Are you thirsty?. ( Revelation 21 v 6)

 Precious gems and gold are valued by most people,but I tell you what's more precious  ,water,if we have no water we die,water is essential to life itself.If the farmer does not get rain  his crops will die,and the knock on affect of that is people die for lack of food. The natural water quenches our thirst,but our Saviour spoke to a lady at a well,   (John  4 )and He said,'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water  I give them will never thirst .Indeed the water that I give them  will become in them a spring of water wellling up to eternal life'. v 13-14. Jesus is using water as a symbol,that points us beyond the natural water,what is the cry of  mankind, ''I thirst, I thirst'',Mankind has a want in them,and to fulfill that want,they get addicted to drugs,nicotine food,sex,gambling, obsessive  shopping,sport etc.I knew a lady who had an obsession ,everyday she kept looking for that which would make her happy,her life was ruled by that,she never succeeded in really being happy.So let us return to what Jesus said about giving us living water,what does He mean?,He means that when we ask Christ into our lives,we will experience a truly fulfilled life.the hymn writer declared .

                                                 'O Christ in Thee my soul hath found,

                                                  And found in Thee alone,

                                                  The peace ,the joy I sought so long,

                                                  The bliss till now unknown.

                                                   Now none but Christ can satisfy,

                                                   None other name for me:

                                                   There's love and life and lasting joy,

                                                    Lord Jesus,found in Thee.'

I wonder, ( Revelation 4 )

I wonder do you ever think of heaven?,I do,there is so much we can say about it,There will be many things that won't be there,here are some of them.'Never again having to repent,never again having a bad conscience, no wars,no racism,no shame or guilt,no power struggles, no unjust laws,no suffering from hunger,no class system,no homelessness,no sadness,no disappointments,no longer feeling inadequate, no longer feeling left out,no more failures'.I'm sure one could add a lot more to that list. Next ,what will we have in heaven?.'Total fulfillment,total joy, total health,life eternal,the company of angels,saints, and God, perfect knowledge,perfect contentment. The victors crown,the crown of rejoicing,the crown of righteous- ness,the crown of life and the crown of glory'.Yes there are many other things we could say,the most important thing is we will be with our great triune God,Father,Son,and Holy Spirit .

                                              'Only a few more years,only a few more cares;

                                              Only a few more smiles and tears,only a few more prayers.

                                               Only a few more wrongs,only a few more sighs;

                                               Only a few more earthly songs,only a few good -byes.

                                               Then an eternal stay; there an eternal throng;

                                               Then an eternal,glorious day;then an eternal song'.

                                                                       Words J.L.Pattison.

                                                

Friendship . (John 15 v 13- 17)

 Friends are very important,I look back and think about some of the friends I've had ,one in particular stands out ,his name is Pat,I believe God sent him into my life at a crucial time.I had just come back to the Lord. I was still very vunerable,but Pat befriended me,and for those early years he was there for me.He did his best to support and encourage me,now my dear friend is in a nursing home suffering from Parkinson's disease.His life was filled with serving God,supported by his dear wife,the last time I spoke  to him I told him I loved him. Such friends are very precious,I value the friends I still have,the fact is we all need friends and we should value them,and thank God for them. But of course the greatest friend that anyone can have is Jesus,He is the perfect friend, I treasure His friendship above all others. I often tell Him  I love Him and could not live without Him he is unique.He is not only my friend but He is also my Saviour.That means He was prepared to die for me on the cross .When I think about this ,I'm  overwhelmed at such love,greater love hath no man than this.Friends come and friends go .but He is with me always,helping me,comforting me,strengthening me,loving me,and when I come to pass through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil,for He will be with me.

                                                     'I've found a friend;oh,such a friend!

                                                      So kind,and true,and tender!

                                                      So wise a Counsellor and guide

                                                      So mighty a Defender!

                                                      From Him who loves me now so well

                                                      What power my soul shall sever?

                                                      Shall life,or death,on earth,or hell?

