Not my will. ( Psalm27 v 11)

Corrie  Ten Boom  and her family lived in the Netherlands,during the occupation by the German's ,the family chose to hide Jews from going to the  concentration camps.Someone informed on them,the result was Corrie and Betsie were taken to Ravensbruck where Betsie died ,but Corrie survived she was released ,it turned out it was a clerical error.A week after she was released,all the women of Corrie's age group were sent to the gas chamber.It reminds me how we will not go until God  permits, our times are in God's hands,and that has been delegated to the Son of God (Revelation 1 v 17). The question one may ask why did the Lord  not permit Betsie to live?, because  it was not His will for Betsie to live,we must all accept that,   though it may be very painful,and we argue ,but they were so young,so gifted,you needed them, you loved them, remember these words,'His good,pleasing and perfect will.(Romans 12 v2) Corrie was spared, God had an important ministry to for her to fulfill,it was a world wide ministry,and she lived to the grand age of 91.God did not use an angel to rescue Corrie ,but a simple clerical error. He does not always rend the heavens,He uses what He our soverign God chooses to use,and His timing is perfect.

                                      '  My will is not my own till Thou hast made it Thine;

                                        If it would reach the monarch's throne, it must its crown resign;

                                        It only stands unbent, amid the clashing strife,

                                       When on Thy bosom it has leant,and found in Thee its life.'

                                                                George Matheson

                                        

Abba Father ( Romans 8 v14- 16)

 There are scriptures clearly tell us that God is other than us,He is holy,and we are not,take Exodus 33 v 20,God is speaking to Moses and He tells him that he cannot see His face and live, and in fact no one can see His face and live.Other scriptures bear this out,(John 1 v18/ 1 Timothy 6 v14 v 16/ 1 John 4 v 12).It is in Exodus 12 v that God spoke to Moses face to face, it was a unique degree of intimacy. Of course God does not have  a body, He is Spirit  John 4 v24,and so He communicates to us in ways we can relate to,but it is only as when we get to  heaven,and we have our spiritual bodies  ( 1 Corinthians 15 v44),will we be able see God fully. God is not like us He is holy, when Isaiah had a vision of God  he was overwhelmed by His holiness he cried out ,'  Woe is me....I am ruined! for I am a man of unclean lips... and my eyes have seen the King,the Lord Almighty' (Isaiah 6 v5). Yes like Isaiah we are right to be fearful of a holy God, so how can we know this fearful being personallly?. Well God had the answer ,Jesus would come and  bring into being the means of dealing with sin that seperates us from God  (Isaiah 59 v2 ),He accomplished this,through His death on the Cross,sin could be forgiven  ,and we could know  God in the most personal way, as a heavenly Father. That brings us to consider the word which our Saviour used,'Abba , it was an everyday word ,a homely family word(John Stott),like the word daddy,oh yes He is a personal loving and friendly God, But God must also be held in reverence we cannot be familiar with Him. Let not this  detract from the fact that He is your loving heavenly Father.

                                          'Abba Father,let me be, Yours and Yours alone,

                                           May my will forever be ever more your own.

                                           Nerver let my heart grow cold,never let me go,

                                           Abba Father let me be Yours and Yours alone'

                                                          Words Dave Bilbrough.

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All without exception. (John 3 v16)

 The world is full of needy people and as Christians we cannot ignor that,yes the hungry need fed, and clothed,the homeless need somewhere to live, the sick need medical care. Then we have the better off people ,who can afford to live comfortably,they always have something to eat ,nice clothes to wear,and homes to live in, they even have a nice car,and can afford private medical care.Then there is the very rich, they have it all ,a life of luxury.So what's the conclusion of all this?,well I put it this way,mankinds greatest need goes beyond ,being poor,better of,or even being rich.God looks beyond these groups of people,for they all have one thing in common,the poor are lost,the middle class are lost,the rich are lost.They all suffer from the same condition, they are sinners,the poor person is a sinner, the middle class are the same,likewise the rich .God  looks on people differently ,He is not swayed by any of these things,he is no respector of persons in regard to all distinctions of social rank,or wealth, or knowledge.He offers to one and all the forgiveness of their sins through Jesus Christ His Son. God so loved the world that means all its inhabitants,without exception,let us remember that,and let us reach out to all with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Peace. ( Numbers 6 v 24 -26 )

 When I was a young boy,and our mother was finding things hard,,she would say, 'give my head peace', we look out at the world,we see so many conflicts,so many disturbing things.I read this recently that there are 92 places in this world where there is comflict and no peace.  That's only part of the story,so many people  would say  what my mother said,'give my head peace'.The Bible speaks of two types of peace,'Peace with God, and the Peace of God'.In our unsaved state we are at war with God, look to Calvary that's the Son of God hanging on the cross.The way for things to change comes when we lay down our arms and surrender to Jesus,'Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith,we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.'Let us consider the  ,'Peace of God'. what a precious gift that is. if you are a Christian  you have that gift within you a gift from Jesus John 14 v27.It is called a peace that passeth all understanding(Philippians 4 v7)  I want to leave you with two verses, Isaiah 26 v 3-4,'You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the  Lord for ever, for the Lord, himself,is the Rock eternal'.

