Amazing Grace. (Ephesians 2 v 1 - 10 )

I like old movies ,as I watched a very famous actor, playing an heroic part,I thought ,why could he not have been like part he was playing.He acted in many movies he was good looking,and usually played a character one could admire,but again I say why could he not have been more like the characters he played?.In real life he was a charmer, he wrote a book about his life,it was called,'My wicked wicked ways'.He was not exaggerating ,he seduced many women over a thousand, many were under age.He was tried for seduceing two young girls ,he got off but the girls lives were ruined.Why could he not have been like the person he played in the movies?.The fatal flaw in us humans is ,we are all like that actor to some extent ,Jesus saw beyond the religious leaders of his day,here is what he said, ''On the outside you appear to people as righteous  but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness''. ( Matthew 23 v 23 ).How many priests have been abusers,how many seemingly nice young people are into phonograph.I am thankful to God that he alone knows my sinful heart, the thing is we truly are like that actor,sinners. The good news is, Christ loves sinners,and died for such,that we may be forgiven, and become new creations,all things are possible ,do not despair ,I once was lost but now am found was blind but now I see.

A Skull . ( Galatians 6 v 14 )

Hermann Friedrich Kohlbrugge is not someone I know much about,he was seemingly a great Theologian it is said that he was one of Netherlands greatest. He never wrote a systematic theology ,but his theology was mainly in his sermons. I want to leave  a quotation  by him, here it is. ''When I die- I do not die anymore, however - and someone finds my skull, let this skull still preach to him, and say; I have no eyes, nevertheless I see  Him , though I have no lips, I kiss Him. I have no tongue, yet I sing praise to Him with all who call upon His name. I am a hard skull, yet I am wholly softened  and melted in His love; I lay exposed on God's acre, yet I am there in Paradise, All suffering is forgotten , His great love did this for us when for us He carried  His cross and went to Golgotha''

Experience a miracle. ( Acts 16 v 31)

Miracles,what do you think when you think of miracles?,healing is the most obvious answer,and often the dubious get involved and hoodwink vulnerable people,in relation to money.It is dreadful that people should do such a thing,but it reminds us of man kinds fallen nature.The greatest miracle in all the world,and in all of history is the miracle of salvation,we have to appreciate that salvation is of the Lord. Think of the barriers to salvation,I have already mentioned one,mans fallen nature ,because mans nature is sinful they are blind to spiritual truths. Consider the following,'The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him,and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned' ( 1 Corinthians 2 v 14).Next  we are told,' 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 Christ. ( 2 Corinthians 4 v 4 ) Now Christ has ,come into the world , but men love darkness instead of light because their deeds are evil ( John 2 v 19 ) If  anybody is to be saved it will take a miracle ,miracles are Gods business,and the good news is you can experience the wonderful miracle of the new birth,by trusting Jesus,call upon the God who works miracles,seek forgiveness and turn from your sins,and God will  do the rest.

Belief based on ?. ( Matthew 16 v 21 )

Yesterday we spoke of God's word being the truth, it is not based on mythology but on historical happens,take present Jews,they are an historical  people,and every year they celebrate an event that actually happened. It is know as Pesakh or the Passover it is a remembrance  of their deliverance from being slaves in Egypt.This is not celebrated as a myth  but of something that actually happened, likewise the writings in what we Christians call the old covenant  is actual history and religion. most people  know about the ten commandments,these were given by God to the the Jews, they still exist .Moving on ,there was a man called Albert Henry Ross, better know as Frank Morrison,the author of a number of books. The book he is best remembered for is called',Who moved the stone'.it came about when he decided to investigate the resurrection of Christ, he did not belief in the resurrection, believing it to be a myth. But as he studied the subject he  became convinced in the truth of the resurrection. ( C P . 1 Corinthians  15 )

Truth ( John 14 v 6 )

When a person appears in court they put their hand on the Bible and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth ,and nothing but the truth.Now that truth may send someone to prison, in former days it would have sent someone to the gallows ,but it could have saved someone from prison and the gallows.    Telling the truth is important,most of us know about George Washington's confession to his father ,that he had cut down his cherry tree,''I cannot tell a lie, I did it''. But the fact is, it never happened, it was an invention by his biographer,it is now known as the ,'Cherry tree Myth'.The  ancient Greeks invented many myths,the important thing about myths, they are not true,but of course they may convey certain truths.Are you a seeker after truth? well the only place,let me repeat this,the only place one can find the truth,the whole truth,and nothing but the truth, is in Gods word.  So seek and you shall find ,the truth, and you will find Him who alone is the way,the truth, and the life,even Jesus.

