Holiness ( Hebrews 12 v14)

 For God did not call us to be impure,but to live a holy life, ( 1Thessalonians 4 v7)what does that men? ,it means living as God wnts us to live,we have to take that very serious.We are not justified by the keeping of the law but we are called to have a moral qaulity to our lives.Paul continually tells us the  means where  by we can be saved,when we trust  Christ ,that should  mean ,repenting of our sins, leaving the old life,in fact dying to our old life.That is what we are declaring when we are baptized,going under the water symbolises dying to our old sinful life,and coming up out of the water symbolises our newness of life. (Romans  6 v 1-4) Peter writing of those who have escaped the corruption of the world when they trusted Christ and  goes back on that ,suffer consquences and likens them unto a  dog retuning to its vomit,and a sow that is washed returning to her wallowing in the mud'( 2 Peter 2 v 20 - 22) Psalm 23 v 3 speaks of being lead in the paths of  righteousness.For the Christian we do not do, what everyone else is doing,no we live the life  that Christ wants us to live,a life of holiness,that is different from the worlds. John writes to the believers telling them if we claim to be without sin we decieve ourselves and the truth is not in us( 1Jn1v8) Yes we will sin at times,bit we will not walk in sin  (1 Jn v18) It was Murry McCheyne who prayed ,'Lord make me as holy as a pardoned sinner can be made'

Side affects ( Romans 3 v11 -23)

I started smoking when I was young say about 13yrs ,most people smoked in those days,why did I start smoking? I don't know.I even smoked a pipe when I got older.I remember when I had my first alcoholic drink when I was 14-15yrs ,why ?possible made one feel grown up.With smoking and alcohol there are dangers they can become addictive and cause destructive health problems. I'm sure we all know people  whose lives have been ruined by smoking and alcohol,think how many people have been killed by drunken drivers. On the cigarette pack there are graphic warnings,but still people smoke.Likewise alcohol  is said to be ,'a slow posion;,affecting our liver and can even cause piles, strokes and hullucinations,if it gets a hold of you ,you can literally drink oneself to death.Why do people appear to ignor the warings? but they do. The greatest killer and destuctive thing in the world is sin, not just in the here and now, but in the here after,The word of God teaches us the terrible consquences of sin,our Saviour talked about being a slave of sin (John 8v 34),billions are slaves to sin ,but He also said,'So if the Son sets you free,you will be free indeed (John 8 v36) Do you want to be free from sin and its awful  consquences? ,turn to Jesus.trust Him as your Saviour.

The greatest gift ( 1 Peter 1 v18-19)

 I recently received a lovely birthday present  from one of my sons,an actual painting not a print,while a  print can be lovely,an actual painting has something special about it.I am aged 82 so I have recieved many gifts during my lifetime,cars,books the list could go on.A dear lady left me 500 pound in her will,and when my first wife died a friend sent me some money that helped a great deal,and so I could go on.  Recently I  I told a lady that the most important prayer we can praywas,'God be merciful to me a sinner'.Now let me tell you the greatest gift one can receive is 'The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord' (Romans 6 v23).Consider who gives us this gift,God,why would He give such a gift?the answer is,because He loves us (John 3v16),no one is worthy of such a gift.In Romans5 v8 we read,'But God commendeth His love toward us,in that,while we were yet sinners,Christ died for us'.It is a free gift so many people believe their good works can get them to heaven, they can't  (Ephesians 2v 8-9).None of us deserve it, all we deserve is God's judgement,if we neglect this Gift ,we can expect no mercy,which means we will experience eternal damnation,

No boasting, (Ephesians 2 v8-9)

  Titus 3 v 5 reads,'He saved us,not because of righteous things we had done,but because of unrighteous things we have done, but beause of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.Consider those words as regards salvation,God rules out completly any works of righteousness,any. In Matthew 7 v 21-23,our Saviour tells that on Judgement day there will be those who will call him Lord  and will say they had prophesized,cast out demons,and performed  miracles,in His name,and they will be rejected.What they done was only a cover up,they worked outside the will of God the Father,and were considered evil doers.Salvation only comes  by God's grace when a person truly repents of their sin and seeks Jesus as their Saviour.Matthew Henry writes,'Grace will bring a man to heaven without  working miracles,but working miracles will never bring a man to heaven without grace'. Miracles ,prophesying has nothing to with our salvation absolutely nothing,but grace and mercy has everything to do with it.There will be no boasters in heaven (Ephesians 2 v 9) A hymn by James M. Gray sums it up.

                                                   'Naught have I gotten but what I received

                                                   Grace hath bestowed it since I believed

                                                   Boasting excluded, pride I abase,

                                                   I'm only a sinner saved by grace'

The need is great ( John 4 v 35)

     In Psalm 10 v 4 we read of the wicked,'God is not in all his thoughts'and in Romans 3 v 10 - 11 we read,'There is no one righteous,not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God'.These words  appear very extreme,but there not,Most people keep God out of there lives,I look everywhere and I see how many people are well off ,but I can guarantee,they never thank God for His many blessings.The vast majority of people never thank God for the food they eat,they live lives that God is not allowed to intrude ,there national anthem is I did it my way.When they die  they are taken away to be cremated and there ashes come back in a box.It  may be grim what I am saying ,and it is,no .matter how nice people are they show by their lives ,and actions that they are sinners,and it won't get any better (2Tim 3 v13). What is the answer? God is the answer,who else? only He  can change humanity ,what part as Christians do we play in it,first of all we must recognise that this is a spiritual battle ,and it must be fought using God's mighty weapons,not worldly weapons (2 Corinthians 10 v 4).I'm sure we all as Christians need to repent,to pray,to witness,the need of the hour is great ,mulitudes stand a breath away from Hell. their souls will spend  eternity in an eternal lostness,they need a Saviour that Saviour is Jesus.

When the storm pass-es by. ( Isaiah 43 v1-2)

                                                           'Till the Storm passed By'  (Words by Mosie Lister) 

                                       'In the dark of the midnight  have I oft hid my face,

                                       while the storm howls above me and there's no hiding place;

                                       Mid the crash of the thunder,precious Lord hear my cry

                                                     Keep me safe 'til the storm pass-es  by.

                                        Many times Satan whispered,''There is no need to try,

                                        For there's no end of sorrow,there's no hope by and by!''

                                        But I know Thou art with me,and tomorrow l'll rise

                                                   Where the storms never darken  the Skies.

                                        When the long night has ended and the storms come no more,

                                        Let me stand in Thy presence on that bright ,peaceful shore;

                                        In that land where the temptest never comes, Lord ,may I 

                                                     Dwell with Thee when the storm passes by.

                                      

                      

Tust in the Lord (Proverbs 3 v 5-6)

I wouldn't want to undermind  your belief in,wait for it,technology,the god of technology, this is a true story.I, had an appointment for the hospital,but I couldn't drive to it, because I was having a procedure done to my eyes  ,so I asked my wife to drive me.She was a bit anxious,she suggested we do a dummy run,so we did,and of course we had the faithful sat nav,we put in the post code,and off we went,we also prayed,so nothing should go wrong.Well we followed its instruction, and we were getting nearer,until things went wrong,it kept taking us round  in a circle,in the end we give up and drove home.Yes technology failed us but did God fail us?,we did pray,so why did we not find our way?,that's were trust comes in,because I know he loves us,I know there must be a reason,don't be quick to judge God,even though you have prayed,and it hasn't happened,just trust Him.I have prayed for many things,I didn't always get what I prayed for,thank goodness,the providence of God is a great mystery.

