A Week of Madness: An offer of help, in and through Christ Jesus, by the Lord God Almighty. part one

This has been quite a week in my country. It began when " news broke", in the informal media, in a rural community that two young boys who had died by drowning, had been "reportedly" raped before death. There was no corroboration of the story, only a rather vague report from the police that the boys had been


" injured". Following which members of the community attacked the home of the " suspected" individual, killing his uncle, severely injuring the daughter of the deceased and burning the house to the ground. " All hell had apparently broken loose". But there was worse to come, as news began to filter out, and the following day the headlines screamed, " Five Women Raped", including an eight year old, who was so badly injured she had to be taken to the hospital for emergency surgery. Then just yesterday, news broke about a driver who, attempting to go around a long line of traffic, triggered by the hit-and-run death of a man of unsound mind, hit down three other persons. The result? No one died, but the driver was was pulled from the vehicle by the members of the angry crowd and stabbed to death. And so the madness continued with other news of atrocities and murder just tonight on the Prime Time News.

Many were left confused how we could, as a people sink to such a nadir, in our relationships with each other. What kind of socialization process allowed such " animals" to emerge in our society. And perhaps most elusive of all, what was the remedy. The immediate reaction was to call for a march against violence against women and children and for all to wear black in solidarity. So we all, well most of us, wore black last Friday. The bigger issue now is what next? The urgent passing of more and better legislation; the need to break the code of silence which encourages evil to flourish, knowing full well that out of fear for their lives, no one will dare to say a word; the re-ordering our values and attitudes; quicker response from the police; a more attitude within the community...the list goes on.



My reaction? Pain! A deep seated pain in the depths of my soul, as I know that my country never had to descend to this level of barbarity. Many years ago, I had the privilege of spending just a little over a month in Singapore attending a Leadership Conference on Evangelism - in fact this Internet Ministry was started as direct result of that visit, and has been ongoing now every Sunday night for more than four years and sent to men and women in virtually every sector of our society, including powerful persons who can make a difference - at one level. What left a great impression on me, was not just the legendary cleanliness of the place, and the obvious prosperity, but the order. A feature brought into very sharp focus by my seeing a young school girl alone at a bus stop one morning, whilst doing my early morning exercises. It was still dark, so I inquired how come she was so brave - or in my Jamaican experience, so foolish. The answer was that no one would dare to, or even think about, harming her, and therefore she was perfectly safe. Since then it has been my dream, that such peace and protection could be the norm for the women and children in my country. Not riches. Not even better education, as important as that is in any society. But just that our women and child might be safe. And over the years we have watched almost helplessly, as more and more, society in its worse form, has sytematically, through the media - cable television, locally and Internationally produced movies and videos - advertisements and in particular the music, has occasioned a " sea change" in how we regard these precious ones among us. We have warned, we have cajoled, we have protested, we have begged. But it has all fallen on deaf ears. Who is the we? Primarily the church, in its best form, but also many other conscious groups within civil society. So now we have come to the edge of the precipice of chaos and anarchy and madness and who will pull us back from the brink of disaster.



The answer is to be found in the following messages which the Lord Almighty inspired me to write to leaders in our society, at the highest level in politics, church and the media, as I cried out to Him for help in this " time of trouble'.



Tuesday September 25th - The First Message





Actually I was searching for the Prayer by Peter Marshall, which is included in this meditation written, as you would discern, from last year. Why? The Spirit of the Lord led me back to it as I did my devotions this morning, and amazingly the Prayer for Obedience also. So I decided to send the entire message and not just the prayer by Marshall.



The Context? A discussion on radio last night about the mob killing in Trelawny. Dionne Jackson-Miller invited Carolyn Gomes to comment on this horrific act. And so she did. Two points struck me. One, while DJM kept repeating that we do not know that the boys had been " injured", when I came home, On The Ground News was confirming on their site, that the two boys had indeed been raped. There are many lessons to learn from that reality. Two, as Carolyn Gomes expressed her horror that " having not found Quako," we descended to the low level of killing his relative, and injuring the daughter. And I thought, we have been doing the very same thing for years, as that is the reason for a lot of the " mass killings" in the inner cities.



So back to Peter Marshall. The reason why I thought about the prayer, as you will see, is that we have no idea, about the kind of evil forces abroad in our nation, at every level, just waiting, to be unleashed in another such horrific act. Only God can help us. We need to admit that we are helpless in this respect. Which is the thrust of the meditation below, written months ago - as a warning to this nation. And which position of helplessness is what ought to drive mankind to seek God - the foundation message of the Christian faith

Finally, in that context, of the need to come together as a nation before God the issue of a coalition government, came into my mind. Perhaps it's time. For several reasons - The state of the Economy; The Political Climate; The deterioration in our Values and Attitudes.; The Crime and Violence......

Peace

LWJ

N. B. This meditation would have been sent out before some of you came on board ( In fact the message was written way back in 2010)

THE MESSAGE



This week I was impressed by the fact that the Chairman of an organization over which I have the privilege to exert leadership, and who happens to be Jamaica's chief servant, continues to find the time, in the midst of his busy schedule, to be very " hands on" in his duties. Encouraging and advising on policy and operations in some detail. Thus, this morning whilst in the midst of my devotions, inspired by the Psalmist, I was led to send him the following note.



" May the Lord Almighty, the God of Jacob, who ( alone) is our fortress, be with you, in a special way today. Psalm 44:7,11. NIV ( new International Version.

In the name of Christ, our soon coming King - at Christmas as Lord and Saviour, but at the end of times as a judge."



This week I was also very disturbed by the fact that funding which we badly needed to properly discharge our national responsibilities, was taking a long time for approval. Hence I wrote my staff the following memo:



"One of the many things I have learned recently is that God's Love, Mercy and Honor are only gained when we become totally and completely, dependent upon Him. And further, that God's mighty hand is in the middle of every experience that Saints goes through. You will recall that Gideon was told that he had too many soldiers, and, therefore, if with them he gained success, God would not get the glory. I am beginning to understand that the same eternal principle may be operating with the funding from .....this year- and any other promises outstanding - and the achievement of the ...... objective. Let us therefore resolve to pray more and worry less about the" amount of troops", that we have. Making sure, however, that those He sends are deployed most efficiently.

Peace

LWJ"



Then, amazingly tonight, as I pondered what to write, the things about which the Lord had spoken to me this week, I headed for a meditation, on which I have been reflecting for weeks. But on the way found another one which speaks to the profound question of Political Leadership in today's world. A world where there are so many and often intractable problems. Rising unemployment. High levels of poverty. Crime as a threat to personal and often national security. Certainly in my country, profound changes in the way we treat each other - loud and course music blaring at nights, and in taxis and mini-buses, affecting the minds of our young people and preventing others from sleeping at nights; rude and aggressive public officials, and in some cases exhibiting much more serious behaviour; dysfunctional family life resulting often in physical abuse which then flows over into abusive behaviour in the public square. Internationally, leaders are grappling with issues affecting climate change and the very survival of some island states; a world still in the throes of a recession, with former stable economies like Ireland in deep trouble, and even Spain and Portugal threatened with the same fate; the ever present threat of nuclear war; the seemingly endless war against terrorists across many borders; HIV/AIDS still a major issue worldwide; Cholera in Haiti; drug wars in Mexico and Brazil affecting many other nations. How do world leaders respond? Even " no drama " Obama is stumped for answer to America's problems!. And they have to deal with all of these problems even as they equally challenged by leading a political party!



In the midst of this the Lord sends a word to our chief servant.....and as I write, an earthquake rocks my house violently, thank God only for a few seconds.....and other leaders across the world - if anyone has an e-mail for President Obama, let me know - in a meditation from a Saint of old, a former Scottish Priest who migrated to the USA and became the Chaplain to the United States Senate. But as much as there is a message to our leaders, it applies equally to the church.





FOR GOD'S GRACE IN OUR HELPLESSNESS PETER MARSHALL



Verse Judges 7:2 The Lord said to Gideon, you have too many men for me to deliver into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast about me that her own strength has saved her.......



We know, our Father, that in this desperate hour of world affairs, we need thee. We need thy strength, thy guidance, thy wisdom.

May thy wisdom and thy power come upon these United States, the Senators and Congressmen, to whom, have been entrusted leadership. May the responsibility lie heavily on their hearts, until they are ready to acknowledge helplessness and turn to thee. Give to them the honesty, the courage, and the moral integrity to confess that they don't know what to do. Only then can they lead as a nation beyond human wisdom to thee, who alone has the answer.

Lead us to this high adventure. Remind us that " a mighty fortress is our God" ( words of the Psalmist) - not a hiding place where we can escape for an easy life, but rather an arsenal of courage and strength - the mightiest of all, who will march beside us into the battle for righteousness and world brotherhood.

O our God, may we never recover from our feeling of helplessness and our need of thee! In the strong name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.



