Why, ( John 13 v 7)

In 1Corinthians 13 v12 we read, 'Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete,but then I will know everything completely,just as God now knows me completely'.In many ways we know many things and understand many things,but in spite of that there are so many things we don't know and understand. Many things are hidden from us,why did this and that happen .There are many unsolved mysteries in life, death ,pain ,loss, etc,and the inevitable why, raises it's head,when certain tragedies happen ,and we want to know why,and then we turn from faith to leaning upon our  understanding,and so we start to turn away from God.Many people stumble over the why not been answered. The hymn writer William Cowper wrote,God moves in mysterious ways,we can sing these words,but are we willing to accept what we sing,that is the question. The last verse  reads,'Blind unbelief is sure to err, and scan His work in vain; God is his own interpreter,and He will make it plain'.The fact is,that only in heaven  will we know more fully. We will never have perfect knowledge ,even in heaven,for only God is omniscient.

The in between time (2 Peter 3 v 3- 13)

Christmas day is come and gone ,soon it will be the new year,in a way the world has been living in an in between time,it began just over 2000 years ago, a child was born  grew up to became a man,and then ministered for about 3 and a half years,and then died on a cross,rose again remained 40days  and then went back to heaven from wench He had come.And so the in between time came unto being,the next  big event  will be His coming back again.It feels like it will never happen,whats keeping him from coming?. Peter writes that where will be people,he calls them scoffers,who will say,'Where is this ''coming '' he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation''Peter declares that the present heavens and earth are preserved for fire ,which will user in judgement and destruction of the ungodly.Until that happens we are to live godly lives.The day of the Lord will come like a thief,God does not want people to perish,and perish they will,if they have not Christ as their Saviour. This old tired earth and the heavens will be no more ,those who are His  will dwell in a new heaven and a new earth , where righteousness dwells.

                                                           'Will you be ready?'                  

Change ( 2 Corinthians 3 v18)

 The only person who never changes is God,because He is perfect,so He doesn't need to change,but it goes without saying everyone changes to some degree. I am a Christian a long time,but I still need to change in fact it is part of what being a Christian is all about,in Romans 8 v29,we read ,'For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of' his Son'. Now that is unimaginable yet that is God's  purpose for every child of God, he knows we cannot do it in our own strength,so He has given us His Spirit to help us,and His precious word to guide us. Let me say this none us will be the finished article until we reach Heaven. A quotation from  Louis Berkhofs book a summary of Christian Doctrine,(it is a very profitable little book) 'Sanctification and Perseverance' Sanctification may be defined as that gracious and continuous operation of the Holy Spirit by which He purifies the sinner, and enables him to perform good works.We will always have to contend with sin, characterized by a constant warfare between the flesh and the Spirit ( Galatians 5 v17),which leads us unto the importance of  Perseverance in truth and in holiness, aided by the Holy Spirit.

                                            'So what's it to be ?change for the better or the worse?'

He is a Saviour. ( Luke 4 v 16 -19 )

 I was out walking and I met Sunny,this the second time I met him,he is a Muslim, I sought to witness to him.He spoke of Jesus the prophet,he made light of the differences as to whom Jesus really was,saying that he was not the Son of God,but  he believed Jesus was coming back again. I just said one thing,that mankind needs is a Saviour and that Jesus was that Saviour. Do pray for Sunny,that he mind find the real Jesus the Saviour of the world.It appears to me more and more that many ministers don't believe that Jesus is a Saviour. Albert Einstein, a secular Jew,deeply admired Jesus as a historical figure calling Him a 'Luminous figure'' whose personality'' pulsates in every word'' of the Gospels,seeing Him as a profound teacher, distinct from mythical heroes'.Likewise Mahatma Gandhi deeply respected Jesus,calling Him ,''one of the greatest Teachers of mankind,'' and that was all..Our dear Saviour was the Son of man,truly human,and the Son of God,truly Devine, but He was more ,on the cross He died that we may be saved.

                                                        'Mankinds deepest need is a Saviour

                                                         and that Saviour is Jesus'

So thats that ? ( 1 Corinthians 15 )

 I recently visited a friend, he is 90 and is bedridden,he has  carers who attend to him everyday.I have known him a long time,he was very musical,he and his wife used to minister in song,he would also preach God's word,he also was a elder in a local church.He also was a fellow Irish man ,he played football when he was young and still had an interest in his team back home.But now he cannot do very much for himself.So thats that? no by no means, One day I hope soon,the Lord will take him home to be with himself, that will be wonderful, what a day that will be for him,and indeed for every believer.On that day he will have a heavenly body a body that will know no change,no sickness, instead of a perishable body he will have a imperishable body, instead of a mortal body ,he will have an immortal body.

                                                    'The sands of time are sinking,

                                                     The dawn of heaven breaks;

                                                     The summer morn I've sighed for,

                                                     The fair sweet morn awakes;

                                                     Dark,dark hath been the midnight,

                                                      But dayspring is at hand,

                                                      And glory,glory dwelleth

                                                      In Immanuel's land'.

                                                      

                                                     

Why did He come? ( John 3 v 36)

 Just an afterthought as regards Christmas ,as I watched the carol service on TV,and listened to the Bishop of Westminster giving an address,I asked myself a question,why did he not tell those present,and those watching on TV ,the real reason why Jesus came into the world.millions of people were watching. Possible he didn't think it appropriate, with the royal family there,so very sad,so terrible.Let me explain the reason why Jesus came, on the platform of the church building I attend ,there was a nativity scene ,and above it there was a large cross,to me it appeared very symbolic.When Jesus came into this world He lived under the shadow of the cross,in John 12  v32-33 , we read,'And I,when I am lifted up from the earth,I will draw all men to myself,He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die'. The question is why?1 Peter 2 v24 tells us,'He himself bore our sins in His own body on the cross' ,this means He bore the punishment for our sins Isaiah 53 v10.He bore the wrath that we  who believe in Him would not experience the wrath of God. John 3 v36 reads,'Whoever believes in the Son of God has eternal life,but whoever rejects the Son  will not see life,for God's wrath remains on them'.That is why He came,he came into the world to save sinners.

,

Not by chance (Hebrews 1 v1ff) Christmas

Nothing concerning Jesus happened by chance,that includes His birth ,let us consider the prophecy of  Micah 5 v 2 which reads ;But you,Bethlehem Ephrathah though you are small among the clans of  Judah ,out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel,whose origins are from old, from ancient time'. Micah prophesied this ,approximately 740-698 BC,this is the verse the priest and teachers told Herod when he asked them where would the Messiah would be born. ( Matthew 2 v 1ff.)Just another of the prophecies concerning Messiah Jesus.His birth coincided with Caesar Augustus ordering a census to be made,in which everyone had to go their home town.( Luke 2 v1-3). When the child Jesus was in grave danger, Joseph and Mary escaped into Egypt with Him,again that fulfilled what Hosea foretold ( Hosea 11 v1),this was God's plan,and as we go through the scriptures as regards His  death we are told in 1Peter  1 v20 and Revelation 13 v 8  it was planned  in eternity,one commentator  writes the following, 'God's plan for salvation was established before time began, making Jesus sacrifice eternally significant and always  present in His mind'.