                                                               'Trust in the Lord'

They were lost ( Luke 19 v10)

My wife is self employed and she works with the elderly,recently she told me,how when she was doing some cleaning in a persons home,she found a gold ring.She took it to the old lady who was delighted, and she said, she had been looking for it for 2yrs.It reminded me of what our Saviour taught in Luke 15,of a shepherd who found a lost sheep,and a woman who found a lost coin,and a father who got back a lost son. He told  this to some very religious people who had criticised Him because he mixed with people who they considered  sinners.Yes they were sinners and indeed  lost sinners,those religious people could only see sinners,to be ostracised,only fit for hell.Jesus could see them as people who needed to be found and brought back to God,how do you look at so  called bad people?do you look at them with the eyes of the religious people?,or with the eyes of Christ?

                                         'O teach me what it meaneth, That cross uplifted high,

                                         With one, the Man of Sorrows,Condemned to bleed and die,

                                          O teach me what it cost Thee, to make a sinner whole;

                                          And teach me, Saviour,teach me, the value of a soul.'

                                                                Words   Lucy A. Bennett.

                                         

Death (Ephesians 2 v 1-10)

 Our Saviour said,' Man shall not live by bread alone,but on every word that comes from the mouth of God' ( Matthew 4v4) He is not saying we shouldn't eat of course we need to eat,our bodies need food.But we are not just a physical being,we have a soul,and that needs fed.Our Saviour always pointed us beyond the physical,when Jesus told a religious leader ,that we need to be born again (John 3 v 3)He thought he was talking about a physical birth,of course he didn't mean that.He meant a spiritual rebirth. Every human being born is without God,in other words we are not connected to God spiritually.When Adam and Eve sinned they died spititually (  Gen 2 v17 /Ephesians 2 v1/ Romans 5 v12) 'Dying is separation from God.That separation occurred the very moment when man by his disobedience broke the bond of love.If physical death ultimately closes the experience,that is not the most serious aspect of the whole affair.The more serious is the inner spiritual separation.(Loupold) After the  commission of sin man stepped upon the road to death'(Oehler )

The church ( Revelation 7 v 9)

Pual and his  companions visited Thessalonica in  AD49 or 50 it is still in exsistence and is the second most important city in Greece. As  Paul often did he went to a Jewish synagogue and there he had opportunity to preach the gospel,a number of the Jews responded,and also a number of God -fearing Greeks and a few prominent women.But is often the case the Jews stirred up a mob and started a riot.It was so bad that the believers sent them away.The Jews  continued to harass them so they moved on,inspite of this a church came into being.In many places in the world today churches are coming into place, in Iran,Nepal,let us remember what Jesus said,'I will build my church,and the gates of Hell will not overcome it'.(Matthew 16 v 18) We live in a world that is opposed to God and his gospel, false religions, atheistic goverments,and so the list goes on.Samuel J.Stone wrote ,'Though with a scornful wonder men see her sore oppressed,By schisms rent asunder,by heresies distressed',that is true  but let us rest on the word of Christ,'I will build my church'

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Judging others, ( Matthew 7 v 1-6)

Our Saviour said ,'Do not Judge,this is on a personal level,of course we need Judges in our courts to administer justice.Matthew Henry wrote the following,'We must judge ourselves,and judge our own acts, but we must not judge our brother. We mus not sit in the judgement seat,to make our word a law to everybody.We must not despise him,nor treat him with comtempt.We must not judge rashly.We must not judge uncharitably,unmercifully,nor with the spirit of revenge,and a desire to do mmischief. We must not jufge the hearts of others,nor their intentions,for it is God's prerogative to try the heart. Nor must we judge of their eternal state. William Barclay writes the following,'There is hardly anyone who has not ben guilty of some grave misjudgment; there is hardly anyone who has not suffered from someone else's misjudgment. and yet the strange fact is that there is hardly any commandment of Jesus which is more consistently brokn and neglected'

The human factor. ( Romans 3 v 23/ 6 v 23)

 I love watching sport on TV,I watch golf if Rory Mcllroy is playing,it is wonderful how skilled the top golfer are,yet it amazes me to see them missing a very short put.The next sport I like is snooker ,I used to play it many years ago,now I just watch it on ,yes TV, you see tremendous skill in players potting the balls,but again as in golf,they miss the easiest of balls.Last one is football ,I used to play that when I was young now I'm a couch potato watching it on TV,and like the two previous sports we see players making big mistakes,missing open goals. It raises the question why?,my answer is it's the human factor,that's why those things happen. So it is we are not capable of not sinning,no matter how much we try,there are no sinless people living on planet earth.The nicest people sin ,the most holy people sin,it's the human factor,that is why we need a Saviour,everyone needs a Saviour ,and that Saviour is Jesus,He is the one exception he never sinned,and that is very important,for on the cross he died that our sins could be forgiven,the sinless one dying for sinners.

                                                           'He took my sins and my sorrows,

                                                           He made them His very own;

                                                          He bore the burden to Calvary,

                                                          And suffered ,and died alone. (Words C.H.Gabriel)

Coveting. (Exodus 20 v 3-17)

We don't hear much about the commandments,so it ws good that our pastor chose to speak on one,the last one, 'You shall not covet your neighbour's house.You shall not covet your neighbour's wife,or his mail or female servant,his ox or donkey,or anything that belongs to your neighbour' (Ex 20 v17) I thought I don't want anyone's donkey of course not,but to the people in biblical times a donkey would have been a valuable asset,it still is in some countries.The word anything is in that commandment,so it involves anything that belongs to someone else,it is not only wrong it is a sin,David coveted his neighbours wife and run with that ,and committed adultery, ( 2 Samuel 11),that was two sins Ex 20 v14,and then he had the womens husband murdered ,that's three sin's he committed Ex20 v 13.You may think I can understand adultery,and murder being a sin,but coveting it's only a thought,yes but it's a sinful thought,and that is a sin.Jesus said in Mt 5 v 28,'But I tell you that anyone who  looks on  a woman lustfully has already committed  a adultery in his heart  . Because these commandment are in the OT doesn't mean they don't apply now, they do, all of them,and that is why we need our sins forgiven, and that's why we need Jesus,that our sins may be forgiven.

A crossless Christ ( Galatians 6 v 14)

Every year at  a football final they sing the hymn ,'Abide with Me',it was written by an Anglican minister called H.F.Lyte. He lived in the 19th century,most of his life he suffered from ill health,before he died he wrote that hymn.It is a solemn hymn  emphasising the abiding presence of the Lord through life and into death. Im surprised some hymn books leave a particular verse out which reads,

                                                 'Hold Thou thy cross before my closing eyes

                                                  Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies,

                                                  Heaven's morning break and earth's vain shadows flee

                                                  In life,in death,O Lord, abide with me'.

There are millions of people who believe in a crossless Christ, their Christ is but a prophet, they don't have a Saviour,they are taught that they don't need a Saviour,all they have do is to be obedient to their God. It is a tragedy of monmental proportion ,in doing that they shut themselves out of an eternal place in heaven and condemn thenselves to an eternal place in hell.Over 700yrs before Christ came the prophet Isaiah wrote of one who would bear the sin of many,that means he would suffer the wrath of God,so that if we trust Him we would not bear the wrath of God.Do read Isaiah 52 v 13-15/53.and if you trust Him,your sins will be forgiven,your life will be changed,and your destination will be changed,for the better.