Buying a blessing. ( Acts 8 v 20 )

In Acts 8  v 9 ff, we read of a man called Simon the sorcerer who had great influence with the people of  Samaria with his magic arts. The people were so impressed with him they believed he exercised divine power.but things changed,when  the gospel was preached by Philip, The result was, many believed in Christ and were baptised, Simon professed also faith  in Jesus, he was astonished at the great signs and miracles performed by Philip.In the meanwhile, Peter and John appeared on the scene.Many were receiving  the Holy Spirit and this impressed Simon, so much so , that he went to the apostles and offered them money to receive the Holy Spirits power.Peter said to him ,''May your    money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money ''( v 20 ) One of the things that  kicked off the reformation was  the practice by the Roman Catholic church selling indulgences as payment for peoples  sins being forgiven,also there was also a charge when a mass was carried out,no money no mass. Well what about the prosperity preachers,by your giving you will receive a blessing,now they way they teach it appears that one is buying a blessing of God. All these people are followers of Simon the sorcerer, and they need to repent of this wickedness.

Is prayer pointless ? ( Habakkuk 3 v 16 - 19 )

I read these words from a prayer, 'Give me unwavering faith that supplications are never in vain,that if I seem not to obtain my petitions I  shall have larger, richer answers surpassing all that I ask or think.' I pray for many things and often I wonder  if I am just offering words,is it all in vain ?,these fleeting  thoughts cross my mind occasionally but  when I gave serious consideration ,I am reminded that there are mysteries we do not always understand,for we do not know that total situation as regards prayer.The God who bids us pray has a purpose in relation to our prayer life, prayer is essential in our relationship with Him,if  we are neglectful,then our relationship with God will not develop the way it should. Prayer is not just about requests give me, give me ,God  will want to develop qualities in our lives, that is vital to our spiritual well being..One of these qualities is patience ,unlike the world ,or the selfish child who wants everything now. Consider how many people cause themselves difficulties because of a lack of patience,   the God of patience wants His children to be patient .and so avoid those difficulties that comes with impatience, and prayer is well suited to enable His children to develop this quality.

God's Kingdom. ( Matthew 21 v 5 )

Years ago in the church I attended,I remember with much fondness as regards my then Pastor,he was a grand preacher,faithful to  Gods word, in every way. I thank God for him,but he taught  things I would not agree with now,he said the Lords prayer was for the millennium,I don't believe that. Also he taught that the Kingdom of God,and the Kingdom of Heaven had two different meanings. God has only one kingdom,and there is only one King,Jesus ,who is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.( Revelation 17 v 14).In the book of Matthew the phrase the ,Kingdom of Heaven', is used 32 times.The gospel of Matthew was written with Jews in mind,and as Bruce Milne writes,''If the pious Jew wished to avoid using the holy name of God,he could  use ,'The  Kingdom of Heaven'', they would have understood there was no difference, in the two terms. Remember this Kingdom we are writing about simply reminds  us that God rules in heaven ,on earth ,and in our lives, could it be that we have forgotten this wonderful truth?

I have been Christened. ( John 3 v 7 )

We  had a leaky tap,fortunately we were insured so we phoned our insurers and in a couple of days the workman arrived to fix the leaking tap.He was a nice young man ,he told me about himself,he was a recovering alcoholic. I managed to speak to him about the Lord,and before he left I give him a Christian book,his name was Joe. During our conversation he said he had been Christened, when he was a child, I was also Christened when I was a child.Now it is important to realise that being Christened does not make one a Christian,faith must be exercised in Christ.WE must experience the new birth ,which is not a a natural birth, I read these words recently,'Humans give life to their children. Yet only God's Spirit can change you into a child of God.In John 31 v 13, we read that this new birth  does not come about through natural descent,or human decision, or of another's          decision., ( John 1 v 13 ) it happens when we accept Jesus as our Saviour ( John 1 v 12 )

No other. ( Matthew 11 v 28 )

