The devil. ( 1) ( Matthew 4 v 1 - 11)

Recently while driving my car I nearly had an accident,but thankfully I didn't, if it had happened it would have been my fault.What I think is very important that one should live prayerfully,that does not mean we act foolishly,we should always act responsibly. Here is a very important consideration,we should not put God to the test,we see this when our Saviour was taken by Satan to the highest point of the temple. ( Matthew 4 v 5 - 7 )This is what he said to our Saviour, ''If you are the Son of God'', throw yourself down. For it is written;He will command his angels concerning you,and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone'.he quoted the scripture,Psalm 91v 11-12.,bear that in mind,the next you face cults or even false religions.Satan used it as a pretence, he was trying to undermine the truth of the deity of Christ,that is big thing with false religions they take great offence at this beware of this, John said he wrote his gospel,that we may believe that Jesus is the Messiah ,the Son of God,and that believing we may have life in His name ( John 20 v31) Remember what our  Saviour said  as regards the the devil, in John 8 v 44.'He was a murderer from the beginning not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies'.Consider whom Jesus was saying this to,the religious leaders of his day and telling them clearly that the devil was their father.Truth is important our very standing with God ,and our eternal destiny, depends on it. We will continue this next time.

Lesson three. ( Proverbs 11 v 21 )

Now let us consider the  next lesson, as we read the account of the incarnation  we are made aware that it was time of great danger,for the wise men ,for Mary and Joseph,and mainly for the baby Jesus.For there was a king on the throne of Israel ,and his name was Herod. If you read the background of this man, we discover a very dark and wicked person, he had some of his children put to death,and others,and of course we all know about the slaying of the innocent Matthew2 v 16. When the wise men came and told him they had come to worship the new born king of the Jew. Mt 2 v 2 , you can imagine what he thought,'I'm king of the Jews,who is this they are talking about'.He must have known of the Jewish hope of a Messiah,who would rule Israel. This child would have to die,thankfully it didn't happen, because God overruled,and warned both the wise men ,and Joseph of the danger . They heeded the warning, here is a very important lesson,we need to heed the warnings that are in God's word. If you are not saved,then flee from the wrath to come, by forsaken your sin and trusting Jesus as your Saviour. If we are  Christians ,don't dally with sin, God is no respecter of persons, He will deal with us if we sin,stolen fruits may taste sweet ,but their sweetness will soon turn to bitterness,and regret.

                                                           ' Heed the Warnings'

Lesson two. ( Matthew 26 v 42 )

 The next lesson we learn around the birth of Christ is obedience, we see that in Mary's reply to the angel who told her she was going to have a child. She knew the consequences of having a child out of wedlock,how could she face Joseph,the shame she would have to face,it was a very legitimate question she asked the angel,Luke 1 v 34. When she was told , consider her answer,' I am the Lord's servant,'May your word to me be fulfilled'.William Hendriksen writes,' She made a complete surrender. She placed herself, body and soul, at the disposal of God who loved her and who, by means of this promised pregnancy and childbirth, was bestowing upon her an inestimable blessing.' It may  appear a dangerous thing to do, when God tells us to do something ,even considered by some as being irresponsible.I am stressing it is what God tells us to do,but if it is,then as the hymn puts it, we are to,'' trust and obey'.

                                                      As a little child relies

                                                      On a care beyond his own,

                                                      Knows he's neither strong nor wise,

                                                      Fears to stir a step alone,

                                                      As my Father, Guard and Guide.

                                                          Words John Newton.

Lesson one. ( Isaiah 1 v 18 )

 There are many valuable lessons we can learn in relation to  the people involved around the coming of Christ.Take Joseph when he discovered that Mary was going to have a baby, he assumed she had sinned. That would be very serious,at the very least she would have suffered a life time of disgrace, religious societies can be very unforgiven, very judgemental, and often treat those who have fallen into sin with severity.Joseph was not like this,although he was a godly man who would honour  the law, but he did not want Mary to suffer,there is a saying that goes, ' to err is human is, to forgive is divine.'So it would seem Joseph had a very forgiving heart,think about it if you were engaged to someone and you found out she  had been unfaithful,you would not be to pleased.The question is, how would you feel?, would you ever forgive her?, would you nurse that hurt so that it becomes a root of bitterness,that you are going to carry with you for the rest of your life ?.Our Lord taught us to forgive others, as we have been forgiven Matthew 6 v 12,I can admire Joseph,but am I willing to follow his example?.