                                                  

A sudden death ( Proverbs 27 v1 )

A young girl suddenly died who attended our church,I had a conversation with her the Sunday before  she died,there was no indication that she was suffering from any serious illness.So there was a degree of shock and sadness when I heard of her death .She was a fine Christian and was involved in the church,and was well liked one can't imagine the loss and pain her parents are feeling.A Dr Morey has written a number of things about death,' Science may make many discoveries,but it will never conquer death'. When God created man and woman they were sinless and perfect and that meant they would never die.They were told not to eat the fruit of certain a tree,if they did they would die,they disobeyed,and so death came into being CP Romans 5v12'Therefore just as sin entered the world through one man,and death through sin,and in this way death came to all people ,because all sinned.' Dr Morey writes that death is not natural, normal or human,death is terrible and unnatural ripping the soul out of man's body.Man was made to live not to die'.But thats not the end, our soul will never die,and the question is this, where will we spend eternity?, will it be heaven or will it be hell?.That young girl is in heaven not hell because she trusted Jesus to be her Saviour , John 3 v 15 reads,'That who believeth in Him should not perish ,but have etrrnal life'.

Are you listening?. ( Romans 1 v 18-20)

In Simon and Garfunkel's song there is a line that reads,'People hearing without listening',  psalm 19  commences,'The heavens declare the glory of God,and the skies proclaim the work of his hands',it goes on to say,'Day after day they pour forth their speech, they use no words,no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into the ends of the earth,' Yes there are many many things that don't literally speak to us that don't have an actual voice.like creation and yet it speaks to us of our creator God,unfortionately people can look at creation admire it,and there it stops,they rob God of His glory,attributing to it just all happened,they are deaf to the voice of creation.Not only that they are looking and not seeing,in doing that they give evidence as to their blindness and their deafness spiritually.Paul says it has severe consequences spiritually,in fact they are with out excuse (Romans 1 v 20),and will be judged accordingly.

                                                         ' Only God can make a tree'  

God first ( John 21 v 15)

This famous quote is from Shakespeare's Henry V111 play spoken by Cardinal Wolsey after falling from the King's favour,'It expresses regret for dedicating his life to political power rather than God admitting: 'Had I but served my God with half the zeal,I served my King,he would not in mine age,have left me naked to mine enemies'.The king became first in Wolsey's life and he served him well,but the king had a short memory,so he fell out of favour,and he was summoned to appear before the king,and more than likely the king was have him executed,but before that happened he died a natural death,in a way that could be seen as a mercy.Sad to say many people yes even children of God, and their lament will be,'if only I had put  God first,if only.If we put God first then everything will fall in place. Here is what our Saviour said,'Seek first his kingdom  and His righteousness,and all things will be given to you as well' (Matt 6 v 33)

We are not worthless ( Ephesians 2 v 1- 10)

 We are told that we were made in God's image, Dr Morey writes as regards this, 'that it simply means that man reflects his creator in certain capacities and capabilities which separate him from the rest of the creation'.Thay may be part of it,John Calvin takes it to mean,'that the chief seat of the Divine image was in his mind and heart,where it was eminent'.But now although some obscure lineaments of that image are found remaining in us; yet are they so reduced and mained,that they may truly be said to be destroyed'. Be that as it may there is something in man,that tells us that although we are not worthy, we are not worthless,in God's eyes. Yes we are siinners with a fallen nature,that manifests itself  in so many awful ways,the list is endless,all of us are ungodly sinners indeed enemies of a holy God. Yet inspite of our sinfulness God concieved a plan,a redemptive plan,to save us( Ephesians 1 v4) ,it was a plan of love ( John 3 v16) for a world that didn't love Him.Jesus the Saviour of the world died on a cross taking the punishment for our sins,He offers us salvation,if we but turn to Him and accept Jesus and we will be forgiven all of our sins.

                                                      'Amazing grace! how sweet the sound

                                                       That saved a wretch like me!

                                                       I once was lost,but now am found:

                                                       Was blind but now I see.'  ( John Newton)

Let us ( Genesis 1 v 26-27)

I often wonder what God meant when He said ,'Let us make mankind in our image,in our likeness' (Genesis 1 v 26),notice that God  says,'Let us' and,'in our image, in our likeness',he is not speaking to angels,for they are created beings,only God can create .It is Leupold in the Barns commentaries who gives a satisfactry answer,'Behind such speaking lies the truth of the Holy Trinity'.There are those even Christians who challenge this veiw,with  human logic,but the fact God is is a triune being ,'Father,Son, and Holy Spirit'. Louis Berkhof writes ,'the OT contains some  indications of more than one person in God,Gen 1 v26,11v7; the Angel of Jehovah is represented as a divine Person.Gen 16v7-13;18: 1-21;19: 1-22.The Spirit is spoken of as a distinct Person,Isa.48 v16; 63v10.In Isa48 v16;61;63:9,10.Due to the progress of Revelation,the NT contains clearer proffs, I end with the following statement ,'The strongest proff is found in the facts of redemption.The Father sends the Son into the world,and the Son sends the Holy Spirit'.( Statements from LBerkhof,book 'Christian Doctrine)

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Prepare for hardship.( Matthew 16v 21 - 26)

If  we are followers of Jesus we must be prepared for whatever,when I was a young man with a wife and children,we felt called to serve God wherever He wanted to go. We applied to the ,'New Tribes mission' to work in New Guinea,and were accepted,this was about 50yrs ago, if you know anything about NG the terrain to say the least is very challenging,we had to go to Austrlia for training,but we were not able to raise the funding .The next place we applied for was  to work in Brazil with the Acre gospel mission,in the interior they called it the green hell,again that door shut.Looking back I'm sure it was for the best but we were prepared to go. That is two examples of being prepared to follow Jesus whatever the cost, but let's look beyond missionary work,to lands where totalitarian goverments rule,like communist countries,or the lands where Islam rules.To become a Christian in those sort of countries brings with it severe consquences,there are people in Eritrea who have been in prision for 20yrs for following Christ,Iran puts many Christians in prision, and the sentences can be very severe for men and women. 2 Timothy 2 v12 reads,'If we endure with Him,we shall also reing with Him'.

Shoplifting. ( Exodus 20 v15 )

 Shoplifting is on the increase in the UK ,its got out of control,seemingly if they steal something under a certain amount ,they don't get prosecutedand the police will not take any action. I feel very strongly against what is happening I heard a discussion on TV,someone said how good honest people will be doing it.Those who steal are not good honest people, they are thieves,and should be ashamed of themselves.The bigger question is this why are they not being prosecuted?,we have laws that deal with all sorts of things.I know that on a human level their are good honest people,but  humanities fallen nature needs to be restrained,the fact is, if they know that they can get away with something they will do it,that is from a minor thing to a major thing.There are evil goverments  that are doing awful things,because they can,don't be under any allusion as regards fallen human nature,it is capable of unbelieveable evil,if it is not restrained

                                                        'Today  shoplifting, tomorrow?'

