Nice people .[ Ecclesiastes] [Matthew 24 v36 -51 ]

What if everybody had enough to eat,and everybody was nice,communisim wants everybody to have equal shares.But followers of Marx  of course are not usually nice people,they have a dream of changing the world,but often change it ,into a hell on earth.But let us for a moment dream, of a world that is different,where everybody is nice and everybody is fed,it will never happen,but just imagine it did.Do you think those nice well fed people would seek God?,C.S.Lewis writes ,/A world of nice people content in their own niceness,looking no further ,turned away from God,would be just as desperately in need of salvation as a miserable world-and might be more difficult to save./In my life time I have witnessed a dramatic change in vast
numbers of peoples lives,my own included. The material possessions that people have,is mind blowing,it is a common thing for people to go on cruises, yet just like the nice people, as C.S.Lewis writes,mere improvement is not redemption.
                                             A prayer.
Dear God open the eyes of all men,eyes that are blind to the fact that being
nice and being fed,is not enough,and will never be enough.in Jesus name we ask this Amen.

I am upper class. [ Isaiah 55 v 6-7 ]

You will never be any good,you will never amount to anything,how many people have been told this,even by their parents.Many nationalities have been looked upon as worthless,the English at one time despised the Irish,the white people despised the black people, India  have their untouchables.
So often people are labelled so that they end up despised,I am upper class,I am middle class,and you are working class.Why does humanity always want to create a despised class?because of pride,oh yes they will make up reasons ,Hitler the deceiver,and deceived one,was a being filled with pride.
Unfortunately it is in us all,the Jews took pride in their position,as the chosen people,which lead them to despise the gentiles,and the religious hierarchy despised the common people,and amazingly despised their Messiah,even crucifying Him[Isaiah 53].Such is the sin of pride, it is in us
all,why do we bristle when God tells us we are sinners?,pride. Let not your proud blind heart bring you to everlasting destruction,humble yourself before God,acknowledge your need of Christ and trust Him as your Saviour.
                                            A  prayer.
Dear God our hearts are so full of pride,help us to see the evil and dangers of this sin that clings to us,like a disease,and even blinds us ,causes us to
despise others,and even our desperate need of a Saviour,Amen.

Museum of procrastination.. [ 2 Corinthians 6 v2 ]

Recently while visiting a certain town,as I ,my wife ,son and his wife were walking along, I noticed a street musician,he was dressed in an evening jacket,and was playing a violin.They are called buskers,and people gave them money,this man was very gifted,so much so, that when my family
went do some shopping,I returned to listen to him.I stood listening and
as I did the music touched my heart,tears ran down my face,and I was truly blessed.During a break in his performing I spoke to him,he mentioned
that I must have been cold ,well I said,your music warmed my heart.I
mentioned how much I appreciated his gift,then I asked him was he a Christian?,he said ,not yet,not yet .It reminds me of an advert on the TV,
that welcomes people to the museum of procrastination,that word means
delaying or postponing,a putting of,some more convenient day.The Word
of God stresses the importance of  not delaying,it says come now,behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation[2 Corinthians 6 v2].Life is very uncertain ,suddenly things can change,and before we know
we are taken away,or our mind goes,then its to late,I beg you because I love you, to trust Christ today,do not delay.
                                           A prayer
Dear God help us to see the importance of not delaying,and help us to trust
Christ today,in His name we ask this Amen.

Are you saved? [ 1 John 1 v 7-9 ]

Yesterday we looked at why Jesus came,to save from our sin,and we high lighted that if we come to Christ  He will save us from our sins.No matter what we have done,there is forgiveness,this is illustrated  in the word of  God ,in Isaiah 1 v18 /Come now,and let us reason together,saith the Lord;
though your sins be as scarlet,they shall be as white as snow;though they
be red like crimson,they shall be as wool/.It is Barnes who points out that the term used for scarlet,and crimson, was a fast and fixed colour,in other
words, no matter how much you wore it and washed it,the colour remained.This reminds us that sin cannot be removed by any human effort,we can feel guilty,but that will not remove our sins,whatever effort,religious or other-wise,our sins remain, with us.So we need to look beyond ourselves to Him who alone can effectively deal with sin,no matter how terrible they may be.One of the things about sin, it can make us feel dirty,and one longs to be clean, God has made a way in which we can feel clean.So I am going to leave you with two verses from the ,OT and  NT,/In that day there shall be a fountain opened,to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,for sin and for all uncleanness [Zachariah13 v1]/Yes this was spoken Israel,but its greater fulfilment is for the world,the whosoever,which leads us to /1John 1 v7] /The blood of Jesus Christ his [Gods] Son cleanseth us from ALL sin/.
                                             A   prayer.
Dear God although our sins our many,and vile,we rejoice that you have provided a person through whom we can be cleansed and forgiven ,even Jesus Amen

