in many ways.  As God loves the outcasts let us also show love to them also.
It is so easy for us to turn our backs on those who look or are different from us
That is not what God wants us to do, he wants us to show compassion as he shows

compassion to us.  Reach out to others, remember God values all living beings.

God's Love.

Ephesians 3:17-19
.....And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may
have power,together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long
and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that
surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

When I read these verses, I am reminded of the children's hymn 
' Wide wide as the ocean, high as the heavens above, deep deep 
as the deepest sea is my Saviour's love.  God's love reaches in to every corner of our being and experience and it reaches out to
the whole world.  His love is always with us.  His love is with us in

our discouragements, despair and our grief.  His love is real and true.  I know he loves me and he loves you too.  Praise his Holy name.

God has time for you.

Psalm34:4
I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all
my fears.

v6 This poor man cried out and the Lord heard him, and saved
him out of all his troubles.

v15.  The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous.  And his ears are 
open to their cry.

v17.  The righteous cry out,and the Lord hears.  And delivers them
out of all their troubles.

Whatever is happening to you right now.  Whatever problems or
worries that seem never ending, call upon God and tell him of these things.  He hears you and will listen to you.  Seek God.  He
has time for you.  Have faith in him.  Cry out to him at any time of

day or night.  He will help you.

Search the Scriptures.

John 5:39
You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that
by knowing them you possess eternal life.  these are the Scriptures
that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Studying the Scriptures is very important in a Christian's life, but
that alone does not give us eternal life.  The religious leaders knew
all about the Scriptures but they failed to apply it in every aspect
of their lives, they also failed to see Jesus in the Scriptures to whom
the Scriptures pointed to.

Has this happened to you?  Have you become religious, but failed
to see Jesus, and let him change your life?


Acts17:11
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness
and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said
was true.

How do you judge the sermons and teachings as you hear them
being preached each week?  Do you search the Scriptures to see if
what the preacher said was true or not.  Always remember that a
Preacher or Teacher who gives the true message of God will
never contradict or explain away anything that is in God's Word.

Search the Scriptures.  Check them to see that whoever is preaching

God's Word is telling the truth and not violating God's Holy Word.

A realization of our sins.

Romans 3:23
......for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (N.K.J.V).

Matthew 9:13
.....      'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.  For I did not come to call
the righteous, but sinners to repent.'(N.K.J.V).

When we begin to realize that each and everyone of us are sinners' it's a shock to the system.  It's something that we never thought of before.  How could we be sinners if we never stole from anyone, we didn't murder anyone and we were kindhearted etc?  But in the eyes of God each and everyone of us are sinners.  Romans 3:23 says:  ...........for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Now underline All, not just some but All.   To bridge that gap between us and God we need to to admit to God our sins and ask forgiveness for all we that we have done wrong.  But we also 
needed an advocate, and God's love for us was so real, that while we were still sinners God sent his one and only Son to die on the cross. (Romans 5:8), and to take upon himself our sins.  Yes, we are 

all sinners, but God is willing to forgive us.  He wants us to come before him and admit our sins.(Matthew 9:13).  It is through God's mercy we are saved.  Are you grateful for God's mercy and forgiveness?  I know I am.

Reading the Word of God

2Chronicles 34:31
The king stood by his pillar and renewed his covenant in the presence of the
Lord - to follow the :Lord and keep his commands,regulations and decrees wit
all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in
this book.(NIV)

2Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.(NKJV)

The Bible is God;s Word revealed to us.  It is not a book meant for casual reading as
if we were reading some fictional story.  God's Word is very important in every way to
every Christian and shows the way between right and wrong.  In Hebrews 4:12 it says:
that it is 'Living and Active,' but how can we know what God wants us to do if we
don't read it.  However even reading God's Word is not enough, we must be willing to
do what it says, we need to apply it to our lives.  It is a safeguard against all false teaching and
a guidance to the way we should live.  God's Word is the only way through to saving
grace.  How much time do you spend reading  the Word of God?  If we read it regularly
we will discover God's truth and become confident in life and faith.

Let God's Word fill your memory,rule your heart, and guide your steps.

God is with us.

Psalm 147:3
The Lord heals the brokenhearted and binds up their 
wounds.

Have you ever felt that God is so far away that you can't reach
him?  No matter how hard you try, you just feel so empty inside.
You call out to him in despair but you think he's not listening.  

I think most of us at some point have had theses feelings.  But God is always there for you.  He will never turn his back on you.  He will always stand beside you and comfort you in your darkest times.  
God will guide you and he will help you, do not despair.  God is always near.  Reach out to him.  He hears your cries.  He sees your

tears.  Trust in Him.  Have faith in Him.

Do not be Ashamed.

1 Peter 4:15-16
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other 
kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.  However, if you suffer as
a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that
name.