Everyone. ( Proverbs 22 v 6)

Do you remember ther first time you sinned ? I do, I don't remember what age I was but I was young,at that time I didn't see it as a sin,but it was.Yes even very young children sin,we should not be surprised at that,after all we are born with a fallen nature,and the evidence of that fallen nature can manifested itself in very young children.That is why we should evangilise children,they need to be saved, I prayed for my children even before they were born and every day after that for their salvation.Thanks be to God they all know Christ as their Saviour,Likewise I pray for  my grandchildren and my great grandchildren.Just reently two of my grandchildren have come to know the Lord.I'm praying that they all may come to Christ,prayer is vital ,but teaching them the scriptures is also important. (2 Timothy 3 v15)

                                                                'Everyone needs Jesus,

                                                                 and I mean everyone'

Serving God ( James 1 v 27)

 How can we serve God?that's s good question,there are so many ways we can do that, it is important for all of us to find out,but not only find out but to do it.what would be an indication of some work,if you can't sing then don't join the choir.One of my sons job is an organizer of a group of a Christian churches,another one is the international director of a prayer ministry,he loves doing.What do you like to do?what can you do?.If you have children that's a wonderful ministry,I believe we all have some degree of gifting, in which we can serve God.There are many needy people all around us,pastors don't seem to visit like they use to,there could be valid reasons,lets not be to harsh on them.Maybe God is calling you to fill the gap,in so doing you would be helping your Pastor There is a man I know who lives on his own,I  heard him say he was lonely,his daughter does her best to support him.But she can't be there all the time,so he does'nt see anybody for a whole week.Serving God takes many forms but they are all important.

Meaning ( Romans 1 v 20 )

 In the book of Ecclesiastes 3 v11 we read,'   He (God) has also set eternity in the human heart'. some translations have world instead of eternity,Matthew Henry chooses world, but let us consider, 'that God has set eternity in the human hearts'.Why are  vast sums of money spent in the exploration of space.I believe it can be summed up in one word,'meaning'. They hope they will find the meaning of our exsistence,there is a want within the human heart,that won't go away.The evolutionist has not solved this want,and never will,they cannot answer satisfactory mankinds existence.To say it just all happened is an absurdity that is beyond words,could be that mankind is afraid of the real answer,that there is an eternal God who has placed in our hearts a sense of eternity/,that won't go away.We do try to make it go away in our blindness ,it is a spiritual blindness,that can look up into the heavens and see only the stars.They look at a new born baby and see only a baby, look at the beauty of this would,and only see the beauty.

                                                         'In the beginning God created the 

                                                          heavens and the earth'

                                    

Doing good ( Galatians 6 v 9-10)

It may sound trivial ,but I don't think so,I believe it's very important to do good,I could relate to you the many blessing I have every day,and yet I remenber the many who have very little of anything.Remember faith without works is dead,I can't help remembering my childhood  my mother who had left my father and she was left to bring four of us  ,how difficult it was for her, the difficult times leave their mark on you.but you do recall the kindness of people who helped one through the difficult times. God touched their heart ,I will always remember their kindness,and so does God.We read in Proverbs 19 v17,'Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord and He will reward them for what they have done'.

                                                                'So let us do good'

                                                         

Hell ( Matthew 25 v 41 )

It is a long time since I have heard any preacher mention hell in their sermons ,most evangelials believe that hell is taught in the Bible,why do they not mention it?Dr Morey writes,'Since no one is told why he should believe that there really is a hell,doubts begin to creep into people's minds.It becomes unfashionable to speak of the doctrine of hell as being''unkind'',unloving'', or ''negative''. As one is called to the ministry it brings with it a imperative challenge to preach the whole counsel of God,heaven also hell,But people have said to me we are not to frighten people into become Christians,is that valid, I would say no,the fact is people should be afraid ,they should surely flee from the wrath to come. (Matthew 3 v7) Let us be very clear ,all non Christians are children of God's wrath ,so wrote the apostle of love,John 3v 36.Hell is not preached because we hate non Christians,it is because we love them,and weep for them.No one wants anyone to go to hell no matter how wicked they have been.Hell is not just for the worst of people.A friend of mine said one sin unforgiven  will take a person to hell, but the fact is the nicest of people  have committed many sins.I know many nice people who do a lot of good,but it is not the good we do that is the problem,it is the sins we commit,that's the rub. Jesus frequently spoke  about hell and judgement,as a place of,''unquenchable fire'' outer darkness ,and weeping and gnashing of teeth. If your are not a Christian flee from the wrath of God , turn to Jesus,before it is to late.

Hope ( Romans 4 v18ff)

 Alexander Pope said,''Hope springs eternal in the human heart'',I wonder what you think of those words,during the second world war a lady called Vera Lyn sung a song with the following words,'  We'll meet again,don't know when ,don't know where.But I know we'll meet again some sunny day''.Two aspects of hope,one hopes for many things that may happen ,but then again it may not,there are no guarantees.A elderly Christian lady I know who lives on her own, feels lonely and isolated,claims the promise in Hebrews 13 v 5,'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you',those words are what God has promised to her and to every believer,they give us hope.a sure and certain hope.There are Christians who are in prison cells for their faith,they are not forsaken or forgotten by God ,He is with them.and He is with you.They say that there are two things that are cetain in life,'death and taxes',but that's not true,if we know God we have hope,hope beyond the grave. Our Saviour said that even though we die we shall live again (John 11 v25),and when I have taken funeral services, of a person who is a Christian here are the words I would say as I commit that person to the ground,'earth to earth,ashes to ashes ,dust to dust; in sure and certain hope to eternal life,through our Lord Jesus Christ'.Do you have that hope?

Special ( Mark 3 v7-12)

Himmler's world view removed any notion of the inherent ''specialness''or sancity of human life for those outside his racial definition of Germanic people' The Nazies hated Christianity ,when our Saviour said ,'Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth, (Matthew 5 v 5)he pored scorn on,He stood for Darwins theory,the survival of the fittiest,which led to the destruction of all those  Nazies considered weak. To me humanity is special,whatever their condition or disability,why do I believe that?the answer is God.Nietzsche who is remembered ,for his 'God is dead',belief loathed Christianty and saw that concern for the lowly was a form of poison.He admired the Greeks  not dispite,but because of their cruelty'. Nietzsche would have have seen Christianity as a monster that needed to be destroyed,but those who walked in His footsteps created a monster,in nazism.In spite of humanities sinful condition,and behaviour,our great creator  see's us as special,that He loved us so much that whoever believes in Jesus (the crucified one)shall not perish,but have everlasting life'.  ( John 3 v16),I would just add that our Saviour manifested a loving concern towards the weak ,and disabled,he saw them as important.

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Lonliness ( John 15 v14 )

 It ws the Beatles who sang a song called ''Eleanor Rigby''one the verses went,All the lonely people,where do they all come from? ,All the lonely people,where do they all belong?When I was a young boy,we knew our neighbours,there were those who came into our house,they were very friendly.And one knew most of the children in the street,we played  marbles,or kick the tin,we even played football in the street,there was not to much traffic then,different now.I suppose they were happy days,people were friendly,very few people owned their own homes,rents were not to dear.Things have changed people are better off materially,one of the things that many people suffer from is lonliness.I have felt lonliness at times, particulary when I came back to the Lord but God brought people into my life who befriended me.I believe God can meet our needs,and provide friends for us,he has done it for me all through my life.My best  friend is my Saviour Jesus,he is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother,I am conscious of His presence with me everyday.I talk to Him all the time,and He listens.

                                             'What a friend we have in Jesus'

                                              

                                              

                                             

Suffering ( Habakkuk 3 v16-19)

A friend of mine said this,'Can't help wondering about the purposes of God,but still we must surrender to His wisdom'.Yes we all must wonder at times,why many of God's children are suffering terrible things by evil regimes and evil people. It hits a person hard when something evil happens to someone you love,I do not know how I would react if it happened to me,would I curse God and die? .It is easy to mouth words ,the fact is we do not know how we would react.In the daily devotional,Our Daily Bread, one of the contributors wrote the  following,'' You deceived me,Lord''the prophet Jeremiah cried (20 v7) ''Will you forget me forever?'' David wrote ( Psalm13 v1) ''God has wronged me'' Job said (19 v 6) The writer said, God never rebuked them.Those three men were not perfect but they were honest as to how they felt,I believe God wants honesty from us, for he loves us,and understands why we are angry at him,in that darkest place He is there with us,yes standing somewhere in shadows is Jesus,who by His grace will bring us through this trial of our faith to a brigther day.