Miracle 4

 We considered how in spite of the miracles that Jesus did and the scripture that clearly pointed to Him as being the Messiah, they rejected Him ,not only rejected Him ,but they crucified Him,why did God not do something about it?.Let us consider the miracle of the cross,yes it was a miracle,for through His death on the cross in His mercy and love God was achieving for humanity a way of escape from us going to Hell.John 3 v16 spells it out for us,'For God so loved the world,yes He does love the world ,amazing,yes it is true.Out of a heart of love He thought of a plan,a way in which we  undeserving sinners could be saved, His blessed son Jesus would take the sinners place and take the punishment for their sins.He the just one would die for the unjust,He the sinless one would die for the sinner.So if they would believe in Him they will not perish but have everlasting life. Humanity cannot perform the miracle of salvation,sad to say that many do try to save themselves,but it's futile ,but they will keep trying.

                                              'My Father is all powerful and that you can't deny

                                               A  God of might and miracles it's written in the sky

                                               It took a miracle to put the stars in place

                                                It took a miracle to hang the world in space

                                                But when He saved my soul cleansed  and made me whole

                                                 It took a miracle of love and grace.

                                                                Words  Eddy  Arnold

                                              

Miracle 3

 Miracles didn't stop at the birth of Christ ,when Christ began His ministry,He performed many miracles, turning water into wine,and many more would follow,not all were recorded ,for John tells us this in CP Chap 20 v 30.Yet in spite of all these miracles He was rejected and despised as the prophet Isaiah foretold chap 53v3,we need not be surprised at this, the question is why?.Consider  the words of John in chap 1 v10-11,'He was in the world ,and though the world was made through Him,the world did not recognise Him/  He came to that which was His own,but His own did not receive Him'.Is their an answer as to why He was the in world and it did not recognise Him,and His own people did not receive Him.In  John 3 v 19 we read,'This is the verdict: light has come into the world,but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil'.That is the answer, and that is why,we must  never underestimate the darkness of the human soul.,and next time we will consider this further.

                                                          'This dark world of sin'

A miracle ( Isaiah 9 v 6 -7) 2

 I mentioned last time that two miracles took place when Jesus was born,for the child that was born,was different , how was he different?,well the answer is ,he was truly human and truly God.How was it possible ?,it was a miracle.Again let us travel back over 700yrs to the promise that Isaiah made in chapter 7 v 14 , in this verse we are told of a virgin conceiving giving birth to a son, and that he will be called Immanuel,which means God with us.Then we move forward to Isa 9 v6  when we are told of a child being born,and His name would be,'Wonderful Counsellor,Mighty God, everlasting father,Prince of Peace.I remember speaking to some Jws,when I said He was mighty God,one them replied ,yes but He was not almighty God.That was a nonsensical answer for the adjective does not change the object, that He was God.For other OT scriptures as regards Christs deity CP Isa42 v8   / Psalm 45 v6-7/ 110 v1/ Daniel 7 v 13-14/.It is Leupold who comments that Isaiah's use in 9 v6  is the same title unequivocally for God in  10v21  It was the  Collingsworth family who wrote a hymn which starts.Who is He in yonder stall, at whose feet the shepherds fall? and the answer is,'Tis the Lord!O wondrous story,Tis the Lord,the king of glory! Yes it truly was a miracle.

Miracles ( Luke 1 v26 -38) 1

 They say there are four types of miracles,healing,exorcism, nature miracles,and resurrection,well that's what they say,I believe there are more than that.Here we are in the Christmas season when we remember a miracle ,in fact two miracles happened. In Isaiah 7 v14  we read,'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son'Now that is truly a miracle,it is impossible for a virgin to bear a child,yet here we have a promise that it was going to happen. It would not happen for just over 700 yrs ,Gods word will be fulfilled no matter how long it takes .Bethlehem was to be the place it would happen. (Micah 5 v2)  The girl Mary had a visit from an angel who told her she was going to have a son who would be called Jesus,here was her reply 'How will this be,...since I am a virgin?'(Luke 1 v34) it was an obvious question ,It would take a miracle,a miracle which God performed (Luke 1 v 35)Don't let anyone rob you of this truth,and don't be blinded  by all the non-Christian  things which surrounds Christmas, it was truly a miracle.

Christmas ( John 3 v 16)

 My wife has been very busy buying and wrapping up the presents ,we have a very large family.A thought suddenly came to me about Christmas,I have never,I mean never, known anyone who has been saved at Christmas,I have been following the Lord for 61yrs,that's a long time, when I was a minister, I always sought to present the gospel to people.Im sure that many are going to sing the carols,enjoy the mince pies,and look at the nativity with baby Jesus ,Mary,Joseph,shepherds,and the animals.But they never go beyond that,so another Christmas passes into oblivion, My dear wife asked me, what do I want for Christmas,I really don't need anything,but I will appreciate any present I am given.As I was driving home recently,I said  to the Lord,let me see someone being saved,and then I added,let me lead someone to Christ,that would be the most wonderful gift of all.

                                                      'O teach me what it meaneth,

                                                       That cross uplifted high,

                                                       With one , the man of sorrows,

                                                       Condemned to bleed and die,               

                                                       O teach me what it cost Thee

                                                       To make a sinner whole;

                                                        And teach me,Saviour,teach me

                                                        The value of a soul'  (Words Lucy A.Bennett)

                                                         

Weakness (2 Timothy 4 v 16-17) 1

 The book  of Judges is about Israels failure to follow God, followed by God punishing them, then rescuing them when they called on Him. One writer  describes their turning to Him as mere remorse,not repentance.He nevertheless did rescue them, until the next time. He raised up individuals who were called Judges who would rescue them,one of the Judges was called Gideon (Chap 6 -7),for seven years they were being oppressed by two nations,they were in dire straits ,and then they called on God to rescue them, imagine it took seven years of oppression before they turned to God,he is very patient with his people,and with you and me. Now let's think about Gideon,he was to learn a number of lessons , one ,being weak is not a disadvantage, in v15 he says ,how can I save Israel?  My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family. The Lord answered,''I will be with you'' God does not leave us in our weakness no,He will be with us,today and all our tomorrows, when we go to work,when we go shopping or whatever,He will be with us, simply because He dwells within us,by His Spirit.

Don't be like Ephraim ( Deuteronomy 8 v 1 -5)

 I have just watched an old movie about people considered a coward,in the end he proved he wasn't ,and he succeeded ,and he showed that he was a very brave man. In the movie, the man had received four white feathers from four different people, indicating they believed he was a coward.There is stigma attached to being coward,the army take a very dim view as regards a soldier being a coward.There was a time when those acted cowardly would be shot. There are cowards mentioned in the Bible  ,we read the following in Psalm 78 v 9-12 it reads ,'The men of Ephraim,though armed  with bows,turned back on the day of the battle; the reason,' They did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by the law,They forgot what He had done, and the wonders He had shown them'.These people were armed,yes they had the means to win,but alas they turned back, The English archers defeated the French in the battle of Agincourt so bows an arrows were very effective weapons. Reason why they ran away,'They did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by the law',Ephraim the leading tribe in Israel,had forsaken God,if we forsake God  there are sad consequences .They had forgot what God had done,the wonders that He had performed for them.. Spurgeon writes,'Ere we condemn them,let us repent of our own wicked  forgetfulness,and confess the many occasions upon which we also  have been unmindful of past favours'.                                             

Marriage ( Hebrews 13 v 4 )

 In these days marriage in our society marriage is being ignored by many, some  people just live together,even  Christians are doing this,I am sure they have their reasons, but whatever the reason marriage is what God desires , The first miracle was performed at a wedding CP John 2, and in John 4  Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman, who had been married five times,and the person she was living with was not her husband v 17.There Jesus was making distinction between marriage and living together, The  Samaritans accepted the first five books in the Bible,and it is there we read where the Jews and the Samaritans based the divorcing of wives that Moses had given Deut 24 v 1,it reads that he could  simply,' give her a certificate  of divorce and send her away',thats all it took ,so simple,One can see how abusive that could be, simply by what was said as regards the Samaritan woman.It was seen by Jesus to be wrong ,and  he answered the religious peoples as to why  Moses had given this rule. Jesus answer was because of the hardness of their hearts. Mt 19 v 8.In a sense they were making a mockery of marriage ,treating women in a wrong way,and going against the sacredness of marriage as God intended it to be.