          

Are you saved?. [ Romans 10 v13 ]

Are you saved?,saved from what,?if  I was to ask you the question,what would you say?, would you consider me a religious fanatic?. Well first of all let me say that being saved is a biblical term,it is not something dreamed up by some cult.It is term used by Jesus as to why He came,when Joseph
was told that Mary was going to have a child,he was told to name the child Jesus,for he shall save his people from their sins[Matthew1 v 21].Now let us ask the question in light of those words,has He saved you from your sins?. Can you say with hand on heart that He is your Saviour?,that you have been saved from your sins?.Are you blind and think that you have no need of a Saviour?there is an old saying that there are none so blind as do want to see.
Is your every thought pure?,is your every word free from lying,swearing,
and hurtful .Are you enslaved by drink ,gambling,sex,pride,violence and a multitude of other things.Jesus said that He had not come to destroy lives
but to save them[Luke v10 ].Is your life being destroyed by sin,is your life in ruins,hear the word of the Lord to you,/Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved[Acts 16 v31].
                                    A  prayer.
                      Out of my bondage,sorrow and night,
                      Jesus, I come. Jesus I come,
                      Into Thy freedom,gladness and light,
                      Jesus,I come  to Thee.
                       Out of my sin and into Thyself,
                       Jesus, I come to Thee.
                             Amen.
                       [Words by W.T. Sleeper]

Providence .[ Daniel 4 v34-35 ]

We do not hear the term Providence used very much,even from pulpits,I
cannot remember hearing this term used ,and yet it is very important,it is a statement of faith,in God who rules and over rules in all things,that He is working all things out according to His will.The  Westminster confession of
Faith defines the providence of God as follows;/God the great Creator of all things doth uphold,direct,dispose,and govern all creatures,actions,and things,from the greatest even to the least,by his most wise and holy providence,according to his infallible knowledge,and free immutable counsel of his own will,to the praise of the glory of his wisdom,power,
justice,goodness,and mercy./ I stated that this a statement of faith,because William Cowper, wrote God moves in a mysterious ways His wonders to perform.As Romans11v33 declares,/How unsearchable are His judgements
and His ways are past finding out/. Consider that the God created all things
reassures us that  all things came not into being by chance.It also reassures us that God is in control even though man is out of control,and if you are a child of God,let me again stress my life verse,That all things are working
together for  good,to them that love God ,[even though what is happening to you may be painful and bad] ./Romans 8 v28/
                                      Blind unbelief is sure to err,
                                      And scan His work in vain;
                                      God is His own interpreter,
                                      And He will make it plain.
                                            [Words by W. Cowper]

Dark clouds. [Genesis 50 v20 ]

William Cowper was a wonderful poet and hymn writer,he wrote one of the most meaningful hymns ever written,/God moves in a mysterious way,His
wonders to perform/.What depth of meaning there are in words of that hymn,reminding us that in the words of Romans 11 v33,/How unsearchable are Gods judgments and His ways past finding out/. There are times I look up at the dark clouds gathering and I am reminded,of the 3rd verse of that hymn, ''Ye fearful saints fresh courage take,the clouds ye so much dread,are
big with mercy and shall break,in blessings on your head''. Yes let not  fear rule our lives,remember the words of Joseph to his brothers,those brothers
who had hated him,had tried to destroy him.Joseph said, ''But as for you,ye thought  evil against me,but God meant it unto good'' Let us take heart at
Josephs words,the evil people would cause us,God can work it for our good.
So take courage child of God,He will cause those dark clouds in your life ,to shower you with His blessings,as He did with Joseph.
                    
                      And we know that all things work together
                      for good to them that love  God,to them who
                      are the called ,according to His purpose.
                                     Romans 8 v28.
    [I will return to my blog on Monday 15th,  every blessing ]