Isreal lives forever

 For God so loved the world He gave His 

only Son so that we may be able to have life more abundantly. 

NOT ...

So that the mindless & gutless thugs of Hamas can 

go and cut babies heads off. 

OR ...

Be so cowardly that you hide under hospitals. 

Gods peace love and safty to ALL Isrealies

I was starting to read through the book of Hebrews, 

now I have read this passage a number of times 

before, only this time God set off a bomb whilst 

reading. I finally got the magnitude of His 

Word and actions 

 

My Testimony --:Part 2

56:120723

My Testimony

Part 2

   God was starting some special within me, I no longer had a thirst for booze, as that thirst had been replaced by a thirst for Christ Jesus my Lord. I felt like nothing I had ever felt before, and it was good. All the dark days were gone, where ever I went my bible, that adopted Grandma had bought and signed. I slept with it under my pillow, where I went it came with. Whilst Grandma Peggy was not an actual blood relation, she came a lot onto the ward with COPD and struck up a friendship from there, we would often have days out, she was a soft hearted and kind lady.

   I had not had much luck in finding that special lady with whom I could create a family, and share those intimate moments in life. I had read about an Asian Guy who wrote all the things he wanted in life, and put the details in his Bible. So changing the details into a description of my perfect woman on to a piece of paper prayed over the page, then put it into 1 Corinthians 13, which tells in detail what Christ feel love is all about, then say to God it was over to Him. I would go where like minded Christians would be, so that we would be equally yoked. . . 2 Corinthians 6:14 “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers” … It took till we went to an AOG gathering for teaching the next April (1999)till I met Betty. During the 5 days I was there I went classes teaching us how to pray more effectively. On the Wednesday I went to an extra meeting where like minded gathered to pray for Northern Ireland and the republic too. I went along with Margaret, whom I told you of in Part 1, when the meeting had finished and we stood up she turned to see an old friend called Bob Edgar. Who happened to be with him, yep Betty. To this date Betty can me how was sat where in the room, and yet has no recollection of me, even though introduced to each other by Margaret & Bob. OK, time to reach for the bucket for this next bit, as you may well have seen these romantic photo’s of a couple where the outside of the photo is all blurred and rest is in a soft focus, well that is how I was shown Betty by God. That was enough of a hint for me, that was on the Wednesday.

   I did not see her again till the Friday afternoon, I on my way out of the camp for a walk to may be take some photo’s. Well just as I am heading towards the gate, who should be coming back in, yep Betty. Now most of you have some of the elaborate goal celebrations some footballers do, back flips and so forth. Well whilst trying be calm & cool, inside I was doing all sorts yes .. yes .. yes. Stopping I said hi, you remember us meeting on Wednesday afternoon with Bob & Margaret? Whilst not remembering because me say these 2 people she accepted what I was telling her. Betty has her own testimony leading up to this point that only she can tell, which is even more remarkable. Anyhow we spent the next couple of hours talking & walking, as this was the last day before I returned to Torquay and Betty back Northern Ireland. We met in the last meeting that night and spent till the wee hours talking.

   So we met on the 21st of April 1999, everyday we spent hours on the phone, mostly in the evening from 9pm on, so much so it became a standing joke that anyone calling us knew to call before then or forget it. This happened everyday, we would also write letters a couple of times a week as well. Betty came over to Torquay in the beginning of June and I proposed. My family had their doubts but once they knew of me selling all of my records to purchase a ring, they quietened down a little-bit, as they all knew NO-ONE touched my records. I then travelled in the first week of August to meet her family and formally asked her parents for Bettys hand in marriage, only for Betty’s mum said what about the rest of her.

   Betty moved over to Torquay in the 3rd week of August of 1999, yep the same year. In fact when worked our you’ll find it 6 months exactly from the date we met to our Wedding day on 6th November ‘99. . .

...since this time God has in so many ways through our lives they too many to count. Needless to say we have been blessed.

   I hope this has let to know the author of this blog more. As it nice to know whom it is I keep coming back to read. So thank you for coming back each time. Gods peace Love & hope be with you now and always.

56:120723

My Testimony

   Whilst this story may be sounding like many a Testimony, it’s personal to me. After all these years I have seen, that I have never shared with you all what/who led me to give my life to Jesus. Also I’ ll share certain moments that can only show how God moved at that moment.