Writing on Psalm 72, applying it our coming Messiah, Bruce Milne ,he comments on verse 6 ,which reads,'He will be like rain falling on a moan field, like  showers watering the earth', The human heart is forever subject to dryness of spirit. Life drains us. The stresses of  daily life, with its multiple relational demands and pressing demands and pressing responsibilities, constantly harass and deprive. WE find ourselves frequently in ' dry and weary land where there is no water' ( Psalm 63 v 1 ). to all such Jesus comes; to all such He makes himself available. He is the servant  who knows, ' the word that sustains the weary'( Isaiah 50 v 4 ). In words expressing his identification with  that promised intercessor,he invites us still, ' Come unto me, all you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest' ( Matthew 11 v 28 ).' There is no need  of the human heart which Jesus cannot meet, and that is why he belongs to east as well as west, and why no greater than Jesus  will ever come- no other is required. ( E Norman)

Loveless. ( Ephesians 2 v 1 - 10 )

I  read these striking words,'O Lover of The Loveless',it is easy to love a little baby,it cant do one any harm.I remember a person saying of a young girl ,''you couldn't love her if you reared her'', In Ezekiel 16,We read the following words from one of my commentaries,' The Lord traces the history of Jerusalem , as a type of the people.It began as a foundling child,unwashed and unwanted. The Lord had pity on her and cared for her lovingly and she grew, matured, and became very beautiful''  The book of Hosea compares Israel the nation to a harlot ,yet one whom God loved,in spite of their wickedness and unfaithfulness,we hear God declaring ,'I will heal their waywardness , and love them freely'.  ( Hosea 14 v 4 )As with Israel of old, God is still ,'the lover of the loveless'.and that applies to  us sinners,we ungodly,wicked,sinful enemies of God.I exaggerate not ,we were all born prodigals,love for God was absent from our lives.There are so  many people and the word 'loveless' ,   describes them , but in spite of this , look to the cross,see Jesus dying for the loveless,dying for the likes of you and me.

Psalm 16 ( The golden Psalm )

Keep me safe,O God,for in you I take refuge. I said to the Lord,'' You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.'' As for the saints who are in the Land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips. Lord you have assigned me my portion and my cup, you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord who counsels me;even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because  he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also will rest secure,  because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence,with eternal pleasures at your right hand,

Jelly . ( Psalm 56 v 3 )

I wish I could say that I never feel anxious or stressed out,but at times I do, I am honest with God about it,having said that ,the positive thing is ,I bring it to God. I remember many years ago,having only had 10 driving lessons,I put in for my driving test,my instructor was taken aback when I told him,advising me to cancel it. But the fact was I could not afford any more lessons,so I went ahead, of course the driving instructor was right,I was very ill prepared. but in faith I went and I sailed through the test  without a concern, no ,during the test my legs were like jelly. My  wife and three little children were at home praying,and of course I was praying,and I passed, much to the surprise of my instructor. Christianity is not Stoicism ,that ancient Greek philosophy, of stiff upper lip,no, often our lips are trembling ,and our legs are like jelly. It is that great apostle Paul who wrote of feeling ,weakness,fear, and trembling ( 1 Corinthians 2  v 3 ).Though that was true it did not stop him trusting in God to see him through,nor did it stop me doing my driving test.Whatever you are facing it may be a serious illness, loss, you tummy is churning ,your heart is racing,pray and trust in your Saviour,and go forward, knowing that He is with you,and He will bring you through.

We have a choice. ( Matthew 19 v 16 - 26 )

I read in one of my devotionals the following,In a major survey in the USA  people were asked,' What would you be willing to do for 10 million dollars.Twenty per cent said they'd be willing to leave their families. Twenty -three per cent said they would be willing to become a prostitute for a week. Seven per-cent said they would be willing to murder a stranger.' It went on to say sadly that Christians are not immune from falsifying tax returns.' The love of money is very ,very strong with mankind, I emphasise love,remember the commandments are summed up in loving God,and loving others. ( Matthew 22 v 37 - 40 )The seriousness and awful sinfulness of loving money is shown by the betrayal of our Saviour for 30 pieces  of silver by Judas, he  had a love for money, ( John 12 v 6 ),and that love destroyed him,and condemned him to a lost eternity.Our Saviour said,''What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul. Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul'' ( Mark 8 v 36 - 37 )

Money ( 1 Timothy 6 v 10 )

Now a little history lesson,as regards a certain king, Leopold 11 of  Belgium,who reigned from 1865-1909.He was quoted as having said,that all the Monarchy was good for was making money. This became the driving force in his life,especially when he acquired the land of the Congo,not Belgium but him.He pretended that he would send missionaries ,but exploiting the resources of the Congo was his aim,to do that he turned the whole country into a slave colony,in doing this millions died,countless thousand endured whippings and mutilation,this included women and children. It has been said that this good Roman Catholic ,should be remembered alongside Hitler,when Belgium took over the running of the country the exploitation did not stop, and even after independence most of the countries resources  are owned by foreign companies with very little benefit going to the general population. 1 Timothy 6 v 10,reads ,'For the love of money is the root of all evil',the history of those who exploited the Congo is a witness to this truth. We will come back to this tomorrow.