                                                                     A Prayer

                                             ' Dear Lord help our minds to be steadfast,

                                              our trust to be unwavering,because you 

                                              are our eternal Rock.Amen

God's in the Dock ( Romans 5 v 12 )

There is a famous actor called Stephen Fry,he is often voicing his opinion  as regards God,and why He created such an evil world,basically he blames God,its all His fault,and why should he believe in such an evil being. What can one say to such accusations,?.In other words no one is responsible for the evil they do,the murderer,the rapist,the thief,the adulterar, and so on.Twice I have heard him say  these things, no one has given him an answer,so what is the answer?.It all began in a garden ,nature and man were  one,they dwelt in total harmony,likewise Adam and Eve peace reigned. Now when it came to God and man,all was fine no conflict,no sin,perfection ruled, We do not know how long this lasted,but suddenly and unexpectantly everything changed,and I mean everything.Eve and Adam sinned ,they didn't have to sin ,no one forced them,it was there free choice.It had an effect on all creatures great and small, and also mankinds relationship with each other.And most serious of all ,it involved  humanities relationship with God.Why God permitted this evil to happen I don't know,but one explanation is  that God granted them the freedom of making a choice.Adam and Eve knew what they were doing ,and the consquence of disobedience (Genesis 2 v 16-17),so they ignored that,from that time on ,the floodgates opened, nothing  would never be the same again . We are in the dock,not God ,we are the guilty ones. God's wrath and Judgement came upon us, but God is merciful, and He has made a way back to Him from the dark paths of sin,He  opened a door that we may go in,Calvary cross is where we begin ,when we come as a sinner to Jesus'.

                                                           'We all have a choice'

What God requires ( Micah 6 v 8)

 We look at certain religions and our horrified at the brutality they engage in,but sad to say as one looks back in history there were those who came under the banner of Christianity,and they acted very cruel.How can one defend Henry the V111 ,and how he treated his wives,in his pursuit to have a male heir.Someone has said that so much of Christianity is good but often it has been unkind.How can one justify torturing people, and burning people at the stake.Philip the second of Spain was a very religious person yet he founded the Spanish Inquisition with all its hideousness. In my own country women who had children outside of marriage ,were treated like criminals put into institutions and abused one way or the other.The men who fathered the children got off scot free, we could also mention the abuse that many dear children  suffered at the hands of religious people.and the cover up by religious authorities As Christians we must never condon sin, we want to see sinners saved,repenting of their sins and trusting Jesus,we are not against the wrong doer being punished, every society should have just laws,but not cruel laws.

                                                                  W. Barclay  

                              'So many good Church people would have sided with the rulers

                               and not with Jesus if they had had to deal with the woman taken 

                               in adultery'

Holiness. ( 2 Timothy 1 v 9-10)

 Someone asked how would you de scribe holiness?the answer John Stott gives is Christlikeness,yes I would agree with that,in Romans 8 v 29,we read,'That God has predestined us tobe conformed to the image of His Son'. Is it possible to be like Jesus?,we can, but how? in ourselves it is impossible, in Romans 8 v 26 we read,'The Spirit helps us in our weakness'.the fact is the Christian life is not a do it yourself religion,some people say Christianity is not religion,it is a relationship.I believe that is so ,while we do religious activities,but it's my  relationship with God that is the core being of my life.It is understood if one considers an Old Testament saint Enoch, who we are told, that he walked faithfully with God (Genesis 5 v 21) and in that walk he pleased God. (Hebrews 11 v 5) Was he perfect? the answer is no,there are people who believe  that one can experience sinless perfection,it is impossible. I have only met one person who was perfect,Jesus, we read in Hebrews 7 v26, that He was ''Holy,harmless, '',undefiled separated from sinners''He claimed to be perfectly sinless (John 8 v46), We must always remember that Jesus was truly man and truly God, so it follows that He was sinless. Here is the wonderful thing,  one day we will be sinless ,perfectly conformed to the image of Jesus'.Just a footnote ,holiness of the saints is an evidence,just as works are.

                                                   'There is no sin in heaven;

                                                    Behold that blessed throng,

                                                    All holy is their spotless robe,

                                                     All holy is there song'

                                                                F.M.Knollis

                                                                          

Grief and pain, ( Psalm 55 v 22)

                                In the musical ,'Miserables', two lines from one of the songs goes,

                                               'There's a grief that can' t be spoken,

                                                Ther's a pain that goes on and on'

Those words,that experience could be written over many peoples lives, the context of those words concern those who died in an uprising against a goverment,The song expresses the feelings of one of their  comrades who didn't die,he feels guilt that he hadn't died with them,and now he's left with the grief and pain that will not go away. People die in wars,in accidents,a mother looses a new born baby, and so it goes on.But its not just in relation to death ,marriage breakups that can affect children for the rest of their lives. So many get hurt in  many ways that leave them with a grief and pain that won't go away.We  forget  that we live in a broken world full of broken people.It was never meant to be this way but all  changed when sin entered into this world.Job who knew his fair share of troubles wrote,'How  frail is humanity!How short is life,how full of trouble! We blossom like a flower and then wither.Like a passing shadow,we quickly disappear'. (Job 14 v 1) One way or another we all will experience pain and grief,that will not leave us. I love those words that Jesus spoke in Matthew 11 v 28,' Come to Me, all of you  who are weary and carry heaven burdens,and I will give you rest'.He alone can only meet the needs of the human heart  and give peace,in our sorrows he can be our comforter in our darkest moments, He can be our healer in our grief and pain. .Remember He has walked the road that we are walking and experienced what  we are going through,and so He says ,'come to Me.'