                                                      No! I am His for ever'   (Words J.G.Small)

The real gospel . ( Romans 1 v16 )

 It was said of Spurgeon  ,''He preaches the real gospel,and God blesses him'', there are many god'swho are not  god's,so there are many gospels that are not gospels.There are so many supposed gospels ,and that's all one could say about them,when examined in the light of God's word,they are not real gospels  at all.There is only one gospel, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,it appears to many a foolish assumption, but it's not,it is foretold in scripture , One person wrote the following,'It is reckoned that there are 300 to potentially 400,predictions or prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament.These prophecies point to various aspects of the Messiah's life,death,and resurrection'.Another commentator points to the  historical  evidence of Christs existence by Roman and Jewish historians like Tacitus,Joseph,and Suetonius.And of course we have the four gospels acounts of our Savious existence.From a real Jesus we have a real gospel,a  gospel that is good news,to a broken world,a sinful world,a lost world,the real gospel shines as a light of hope where there is no hope,it is a sure and certain hope.Looking at the world as it is,the future has a cloud of depression hanging over it. It was Dante who wrote about the gates of Hell,with these words written on it ,'All ye who enter here,abandon all hope'',but with Christ  as our Saviour we have a sure and certain hope of heaven. ( Colossians 1 v 27-28)

                                                  'The real gospel is about a real Saviour

 

You have a choice ( Luke 14 v 15ff)

 Lets continue to look at Matthew 22 v14 ,and the opening words,'For many are called',I think back since I become a Christian the many people I have witnessed to,in sermons,in personal encounters,and even now on my blog.People who have heard the gospel call,and yet ignored it,walked away,put it out of their mind,or tried to,or thought some more convenient day and that day never came.There is an old saying which goes, ''Strike while the iron is hot'',means to take advantage of an opportunity as soon as it arises, before it disappears or becomes less favourable. When we hear the gospel we are being given the opportunity  of being saved,being forgiven,being set free from our sinful ways,of receiving eternal life,of having a relationship with God.There is so much more we could say,It is the mercy of God being shown to you,offered to you,by the grace of God,you see this Gospel is the power of God unto salvation,neglect all this to your cost.There is a modern song that goes,'Many are called ,but few choose to go',very true,here are some words from that song.

                                              'When the Spirit moved ,some calls you don't get twice,

                                              Friend that's just so.

                                              Don't gamble with heaven,don't sell your soul.

                                              Many are called few choose to go,that narrow road'.

                                              ' Hear this, there may not be a tomorrow for you,

                                               believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,and you shall 

                                               be saved'

Called chosen. (Acts 20 v31)

 Matthew 22 v14 reads,'Many are called ,but few are chosen', Who does the calling?,all of us who know the Lord ,to some degree, how otherwise would people hear about Jesus and be saved,as Paul puts it,how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them(.Romans 10 v 14) You may think leave it to the professionals,not so that is a cop out,we all have a responsibility to witness to others.I  personally get frustrated that those who are ministers and are neglecting to proclaim the gospel.They rarely mention sin or speak of hell ,it's as if they are afraid of offending people,but in doing that they are offending God. Many are hearing the gospel now  through the internet,in the town where I live I saw a team of people witnessing in our town center, that encouraged me.The call of the gospel  goes out to many but our Lord says ,'few are chosen'.some people may struggle  with what Jesus said,but if Jesus said it then it's true we must accept that in the end salvation is a work of God,we must see that in it's fullness ,our responsibility is to be faithful in whatever way we can by telling  people about Jesus.

The day of the Lord. ( 1 Thessalonians 5 v 1-3)

 The prophet Zephaniah was called to proclaim God's word not to the Gentiles,but to the people in Judah,it was a very powerful message of judgement.Those who were consider to be God's people  had fallen away spiritually .Zephaniah was a contempory of Jeremiah and they  both tell us how the people did unspeakable evil,the most serious was forsaking God , and turning to god's that were not gods. .( Jeremiah 2 v10 -13) The opening verses of Zephaniah  declares that God's judgement was going to come upon them.The situation to say the least was grim,but they thought that the Lord will do nothing, either good or bad'. (1 v 12)How wrong they were as they would find out to their cost that judgement was coming in the form of the army of Babylon.This army would  conquer Judah slaying most of the population,a remnant would survive,but would spend the next 70 yrs in exile.Many people think that God does not exsist,or if  He does exsist,'' He does not matter''. But the fact is God is not an inactive God ,the day of the Lord is coming,it will be a day of judgement when the unsaved will call to the mountains and the rocks,fall on us, and hide us, from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb (Revelation 6 v16)

                                                         'Nothing in all creation is hidden 

                                                          from God's sight.Everything is

                                                          uncovered and laid bare before

                                                           the eyes of Him to whom we 

                                                           must give account.'