Win at all costs. ( Romans 2 v 16 )

I noticed on the back of a ladies jacket of the winner of a golf tournament the words, 'Win at all costs'. I do not know what that may mean for her,but for many it can mean a number of things,the person who is poor may do anything to escape poverty,anything. The ambitious business person may do anything to get ahead,likewise the politician who craves power may do anything. Anything, Anything, Anything. Let me remind you if that is you motive in life,one day you will have to answer for that anything,when  you stand before Christ ,and He says ,''Well'.

A true Super Hero. ( Acts 16 v 31 )

I went to see the latest Spider man movie, about one of those fictitious characters ,another save the world hero, I am big child at heart..There are a lot of these fictitious characters written about,and then made into movies. Save the world is the theme,an alien force is almost conquering the world or about to destroy it,so the saviour appears,SPIDER MAN,or maybe its spider boy,or it is Superman, so we could go. I only know one Saviour his name is Jesus,he is not a fictitious character,he was a historical person.He come from heaven to save people from sin ,in order to do this he would have to die.this he did on a cross,because of his love for mankind.His death meant that all who trust him could be forgiven.They could also be set free from the power of Satan and  sin.They would be guaranteed  not to go  hell as punishment for their sins, but saved from wrath to come.They would be guaranteed a place  in heaven ,were sin would never enter,a place of perfect love and harmony, I can only imagine the wonderful glories that awaits every child of God, you can be part of this by trusting Jesus the true Saviour of the world.

Scripture alone. ( Ephesians 2 v 19 - 20 )

In his book ,'Can I trust the Bible',R.C.Sproul, reminds us that the reformation was founded on Gods word, 'scripture alone',was the slogan..He goes on to recount the meeting that Martin Luther had with the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church over the doctrine of justification.He was maneuvered into a position in which he had to confess publicly that his views did not  agree with what the church taught. That provoked a  crisis for Luther,   questioning the authority of the pope was unacceptable. Luther held his ground,however,and finally ,at the Diet of Worms in 1521, he said. Unless I am convinced by the testimony of Scriptures or by clear reason( For I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves)  I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted, and my conscience is captive to the word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything,since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. I cannot do otherwise, here I stand,may God help me. Amen.

We receive ( Matthew 7 v 24 - 27 )

R.C.Sproul wrote the following in his book,'Can I trust the Bible',' Church councils used the Latin word recipimus  ( we receive ) in reference to the canon; they were saying'' we receive'' various books to be included in Scripture. By using the word receive, the church made it clear that .....they recognised the voice of God in Scripture and displayed  their willingness to submit to His word'.I believe the greatest enemy that ancient faced was not the Philistines, Assyrians,Babylonians,no, their greatest enemies  were the enemies within, the false prophets, and the false doctrines,they taught. It is the truth as is found in Gods word ,that alone, sets us free,depart from Gods truth you will depart from God who is truth, human flawed reason will take over, and with it,morality will slip we will not only accept the errors of today, and will even defend them.Solomon could  write .'trust in the Lord  with all your heart and lean not unto thine own understanding',( Proverbs 3 v 5) but most of his reign was lived out in disobedience to it.Remember we must believe the word of God,hold fast to the word of God,and obey the word of God.

Propitiation ( 1 John 2 v 2 /4 v 10 )

Because of many preachers imbalanced beliefs,they rule out a God who judges the wicked,after all they say God is a God of love,and of course He is.So it is incompatible they say to attribute such violence to the God of love. Unfortunately they carry these beliefs  unto the death of Christ on the cross,and of course the important question is, what was Christ accomplishing on the cross?.There is a word used in 1 John 2 v 2/ 4 v 10, propitiation,which means to pacify  God anger.. In Psalm 7 v 11 , we read that  God is angry with the wicked everyday , in the words of R C Sproul, ,''Christs chief achievement on the cross was to placate( Pacify)  the wrath of God, which would burn against us, if we were not covered by the sacrifice of Christ''. He follows this up by saying,''If somebody argues against placation or the idea of God satisfying the wrath of God,be alert,because the gospel is at stake''I often quote the following words,''The wrath of God that was my due, upon the Lamb ( Jesus) was laid.