                                                      'No one understands like Jesus'

Honour God. ( 1 Samuel 2 v 30 )

Just recently one of my grandsons wives had a baby boy, he told me it's weight , and its name,'Judah, William, Heasley.I was emotional ,to think that he honoured me in this way,for my name is William,One of my other sons called one of his sons William in honour of me.One of the commandments has a promise attached to it, it is the 5th commandment'Honour your father and your mother,so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you'. Thomas Watson writes,'Honour is shown to parents in relieving their wants'.This is something that is pleasing to God, I have known children who have treated their elderly parents badly,God is not pleased with that. God is the Christians heavenly Father and we should always honour Him in all things in our obedience,in our service.You may have heard of Eric Lidell a great athlete,his parents where Scottish,and where missionaries in China,that was were Eric  was born. but he was brought up in Scotland. He played rugby for Scotland, but he excelled in athletics ,he was chosen to run in the 1924 Paris Olympics.He was a 100m runner but that created a problem for it was to be held on Sunday/Sabbath,and his Christians convictions would not allow him to run on that day.So he choose to run the  400m.On the morning of the event someone handed him a slip of paper with these words on it,'In the old book it says; 'He that honours Me I will honour them'.he won the race.

                                                       'In all things let us honour God'

More than Conquerors. ( Ephesians 6 v 10- 18)

Some religions are very violent we read about them everyday, I could give you many examples of the awful things they do to people,Dr Lloyd Jones wrote the following,'There is no violence in Christianity,no one should ever be forced or even bribed to become a Christian .Likewise  there should be no threats made to anyone who leaves Christianity,,that's their choice. It is not by the sword we conquer,so how do we conquer?by love,by the Word of God, and by the Spirit of God. Love is expressed and seen in many ways, when a mother gives the last food in the house to her children,and she goes without.Love is when you give out of your poverty ,love is when you give your life for another,Such was the love manifested by Jesus, when he not only died on that cross,but He also bore the punishment for our sins,yes He did it out of love. We conquer by God's word,'The writer of the Message makes these telling remarks on Hebrews 4 v12, 'His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel,laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it,no  matter what'Yes we conquer by God's Word.We also conquer by God's Spirit,every child of God has the Spirit of God within them.By God's Spirit we live the Christian life,and by that Spirit we can be overcomers,by that Spirit God can use us in His kingdom, and by that Spirit God can use us in His service and our efforts to win the lost.

Trust ( Luke 18 v 13 )

 In 1956 in the United States congress an act was passed,that on the dollar these words would be  displayed,''In God we trust'' these are very commendable words , There are millions of people who handle dollar notes everyday, and they possible never look at those words.Of course there are many who don't believe in God,and their trust is in so many other things. Think of all the things people trust in ,self is one,it was Ernest Henly who wrote ,  ''I am the master of my fate,and the captain of my soul'', it means as one person said,''I'm in the driving seat''. or I am in control of my life . Trust is very important in marriage and in our dealings with people, when trust is broken it can be very serious.What about trust in God how important is that? those who put those words on the dollar must have thought so,but times have changed.Yet in another sense times have not changed,people are still the same as they always were,wars still rage,crime has not gone away.The meaning of life has not gone away ,and mankinds fallen nature has not gone away,and believe it or not God has not gone away ,or our need of Him. Why do we need God?, the answer is very simple,we are sinners,not just imperfect,but sinners,the fruits of that manifest itself in a multitude of ways .I often say to people what we most need is a Saviour,everyone of us.Brokenness,and evil abounds, there are none of us who are truly innocent, none, and it doesn't end when we die,hell is real.It can all change for the better when we trust in God, and ask Jesus to be our Saviour.

                                     'I heard the voice of Jesus say, I am this dark world's light,

                                     Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,and all thy days be bright,

                                     I looked to Jesus and I found in Him my Star and Sun;

                                     And in that light of life I'll walk,till travelling days are done'

                                                                Words H.Bonar.

A God led day.( Exodus 33 v15 )

 The word of God says,'Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring'.( Proverbs 27 v1), The world is full of people making boasts about what they are going to do as regards tomorrow. The Christian should know better, yet even Christians  fall into the trap of boasting about tomorrow, knowing a truth does not mean that we live up to it.We are clearly told ,'that in all our ways acknowledge God ,and He will direct our paths' (Proverbs 3 v 6) Charles Bridges comments,' Take one step at a time,every step under Divine  authority.Every plan for yourself in simple dependence on God, He loves to be consulted'.Run not bfore Him ,let Him be your guide, for He will lead you in the right way,as sure as He led Israel to the promised land. God's way will always be perfect he makes no mistakes,even though it be a difficult way,it will be the best way.Make every day a 'God led day',may you not be guilty of vain  boasting,let your boasting be of God and His faithfulness in leading you in the path of life.

                                              'Hold Thou my hand! so weak I am,and helpless;

                                               I dare not take one step without Thy aid!