   So like all history you need to know the key factors that led up to me being on my knees. I first heard from God, I now understand it was Him, when I was around 11/12 years old, but just dismissed the notion as foolishness, and so carried on with growing up. When I was young loved music and had those I liked and those not. After leaving School I got into my local night club, in Milton Keynes, very quickly found that I going 5 nights a week. Buying music when I could afford. I was slowly building up a collection, until I moved to the south coast and lived with my sister. Her boss wanted someone to play some music in his bar she recommended me, this was the first time I worked the music desk and I was hooked.

   After I few months I was DJing in their club, after a couple of years I jumped at the chance of going to Hamburg, this was in the May of 1990 – so just after the wall came down. Whilst the I had a fiancee, but that broke down, which was a mess and so sort solace in the bottle, within 3mths I was drinking like a fish, from a person who hardy drank.

   After returning home to stay in my parents hotel, then bounced around a lot for a few years living here and there till got my own place. Still not happy, I then embarked on a relationship with a lady who had a young daughter, whom both of which I loved a lot, and thought this is it paradise. Then boom whilst looking after her daughter one night I discovered she was having an affair. This shattered me like a pain of glass, into a thousand bits. Oh boy did the bottle get hit hard, This happened right on Christmas , it was whilst visiting my parents that a member of the family mid-Christmas morning said to me ‘so fish how many have you had?’ Which pushed me further down that dark rabbit hole.

   It was just after New Years celebration, I wondered what was there in the coming in the New Year to be happy about, NOTHING from what I could see. In all the years since my childhood I had not heard God calling me, instead there was just silence, until that night I found myself walking along Torquay sea front heading to a place called Berry-Head (some 5 miles round the bay). It was wild weather, but just as I was walking past a phone, yes they were a thing still then, when there it was again – Gods voice. I can only think I had not heard of our Lord till then because of a song by CeCe Winans where she sang about someone who would not receive God because they were not on their knees yet, meaning it was the only way of them hearing God’s voice, like me. . .

#CeCe Winans:- Album: Alabaster box

Song: He’s not on his knees yet

(This song will tell you more. Having had many years of love of lots of different music from Queen through to Opera. Favourite songs like Jerry Rafferty:- Baker Street, to Christian songs now When the music fades, meaning everything else goes away you (Jesus Christ) will always be there. I still love my music but now I praise God for all His done, is doing and going to do for us)… Yes I said ‘US’, meaning Betty & Me. God directed my feet to the phone booth and before I knew what was happening I was calling the Samaritans, telling them of what I was going to do. I still don’t know how long I talking to them? Suddenly I was back home in my apartment, in the morning I called my Doctor, and told him I could not go home, as I had booze & tabs waiting for me, so we talked and I sign myself into a secure until for 3days. To this day my parents never knew what had transpired. Once back home I remembered I knew of a guy that went to a local Church in Torquay, so I knocked his door and asked if I can come with him and his family that next Sunday, as I needed solace from the Church, he had agreed.

   It transpired after a short while a lady was just going to start an ‘Alpha-Course’, (this link is for the UK but I’m sure there will be one close to you in your country, just copy and paste Alpha-Course, and should pop up near to you. . . https://alpha.org.uk/) She put me in touch with a wonderful couple call Graham & Margaret, who ran a group for those of above a certain age, called ‘Cameo’. She would call often, to try and get me to meet the group and come to her Church. Eventually I made it to Living Water Church, in spite of the devil trying to stop me from going, every time she invited me, and on the 1st of May 1998 in the evening I gave my heart to Christ Jesus.

   As I walked through the doors that evening It felt like I had just been freed. Just like a Shire horse being let loose in a field after all it’s restrictive harnesses were removed, when they run and jump and kick, because of the freedom they feel. What I remember the most from that evening was that at the end Mike Symonds gave an ‘alter call’, asking is there anyone wishing to give their hearts to the Lord Jesus. Paster Mike had not finished giving the call, I shot out of my chair past Graham & Margaret and down the front of the Church, like a regular jack-in-the-box.