                                                                        Hebrews 4 v 13

The law of God.(Galatians 3 v10 -14 )

 In Romans 2  Paul deals with God's righteous judgement in relation to the Jews and the Gentiles, he points out that the Jews who have the written law will be judged by the law.The Jew would take pleasure that they have the law,so in their pride they would say we are all right,This is what the daily prayer says,  'All Israel have a portion in the world to come,as it said ,your people are all righteous,they base this on Isaiah 60 v21.Paul challenges that by saying,'For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight,but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous Romans 2 v 13.He is not here, saying that the law saves,it doesn't ,he is stressing purely judgement day,when the unsaved Jew  and the unsaved Gentiles will be judged. Paul now goes unto to deal with the Gentiles how they will be judged by the law when they haven't got the written law.?well says Paul they do have the law in their hearts,It is shown by the fact that they know that murder is wrong,that stealing is wrong,that lying is wrong,that adultery is wrong and so on.So that is how God will judge both Jew and Gentile on Judgement day.

                                                    'Know that a person is not justified

                                                    by the works of the law,but by faith

                                                     in Jesus Christ'

                                                                   ( Galatians 2 v 16)

We all have a conscience (Romans 2 v 12 -16)2

 Let us continue looking at that hard conscience,there are many examples of it,the Nazi party was full of people who had a hard conscience,from those who served in the death camps.Hitler and his cronies and a vast number of other people.Stalin would have been one,there are so many.In the Times newspaper I read an artical on a young woman,she is involved in pornography,it is to debased to tell you of the things she does,it is truly dreadful,she truly has lost all sense of morality and decency .She and those  others I have mentioned could also be described has having a seared conscience, the idea of flesh burned by hot irons. In Exodus 7 v13 we read,'Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not listen', he did it four times,in spite of witnessing what God was doing. So God dealt with him by hardening his heart.Leon Morris says,  'Pharaoh hardened his heart against God and refused to humble himself is made plain in the story.  God's hardening of him was a judical act,abandoning  him to his own stubbornness'

                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                                                   

The power of God's word.( John 11 v 40)2

Let us  look at Jeremiah 23 v 24  which  reads,'Is not my word like fire,declares the Lord,'and like a hammer that breaks a rock n pieces?'. We recently considered the first  part,now let us consider the latter part,'and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?, one commentator writes,'It can shatter harden hearts  break down resistance to God,and exposes the truth even when it is difficult to hear'.Consider Hebrews 11 v 3,' By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command.so that what is seen was not made out of what is visible'.God spoke and it came into being,the whole universe,now that is trully powerful,we cannot take it in,but God did it by speaking it into being, by His Son Jesus.In Hebrews 1 v 3 we read that, all thing are sustained by Jesus everything by the mighty power of His command' One person puts it like this,'He holds everything together  by what He says-powerful words'.No one can withstand against the power of God's word, what He says will come to pass.Luke 1 v 37 reads,'For no word from God will ever fail'.The bible is full of miracles,and so is the world if only we would stop and look.A miracle is something only God can perform.By Christ word the sick were healed,water was turned into wine,and the dead were raised,and the stormy sea was calmed,and by His word peoples sins were forgiven.( Matthew 9 v2)

A conscience (2 Corinthians 4 v 1-2 ) 1

 One of my sons is trying to loose weight,he told me what he was eating, and what he was not eating,being overweight is a big concern in our country. It can lead in extreme cases to diabetes,heart problems, strokes,even certain types of cancer. We live in a country where he have so much food available,so easy to over eat.There was a saying going about years ago it went,'naughty but nice',but it is not nice being overweight. Let's consider another aspect as regards weight, having a guilty conscience, the fact is we all have a conscience,we can have a good conscience,a bad conscience,and a hardened conscience. Joseph was charged with attempted rape,found guilty and imprisoned but he was innocent,he had a good concsience free from shame and guilt.A bad conscience does leaves one feeling guilty,but we try to ignor it but it can effect us,and we will always carry it with us,there is a way out,seek God for forgiveness  through Jesus. Then we come to a harden conscience.one writer describes it like this,'It means becoming less sensitive to moral considerations and less  inclined to feel remorse for wrong doings.it can happen gradually  through  repeated acts of sin or delibertly ignoring a moral compass,It is esseentially a process of becoming desensitized as to what is right and wrong,leading to a diminished capacity for guilt or regret'. I will continue with this next time .