What a prayer! What instructions for us to heed, both as leaders and disciples of Christ, even if the two are not necessarily the same. The need to be absolutely helpless before God, and then to see His mighty power at work



Finally, the meditation to which I was heading, before being detained by the words of Peter Marshall, contains a message primarily for us in the church : the need to live a repentant life for what we have done and for what we have failed to do as we wait upon the Lord, in this season of Advent. As only then will we be able to live a true Apostolic Life. A life marked by an ability, according to Evelyn Underhill, a former spiritual adviser to many Anglican priests in the nineteen century, " that his supernatural environment is more real and solid to him that his natural environment". As only then can we really make an impact, with power, on a complex and confused world. But again even though the message is for the church, it applies equally too to those who would lead in God's world.



A PERSONAL PRAYER FOR OBEDIENCE JOHN BAILLE



Verse: Judges 2:17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord's commands.





Holy God, to whose service I long ago dedicated my soul and life, I grieve and lament before thee that I am still so prone to sin and so little inclined to obedience.:

So much attached to the pleasures of sense, so neglectful of things spiritual:

So prompt to gratify my body, so slow to nourish my soul:

So greedy for present delight, so indifferent to lasting blessedness:

So fond of idleness, so indisposed for labour:

So soon at play, so late at prayer:

So brisk in the service of self, so slack in the service of others;

So eager to get, so reluctant to give:

So lofty in my profession, so slow in my practice:

So full of good intentions, so backwards to fulfill them:

So severe with my neighbours, so indulgent with myself:

So eager to find fault, so resentful at being found fault with:

So little able for great tasks, so discontented with small ones:

So weak in adversity, so swollen and self-satisfied in prosperity:

So helpless apart from thee, and yet so willing to be bound to thee.

O merciful heart of God, grant me yet again thy forgiveness. Hear my sorrowful tale and in thy great mercy blot it out from the book of thy remembrance. Give me faith to lay hold of of thine own holiness and so to rejoice in the righteousness of Christ my Savior that, resting on his merits rather than on my own, I may more and more become conformed to his likeness, my will becoming one with his in obedience to thine. All this I ask for his holy name sake. Amen





As we identify with these great prayers - and if you don't, then Jesus did not come on earth and die for you, but for us who know that we are helpless and sinful - let us call out to a mighty God who is our fortress, the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob. That He may hear our sorrowful tale and blot it out from the book of " thy remembrance". And so heal out land and protect us from earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and the evil that abounds so much in our land and in the hearts of humans, and the trials that so many face across the world. And are helpless unless God intervenes, as He did two thousand years ago at the first Christmas.

Amen.





The second message was written the following morning as news broke about the savage rape in the Western part of my country...and was entitled " Desperate times part two'



Wednesday September 26th



As I read the headlines in both newspapers this morning, and started my devotions with a heavy heart, the Spirit of the Lord led me back to Psalm 81. And then to Malachi. And finally to Jeremiah.



" If my people would but listen to me,

If Israel would follow my ways,

how quickly would I subdue their enemies

and turn my hand against their foes". Verses 13-14



" Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." Malachi 3:10 NIV



A BALM IN GILEAD

African - American Spiritual

Verse Jeremiah 8:21-22 NIV

"Since my people are crushed, I am crushed;

I mourn, and horror grips me.

Is there no balm in Gilead?

Is there no physician there?

Why then is there no healing

for the wound of my people"





There is a balm in Gilead

To make the wounded whole,

There is a balm in Gilead

To heal the sin-sick soul



Sometimes I feel discouraged,

And think my work's in vain,

But then the Holy Spirit

Revives my soul again.



If you can't preach like Peter,

If you can't pray like Paul,

Just tell the love of Jesus

And say he died for all.



So the question is, when our " women and children are raped, when they crushed, are we crushed? And will our only response continue to be, exclamations of horror, condemnation, and a promises to unleash the full force of the law on the perpetrators.

The Lord Almighty, The Creator of heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in it, thousands of years ago, warned the children of Israel, that there is another response. That there is a balm available to heal the sin-sick souls of rapists and mob killers. A balm available to heal the wounded suffering victims of rape and other acts of violence in our land. And that solution is not a much desirable new IMF deal. Or the power gained by winning an election. But rather an acceptance of the fact that Jesus died for all - the foundation of the Christian faith.



So even though the Word from Malachi is contextualized in Israel's robbing God of tithings, the message is still very relevant, as if we were to " follow the ways of the Lord", as the Psalmist wrote, then God will indeed fulfill His promise to throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing on us. And in fact He has already done so, but the blessing is not a material one, primarily, but the precious Blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. And whose Blood alone can heal the sin-sick souls of this nation.

We need, as leaders, therefore to repent of our rebellion against the living God, and our dependence on the foreign gods, mentioned in Psalm 81. A National Service of Repentance at a Baptist Church, the church of Sam Sharpe (there is a big one on the Boulevard) with a prophet like Burchell Taylor preaching, would be a good start. As the IMF, the police, a values and attitudes campaign, more exports, better productivity, better passes at CXEC, less corruption, all have a role to play in rescuing this nation. But the fundamental problem is sin. And the only balm for that is an acceptance that Jesus died for all -as sung by our African forebears many years ago. We would do well to listen.

Peace.

LWJ Sent from my iPad



The point being made here is that for centuries, the Lord God Almighty, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has been sending a message to all mankind, that we just cannot manage without Him. And that all we have to do is to " test Him in this ", as the prophet Malachi warned, and " Open our mouths wide", and the Psalmist declared, and God will " Fill it" and protect us from all our enemies. That is why there is so much pain in my heart, as if we had just trusted the God who " parted the Red Sea", and freed the children of Israel from the hands of the Egyptians who rescued us a people enslaved by the colonial powers; and who set us free from Sin and death by the life, death, and resurrection of His Son Christ Jesus, then Jamaica would have been a better place. A place of peace, and a people of faith, that Sam Sharpe who was a Baptist Minister, gave his life for. And a mighty race, as envisioned by Marcus Garvey. Not a people who have sold their soul to foreign gods...the unbridled lust for sex which has destroyed family life.....the unbridled lust for money...which has destroyed family life...and the unbridled lust for power which has occasioned, among ohter evils, the importation and use of the gun which has been used as tool of intimidation, robbery and murder and brought our nation to the brink of chaos and anarchy. So, yes let us condemn, let us work together, but more importantly, let us turn and repent of our rebellion against the Almighty God. A tried and proven God. And a God who is still a very present help in times of trouble. As in Him and through Him by the Power of the Holy Spirit, the Balm for all nations, Jesus Christ, is waiting for this nation to come to its senses and realize that we cannot manage without Him. I pray God that, daily, slowly, men and women will hear this message and act accordingly. To the glory of God and for the rescuing of my people.

Amen

The

The Church of Jesus Christ of Nazareth - A Ray of Hope in times of trouble

I read my newspaper to see what men are doing, and I read my Bible to see what men ought to do" .




" Lord renew thy church, beginning with me. Lord renew the church that the church may renew the nation(s)





No one big story in the news this week touched my soul in a dramatic way. But several ongoing issues did. The brutal slaying of a young policeman and the interview with a distraught mother; the shooting death of the wife of a farmer in a rural area of my country - the husband was also shot but not fatally; " an interesting story" as termed by a popular talk-show host, who shared a BBC story on the reported rise of atheists in Black America - a group known for its strong faith in God; Governor's Romney;s take on the 47% of Americans who according to him are in the back-pocket of the President on account of a dependency syndrome and his potentially explosive dismissal of the Palestinian cause in favor of the Jewish lobby; the ongoing bloody war in Syria. All of which makes one wonder if Bob Marley's observation, immortalized in song, that " everywhere is war", in the sense that things seems to be unraveling all of the world. Especially when you add to the mix, the severe financial stress that families and nations are being subjected to, along with often intractable relationship challenges within the family.

In all of this the Lord reminded of a feature on one of our local television station entitled : " A Ray of Hope". In the sense that Christians are called to be a ray of hope for all people everywhere in the midst of even " impossible situations". This is how the conversation developed as time and time again, the Lord would call my attention to His Word in various situations. The first message was triggered by a radio programme which is also aired on TV, and hosted by one of our most popular and well read journalist, but who happens also to be a Pastor of a church



THE FIRST MESSAGE



"Crowds gathered also from towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed". Acts5:16 NIV



As I read the passage above tonight, I remembered this one also :



" Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house". 2 Kings 4:8-9.