I found the answer. ( John 14 v 6 )

 Bono the singer ,in his younger days was seeking a deeper meaning  of life,he was on a  spiritual retreat,and he heard a song,one particular line in it spoke to him.It goes,'But I still haven't found  what I'm looking for',I do not know who wrote it,but it touched Bono, could it be that's the way you feel ?,is there an answer?,I believe there is,what is it?,or should I say who is it?.I remember 57 years ago,it was a Sunday evening,nothing much to do on Sunday, I was standing  on my  own,it didn't seem that life had much to offer me.In the providence of God a Christian couple I knew,where on their way to Church,I asked them could I go with them?,they said yes.that night I found what I was looking for,Christ. As I said that was 57 years ago,I wasn't looking for Christ that evening,like Bono , but I was seeking something ,and instead I found someone ,who has made a difference in my life. Fifty seven years ago, I found there is a meaning to life,and that meaning was to be found in Him.I look back and am amazed that I know such a person, who loves me,cares for me,is with me,the old hymn says,'No one ever cared for me like Jesus',no one, and when you find Him,you know you have found what you have been looking for.

The wise men.( John 1 v 1)

 I wonder have you ever asked the question why did the wise travel over a thousand mile to see the king of the Jews?, After all the land of Israel is ,and was a small nation, it was ruled by Rome, what significance could it have for them to go on such a journey,  why go to such trouble?again the king of the Jews would be an underling controlled by Rome,so why? its a question one should ponder.What did it mean when they said we have seen His star?.what star,well somehow  God made it all significant to them .Consider what they said,'' and are come to worship him'', and when they did eventually find him they did just that,William Hendriksen ,puts it like this,'they cast themselves to the ground and worshiped him''.Then they offered him special gifts ,gold, frankincense, and myrrh. WH  again points out how these gifts were not only lavish but also definitely appropriate; gold,for he was and is a king - yes,''King of Kings and Lord of Lords''- Frankincense,for he is indeed God- the fulness of the Godhead dwells in him- and myrrh, for he is also man, destined for death, and this by his own choice'.

                                            'And He will be called  Wonderful , Counselor,

                                            Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

                                                                   Isaiah 9 v 6

A peace offering. ( Romans 5 v1 )

 There is a program on the TV called the,'World at war',it covers the second world war, you may ask ,so what!.Let me take you to mankind's beginning, to a garden called Eden,where a couple lived in perfect harmony,there name was Adam and Eve.It was a truly earthly paradise but in a moment this couple rebelled against God,they sinned ,all sin is rebellion against God ,who is holy. From that moment on mankind would be in rebellion against God,in a sense  the world was at war against a holy God. We loved darkness rather than light,here is how someone puts it,' we filled our lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We did what we felt like doing', in the words of a popular song we did it our way,a way that was at odds with God's way.And so it continues to this day,now let  me take you the little town of Bethlehem,to an event over 2000 years ago,to where a baby was born. He was a special baby in many ways,His name was Jesus,the baby Jesus had a purpose and a destiny to fulfil. To understand  what that was we need to go to a place just outside Jerusalem,and there on a cross hung the man Jesus.His death was no ordinary death,it was a peace offering , humanity could can have peace with God ,by accepting Jesus as their Saviour.`

                               'Why not surrender to God, accept his peace offering

                                              by accepting Jesus as your Saviour.

Gods solution (John 3 v16 )

 We are sinners,it is not me who says that, but God, Romans 1 v 18,declares,'The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness.It is John the apostle who writes ,'whoever rejects the Son will not see life,for God's wrath remains on them',John 3 v36. Bruce Milne writes a number of things on the wrath of God,' that is a difficult notion to hold together with the love of God', but both are true.In Hebrews 10 v31 we read,'It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God.'But God is love,and out of a heart of love,He has provided a way to be forgiven, and that wrath to be removed.The cross were Jesus died was His solution,in 1 Peter 2 v 24,we read,'He (Jesus) himself bore our sins in his body on the tree'.The tree here is symbolically speaks of the cross, CP Deuteronomy 21 v 22-23. A .M.Stibbs writes,' To bear sin,or iniquity means in the OT  to be answerable for it,and to endure its penalty'.Christ the sinless one took the punishment for our sins,so it is, when we trust Him as our Saviour we will be no longer be under God's wrath,for He bore it. I leave you with two verses of a hymn by Philip P. Bliss.

                                             Man of sorrows! what a name

                                              For the Son of God who came

                                              Ruined sinners to reclaim

                                              Hallelujah what a Saviour!

                                              Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

                                              In my place condemned He stood;

                                              Sealed my pardon with His blood;

                                               Hallelujah! what a Saviour.