There is Mercy. ( Isaiah 55 v 6 v 7 )

Let me stress, in not fully appreciating humanities sinfulness and Gods holiness ,we pass judgement ,which is ill advised and often shows our in built  animosity towards God ,His judgements,and His ways ,whose judgements are unsearchable.If you think I am exaggerating then look at the cross, think not that you or I would not have been part of the mob who shouted out crucify Him.In Psalm 119 v 75 , we read,' I know,O Lord Your Judgements are right',that ancient Patriarch ,Abraham, declared,'Will not the Judge  of all the earth do right' ( Genesis 18 v 25 ).These words were spoken just before God  wiped out Sodom and Gomorrah.In answer to Abraham's plea .to spare  these cities if only 10  righteous people were found in these cities,God answered that  He would spare these cities.Alas there was only one righteous man ,he was spared,his name was Lot, plus his two daughters.( Genesis 19 ) We are told,' God is love' 1 John 4 v 8,a love that embraces the world John 3 v 16..In Lamentations 3 v 33, we read,'For He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men'.Judgement for God is I believe a last resort. But when mercy is scorned ,then judgement will fall,but when mercy is sought  ,mercy will be granted.

The hangman is not a murderer. ( Genesis 6 v 5 - 7 )

I was talking to a person as regards the capture of the promise land by Israel ,and the fact that most of the population were put to the sword. Now of course it was an awful thing,but it was a judgement by God for their wickedness,this was not just a people being overthrown, it was Gods will. The person I spoke to accused Israel of being murderers,they were not ,they were executioners , like the hangman of old. The hangman was not a murderer oh yes he was guilty of killing someone,yes the Israelites w killed those people ,but they were not murderers,I repeat they were Gods executioners.. God judged the world by a flood,He judged Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone,when it came to judging  the Canaanites He used Israel.There comes a point when things become so bad,like at the time of the flood and the time of Sodom and Gomorrah,and with the Canaanites, that God declares enough is enough,and He pores out His righteous judgment. We will continue this next time.

A holy war. ( Romans 3 )

As a Christian when I read the Bible,do I accept what I read by faith, or do I lean upon my own understanding? Recently while speaking to a person whom I consider a Christian, we touched on Israels conquest of the promised land,in which they practically wiped out thousands of people, he called them murderer's .I did not give him a very good answer to this, but it did reveal to me how far that person has slipped away from God.Awful though it was, it was a judgement by God, because of their sinful corrupt culture and religion.'The wars of Israel',wrote Bonhoeffer, were the only''holy wars'', in history,for they were the wars of God against the world of idols. The problem with many people even some Christians,they fail to grasp two things, sins awfulness and Gods awesome holiness.All sin  outrages our holy God,I stress ALL SIN.in eternity all sin be judged and all who have not trusted Jesus will pay the price for the sins they have committed. We will continue this next time.

No escape .( Isaiah 55 v 6 - 7 )

It is reported that there is over a million cases of domestic abuse in our country,mainly carried out  by men on their wives,children or even partners.My dear mother left my father taking myself ,sister,and two brothers with her.My mother never told me why,but on looking back one cant help think there was a measure of domestic abuse.Recently in what was a care home,a report has come out revealing that there were hundreds of children abused, over a period of four decades. I wonder if all these cases of abuse may be but the tip of the iceberg ,so often evil goes on and never comes to light. The perpetrators seem to have escaped justice,In 1 Corinthians 4 v  5',we read that when the Lord comes back again,He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness'.all will be revealed, and judged by the righteous Judge,being Jesus ,no evil will be forgotten,or missed.Those who have not repented of their sin and sought forgiveness by trusting Jesus will know the wrath of God,shut out from the presence of God eternally. If you are an abuser take this warning seriously,forsake your sin it will come to light you will be judged,seek the Lord while he may be found,forsake your sin,before it is to late.

Be ready. ( Hebrews 9 v 27 )

I was in a furniture shop with my wife, and the lady in the shop jokingly said ,''well I may not be here in whatever years',she was in reality speaking the truth that she may may be dead.And I said to her ,'the main thing is, to be ready by trusting Jesus',and I said ,'remember that', and she replied,' she would'.If death should call upon you today would you be ready?.

