Got my ticket (Revelation 20 v 1-8)

  A man was told he had terminal cancer and he had 3 mths to live,and this is what he said,'Praise God my ticket has come through',the doctor who told him was surprised,and asked him meant?.Well the man said ,'Im going home to heaven'and then he went on to say,'No more hospitals for me,no more medicine,no more lonliness,and so he went on telling the benifites that his death would bring,Then he said,I remember as a boy reading Peter Pan,and what he said about dying,''To die will be a awfully big adventure''.and then he quoated a scripture,'Eye hath not seen nor ear heard,Nor have entered into the heart of man, The things which has prepared for those who love Him',then the man said,it will be wonderful.'

Choosing ( Matthew 6 v 19 -26)

Everyday we make choices,like getting up in the morning,what we have for breakfast,what we wear etc,they are ordinary day by day choices.When I go out for a meal I find it difficult what to choose, I stare at the menu,my wife knows it will be sausage and mash,or fish and chips.In Matthew,Mark,Luke,there is recordered how a young rich ruler who came to Jesus (Luke 18 vff) He wanted to know ,what he could do to inherit eternal life,he was very religious ,he told our Saviour that he had kept the commandments,well said Jesus ,you lack one thing,sell everything you have and give it to the poor,and you ill have treasure in heaven'Then come, follow me'. Now Jesus looked with love on this young man,but unfortionately he loved His money.We cannot serve two masters,sooner or later we have to choose,what's stopping you?

God is Just. ( 2 Chroniclies 19 v7)

'Does the punishment fit the crime'so read  the caption on the TV ,it is in Exodus 21 v 24-25 we read ,'Eye for eye,tooth for tooth,hand for hand,foot for foot,burn for burn, wound for wound,bruise for bruise'.these words are often misunderstood,believing they gave us permission to inflict violence,instead of guidance as regards justice.In  the 16th-18th centuries  a law was introduced  called the,'Bloody Code',the death sentence was passed on those who stole food,or from shops.It is obivious that such a crime was not fit the crime.We must have a justice system but ut must be just,otherwise the system becomes unjust.God is often accused of being unjust when he has cities wiped out,if that is what He did then it is was a just  judgment, we must be careful not to put God in the dock,which  many people do. I read this recently,'The Bible explicity establishes God as perfectly just,fair,and righteous in His character,judgments,and actions. Scripture demonstrates that his justice is foundational to His sovereignty, meaning He cannot act unfairly, ignore sin,or show partiality'.

God of Peace (Colossians 1 v 19- 20)

 1  Thessalonian 5 v 23 reads,'May God himself , the God of peace sanctify you through and through.May your whole spirit,soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I like the term,'God of peace'.God is not at war with mankind,mankind is at war with God,God is for peace,mankind is for war.Look at history,look out at this world,and what do we see wars and conflict.Things could change if they would embrace the Prince of Peace ( Isaiah 9 v6 ) Every time the gospel is preached God is holding out an offer of peace,in Romans 5 v1 we read,'Therefore,since we have justified through faith,we have peace with God  through our Lord Jesus Christ'.'It declares that believers are made right with God  and receive peace,security a permanent standing in His grace and joyful hope for eternal glory' ( From the internet) Again this comes about through faith in Jesus ,when our sins are totally  dealt with at the cross.                                                

There must be a reason ( James 4 v6 )

The apostle Paul was very qualified,very successful,planting churches all over the place,he would have been able to speak,3 languages ,Koine Greek his native tongue in which he wrote his epistles .The next was Hebrew the language of a highly educated Pharisee, and Aramaic the common language of the Jews,In 2 Cor 12  he writes of a unique spiritual experience ,when he was caught up into heaven and heard inexpressible things that no one is permitted to tell.Then he writes of of something else he experienced,he called it a thorn in the flesh.Although he prayed for healing,God said no,and he tells him  the reason, to keep him from becoming proud,but he also was given the grace to bear it. There are very important lessons for us to learn from Pauls experience,the Lord does not afflict us willingly, there is always a reason a loving reason. But the great consolation is, he will give us the grace we need to sustain us.

Give Him the glory( 1 Corinthians 1 v29-31)

 It  Judges 6 Israel were being oppressed by the Midianites and God choose Gideon who would  led an army to overcome thier enemies. that's what  he would have thought,but God had other ideas.The number that came to fight was 32000 ,but God cut the army down to 300. A big cut, but God had his reasons,he knew his people,that if the 32000 had fought and were victorious they they would take the glory.instead of giving God the glory.One hears of so many people who never give God  the glory ,for their success.If we are Christian let us be quick to give glory to God for every success.every victory,every accomplishment.

                                                     'And every virtue we possess

                                                      And every victory won,

                                                      And every thought of holiness

                                                      Are His alone'

                                                            ( Harriet Auber)

Three things, (1Thessalonians 5v 18(b)

 In 1 Thessalonians 5 v 16 - 18  we resd '  Rejoice alway,pray continually.give thanks in all circmstance;for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus'. So here we have three things that God wants us to do ,the first one tells us to 'rejoice always'.Is this not asking too much of us?  no, if we are being spoken to by God to rejoice always .then it to be taken serious. Let us bear in mind that these words are spoken  to the church as a whole.John Stott writes ,'Paul is issuing not an order to be happy but an invitation to worship,and to joyful,worship at that.'There are some wonderfu hymns and many modern songs that do much to bless our services and enhance our lives.  Next we have to 'pray continually',we need and I mean need,to be praying churches and praying individuals.There is so much to pray about,the unsaved,the sick ,the suffering,the ungoing difficulties we all meet with.the sad ,the homeless,to be preserved from so much more.Last but not least ,'Give thanks in all circumstances'again how is that possible? John Wesley was rescued from a fire when he was a young boy,his mother saw as proff of the clear intention of Providence.We like her can look beyond the difficulties to God who will work out everything for His childrens good,even as Piper says,'bitter Providences'.