The Bible ( Genesis 1 v 1)

When I went to Bible college ,one of the first courses we did was,'Old testament history and religion'. the Bible is a history book,none of it's history is made up,they are real events and real people,and there is a wealth of archeology findings that prove it.Adam and Eve were real people, kings such as David,Omri, Ahab,Jehu, Hezekiah,really exsisted,and as regards our Saviour and his death and resurrection there is plenty of evidence.There is evidence of so many things, yes the Bible is a book  of real historical events.But it is also a religious book that is woven into all the recorded events,It is about God  and humanity ,and humanities  beginnings and all that followed.It tells us of a God who created all things,and the jewel of His creation was humanity,it starts with a man and a woman.Here is a very important aspect to what I'm saying,it gives meaning to our exsistence,remove God then there is no meaning .It also helps us to understand how evil came into being, and how it has effected everything,especially humanity. No longer are we innocent we are born with a sinful nature. 

Tomorrow ( Luke 12 v 16-21)

Proverbs 27 v 1 reads,'Do not boast about tomorrow,for you do not know what a day may bring' ,they are very wise words.They apply to everyone to the Christian and the non-Christian, none of us should boast about tomorrow,there is an old saying which goes,'here today gone tomorrow' but the question is this,gone where?. that's food for thought.Most  people do not give much thought about it,you do not hear even Christians saying DV (Latin for God willing).James touches on it in his epistle chap 4 v13 - 16,speaking of people making boasts about tomorrow,he calls them arrogant. He is writing to Christians,who should know better,we should live in the fear of the Lord daily.Hezekiah knew the day he was going to die,most of us don't,but the fact is we all know that we are going to die.Charles Bridges writes, 'Tomorrow is finely described as an unknown birth,it may be eternity.'If you are not a Christian ,heaven and hell must be taken seriously,dont take tomorrow for granted,be prepared by trusting Jesus as your Saviour.And if we are Christians let us not walk in arrogant pride,but set our hearts and minds on things above,not on earthly things Colossians 3 v 1-3,and indeed on our coming Lord .( Luke 12 v37)

No never alone (Isaiah 43 v 1-3 )

 I was listening to the song,'Bridge over troubled waters',and I lifted my voice to God,and said,'You have been my bridge over troubled waters.Life has it's time of troubled waters,and we have to cope,but as a Christian we do not cope alone.God is with us in the good times and in bad times ,the times when everything is well and when times are difficult.There are none so faithful as He is,remember what he says, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you' ( Hebrews 13 v 5) the NIV puts it this way,'Never will  I leave you; never will I forsake you'. I like the double emphasis it gives to it an intensity  stressing the importance of what He is saying.  When everything is collapsing around us, be still and know that he is God and though all forsake us he will not,The apostle Paul was facing difficulties,and that everyone had forsaken him,but he declared the Lord stood by him and gave him strength' (2 Timothy 4 v 16-17)

The need of Change ( Romans 8 v 29)

 Gordon Bridger wrote,' Jacob stands for the man,warts and all;Israel stands for the man God intends him to be,the man restored by God's grace.' Oliver Cromwell had his potrait painted,he told the artist to paint warts and all,I suppose Gordon borrowed that saying from 'O C ' When Christ saved us we were all to some extent are like Jacob,I know I was,what about you,we are all imperfect flawed individuals when we come to Christ ,we are just like Jacob.,When we come to Christ for salvation our sins are forgiven, and we are set free form so much that's wrong in our lives,but for all of us there are characrter flaws,temper,anger, and so it could go on, we might have problems in our thought life,so it is important that we are honest with ourselves and with God,let us not make excuses,if we don't, we will not grow in Christ.If we are to become like Israel,the man or women that God intends us be,we must continually seek the grace of God ,continualy pray that he will perfect that which we need to overcome.We will fail at times that's were repentance comes in, and we must not give up,in this journey we are on.Paul wrote these words ,'Being confident of this,that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ'.  (Philippian 1 v 6)

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)