Be in time.( Acts 17 v24-31)

 I asked myself this question,what keeps my heart going?.In Acts 17 v 28 we read,'For in Him we live and have our being',in v 25 we read,'He himself gives breath and everyting else'Of course the answer is God,one person comments,'From the beat of our hearts to the breath in our lungs,everything we have is because of God. All we can see,taste,touch and hear,all things about life that we enjoy are made possible, through Him' People who live a long life are often asked,what do you put down for your long life,and I have never heard one person say,the obivious,'God'. It was Job who said,'The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away' Job 1 v 21.Why have I lived so long? God,why did my baby brother die,and yet I lived,why was I  saved from drowning as a child?God.The answer is not what keeps my heart going, but rather who keeps my heart going.People take it for granted,they live oblivious of the higher power,while they rely on doctors ,and medicine , and of course they are God's instruments,but ultimately  we are in God's  hands. One day our hearts will stop beating,what then?  the apostle Paul writes the following that'God  commands all people  everywhere to repent.For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man ( Jesus)He has appointed Acts 17 v 30-31. C.H.Mason wrote the following words.

                                                 'Be in time! ...Be in time!

                                          While the voice of Jesus calls you,

                                                           Be in time!

                                                 If in sin you longer wait,

                                                You may find no open gate,

                                                And your cry be just to late:

                                                           Be in time!

                                                   

His Kingdom (Isaiah 9 v7 )

When Israel were slaves in Egypt we read they were oppressed,but it goes  on to say,'The more they were oppressed,the more they multiplied and spread' (Exodus 1 v 11-12)Strange,  for one would think it would go the opposite way,yet it is still happening,the church in Iran is experiencing being persecuted,in spite of that the church is growing. Someone said,'The early Church's growth in the face of persecution was a remarkable phenomenon,despite facing hardship,imprisonment,and even death'.Suffering could not and cannnot extinguish the Church.many have tried and are still trying to extinguish the church ,they will not be able to do that.Jesus said in Matthew 16 v18,' I will build my church,and the gates  of  Hell will not overcome it.'For many years the church experienced persecution under Rome, but in 300 AD  the Emperor Theodosis 1, declared Christianty as the official state religion.Looking over all of human history, kongdoms have risen and kingdoms have fallen,one Kingdom stands triumphant  ,the Kingdom of God.

                                                    'Of His kingdom there will be no end'

                                                                      'Luke 1 v 33'

Three things. ( 1 Cointhians 1 v 26 -28)

I want us to consider three things about prayer,the first one is,'Don't neglect prayer',one of the most vital things in our Christian life is prayer .Our Saviour said,that we should always pray and not give up (Luke 18v1)It is utter folly to stop praying,when we do that we shut God out our relationship,and that is serious. Every Sunday our pastor leads the church in praying the Lords prayer,could it be that's only prayer some pray during,the whole week.Mary A.Kidder wrote,'Ere you left this morning did you think to pray?,well did you?The next point is,'Don't underestimate your prayers',sometimes we feel that our prayers are very inadequate,we may say I can't pray like the pastor,you are not meant to pray like the pastor,God doesn't want you be an echo of your pastor,no, He wants to hear you. You say I'm a weak person,God will not take any notice of my prayers,you are wrong,read James 5 v 17-18,these verses tell of the miraclous answers  to prayer that Elijah had,but it stresses the fact that,'Elijah was a human  being,even as we are.'The next point is, persevere 'Don't give up', you see that's what Jesus told us,that we should not give up.William Cowper wrote,

                                                   'What various  hindrances we meet

                                                     In coming to the mercy seat!

                                                     Yet who,that knows the worth of prayer,

                                                      But wishes to be often there.'

What's the answer? ( Psalm 121 )

 I read this recently,'The future is in God's hands', as a Christian I believe that's obivious, and yet we need to be reminded of that. There are so many  unsettling things on the news, the world is a very unstable place,wars and rumours of wars,climate change.We have had covid virus, the question we might ask is,'what next?', the Drifters sang a song,here are some of words in it, 'When this old world starts getting me down,and people are just to much for me to face.I climb up to the top of the stairs,and all my cares drift into space.On the roof ,its peaceful as can be'.I  know people who spoke of getting away from things,but often we bring the things with us,changing our geographical position,will not neccessary change anything. King David during his time of persecution by Suul fled to his arch enemies country,the Philistines 1 Samuel 27 .It appeared that he was going to fight with the Philistines against Isreal,that didn't happen thankfully. David returned to Ziklag with his men ,only to find that the Amalekites had attacked it ,burning it to the ground,and taking every body captive,sometimes you just cannot escape trouble, even if you go up on the roof.Everything was so awful but we read this ,'But David found strength in the Lord.'1 Sam 30 v 6'.and from that moment on ,things changed for the better for David. Let us follow Davids example,and find our strength in our great triune God,running away is not the answer,the answer is running to God,for the problems of today,and as to our future ,remember our future is in God's hands.

