The power of the Gospel. Romans 1 v16]

I was listening recently on a CD ,to a Bible teacher and a colleague talking
about the deterioration within society,in USA,Europe,including England where I live.While I agree with what was being said,it left one feeling a bit down,a no hope situation.Do you feel that way?as you look at this world,
especially in the West,secularism ,materialism,atheism,appear the dominate
forces.But let us just draw back from this ,and let us look up,to a sovereign
God,is He  not able to break into lives,is He not able to turn nations,as well as individuals,to Himself?.The early church faced a far more daunting task
than the church faces today,but Jesus said He would build His church,and he is continuing to do so.In the 18th century unbelief was becoming
fashionable and many of the clergy preached little more than a barren moralism ,so writes Tony Lane.In the midst of that,God raised up John and Charles Wesley,and George Whitefield,and they preached the gospel,and
multitude got saved. The word of God tells us that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes[Roman 1 v16]. Jesus will
build His church,so let us be faithful to that old but ever new gospel,and let
us not despair.
                                                A  prayer.
Dear God we lift our hearts and voices to You,and ask that you in mercy
will turn sinners to Jesus your Son, Amen.

We are so forgetful. [ Luke 12 v15ff ]

Tony Lane in the Lion book of Christian thought on the subject of science
writes,/Modern science has given birth to technology,which has transformed our lives.It has helped to undermine man's sense of dependence upon God.
As Bertrand Russell aptly put it, a fisherman in a sailing boat is more likely
to pray than one in a motor boat.The benefits of technology also make it easier to live for this world alone and to forget about the next/.This is not new ,the nation of Israel where warned often about forgetting God,[Deuteronomy 4 v9/ 6 v12/  8 v10ff /.There were different reasons why Israel would forget God prosperity,wanting to be like others,and being like others.When it comes to humanity ,forgetfulness is a common trait,the Lord told a story of a rich farmer ,who in essence had forgotten about God,he was totally absorbed in the good life,God was not in his thoughts,he had it made,Then at the pinnacle of his success the unexpected happened,he died,and the epitaph written over his grave by God, it read,/ You fool,this very night your soul will be demanded from you[ Luke 12 v15ff] In telling this story Jesus was warning against greed,reminding us that our lives do not consist in the abundance of our possessions. [12 v15].Let us never forget that there is an after life,and one day we will stand before God and   He will say,well.
                                     A  prayer.
Dear God we praise You for all the blessings of life,forgive us if in our pursuit of whatever, we have forgotten about You.Forgive us for not seeing
that greatest blessing is the one we most need ,Jesus your Son. Amen.
                             

Suicide.[ LUKE 15 V 11- 32 ]

A healthy 75 year old lady went to a clinic in Switzerland and ended her life, she said that she was over the hill,and could not face the deterioration
that would take place that old age would bring. This lady had worked with
the elderly and was not happy with what she observed,she did not want to end up in a nursing home,unable to care for herself.One could say,well it was her choice,I wonder what her family will think,.We usually associate suicide with people whose mind is unbalanced,but this lady made a rational decision .Maybe the term rational is a key to this,I do not know if this lady was religious,so much of life now,is filled with people who see only this life.Their reasoning is purely human, as a  Christian, I know life is full of things I would rather not face.The challenge for the Christian is to trust God, whatever comes into their lives,be that old age,or some disability,or prolonged illness. There are many people who are facing so many difficult things,I read of people experiencing,imprisonment,torture yet they endure this because God is with them,and they trust Him in spite of all they are going through.I am not going to judge those who have ended it all.What I
would say if you feel like ending your life,I point you to the one who will help you to live,whatever you are facing,His name is Jesus,turn to Him,right now.
                                   A  prayer.
Dear God comfort the families and friends of those who have committed suicide,help them through this awful  time. Thank you that you are the God
of hope, and in your son Jesus ,we can face life until you take us home,
Amen.