Question time. ( 1 John 4 v 1 - 17 )

The old song says,' Love is a many splendored thing, the golden crown that makes a man a king', and I'm sure we all agree to that.Think how much the word of God stress'es the importance of love,it speaks much about love , and reminds us that God is love .(1 John 4 v 8/16) .John the apostle was the author of 5 books in our NT,in 1 John 1,he mentions love over 40 times,it is significant that he and his brother were named by Jesus,' Boanerges which means,'son's of thunder'. ( Mark 3 v17 ) indicating they had as William Hendriksen say's,' a fiery nature',in Luke 9 v 54,they wanted to call down fire to destroy certain Samaritans who opposed Jesus,which earned then a rebuke from Jesus.It is interesting that John became known as the beloved  disciple,what a contrast,what a change, what a transformation. God loves us when we were His enemy,he tells us that it was God who first loved us,John writes ' This is how we know what love is; Jesus laid down His life for us',( 1 John 3 v16) and one of the emphasis in his epistle is that we love and become more like Jesus, who turned a son of thunder into a beloved disciple.I leave you with a twofold question,are we ,'sons of thunder'?, or like John who became a beloved disciple?.

Love is a burden. ( 1 Timothy 12 v 9 - 10 )

 Someone said ,'that love was a burden',it seemed a strange things to say,but as I thought  about it, there is a degree of truth in that statement. In Deuteronomy 30 v16 God commands Israel to love Him, even under the old covenant,the fulfilling of the law was a love for God and love for others Matthew 22 v 37-38. Continually we are challenged to love,should it be classed as a burden?,it is a challenge that as Christians we can't ignore,yet people do,or they reject it,yes, even Christians. We can so easily throw of love,the bible speaks of those who left their first love,and that  unforgiveness can drive out love. I wonder how many times each day do we think unloving thoughts?,say  unloving words?, once is to many.Love is always the best way even though it may be painful, and often is.but it is still the best way. God values love,so should we.When we refuse to love we shut God out, and our hearts become cold and distant.Also love truth at all times,to do other than that, will bring us into a lie,that can so easily destroy us. Remember many are not always loving ,in fact they appear unloving ,but we must love them,we must copy our Saviour, who loved us when we didn't love him. None of us are worthy of God's love, but He is worthy of our love.I can't love that  person ,should never be in our vocabulary, or even in our thoughts.Someone has said,'Love should be the center of whom we are.and we not to fake it'.Augustine said ,'Love God, and do what you like', that means we love others also.

Less of self. ( Romans 8 v 29 )

John the Baptist was a wonderful man, Jesus spoke of him,in terms of greatness, John realized that he was not the main man,he was but the messenger,but a very special messenger. He was the one the prophets foretold would come to prepare the way of the Lord (Malachi 3 v 1) .He was a very humble person, when his disciples voiced their concern that Jesus was attracting more followers than John,he told them  plainly that he was not the Messiah,and that Jesus was to become greater and greater,and that he should become less and less. ( John 3 v 27 - 30),or as the AV puts it,'that He must increase,and I must decrease'.Often the way of the world is about more power,more authority ,to become greater. There was a very well known sportsperson, what was his cry,' I am the greatest',another one said,' I am the special one'.There was a certain boastful politician who one day passed Winston Churchill in Parliament, and Winston said of him,''There but for the grace of God,goes God'. I wonder about myself, how much of Christ do I manifest?,and how much of self do I manifest?.Remember what our our dear lovely  Saviour said of those who are greatest in His kingdom, they are those who serve,he showed what that meant when He washed his disciples feet ( John 13 v1 - 17),just a little extra thought on this,that challenges me all the time,where the apostle writes of the, 'meekness and gentleness of Christ',I wonder how people would describe me.May He ,our blessed Saviour increase in all of us.

Oh,happy day, ( Psalm 32 )

 I wonder how many times we will hear the words happy over this season of Christmas?, and of course we use the word happy when it comes to birthdays.The fairy tales usually end with the words ,'and they lived happy ever after'. There was a very popular comedian who used to sing a song,called 'Happiness',all of us know a degree of happiness, I wonder what makes you happy? Well I heard a song that reminded me of a day that brought happiness into my life, a day like no other , because it changed my life, it is called ,you guessed,'Oh,happy day',the words are borrowed from a hymn by Phillip Doddridge.

