Love ( Matthew 10 v 37)

We often hear the words ,'I love',it can apply to many things,in fact the list is endless,take smoking there are people who love smoking inspite of the fact that smoking can kill.People love gambling but it can lead to disaterous consequences,yes there are so many things  we love that can harm us.Eve fell in love with the forbidden fruit, think of the awful problems that caused.People love sex to a point that they can become enslaved to so many depraved things.Love of one 's country is fine yet many people have done awful things for the country they  love.Think of the awful things people do out of love for their religions .Are you a slave to that kind of love,the God we worship ,that is the God of the Bible is a God of love,his is true love. It is also a holy love,it means that He does not ignor evil,he will judge the wicked,for he is a righteous God.We read in Exodus 34 v7 that He is compassionate and forgiving,but He will not by any means clear the guilty'.He has out of a heart love provided a way for us to be saved through his son Jesus.

Life. ( Acts 16 v 30-31)

 Shakespear wrote of the,'The seven ages of man',it compares the world to a theater and life to a play.that every human acts out seven roles,a crying infant,a reluctant schoolboy, a romantic lover,a wise judge,a frail old man,and finally,an infantilized elder facing oblivion'Then we have another way of looking at life ,'The seasons of our lives',someone describes it as beautiful metaphor comparing human experience to the changing year,'Spring  brings freah starts and youth,Summer a timeof passion and growth,Autumn represents maturity and reflection,Winter rest or navigating struggles'.What one do you like? Moses who lived to a 120,wrote the follow as regards  our exsistence,'Our days may come to seventy years,or eighty,if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow;for they quickly pass,and we fly away.'All of us will experience some degree of trouble and sorrow,some more than others,some longer than others,so that's it?,no.Moses speaks about flying away.our soul  leaves our body but where does it go to? the question is this where will we spend eternity?,for your soul does not die,will it be heaven or will it be hell?were will spend etenity?You most cetaintly will go to hell if your sin is not forgiven,it is as simple as that.But you can go heaven if you seek forgivness by trusting Jesus,  its as simple as that.

A promise box ( 2 Peter 1 v 4)

I was going through a drawer and I found a promise box,I must have it about 50 years, some people are critical of them.There was a time when finances were low or non exsistented ,and we were looking for guidance as to what we should do.I would  go to that little box and pull out a promise praying that God would speak into our situation.I can't remember any particular promise I got. But I had a daily devotional which I still read called ,'Daily Light', it is just full of scripture,and I found it very helpful,God  often did  speak to me from it. I  looked through the promise box,and read one,and it took me back years ago when I heard a missionary who had just come home from Nigeria.He told that during the civil war he was  very concerned for his safety,he had a headace and he felt that he should take some tablets,but then God spoke ,it was that  promise I got from my promise box,it read,' The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him and delivereth them'  (Psalm 34 v7) He felt a peace, he didn't take the tablets ,he lay down and slept'

No compromise. ( Luke 4 v18 -20)

 In Matthew 12 v30 and Luke 11 v23,Our dear Saviour said,' Whoever is not with me is against me',Jesus is telling us that there is no middle ground one cannot have a foot in one camp,and a foot in another camp.Jesus demands total allegiance there is no common ground,no grey areas.We must make  that very clear to  everyone,consider what said Jesus ,'I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through  me'.John 14 v6. It is not a matter of intolerance,we have to show a degree of tolerance toward others,of other cultures,and religions, but we will never compromise on the  truth that Jesus is the only one that can save sinners.We will see all other religions  as false,for they worship other god's who are not god's.We must learn to live with each other help people were they need help,and love them.We cannot march under the same banner as non Christians,and we should always try to win them to Christ,in a loving way, no one should be forced to become a Christian.We must be sold out to Christ alone ,not Christ plus.

Wrong thoughts ( Genesis 39 v 11)

I'm sure that everyone has wrongs thoughts,so what does one do when one has wrong thoughts?.I believe the first thing we should do is to pray.Acknowledge them to God be honest,one cannot hide them from Him. Often we put ourselves in danger by what we look at, for Eve it was the forbidden fruit Genesis 3 v 6, Achan it was the forbidden plunder, Joshua 7 v 21,David it was the forbidden women 2 Samuel 11 v 2.Each of these people had a choice ,they all knew that it was wrong, the wrong thoughts took over, and instead of praying for victory,they ran full pelt into  sinful actions and yielded to temptation.We must run away from our sinful impulses, don't linger over them,don't try and rationalise the wrong actions we may take.Horatio R. Palmer wrote a well known hymn,the first line goes , 'Yield not to temptation,for yielding is sin',take those words to heart.

                                                         'Ask the Saviour to help you,

                                                          Comfort ,strengthen,and keep you;

                                                           He is willing to aid you,

                                                            He will carry you through.'

Keep focused ( Acts 15 v 36-41)

In sport one of the most important things you must do is keep focused,don'take your eye of the ball.This is also one of the most important things you must do when you become a Christian ,keep focused on Jesus.I remember a number of years ago going to a show in London,it was a musical.During the performance a lady near me,made all sorts of  distracting noises,but I just kept focused on the show.I know a number of people who don't attend a Christian fellowship anymore,The reason usually is someone has hurt them ,and it makes me very sad,I do pray for them,nor do I judge them.Meeting with fellow believers is very important in Hebrews 10 v 25 we read,'Not giving up meeting together, as some are in habit of doing,but encouraging one another'. I know from my own experience one can be hurt by fellow Christians,I have been hurt ,very hurt, but I have to have a forgiving spirit,but to add to that I must keep my eyes on Jesus. Look at the many people who hurt Jesus even before the cross,even his own disciples,but He kept focused on doing the Fathers will. 

                                                          

                                                    'Remember we are not following people

                                                     we are following Jesus'

False God's (Matthew 5)

It is said that someone gave Stalin a copy of Machiavellions book 'The Prince' it was written for people who rule as to how to rule. One of main things it highlights,that they must rule 'for the greater good '.Stalin was one of the most evil people one could find.He appeared to take pleasure in  inflicting terrible suffering on millions of people.His sole aim was to establish communism his followers had the same aim.One man has called communisn a false God.There have been many false God's in this world,Naziism, false religions in which there are many. Where such false gods are followed  their followers committ terrible evils.What about Christianity,the evil's that have been perpetrated by so called followers of Christ,the fact is that many so called followers of Christ have misrepresented Christianity,to torture people,slaughter people is totally wrong.The challenge for those who claim to know Jesus as their Saviour,should be a true reflection of whom Christ is.