On Sunday evening I listened on radio to Ian Boyne's interview with a revivalist - the daughter of the late ( Kapo) Reynolds. Among other things, she spoke of regular healing of body and mind during the worship service at her church. And that members of other denominations, Pentecostals, Adventists, Church of God and even sects like the Jehovah's witnesses, would come for healing, not having had success in their church. She also spoke about " getting into higher heights in the Spirit" and traveling in the Spirit to other countries, the ability to " secure favorable judgments in court for persons, and the importance of certain colours of candles and garments. All of this she insisted was Biblical and she gave honor to Jesus Christ the Son of God, and to be fair spoke about the need for faith in Christ for the healing to take place. Further, she insisted that they were not into " reading up " people nor obeah...although the word was not mentioned.

Ian seemed quite comfortable with these " revelations", and in a sense, at the end, was almost

" recommending" the revivalists to the country. I must tell you that I feared for his soul, as he did not in any way refute or challenge this " version" of Christianity, which seems to have forgotten all about the " suffering servant" as prophesied in Isaiah. And the Word in Romans which speaks about " sharing in Christ's glory if we share also in His suffering".



Having said that though, there is great need for us to explore this issue of healing in the church. Healing of body, mind and soul, from evil spirits, as this was the practice and power of not only the early church, but from the Scriptures, the practice of the the forerunner of Christianity, Judaism. The question remains though, what is the role and function of the call to suffering even as we seek to experience the healing that the Holy Spirit does in and through His chosen servants, all to the glory of God Almighty. Perhaps one answer is that, these revivalists seem too " strong" to be powerful in the sight of God, especially having regard to Paul's experience of " being strong only when he was weak". As God's grace was sufficient for him.



It's a matter that should occupy a lot of our time in this hour of crisis in our nation when evil stalks the land...in the schools, in the cane fields, in the town square, in our music, and in our homes. And the church of Jesus Christ surely ought to be able to say to our suffering people like Elisha, "bring them to me and they will know that there is a prophet in Jamaica."

Peace

LWJ

Sent from my iPad



The strong Word in the first message was that the church was set up to heal and to drive our evil spirits and to call people to repentance. This is the essence of Elisha's Old Covenant experience with the God of Abraham, Jacob and Issac. That he Elisha, was a representative of that God, and therefore Naaman should be brought to him for healing rather than the King " throwing up his hands in the air" in defeat. This kind of attitude ought to be same within the church of the New Covenant in Christ Jesus, that wherever we are, healing ought to taking place. So there should be no need for despair in Jamaica, in Black America or White America for that matter, in Syria and in Palestine and Israel. The second point is that in this first conversation the importance of suffering emerges. A concept steeped in the age old attribute of patience. In the sense that all things happens in God's own time. So there is no need for panic even though things may seem to be out of control and hopeless. A point underscored by a Word which I read and which struck a chord deep in my heart thus triggering a text message to many folks whose numbers are stored on my cell phone.



" It does not therefore depend on man's effort or desire but on God's mercy. Romans 9:16. Ask God for mercy if you believe that Jesus died for you."

Then came four messages about suffering. The point here is that if Christians are going to carry out our God-given mandate to be a Ray of Hope in any society, we cannot plan to do so according to our own strength and wisdom but ony in keeping with God's purpose that when we are weak, we are strong and therefore His grace is sufficient for us. It's a lesson which the church of a " Suffering Servant" needs to be reminded about in this age of the " Prosperity Gospel". The kind of gospel which allows for " super-apostles" with mega churches, and a doctrine of " God blessing the faithful with material wealth". A doctrine, if truth be told, which led many of us in the church in Jamaica to invest, most unwisely, recently, in an regulated financial scheme run by a " scamp" who is now in jail in the USA, leaving behind broken hearts and broken dreams. A doctrine which has no place in the Kingdom of God, and has no power to rescue a people from murder, economic disaster and dysfunctional families. A doctrine which has leads to false ambitions, wrong concepts about God, and leaves out the foundation on which Christianity stands - God's grace and mercy. A point underscored in one of the all time great teaching hymns by Charles Wesley, and to which the Lord led me to read and to reflect, especially:



He left his Father's throne above,

So free, so infinite His grace;

Emptied Himself of all but love,

and bled for Adam's helpless race.

'Tis mercy all, immense and free,

For, O my God, it found out me





MESSAGE ABOUT SUFFERING



The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Acts 5:41 NIV



Peace

LWJ

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from LIME.



"Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body which is the church." Colossians 1:24 NIV.

Peace

LWJ



Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. If indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager anticipation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay, and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Romans 8:17-21 NIV



Sent from my iPad



On Sep 20, 2012, at 10:53 PM, Lucien Jones wrote:



>

> "But the Lord said to Ananias, Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." Acts 9:15-16

> Sent from my iPad

>

> We cannot escape the reality that to be effective in establishing God's kingdom here on earth there will be some kind of suffering according to God's will and purpose. More for some, less for others. But all are required to follow the way of the cross. Without which there is no power to carry out God's will. Only talk.

> LWJ



The final Word from the Lord this week spoke about the need for us to depend on the word of God, to love one another, and to have faith in Christ. These are three areas of Christian life which, if neglected, undermines the effectiveness of the prophetic voice of the church in any society and renders its witness worthless and powerless. Could it be that across the world and in Jamaica, we who are called to be the " Light of the World", and A Ray of Hope in any society, have not paid as much attention to the Word, our neighbour and trust in God as we go about being " busy for God"? Could this be the reason why Jamaica has no Elisha, who will call a people to the living God, in times of trouble as Naaman was called. Could this be the reason why in Black America or White America, despite the many many churches across the land and radio stations, people are turning away from the God of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac, and "creating", gods in their own likeness? Have we lost the zeal to win souls in distant lands, in hostile territories, as many missionaries did in the early years, amidst much suffering and even death? Are we guilty of " giving up too easily" in the face of trouble when we have an Almighty God to depend on, whose faithfulness is established in heaven itself according to the Psalmist. have we forgotten what Jesus said about His Word - that they are Spirit and life, and that flesh counts for nothing. My brothers and sisters we musT begin to pay close attention to Paul's word in Colossians, if we hope to be a Ray of Hope in this country. As spiritual wisdom and understanding, living a life worthy of the Lord, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power, patience and endurance, all comes when we have faith in Christ, and love one another. That's the only hope for Jamaica, for the USA and the entire world. Engaging in the basics of the faith and not following people who have "lost connection with the head', according to St. Paul, whether or not they come on public television, radio, cable or any other means of communication.



THE FINAL WORD



"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom., as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ giving thanks to God the Father through him."



Colossians 3:17 NIV



I woke up with that Word in my head this morning and reflected on the fact that, to meditate, to ponder deeply on the Word of God is the most important thing that a Christian needs to do regularly if we are to truly hear God speaking in this " noisy " world. For without that Word who can be sure what path to take, what decision to make, what to leave alone, what to run from, what glitters and is not gold, what seems like a good thing to do but will lead to our destruction, or worse, bring contempt on the name our our Savior.

Peace

LWJ

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God.....

1. To fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

2. And we pray this in order that:

a) you may live a life worthy of the Lord,

b)and may please him in every way;

c)bearing fruit in every good work,

d) growing in the knowledge of God,

e) being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might,

f) so that you may have great endurance and patience,

g) and joyfully giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints of the kingdom of light.

3. For he has rescued us,

a) from the dominion of darkness,

b) and brought us into the kingdom of the Son who he loves,

c) in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1:9-14 NIV

For what reason?

" We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,

1. Because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus

2. and the love you have for all the saints

Colossians 1:3-4 NIV

I have been moved to number each blessings and observations and revelations separately, so that when we pray for each other and for others - which the objective of this message - we may do so according to God's Word, and with great specificity. Let us remember always to pray that others may hear about our faith in Christ and our love for each other. Which is what church is all about.

Peace.

LWJ

O, For a few Righteous Men ( and Women)

All around the world, educators face a huge problem. How to deal with the reality of young people who are sexually active, and are therefore at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV/AIDS. This week, in my country, hopefully in pursuit of that trying to solve that problem, although there are suspicions of another agenda, a very misguided, culturally inappropriate, and morally unacceptable family life education manual came to light in the full glare of the media. Have you ever had anal sex without a condom? How many sexual partners have you had? These and others, were some of the questions posed in the offending book, crafted for grade 7-9 students - first to third form. Predictably parents in particular, and the entire society in general, were " up in arms" and livid, that their children could have been exposed, if some had their way, to that kind of material. What were they thinking, and who was responsible, were some of the questions that people wanted answered. The present Minister of Education very promptly " pulled" the manual and issued a directive for the entire matter to be reviewed, while the former Minister bemoaned the fact that, during his tenure, he had had to make the same decision as this matter had surfaced before. So what is really going on here! Is there a " hidden hand" with a not so hidden agenda trying to force the Jamaican people to accept something which is completely foreign to us. This story was huge this week, even overshadowing, to an extent, the annual conference of the governing party, this weekend, during which the Prime Minister was expected to answer some of the critics who were of the opinion that she had been too silent, and not sufficiently specific, on her plans to deal with the critical issue of the economy. Even the discussion about the high murder rate, a constant feature of our life here in Jamaica, for a brief moment, took a back seat as people's emotions were riled up about this issue. There is another, not unrelated, as least in my view, matter which caught my attention, and that too is a problem worldwide. What is the Jamaican music culture? I listened this week, very carefully on radio , to a discussion between someone with a Phd and another pursuing a masters degree discussing this issue in the context of controversial lyrics by an up and coming dance hall artist, Tommie Lee, who is said, I don't listen to him, to be " glorifying", or " bigging up " demons in some of his songs. And further, that other well known international artistes, including Lady Gaga, are " into" this kind of association with demons and the dark side, and that many Jamaicans apparently appreciate this kind of music. So really, what is now our culture? There is supposed to be a part two on Beyond The Headlines with DJ Miller, on Radio-Jamaica ( RJR). Hopefully I will catch it. The closest I have come to that kind of discussion with one of " many sons" whose fingernails were painted black, and who in a response to my questioning, shared that it was the " Gothic Style". That conversation too, will continue.