                                                      Oh, happy day (Oh happy day)

                                                      Oh, happy day (Oh,happy day)

                                                     When Jesus washed ( When Jesus washed )

                                                     Oh,when Jesus washed( When Jesus washed)

                                                     He washed my sins away(Oh happy day)

                                                     O,happy day( Oh happy day)

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Things God doesn't save us from.(2) ( Proverbs 3 v 5 )

 Lets consider,'The things God doesn't save us from'. The best evidence for this is to be found in the Bible, take the life of Joseph,hated by his brothers,sold into slavery,sent into prison for something he didn't do.We know about Job,Paul with his painful thorn in the flesh,John the baptise who was beheaded,and so many more.Outside the Bible we all know many Christians who have suffered from incurable illnesses,broken marriages,the list can on and on,you could put them under things that God doesn't save us from. Why?,often we do not know,Job never really knew why God allowed him to suffer, Looking back Joseph did grasp the why he had to go through all his suffering.In Genesis 50 ,Jacob had  died,his brothers where very afraid that Joseph would now pay them back for the evil they had done to him. Joseph was a godly man,and so he speaks to them reassuring them that he would not harm them, and would continue to care for them and their families.This is what he said,''You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could saves the lives of many people.''So here is one lesson  we can learn why,give it time and you will understand  ,but it may not be until one gets to heaven .( 1 Corinthians 13 v 12 - 13) The challenge we are  faced with is to trust Him,remember He can be trusted, so trust Him.

Right thinking ( Philippians 4 v 6 - 9 )

There is a movie called,'News of World', it's setting takes place in good old  America, Tom Hanks plays the part of an ex-officer of the confederate states.He travels around the different towns reading the latest newspapers,to the local population,many cant read,and news was hard to get.I mention this because we live in time,when we are inundated with news continually,it invades our homes,we know so much that is going on in the world. Our minds are continually bombarded with disasters,murders,and so many other things,and the problem is we can let so many things take over our minds ,and it can effect us not always in a good way.There is nothing wrong with us looking at the news or whatever, but if you are a Christian, we must bear in mind that the worlds values are not God's values,when does God get a mention ?,He doesn't receive a mention not just on the news, but in most things on the media,in Colossians 3 v 2,we read 'Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things'.and I will add v 15, which reads,'And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts'.

Why. ( Ephesians 2 v 1 - 10 )

Lets continue to look at the why  ,last time we considered how because of our sinful nature,we have the potential to do awful things.That may appear very negative,after all many people do a lot of good things, we could write down a list of  people, like nurses ,doctors,etc.One can think of great people like Gandhi and many others who we admire,and there are people who raise money for charity?. Life is not totally negative,  on one level, one could say they are good,that is a human level.Even then one can also say are any of them perfect, no,and from Gods level  they are all sinners like everyone else. Religion does not change that, good works does not change that.No one is sinless in relation to their thought life,it may surprise us if we  knew  as to what others are thinking,it doesn't surprise God. Seemingly good people do not always act ,from pure motives,and sad to say,  people refuse to give praise or glory to God. As to speech I know no one whose perfect in speech , do you?,and further more, are you?. If we were all held up to the light,what would we see?  what blemishes would be revealed?. I remember many years ago, being shown how eggs were examined as to their fitness  to be sold,a light was shown through then,to see if they were bad eggs.The fact is we are all bad eggs in God sight,none of us are pure morally,we are all tainted ,affected by our fallen nature.We are all in the same boat,we all need a Saviour, and because we cannot save ourselves God in mercy has provided a way,the answer is Jesus.Stop fooling yourself, protesting your innocence , we are all deserving of hell,that means you and that means me.

Why.( 2 ) (Romans 3 v36 )

Jesus did not fail,when He was crucified, so let us consider why He came to die, why such a horrible death,we cannot sanitise it,we have to be careful not to do that, it was not a pretty picture, it was cruelty ,personified,it shows man at his worse,acting like a mere beast,they lusted after His death. Their pent up hatred for Him erupted like a destructive volcano,crucify Him ,crucify Him ,they cried out,at last we have him, thy thought, we are going to shut Him up once and for all.Such savagery was a manifestation of mankind's sinfulness at its worse,now we are closing in on the why He came to die ,mankind's sinfulness.  We must sanitise Christ death on the cross,likewise we must not minimize sin,any sin.and we must not  minimise the potential  of our fallen nature to manifest itself in the most extreme ways.You may not think you would have acted like those who crucified Jesus,but who knows,if you were there,you may have.As regards minimizing sin,one has to realise that any sin is an act of disobedience to a Holy God. The word of God clearly teaches that everyone of us sin (Romans 3 v23).that is the tragedy of our nature,sin,a nature that is desperately wicked, capable of the most awful things.

                                                 I will return to this next time.