We have a choice. (Matthew 6 v 33)

A friend and I were reminiscening about our pass expriences, he said there was a time he needed transport,he had 300pounds in his savings,and he bought a motorbike, that cost him 300 pounds,and he wondered how he was going to manage.So one day he was out on his motorbike and as he came to a roundabout  God spoke to him,and said this to him.'I have brought you this way that you may know that man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4 v 4)The word bread  can stand for many things,like sex ,sex is everything to a lot of people,it can literary take over one's life,God didn't make us to be like that.But we can also bring  money into it,money has become an obsession with many people,I saw a famous wealthy footballer,and he was doing an advertisement ,and I said why is he doing that ,he is a multi-millionaire,the answer must be money.As Christians we must be careful that we don't forget what our Saviour said to Satan,and to us,that principal of  putting God first.Many people who do lotteries have enough to live on,but many are driven  with the desire for more and more.The world will not change they will continue to focus on bread alone,and ignore what they really need ,God.As Christians we should know better than to live for bread alone.

Don't be hasty. ( Proverbs 3 v5-6)

 Do we acknowledge God in all our ways?as the scripture tells us to do   (Proverbs 3 v 6) or do we without a thought leave Him out of our affairs.? It is in the book of Joshua we read  how Israel got caught up in being deceived,the reason being they failed to consult God (9 v 14)It is an easy thing to do and it is possible, we often do it,we rush ahead of God ,failing to consult Him,and so in that moment we leave Hm out of our decision making,and do it our way,the unbelievers national athem,but it should not be our national athem. There are times I have done it and have grieved the Holy Spirit, and that's not a good thing to do,I will finish by leaving you with two verses from a hymn by W.D.Longstaff.

                                                  'Take time to be holy,the world rushes on;

                                                   Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone,

                                                   By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;

                                                   Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

                                                    Take time to be holy,let Him be your guide;

                                                    And run not before Him,whatever betide;

                                                    In joy or in sorrow still follow thy Lord,

                                                    And, looking to Jesus,still trust in His word.'

                                               

Testings ( Luke 14 v 26)

 I remember watching movies about test pilots,and the drama attached to it,and the dangers,the pilot would push the plane to its limits,and hopefully it would past the test.In Deuteronomy 13 v 3 God is speaking to Israel ,and this is what he says,'The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul'.The context is very simple yet very challenging, would they follow other god's?.We should not be surprised at this question,for as we look at the history of  the old covenant Israel, time asfter time they failed the test,and followed other so called god's.The one who surprised me most was Solomon, CP 2 Kings 11,for him it all began by his disobedience in marrying. foreign wives  ,who enticed him to follow other god's.As a young lad I was enticed away from following the Lord, Judas  was enticed by his love of money.The test usually is to find out whither we love God or something else, more than God.God is a jealous God ,he will not tolerate us giving our love to another,or lessening our love for Him.We must love God with all our hearts,and with all our souls,it has to be that way, our love for Him must be total.

                                                       'Thee will I love,my Joy,my Crown,

                                                        Thee will I love,my Lord,my God;

                                                        Thee will I love, beneath Thy frown

                                                        Or smile, Thy sceptre or thy rod;

                                                        What though my flesh and heart decay?

                                                         Thee shall I love in endless day.'

                                                                 Words John Wesley

I am a sinner yet righteous ( Romans 1 v 16 -17) 2

 Let us consider an earlier blog regarding what Joyce Myer said,'I am not a sinner', R.C.Sproul  quoted Martin Luther who said we are righteous ,and a sinner at the same time, we could use the word simultaneous, to describe our condition.Our righteousness is a flawed righteousness ,it was the apostle Paul  who wrote that his righteosness  was like garbage ,and that he desired the righteousness that  comes from God on the bases of  faith in Christ (Philippians 3 v 7-9)The prophet Isaiah  wrote ,'all our righteous acts are like filthy rags,one writer describes  the term filthy rags,like 'rags of  menstruation'.It is as serious as that ,so  God prepared a righteousness for us in Christ. (1 Corinthians 1 v 30)It is Christ's righteousness that makes us acceptable before God,and His righteousness that protects us from Satans attacks, (Ephesians 6 v14)  Martin Luther  was right  we are simultaneous ,righteous and a sinner at the same time.'The Gaithers,and Mitch  Humphries wrote a song that descibes us.