So in the midst of this madness in my country, very clear madness, which overshadowed serious political and social issues, what did the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the One who the Psalmist declares:

" From heaven the Lord looks down

and sees all mankind;

from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth -

he who forms the hearts of all

who considers everything they do. ( Psalm 33:13. NIV)



what did He say this week?



The central message from the Lord this week is addressed to men in our society. To women also, but primarily to men. And the reason for this comes out in the first message below which was sent to three men in a church in the central part of my country, and copied to senior members of the church - man and women. The message came one morning as I was led to spend time reflecting on one of the all time great hymns of the church...Search me O God. Words which speak to the essence of our faith in God in and through Christ Jesus, as enunciated in the first line of the message. Why? The story is to long to be included here, but I would encourage everyone to read Numbers chapter 16, in where the main reason why Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and avert the wrath of God can be found. And which works of the evil one is still very present in my country both in the declared and hidden reasons why the offending manual was introduced into my country, and why this dangerous pre-occupation with demonic forces is emerging in our music. No wonder one of the founding fathers of the church Augustine of Hippo observed that: " in the old ( testament) the new ( testament) lies hidden and in the new the old is laid bare.



A MESSAGE TO MEN ( AND WOMEN)



There are several messages in this powerful hymn.

1. Search me O God.....as you are a Holy God and I cannot stand before you unless all my wickedness is removed.

2. Out of the heart of men flow all kinds of evil......The most dangerous aspect of our lives which need searching, cleansing and redeeming is that which flows out of or own hearts - our thoughts, desires, and ambitions.

3. A desire for cleansing begins and depends on God's Word - Christ The Living Word and The Written Word of Holy Scripture ......fulfill thy word and make me pure within. A desire to know God's Word must become paramount in our lives.

4. Even the sins of the past need cleansing.....fill me with fire where once I burned with shame

5. Absolute surrender, total obedience....my passion, self and pride.... to God should be our desire each day.

6. A Revival in the church and in the nation will only come with the absolute reign of the Holy Spirit in the lives and work of the men in our congregation. For far too long the women, for the most part, have been totally focused, without apology, on loving the Lord Jesus. We men need to join with them and then this nation will be truly blessed.

A message for me, which I share with you. Please, as you are moved, as leaders in your church, share with other men in need. Whether in your congregation or in another.

Peace

LWJ



Search me, O God,And know my heart today;Try me, O Savior,Know my thoughts, I pray.See if there beSome wicked way in me;Cleanse me from every sinAnd set me free.



I praise Thee, Lord,For cleansing me from sin;Fulfill Thy Word,And make me pure within.Fill me with fireWhere once I burned with shame;Grant my desireTo magnify Thy Name.



Lord, take my life,And make it wholly Thine;Fill my poor heartWith Thy great love divine.Take all my will,My passion, self and pride;I now surrender, Lord



In me abide.

O Holy Ghost,Revival comes from Thee;Send a revival,Start the work in me.Thy Word declaresThou wilt supply our need;For blessings now,O Lord, I humbly plead.









In respect of the second message below, when you do read the story of Kohath, Dathan and Abiram, who " rebelled against God", and how when they and their entire families perished, the whole assembly of Israel came under judgment, as they joined in the " grumbling against Moses", and how an " atonement" had to quickly made to stop the resultant plagued, we will get an idea of the kind of danger that hovers over my country. For the reality is that is that if we persist in " rebelling" against the Lord, culturally in our music, morally in what we teach our children, and socially in how we murder one another, then God will indeed " give us our to our own desires". And trust me, you don't want for that to happen to a nation, as the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is not fiction. So who will stand up for our nation in the midst of the madness. This is the question which the second message addressed.





THE SECOND MESSAGE - O FOR A FEW GOOD ( RIGHTEOUS) MEN



I usually read God's Word before my devotions at night after which I retire to bed. Tonight, I felt an urge to read again Charles Stanley's, " How To Listen To God". The first reference in the introductory chapter to the Bible was Psalm 81, and the following passage is underlined in my NIV Bible:

" But my people would not listen to me;

Israel would not listen to me;

So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow the their own devices".

vs 11-12.



Now this is a most dangerous state of affairs, as the very same phrase is used in Roman 1, when God " gave over" people to their own lusts and we all know the end of that story. If you don't read the chapter carefully. But that led me to mourn for my country and to wonder if God would really "give Jamaica over to our own devices", forever. Because, we, like the children of Israel, " would not listen to Him". And thus we would have no hope. Immediately, without any thought on my part, the Spirit of God reminded me of Abraham's call for mercy on Sodom and Gomorrah ....for the sake of a few righteous men. As recorded in Genesis 18.



It cannot be coincidence that this morning I was moved to send " A Message for Men( and Women) to a few men in St Gabriel's church in May Pen and then to members of my church. Essentially, based on the hymn " Search me O God...." to say to men that revival in Jamaica will only come when men decide to repent our own sins, and love the Lord Jesus Christ as women do, for the most part. And then, tonight, this message from the Lord comes so clearly. And so O my God, I pray that the men of this nation will stand up and be counted, so that our nation will not always be " given over to our own devices" by the Lord. But rather that the promised " times of refreshing " will come if we repent. And this " refreshing" is none other than that One Righteous Man Christ Himself, because of Whose sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary, the whole world is spared the wrath of God. That's why we love Him so...in the Name of Jesus, in the Name of Jesus, we shall have the victory....in the Name of Jesus. But we have to believe and be obedient to our Redeemer, and then our nation will have peace. Not before.

Peace

LWJ

Sent from my iPad



The third and final message to my church and other members of the wider church in Jamaica, took me back to the Sodom and Gomorrah story, and in particular how Abraham begged God, for the sake of a few righteous me, to spare the cities. Well, we all knew what happened! But the more important lesson, much more than the destruction of those two ancient cities, is that in fact, there was One Righteous Man who God sent, to avert His wrath for All mankind, And that God-man was and is Jesus. And this God-man who called unto Himself disciples and sent them out into the world to spread the good news ( the Gospel) of repentance and forgiveness of Sins, is still calling a " few righteous ( good) men to spread the very same good news in Jamaica, as He has not forgotten us, and our many challenges. Some of which surfaced in my country this week, publicly and privately. As I was moved to text this quote to one of my many " daughters" as a result of a private conversation, after being led to read John 1: 5-7 NIV.



Sin will keep you from this book. This book will keep you from Sin. - Dwight I. Moody.



" This is message we have heard from him and declare to you: god is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to to have fellowship with him, yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, e have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.



THE THIRD MESSAGE....O FOR A FEW RIGHTEOUS ( GOOD) MEN CONTD.



".......So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.



And so I prayed:



" Good Lord remember your Son Jesus and protect this nation from your wrath for we have done so much wrong. Good Lord remember the faithful in your church, the body of your Son and have mercy on this nation, as we know that the evil we have done is so grievous and the "outcry" against us has reached up to you. O God of mercy remember the remnant in your nation, even the few righteous men and women who are faithful to you, and have mercy on this nation."



As I prayed the words of this most profound hymn, which we, in the Anglican Church, sing before or during Holy Communion( Lord's Supper) came into my mind.



And now, O Father, mindful of the love,

that brought us, once for all, on Calvary's tree,

and having with him that pleads above,

we here present, we here spread forth to thee t

hat only offering perfect in thine eyes,

the one true, pure, immortal sacrifice.



Look, Father, look on his anointed face,

and only look on us as found in him;

look not on the misusings of thy grace,

our prayers so languid, and our faith so dim;

for lo! Between our sins and their reward

we set the passion of thy Son our Lord.



And then for those our dearest and our best( Lot was Abraham's nephew)

by this prevailing presence we appeal;

O fold them closer to thy mercy's breast,

O do thine utmost for their soul's true weal;

from tainting mischief keep them white and clear,

and crown thy gifts with strength to persevere.