A failure? (1) ( Isaiah 53 )

 Some people think that Christ failed,because he was crucified, but  not so, we must understand, that is why Christ came.His death and the very nature of His death was foretold by the prophets,I commend to you Isaiah 52/53,also Psalm 22,there are many other scriptures,that relate to His death.He knew that He was going to die on a cross Matthew  26 v 1-2 .John 12 v 32-33. He was always aware that He was going to die on a cross,it did not take Him by surprise ,John 12 v 27. His whole life was one walk to His death on the cross, He was not forced to do it,He did it willingly,in John 10 v17- 18,we read,' I lay down my life --No one takes it from me,but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again'.He could have called the armies of heaven to rescue Him Matthew 26 v 53,but He didn't,no He went as a lamb to the slaughter Isa 53 v 6.the bravest of the brave,determined to do the Fathers will.Luke 22 v 42.We will continue this next time,

Have confidence. (1 Corinthians 15 v 58 )

 Someone  has said,' The first duty of the Christian is to persuade others to accept the offer of God. In the last analysis we can never argue a man into Christianity. All we can say is.''Try it and see!''Often when JWs come to my door,I try to be patient with them,try  to show them from scripture the truth,it just becomes an argument. It all seems pointless,but one hopes that the Holy Spirit may break into their lives, convicting them,one thing  we can do is pray that God will use something one has said to touch their hearts.God is sovereign,He tells us that his word will accomplish His purpose (Isaiah 55 v11).That word that a person has heard may lie dormant for years,and the Spirit can bring it back to a person even in old age,  never underestimate the word of God.Consider, by the word of God all things came into being,we are told it is powerful ,Hebrews 4 v12.The Lord says,''Is not My word like a fire?.....and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?.  Jeremiah 23 v29. The stony hearts of men  can be broken down,and they can be humbled.As Matthew Henry says, 'The unhumbled heart  of man is like a rock; if it will not be melted by the word of God as a fire, it will be broken to pieces by it as a hammer'.When you witness to someone. water that witness by your prayers and even your tears,in Psalm 126 v 5 we read,'Those who sow in tears shall reap in Joy'.

Evidence. (2) ( Matthew 25 v 31 - 46 )

Last time we considered the fact that faith alone in Christ and His finished work saves a person,just simple faith.A vast amount of scripture clearly teaches that.But when one goes to book of James it appears at first glance to teach something different.Maybe that's why Martin Luther called it a book of straw,maybe,so let us consider  this.I believe James is stressing the working out of our faith,in other words the evidence that we are Christians ,it is about showing we are Christians,by obedience 1 v 23, by the way we speak 1v 26,/3 v by not being discriminate  2 v1- 4. by good works, by being merciful 2 v 13.,by not quarreling and fighting 4 v1,by praying in keeping with Gods will, 4 v 3, and so on. What James is stressing our faith must be manifest in our lives,it is evidence ,that we are Christians.William Hendriksen writes that during our life time we should show evidence of our faith in the Lord Jesus.  The reality of those who profess to be Christians,will be the good deeds they have carried out in their life  time,.these deeds include,works of love,mercy, and generosity (WH) Yes it boils down to that, again as WH says,''In your daily life and conduct, in what are often called 'the little things in life',you have furnished proof that you are called Christ disciples'. There will be those who protest about being rejected because,they have prophesied in Jesus name,done mighty works,in Christ name. WH  writes,'For those who boast about such''great accomplishments'', there is no room.( Matthew 7 v22-23 )

Evidence (Jonah 2 v 9 )

I am saved says a person, I  trusted  Jesus to save me,I believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, before we come to consider evidence,let us seek to answered the question,as to what saves us.or who saves us.These two aspects are very important.When the reformation came into being in the 16th century one of the great divisions between the Catholics and Protestants was what saves,is it faith alone or faith and works. The fact is ,if it is faith and works that goes  against what the Word of  God teaches,Abraham believed and the Lord counted him as righteous because of faith. Genesis15 v 6. In  Romans 4 v 1-3, the apostle Paul writes'What did he discover about being made right with God ?. If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would  have something to boast about. But that was not God's way.' (NLT)Compare Ephesians 2 v 8 -9. One the great problems the early church had to contend with was from Jews who could not accept this,they said one  needed to be circumcised. The Galatian letter deals with this,Paul writes ,'We know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ not by obeying the Law.' Gal 2 v16.Very simple put ,the law was not made to  make us  righteous,it was given to make us aware of our sinfulness and drives us to Christ alone for salvation. Let me sum up what I have wrote,it is faith alone in Christ and His finished work on Calvary that saves. We will continue this next time, I will leave you the words of a hymn by Horatius Bonar,

                                                  Not what my hands have done

                                                  Can save my Guilty soul;

                                                  Not what my toiling flesh hath borne,

                                                  Can make my spirit whole.

                                                  Thy work alone O Christ,

                                                   Can ease this weight of sin;

                                                   Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,

                                                    Can give me peace within.