That final step ( 2 Corinthians 8 v 9)

That final step comes on the last moment of our walk to glory,but sometimes on that journey we  struggle,   so much so that we  can't go on to towards that final step .There are two things that should help us,one is keeping our eyes on Jesus ,and the next one is the joy of  heaven . (Hebrews  12 v 3)We cannot fully grasp what awaits us in heaven,so many things clouds our vision.Of course we walk by faith,but sometimes our faith is weak,our loving heavenly Father understands.So let me mention some things as regards heaven, there you will never feel tired, you will no longer be tempted to sin, imagine you will never think a wrong thought,be it sexual, covetousness ,anger,hate, or experience coldness of spirit, all the bad memories will be gone.There will be no evil people ,no more wicked dictators,no more depression,no more despair.Our minds will be free from all confusion,no more mental illness,no more darkness,for the Lord will be the light thereof. None of this could  have  come about if Christ had not come,by coming to this sinful world,he made it possible for sinners to be forgiven and that we at last could go to heaven.if we simply accept Him as our Saviour.

Just a carol. ( Luke 2 v 8- 14)

A friend sent me a Christmas card,with the words of a carol written by Charles Wesley, I have never heard it sung, so I like to share it with you.

                                                      1      'Let earth and heaven combine,

                                                             Angels and men agree,

                                                             To praise, in Songs divine,

                                                              The incarnate Deity;

                                                              Our God contracted to a span,

                                                               Incompressible made man

                                                     2        He laid His glory by,

                                                               And wrapped Him in our clay;

                                                                Unmarked by human eye,

                                                                The Latent Godhead lay;

                                                                 Infant of  Days, He here became,

                                                                  And bore the loved Immanuel's name.

                                                       3         Unsearchable  the  love

                                                                  That has the Saviour bought;

                                                                  That grace is far above

                                                                   Or  man's or angel's thought;

                                                                   Suffice for us,that God we know,

                                                                    Our God was manifest below.'

                   

                                                         

                                                

They won't fool Jesus.(Matthew 7 v 15 - 23)

 In  Titus 1 v 16,we read 'They claim to know God,but by their actions they deny Him',this again tells us clearly of the importance of showing the evidence of being a Christian.No matter what people say if  their lives are sinful ,it is obvious they are  not Christians. Our Saviour said in Matthew 7 v22-23,'Many will say to me on that day,''Lord,Lord,did we not prophesy in your name and in you name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly,''I never knew you.Away from me,you evildoers!'An extreme example of this is Judas  we read that he ,'he shared in the ministry Acts 1 v17,he fooled everyone but not the Lord.People can hide a lot of wrongful doings under a cloak of religiosity.Think of the atrocities have been perpetrated by very religious people, There are those who name Christ as their Saviour,claiming miracles,casting out so called demons.one day,yes one day,they will be shown for what they are,evildorers.Our Saviour said 'Watch out  for false prophets. They come to in sheep's clothing,but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognise them.( Matthew 7 v15-16)

Anger ( Ephesians 6 v 10)

One of the first things that happened after the fall, was a murder most foul,between two brothers(Gen 4),Cain  and Abel, the problem began when the two brothers brought offerings to God,Cains offering was rejected by God,  Abel's  offered was  accepted. It was God's choice ,it is His prerogative after all he is God,Cain should have accepted that but instead he became angry not with God but with his brother,God knew how he felt ,God sought to reassure him that if he did that which was right he would be accepted, and warned him of where his anger would lead,God told him to rule over his anger.Think of the many evil's that have come out of uncontrolled anger.There are scriptures warning about the danger and consequences of uncontrolled anger. Psalm  37 v8 tells us,'Refrain from anger,and forsake wrath', Ephesians 4 v27 ,tells us our anger gives the devil a foothold ,Cain destroyed his own brother,Remember what Peter tells us about our Lord,'When He was reviled,He did not revile in turn,when He suffered He did not threaten,but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly' ( 1 Peter 2 v23)

Hardness of the heart. (Matthew 11 v 28-30)

What do I want when I minister, and so this thought came to me,I want what I say or publish, to be from God's heart to my heart and then to your heart. There is a medical mission in Malawi called Lifeline and one patient said ,'At Lifeline, they treat my body and my heart', Christianity is  all about helping people but it's  also about touching people's heart ,what we mean is the core of their being.that which no one can see, but God.In Mark 3 we read of our Saviour he is in the synagogue,and there was present of a man with a withered hand.There were Pharisees present and they were not watching him in prayerful hope that He would heal that dear man,no they were looking to see if He would heal him,so they could accuse him of  breaking the sabbath.Jesus knew that they were out to destroy him.So Jesus  said to the man, stand up. .Before he performed the miracle he said the following,'Which is lawful on the sabbath: to do good or to do evil,to save life or to kill? but they remained silent.'And  when he looked at them it was with anger,being grieved  for the hardness of their hearts',then he healed the man.   Our Saviour did not speak well of the Pharisees, their religion put burdens unto  people, (Read Matthew 23) whereas Jesus said he had come to help the weary and the burdened ,and give them rest,may God give us grace to be more like Jesus.

Good works ( (Matthew 6 v25ff)

 Let's consider further Matthew 6 v 19ff It is not wrong to have money,but it is wrong that money should  have us. God is not telling us ,to give all our money away.I remember reading about C T.Studd ,he came from a wealthy family,he and his brother ,played cricket for England. When the Lord saved him he  felt God was calling him to be a missionary,and I believe he gave most of his money away. He said many quotable sayings,here is one of them,'Some wish to live within the sound of chapel bell,I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of Hell'. So much for CT , Ephesians 2 v10 tells us'For we are God's handiwork,created in Christ Jesus to do good works,which God prepared us in advance, for us to do'.It is not all about money but money is included ,there are many societies that are involved in helping people, they need financial support,And as we give ,give as on to God,Jesus speaks of treasures in heaven CP  1 Cor 1 v 8ff,yes there will be rewards in heaven one person describes them as not physical but spiritual. Our security is not our bank balance.our security is God.