                                                                         A prayer

                                                        'Let no incident of life,pleasing or

                                                         painful,injure the prosperity of my

                                                         soul'. Amen.

                                                             From Valley of Vision.

                                                             

It is no secret ( Ephesians 3 v 20)

 One evening Stuart Hamble visted John Wayne,and they were discussing how people solved problems, Stuart said,'It is no secret what God can do in a man's life'.As he was leaving John  said,'Stuart you should write a song abou that',and he did just that,and it became a very popular song,Here are the words he wrote.

                                                    'The chimes of time ring out the new's,

                                                     Someone slipped and fell, was that someone you.

                                                    You may have longed for  added strength

                                                     Your courage to renew

                                                     Do not be dicouraged,for I bring news forbyou.

                                                     It is no secret what God can do,

                                                     What He's done for others,He'll do for  you,

                                                     With arms wide open He'll pardon you,

                                                      It is no secret what God can do.

                                          'Look up to our God ,who can do the impossible'

                                                  

Unique. (Genesis 1 v26-27)

I read recently how certain people before they make important decisions consult chicken bones, why do they do that?, simply because they are Animist, who believe that animals,plants,rocks,rivers and weather systems possess a distinct spiritual essence.Hinduism incorporates signifcant elements of animism. I suppose that's why they turn to chicken bones.I remember reading of a man shouting at a rock,wanting a response.There was an song with the following words,'I spesk to the trees but they don't listen to me,of course they don't,because they are trees. Only man was made in the imsge of God,only man exsits after death,only man or humanity can have a relationship with God.But the question is this,where will we exsist after death ?,will it be heaven or hell?,that depends if they we  have come to a right relationship with God,that comes about when we come to know Jesus as our Saviour, that is why He came into this sinful world,to save sinners.

                                                          'In loving kindness Jesus came,

                                                          My soul in mercy to reclaim

                                                          And from the depths of sin and shame

                                                          Through grace He lifted me'    

A cloudy mirror ( Isaiah 55 v 8-9)

I have a little book called,'The  Valley of  Vision',it contains,'Puritan Prayers and Devotions',I read it occasionally ,I read the following,'Nothing can befall me,without God's permission,appointment,and administration'. These are very challenging words,and because God is sovereign they must be true,as you read this,you mind find it hard to accept those words.Consider Job and what happened to him,he had 10 children,they were all meeting together ,feasting and drinking and a very strong wind blew the house down ,and they all died.He lost servants when they were attaked by people called the Sabeans ,he had a vast amount of livestock he lost them also,then lastly he became seriously ill.God permitted all that ,and his wife told him to curse God and die,he replied, 'shall we accept good from God,and not trouble'His answer fits in with the opening words,what God permits what comes into our lives.I was praying for Christians who are suffering greatly,and I read how a believer was beheaded by Islamic extremist,it really upset me,and I cried.Let us not judge God whose ways are past finding out,All I can say is what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13 v 12.'Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete,but then I will know everything completely,just as God now knows me completely'

                                                      

                                              

There is hope.( Colossians 1 v 27)

 Humanity has accomplished so much ,they sent a rocket into space with people in it and went round the moon and back again,a tremendous achievement.There are cars that don't need a driver,most of us have wonderful TV's,of course there are countries that  are not so well off.There are still many homeless,and violence is everywhere,in so many countries there are serious conflicts going on.In Bob Dylan's song,'Blowing in the wind',he asks a lot of serious questions,like ,'How many deaths will it take 'tll he knows,that two many people have died?'.Inspite of all humanities achievements,it will never change,I wish I could say it will change,but it won't,the kingdoms of this world will not change,they will only invent more sophisticated ways of destroying one another and cheat one another.Is there any hope?,yes it comes through Jesus,who came to bring people into a kingdom that's not of this world,it is called the kingdom of God,it offers to everyone a wonderful opportunity to be a citizen of that kingdom by trusting Jesus as their Saviour.They will live and reign with Him for all eternity,in perfect peace and harmony.

Our great high priest ( 1 Timothy 2 v 5)

Writing on Jesus our great high priest in Hebrews 4 v14-16,the writer declares,'Therefore,since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,Jesus the Son of God,let us hold firmly to the faith we profess' Hebrews is written to Jewish believers,who were struggling,the new covenant had come in, replaced by Jesus,who is the Son of God,in otherwords He is divine,no more sacrifices,no more trying to be justified by keeping the law.A new way has opened up before them, the way of faith ( Genesis 15 v6) ,The old covenant is absolete it was but a shadow of the good things to come (Heb 10 v 1) That goes for the Aaronic Priesthood it was never meant to be permanent,it would replaced  by a new Priesthood Cp  Gen 14 v18/Psalm 110 v4. and that is Jesus,who is now in Heaven,interceeding for us before God.This is what we read about Him,'For we do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses,but we have one who has been tempted in everyway just as we are,yet He did not sin.Let us then  approach God's throne of Grace with confidence,so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need'. (Heb 4 v15 -16)

Being presumptuous. (Psalm 19 v14 )

                                                     'Keep back your servant from presumptuous

                                                      sins; let  them not have dominion over me!

                                                      Then I shall be blameless,and innocent of

                                                       great transgression.  (Psalm 19 v 13)

So wrote king David,and it's good instruction,he is asking God to stop him from deliberately disobeying him.He is asking God for strength to stop sinning willfully.In the devotional 'Word for today' published by UCB) the writer is dealing with prayer where he asks for grace that he may walk neither in self-doubt nor in self- confidence because we know that apart from Christ, we can do absolutely nothing'  (John 15 v5 ) No one is immune from sinning,David was guilty,Peter was guilty,the list goes on.We often hear of ministers falling ,the nicest people can fall,you and I can,you may have.Count the cost of sinnig,whatever reputation you had as a man or woman of God will be no longer.People will remember you not for the good you have done,but the sin you have committed.The good news is God will forgive your sins no matter how bad they have been,and He will not hold that against you if you trully repent. 

God's choice (Matthew 19 v 16-26)

In Mark 12 v 37 we resd,'And the common people heard Him gladly',in  India a land of 1.46 billion people 80 percent are Hindu;approximately 2-5 percent Christian. More than half of India's Chritians are Dalits (the lowest status according to the Hindu caste system) John Wesley's writes of a group people whom he labled as the great vulgar, they were the well of people.He speaks of them as being rude,rough,vulgar.He writes how he could deal with colliers,or with 'honest Welshmen'',but he could not plumb the emptiness of the gay trifiers.He went on to say,'It is hard to get a rich man to heaven, hard to get a fool there; and as for a rich fool,there seems to be no hope for him'.In  1 Corinthians1 v26 'Not many wise after the flesh,not many mighty, not many noble,are called.'They make their choice but God makes His choice,the foolish and the weak ( 1 Cor 1 v 27),the poor of this world rich in faith (James 2 v 5)

The word of God is ( Psalm 119 v 89)

Psalm 119 has 176  verses by far the longest psalm,it has 22 equal stannzas,each headed by a letter from the Hebrew alphabet. The main  theme of the Psalm is the word of God,the writer stresses many things,the law of God,which is God's wholly loving boundaries, that are for our well being,look at the evils in this world,  anything  seems to be acceptable and where many do what's right in their own eyes,but not so in God's eyes.I just want to hightlight verse 105 ,which reads ,'Your word is a lamp for my feet,a light for my path'. Our Saviour said,'If then the light within you is darkness,how great is that darkness.(Matthew 6 v 23) the religions of the world have their so called holy books, how great is there darkness.They have there so called holy men,how great is their darkness,the atheist  hides in the darkness of his own mind,how great is that darkness,the evolutionist believe that this universe just happened,how great is their darkness. William Plumer comments ', The word of God can solve a thousand doubts'It alone gives effectual comfort in the day of distress,It  preserves our feet from forbidden paths.'.