Faith alone,scripture alone,Christ alone. [ 2 Timothy 3 v 15-17]

I come from Ireland the land where saint Patrick brought the gospel,and each year we have saint Patricks day, in protestant north we acknowledged it  but that was all.I praise God for Patrick who was a saint,a saint now what does that mean?.Lets face it, it is a very misunderstood term,which has led to so much unbiblical thinking and teaching,and to say the least is very,very dangerous.The reformation came into being by God ,returning people back to the Bible,to the truth of faith alone,scripture alone,and Christ alone.In other words we are only saved by exercising faith in Christ alone,as is seen in Gods word.The then church went beyond this, they brought in church teaching and tradition,just like the scribes and the Pharisee's,with the oral law.The result was Jesus called them blind guides,that their teaching were but rules made by men.[ Matthew 15v 13/9].He had much more to say to them as to the harm they were doing to the ordinary people[Matthew 23]I have a friend who attended a religious place , to be trained as a leader in that religion,the Bible was never taught.My friend left that so called Christian training place,and eventually left that so called Christian church,because in spite of him being very religious,he had no assurance of his sins being forgiven.That changed when he turned to Gods word the Bible,and discovered Christ as his Saviour.
                                     A prayer.
Dear God we thank for Your word,which alone makes us wise unto salvation,through trusting Christ alone. Amen.

When they are gone,they are gone.[ Hebrews 4 v 14-16]

A number of  Christian denominations use terms in an unbiblical way,one
is the term priest,they call those who lead the people priests.I raised this with a Christian once ,she replied,it does not matter as long as you are able to serve God.But it does matter ,where as in the OT church the term Priest was legitimate. The Holy Spirit indicated that the way into the Most Holy Place had not...been disclosed,until the coming of Jesus[Hebrews 9 v8].Until Christ came priests where necessary,but once Christ came that priesthood was no longer necessary.A new priesthood came into being which was foretold in the OT.CP,Psalm 110v4.no longer would there be sacrifices,no longer would we need a priest on earth ,it was finished,because it was only meant to be temporary.[CP Hebrews 7 v18-19].We only need Christ to intercede for us,as he has made it possible for us to enter Gods presence by the shedding of His blood on Calvary[Hebrews10 v19].He is an all sufficient saviour and priest,one who fully understands us and our condition [ Hebrews 4 v14-16].In introducing another priesthood into the church of Christ,we are rebuilding what God has destroyed[Galatians 2 v18],and that's a serious thing to do.I have not touched on the priesthood
of every believer,which is a separate issue to one I have written on.
                                     A  prayer.
Dear God we thank You for Jesus our great high priest, Amen .

Only Jesus .[ John 14 v6 ]

Through out the scripture we are continually reminded that the greatest of men are but men,James reminds us that great prophet Elijah was just a man like us [James 5 v17]. No where in scripture do we read of anyone praying
to the dead,the dead still exist but there dealings with this life is finished.
Why did God bury Moses,and to this day no one knows where his grave is.
[Deuteronomy 34v5-6].The reason being his connection with Israel was finished,he served Gods purpose,we are not meant to hold unto the dead.
Barnes in his commentary,points the reason being ,that his grave would not become an object of superstitious honour.Israel had to learn this lesson,if only the church of Christ  could have learned this lesson,yes we honour the
memory of godly people,but it must stop at that,they are gone,their work for
God is finished.The most godly of people have only one task that is pointing people to Christ,who alone saves us,and who alone intercedes for us,as the scripture teaches us,in 1 Timothy 2v5 ,we read,/For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus/.
                                  A  prayer.
Dear God we thank you for the apostles and prophets ,help us always to look beyond them to our Saviour Jesus. Amen.

Oaths [ Mark 6 v 26]

Going back in history to the second world war when awful things where happening,and why both Germany and Japan armies kept on fighting,and why they fought so fanatically.One of the reasons I believe was,that both armies took oaths of absolute obedience .These oaths bound  them to their
leaders ,to Hitler,and in Japans case to their Emperor,honour was at stake.
To take an oath of absolute obedience to anyone is wrong,for it means that
you are bound by that oath. For both armies it meant doing things that no
one should ever do,in acting in barbaric ways. The fact is taking oaths can
get us into all sorts of trouble we read how king Herod made an oath to a young girl,he swore an oath that he would give her whatever she desired.
Her request was for the head of John the Baptist,Herod  deeply regretted
when he heard her request,yet because he had made an oath,and the breaking of that oath would have affected his honour in the sight of those present,he had dear John executed.Many people bind themselves to things
they should not ,and find themselves doing things they bitterly regret.
Whatever one may think about oath taking,God expects no one to stand by an oath or to take an oath that involves committing themselves to some dubious ,moral evil action.
                                          A  prayer.
Dear God help us not to bind ourselves with anyone or any authority to
commit any dubious wrong actions ,in Jesus name we ask this Amen.