                                               Hold Thou my hand! for then,O loving Saviour,

                                               No dread of ill shall make my soul afraid'

                                                              Words , Grace J. France

They sacked him ( 1 Timothy 1 v 15)

A friend told me of how he was before he became a Christian, he told how he was in a position of authority where he worked.He described himself as not being a very nice person,especially to those under him,one could describe him as being a hard taskmaster, he didn't show much kindness to  the people he worked with.The company didn't mind for he got results,but things changed when he became a Christian, he became a different person,more kind and more understanding.But the company we're not pleased they wanted him back the way he was before he became a Christian,but that was not to be,so they sacked him.This is not made up,the bible says if any person be in Christ he is new creation; old things pass away; behold all things become new.  (2 Corinthians 5 v17).God is still in the buisness of changeing people yes even the worst of people,remember what Paul wrote,'For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation'.( Romans 1 v16)He spoke from his own experience,in 1 Timothy 1 v 13, ''I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man'',but mercy was shown to him when Christ became his Saviour.

                                       'Someone has said, go for sinners, and go for the worst'

Remember who you are. (1 John 3 v 1 )

 Alexander the great spoke to someone who had a bad reputation,he was also called Alexander, he said to him, 'you either change your name or your behaviour'. He felt that person  with the same name as his  reflected on him.  When we become Christians we nobodies are honoured and privileged . Someone asked the question,'How do you get from being a nobody to being a somebody?'The answer is become a Christian, It is John who writes ,'Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us,that we should be called Children of God' ( 1 John 3 v 1)  John is filled with an awesome amazment at such a thing, it was beyond anything  John  could take in,mind blowing. Of course we bear another noble name we are called Christians,how important that we reflect who we our.When the Duke of Windsor the incrowned Kung Edward V111 died, a television programme rehersed the main events of his life  .One of those events shown was of him answering a question as regards his upbringing,brief reign,and abdication. Recalling his boyhood as Prince of Wales,he said; 'My father (King George V) was a strict disciplinarian. Sometime when I had done something wrong,he would admonish me saying,  '' My dear boy,you must always remember who you are''.May our lives as Children of God  always reflect who we are.

God leads. ( John 21v 22)

 The words of hymn comes to mind,'God leads the way through,the wilderness all I have do  is follow',and then their is another hymn.' Guide me oh Thou great Jehovah.  What is the difference between God leading,and God guiding ?,is there any difference?.Well here is one explanation,' To lead' means to take someone along with you in a direction or  destination while they follow you,you are showing them the way.' To guide' on the other hand can mean, to provide direction or instruction to someone.Lets consider Israel's experience ,when they came out of Egypt ,God did not leave them to themselves  ,to wander  aimlessly about,He had a destination for them to go to,the promised land that God promised Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 15 v18 -21). All Israel had to do was to follow God  nothing else,but they did not do that,when difficulties arose ,they spoke as if they wanted to go back to Egypt ( Exodus 14 v11-12).Even when they were about to go into the promised land,they drew back in unbelief.( Numbers 13 v 26ff-/ Num 14 v 1-4).Yes all they had to do was follow Him,so it is  like them ,all we have to do is follow our dear Lord,oh yes there will be testing and trials ,losses and crosses,but He won't forsake us ,

                                        'I traveled down a lonely road,and no one seemed to care,

                                        The burden on my weary back,had bowed me to despair;

                                         I oft complained to Jesus,how folks were treating me,

                                                    And then I heard Him say so tenderly;

                                                    My feet were also weary upon the

                                                               Calvary road,

                                                   The cross became so heavy I fell

                                                            beneath the load;

                                                     be faithful weary pilgrim,the 

                                                            morning I can see,

                                                     Just lift your cross, and follow

                                                                close to Me'    (Words I F.Stanphill)

                                                     

                                                          

                                                     

Change . ( Philippians 4 v 8 /Colossians 3 v1 -2)

 It was Reinhold Niebuhr who wrote what is known as the Serenity Prayer, it is a very popular prayer  ,here are the words                                         

                                               'God grant me the serenity,to accept the things

                                               I cannot change,the courage to change the things

                                               I can,and the wisdom to know the differnce'

Yes there is much wisdom in that prayer, there are things we cannot change ,death,yes it obivious it is inevitable,but we can rejoice in a Saviour who died and rose again,and said ,'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who beleves in Me will live, even though they die'. (John 11 v25 ) Yes we cannot change death but we can have peace and serenity when our time comes,as David the Psalmist tells us ,'Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me'.(Psalm 23 v 4) There are many things we cannot change,we cannot change our past,the abuse we may have suffered,the mistakes we made,the hurts we have experienced,the failed marriage,the missed opportunities. All these things and more may hunt us ,but we cannot change the past ,but we don't have to be prisoners of the past,yes we may never forget them,Think of the people Jesus dealt with and how He healed them,how he gave them hope,He sets the prisoners free ,He can set you free from the past,that's why He came.Then the prayer says there are things that won't change,the apostle Paul had an affliction ,like all of us he prayed and prayed,and prayed that God would heal him but God said no,but he promised him grace to bear it.(2 Cor 12 v 9) One writer puts Paul's  response in the following words,'I quit focusing on the handicap ,whither they are,abuse,accidents,oppositionns,bad breaks'.Yes change by the grace of  God  can happen if we stop focusing on the past ,by God's grace we can,it is possible.