    I must admit I was never one for being able to save, how things have changed praise God, I was that on fire for God saving me when the next baptismal service in June came around I wanted nothing more than to go through the waters. At this time Mum & Dad were living just out side Midhurst I Sussex, I wanted them to come and be witness, as it was a good distance I said I would pick them up in the morning, and run the home after in the evening. There was just one drawback being being able to afford this. I was down to my last pound which was to feed me for the month, as well as lighting/heating & fuel for the car for the moth. So as the offering plate came around I prayed to God asked for His help, citing. . . Ephesians 2:7 “that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” … I found I never had to do a proper food shop until mid September, or with draw money from the bank at the same time, that following week I spoke to my bank manger, he wrote of all my debt and gave me a fresh start, praise God.

Part 2 will follow next week show at every turn how Jesus Christ has had influence in my life up to today, so stay tuned.

God peace and blessings be upon you your family and friends.

 

56:210523

The Blessing of Weakness

   You would not think of weakness as a condition of blessing. We would say .. blessedness is strength, in fact “blessed are the strong” But the Bible’s beatitudes are the reverse of nature would actually say .. “Blessed are those who mourn” .. “ Blessed are the meek”. The law of the cross lies deep in spiritual life. It is by the crucifying of the flesh that the spirit grows into beauty . . .
Matthew 5:3/9 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers”
Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me”

   Weakness is blessed because it ensures to us more of the sympathy and help of Christ. Weakness can appeal to the gentle of heart. We see illustrations of this truth in our common human-nature. What can be more weak & helpless that of blindness? Here is a blind child in a house. Her condition seems *pitiable, she gropes around in darkness, and she can’t shield herself from anything that threatens her. Windows through which others see the World, to her are closed, so she is shut up in total darkness. She, is, almost utter helpless. Yet her weakness is in actual fact her strength.

* What does pitiable mean:~ deserving or exciting pity : lamentable. pitiable victims. : of a kind to evoke mingled pity and contempt especially because of inadequacy. a pitiable excuse.

   It draws to itself the best love & help of the whole house hold. The mothers heart has no such tender thought for any of the other children as for the blind girl. The Father carries her continually in His affection, and is ever doing gentle things for her. Hers & sisters strive in all ways to supply her lack. The result is that no other member of the family is sheltered so softly as she is, and that none is so strong. Her very helplessness is her strength, her closed eyes and out stretched hands and tottering feet resistlessly to all who love her, inspiring them to thought and help, as do the strength and winning grace of no other one in the household.
[NKJ] Psalm 121:8 “The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in”
[NIV] “The Lord will watch over your coming and going”
[NLT] “The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go”
… nearly all versions agree, and say . .
[NLT] “Both now and forever”

   This illustrates also the special divine thought and care for the weak. All the best things in human life are but hints of the divine life. The heart of Christ goes out in peculiar interest toward the weak. Paul could afford to keep his ‘thorn’ with it’s burdening weakness because it made him far more object of divine sympathy and help. We think of suffering or feebleness as a misfortune. It is not altogether so, however, it makes us more humble and nearer to the heart of Christ. Blessed is weakness, for it draws to itself the strength of God.
   Weakness is blessed also, because it saves from spiritual peril. St Paul tells us that his ‘thorn’ was given to him to keep him humble. Without it he would have been exalted overmuch, and would have lost his spirituality. It is not clear how much of his deep insight into things of God and his power in service for his master, Paul owed to this torturing ‘thorn’. It seemed to hinder him, and caused him incessant suffering, but it detained him in the valley of humility, and made him ever conscious of his own weakness and insufficiency, and thus kept him near to Christ whose home is with the humble.

Q:~ “What is keeping you humble and nearer to Christ?”

[NLT] 1 Colossians 1:24 “ I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church”
   Spiritual history is full of similar cases. Many of God’s servants have carried ‘thorns’ in their flesh for days, but mean while they would never have had their if cries for relief would have been granted, we don’t know the suffering of those who have gone before us. Prosperity no tenrictied the World as adversity has done. The best thoughts the richest life lessons, the sweet songs that have come down to us from the past, have not come from lives have known no lack & no adversary, but instead are the fruit of pain ~ of weakness ~ of trials. Man has called out for emancipation from the bondage of hardship, of self-denying necessity not knowing that the thing that which seemed to be hindering them in their career was the very making of whatever was noble ~ beautiful ~ blessed in their life.
[NLT] 2 Timothy 4:1&2 “In the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: 2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favourable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching”

   There very few of us who don’t have some ‘thorn’ sticking in their flesh. In some it’s an infirmity of sight . .