Money,Money,Money, ( 1 Timothy 6 v 10)

 In  Matthew 6 v 19ff our Saviour  instructs us as regards money and how we should manage it,He  reminds us of the uncertainty of wealth,After the confederacy (USA) was defeated their currency was worth  nothing,In the 1920 Germany suffered from hyperinflation their currency was practically nothing.In these days, the scammers are robbing people blind. When one hears of the very rich, one wonders why do they need so much money?But our Saviour is speaking to everyone, telling us to 'store your treasures in heaven'.He warns us we can't love God and money,in v 22-23, He warns us of that which clouds our vision in this case money  and that has adverse consequences that are very serious.The rich young man mentioned in Matthew 19 ,choose His money, rather than trusting and following Jesus.In Matthew 16 v26 Our Saviour said,'And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? It was George Beverly Shea who sang a lovely song ,here is the verse.  

                                             'I'd rather have Jesus than silver and gold ,

                                              I'd rather be His than have riches untold;

                                              I'd rather have Jesus than houses or  lands,

                                              I'd rather be led by His nail pierced hand

                                              Than to be the king of a vast do-main

                                               And be held in sin's dread sway.'

                                                              Words Rhea F. Miller

                                                                                                  

                                              

                                             

A man with a mission.( John 10 v 11)

The words of the song,'The impossible Dream' from 'Man of La Mancha'are very inspiring so much in it that challenges one,it is to say the least overwhelming ,'To beat the unbeatable foe,to run where the brave dare not go,to follow that star, no matter how hopeless,to be willing to march into hell,for a heavenly cause'. The  last part of the song reads,'And the world will be better for this,that one man ,scorned and covered in scars,Still  strove with his last ounce of courage,to reach the unreachable star' I know someone who did not have an impossible dream,he had something more than that,he had a mission that no one else could perform ,it was a mission of love,He was rich but he became poor,so many would be rich,oh no, not in worldly wealth,which passes away.He touched many lives for the better,filling them with hope,and joy,a hope ,not in that which is seen,but in that which was everlasting.a sure and certain hope that went beyond the grave,to a eternal home in heaven.This world is a better place for His coming, but there was a price to be paid . Scorned and covered in scars He paid the ultimate price that our sins may be forgiven by dying on a cross at a place called Calvary.

Faithfulness.(Acts 4 v 19-20)

 Ezekiel the prophet was with the Jews in Babylon,Judah  still survived,but not for long,eventually they would be overthrown,by the Babylonians.In chapter 2 of Ezekiel ,he received a call from God .No he wasn't going to be a missionary like Jonah who was called to a heathen nation.God speaks to him,he calls him 'Son of man', here it indicates his humanity,nothing more,Let us remember we should honour those called to be prophets, and leaders of God's people,but also remember that they are mere men.God declares ,I am sending you to the Israelites,oh that was wonderful,he wouldn't have to learn another language,but it was going to be a difficult assignment,for here is what God says about His people ,They are rebellious, obstinate,and stubborn,yet they are known as the children of God.As one reads the history of the Christian church ,how they burned people to death and opposed the gospel,it is not a happy picture.It was not going to be easy to say the least for Ezekiel ,God is telling Ezekiel how it was.Ezekiel is told not to be afraid or terrified. When God  calls you to be preacher,pastor or an evangelist .we must show neither fear or favour. God tells him 'You must speak my words to them , whether they listen or fail to listen'He had to be faithful to his God given calling. More than ever we need faithful servants of Christ one day we will  have to give an account to our Saviour, will we hear Him say?,'Well done good and faithful servant'.

The blood of the Martyrs ( Philippians 1 v 29)

In ancient Galatia,the 'Galatian League',met in solemn  convocation in memory of Caesar ....they wanted to honour him as their Saviour  and Lord'. People believed that he was an actual god,yes they really believed that,of course they had many gods,so imagined  that when Christianity came into being,they would have been none to pleased.As time went on they showed their displeasure ,by executing untold thousands of people,who refused to say Caesar was Lord,Peter and Paul paid the price by being martyred .We read of the account of the Bishop of Smyrna, Polycarp who was martyred, h,e was 86,they pleaded with him to say Caesar was lord but he refused,this is what he said,'Eighty six years I have served Him(Jesus)and He has done me no wrong',with that they burned him at the stake.Times have not changed,many countless thousands of people are still being martyred,we need to pray for them,that's the least we can do.Tertullian spoke of the,'Blood of the martyrs', as I said ,this still goes on ,they will die either by the machete, bullet, beheading,and even by been burned alive.

God revealed ( 2 Timothy 3 v 16)

 I am reading a book called Dominion by Tom Holland I find it an interesting book,but there are things that he writes I would take issue with him,one, being that Greek philosophy influenced our theology in relation to the being of God. Some philosophers like Plato or Aristotle  may have believed in one god,whatever they believed it would have not been the God of the scriptures, their concept of God would have come through their own flawed understanding.Our concept of God came  through divine revelation,in other words God revealed himself to us.The apostle Paul  declares that through wisdom mankind did not Know God (1 Corinthians 1 v 21) Likewise the gospel it is all foolishness to them (1 Corinthians1 v23) I Cor 2 v 14 we read,'But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit.It all sounds foolish to them,and they can't understand it.' One commentator writes the following,'No non Christians cannot understand spiritual truths' ,it is as simple as that, So where did we get our revelation from? 2 Peter 1 v 20- 21 reads ,'Above all,you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet's own understanding, or from human initiative.No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit,and they spoke from God'

                                                'The main thing to keep in mind here is

                                                 that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter

                                                 of private opinion. And why? because it's

                                                 not something concocted in the human 

                                                 heart.'

                                                 

                                            

Jesus saves (Luke 18 v 9 -14 )

 The apostle Paul  wrote to Titus who led the church,and in chap 3 he points out a number of  things,I will touch on two of them ,v3 'their past',v4 ,'the kindness and love of God '.Paul includes himself in what he  writes.let us look at their past,and we can also add our past ,because we are all sinners,and manifests that reality in different ways.Here is the list he mentions ,'At one time we to were foolish,disobedient,deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.We lived in malice and envy,being hated and hating one another.'I'm sure we could all add other things to that list,let's consider are dark and sinfull pass.Let us consider that we were foolish,or as one translation puts it, we were senseless,like the prodigal son .in Luke 15v 11ff.Next we were disobedient in so many ways ignoring God's moral laws,next we were deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures,do you remember those days,or are you still in those days?Next ,'We lived in Malice and envy,being hated and hating one another.'The hymn writer  wrote,'I  once was a stranger to grace and to God,I  knew not my danger,and felt not my load'.What does he mean by that,what danger? every unsaved person is a breath away from going to hell. Verse 4-5, tells us,'But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour ,appeared,he saved us',if you are saved ,offer up a praise of thanksgiving,if you are not saved,get down on your knees and ask Him to save you.

                                    

Trust is the key. ( Psalm 91)

 It is believed that Moses wrote Psalm 91,it is to the whosoever who dwells under the shelter of the Most High,who rests in the shadow of the Almighty. When they do that they will come under a blanket of security. Israel throughout their history often failed to do that,  and God was not pleased,if only they had,they would have been delivered from so many things. As children of God we are faced with the same choice,if we do ,God promises us deliverance,if we don't  we will suffer the consequence of our unbelief. There are many dangers many difficulties mentioned in this Psalm ,I mention a few, pestilence, plagues, and  physical harm.Yes there are a multitude of things that can harm the child of God whatever they may be,but God is watching over  his Children,v7 reads,'A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.' v 10 reads,'no harm will come near you no disaster will come near your tent'.(This is what they lived in during their wilderness journey) In  verses 11-13 we are told that God will use His angels to preserve His children.In verses 14-16,God speaks, 'Because he loves me,'says the Lord ,'I will rescue him;I will be with him in trouble,I will deliver him and honour him.With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.'