                                                'If you could see,what I once was

                                                 If you could go back with me,

                                                 Back to where I started from,

                                                 And I know you would see,

                                                 A miracle of love that took me

                                                 In it's sweet embrace,

                                                 And made me what I am today,

                                                 Just an old sinner saved by Grace,'

Why the Law? ( Galatians 3 v 16)2

 In my previous blog I asked the question,'Is it possible to be saved by keeping the law?we have to say no,for it is impossible for us humam beings to keep the law.So what does the apostle Paul mean when he said 'As for righteousness based on the law ,faultless'. Philippians 3 v6. The problem with what Paul says must not be taken at face value,our Saviour speaking to the Pharisees said,'You nullify the word of God by your tradition' Mark 7 v13,from a human point of veiw he was keeping the law perfectly.Keeping the letter of the law is not enough ,we must keep the spirit of the Law,Paul deals with it in Romans 7 where he considered himself as unspiritual v14.he writes of another law in his being,although he wants to do good he fails,and in his dispair he crys out,'What a wretched man I am!,and he speaks of his sinful nature v18. Our Saviour taught that just because we did not literally murder someone,we can have murderous intent,and even though we may never have committed adultery literally,we can do it in our hearts. Mark 5 v 21-28. So why was the law given,well Paul answers it,'What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body  that is subject to death? Thanks be to God,who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7 v 24-25.  The law was not given to save us,but to drive us to Him who can save us, Jesus.

I broke the law ( Isaiah 53 v 6) 1

I broke the law,no I didn't murder anyone,I received a parking ticket,I must confess I wasn't happy,I didn't realise that the place I parked had now become a permit holders district. So I got fined,yes breaking the law brings a penalty,we may not like it, but that's the way it is,and no amount of protesting  can change that. So  I paid the price for what I did,but what about God's law? the ten commandments, (  Exodus 20 ) can I be saved if I break  it?,is it possible to be saved by keeping it?,The answer to the first part, is yes,we can be saved  if we repent of our sins and trust Jesus as our Saviour.The fact is we all have broken God's law,that's why we are told that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,Romans 3 v23.Consider that the only person in all of history who kept the law perfectly was Jesus,unlike us He never sinned in word,thought,or deed.In other words Christ was absolutly sinless.In John 8 v46,Jesus asked the question to the religious people,'Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?,they couldn't,because He was sinless.In 1 John 3 v 5 we read,'In Him is no sin'in Hebrews 4 v15 we read that He was,'Tempted in every way,just as we are-yet He did not sin'. His death on the cross was for a purpose, 1Corinthians 15 v 3 we read ,'Christ died for our sins'.in other words, the just one would die for the unjust 1 Peter 3 v18.Christ the innocent one would die for the guilty ones,you and me.

                                                           'Alas and did my Saviour bleed?

                                                            And did my Sovereign die?

                                                            Would He devote that sacred head

                                                             For such a worm as I?' (Words Isaa Watts)

                                                                       'The answer is yes'

I am not a sinner 1( 1 John 3 v 6) 1

 I don't know why Joyce Meyer said she was not a sinner,it is obvious she has not thought through what she said, and of course everyone appears to be wrong but her. She also said,'I am righteous,and you cannot be a sinner at the same time.'Well lets think about it and see what God's word says,in 1John 1 v 8-9,we read, 'If we say we have no sin ,we deceive ourselves,and the truth is not in us.If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,and to cleanse from all unrighteousness'These words were written to believers,likewise Paul wrote of himself,' For I know that in me( that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing, (Romans 7 v18)The fact is very obvious that Christians do sin,read most of Pauls epistles,and it is evident that Christians do sin,look at our own experience we sin,by our words our deeds our thoughts, but we don't walk in sin,that's the difference between the saved and the unsaved.All sin is very serious,we must always realise that,As believers we will be tempted to sin,it is only as we yield to it, does it become a sin,but if we do yield ,repent of it and seek forgiveness as soon as possible,God will forgive us,but He may also chastise us CP  Hebrews 12 v4-6.

'

They were vile.( Hebrews 10 v31) 2

 Looking at the book of Nahum again,were Nineveh is coming under judgement in v 14 God says,'You will have no descendants to bear your name',I often wonder why Germany did not surrender and why did the bomb plot not succeed?,if they had succeeded,and negotiated a surrended,the Nazis would have still have been there,trying to hold unto power ,no they needed to be dealt with,so that they would cease to exist as a force.One can't play around with cancer,it needs to be eradicated,and that's what God was going to do with Nineveh,completly annihilate them.God was going to bury Nineveh and all their false religions, God declares ,'I  will prepare your grave'. Why is God doing this?,here is the answer,'For you are vile' Homer Hailey writes the following,'God would so completly bury Assyria the nation,and Nineveh the capital,that they would pass into oblivion'.