Preach the Word.. ( Daniel 12 v 2 - 3 )

When I became a minister many years ago,there was a rug on the floor of the pulpit, with the following words on it,'Preach the Word'. That is the challenge, that every Christian minister must carry out ,every time they stand up to preach. But alas the rot has set in, and so many ,so called ministers are not prepared to do this.There are things in the word that offends their sensitivities,I  know a minister  and in his eight years in a particular church,he has never mentioned hell once.An old hymn by Johnson Oatman. Jr ,has the following words in it, 'Some will tell us,that God's mercy is their only hope and plea . That a soul  He ( God ) could not punish thro'out eternity'.Let me say this not with any relish ,there is a hell,it is not something invented by man.There is two destinies facing mankind heaven or hell, the question is this, where will you spend eternity?

My Friend. ( John 15 v 14 - 15 )

The photo showed one of the greatest footballers of our time, with a young lad,with whom he had been  played kick around on the beach.This was considered news worthy,and people viewed it all over the world. It must be a great honour to meet the Queen of England ,or the President of America,or some other famous celebrity. But here is something so wonderful ,every day I meet with the King of Kings , and Lord of Lords,his name of Jesus,before I was born he desired my friendship,before He left heaven ,he had always me in view.Now considering who I am , a nobody ,a sinner,he the holy one was willing to die on a cross so that my sins may be forgiven, and that he may bring into the family of God. Why?, because He loved me , it is beyond me to really understand the wonder of it all, I scratch my head in amazement at such love.Here is the good news He loves you also ,and like me,you can have His friendship,by simple asking Him to be your Saviour.

Church leaders. ( James 3 v 1 )

I was watching a program on Utube, a man who was introducing two Christian ministers held up a little book ,he said that he had brought his bible along,which left out ,sin,repentance, and hell. We often point to the enemies of Christianity as Islam,atheist, or communist,but there are other enemies of the church of Christ,the enemies within. What has things come to when the Methodist voted for  same self marriages , when I say the Methodist ,I mean the clergy,yes the leaders of that denomination. How far these so called leaders have strayed from their Bible roots, I personally know a person in this denomination who has told me how liberalism  has crept in, most of these ministers have forsaken the word of God,they cherry pick,rejecting those scriptures they find objectionable to their human understanding.They stand condemned by their ungodly decisions ,one must ask the question,where are they leading those  people for which they are responsible ?.

A servant for life. ( Ruth 1 v 16 - 18 )

In Exodus 21 ,there is instructions from God as regards Hebrew servants,they were not called  slaves,because God had delivered  Israel from slavery,so servant is the correct term.One became a  servant in order pay of a debt,but it was not permanent ,God commanded that on the 7th year of his service he was to be set free. but if  the servant wanted to stay with his master he would go and declare his love for his master,and that he wanted to serve him for the rest of his life. The master would take him to the judges ,and then he would take him to a doorpost and pierce his ear.as a sign that he would be his servant for life.A number of years ago there was a popular chorus ,here are the words,'Pierce my ear O Lord my God,Take me to your door this day. I will serve no other god, O Lord I'm here to stay. You have paid the price for me. With your blood you ransomed me, I will serve You eternally, a free man ,I'll never be'.

Worry ( Matthew 6 v 34 )

In Matthew 6 v 25 - 34, our Saviour tells us to not worry as regards 'What shall we eat?, what shall we drink?, what shall we wear'. He reassures his followers by pointing to creation and how God cares and provides for the birds of the air,and that to God we are more valuable than them.He then tells them that all the world is concerned with is eating ,drinking and wearing.Our Saviour tells his followers ,that they are not to worry about those things, for God will provide,but He stipulates what they  are to do,'Seek first Gods kingdom and his  righteousness, and all those things will be given to  them as well' (Matthew 6 v 33 ) In light of what He says Jesus tell them not to worry,it is John Stott who writes,'Worry is forbidden; it is incompatible with Christian faith'.

Anything. ( Exodus 20 v 3 )

In the sermon on the mount out lovely Saviour in Matthew 6 v 24  tells us, 'No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Money'.Now our Saviour is not saying that money in itself is wrong,money is neither good or bad.But the great danger is ,we can make it an addiction,One of the most challenging passages in the bible is when a rich man was told to go and sell all he had, and give it to the poor ,He refused to do this ,as he was a man of great wealth.'Now let me stress again having money is not a sin,even a great deal of money,it is a sin when one puts it before God.This does not only apply to money,it can anything that we put before God.