                                                      I am the Lord,the God of all 

                                                     mankind.Is anything to hard

                                                    for me'

                                                             Jeremiah 32 v 27

                                       

Now you will see what I will do. ( Ephesians 3 v 20)

Many years ago I did voluntary work in a Christian bookshop,it was owned by a married couple.I myself had managed  a Christian bookshop,but in the end we had to close it,it wasn't making enough to survive,the shop was in Belfast,and there were no shortage of Christian bookshops,we just could not compete.It seems a nice idea to open a Christian bookshop ,but there are very few bookshops now,simple because of the internet .Now getting back to the shop I  did voluntary work ,it was not making enough trade to survive,there were overheads,and things financial was getting worst.They even opened a cafe to support it but that didn't work out,they had  a lease that they couldn't get out of.I got a scripture from Exodus 6v1,which read,'Then the Lord said to Moses,'Now you will see what I will do'. I shared this with the owner of the shop,and it was shortly after this,that the local council purchased the premises,praise God.It got that couple out of a very difficult situation. Sometimes we are like that couple we find ourselves in very difficult situations,we are boxed in,the roof it seems is going to cave in on us,but  dear child of God,you are not forsaken,you have come to the end of your human resources,but that's not the end of the story,your prayers have not gone unheeded,God is saying to you ,'Now you will see what I will do'.

You give ( Matthew 14 v16)

 I have many weaknesses,one is English scones ,for lunch I had an English scone plus Greek  yoghurt with mandarin segments, they tasted lovely.I thanked God for them ,and I thought how many people  have never had the pleasure of eating such things. Many people in this world are just about existing at starvation level,they have neither in them or on them.The water they have to drink is polluted,they have no medicine,live in a one room hut .When Christ was on earth  He had compassion on the hungry and He fed them, (Matthew14 )Before He did that,He said to the disciples,'You give them something  to eat'. These words are a challenge ,it is our blessed Saviour saying to all us,you help the hungry , poor, homeless, widows ,orphans and the sick. Let us not be judgemental,let us remember our Saviour  wasn't He fed everybody that day His giving was not conditional,He gave freely to them all.

They need more ( Isaiah 55 ) 2

 Yesterday we considered the needy people in this world ,needing help  in so many ways,After Jesus had fed the five thousand , many of people followed Him,people who felt that He was their meal ticket (John 6 v 26),He reminded them that,'He was the bread of life',the bread He had given them,satisfied their physical needs,but it could not supply their spiritual needs,only He could do that.So many people are hungry  just for the things of this world, they are blind of their souls need, yes we should help people ,but we should never forget that their greatest need is Christ.There are religious charlatans ,in other words individuals who exploit people's  faith and gullibility for personal gain,They often perform  fake miracles,create elaborate scams,or present themselves as having a special connection to  God to enrich themselves,and building a following.These words describe the prosperity gospel people.We are and have a soul that will never cease to exsist,but without Christ we will go to a lost eternity. I repeat ,only Christ can meet the deepest need of the soul,your soul,my soul,everybodv's soul.

9

None other. ( Exodus 20 v 3)

 When Geza king of Hungary became a Christian he was reproached by a monk for continuing to offer sacrifice 'to various gods',he cheerily acknowledged  that hedging his bets' had brought him both wealth and great power'.When Paul visited Athens he found an altar with an inscription .'To an unknown God (Acts 17 v 23) could be they were hedging their bets. The thing is you  cannot worship other gods,and be a Christian,there is one God,we cannot compromise . Satan  temped Jesus  by offering him all the glories of this world ,if only he worshipped him,and Jesus answered,'It is written:''Worship  the Lord your God and serve only Him''(Matthew 4 v 5-7) in  1 Corinthians 10 v 20  Paul told the Christians that the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons,not to God'. The devil is behind every false religion,yes every false religion,no exceptions.We must take that very serious,it is no good ignoring what scriptures tells us. Our great triune  God is the only God there is,there is none other.we worship Him and none other.

Storms ( Hebrews 6 v 19)

I was walking with a friend  and I noticed a large anchor,my friend told me it was called an'Admiral Patton Anchor'.It reminded me of a hymn we used to sing by Priscilla Jane.Owens , the first verse goes,'Will your anchor in the storms of life? that's a very good question and I wonder how you  will answer that question?there are many storms in life  some of our own making. We are married and our marriage appears to be falling apart, there is usually a reason ,but what ever  the reason,you're scared,frightened, and don't know where to turn to.Could be you just have been diagnosed with a serious health  problem,will you survive it?,so many things are going on in your head. Job loss how are you going to get by it is like being in in a storm,and you feel like you are  drowning.Then there is your children,they are in trouble,and it seems there is nothing you can do about it,another storm.They are never far away ,they come when you least expect them,these are some of the storms we get into,is there an answer?,here is the chorus of that old hymn.

                                                    'We have an anchor that keeps the soul

                                                     Steadfast and sure like the billows roll;

                                                     Fastened to the rock which cannot move,

                                                     Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour love! ,'

I read this on the internet ,'The anchor symbolizes Christ ,and its through Him,we receive inner strength, enabling us to persevere in all the storms in life ,and to be more conquerors.

                                                            

Stay clean ( Proverbs 2 )

 The Psalmist  in Psalm 119 v 9 writes,'How can a young person stay on the path of purity? now that's a very good question.Looking  back on my youth I was a bit out of control,but I wasn't going on with Lord then, yet I beleve God in His mercy held me back from certain things.The young people of the day face a lot things ,thing like drugs,sexual immorality,they have a lot of freedom,the sort of fredom that can lead them into trouble.Knife crime is prevalient among young people,many of them live in fear and so one could go on.The Christian young person has a graeat advantage,as to living a life of purity or as the Message puts it,'a clean life', here is the answer,'By living  according to your word'.Many drivers get into trouble by not sticking to the highway code,or whatever rules in different countries.So the young  Christians should  follow what the word of  God says about sex, in Hebrews 13 v 4 ,' we read 'Marriage is honorable',sleeping around is not honorable,Aids still  affects many countries,venereal disease is very prevalent,unwelcome pregnanices  are very common these day,if we put sex within marriage you rule out all those things. Remember sex outside of marriage is a sin, read 1Thessalonians 4 v 3- 5.

Freedom (Mark 5 v1-20)

In 722AD a bishop called Boniface was given the task of taking the gospel to the pagans east of the Rhine in central Germany. When he reached his destination  ,there stood a great oak,sacred to the  people there,they saw it as a fearsome god,whose hammer blows could split mountains.Boniface  chopped it down.Then ,with its timbers he built a church. The fact that nothing happened to  Boniface freed them from  the worship of that false god,and they turned to Christ,the Bible tells us that Israel worshipped god's who were not gods.The  world is full of so many god's who are not god's.God's that can do nothing for them,but enslave them,and take them to a lost eternity. In Colossians 2v 15 we read that Christ through His death on the cross and His resurrection ,triumphed over evil forces,defeating  them making a public spectacle of them.Turn from your false gods and turn to  Christ ,he can free you,from their power and bondage.