No turning back ( John 16 v33 )

 The person who turns back from following  Christ,is a back slider,yes instead of going on with the Lord ,they have gone back.In John 6 v 66,we read,'From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him'.They turned back because they took what Jesus said literally,instead of seeing the spiritual truth in it, that it was a metaphor ,in other words not a literal application (John 6 v 53ff) So they turned back,people turn back for many reasons,intellectual,the lure of what the world has to offer,or because of  God not saving them from suffering.Let us not judge them ,but let us not follow them in forsaking our Lord.So how can we avoid becoming a backslider?,well what does the word of the Lord say?.in Ephesians 6v12 ,we read,'Our warfare is not against flesh and blood', yes we are in a warfare,you may not  have grasped this truth, if not ,it is time you did. We read in Psalm 78 v9,'The children of Ephraim,dispite being armed retreated in facing their enemies'. We are faced with enemies,'the world ,the flesh ,and the Devil', those words may be a bit daunting, but thanks be to God! 'He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ' (1 Corinthians 15 v57)

                                                              'No turning back,

                                                              No turning back'

Repent. ( Revelation 6 v 15-17) 1

 The book of Nahum  is about God's anger against Ninevah, although it is addressed to Ninevah,he is really  speaking to the powerful nation of Assyria .How can a loving God be angry?,surely that can't be right,oh yes it can be.His anger is a righteous anger, not all anger is wrong, God's is never wrong and acts totally appropriate,it is not like our anger which often is hasty,and sinful.Chap 1v 3 of Nahum tells us that the Lord is slow to anger.Assyria were a very wicked nation,kingAshurnasirpal hung  his enemies on posts,flaying them,and lining the city walls with their skins.They had many gods which were not god's , and they would have seen Israel's God ,as just another god who would not be able to stand against their god's (CP 2kings 18 v 32-35.) Nahum says that  He will not leave the guilty unpunished,and so He takes action against the wicked.Many wicked people have escaped just punishment as to the here and now,but they will not escape punishment in the here after. But let us consider what Jesus said in Luke 13 v1-5,as regards two groups of people who had suffered violent deaths, they were considered to be sinners, getting their just deserts by most people,but  Jesus turned the whole thing on them,and He said,'unless you repent ,you to will perish'.We can think of many people who have done very evil things,and they should be punished.but we are all sinners and if one is going to be saved from the wrath of God,we must repent of our sins and trust Jesus,remember even one sin will take you to hell.

God speaks. ( John 6 v 63)

C.S.Lewis said,'God whispers to us in our pleasures,speaks in our conscience,but shouts in our pains;it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world'.There are many voices  speaking to us,false religions,politicians, scientist,entertainers,there are many court jesters,experts on every subject under the sun,an example is  Sports Psychologist.But the most important voice of all is the voice of God,our Saviour said,'Whoever has ears,let him hear'.C.S.Lewis is right that when it comes to God the world is deaf, I add ,'stone deaf'.There are countries that ban the Bible,and imprison people who  proclaim the word of God.An example of that is Iran were three Christian women have been sentenced to long terms in prison,one is pregnant,that doesn't  matter to them,I understand why they do these thing,for faith comes by hearing the word of God,(Romans 10 v17)One commentator writes ,'We should listen to the word of God like our lives depend on it, because it does,for it relates to our eternal life and life here and now'.

                                                             'Are you listening? '

There is a way out.( John 10 v 10)

Looking back in my early life ,I had no qualifications,so one got poorly paid jobs,of course most of the  population had no qualifications. I was always looking for a way out but it never seemed to happen,I even joined the army as a boy soldier at the age of fifteen,as a band boy,although I could not play an instrument, I wasn't happy in it, so I was glad when  I got a discharge after 9 months,but I wasn't any further on,I got a number of short term jobs,and  then I was employed for a number of years, in a light engineering factory,but I didn't particularly like it ,but it was a job,but I was still looking for a way out.I'm not an exception,there are many people who are looking for a way out of poverty,of hunger,suffering, like the people who cross the English channel in inflatables,some loosing their lives.Many young men seek a way out through sport,boxing, etc, some make it ,many don't .Coming back to myself ,my way out began when I was just turning 20,as  a youngster I had been in and out of church situations, made dicisions that left a mark in my life,but  that was all.but one evening I went to church, and had an encounter with Christ, and He changed everything, and so the adventure began,I discovered the way out,and so it continues to this day,and it's not finished yet.

