Author: admin

Friday 18th July 2025

“Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel! The Lord has brought charges against you, saying: “There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land. 2 You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere—one murder after another. 3 That is why your land is in mourning, and everyone is wasting away. Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea are disappearing. 4 “Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame! My complaint, you priests, is with you. So you will stumble in broad daylight, and your false prophets will fall with you in the night. And I will destroy Israel, your mother. 6 My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me.” Hosea 4:1-6 NLT

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt. 2 But the more I called to him, the farther he moved from me, offering sacrifices to the images of Baal and burning incense to idols. 3 I myself taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand. But he doesn’t know or even care that it was I who took care of him. 4 I led Israel along with my ropes of kindness and love. I lifted the yoke from his neck, and I myself stooped to feed him.” Hosea 11:1-4

Father God,

Through these chapters 4 to 8 we read endlessly of Israel’s unfaithfulness, openly rejecting Your law, openly worshiping idols and Your Priests openly leading them astray. But them we catch snippets of the depth of Your compassion. How You loved him and led him and cared for him with kindness and love. You stooped from heaven to feed Israel.

You wait, You look, You hope and still love. Even in the face of such unfaithfulness You provide an opportunity. The writer of the letter to the Roams speaks of Your kindness, “4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” (Romans 2:4). In the face of our sin and God’s kindness we find forgiveness. How wonderful the message of Your love has never changed and You still grant us free will to choose. You are eternally kind and eternally merciful and patient. To those who would repent that is.

Help us to be kind and gracious.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Friday 19th July 2025
I could only remember snatches of this song and am so glad to have found it again. It is God’s kindness that led me to repentance.

Oh my Lord You are so kind
Oh my Lord You are so kind
Morning to morning day to day
You reveal Your righteous ways

It’s Your kindness that leads to repentance
It’s Your blood that brings forgiveness
It’s Your mercy that leads me here
To Your throne of grace

Lyrics: Charlie Hines

Thursday 17th July 2025

“The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel.” “When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.” 3 So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5 In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.” 6 Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah (which means “not loved”), for I will no longer show love to Israel, that I should at all forgive them. 7 Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the Lord their God, will save them.” 8 After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. 9 Then the Lord said, “Call him Lo-Ammi (which means “not my people”), for you are not my people, and I am not your God.” Hosea 1:1-9 NIV

Almighty God,

What a calling and what a message! Very specific and very final. Your people had been rebellious and would suffer the consequences. Hosea’s children, born over the years following his marriage, named as a permanent reminder of Israel’s spiritual state. The people of Israel would be punished, no longer loved and no longer Your people. While Judah would be saved.

This clearly shows that you are not like a Father who can be won round by a rebellious daughter or son with empty words.. You have drawn a line in the sand and they have gone over it. I wonder what effect it had on Hosea’s children by naming them thus? Israel’s words needed to be accompanied by action, behaving like children of God. Turning around 180 degrees in their faith and practice (repenting) of idolatry. But they did neither.

Unlike the prodigal son they did not return to You, their Father (Luke 15:18-20), at this message so clearly given. And we wonder at those we witness to who will not listen and those of our own family who do not believe. We will keep our hope and prayer alive and yet it is their free will and choice. Sad, but we are eternally grateful that we heard, and believed, and felt the touch of our Saviour. To know we are forgiven, loved and numbered among Your people.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Thursday 17th July 2025
According to the editor of The Oxford Edition of the Works of John Wesley, “And Can It Be” was written immediately following Charles Wesley’s conversion to Christianity on May 21, 1738. Wesley had known his Bible well before this time but had not yet experienced affirmation of new birth or the wholeness of grace in his life.
Good to worship with a sound familiar hymn sometimes!

And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Saviour’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

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!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Lyrics: Charles Wesley



Wednesday 16th July 2025

“The word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.” Micah 1:1 NIV

“Look! The Lord is coming from his dwelling place; he comes down and treads on the heights of the earth. The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope. 5 All this is because of Jacob’s transgression, because of the sins of the people of Israel. What is Jacob’s transgression? Is it not Samaria? What is Judah’s high place? Is it not Jerusalem?” Micah 1:4-5

“Because of this I will weep and wail; I will go about barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl.” Micah 1:8

“I will bring a conqueror against you who live in Mareshah. The nobles of Israel will flee to Adullam. 16 Shave your head in mourning for the children in whom you delight; make yourself as bald as the vulture, for they will go from you into exile.” Micah 1:15-16 NIV

Father God,

Here at the same time as Isaiah we have Micah with a similar message. You did not leave Yourself without a witness and these two, speaking to Judah, overlapped the message of Hosea who spoke the the kingdom of Israel. Each with their own illustrations of the message of judgement. Each with the promise of future forgiveness and restoration.

God could not overlook the sin of Judah and Jerusalem. The place he had chosen to meet with His people. The place selected to worship and bring offerings. It distressed Micah so much it affected him in mind, body and soul. People must have thought him mad? Or perhaps this was accepted behaviour of a prophet distressed by the message from You.

Micah knows his message will not be heard and he speaks of a time when children would be taken away. It would be 100 or so years before they would be taken into captivity and all the all the best officers and fighting men, and all the skilled workers and artisans were taken to Babylon. Leaving only the poorest people of the land. But he faithfully delivers it.

Make yourself bald, tear out Your hair. The Nazarites shaved off their hair to make a vow to the Lord. They could have mourned, returned to You and shown their penitence and escaped judgement. But chose not to.

Father we pray You will show us any hint of stubbornness taking room in our hearts and lives. It is subtle and we can be a little obstreperous. Thank you that we do not have to go about naked and howling – but keep our feet shod with Your gospel of judgement and forgiveness and ready to share.

In Jesus name we pry, Amen.

Worship Wednesday 16th July 2025
Not sung much today but its still all about Jesus and a contrite heart . . .

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills my breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see, 
And in Thy presence rest.

Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame,
 Nor can the memory find
A sweeter sound than Thy blest Name,
O 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!

Jesus, our only Joy be Thou,
As Thou our Prize wilt be;
Jesus, be Thou our Glory now,
And through eternity.

Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills my breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see, 
And in Thy presence rest.

Lyrics: St Bernard of Clairvaux. Translator: Edward Caswall.