O God, if we could really see our fellow Jamaicans, all of them regardless of their actions, as " one of our own", ...our dearest and our best......then we would pray more often for this nation. And God would hear our cry in and through Christ Jesus. And who knows that the God of justice would remember Jamaica and save us from catastrophe. What a challenge for the church!

Peace

Amen

Sent from my iPad





No doubt tomorrow's headlines will feature some aspect of the Prime Minister's speech, depending on the " agenda" of the particular news room. And the issue of what almost happened in our schools will once again take a " back seat" to the pressing economic an social agenda. The reality is however, that the kind of danger that confronts my country, and its citizens, as a consequent of its continued rebellion against the Lord, is far greater than the very real and challenging issues of poverty, a huge debt, weak economic growth and a high murder rate. And in fact is The Problem, although many cannot make the connection, why these " pressing issues" continue to " plague" our country. And I use the word deliberately in the context of Number 16. The one redeeming thing that we have going for us, is that which the Word of God reveals:

" My children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous one. " 1 John 2:1



The challenge for the church is not to isolate itself from the society, from the likes of Tommy Lee or he ill advised proponents of that controversial manual, in anger, or bitterness or in frustration. But to more and more accept that God has placed " a few Righteous men and women" in this nation, to serve and to call people back to God in and through Christ our Lord. Because they too are made in His image and likeness and God loves them all. And to accept that to suffer for the good of others, even though they may not understand it, nor appreciate it, is our lot to bear, even in the midst of the madness. A kind of madness that is well over two thousand years old, and for which at that time, He whose name we bear, Christ Jesus, died for a world that neither knew Him nor accepted him.

Amen

This Island Jamaica, and indeed the entire World need Jesus

Yes I was happy that Serena Williams won the USA Open this evening. Although to be honest I have a lot of respect for Victoria Azarenka and was hoping for a real match and so the three set final was just right. Yes, we welcomed back home Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce this week, and last night the " Golden " one Usain Bolt slipped quietly back into the island. To cap it all, against all the odds our Reggae Boyz stunned the might USA with a hard fought 2:1 win in a world cup qualifying match this week. But, O my God, despite all the joy that our sportsmen and women continue to bring us, the killings, the senseless loss of precious human life, regardless of the alleged circumstances, went on unabated. And in the midst of the murders, two more pregnant women together with children yet unborn lost their lives.




How can a nation then celebrate, when so much madness, so much grief, so much despondency surrounds us. Further, when one considers the ongoing tragedy in Syria, the 60 odd person who died in Iraq today, you wonder when is it all going to end. The consistent message that the Lord sent to me this week, as we struggled to deal with this recent upsurge in violence, was " Do not dress up the wound of my people". Time and time again I was led to consider the story of the children of Israel as recorded in the book of Jeremiah, how they rebelled against the Lord and how they suffered as a consequence. The narrative is compelling, as the Lord asks searching questions repeatedly such as:



" When men fall down, do they not get up?

When a man turns away, does he not return?

Why then have these people turned away?

Why does Jerusalem always turn away?

They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.

Jeremiah 8:4-5



The same question has been thrown out to the people of Jamaica, time and time again by the church. Why will we not listen? Why will we not return to the Lord? We cling on to worthless idols and look to man for a solution to deeply spiritual problems. The latest thing now that some foolish people are asking for, in the light of the "police killing of the pregnant woman last week", is the resignation of the Commissioner of Police. As if a " better " one, could help us to stop the madness! How sad, how sad, would my Pastor say. what sin, what a sin, when we have the Almighty God waiting, yes waiting to help. So just last night, when my " cup overflowed" the Lord led me to write this prayer to leaders of my church and in the wider society.



LAST NIGHT'S MESSAGE



The news tonight on the television, following the news for the entire week, triggered this.



Since my people are crushed, I am crushed.

I mourn and horror or grips me.

Is there no balm in Gilead?

Is there no physician there.

Why then is there no healing for the wound my people?

Jeremiah 8:21-22



Almighty God your Word encourages us to to cry out to you and you will show us great and wonderful things of which we know not. And so Lord mindful of your unfailing love, we cry out to you for mercy, for the wound of our people is great and very serious. We cry out to you for the rebellion which our people have carried out against you, and which has led to so much bloodshed in our country. And Lord you know how much " bloodshed follows bloodshed". O God we pray that you may turn the hearts of your people back to you, that we may repent as a nation, and that times of refreshing may fall on our people. For Lord, as they are crushed, as they are murdered, mothers, fathers, young men, old men, even pregnant mothers, we mourn and we too are crushed and horror grips us O God. O God do not be silent. Lord, according to the words of the Psalmist, O God be not quiet, be not still, for you see how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. O God your Word says that,



" In repentance and rest is your salvation;

in quietness and trust is your strength,

but you would have none of it.............

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;

he rises to show you compassion.

For the Lord is a God of justice.

Blessed are all who wait upon him".

Isaiah 35:15



O God hear the prayers of your people tonight, and forgive our people, for because we would " have none of it", because we have chosen to disobey you, and decided to flee, our pursuers have been swift and we cannot manage. Therefore our souls are distressed because of the continuing shedding of blood in our country. O God we look to you for mercy. O God we ask you for help, not because we are worthy O God, but because we, the remnant, trust in the Name of your Son Jesus Christ, who alone is the Balm that this country needs. We trust in your graciousness, your justice and your compassion. So as we go to bed this night O Lord, we pray according to the Word of the Psalmist, that you may satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love that we may rejoice in you. In Christ's mighty Name we pray.

Amen

Sent from my iPad





The one thing with which I struggle with, as a believer whose faith has been honed in the crucible of personal trials and challenges, is how can we as church, convince our fellow countrymen and women, that they really have no other option in life but to trust in the God of Abraham, the God of Issac and the God of Jacob. As there is no other god. No other power to which they can appeal in times of trouble. And according to God's holy Word, there will be trouble for every human being in the world. This God has chosen by grace, " what is man that you should be mindful of him", to reveal Himself through His written Word and and moreso through the Word made flesh in Jesus Christ. How can we convince our people, as Job came to understand, that there is a different conversation, there is another reality around us, over which we have no control, and about which we cannot learn from Twitter, CNN, or On The Ground News. Only by accepting the free gift of God's mercy in the Atonement wrought on the Cross of Calvary by the same Christ.

This is why the prophet called his people back to a God who " longs to be gracious unto us, and who rises ( from the dead) to show us compassion. This issue is dealt with in a powerful way in another letter to my church this week.



ANOTHER MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH AND STATE THIS WEEK



They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious.

Jeremiah 8:11 NIV



Jesus said,

" if you were blind; you would not be guilty of sin;

but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

John 9:41



Amazing grace.........that saved a wretch like me .....was blind but now I see.

Newton



" You say, ' I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.

But you do not realize that you are wretched;

pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire,

so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

Those I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.

Rev. 3: 17-19



The wounds of my people are serious....in the USA, Canada and in Jamaica. Tell them so. Do not dress up their wounds. The only context in which the gospel can be authentically presented, is when people realize that they cannot manage. That they are helpless. That they are blind. That they are in a desperate condition. Otherwise we are being traitors to Him who died for the Blind, the Naked, the Poor. the Pitiful, and the Wretched.....as this is what we once were, but thank God for Jesus. O my God there is indeed a Balm in Gilead.....to heal my sin-sick soul

Peace

LWJ

Sent from my iPaD





If my struggle to understand how my people continue to leave God out of the equation, is profound, even more serious is the struggle to understand why the church of the living God is not demonstrating the kind of power which ought to accompany those in whom Christ lives. Why aren't we being more effective in our witness? Why aren't we doing the " much more" that Christ promised for those who live by the Spirit? Why aren't we exhibiting the kind of power which would " turn the hearts" of our people back to God.



Is it the emphasis on " talking in tongues" rather than doing mighty works in the Name of Jesus? It is the "madness " of people being baptized, time and time again, when the Word speaks clearly about , " One faith, one Baptism, one Lord"? Are thee things weakening our power? Is it the " dressing up of the wound of my people", the unholy practice of " watering down sin" in the church, when immorality, greed and malice rear their ugly head? Is it the imported, or locally manufactured, doctrine of associating growth in the Christian faith with material wealth, and hence the desire of many is for the blessings of God, and not for God Himself. A teaching that has no place for suffering and obedience and faithfulness to Christ and Christ alone. No wonder then that the Lord sent this message.



THE THIRD MESSAGE FROM THE LORD THIS WEEK



In the morning I read this:

" I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith."

Ephesians 3:16-17 NIV



And tonight I just read this:

" But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you: and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8 NIV



Then I recalled this passage: " For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." 1 Cor. 4:20



Comment: if as a church we are not demonstrating this power, in some way, then something is wrong. Terribly wrong!