                                       'What a wonderful change in my life  has been wrought

                                        Since Jeuse came into my heart!I have light in my soul

                                        Which  so long I had sought ,since Jesus came into my

                                          heart.' ( Words R,H.McDaniel)

                                        

Mutal support.( Exodus 17v 8-16)

 Although one may be a Chistian a long time ,we will  still have to battle with different things,we still find that certain things will manifest themselves,and it is a reminder  to all of us,why Jesus died for us.But it is also a challenge to us that we  need to change,and yet we may find it hard to do,even though we know we should,so what should we do.Well first of all let the wrong we are doing,see it for what it is ,sin,stop making excuses,stop saying that's the way I am,that will not help you to overcome the sin that so easily besets,honesty with yourself is vital, that's what God wants.When an alocholic goes to a meeting of  Alcoholic Anonymous,they stasnd up and say ,'I am an alcoholic',they have stopped hiding behind lies,making excuses.So it is we must be honest with ourselves and with God,if not you will not be able to overcome the sin that so easily besets you.What I am saying  is not for an unbeliever, I am focusing on Chistians. James 5 v16 reads ,'Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed'.These words stress the importance of mutal support,in helping us to overcome our sinful tendencies.Find a trusted friend who will prayerfully support you in relation to that which you have been battling with.

The good Samaritan( Matthew 5 v 43 -48)

 In Luke10 v25ff it starts with a man asking Jesus as regards eternal life,Jesus asked him ,'What is written in the Law?and how did he read it?,he quoted Deuteronomy6 v 5/Leviticus 18 v18.'To love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind ,and love your neighbour as yourself'.Jesus said that he had answered correctly and then he added,'Do this and you will live'.Now of course no one can fulfill what the law says,it's impossible,for no one to do that.Well this religious teacher was more interested  in trying to  vindicate himself,it is Barnes who comments ,'Every sinner is desirous to justifying himself' .He didn't attempt to answer Deut 6 v5,no he skipped that, I wonder why?,well he asked, 'who is my neighbour?', So Jesus told him a story about a man travelling down from Jerusalem to Jericho, thieves attacked him,even stripping him of his clothes,and beat him up ,leaving him half dead .The story continues ,a priest came along,and he passed by on the other side, a Levite came he did the same . Then it comes to the interesting part,a Samaritan came along he saw the man and he had compssion on him,and he went and ministered to him,,then he took him to a local inn ,he stayed with him to the next day,he then had  to leave him ,he paid for him to be looked after until he returned,and any outstanding debt he would pay.Jesus challenged the teacher of the law to show love as the hated Samaritan did, Our Christian faith must rise above hating others no matter who they are,no matter what label they have on them.

The love of God( John 3 v16)

John 3 v 16 tells us that God loves this world,that everyone in it,that's the scope if His love,it is so high you can't get over it,so wide you can't get round it,and so deep you can't  get under it.we can't take it in, it is truly incomprehensible.This pinprick of a planet and all who exist here,why should God love any of us,the fact is we all are unworthy of His love,look at this world,we are tearing each other apart,there will never be peace in this world,why oh why,does He not wipe the slate clean,and why does He not turn His back on us?But the fact is He won't ,it was manifested in its fullness,when Chist came into this rotten place,and died a horrible death on Caalvary,it was a death with a purpose,it was love in it's fulness reaching out to a fallen humanity in all it brokenness,lostness,and guilt. F.M.Lehman wrote the following words.

                               'The love of God is greater far,than tongue or pen can ever tell:

                                It goes beyond the highest star,and reaches to the lowest hell:

                                The guilty pair, bowed down with care,God gave His Son to win;

                                His erring child He reconciled,and pardoned from his sin.

                                When hoary time shall pass away  ,and thrones and kingsdoms fall;

                                 When men who hear refuse to pray,on rocks and hills and muntains call;

                                 God's love,so sure, shall still endure,all  measureless and strong

                                 Redeeming grace to Adam's race,the saints and angels song.

                                 Could we with ink the ocean fill,and were the skies of parchment made

                                 Were every stalk on earth a quill,and every man a scribe by trade;

                                 To write the  love of God above,would drain the ocean dry;

                                  Nor could the scroll  contain the whole,tho' stretched from sky to sky.

         Oh love of God,how rich and pure !How measureless and strong! It shall for ever more endure

         The saints and angels song