                                              

                                              

We die twice. ( Romans 6 v 1- 14 )

 When we think of dying we automaticly think of dying once,but in actual fact a Christian dies twice,now what do I mean by that?. We need to turn to Romans 6 to get the answer,the apostle is dealing with those who are saying if we are saved by grace alone ,it does not matter how we live. Paul was exalting the grace of God,he wrote ,''Where sin abounded,grace superabounded'', William Barclay writes that their argument would be something like this, ' The objector; You have just said that God's grace is great enough to find forgiveness for every sin.  Pual; That is so. The Objector; You are in fact,saying that God's grace is the greatest and most wonderful thing in all this world. Paul; That is so. The Objector; Your argument is that sin produces grace; therefore sin is bound to be a good thing if it produces the greatest thing in the world'. Of  course Paul is not saying that,and that he is horrified at such a thing,and replies ,'What a ghastly thought' (J P Phillips trans)Then Paul raises the issue of Baptisim and its meaning, v 3 ff ,Again W B writes,Baptism was by total immersion that was symbolically like dying and rising again, in which we die to the old life of sin and rise to a new life of grace.' as WB goes unto say we underwent '' a voluntary death''. We are now dead to sin,it is not that we won't sin,it is obvious we do,yes we fall into sin but we do not live in sin .We take no pleasure in sin,we are dead to it, Martyn Lloyd Jones says ,'that being dead to sin ,means,'That we died to the realm and to the rule and to the reign of sin'. 

                                                  ''Called unto holiness'' Church of our God,

                                                    Purchase of Jesus,redeemed by His blood;

                                                    Called from the world,and its idols to flee,

                                                     Called from the bondage of sin to be free''

                                                                     Words Mr . Morris.

Walking in the darkness.( Luke 15 v11- 31)

 I sometimes think back to the days when  I was away from the Lord,I was like a man stumbling along in the darkness.Not knowing where I was going, and I felt so lost,not realising the danger I was in ,not knowing where I was going, or whom to turn to.The darkness like a fog enveloped me,life was just a dark hole in which there was no escape. In that darkness of evil that beckoned me,the moral walls began to crumble ,I was blind to what was right and what was wrong, I who once knew the right way,had strayed from the one person I used to follow 'Jesus' I had lost sight of Him, and in doing that I  found myself walking in the darkness,I was often looking for a friend ,I felt a lonliness within my heart,it is said that one can be lonley even within a crowd. There is no darkness that can be compared to  the darkness of the soul, who knows where it will end up,one goes on in blind ignorance,yet one can see ,but it is only a short sightedness, one is fixiated in the temporal,the transient,that which is fleeting and of no lasting value,I was searching but not finding,because I did not grasp what I really needed.The word of God tells us that the world and its desires pass away,in my confusion and darkness,I couldn't see that,the lust of eyes ,and the pride of life was what mattered to me.Then one evening standing on a street corner lonely and forlorn,God interviened,that evening I found myself or should I say  God found me,and I found Him,and all things were changed.

                                                 'Like a blind man who walks in the darkness,

                                                  I had longed,I had searched for the light,

                                                  Then I met the Master,now I walk no more

                                                  in the night.

                                                  For all thigs were changed when He found me,

                                                  A new day broke through all around me,

                                                  For I met the Master ,now I belong to Him,

                                                              Words ,'The Booth Brothers.'

                                                  

Safe am I. ( John 3 v 36 )

 When I was a young boy I went to the local swimming pool,it was my first visit,I could not swim,and as I stood on the edge of pool someone pushed me in,I remember it so well, I actually was drowning but an  attendant jumped in and rescued me.God is merciful ,I could say why me?,I don't know, but I will always be eternally grateful that he did. I am reminded of another young boy his name was John Wesley he was aged five, he was asleep in his bed ,when a fire broke out in his home,and in the confusion and panic ,he was overlooked. John woke from his sleep he could see that the staircase was on fire so he  dragged a chest up to the window,climbed on to  it,and fortunately he was rescued.Later on his mother Susannah had a painting of John done,and these words were written on it,'''A brand pluked from the burning''. Every soul who is saved are brands pluked from the burning of hell ,it is as serious as that,this is not scare mongering, there is a hell as there is heaven. We are told that the wrath of God abides on every unbeliever,  John and myself had  people who were rescued us from death, so it is that God has provided one who can rescue sinners from God's wrath, his name is Jesus the word of God clearly teaches that if we call upon Him ,he will save us.

                                           'I was sinking dep in sin, sinking to rise no more,

                                           Overwhelmed by guilt within,mercy I did implore.

                                           Then the Master of t from he sea heard my desparing cry,

                                            Christ my Saviour lifted me,now safe am I.

                                                 Love lifted me......Love lifted me!

                                                When no one but Christ could help,

                                                            LOVE LIFTED ME.  

                                                              (Words J Rowe)

                                            

Waiting on God( Psalm 40 v1)

Let me ask you a question, are you good at waiting ?,years ago as childrem we would say to our mother when's the dinner going to be ready?,and she would reply, 'it's in the hottest place in the house'. Children can be very impatient, and so can adults,my wife gets impatient often when we are in a queue ,and she will say to me,'look there's only two people on the till.' But what about waiting on God?,now that's a challenge, for  often it means literally waiting maybe a long time and still we wait. My experience of getting into the ministry was praying and waiting,praying and more waiting. I looked up a poem by a  man call Russel  Kelfer on waiting,it is a very long poen but is it well worth reading, I leave you with some of the verses from it.

                  'Desperately, helplessly, lovingly, I cried. Quietly , patiently, lovingly,He replied,

                      I pleaded ,and I wept for a clue to my fate, ,and the Master so gently said,

                                                             ''Child,you must wait''

                  ''Wait?.you say wait?''my indignant reply''Lord ,I need answers,I need to know why'

                   Is your hand shortened?Or have you not heard? By faith I have asked,and I'm 

                                                                claiming your word.