Peace

LWJ

Sent from my iPad





Finally, as I prepared myself for worship this morning, the Spirit of God led me to write to a young man who is under severe temptation from the evil one. In the same way that my countrymen and women are under attack by the devil and his " wicked ones". And this was the message:

Jesus, the very thought of thee

With sweetness fills the breast;

But sweeter still thy face to see

And in thy presence rest.



No Voice can sing,

no heart can frame,

Nor can the memory find,

A sweeter sound than Jesus' name,

The Savior of mankind.



O hope of every contrite heart,

O joy of all the meek,

To those who fall, how kind thou art.

How good to those who seek!



But what to those who find?

Ah, this. Nor tongue nor pen can show,

The love of Jesus, what is it,

None but whom love him know,



Jesus, our only joy be thou

As thou our prize wilt be;

In thee be all our glory now,

And throughout eternity.

Peace

LWJ



There is a popular gospel artiste, Carlene Davis, who wrote a song many years ago, and which lyrics speak well and profoundly but simply to what Jamaica needs now. This island needs Jesus....the hope of every contrite heart, the joy of all the meek. I pray God that we as a nation may come to understand, soon and once and for all, that the Word of God, which is living and active, is more precious and beneficial to us than any human wisdom, any joy, any material possession and any human relationship. As there is only One God, the Holy One of Israel, and He made the heaven and earth, and the sea and all that there is in it. And He created mankind for His own purpose, for His praise and glory. Our hearts will therefore always wander, make other gods out of idols , kill and destroy each other, until our hearts find rest in Him. It is not a mystery what is happening in my country and in the world, but entirely predictable and predicted. Hopefully we will find that rest in this world, as although God is eternally merciful, the opportunities to find Him elsewhere are extremely limited, and then the choice is not ours to make. So the Psalmist is correct: Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found. Psalm 32:6 NIV And God in His mercy, Rises in Christ to show us compassion, even now in the midst of the madness. Let us make that choice to follow Jesus now.

Amen

LWJ

Murder most foul and The Promises of God

This week was not a good one in my country. Murder most foul sent shock waves across the nation. First they killed a young trying used car dealer. Took the car for a test drive and then shot him and threw him on the road as if dispensing with garbage. Even now my soul rebels against this act of sheer wickedness. Then just two days ago they, the same forces of evil, masquerading as human beings, held up a celebrated gynecologist in the western part of the island and shot him to death. His colleagues tried but could not save him. Further east, a pregnant woman, allegedly on account of the use of expletives was accosted by a policeman, and when she resisted, some kind of madness ensued, we are not sure what. But when the smoke cleared she was dead and her sister injured by gunshots. The just tonight the television crew interviewed a woman whose two sons were murdered, along with a friend, in an inner city community. Her response? She felt as if she too could die at any moment. Why does a country, so blessed as ours is, so famous as ours is, so rich in human potential and God given natural beauty, why should we go through these spasms of brutality every so often with no end in sight. Every time someone adds up the numbers killed over a particular period, it seems so barbaric....6000 in how many years! God have mercy! Christ have mercy! How long my God, how long must we keep on mourning for our young ones, celebrated ones, pregnant ones, old ones! How long! God heard, and led me to write the following messages. Messages which do not give a direct answer to solving the problem at hand, but point in the direction that we need to take as nation and as individuals, if we are going to achieve any lasting peace.




FIRST TO MY CHILDREN AND OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES ARE CLOSELY INTERTWINED WITH MINE THROUGH MY PROFESSION.



As the deer pants for the water,

So my soul pants after You.

You alone are my heart's desire

And I long to worship you.



Refrain. You alone are my strength, my shield,

To You alone may my spirit yield.

You alone are my heart's desire

And I long to worship You.



I want You more than gold and silver,

Only You can satisfy.

You alone are the real joy-giver

And the apple of my eye.



You're my Friend and You are my Brother,

Even though You are a King.

I love You more than any other,

So much more than anything.



My prayer for you this morning, is that you may own the the words of this wonderful hymn for yourself. Now, even when young and filled with all kinds of passions and responsibilities. For the Lord is worthy is having the number one position in your life, as He alone died for you on Calvary. It may seem easy and obvious, and you may think that you do in fact love the Lord more than gold and silver and more than anything, but the truth is that if you are honest with yourself, the " old man", which loves self more than God, is hard to get rid of. So the hymn writer's plea, " O for grace to love you more", ought to be your constant prayer. And mine. Consider further, the words of the last verse, and link that thought with this verse of another wonderful hymn: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation......... Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee; surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend thee; ponder anew what the Almighty can do, if to the end he befriend thee. And finally link this thought of God being a Friend and Brother to: What a Friend we have in Jesus.....

May your day be blessed as you consider these thoughts inspired by the Lord Himself.

LWJ Sent from my iPad



The central message here, and which continued throughout the week, is that though we mourn and pine for peace in our land, in Syria, in Afghanistan, in Mexico, in the minefields of South Africa and other trouble spots, such peace will only come when we are fully focused on the only One who can bring true peace. Even in the midst of the storms! Which is the subject of the next message. Does that mean that we become less vigilant in our search for justice, for security, for better housing for our people, for better education, for better family life, for more economic opportunities? No! But we recognize that even if we achieve those worthy objectives, they in and by themselves will not ensure peace.



TO SOME OF OUR NATION'S LEADERS IN POLITICS, CHURCH, THE MEDIA AND BUSINESS



I was giving thanks for thanks for God's Word this morning when He placed a phrase from the passage below in my heart. I had read the phrase before going to bed....." Those who live in accordance with the Spirit set their minds on what the Spirit desires". So I went and read the entire Romans 8:1-17 again this morning and the following things came to mind.

1. People who are not in Christ Jesus are under God' wrath, God's condemnation.

2.The law although righteous could not save sinful man, as it itself was weakened by the sinful nature of man.

3.God in His infinite wisdom sent His Son in the likeness of sinful man to do what the law was powerless to do....and thus allowed to righteous requirements of the law to be fully met in us who live by the Spirit and not by the sinful nature.

4. People who live by the sinful nature can never please God

5. Anyone who has the Spirit of Christ has his life controlled by the Spirit.

6. The question arises then if we who are baptized, and therefore, have the Spirit of Christ, why do we continue to do what's wrong as if we are still controlled by the sinful nature

7. The answer is given in a very profound way in vs 10-11. In the sense that if Christ is in us our bodies are dead because of sin..thus we continue to do what is wrong....but the promise is that the very same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies through the Spirit of Christ who lives in us. And therefore empower us to live in accordance with the Spirit and please God.

8. We have to share in Christ' s suffering in order to live this new life.



Then on reflection I recalled that I read the following meditation from Oswald Chambers last night. Note then the encouragement that he provides about having the Life of Christ live within us, so that we may indeed live in accordance with the Spirit and not the sinful nature. As that life is not automatically associated with Baptism for as the Scriptures say we have " work out our salvation with fear and trembling". And Prayer is one method. Living by God's Word is another. Suffering with Christ is yet another.



THE GOOD OF PRAYER

"Lord teach us to pray." Luke 1:1 August 28



It is not part of the life of a natural man to pray. We hear it said that a man will suffer in his life if he does not pray. I question it. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a man is born from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve that life or nourish it. Prayer is the way the life of God is nourished. Our ordinary views of prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer as a means of getting things for ourselves ( as I write I can hear James 4:2-3 speaking); the Bible idea of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself. " Ask and ye shall receive." We grouse before God, we are apologetic or apathetic, but we ask very few things. yet what a splendid audacity a childlike child has! Our Lord says - " Except ye become as little children." Ask and God will do. Give Jesus Christ a chance, give him elbow room, and no man will do this until he is at his wit's end. When a man is at his wit's end it is not a cowardly thing to pray; it is the only way he can get into touch with Reality. Be yourself before God and present your problems, the things you know you have come to your wit's end over. As long as you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything.

It is not true that " prayer changes things", as prayer changes me and I change things. God has so constituted things that prayer on the basis of Redemption alters the way in which a man looks at things. Prayer is not a question of altering things externally, but of working wonders in man's disposition. I was thinking yesterday that really and truly, that brutal murder of that young used car dealer, should occupy the minds of all Jamaicans. And as I write no doubt it should bring us to our wit's end. Much more than our economic crisis, much more than the crisis of poor math grades in our schools, and certainly much more than the headlines this morning about Buju Banton changing his lawyer.

Peace.

LWJ



The key question here is , " have we come to our wit's end" , in Jamaica, in the USA, in Europe, in Africa and the Middle East, and other trouble spots across the world in respect of the number of people who being killed daily. And the consequence for those societies. If not, we are really not ready for the kind of submission to a Holy God and to the only One who can help mankind with all its troubles. For at the end of the day it is the will of God that all humankind should come to know that there is no other God, no other Saviour, but the Holy One of Israel. And that he has revealed Himself through His written Word in the Bible and moreso in and though the Living Word Christ Jesus who died on the Cross of Calvary for Sin of all mankind.