Psalm 25:3
Indeed let no one who waits on you be ashamed:  Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.

Being a Christian is not always easy,in fact we often find ourselves
being ridiculed and so often by our families and friends.  However if we have Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, and if we have faith and 
trust him to guide us, then we need not be ashamed to do the work
God has called us to do.  We must continue even though through 
doing the work of God may bring us trouble and suffering.  Do not

despair let us bring Glory to God.

Witnessing

Luke 15:7
'I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

God's love for each individual person is so great that he seeks out
each one and rejoices when he or she comes before Him, and repents of their sins, asking Jesus into their lives.  God loves us, and His love is still seeking those who are lost.

Help me O Lord, to bring hope to others.  Guide me O Lord, in 
my witnessing for you, telling those who do not know you, that

Jesus Christ is the only true way.

Service

Matthew 9:35
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Why did God choose us?  Have you ever wondered why?  He chose  us to serve him.  He chose us to tell those who do not know him, or 
have not asked him into their lives, the Good News.  To tell them 
of how Jesus died for us, of how he loves us so much that he took upon himself our sins.  He was crucified upon a cross.  He suffered an agonizing death and he did that for us. He was buried and three days later he arose and sits at God's right hand.  We can call upon Jesus any time of day and night.  It is important for us to share his love.  God gave us his Son, and it is right for us to share him with others.

Pursue Righteousness

1Timothy 6:11
'But you Timothy, are a man of  God; so run from all these evil
things.  Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith,
love, perseverance and gentleness.

As Christians we are asked to leave our old ways behind.  It's
certainly not always easy, but with the help of God and his

 loving guidance we will do it.  Persevere, have faith, love one another and show gentleness.

God is a shelter and refuge.

Psalm 91:1-2
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow
of the Almighty.  This I declare about the Lord:  He alone is my refuge,
my place of safety; he is my God and I trust Him.

God is a shelter when we are afraid.  The writer of this Psalm had a deep faith
in the Almighty God.  God was his protector and he trusted God to carry
him through all the dangers and fears of life.  This should  also be a picture of
our trust, no matter the hurts and problems we receive we need to trust that
God God will give us strength through difficult times.  We need to draw close to
Him.  Always remember that He is our Protector and he will rescue you from
every trap (Psalm 91:3).  He will also cover you with his feathers and he will

shelter you with his wings, (v4)

Serve the Lord with reverent fear.

Psalm 2:11
Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.

What do we define as fear?  Well that answer would have to be
something or someone we are frightened off.  Fear can also mean
that it is something we don't know about.  Ignorance of something
can bring on fear as we don't  it.

To fear God is entirely different.  The meaning of fear here is to
respect God, and to want to obey Him.  It is a desire to those of us
who has accepted God in their lives.  It is not a fear that scares us,

but there is a fear that we will hurt Him, and we do  not want thear at. Yes, to fear God is to respect Him, to follow Him, and to rejoice in Him, and to want to obey Him, with all our being.

Know The Depth of God's Love

 Hebrews 3:16-19
.....that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts though faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of  Christ which passes knowledge; that you al may be filled with all the fulness of God.(NKJV)

Wide, wide as the ocean, high as the heavens above.  Deep, deep as the deepest sea is my Saviours love.  I think a lot of us will remember the first few lines of that childrens Christian song.  Isn't it so wonderful that our King of Kings, our Lord of all Lords, our heavenly Father loves us so much.  Every day should be praise in our hearts and on our lips, thanking Him for His wonderful love for us.

God's Help

Isaiah 41:10
Don't be afraid, f or I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for
I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold
you up with my victorious right hand.

Are you struggling at the moment, with problems and worries that
you feel will never end?  Turn to God in prayer, he will help you.
He knows the struggles we face, and  that we need strength to endure them.  Talk to him ask him for confidence to trust him and help you

to walk by faith.

Do not Judge

Matthew 7:1-2
'Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.  For you will be
treated as you treat others.  The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

Have you ever judged someone?  Well don't.  Do you have the right?
No.  Each one of us at some point or other has judged someone,whether rightly or wrongly.  But as Jesus puts it, it depends
how you judge.  Stop thinking you're better than the next person.

Be slow to judge others, but quick to judge yourself

God with us, and Guard your heart . Cartoons witerseh v

Faith

Psalm 51:12
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me
a willing spirit to sustain me.




Do you ever feel as if you are just going through the motions in your
faith?  Has your sin ever driven a wedge between you and God, making Him seem like a million miles away?  David felt this way.  In Psalm 51, David pleads for mercy, forgiveness and cleansing.


God wants us to be close to him.  But we have to confess our sins to him.  If we do not, fellowship and closeness to God is impossible.  God has never said everything would be a bed of roses.  You may
have to face some problems, but he will give you the strength to see them through, if you seek him.  God will also give back the joy of 

your relationship with him.