                         

There is mercy ( Psalm 6)

One writer puts the following words over Psalm 6, 'Prayers and Tears' He points out that this psalm is the first of the seven so called ,penitential psalms' David is concisous of wrongs that he has done and he pleads for mecy,he appears to be suffering from some illness an affiction from God and so he cries unto God to relieve him of his affliction. David was a man beloved of God ,a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13 v14/ Acts 13 v27) But God has no favourites ( Romans 2 v11)It is in  Hebrews 12 v 6 we read ,'For the Lord disciplines those He loves,and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.'Be it David, be it you be it me.It ends on a happy note for we read,'The Lord has heard my plea;the Lord will answer' v 9. If you have sinned,which we all do ( 1 John 1 v 8) ,repent and seek His forgiveness and mercy through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Courage ( Psalm 23)2

Now let us consider the next aspect of the serenity prayer ,it begins with the word 'Courage', for what?,'to change the things I can'.the question is what are the things that need changing in our lives?.I puzzled about this,you know, and God knows ,what are the things in your life that needs changing, What about fear?,now fear is a good thing,the fear of the Lord is a good thing,we are told as regards the unbelievers that ,'There is no fear of God before their eyes,' (Romans 3 v 18)And so they do all sorts of evil,sinful things,a man said to me recently I'm not a bad person,and I replied yes you are more than likely a better person than me,but you are still a sinner,this is what our Saviour said,'I will show you whom you should fear,fear Him (God)  who after your body has been killed,has authority to throw you into hell,Yes ,I tell you fear him'. (Luke 12 v 5) .God is to be  feared but God is also merciful,and he will show mercy  through Jesus Christ,who died for sinners, Now dear Christian, how big a problem is fear in your life?,Are you being being ruled by fear,we will all feel fear,but is fear ruling your life?God has not given us a Spirit of fear,but of power and of love and of a sond mind . (2 Timothy 1 v7) 

                                                      ' Don't be afraid,for I am with you.

                                                        For I am your God,I will strength

                                                        you and help you.I will hold you .

                                                        up with my victorious right hand'.

                                                                      Isaiah 41 v10

Our helper. (Psalm 121)

Psalm 21 starts ,'I will lift up mine eyes to the hills,from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord ,which made heaven and earth' The NLT puts it like this,'I look up to the mountains-does my help come from there?' and there is a resounding no to that, and his answer is this,'My heip comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth'.When the enemy of our souls is pressing in upon us which he will,he will do all he can to frighten us and discourage us.When trials are pressing in upon us let us look to one who made heaven and earth,is there anything to hard for Him to sort out,no,there isn't,'He can do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think' (Ephesians 3 v20) He is the helper of the helpless, and the  hopeless,when other helpers fail and comforts flee,so let us trust our great creator.

This poor man (Psalm 34 )

Psalm 34 is very instructive psalm,with many lessons to teach us,it is written by David,it speaks of him being delivered v6 reads,'This poor man cried,and the Lord heard him,and saved him out of all his troubles'.What does he mean by declaring himself a poor man? after all he was the man ,who slew the giant ,who went on to be a great warriour, and yet he calls himself a poor man.Well it is in Matthew 5 v3  our Saviour said,'Blessed our the poor in spirit,'What does it mean to be poor in spirit,one writer puts it like this,'It refers to those who recognize their spiritual poverty,humility,and absolute dependence on God rather than relying on self sufficency or material wealth' Our Lord is stressing that when we come to God for salvation we acknowledge that we are spiritual bankrupt,and we cast ourselves on the mercy and grace of God .But it doesn't stop there,that is the attitude we must have all our lives,like David we will always be poor in spirit. That confession by David  meant the Lord heard him,and saved him out of all his troubles, yes all his troubles,God does not do things by half.

Knowing God ( Psalm 23 )

Let us consider psalm 23,the best known of all the psalms,verse 1 reads,'The Lord is my shepherd I lack nothing',the AV,reads,'I shall not want.' It is a personal declaration of his relationship with God,God is not an impersonal being,he is not an isolationist,cold and indifferent ,no he desires a relationship with us humans.If you don't know Him personally then you don't know Him,and the only way we can know him personally,is by asking Jesus to be ones Saviour.John 1 v12 we read, 'But to all who believed him,and accepted Him,he gave the right to become children of God'.If we dont know Him we are not Children of God. And when we do know Him,then we shall not want,He will provide for us,and we will lack for nothing,He is the great provider, looking after all His childrens needs. Next verse reads 'He makes me to lie down in green pastures', here is a word for all you workaholics,you who are busy,busy,busy,don't be surprised if God intervenes in your life and makes you to have needed rest.In Mark 6 we read how the disciples were very busy,to busy,and Jesus spoke to them and said,'Come aside by yourselves .....and rest a while'.

                                                           'We are not machines

                                                             we need rest'

Our greatest need (Acts 16 v31)

 If I was to ask someone who are the heathen,what would they say?,if I was to ask you what would you say?. A Dr.Robert A. Morey writes the following,'The proper definition of ''heathen'' is any and every unbeliever. We must not allow people to assume that the word ''heathen'' refers only to the primitive peoples of the Third W.orld. The unbelievers  who live in New York or London constitute the heathen just as much as the Hindus or Australian bushmen'.We must grasped the breathe of Romans 3 v 10, 'There is no one righteous,not even one;' this is followed up describing what that means,' No one understands;there is no one who seeks God.All have turned away they have become worthless ; there is no one who does good not even one',The natural man does not seek after God,I have found it so,only if God moves by His Spirit,will people seek after God. Turning away from God,results in moral corruptness,So follows the evil that proceeds from their tongues,and v15 describes the violent nature of man,who can argue against that.V16-18 things don't get any better,'Ruin and misery mark their ways,and the way of peace they do not know,and there is no fear of God before their eyes' v23 tells us 'that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' This is a very dark picture painted here, so don't tell me that humanity doesn't need a Saviour,or put it personally,that you don't need a Saviour,that Saviour is Jesus.

What we must do. (Psalm 37)

Psalm37 was written by David when he was an old man, v 25 which reads,'I have been young,and now am old; yet have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread'.What a tremendous testimony to God's faithfulness,as to God's people and to their children.Like David I'm and old man  and I can say amen to what David has written,he has provided for me and my family,we have been in some tight spots in our lives,but God has been faithful. In v3 we read ,'Trust in the Lord and do good;if we do that ,then goodness will follow us from the Lord. v4 reads ,'Delight thyself in the Lord;and he shall give thee the desires of your heart'.Jesus said 'seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you'

(Matthew 6 v33). v4 reads,'Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him;and He shall bring it to pass'. Those three verses tell us a number of things,what we must do,'trust in the Lord,' delight thyself also in the Lord', Commit are way unto the Lord'.When we do this then we will see what God will do.