PART TWO



My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.





Refrain



On Christ the solid Rock I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand;

All other ground is sinking sand.





When darkness seems to hide His face,

I rest on His unchanging grace.

In every high and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the veil.





Refrain





His oath, His covenant, His blood,

Support me in the whelming flood.

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my Hope and Stay.





Refrain





When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh may I then in Him be found.

Dressed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.





Refrain





Last night the Lord woke me up to read:

" Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the King of Assyria and that vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help to fight our battles. And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the King of Judah said." 2. Chronicles 32:7-8. NIV

I cannot recall reading this version of the story, although I may have read it before, but definitely the version in Isaiah is well known, including the number of Sennacherib's army which was killed by one angel.

Earlier on in the night I had completed a reading a book on " Listening to God" by Charles Stanley. The penultimate chapter was entitled: " THE LIFE THAT LISTENS - A WELL BUILT LIFE". And the reflection was grounded in Matthew 7: 24-27:

'Therefore whoever hears these saying of Mine. and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. Now everyone who hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rains descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it fell. And great was its fall."

Stanley then goes on to make some great points in respect of the passage of Scripture...to which many of us could relate well, and perhaps, may have discerned ourselves. The more important contribution though was the statement following the Matthew passage.

STANLEY.... In this particular parable, Jesus confronts us with the simple truth that each one of us is building a life, and its soundness is hearing His voice and acting on it. Jesus wanted the multitudes who had gathered on the rocky hillside to understand that He wasn't delivering just a marvelous new pattern of for living. It wasn't to be a popular sermon that they all went home saying, " Boy, wasn't that a great message!". and then gradually for got about it. What He uttered was not meant to be the new spiritual fodder for debate in the synagogues or market place. He stated "Divine Truth", to be immediately implemented in every sector of existence.

Verse 29 says , " He taught them as having authority". It is as though He had said, " Men, women, and children, you have just heard My words, which come from God. You have listened to to My instructions concerning how to be blessed, how to forgive, and how to pray. You have heard great truths about My Kingdom and its principles. I leave you now with this final command.: Put these truths into practice, and your life will be like a man whose house was constructed on a solid foundation. Ignore, forget, or shelve these truths, and your life will be erected on worthless, porous sand. The choice is yours".



Listening to God and obeying Him are the only constructive methods that help us to survive the storms of the twentieth century. Hearing His voice and integrating it our value systems, behavioral patterns, thoughts, and conversations are prerequisites for for enduring lives. Staying alert and responsive to His speaking voice becomes the rock foundation that no tempest, temptation, or trial can erode. That's why it's dangerous to attend church, listen to religious broadcasts, or read Christian publications! It's dangerous, because Jesus said everyone who hears His truth and does not act upon it will be like the foolish man who built His house upon the sand. It's perilous, because each of us will be held accountable for acting upon every spiritual truth we hear......STANLEY



As I conclude his meditation, and recall how having read these things last night, I woke up this morning singing: "There is power in the Name of the Lord...Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the following thoughts entered my mind. Do the members of the cabinet realize how dangerous it is to invite a man of God to share the Word with them? Do the Christian members of the Press Association which is scheduled to have it's AGM this week understand how dangerous it is to hear the Word of God and not act on it, or share it with authority with the Nation. Or how dangerous it is for the non-believers of that body to listen constantly to God's Word and not believe. Perhaps the sector of society which is most in danger is the church. A church that does not preach with authority, but shares the Word of God as if it is one more element in a pluralistic society that can choose to debate it's worth, accept or reject it, without any consequences. The storms of life are upon us as a nation....the murder, the violence and immorality in the schools in particular, the poverty, the gross inequality in our society, the rebellion against any kind of authority, the ill temper and aggressiveness increasingly evident in both sexes but disconcertingly so in our women, the nurturing ones in the family, the poor performance of so many in our schools, the " low life" of many of our political and other leaders in our society, the " shocking revelations" every so often in the churches, the unbelievable slackness that passes for contemporary music. All have their root in the choice that this nation has made. To ignore the Word of God. And each one of us will be held accountable by God Himself. Who not only came to earth as Man, but died so that we may live and flourish as individuals and as nations. And left us, the church, with this great message and ministry of reconciliation. What have we done? Or more importantly, what have we left undone?

Peace.

LWJ



The final message that I was moved to write this week, is set out below, and has little of my thoughts in it. Mostly the Word of God. My conclusion is that all of this inspiration from the Lord is intended to underscore the fundamental importance of the Word of God in the life of every living soul in this world. There is no other source of God's revelation. Only the written Word and the Living Word. Every " inspiration", every " prophetic utterance", every " message from the Lord", has to be validated by God's Word. A great part of the problem in the world today, is that many who claim to " speak in the name of the Lord", have deprated from the simple but profound truths in the Bible. And have gone for the spectacular, the dramatic and the fascinating. But ultimately have no power, as the Word says in Colossians 2: 19..." they have lost connection with the head". And since the church is ordained by God to be the " salt of the earth", little wonder then that evil reigns supreme in many places , inlcuding my beautiful island of Jamaica.

The fact is that the only hope for mankind in every part of this troubled world is to come to the knowledge that " the thief has come to steal, and kill and to destroy", but Jesus has come " that we may have life and have it more abundantly". And the way the " thing is set up " according the young people, the way God has ordained it, it that it is only when we come to our wit's end, that we really and truly understand the need for Jesus in our lives. And God who is gracious and compassionate to the wicked and the ungtrateful, al of us, will forgive us and set us free from the bondage of Sin in and through belief in the life, death and resurrection of His Son Christ Jesus - the unseen bu very present in times of trouble, according the Psalmist.



FURTHER EARLY MORNING REVELATIONS.......in respect of the house built on solid rock...and the life of a Christian in any society...and news for the unbeliever....or the disobedient



" But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task. Unlike so many we do not peddle the word of God for a profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God...........

Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, " Let light shine of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God, and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

It is written: " I believed; and therefore I have spoken". With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak...............

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. For we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 & 4:1-18 NIV

Without any doubt the final verse sums up the challenge for all Christians. How to live a life with " eyes fixed on the unseen". And not on the unseen. And the "distractions" are many. So that unbelievers may come know that God sent Jesus for them too. So that God's power may flow out of us and heal this nation. It is not easy, as we all have responsibilities...to our jobs...to our families...to church life...to attend to national affairs. But it is God who has given us these gifts and responsibilities, and He will provide the wisdom and resources and power. What He asks of us, is to first to be aware that " we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing". And " not to lose heart" in the struggles we will face in representing Him in ...national life....in family life....on radio or television ......in our jobs.....in our time of relaxation...in all our endeavors. Then this country of ours with all its problems will be renewed, as the battle is not ours but the Lord's. But we must be faithful.

Hours before I wrote yesterday, one who " kept her eyes fixed on He who is unseen" went back to the Lord who she loved dearly. One who was unheralded in this nation, but one whose witness for Christ in her quiet way, helped to shape the lives of many with her fine manners, quiet dignity, constant joy and incessant prayer. I was privileged to have known her and to have been loved by her and to have loved her. Her son is included in this message. May God's peace rest on he and his family.

Peace.

LWJ



No doubt in the ensuing weeks, many meetings will be held, analyses made, investigations pursued and statements made in an effort to try and reassure the nation and to bring comfort to the relatives and justice to the perpetrators of the kind of evil which flourished in my country this week. And those things must happen. But greater will be the benefit if more and more people chose to believe what Jesus told us on the night before He died. " If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him". John 14:23. So the question arises, if God, the Almighty God, The maker of Heaven and Earth, the sea and everything in it, has promised to live in us, if we believe and love His Son. How can silver and gold compete with this promise. How can all the pleasures of the world compete with this promise? How can all the power that this world has to offer compete with this pomise? And how can we not accept such a wonderful gift so that evil will no longer flourish in our land!

The benefits of Twitter and other more conventional media vs. The Word of God

Representative Todd Akin the Republican nominee from Missouri provoked the biggest firestorm this week with his comments about " legitimate rape" ; and that " a woman's body can block an unwanted pregnancy". What was he really thinking! And he further compounding the issue by quoting un-named medical sources he reached an all time low. Of course the " legitimate" medical sources were quick to point out that such thinking and comments had no basis in fact. Later this week, reports surfaced that President Obama intends to " stoke the fires of this controversy", I suppose in an effort to further consolidate his already strong position with the female vote. All of this happening at time when the Republican convention is about to kick off this weekend, and Isaac is already causing problems.