Contentment

Psalm 50:12
The world is mine and all it's fullness.


The secret of contentment is to let God supply: Just do your part
and put God first.  Trust in His Word.


Heavenly Father, I pray for contentment.  Help me to stay positive
even when it feels like my world is falling apart.  Help me to see blessings, even in my burdens.    In Jesus name.  Amen.




Hebrews13:5

Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have.  For God said, I will never fail you.  I will never abandon you.

Encouragement

1Thessalonians 5:9-11

For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation
through our Lord Jesus Christ.  He died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together  with him.  Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.


When a family member or a friend takes part in a marathon, you may go to watch them run, giving them support.  As they pass you, you will cheer them on giving them encouragement to carry on and finish the race.  Jesus wants us to encourage people, not discourage.  It distinctly tells us in 1Thessalonians 5:11,to encourage one another and build each other up in the faith.

I agree 100% in this but what about others?  Throughout the Bible
it speaks of encouragement.  Encourageing the faithfull to carry on in their faith and to build them up so that they would go on and win the race for Christ.

But I do not believe that it is only those who have asked Jesus into their lives as Lord and Saviour.  I believe it goes beyond that, and to even non-believers.  There are many of us who are Christians but our families are not.  Do we forget them?  No, whether we are Christians or not everyone deserves to be encouraged.  Yes, let us encourage and build each other up in the faith, but don't forget about others.

Verses to Meditate upon(Let God transform you.)

Romans 12:1-2
And so dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to
give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you.
Let them be a living and holy sacrifice- the kind he will find acceptable.  This is truly the way to worship him.  Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into
a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to

know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Forgive

Matthew 6:14:15
'If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father
will forgive you.  But if you refuse to forgive others your Father
will not forgive you.


As human beings we find it hard to forgive those who have hurt us, whether physically, or verbally.  It is in our nature to retaliate and maybe take revenge.  But that is not the way God wants us to be.  He tells us to ' Forgive as I have forgiven you.' God sent His one and only Son Jesus to die on the cross so that we could be forgiven.


Many years ago someone very close to me hurt me so badly that all I wanted was to get that person out of my life.  Weeks passed, then one day as I was out walking the dogs, God reminded me off His forgiveness to us.  Continually that day the words from God came,'Forgive as I have forgiven you.'  These words hit home and I knew that I had to forgive that person.  I did, and the feeling of hate
left me.  That person was my husband, and if I had continued to be foolish, I would not have been able to forgive myself.  You see my husband died very suddenly five months after I had forgiven him.


If our heavenly Father can forgive us, is it not only right that we forgive also.   


If there is someone who has wronged you, or hurt you in any way
why not go before God in prayer.


Heavenly Father, I choose as an act of my will, regardless
of my feelings, to forgive the person who has wronged me.  I
release them, and I set myself free to your healing.  With your
help, I will no longer dwell on the situation or continue to
talk about it.  I thank you for forgiving me, as I have forgiven
 them.  I thank you for releasing me and taking away the

hatred that was within me.   In Jesus name.  AMEN.

God with us. Guard your Heart. Two Cartoons

Humble yourself before God

James 4:10
Humble yourself before the Lord, and he will
lift you up in honour.


One of the greatest things God loves, is when we go before him and admit in deep sorrow the things we've said, thought and done that are sinful in the eyes of God,and asked him forgiveness.  We have become conscious of our failings, and we admit to God that we need Him.

We don't deserve God's generosity,but he reaches out to us in love,and gives us worth and dignity despite our human failings.

Two Christian Cartoons that has a message in each.

To meditate upon

Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield.  I trust Him with all
my heart.


Philippians 4:13
' For I can do anything through Christ, who gives me strength.'

Jesus Paid for our Sins

Mark 15:31
In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves.  'He saved others,' they said, 'but
he can't save himself.


O, how foolish these chief priests and teachers of the law were.  Of course Jesus could have saved himself, but he endured suffering because of his love for us.  He could have chosen not to take the pain and humiliation; he could have killed those who mocked him- but he suffered through it all because he loved even his enemies.  You know we had a significant part in
the drama that afternoon.  How? you may ask, because our sins were on the cross too.  Jesus
died on that cross for us, and the penalty for
our sins was paid by his death.


You know the only adequate response we can make is to get on our knees and confess our

sins to God.  Not only that but to freely accept the fact that Jesus paid for our sins so we wouldn't have to.  Don't insult God with indifference towards the greatest act of genuine love in all history.  Jesus not only died that day, but three days later he arose and he sits at God's right hand interceding for you when you come before God in prayer (Hebrews 7:25) Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Salvation

Micah 6:8
What does the Lord require of you
but to do justly,to love mercy, and

to walk humbly with your God.