                  My future,snd all to which I can relate.hangs in the balance,and you tell me to wait?.

                  I'm needing a 'yes'a go-ahead sign,or even a 'no' to which I can resign.

                 'And Lord,you have promised that if we believe,We need but ask,and we shall receive,

                 And Lord I've been asking,and this is my cry,''I'm weary of asking, I need a reply''

                Then quietly,softly,I learned my fate,As my Master replied once again,''You must wait''

                So I slumped in my chair,defeated and taut,and grumbled to God. ''So I'm waiting for what?''

                He seemed to kneel,and His eyes met mine,and He tenderly said,''I could give you a sign''.

                I could shake the heavens,darken the sun,raise the dead,cause the mountains to run.

               ''So be silent my child,and in time you will see,that the greatest gifts is to get to know Me.

                And though oft' may my answers seem terribly late,My most precious answer of all.....

                                                                   is still....Wait

                             'The  only thing harder than waiting on God,is wishing you had'

                                                               

                                                                  

                  

                      

                                                               

                                                                 

             

 

The only certainity. ( John 11 v 25)

 I heard this recently,' Certainty is a grave for little children', lets face it,we live in a very uncertain world, I'm sure you know the saying that the only certainty in life is ,'death and taxes'.I don't want to unsettle any of you, but we have to face the fact we live in an uncertain world. Sport has examples,one that gives me much pleasure ,when a little cricket team in Sion Mills in Northern Ireland routed the great West Indies for 25 runs,in  Jan 1969. Many people have been ruined by  betting on that horse,that investment, the South Sea Bubble in the 18th century ruined thousands of  investers,it was the worlds first financial crash,the first of many. No matter how careful you are in life,there are no guarantees, of a life free from uncertaity. The Goliath's in this world can be defeated,even by a young lad,one has said,'People cannot control,understand,or anticipate what life will bring'.Let us rerturn to one certainity I mentioned death,now that is a certainity,I can guarantee that,people look at death in different ways,billions  believe there is an after life,and so they place their hope in dare I say false religions,that is a false hope. In Hebrews 6 v19, we read,'We have this hope as an anchor for the soul,firm, and secure', that hope is in Christ and what He has done,by His life,death,resurrection,and ascension. He is the certainity and the only certainity we can build our hopes on.

                                                       'Upom a life I have not lived,

                                                        Upon a death I did not die,

                                                        Another's life,another's death

                                                        I stake my whoe eternity.

                                                        Jesus,O Son of God,I build

                                                        On what Thy cross has done 

                                                        for me'

                                                              Words Haratius Bonasr 

God is faithful. ( Hebrews 13 v 6)

 Recently I had Cataract surgery on my left eye ,it went fine, and I hope to have the other eye done shortly, well this has brought me a little problem, I can't always remember how to prononce the word Cataract,so  I wrote it on the palm of my hand. This reminded me of the words in Isaiah 49 ,I will come to the words shortly , but lets look  at the context,Isaiah had prophesied that Israel would be taken to Babylon ,( Isa 39 v 5 -6) he also prophesied their return (Isa 49 v v8ff),but the people found it hard to believe,they had suffered a great deal,and had lost much,and were filled despair,here is what they said,' The Lord has forsaken me,the Lord has forgotten me'.v14.Forsaken and forgotten even by God ,sometimes the trials that we face can overwhelm us,and we feel  like Israel of old,and we say where is God ?,has He forsaken ,and forgotten me?. God replied  with very reassuring words,'Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?  Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See I have engraved you on the palms of my hands' .(Not just one hand ,but both hands ) As with Israel of old, apply these words into  your situation  ,He hasn't forsaken you,nor forgotten you,it could be that it may help us to write those words on the palms of our hands,yes both hands, and they will remind us daily that God's presence is with  us ,in our darkest trials ,and experiences.

                                                  'Forsaken ,forgotten,by God?

                                                                 'Never'

Glory will be glorious. ( John 14 v1 -3 )

 As I got into bed recently,I said,'Another day over,where is it leading  me?, I suppose I should have asked, 'where is He leading me?'  Joseph H.Gilmore wrote .

                                             'He leadeth me! O blessed thought!

                                              O words with heavenly comfort Fraught!

                                              Whate'er I  do,where'er I be,

                                               Still'tis God's hand that leadeth me'.

Where am I heading to? we are not on a road leading to nowhere,we are not just going round in pointless circles, God is a God of purpose,and the purpose He has for all His children, is to bring them to glory Hebrews 2 v10. FF.Bruce says ,'Christ is the Saviour who blazed the trail of salvation along  which alone God's ''many sons'' could be brought to glory'. Nothing can stop that happening , absolutely nothing.Al  Jolson sung a song with the words,'we'll make a little heaven right here on earth' Belinda Carlisle sung a  song with the following words ,''Heaven is a place on earth''. It is not possible, people who think that way,are deluded,listen to the news,read history.look at all the suffering there is in life,the castles we build ,soon crumble into dust,they are also like  sand castles,that are washed away when the tide comes in. The Bible speaks of heaven as being glory,because it is glorious in every way. John Lennon wrote, 'Imagine there's no heaven', but praise God there is a heaven,and Jesus is going to bring us there. God is leading His Children ? .to heaven, that is His desire.