A slimy pit experience (Psalm 40 v1-3)

Let us consider Psalm 40 v1-3,the psalm was written by king David who appears to be in great difficulties ,and what did he do in his difficulties?He turned not in a half hearted way to God,for we read ,'I waited patiently for the Lord, the NEB puts it like this,'I waited,waited,',often prayers will be answered immediately CP Isaiah 65 v24,but often when we pray patience is called for,even though our situation is desperate, but God never comes to late in answer to our prayers,so it was in Davids experience,and it  can be yours. Verse two tells us how desperate his situation was, here is what it says 'He lifted me out of the slimy pit,out of the mud and mire', there is no pit no matter how slimy it is,that God cannot save us out of.That goes for the saint,and the sinner,but he does not just lift us out our horrible pit,he sets our feet on a rock .the words of a hymn comes to mind,they read,'On Christ the solid rock I stand ,all other ground is sinking sand'.Verse 3 reads ,'He put a new song in my mouth,a hymn of praise to our God,' In Ephesians 5 v 19 we read,'Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord'. And if people hear you singing,and they ask why your singing,you can tell them the great things the Lord has done for you

                                                    'Hold on joy comes in the morning'

Made in God's image ( Matthew 12 v 9- 14)

 Two young lads got up to sing in a Christian fellowship, here  is a few of the lines they sung ' The way I am is how God created me',So don't laugh when you see a  person living with a disability, they too are created in the image of God'.Those two boys had disabilities,so that was a song for acceptance, most of us would say amen to that song,but not all.I love the little chorus which goes,'Jesus loves the little children ,all the children of the world,red and yellow black and white,all our precious in His sight,Jesus loves the little children'.I read of a place in Africa were parents kept their children with disabilities in doors, thankfully that  changed when local Christians started up a support group.Do pray for families with children who have special needs,they will more than likely care for those those children for the rest of their lives .We can support them with encouaging words and even with encouraging help.

Idoaltry ( 1Corinthians 10 v20 -21)

 What is idolatry?some people may see it as bowing down to a wooden or a stone idol but of course it goes much further than that,it can be anything. One may worship a football team,or a sports personality,or a well known entertainer,and so we could go on.The first of the commandments tells us that we are not to worship any other god's but Jehovah, Why do so many worship other gods,because they are blind,they worship stone images,they have ears but they cannot hear,eyes yet they cannot see.Such is the darkness of the human soul,that what I am saying means nothing to them.Even Christians can worhip other god's ,William Cowper wrote a hymn with the following words in it,'The dearest idol I have known,whate'er that idol be,help me to tear it from Thy throne,and worship onlyThee'.Judas fell into that trap by worshipping money,Demas did because he loved this world'( 2 Timothy 4 v 10) We often hear people being asked who is your idol? what would your answer be if someone asked you that?

I can't see Him ( 1 Peter 1 v 8-9)

Queen Elisebeth use to say,'' she had to be seen to be believed'',I can undertand that,after Queen Victoria's husband died the queen became a recluse and that went on for many years,and people began question the monarchy,so eventually she returned to her duties.In 1Peter 1v8 we read ,'Though you have not seen Him; you love Him'.It was our Lord who said,'Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe' (John 20 v 29) It does not depreciate the faith of those who did see Him,but as one commentator writes,'For us,faith comes not by sight, but from what is heard (or read) and what is heard comes by the word ( Romans 10 v17) That word is infallable it is God breathed,it is not built on legends, or on mythology but on truth ,it's history is true,its  teaching is true,it's all true.A vast number of people have holy books ,that are full of lies,yet they believe them,to the damnation of their souls.God's word is built on truth,but unfortionately they choose a lie rather than the truth.

                                                                        Jesus said

                                                                I am the way the truth

                                                               and the life and no man

                                                               commith  unto the Father

                                                               but by Me'  (John 4 v6)

                                                               

9

                                                                              

                                                                       

                                                               

Rest ( Matthew 24 v 13)

 Lets consider another aspect of rest, in Hebrews 4 v11 we read, 'Let us make every effort to enter that rest'. The writer was dealing with those who were in danger of turning back, and the severe consequences if they did,he writes as an example the people in the wilderness who did not enter the promise land,(He calls it rest)they were full of unbelief,so they perished in the wilderness.He expresses the importance hearing and obeying the word of God (4 v 7)What is this rest he mentions?we get the answer in Revelation 14 v 13,'Then I heard a voice from heaven say,Write this; blessed are dead who die in the Lord from now on' Yes says the Spirit,'they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them'. so he is talking about heaven which all true believers will go to. So he writes that they  make every effort to enter that rest,what the writer them and us, there is a need for the Christian to persevere ,a life to be lived out in obedience to our Saviour. James wrote,' Show me your faith', in other words an evidence that you are a Christian,likewise  perseverence is an evidence that we are truly are Christians.                                                                                            

9

Words (Isaiah 6 v 1-7 )

The British rock band ''Deep Purple' met a long time super fan,the Japanese PM,and this is what she said to one of the band,''you are my god''.What a strange thing to say,ah you may say well she really didn't mean he was a god.Well she said it,this is what our Saviour said,'But I tell you that everyone will have to give an account on the day of judgement for every empty word they have spoken.For by your words you will be acquitted ,and by your words you will be condemned' (Matthew 12 v 36-37) There is coming a day when that lady will see the folly of what she said,not only the folly,but the seriousness of what she said,and its consequences.There will be a day when all those who said, '' Caesar is Lord'',will be judged.What people don't realise that God is holy,and everytime they say wrong things like that lady,they offend a holy God,  judgement will follow.

Rest ( Psalm 37 v 7) 1

 In Matthew 11 v 28-30 we see one aspect of rest,where our Saviour says ,'Come to me,all you who are weary and burdened,and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light'.Jesus spoke to the Jews of His day,to a people who were ruled by a severe religious group of people.Our Saviour in Matthew 23v4  tells us that,' they crush people with unbearable religious demands,and never lift a finger to ease the burden'.Jesus was  inviting people to come to Him and the leagalistic burden would be lifted from them,and they would find rest for their souls.What ever burdens we are being forced to carry come to Jesus and find rest.

                                                  

                                                              'I came to Jesus as I was,

                                                              Weary and worn and sad,

                                                               I found in Him a resting place,

                                                               And He has made me glad.'  (Words Horatius Bonar)

                              

                                                                                                                          

                                         

                                          

Sometimes He was a man of few words ( Matthew 9 v 32 )

I was visiting a friend in hospital,and as I got into the lift a large bed was pushed into the lift,and on the bed was an old lady,she had a tube coming from her nose.I said to her are you Christian? she said yes,and I said to her ,'the Lord is with you,you will be alright 'I could see that helped her.Our dear Saviour often spoke just a few words to people and they left a mark in peoples lives. To those who hated them he said ,'Father forgive them ,for they do know not what they are doing' (Luke 23 v 34) In those profound words ,we are reminded that there is no limit to his forgiveness,we often put limits on our forgiveness,I know people can really hurt us, yet in the area of forgiveness their is no get out clause,we have to forgive.Then let us consider what Jesus said to the stormy sea,' Quiet! Be still'( Mark 4 v39) and they obeyed His voice,for we read,' The wind died down and it was completely calm'.Jesus is still the same,be it elements,or in our lives ,often we can feel stormed tossed.The hymn writer wrote ,'The winds and waves shall obey my will! Peace! be still! Whither the wrath of the storm-tost sea,or demons,or men,or whatever it be,' Our Saviour  spoke to a man hanging beside Him on the cross,  ''Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise''  (Luke 23cv 43) this man was in the throes of death ,he was a thief,all hope was gone for Him,not so ,today that man is in heaven.It is never to late to call on Jesus,There is a poem that goes ,'Between the stirup and the ground, I mercy sought ,and mercy found.' A word of caution,don't leave it to late.