Giving (Deuteronomy 15 v10 ) 2

Last time we mentioned that we are not under a law of  tithing, so where does that leave us?.Our Saviour had much to say about money in Matthew 6 v 19ff He tells us not to be hoarders of money  and not to be slaves of money, money has not to be our master.He also speaks of the uncertainty of riches,and says we should lay up treasures in heaven. How do we do that? by being generous with it,and sometimes given sacrificially,like the poor widow women ,who give her all( Mark 12 v41-44/Luke 21 v1ff)Or like the Macedonian  churches in 2 Corinthians 8 who although poor give out of their extreme poverty, Paul adds but they first gave themselves to the Lord ,a reminder that God does not want or need your money,but He wants you,most of all.Those prosperity preachers don't want you they want your money,plain and simple as that.I remember someone said, this about money,'save some,spend some and give some.'  The Bible  tells us to give and it shall be given unto us,now we do not give to get,but God will honour our giving(1 Samuel 2 v30).When we give we should do it anonymously (Matthew 6 v3),whatever we do we should do , to the glory of God ( 1 Corinthians 10 v31)

Giving a tenth ( 2 Corinthians 9 v6-9) 1

Martin Luther said, three things happen as regards conversion,'Conversion  of the heart,conversion  of the soul,and conversion of the purse'.Lets  consider the latter ,for most of my Christian life,I went along with  tithing as was taught in the church I attended .But the question is this , as Christians  are we told to give a tenth of our earnings? are we under the law as regards tithing?Recently I listened to a minister on the importance  of Christians giving a tenth of  their money to support God's work. He used scripture in Malachi 3 v6-12,which  highlights that's God's people were breaking were Gods covenant by withholding tithes and offerings,declaring  they were robbing God.Again let me ask you the question  does this apply to us as Christians?,the answer is no. Most people mention one tithe,but in fact there were three tithes mention in the OT (Num 18v21-24/Deut 14v22-29)one could call them the law of the tithe. That minister who I heard preaching  never used any scripture from the NT in his preaching as regards tithing,because there is none.If we are not under the law of tithing  then how much should we give ?.1Corinthians 16 v2 reads ,'Set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income',we will consider  the  subject of giving next time.

The wrath of God ( Romans 1 v16)

 The wrath of God is something that many do not like ,they say we cannot reconcile the God who is love ( (1 John 4 v 8),with such a doctrine. If you  read the word of God you will see time after time God's wrath in action.,on a world scale Genesis 6-7.on cities Genesis Gen 19, on nations such as Egypt Gen 7-11.on individuals Leviticus 10'.But about the, New Testament?  Acts 5 /12v19-23.We have to acknowledge that we do read of God's wrath recorded  for us, but we do have it taught in many places Jesus spoke often of Gods Cp Matthew 10 v 28 /11 v20-24./24 v51/25 v41-46/ Luke 16 v19ff./John 3 v16/v36.We will move on to consider Romans 1 v 18'The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people,who suppress the truth by their wickedness'' Here the apostle clearly speaks of wrath,as being a fact and were it come from,'from heaven', directed against all the godless and wicked people.You may think that God's judgement is just towards the worst of sinners,until people trust Christ the wrath of God abides (3 v36)People who object to the wrath of God,minimise the seriousness of even one sin,one sin by Adam and Eve the moment they did that, sin and death entered this world.All have sinned and come short of the glory of God Romans 3 v36.The only escape from judgement is by trusting  Jesus to be your Saviour.

                                                          There's a way back to God 

                                                          From the dark paths of Sin,

                                                          There's a door that is open

                                                          and you may go in.

                                                          Calvarys cross is where you begin

                                                          When you come as a sinner

                                                                         To  Jesus.

                                                           

The wrath of man. { Isaiah 53 v 7)

 How great was our Saviours suffering?it involved two things,'the wrath of man and the wrath of God, let us consider the first one, Let us first look 'the wrath of man', It began with a man called Judas ,a supposed follower of  Christ who was becoming more and more disillusioned with Christ, their didn't appear to be any pay day coming.He was a man obessed with money and the devil entered into him,beware that you don't let sinful cravings take over your life ,the devil will take advantage and drive you to destruction.He knew how the religious leaders wanted rid of Jesus,oh yes they had their perverted reasons,they hated and envied Him.They were delighted when Judas came to them,and he received 30 piieces of silver (Lk 22ff) Judas took the money and waited for an opportunity to betray Jesus,eventualy it came,I would add Jesus knew what was coming,but He bravely and  courageously went forward to His destination.Remember no one forced him to die on the Cross,He said ,'No one takes it from me(His life) ,but I  lay it down of my own accord, I  have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again (Jn 10 v18) So let us move on to the garden  where Judas betrayed Him,He was then arrested and taken to be tried first by Annas,there he was slapped in the face (Jn 18 v22)this was followed by more abuse(Mt 26 v67). He was then taken to Caiaphas and then to Pilate to be tried,he sent him over to Herod and then He was returned to Pilate who in the end  gave into the demands of the Jews to crucify Him, He then was flogged,  He was then taken out to the soldiers He was mocked and beaten,and a crown of thorns put on His head, then he was taken to be crucified,To get the full graphic picture of the state his body, we turn to Isaiah's account in 52 v 14,we read,'Just as there were many who were appalled at Him,his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and His form marred beyond human likeness'

                                                        'Such was the wrath of man'.

An appointed time ( Habakkuk 3 v 16-19)

 The prophet Habakkuk was told by God what he was going to do,it was grave news,his country would be invaded,and it would be devastating.Nothing was to change, it had come to the point of no return,Judah had shown  no signs of repentance,they were not for turning from their evil ways.Having heard this Habakkuk  turns aside to wait on God ,he had complained to God and  he wanted a reply.So God replied to him,he is told to write the revelation down,and He says this,'The revelation awaits an appointed time,'(2 v 3) it would come into being in God's appointed time. God has His time table,and its often contrary to ours, we are all a bit like Habakkuk ,we have questions as to why God did not act in certain situations.There are many of  God's people who are suffering,many are  being lead like lambs to the slaughter,they are being called to be faithful even unto death (Revelation 2 v10) It will always be like that,but at the apponted time,all such suffering will cease when Christ comes back again. That is one aspect as regards God's appointed timing, but His appointed timing includes also, delivering,providing, saving,helping God's  people,just at the right time.