/

He is able . ( Jude v 24- 25 )

 In 2 Timothy 4 v 10,we read what the apostle Paul had say about a certain Demas, he said, ''Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life''.There are many like Demas in this life,they take of eternal values ,and fall in love with temporal values, Here they are called,'the things of this life',they come in all shapes and sizes,they promise so much,they can become irresistible.They did for Judas,and for Lots wife,don't think it could not happen to you,it could, the Word of God  cautions us against false pride,'Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 1Corinthians 10 v 12.  Take heed stop and consider how easily it is to go astray,and turn away from God,Here the words of proud Peter, ''I will never desert you.I will never deny you'', Matthew 26 v33 -35. but he did.The other disciples said as much,yet they all fled and left Him, we are no different than them,we may mean well,and would not imagine that we would fall away.If we like them, utter words of bravado ,what can we do?,acknowledge to ourselves and to God our need of His grace,that we may remain faithful to Him who loved us and give Himself for us.God knows how weak we are, He knows us through and through,and the wonderful thing is, we can rely on Him for He declares, that He is able to keep us from falling away, and bring us safely to glory. (Jude v 24 )

A billionaire. ( Matthew 7 v 21 - 23)

 In 1 Timothy 6 v 2- 10, we have teaching on false teachers and the love of money, it tells us that there are those who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.There is a Tele evangelist called Kenneth Copeland,he is a person who believes in what is called,a prosperity gospel,which means wealth,health and prosperity can be yours. Of course that has nothing to do with the real  gospel, the real gospel is about Christ saving us from our sins,and granting unto us eternal life. There is nothing wrong with being rich,but it's still nothing to do with the gospel.Now why I mentioned Kenneth Copeland? it is because  I recently saw him boasting that he was a billionaire, he is not business person,oh no he just a poor old preacher who like many of his kind  preach that godliness is a means to financial gain. People who think like that are false teachers,yes he is a false teacher,for the bible does not teach a prosperity gospel.Now of course God can bless his children with money,but not by exploiting others in the name of religion.Not all Christians are poor,but if we are favoured with a degree of wealth,then we should help the poor , this is not optional ,it is an evidence that we are a  Christian. In 1Timothy 6 v 17 ff , we read,

                                  'Teach those who are rich in the world, not to be proud

                                   and not trust in their money, which is so unreliable.Their

                                   trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need

                                   for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good.

                                   They should be rich in good works and generous to those in 

                                   need, always be ready to share with others.

                                

                                 

When it's gone,it's gone. ( 2 Corinthians 6 v 2 )

'When it's gone ,it's gone ', so read the words in the store, trying to spur us on to buy a product,before it's gone and you miss that bargain .There is a lesson in those words that go beyond the loosing out on buying an article.The Bible often addresses the urgency of heeding what God is saying,the sons -in-law of Lot were warned to leave Sodom,because God was going to destroy it, they didn't take it serious,and so they perished.That moment they could have been saved,that moment passed,it had gone,if only they had listened,and heeded the warning.There are so people many who live with the words ,''if only'', if only they had not gone out that night ,and got drunk,and drove that car,if only. When it's gone it's gone,you don't want to miss that offer, what offer? ,heaven, everybody wants to go to heaven, my, what a wonderful place heaven is. Think of what is  absent in heaven,all the wrong things that cause grief,no bad memories,no bad habits, no bad thoughts,no prisons,no persecutions,no bullies,no hurtful remarks,no immorality,no sickness,no death.What  there will be ,is perfect harmony,perfect peace,perfect happiness, perfect fulfillment,with our perfect Saviour. Jesus said to those who know Him as Saviour, ''I go to prepare  a place for you'', John 14  v 3. Let me say this, it is better than going to hell,do you not think so?,I do, turn to the Saviour today. We are living in the hour of grace,when we die it's gone,it's gone, no more opportunity, to be saved .

                                                                    Act 16 v31

                                         ' Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved .'

God's word is true. ( Hebrews 4 v 12 )

 The American Declaration of  Independence reads,' We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,including life,liberty and the pursuit of happiness', Yes truth is important,in fact it is very important,if something is not true it becomes a lie, and who wants to believe a lie?, no one. It is not something that should  be overlooked, at a inconvenient time,or because we don't agree with it.In Psalm 119 v 160 we read,'The very essence of your word is truth',in other words it is completely true,there are those who say the Bible contains the Word of God,this is an erroneous statement,it is the Word of  God,from Genesis to Revelation. There are many who call themselves Christians, reject certain truths,by saying oh that is Paul speaking,and others shun the OT, and only accept the NT.. In 2 Timothy 3 v16 we read,'All Scripture  is God breathed', all means all,we deny this at our cost. I leave you with these  words by E.J.Young.

'The triune God did actually speak to human beings,He conveyed to them the truth in a form in which they could receive it. He spoke to them in words and they, His creatures , created in His image, could receive and understand those words. Christianity  is a revelation of the one living and true God. The Bible is not merely a witness of some nebulous'Word of God; the Bible is the word of God. It is not only a pointer to revelation; it is revelation.

