Sovereign Lord (Isaiah 40)

Throughout the Bible God is  called the Sovereign Lord,in many ways His soverenity is a great mystery, the hymn writer wrote,'God moves in mysterious ways'.It is true ,Isaiah tells us, tha God's thoughts are not our thoughts,neither are his ways our ways',and 'As the heavens are higher than the earth,so are his ways higher than our ways and his thoughts than our thoughts'.  (55 v 8-9) It brings a challenge to all of us especially when bad things happen,and it calls upon us to trust Him,it is as simple as that.The saints of old like Joseph  had bad things happen to him,Likewise Job,likewise Paul.But they still trusted their Lord who they believed was Sovereign .If God was not sovereign in this world,I can assure you things would be worse.If God was not sovereign things would be worse for you and me.Many Christians are suffering but God is watching and safely bringing them through ,that is why, inspite of Pauls suffering,and his impending death ,he could say,'I have fought the good fight,I have finished the race,I have kept the faith. Now there in store for me the crown of righteousness,which the Lord the righteous judge,will award to me on that day' and then he adds for our benefit,'and not only to me, but all who have longed for His appearing'.(2 Tim 4 v 7-8)  

                                           ' Nothing can an seperate us from our Sovereign Lord'

No turning back. ( John 21 v 20 -22)

William Barclay wrote the  following,'In Hitler's Germany a man was arrested because he stood for freedom.He endured imprisonment and torture with stoic uncomplaining fortitude. Finally,with spirit unbroken , he was released. Some short time  afterwards he committed suicide Many wondered why. Those who knew him well knew the reason he had discovered that his own son was the person who had informed aganst him.The treachery of his own flesh and blood broke him in a way that the cruelty of his enemies was unable to achieve' It is David who writes about a close friend who had turned against him Psalm  41 v9,one does not expect this from a friend.It must have hurt our  Saviour greatly when Judas betrayed Him,and indeed when Peter denied Him,and when all His disciples forsook Him.Sometimes when people experience this they turn away from God. I knew a Christian couple and the wife was unfaithful,I cannot help but think that affected him spiritualy,for I met him one time,it appeared to me he had become very cynical.Another friend of mine was in partnership with a fellow Christian,and he was betrayed by that partner,loosing out financially. Our Saviour had many painful experiences ,but He never became bitter,nor did it turn away from doing the Fathers will.A person called Sunder Singh wrote a hymn here are some of the words from it.

                                                             'I have decided to follow Jesus

                                                             No turning back,no turning back.

                                                             Though none go with me, still I will follow,

                                                              No turning back,no turning back.' 

Pride ( John 13 v1-17)

'Do not be proud but enjoy the company of the lowly' so writes James in his epistle (4 v6),in so many places the word of God highlights the evil of pride. Our Saviour said 'Those who exalt themselves will be humbled,and those who humble themselves will be exalted'.( Luke 14 v11)President Bush's mother phoned her son,while he was given a live interveiw ,and she said. 'your mentioning yourself to much'. John Stott wrote,'Pride is your greatest enemy,humility is your greatest friend'.Someone wrote ,'It was through pride that the Devil became the devil', (Isa 14 v12) What's the opposiate to pride? the answer is humility, Paul wrote in Philippians 2 v 3 reads 'Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather. in humility value others above yourselves' We are all guilty of pride,it creeps in so easily,if so, ask God to forgive you.When America was celebrating VJ day,someone asked Bing Crosby how he felt that it was over,he replied ,Thank God its over and he was filled with humility,isn't it true that success fills people with pride,likewise victory in sport,and so many things. Let us by God's grace walk in the footsteps of Jesus,who was equal with God,yet left aside all that it meant ,became a servant, and humbled Himself by becoming obedient unto death,even death on the cross'  ( Philippians 2 v 6- 8)

Be a missionary. ( Matthew 28 v18 -20)

 What do the names C.T.Studd and Jack Turner mean to you? I supposed nothing,who were they? the answer ,they were missionaries.C.T.Studd went to China for ten years and then in Africa for 20-21 yrs. were he died.Jack Turner went to serve the Lord in Canada on Boffin Island ,  it is in the Artic,both these men suffered a lot of hardships.Why did they do it? because Jesus said go into all the world and preach the gospel.They are two of the many thousands and thousands of people who responded to the  call of God .Although people throughout the world are being reached through modern technology,there is still the need for people to go and tell people about Jesus. Remember that humanities greatest need is Christ, without Him they will perish and go to a lost eternity.Start being a missionary now where your at ,when our dear Saviour delivered a demon- possessed man,the man wanted to follow Jesus he begged to go with Him,Jesus did not let him,instead he told him to go home to his own people and tell them how much the Lord had done for him,and how he had mercy on him(Mark 5 v 1-20),and this he did.

Lives that speak. ( 1 Peter 3 v1 )

I visit an elderly lady  every other week,she is aged 94, and lives in a supportive houseing complex, her husband is in glory.They both served the Lord,her husband and I were joint leaders of a church.I often share with her the people I witnessed to,something of interest to talk about.But it started her on a guilt trip for she found it hard to witness to people,in my last visit she mentioned that again,mentioning feelings of regret.So this is what I said to her,calling her by name,'All your life, has been a witness for Jesus,that is very true,your children have had a godly mother,your husband a godly wife,your neighbours a godly neighbour' We are the only Bible  non Christians ever read,a godly life leaves it mark.Our Saviour said,'Let your light shine before others,that they may see  your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven' (Matthew 5 v 16) 

                                                   'Lord may our lives speak when we can't'

Judgement is coming ( 2 Corinthians 5 v 10)

Continuing on Nahum 1 v 3 we read ,'The Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished',these are very important words,Nineveh and Assyria,will not escape the righteous judgement of God.who will pour out His wrath upon them.As with every wicked tyrant God will judge them ,if not in the immediate most surely in eternity.Hebrews 9 v 27 reads,' As it is appointed unto men once to die,but after this the judgement'.Justice will be done,no excuses will be listened to.Many who worked in the death camps used the excuse,they were only obeying orders,will mean nothing ,when they appear before a holy God.We will have to broaden this out,to include all the unsaved,when he declares that he will not leave the guilty unpunished.Who are the guilty?we are all guilty,we are told that we are all sinners,everyone.Laetsch writes ,'His demand of perfection is irrevocable.His judgement of death and damnation for every sinner stand eternally unchanged'.He aso writes as regards  divine wrath,'It is not the whim of a cruel tyrant, the  unreasonable flaring up of the temper of one who has not learned to control his passion,not the fury of a hothead who strikes out without rhyme or reason,letting his blows fall where they may.'No one will escape the righteouse judgement of God. The great judgement day is coming seek Jesus and ask him to be your Saviour.

The Lord is patient ( 2 Peter 3 v9 ) 1

Nahum  1 v3  reads ,'The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished'.These words  emphasise three aspects of our great God,Let us consider, 'The Lord is slow to anger' Nahum was a prophet whom God raised up,to proclaim judgement against Nineveh the capital of  Assyria.One hundred years before Nahum spoke to Nineveh, God sent the prophet Jonah  to tell them that God's judgement was about to fall upon them in 40 days (Jonah 3v4),well they immediately  repented and this included the King,and God spared them,in mercy he withdrew his judgement.But now a hundred years later,they have returned to their old ways,it was a deja vu moment.This time God's mercy would not be held back this time,nor was it,for in 612 BC a combined army,made up of the Babylons, Medes,and Scythians overthrew them.I believe that God is patient with every generation,that they may repent and turn to Jesus. but in the end God's patience runs out,then Judgement will fall,if your not saved take heed to this message.