                                 Father,I want those you have given me to be with me 

                                            where I am,and to see my glory.'

                                                                John 17 v24

Death will die. ( Revelation 21 v 4 )

I have two favourite flowers ,the rose and the geranium ,the rose for it's beauty and the geranium for it's flowers and easy maintenance. I just want to mention the rose,one of my roses has a large white flower but it will last for a while but soon it whithers  and is gone.If only I could preserve that beauty,but I can't,yes soon their beauty is decayed, nothing can change that.The most beautiful person will soon loose their beauty ,they end up slowly loosing their teeth ,their hair,their hearing,and then finally they die,just a precious memory. It is coming to us all ,whither we like it or not,as they say at the commital service,'earth to earth,ashes to ashes,dust to dust'.So that's it?, no it goes on to say,as regards those who have trusted Jesus as their Saviour,''in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life,through our Lord Jesus Christ,so that's it?no for it goes unto say,'through our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our earthly body, that it may be like unto His glorious body'.Is that it? no, for in our new body we will be ussered into the eternal glories where nothing will die, in fact death will have died.

                                              'What creative possibilites awaits us in the

                                               unfolding of the eternal ages no present

                                               imagination can begin to unravel.'

                                                                Bruce  Milne.

Bitterness. ( Hebrews 12 v15)3

 We will carry on looking at the book of Ruth and the lessons we can learn,we now look at Chap 1 v 19 -20.Namoi and Ruth have arrived at Bethlehem, it caused a bit of a stir ,can this be Namoi ,they asked?,Her reply was this,'Don't call me Naomi, call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter ', Naomi's name means ,'pleasantness,now she calls herself Mara, which means bitter,because of all she had suffered. Consider all she suffered,she had to uproot and go and live in a foreign land, the first tragedy was the death of her husband,well she still had her two sons they had married two Moabite girls,'Orpah and Ruth, so things weren't to bad,but then tragedy struck again,her sons died. So that meant she was left  with no means of  support.She describes her experience like this ,'I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty',( 1 v21)The bitterness she experinced was like drinking vinegar,but a whole lot worse,she was not bitter at the Lord, but the cup that she had to drink was bitter,even though it was from the Lord. Yes it was all from the Lord,are you surprised at that,well we shouldn't be, Sometime His discipline can be severe, but whatever God puts us through,He has his reasons, commenting on Hebrews 12v 5-6 someone writes,  'My dear child,don't shrug off God's discipline,but don't be crushed by it either.It's the child He loves that He disciplines,the child He embraces,He also corrects'.

                                                     'Every joy or trial falleth from above,

                                                     Traced upon our dial by the Son of Love,

                                                                  'Words F.R,Havergal'

                                                 

                                                      

They are watching.(Acts 16 v 22- 25 )2

 So Naomi decides to go back home,but she  was a considerate woman,and she looked at her two daughter-in-laws,and spoke to them urging them to go back to their mothers home,she kissed them goodbye,but they were reluctant to leave,asking her  to let them return with her to her people. Again she reasoned with them,they were both crying,Orpah decided to return, so she  kissed Naomi and left,but Ruth clung to Naomi refused to leave and this is what she said  'Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you.Where you go I will go and go,and where you stay I will stay.Your people will be my people and your God my God.Where you die  I will die, and there will I be buried.May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so s'everely, if even death separates you and me.( Ruth1 v16-17)  Ruth is no longer talking like a gentile,but like a child of God, It does not record when the change came,but it is obvious that the godly family she had married into had made a deep impression on her ,she grew to love her mother-in-law,but also to leave her false religion.She had lived with Naomi,had witnessed  as one writer puts it ,'Nomi's experience of grace through affliction as a persuasive testimony '.How we endure in our trials  can have a  profound affect on the Ruth's of this world.People are watching us not so much in our prosperity,but in our trials, may God help to be a Naomi.

                                                     'Let us be a light shining in the darkness'

 

His time. ( 3 v 1 )1

The book of Ruth has much to teach us,it takes place at the time of the Judges,that time when everyone did  that what was right in their own eyes,instead of God's.It tells us their was a famine in the land of Israel,we are not told why there was a famine,it could be that God was dealing with his people because of their wrong ways,but we don't know.Elimelek and his wife Naomi,and their two sons ,went to live in the land of Moab . Let us keep in mind God's overriding purpose in all that would happened. Some of it would be painful,for we read that Elimelek died.The two sons married  Gentile girls,but then another tragedy struck ,they to died, leaving Naomi with her two daughter -in -laws.No explaation is given by God, God is not duty bound to give us a reason, what he does require of us is 'Trust'. That's is very,  very important, we forget that to our cost,He has a plan,the plan for Jesus was a cross,remember God has a plan for all our lives,and in it all ,we are to trust Him. Naomi had no one to support her,but just at time she heard that the famine had ended in Israel,God's timing was perfect,it always is, I'm sure Naomi that godly woman prayed,and God made a way,whatever you are facing ,and crying unto God to help you with,it will come in His time,so trust Him,and so the story unfolds,(we will continue with this next time.)