Awesomeness ( Romans 1 v 18 -20)

 One thing I miss is seeing the stars,I see just a few,light pollution hides them from me. Sometimes we catch a glimps of the awesomeness of the universe we live in on TV.God's ceation is truly wonderful. Sometimes a friend and I go to a bird sanctury and a man there said he had spotted a Peregrine Falcon,my friend who used to be bird watcher when he was young , so he is very knowledgeable told me that  the Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal on earth,reaching speeds of 300 Km/h or over 200 mls per hour.It reaches that speed when diving on its prey,from a great height, it is the most  aerodynamic of all birds,I wonder who designed it?. So many people have lost the awe factor and the awesomeness of creation, and the awesomeness of their Creator,they know so much yet know so little

                                                        'All things bright and beautiful,

                                                        All creatures great and small,

                                                        All things wise and wonderful,

                                                       The Lord God made them all'

                                                            Words  Cecil F, Alexander

Persecution 2 ( John 14 v 28)

 I wrote last time of the persecution of the church of Christ,that it went on for a long time,and I finished by saying ,'to believe that a Caesar might be  won  for Christ was  indeed to believe in miracles',well the miracle happened,Constantine the Great became a Christian ,he would reign for 31yrs.Much would change,but not everything,slavery didn't,some Christians saw it as a neccessary evil,it was taken for granted by many Christians,there were those like Gregory who spoke of the  evil of it.But Christianty did make a difference no longer were slaves of no importance for Christianity taught that in Christ they had a new standing ,spiritually  they were now equal citizens of the Kingdom of God, for in Christ,'There is neither Jew nor Gentile,neither slave nor free,nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus'.A new reality had come into being that in itself  was a miracle.In a world we expect things right now,but that's not the way things happen.There so many things needing to change in this world,awful things,the church is still being persecuted,Isalamic violence is beyond descrpition,a religion that holds a knife at the throats of its followers,if they dare to question their religion,or leave it.Yes there is so much that  needs to change.As for myself and many others we lift our eyes heavenward ,and pray even so come Lord Jesus, for  His coming  will be the final solution for this world.

Persecution (1 Peter 4 v12-19)1

For over 300yrs Christians were  persecuted under the Emperors of Rome the most severe persecution happened under Diocletian, it lasted for 8yrs. It was Origen  who said,'Should  the Romans embrace the Christian faith,'he had declared, then their prayers would see them overcome their enemies;or rather, having come under the protection of God,they would have no nemies at all'.The Christian church will always have enemies. of some sort or other,many Christians today are suffering in many places in this world,people scratch their head  and say ,why are they doing that?why indeed?.It was Peter who wrote,'Dear friends ,do not be surprised at the very ordeal that has come on you to test you,as though  something strange were happening to you.'And of course Peter would experence marytom,being crucified upside down,his fellow apostle Paul was beheaded. Commenting on the persecution under Rome one  writer declared,'to believe that a Caesar  might be won for Christ was indeed to believe in miracles'.We will look at  this next time.

Praise ( 2 Chronicles 20 v 1-29)

                                                                   Psalm 50 v23

                                                 Who so offereth praise glorifeth Me.

                                         'Let everything that has breath praise the Lord

                                        'I'll praise in the valley, praise on the mountain

                                        I'll praise Him when I'm sure,praise Him when I'm doubting,

                                        I'll praise Him when out numbered,praise when surrounded

                                                  

                                                As long as I'm  breathing I've got a reason to

                                                Praise the Lord,O my soul

                                                Praise the Lord,oh my soul.

                                         I'll praise when I feel it,and  I'll praise when I don't

                                         I'll praise cause I know you You're still in control

                                         Cause my praise is a weapon,it's more than a sound

                                          Oh, my praise is the shout that brings Jericho down.'

                                                     Words Chris Brown/Chandler moore.

                                                

                                       

                               

Suffering ( Luke 22 v 42)

 Job was a very godly man,we read,he was blameless and upright,that does not mean to say he was sinless, he acknowledged this in 9 v20 /40 v4/42 v6. We must never loose sight of the whole of humanities nature,it is a fallen nature,and the best of men and women are sinners.Job was a good father  CP. ch1,he helped others 29 v 12ff/ 31v 32.Now here was this good man and in a blink of an eye his whole whole fell apart,he lost one thing after another,all his flocks were taken,next his ten  children were taken yes all of them,next his health was taken.He didn't understand,what would the so called prosperity gospel say to all Jobs suffering.We need to accept the fact that good people will suffer we may find it hard to accept this.Job's wife did ,and even Job found it hard to accept.As a general rule God will preserve us from much evil,and He promises us that in His word, All things come under the umbrella of God's will all things,so it was for Job ,so it is for us,and so it was for Christ. Job didn't understand his  suffering ,but in the end he bowed to Gods will,as we must do.

                                                            'Renew my will from day today,

                                                            Blend it with Thine and take away

                                                            All that now makes it hard to say

                                                            Thy will be done.'

No giving up ( 2 Timothy 4 v 6-8)

 I love Pilgrims Progress it is about man on a journey his name  is Christiam ,He  meets all sorts of people they are called by strange names that sum  up their character.There is a point on his  journey they came to a  hill called Difficulty on either side there where two broad roads.He and his companions made a choice as to which way they would go, we read of a man called Formalist he chose to go to the left ,which  led him into a dark wood.Did he but know it, the road was called danger,and he lost his way forever.Christians other companion called Hypocrisy chose to go to the right, which led him unto rough ground , and full of holes.he did not know  that the road was called Destruction.Here he fell, and rose no more.As for Christian, he paused  and drank at a spring  to refresh himself. Then after looking both ways, he started briskly straight on up the hill called Difficulty.Let us remember the road that leads to heaven is not paved with gold,no there will be many difficuties on the way many inticements, God has not promised us skies always blue. Matthew 24 v13 tells us,that one who endures to the end will be saved, it  reminds us that the Christian life must be one of steadfast faith until the end of ones life,facing trials and persecution with perseverance.

Perfect ( 2 Timothy 3 v16)

 It is John Blanchard  in his commentary on James  writes as regards four things about God ( 1) 'His works are perfect. (2) His way is perfect.( 3) His will is perfect.( 4 )His word is perfect.Let us have  a brief look at these 4 things,'His works are perfect',in Psalm  139 v14  David declares,'I am fearfully and wonderfully made'.The word fearfully has with it  a sense of awe and respect.our whole body,look on the internet, consider what it tells us the body that has one trillion cells,think of that,and they it say it just happened, how blind they are,.( 2) 'His way is perrfect'.That is what we are told in Psalm 18 v 30, it could be as you read these words you doubt what is said,cast that doubt aside,He makes no mistakes,lean on these words and trust your God who makes no mistakes.(3 ) His will is perfect, Romans 12 v2 tells us that His will is good,pleasing ,and perfect,we can never go wrong when we walk in obedience to God's will (4) 'His word is perfect.' This wonderful bible has been miraculously preserved,in it we have the very word of God,a word  that brings hope to us,a word that never changes,a word that tells us about a wonderful Saviour . 

Memory lane ( 1 Samuel 7 v12 )

There are events  that one never forgets,after leaving Bible college we applied to missions and no door opened up,I managed a Christian book shop  until it closed, but eventually a door opened a church in England called me to be their pastor.And so the day arrived to set off on our journey ,my wife and our four children,in our little Morris Minor someone had bought for us.I read earlier that day  a reading from a devotional called 'Daily Light',it is just full of scripture,I read these words,'He lead them on safetly'(Psalm 78 v 53)  and then I read,'Behold,I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared'(Exodus 23 v20)What a wonderful word as we set of on our journey,two  things happened first we got a puncture but we got that fixed,next the fanbelt was loose ,but we got fixed also,and we drove through London and eventually we arrived safe and sound.It was the blind Hymn writer Fanny J.Crosby who wrote the following words.

                                                          'All the way my Saviour leads me;

                                                           What have I to ask beside?

                                                           Can I doubt His tender mercy,

                                                            Who through life hads been my guide?