Back home, here in Jamaica, after the joy of Olympians " shell dung London" ( street talk among young people for " taking over the place") , life goes back to its unpleasant worst, as this week a prominent businessman, a well respected and loved Senior cop and a battle scarred prominent politician with a history of being in the public glare for the wrong reasons, were accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice and hauled before the courts. And of course Hurricane Isaac had many persons scared, and glued to the television anxiously awaiting the news about a system which would cause death in Haiti ( once again , Lord have mercy), briefly threaten Jamaica before passing over Cuba and now heading to the Florida Panhandle. All of this news coming to us within minutes courtesy of Twitter and then the conventional news media.



In the midst of this flurry of activity across the globe, the Lord led me to reflect more deeply on the importance of His Word, as compared to the information which is now at our veritable fingertips via the social media and other aspects of the worldwide web. The first part of the message on the importance of His Word came in a sermon I preached at church, just this evening, a part of which shared below:



EXTRACT FROM THE SERMON



But thank God in the midst of the difficulties, we come upon the goodness of and faithfulness of God, as the Psalmist cries out in Psalm 16:

" Keep me safe O God, for in you I have taken refuge."



Perhaps the hymn writer who was inspired to pen the lines for " Here O my Lord I see thee face to face.. and especially the last verse: I have no other help but thine, nor do I need another arm on which to lean, it is enough my Lord, enough indeed, my strength is in thy might thy might alone. Perhaps he was moved by this passage of Scripture which has comforted millions of believers over the centuries. And we know, again according to God's word, that we serve a compassionate God whose mercies a new every morning, so great is His faithfulness.

This brings me to the central point of this message that the Lord has laid on my heart tonight. How much do we yearn for the word of God? How important is the word for our daily living? Do we get up in the mornings anxiously looking forward to what God is going to say to us through His word in the mornings? Do we carry this word to guide us and protect us during the course of the day. Is the word of God central to our to every move we make , every thought we have, every plan we construct, every decision we make, every challenge we face? Further, is the word of God guiding our prayers for the nation for our families, for our communities, for our church and indeed for the whole world? The fact is my friends, and I am reading a book now on Listening to God, God speaks to each of us through circumstances, other people, directly in a still small voice, at different times and different ways, but always through His Word. And which Word was with God in the beginning, was God and became flesh in Jesus Christ.



So the number one priority of all children of God, all believers in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ, all Baptized Anglicans and all who are searching and attend church regularly, is to become familiar with the Scriptures. But more importantly, as James points out, looking at the word is one thing, but being obedient to the word is the ultimate objective. I want to suggest that, in the very the act of crying out to God, " Keep me safe O God, for in you I have taken refuge", is an explicit statement, that the Psalmist had come to know by listening to God that He was a God who could protect and a God who was faithful to His word and His promises. This is a God who had performed mighty miracles by the Red Sea, in the desert, and by the Jordan river. This God had a history of keeping people safe, especially those who trusted in Him. The question is, does the God who you serve and I serve, does this God have a history of keeping us safe...... is this a dependable God? Is this a faithful God. Is this a God who can fix Jamaica's problems? Is this a God who can free us from the murderous sprit which is shed abroad in our land and which causes bloodshed to follow bloodshed? Is this a God who can stop the corruption in high places? Is this a God who can heal our diseases and raise our dead and comfort us in times of trouble? Does our God have a such a history. What kind of God is your God, and my God. If the God you serve can heal the woman with the issue of blood, if your God can heal all ten lepers, even though only one came back to say thanks, if your God can raise Lazarus from the dead, if your God can do abundantly more than you can ask or imagine, then I would suggest that we consider briefly tonight the following three examples in the word of God appointed for this week. END OF EXTRACT





This week I was reflecting upon the state of my country: the high murder rate; the current debate about the high rate of failure in CSEC mathematics and English and the unacceptable just plain " out of order" ( uncouth and ill mannered behavior of many of our citizens) this thought came into my mind. That if Jamaicans began to do three things, consistently, then our country would change overnight.

1. Go to church...and by extension, read God's Word regularly and be obedient to His Word.

2. Read much more - and by extension, watch less television, text less, and listen to less music which place all kinds of evil and negative things in one's mind.

3. Exercise regularly - and by extension, eat more healthily and develop a more disciplined approach to everything in life.





The second part of the message about God's Word was the receipt of a meditation from The UCB Word For Today which comes out of the UK. This was one of three that dealt with satan and his defeat by God. The knowledge of the kind of spiritual warfare about which most unbelievers are unaware, and even some believers, and which lack of knowledge, based on God's Words, is the source of much evil and trials in this world. Thus I was moved to send this message by e-mail to others for their own reflections.





24 Aug 2012 Satan Is Defeated (2) You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32

Satan is a deceiver, but Jesus is a revealer. So any time you bring Jesus into the situation, satan is unmasked and his plans for your life are exposed and foiled. Satan is referred to in Scripture as 'darkness,' and Jesus as 'light.' The moment the light moves in, the darkness has to move out. So your first priority is not to conquer satan, but to move closer to Jesus; to line up your will and your word with His will and His Word. Instead of just lying down, taking it, and saying, 'I guess there's nothing I can do about this,' rise up in faith and say, 'satan, it is written...' Faced with a level of temptation none of us will ever be exposed to, that's what Jesus did to satan in the wilderness. The Bible says, 'Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him' (Matthew 4:11 NKJV).



Recently we witnessed bankers and brokers take people's money, lose it, then later come back and say, 'Here's another good plan; invest in it.' But now we know better, don't we? We no longer believe an investment is good just because somebody says so. Don't miss the spiritual analogy here. When you know the truth of God's Word and you use it as a weapon, satan's walls crumble, his plans for you come un-glued, and his schemes fall apart. When you understand who you are 'in Christ,' you are more than a match for the devil and he can no longer control your life.





The third part of the message about God's Word came in the form of a reflection on two hymns, which one of my bishop's refers to as " beyond the sacred page". In the sense that although not God's Word per se, the inspired hymns of the church have great value if we discern God's voice in the midst of the hymn writer's struggles.

One was " Hark my soul! it is the Lord, the last verse of which provided great inspiration for me and for those to whom it was sent. The second one, is a less well known hymn but contains within it powerful words and a great message for those who are seeking a deeper knowledge of Christ. there was a great insistence in my reading this second hymn, even in the middle of the night the Lord woke me up to read and reflect and find great comfort in the words.



HYMN ONE 1. Hark, my soul! It is the Lord; ............



6. Lord it is my chief complaint

that my love is weak and faint;

yet I love thee and adore;

O for grace to love thee more.



May the Lord's peace be with you today, in a special way, as you reflect upon, and pray according to this last verse of a wonderful hymn. Much love

LWJ

Sent from my iPad



HYMN TWO





Glorious things of thee are spoken

Zion, city of our God

he whose word cannot be broken

formed thee for his own abode.

On the Rock of ages founded,

what can shake thy sure repose?

With salvation's walls surrounded,

thou mayest smile at all thy foes ( what a wonderful assurance)



See, the streams of living water,

springing from the eternal love,

well supply thy sons and daughters,

and all fear of want remove.

Who can faint while such a river

ever flows to assuage our thirst;

grace, which like the Lord the Giver

never fails from age to age?



Round each habitation hovering,

see the cloud and fire appear,

for a glory and a covering -

showing that the Lord is near.

Thus they march, the pillar leading,

light by night and shade by day;

daily on the manner feeding

which he gives then when they pray.



Saviour, since of Zion's city

I, through grace a member am,

let the world deride or pity,

I will glory in thy name.

Fading is the world's best pleasure,

all its boasted pomp and show;

solid joys and lasting treasure

none but Zion's children know.





The reality is that though just yesterday, the Manchester United fans were cheering Usain Bolt, one of their biggest fans, and singing ,

" sign him up Fergie ( the Manager Sir Alex Ferguson), sign him up, that kind of fame is fading. And only the solid joys and lasting treasure, known only by Zion's children...baptized believing and obedient children of God ...will last forever.





Finally, a Word from a famous Saint of old, and from the Bible, for those who are struggling to believe and to join up with Zion's children and make this world a better place. Much more than Michael Jackson can hope for or imagine. And a Word which speaks to the hearts of those who long for the grace to love Christ more. And which Word was sent to others for their own reflection



No man ever believes with a true and saving faith unless God inclines his heart; and no man when God does inclines his heart can refrain from believing - Blaise Pascal



" I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparable great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ Jesus when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age, but also in the one to come." - St. Paul. Ephesians 1:17-21.



I pray God that according to Pascal He may incline your heart to believe, and according to St. Paul that He give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may not only believe, but know Him better.

Peace.

LWJ





I pray that all who follow God's Word and seek to obey Him, may realize that what twitter and facebook and other social media offer is only immediate information about current events and happenings. But what the Word of God offers is the true knowledge of Christ, and Who alone, by belief in and obedience to the Gospel - His life, death, resurrection and ascension - can protect us from spiritual, physical and material disaster. Amen.