He is coming again. ( 1 Thessalonians 4 v 13 - 18)

The Jewish people are the waiting people,waiting for the Messiah,Christians should also be the waiting people,we are waiting for our dear,dear Saviour. Yes He is  coming again, and the word is this,'be ready', yes be ready,no one knows when that event will be,only God the Father.Here is what our dear Saviour said as regards His coming again,''But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven,nor the Son,but only the Father''.We view what Jesus said about him not knowing,in relation to His human nature,   Jesus was truly God and truly man,as a man he had limitations,so as a man he choose not to have  that knowledge. So let us not speculate ,but live in the light of His coming,He may come today,as you awake each morning say these words,'He may come today'. As Christians, live in the light of that coming.for you must be ready,as William Hendriksen wrote,'everyone should always be on the alert'. In the light of His coming may we live in reverential fear,and rejoice in our blessed hope.

                                                He's coming soon,He's coming soon,

                                                With joy we welcome His returning;

                                                 It may be morn,it may be night or noon,

                                                 We know He's coming soon.

The Lord speaks. ( Matthew 6 v 25 - 34 )

 I was praying and as I spoke to God I said,''I am Your Billy'',the scripture says ,'Fear not, for I have redeemed you;I have called by your name, you are mine' .( Isaiah 43 1 ) Our all knowing God knows us personally,as He knows my name, so He knows your name,then He adds a further truth,''you are Mine'', you where not always His, but you are now,that means you can call Him Father.

In my old age I am forgetful,but I do not forget my children ,they are not always on my mine,but when it comes to our loving heavenly Father,we His and are always in His thoughts. This is what God would say to you His child,''Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb?Surely they may forget,yet I will not forget you. See,I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;.Yes you are always on His mind,always.

Often I am not sure which way to go , and what to do ,but God knows and He reassures us ,and tells us,'The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.(Psalm 37 v 29 ) Our part is to ,' Seek His will in all we do, and He will show which path to take( Proverbs 3 v 6)

I am old,still good looking in a strange sort of way,( A  joke,not a very good one} yes I am old, been following the Lord for fifty seven years,here is my testimony,in the words of Psalm 37 v 24,'Once I was young,and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned, or their children begging bread.' Be assured child of God ,He will care for you even when you are old.

God saves us from (1 ) ( Psalm 121 )

 A friend was telling me about a well known preacher,who when he was a young lad ,he had a crush on this attractive young lady,sadly nothing came of it.He eventually did fall in love and married someone. Many years later that young lady got in touch with him,and they agreed to meet up,when he walked into the restaurant  he was looking around for her,and then he heard a voice speaking to him,and it was wee old lady,and he realised who it was,the young lady he once had a crush on, and he rightly or wrongly found himself  offering a prayer of thanksgiving for his dear lovely wife. I found myself saying ,''it is wonderful what God saves us from, and what He doesn't save us from''. Of course one immediately thinks how God saves us from our sins,and their consequences,when we trusted Jesus ,it is a thing most wonderful, But as a child of God we can look back in our lives and remember how God preserved us from sinning,or from an accident and so many things,take a moment and reflect on that, and thank God,how He in His mercy ,held you  back from committing a sinful  action, and from serious harm, or whatever.

He is in control. ( Romans 11 v 33 )

 Bruce Milne in his book,'Heaven and Hell', writes of the reality of God's purpose and that everything is actually moving towards the final fulfillment of God's purpose, nothing conceivable can stand in its way'.    It is impossible, for God is sovereign,He rules over all the affairs of man,in a very real sense man controls zero,after all, we are all going to die.God has not resigned from His sovereignty, He is not just a spectator.Now it raises many questions,that we may not be able to answer,for after all we are talking about  God.In Romans11 v 33, we read,'Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge!How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways'.Following on this, consider Isaiah 55 v 8- 9, '' My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts'', says the Lord. And my ways are beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the  heavens are higher than the earth,so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts''.Sovereignty does not rule out our responsibility, or our accountability .The fact is there are so things we have no control over, birth, death, my way in life ,John Ryland wrote,'All my times shall ever be,ordered by His wise decree'. We look at the world we live in,wars ,and more wars,disasters etc,things seem out of control,not so,our sovereign God rules and overrules. As Bruce Milne wrote,'everything is actually moving towards the final fulfillment of God's  purpose ,nothing can conceivable stand in its way'.