Just for today ( Proverbs 27 v1)

Mother Teresa said,'Yeterday is gone.Tomorrow has yet to come. We have only today,Let us begin.' It reminds me of  a song with the following words, 'One day at a time,, yesterday has gone,tomorrow may not be our's.It is only this day we can do some good, so let us not miss the opportunity to do some good,don't judge the beggar on the streets, put you hand in your pocket,don't just give them your loose change surpise them with your generoity.Go that extra mile in helping someone,dont live with the regret ,thinking I wish I had helped that person,do it while you have the chance, and do it as unto the Lord,keep it to yourself. Here is what our dear Saviour taught as regards worrying,'Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6 v34 )We are to get our priorities right each day,'seek first God's  kingdom and His righteousness,and He will supply what we need'. (Matthew 6 v  33)

                                                           ' I don't know about tomorrow

                                                             I just live from day to day,

                                                             I don't borrow from its sunshine,

                                                             For its skies may turn to gray,

                                                             I don't worry o'er the future,

                                                             For I know what Jesus  said,

                                                             And today I'll walk beside Him,'          

                                                             For He knows what is ahead.'

                                                                ( Words  Ira F. Stanohill)

Have Thine own way Lord. (Matthew 26 v36-39)

We have considered  that God would grant the serenity to accept the things we cannot change and courage to change the things we can change,and then it is summed up in the following words'And the wisdom to know the difference.' My first wife I went and to Bible college,we believed that we were called to be missionaries,but it never happened we prayed for God to open a way, to know avail,but for other students it did happen.But I did become a minister and I got comfirmation of  that,in the morning we set of to come to England God give me scripture which read,'Behold ,I send an Angel before you to keep in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared' (Ex 23 v20) There was a lady called Adelaide Pollard she lived in 19th century ,she wanted to be a missionary in Africia but it didn't happen.which upset her,but one night a lady in a praye meeting prayed ,'It doesn't matter what you bring into our lives Lord,just have your way with us'.From that experience she went on to write a lovely song,here are some of the words from it.     

                                          (1)  'Have Thine own way ,Lord,have Thine own way;

                                                Thou are the potter,I am the clay;

                                                Mold me and make me after Thy will,    

                                                While I am waiting, yielded and still.

                                          (2)  Have Thine own way, Lord,have Thine own way;

                                                 Search me and try me,Master, today;

                                                 Whiter than snow ,Lord,wash me just now,

                                                  As in Thy presence humbly I bow;

                                           (3)  Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way;

                                                  Hold o'er my being absolute sway;

                                                  Fill with Thy Spirit till all can see

                                                  Christ only, always ,living in me'

                                                  

                                                 

A request ( Psalm 46)2

 The last time we considered change but we never touched on the initial words of the prayer,'God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change',  This is not a one of thing he is talking about,no this is something permanent ,it's not going away like Pauls thorn in the flesh,it is not something you want ,but God has said no. There was a philosophy of stoicism in the Greek world that you should grin and bear it,no that's not what he is asking for,rather he is asking God for an an innner calmness.The words of a hymn come to mind they read,'

                                                   'Drop thy still dews of quitetness,

                                                    Till all our strivings cease;

                                                    Take from our souls the strain and stress,

                                                    And let our ordered lives confess

                                                    The beauty of Thy peace'.  ( Words John Green Whirrier)

                                                     

He is Sovereign ( Ephesians 1 v 11)1

There is a hand that guides all our destinies and that hand is God's .All our times are in His hands,the hymn writer wrote,'His decree who formed the earth,fixed my first and second birth;parents,native place,and time,all appointed were by Him'.He is the one who rules over all of the affairs of our lives'.He is Sovereign,and He does something that applies to all of His children,we read about it in Romans 8 v 28,this is what it says,' And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him,who have been called according to his purpose'.All things ,the good things,the hard things,the hard to understand things,the painful things. Many Christians do not grasp this, good things yes, but not bad things,terrible things, take Job he lost all his children,all his possessions,and his health.Christians die of cancer,Christians are not promised a pain free life,but they are promised that all things  will work together for their good.I knew a girl a girl called  Sheila, I remember hearing her speaking at a meeting,she quoated a verse of a poem,'I'll that he blesses is our good ,and unblessed good is ill,and all is well ,that seems most wrong,if it be His sweet will' (Frederick William Faber) Let me just add,she died of cancer,leaving a husband and Children.

                                                        'Blind unbelief is sure to err,

                                                         And scan His works in vain;

                                                         He is His own interpreter,

                                                         And He will make it plain.  (William Cowper)

 

Two contrasts ( Psalm 1)

 Let us consider the first psalm,it is a psalm of two contrasts,the godly man,and the ungodly man,verse one  reads ,'Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,nor standeth in the way of sinners ,nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful'. This sets the tone of the psalm. The word blessed means happy the ungodly yes are happy but they have no meaningful sense of spiritual well being. The godly are called to be seperate from the ungodly's sinful ways.The godly take great delight in God's word meditating on it continually v2,how much do we value God's word?. Verse 3 tells that the godly man will be like a fruitful tree bearing fruit,CP  Galatians 5 v 22ff.In verse 4 we are told ,'The ungodly are not so,instead of being secure ,he likens them' unto chaff which the wind drives away'Spurgeon writes,'death shall hurry them with its terrible blast into the fire in which they shall be utterly consumed'. Verses 5-6 tells us that in the day of judgement 'they will not have a leg to stand on'(Derek Kidner)He finishes by telling us that God knows the way of the righteous,yes He is watching over His children.But he ends on a very solemn note, 'The way of the ungodly shall perish',hell is every unsaved persons destination.

Never (Psalm 42/43)

Psalms 42 /43 te writer is a spiritual man in verses 1-2 he expresses his great thirst for God,he thinks of his past spiritual experiences,but now he is overwhelmed ,he feels oppressed by enemies and those who mock him. He is struggling feeling cast down, and he does something that we all do,he talked to himself, challenging himself.Yes the most godly people struggle at time feel overcome to the point of despair,in 2 Corinthians 1 v8 we read how Paul and his companions we're in such a situation that they despaired even of life.So here is what the psalmist said to himself,'Why ,my soul,are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,my Saviour and my God'.His adversaries had  chided him,''Where is your God?''When my dear first wife died,her father who was not a Christian pointed mockingly at a plaque with words that read,'Jesus never fails' I never felt that Christ failed me,nor did the psalmist,and nor should you child of God.Let us all put our hope in our loving God who will never fail us.

Change ( John 3v30)1

•  Sitting on my desk there is a little square stone with words on it ,here is what it says,

                                                                                                                                                              

                                                   ' God grant me the serenity

                                                    to accept the things I can-

                                                    not change,the courage to

                                                    change the things I can and

                                                     the wisdom to know the

                                                    difference.'

In my long years,I have discovered there are things that I cannot change no matter how much I prayed, it took along time to accept that truth, There are so many things in life that can effect us and we find that so hard to accept, what I struggled with is different at to what you struggle with. We must not lean on our own understanding that's a trap we all fall into,no we must trust in our sovereign God,the hymn writer wrote the following words,

                                             'Every joy or trial falleth  from above,

                                             Traced upon our dial by the Sun of love.

                                             We must trust Him fully.

If God is sovereign which He is ,then there is a  purpose in those things in life which we cry out in tears for Him  to change,and yet He doesn't,why ?,well that very  thing which we want Him to change, is the very thing He is using to change us. 

                                                    ' Jesus you are changing me,

                                            By your Spirit You're making me like You'