• in another infirmity of hearing.
• or, it may some lameness,
• a debilitating disease that is slow but incurable,
• or, it may be in ones home, which is cold ~ unloving ~ uncongenial
• or, may be a bitter personal disappointment through untrue friendship or love unrequited. .

… so I ask again ‘Who does not have a thorn??

   We should never forget that in one sense our ‘thorn’ is a member of satans army. Who desires it, to hurt our lives, to mar our peace, to spoil the divine beauty in us to break our communion with Christ. On the other hand, however, Christ Himself has a loving design in our own ‘thorn’. He want it to be a blessing for us instead. He would have it keep us humble, to save from becoming Vain, or He means it to soften our hearts and make us more gentle. He would have the uncongenial things in our environment discipline us into Heavenly mindedness, giving us greater self control, helping us to keep our hearts loving and sweet amid harshness & un-lovingness. He would have our pain teach us endurance & patience and our sorrow & loss teach us Faith.

   What we should be mindful of is, that our ‘thorn’ is either ~ be a blessing to us, or ~ it could well do us irreparable harm, it’s really down to us.. If we allow it to fret/worry us, if we chafe ~ resist or complain, if we loose faith and loose heart it will spoil everything. Instead if we take in the faith, that in it’s ugly burden it has the chance of being a blessing. We need to endure it submissively, we can seek out the grace, keeping our heart gentle and true amid all the trials ~ temptations & sufferings. It all will work out for the good, it’s bitterness will turn into sweet fruit. The responsibility is ours, and we should relate ourselves to our ‘thorn’ and to Christ, that growth and good, that will come to us from it. Such weakness is blessed only we have victory over it through the faith in Christ. Remember, there is a blessing in weakness, as it can nourish our dependence on God.
Psalm 25:1/3 “O Lord, I give my life to you. 2 I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. 3 No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others”
Psalm 25:V4-7  “Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. 5 Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in, you. 6 Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. 7 Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord”
Psalm 25: V15-21 “My eyes are always on the Lord, for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies.16 Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress. 17 My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all! 18 Feel my pain and see my trouble. Forgive all my sins.19 See how many enemies I have and how viciously they hate me! 20 Protect me! Rescue my life from them! Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge. 21 May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you”

   When we are strong, or deem ourselves to be strong, when we are really weak, since then we trust ourselves and don’t seek divine help. But, when we are consciously weak, knowing unequal to our duties & struggles, we are strong, because then we turn to God and get His strength .. “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” [2 Corinthians 12:9] .. To many think their weakness as a barrier to their usefulness, or make it an excuse for doing little with their life. Instead of this, however, if we give to Christ He will transform our weaknesses into strength. He says His strength is made perfect in weakness, that is wanting in human strength, He fills up and makes up with divine strength. Paul learnt this when he said he was gloried now in his weakness, because on an account of the strength of Christ rested upon him, so that when he was weak, he was then made strong. .
.. examples :~
[NIV] Acts 16:25 “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them”
[NIV] Acts 14:19 “Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead”

# Strength is not only measured in physical prowess #

   We need only to make sure of one thing, that we do indeed bring our weaknesses to Christ and lean on Him in simple faith. This is the vital link in getting the blessings. Weakness itself is a burden, it is invisible chains upon our limbs. If we try to carry it alone we shall only fail. But if we lay it on the strong Son of God, and let Him carry us and our burden, going on quietly and firmly in the way of duty, He will make our very weakness into strength. You must understand this, that He will not take away our weakness from us, that is not His promise, rather He will so fill it with His own power that we shall be made strong, more conquerors, able to do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Philippians 4:13 “ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”
   It’s a blessed secret, this of our having our burdening weakness transformed into strength. It can learned only in Christ, but in Him it can be learned by every lowly trusting disciple.



Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father we come humbly before your throne through your Son Christ Jesus, in faith believing, that we boast in no power, but we do boast that if was not for you we can do nothing. But instead through everything is possible. Our weaknesses are turned to strength. No longer the conqured, rather the conquerors. May we never forget rather shout from the roof tops that Christ is for us. In those dark times when feeling weak & down may we remember that your strength is made whole in us. In Jesus name we pray with thanks giving, Amen

Coming next week

The Blessing

of

Weakness