Truth forever on the scaffold. ( 2 Timothy 4 v1 - 38 )

The task of the prophets was very difficult,consider what Stephen said as he was about to be stoned to death by the religious leaders.' Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the righteous one'. ( Acts 7 v 51 - 52) Our Saviour speaking to  Jews and their attitude and treatment of Gods prophets they murdered them.( Matthew 23 v 31) The path of the prophets was difficult,and dangerous.and often they ploughed a lonely furrow.Their task was to 'uproot, and tear down,to destroy ,and overthrow,to build and to plant' . ( Jeremiah 1 v 10)  They didn't  win a popularity contest, no they experienced as the book of Hebrews puts it,they were tortured,stoned to death, sawn in two,and killed by the sword. 11 v 35 -38,the writer adds, ' Of whom the world was not worthy'.Things have not changed,it is still the times of the prophets,and I can assure you that those who stand for  the truth,and God's moral high ground,will not always be welcomed even within the visible church.They may be the minority ,may be only a single voice,I will leave you with words from a poem by James Russel. Lowell.

                                                'Truth forever on the scaffold,

                                                Wrong forever on the throne-

                                                Yet that scaffold sways the future.

                                                 And, behind the dim unknown,

                                                 Standeth  God within the shadow

                                                 Keeping watch above His own.

                      Once to every man and nation, comes the moment we decide .

                      In the strife of truth and falsehood for the good or evil side.'

                       

,

9

                                        

Not forgotten. ( Ephesians 6 v 10 - 20 )

I was asked to lead the intercessory prayer in our church,I  chose the subject of suffering that our Christian family is enduring throughout  the world. As I  began to start,it struck me that at my ten years at this church,I never once heard it mentioned,not once,even though it is pretty  horrendous . The media never mention it,I suppose they don't want to stir up trouble,yet sometimes there is a mention of human rights abuses. When I had finished ,a couple of  people thanked me for my prayer,one  a young girl was interested in getting information about the suffering church.The writer of Hebrews  in 13 v3 says this,'Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison,and those who are ill -treated as if you yourselves were suffering'.Why is it that many Christians do not take this to heart?,can they not at least pray for them?, it was our Lord before He went to glory who said ,' A new command I give you;love one another .As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another'. John 13 v 34 - 35.

                                                                  A prayer.

                                Dear Lord we pray for those who   walk in the path of 

                                suffering, who tread in that blood stained path to glory.

                                 Grant them courage,strength,  and the grace not to give up,

                                  and to remember, it will be worth it all when they see 

                                                                Jesus. Amen.

               

                              

I know so little. ( 1 John 5 v 12 -13 )

 I like watching quiz programmes , on one such program there is a resident team called the eggheads, they  know so much and are rarely beaten. I wonder how they can accumulate such knowledge , and how they remember it, these days  my memory is not what it once was.When I was younger I used to memorize scripture,which  has been a help to me in my ministry. I often admit to the Lord, that I know very little,in comparison to Him,we all know very, very little when it comes to God .I don't know ,the future,no human being does, there is so much to know.And yet I want to qualify that statement, I know when I die I am going to heaven,the fact is, many people don't know that, no Muslim  can know they are going to heaven. Of course if they murder someone like a non- Muslin they think that guarantees them a place in heaven.Even though the word of God tells us that no murderer has eternal life. 1 John 3 v15,of course if seek forgiveness, repenting of their sin and trust Jesus as their Saviour, they will go to heaven.No one will have any assurance that they are going to heaven ,unless they seek forgiveness ,repent of their sins,and trust Jesus as their Saviour. I do not know very much, but as I have already said , I know Jesus as my Saviour and I am going to heaven,here is what Jesus said , ' all who trust in Him ,He gives unto them eternal  life and they shall never perish'. John 10 v 28.

Hope ( Colossians 1 v 27 )

Is there hope on the  big scale ,I mean the world, well to find hope  we must  look beyond ourselves, to God who has a plan for His little planet, oh yes it is His.The earth is the Lords,he has not renounced ownership of it,but here is the thing ,God's plan is different to our plans.He is going to replace everything with a new heaven and a new earth,everything will be new,and everything will be perfect. Let us turn to Psalm 39, a Psalm of David ,one writer sums it up,'Apart from God, life is fleeting and empty.This is an appeal for God's mercy because life is brief''.Verse 4 starts   'Lord remind me how brief my time on earth will be',like David  we all need to be reminded that  life on planet earth is brief, no matter how long it is,it is brief. Compare Psalm 90 v 10.one writer describes it as a ,' A wisp of fog,catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing', or like the hymn writer put it,'like the falling of a leaf'. The words of a song comes to mind,'I'm going  to live forever',not so , our existence  here on planet earth  ,will end, resistance is futile, in the light of this, is there no hope ? .David considered the matter, and here is what he said,''And so ,Lord , where do I put my hope?,''    and what was his conclusion?,''My only hope is in you''. 

                                                     'With Christ there is hope,  

                                                     Without Him there is no hope'