                                                            'In His time,in His time

                                                             He makes all things beautiful

                                                             in His time,

                                                             Lord show me everyday

                                                             As You're teaching me Your way,

                                                             That you do just what you say

                                                                   ' in Your Time'  (Words by Diane Ball)

What Karl Marx said. ( John 4 v 1- 14 )

Nitrous Oxide was  used by dentist ,but it is not used now ,we know it more by its other name ,'Laughing Gas'.unfortunately it has become what we could call,a recreational drug used by many young people.It is classified as an illegal drug.Like most illegal drugs they cause a person serious harm.  I worked for a mental health team for twenty years,I have witnessed the effects of illegal drug taking,  people becoming mentally ill,and once that happens you don't get better. The advice is this don't mess with drugs,they will mess up your life,the risk is not worth it .Recently a famous entertainer in America  died caused by his drug taking, he was vey popular,  and loved,but somehow that was not enough,he needed more  ,fame and all that went with it, could not satisfy him.I remember a lady who every day when she woke up  wanted that  something that would make her happy,she never seemed to find it,so she went on her sorrowful way, seeking ,seeking,and never finding. It was Karl Marx who said religion was the Opium of the people ,liken it to a drug, It is not, well Christianity is not,it brings us into a reality of what life's about,it brings us unto the meaning of life,and the source of eternal life and brings us into freedom, and fulfillment of life.and it comes to us when we trust the one who is the Way the Truth,and the Life.' Jesus.'

                                                         'None but Christ can satisfy'

Holiness. ( 1 Corinthians 6 v19)

 What does it mean to be holy?, it means being separate or set apart. from  evil, all that's unclean ,it means  our outword and inner life. In Romans 12 v1 we read,' 'Therefore,I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of Gods mercty,to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,holy and pleasing to God' Why should we do this?what is the incentive to be holy? the mercies of God,John Stott says ,'there is no greater incentive to holy living than a comtemplation of the mercies of a God'.Without the mercies of God  we would not be saved,saved from the bondage of sin,and the consequence of sin.As we cast our mind back to our unsaved days,and the bondage of sin our Saviour delivered us from, He said ,' 'Everyone who sins is a slave to sin' (John 8 v34).Someone has said we do not become sinners because we commit sins; we commit sins because we are sinners.I often point to the history of mankind the wars and the daily toll of gratuitous violence,rape,  abuse,torture,and murder in every corner of the globe .'Jesus said that he had come to set us free,and when He saved us by His mercy He sets us free. The consequences of sin is seen in so many ways,broken homes a the ultimate consequence is eternal damnation in hell.So Paul says in veiw of God's mercy we should offer our bodies as a living sacrifice,holy and pleasing to God.

                                                     'Oh, the love that drew slvations plan!

                                                      Oh,the grace that brought it down to man.

                                                      Oh,the mighty gulf thast God did span

                                                                           At Calvary.

                                                        Mercy  there was great,and grace was free;

                                                         Pardon there was multiplied to me,

                                                          There my burden soul found liberty

                                                                               At Calvary,  (Words W.R.Newell.)

Don't despair (Psalm 31)

 David wrote many of the Psalms, Psalm 23 is a great favourite it is a calm and peaceful Psalm,that has blessed generations of God's people .But many  of his other Psalms,are filled with feelings of distress, the  31st  Psalm is David experiencing a great deal of distress caused by his enemies .They were trying to trap David,in many ways,he is troubled, and consumed with grief, his strength is also failing him. He feels very isolated,broken, forgotten, and slandered. From v 14  a change for the better sets in, as he focuses on God,yes things can change ,as we look beyond  our dire situations. In verse 15 we have these wonderful words,here is what he declares,'My times are in Thy hand'.Henry F.Lyte  wrote a wonderful hymn based on those words,here it is.

                                      'My times are in thy hand; my God I wish them there;

                                       My life, my friends, my soul I leave ,entirely to Thy care.

                                       My times are in thy hand; whatever they may be;

                                       Pleasing  or painful, dark or bright,as best may seem to Thee.

                                       My times are in Thy hand,why should I doubt or fear?

                                       A Father's hand will never cause, His child a needless tear.

                                       My times are in Thy hand, Jesus the crucified

                                       The hand my cruel sins have pierced, is now my guard

                                        and guide.

Be alert. ( Matthew 13 v 25 )

 We have to be on our guard all the time,just recently, my son and his wife visited us,he was preaching in our church,later on the day,they drove home,Later that evening I received an email, it appeared to be from my son,Telling me he had been in an accident,but he wasn't hurt,  I immediately phoned my son and to my relief he had not been in an accident,it was a scam.My wife told me recently  she had received a text, stating that she was being fined for a parking offence,another scam.Yes we have to be on our gaurd,or we will find ourselves in deep trouble,and loose a lot of money. Likewise in the spiritual realm we must be alert ,why?, 1 Peter 5 v 8, tells us,''Be alert and of a sober mind,Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion,looking for someone to devour',We must not let down our guard for one moment,if we do we might just be the next victim,Stay awake and stay alert, take this warning seriously.People often ignor warnings and suffer the consequence, they get fined for speeding,they go through a red light,and so it goes on. Our Saviour was facing His coming crucifixion,He was in the garden praying ,when he had finished praying the first time, He returned to the disciples,but He found them sleeping, at such a time as that, and He especially spoke to Peter,'Watch and pray so that you do not fall into temptation,and He added,'the spirit is willing but the flesh is week'  ( Matthew 26 v 41),and we know what happened to Peter. 

                                                'Be warned,be alert,and stay awake'