Hope ( Colossians 1 v 27)

 One of my favourite programs was Poirot a fictional character  created by Agatha Christie,it was on TV for 25yrs ,I'm sure I've watch every program. The actor who  played Poitot was David Suchet a wonderful actor,he made the charactor his own,no one played him better.Let me tell you about David he was a Jew,but in 1986  he  converted to Christianity , his conversion came about  after making a documentry on the apostle Paul. He was asked did he believe in an after life?he replied, '' I can't be a Christian if I don't believe  that. And that is my hope.And that is the one glorious word in the Christian faith: hope of the afterlife''.The  resurrection of Christ was an historical event,in Michael Haag's book the ,'Tragedy of the Templar's,he tells that there were those who sought to destroy the tomb  were Jesus was laid,.chipping away at it.It will not change the truth, that He died for our sins,and rose again the third day.The death and the resurrection of our Saviour brings us as David Suchet said,'hope of the afterlife'

                                           ' Jesus said....'I am the resurrection and the life

                                            The one who believes in me will live,even though 

                                            they die'(  John 11 v 25}

Give a reason ( 1 Peter 3 v 13-16)

 In 1Peter chapter 3-4 ,he writes to the Christians as regards suffering for ones faith,he reminds them and us, of Christ's suffering.It is easy with the threat of suffering hanging over your head,you will shy away from being a witness for Christ. He writes of those who threaten them,'Do not fear their threats,do not be frightened'(3 v14)Then he goes unto write,'But in your hearts revere Christ,look beyond their adversaries to Christ,W .Barclay writes quoting Isaiah 8 v13 ,which reads ,''Santify the Lord of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear,and let Him be your dread''Baised on that we should,'Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you, to give the reason for the hope that you have.'What is the answer simply this,'Christ', not in earthly things,which do not fulfill the deepest longings of our hearts.There is no total security in this world,but there is in Christ. when the things we value are taken from us,we have Christ. Peter adds that our reply should be with gentleness and respect'

What think you of Christ? ( Titus 2 v 13)

In Matthew 16 v15 Jesus asked the question to his disciples,' Who do you say I am?' a very important  question.John Newton wrote 'What think you of Christ? is the test.To try both your state and your schem. You cannot be right in the rest, unless you think rightly of Him',The cults see  Him not as God,Islam see Hin as a prophet.Christians see Him as God,as did all the disciples.Matthew 16 v16/ John20 v28.In the early church the question arose as to whom Christ was, the Christian emperor felt it was going to cause divison within the church,so he summoned the First General Council of the Church at Nicaea.There was two veiws as to whom Christ was,one was the Arian point of veiw that He was only a man,and the Trinitarian point of veiw ,that  Christ was truly God and truly human, His humanity was sinless   (Hebrews 4 v15)  There was a vote taken it was decided by 218 votes to two,in favour of the  trinitarian point of veiw. The word of God clearly teaches the divinity of Christ and we must hold fast to that truth.  

                                                 'In Him,the human and divine embrace, 

                                                 A  sacred union , full of power and grace.

                                                 No mere man,yet flesh and blood He bore,

                                                 A Son of God,for ever and evermore'.          

In Matthew 16 v

 

There is a cost. ( Luke 14 v25-33)

There I was watching TV the program they were covering was about football,and I saw a poster with these words on it,'This is more than a hobby,this is our lives'.In another football ground we have words like,'This is our religion' People would say that about many things,music ,art  and so on,what I think is, 'everything in it's place'. In Luke 14 v 26 Jesus said a very challenging thing ,If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother,wife and children,brothers and sisters,yes even their own life,such a person cannot be my disciples'.Now what does He mean by those words?,One has put it like this ,'Jesus is teaching His followers,to prioratize their devotion to Him above all else,including family'.The words He spoke to Peter are applicable,'Do you love me more than these?' John 21 v 15.Many missionaries have paid dearly in serving Christ,the apostle Paul ,Peter,and most of  apostles,showed  a love for Christ that was greater than their lives.Jesus didn't beat around the bush,He let us know what it would involve if one followed Him.

                                                    'Our salvation costs us nothing

                                                    but following Christ will cost

                                                     us everything'

They are lost. ( Romans 10 v14 )

 Jesus speaking to His disciples said .'Don't you have a saying,''It's still four months until harvest''? I tell you,open your eyes and look on the fields!They are ripe for harvest'.(John 4 v 35).The need is great ,so many people without Christ, the need is urgent.So  many lost souls,they don't know where they are going,the answer is very stark,without Christ they are going to a lost eternity ,where there's no get out clause,once a soul enters hell that's it.There are so many people who are suffering in this world,awful things are happening to people , sickness abounds, the world is a very violent place and so we could go on,Awful as that may be,and what I say I don't say lightly,but it needs to be said,our earthly suffering awful though it may be,can not compare to going to hell.The fact is we cannot change the suffering of this world,but we can escape the after death  suffering  ,by seeking forgiveness and trusting Christ as ones Saviour.As Christians we must see the urgency of telling  people about Christ now, that's our responsibilty. 

                                                                    A Prayer

                                                 'Lead me to some soul today

                                                 O teach me Lord,just what to say

                                                 Friends of mine are lost in sin,

                                                 And cannot find their way.

                                                 Few there are who seem to care,

                                                 And few there are who pray;

                                                Melt my heart,and fill my life,

                                                Give me one soul today'  (Words byW,H.Houghton)

                                                               

                                                        

How long must I cry for help.( I Psalm 40 v1)

We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ,but it does not stop there,for we read in Habakkuk 2 v 4 ,' the just shall live by faith',Why do we need faith?,because it is essential for a relationship with God.As a Christian we are called to walk by faith with God 24/7. It is vital,when we start leaning on our own understanding,we will soon loose our way and become confused in our thinking and in our theology,this can result in wandering away from God's word and from Him.In a church where I was a joint leader we had a deacon,and thats what he did.Now let us consider Habakkuk the man who sought answers.Let us remember living by faith brings it's challenges,and Habukkuk had plenty. Verse 2 of chap1,reads,' How long ,O Lord, must I cry for help? But you do not listen.'but of course God was listening,we can see that by what follows.God is not indifferent to His children's prayers.,He will answer in His time,yes the answer was coming,the silence of God is a test to our faith,we are called to trust Him when he is silent,and wait patiently for His answer, 

                                                  ' The answer is already on its way'

His kingdom come( Matthew 7 v13-14)

Jesus taught us a prayer in Matthew 6 v 9-13, the beginning of verse 10  reads ,'Your kingdom come',every day I pray these words. Every day the good news is being proclaimed through out this world, on the internet,by personal witnessing,by godly wistessing,it is happening,nothing can stop the good news being proclaimed,but there are those who try .There is a wonderful verse in Habakkuk 2 v 14, which reads,'For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea'  .Our Saviour  said  'go and make disciple ,of all nations' (Matthew 28 v 19)  in  many ways this is happening,through evangelism ,and by many different means.,and through this many are coming to Christ.The knowledge of the Lord will be known,but let us remember many  will hear the Christmas carols,attend charol services,receive Christmas presents, and Christmas  cards,yet they will still not know Christ as their Saviour. The challenges that faces all of us, be we ministers or non-ministers,is to proclaim clearly the gospel,I often feel we are ashamed of the gospel we do not want to offend people.

                                                  'For I am not ashamed of the gospel 

                                                   of Christ,for it is the power of God

                                                  to salvation for everyone who believes.'

                                                                 Romans 1 v 16 .