I'm coming home. [Luke 15 v 11ff ]

I read this recently,''Sin will take you further than you want to go,keep you
longer than you want to stay,and cost you more than you want to pay''. I do
not know who wrote these words but the are very thoughtful and full of meaning .Lets consider these words, sin will take you further than you want to go,David looked on a married woman,lusted after her,slept with her,and thought that was that.That is as far as he wanted it to go,but sin took him further ,he discovered she was pregnant,and he ended up, having her husband killed,sin had taken him further than he wanted to go.What we see as a one night stand,can lead on a road that that we do not want to be on.There are people in prison who thought they could sin and that was it,but now they are in prison.There are people who clicked unto a sex site on the inter-net,now they are hooked. Yes it is very true ,sin will take you further than you want to go,many people never thought it would, but it has. Jesus told of a young man,who wanted to be free from parental control,and went down a road that practically destroyed him.[Luke 15v 11ff]

                                  I've wandered far away from God;
                                  Now I'm coming home;
                                  The paths of sin too long I've trod;
                                  Lord ,I'm coming home

                                  I've wasted many precious years;
                                  Now I'm coming home;
                                  I now repent with bitter tears;
                                  Lord, I'm coming home.

                                  I'm tired of sin and straying Lord;
                                  Now I'm coming home;
                                  I'll trust Thy love,believe Thy word;
                                  Lord I'm coming home.
                                    
                                  My soul is sick,my heart is sore;
                                  Now I'm coming home;
                                  My strength renew, my hope restore;
                                  Lord , I'm coming home.
                                    [Words by W,J.Kirkpatrick]
.
                                        

A certain hope . [ John 11 v 25 ]

Yesterday we looked at a young girls request,to be put into cold storage,in the hope that in a coming day she may be brought back to life.I believe it is a vain hope, that it will never be possible,and many think that to be brought back like that young girl wants,is unthinkable,once is enough. Many people of course think that when one dies,that's it,oblivion.Well I believe in a historical Christ,in other words He was a real person,I believe He existed as God the  Son,with God the Father,and God the Holy Spirit,not three Gods of course,but our triune God.In Gods word it was foretold that He would come,and so we have Christmas.He manifested power beyond what anyone ever did,His coming was to die on a cross,that if we believed in Him our sins would be forgiven.Yes He really died ,but on the third day He came back to life,He said He would,and He did.But He also said this,if we trust in Him,we can also be resurrected,and live with Him for all eternity.Yes death need not have the final say,because of Jesus ,we can have a certain hope.
                                           A  prayer.
Dear God we thank you for your dear son Jesus,who died that we might be forgiven,and go at last to heaven, Amen
                    
                       / I will return to my Blog Sunday,every blessing/

I want to live. [John 11 v25 ]

A young girl who died of cancer ,requested that her body would be preserved,she was only 14,she did not want to die,but she accepted that she
would,The mother went with her daughters request,but the father didn't.It was taken to court and it was agreed by the judge that the young girl should have her request.Of course this is not a new thing,it has been going on for a long time ,those who want this are hoping that in a coming day a cure will be found for the disease,they died from,and so they will be revived,cured, and live again. Why do we die?well when God made man,death did not exist,we were never meant to die,but alas we do,nothing can change that,it is an appointment we all have to keep.Genesis 2 v17/Hebrews 9v27 .Death is called an enemy [1 Corinthians15 v26],we cannot defeat it,at most we but prolong it,but it will happen.The prolonging brings with it problems the body and often the mind deteriorates,the result of this we all know about.Is their any hope as regards death,when we die is that it?,is it for many a happy release,is there life after death,more tomorrow.
                                             A  prayer.
Dear God help us to face up to the reality of death,help us to cope when
death comes,and help us to cope when we loose someone whom we love,
in Jesus name Amen.

Amazing Grace. [ Ephesians 2 v 1 -10 ]

                                      John Newton
                                      [1785-1807 ]
                         Once an infidel and libertine
                         A servant of slaves in Africa.
                         By the rich mercy of our Lord
                         and Saviour Jesus Christ.
                         Preserved,restored ,pardoned.
So reads the words on his gravestone,he lost his mother when he was six,his
father was a sea captain,and eventually he joined the Navy.For a great deal of his life he was involved in the slave trade,even after his first religious experience,but eventually the reality of his faith in Christ took hold,and he became an opponent of the slave trade.He even wrote a booklet on its evils,which became very popular.  He served as a Church of England priest,was a popular minister,friends of William Wilberforce,and William Cowper.He passed into the presence of his Saviour at the age of 82.

                       Amazing grace,how sweet the sound
                       That saved a wretched like me
                       I once was lost but now an found;
                       Was blind but now I see.

                       Twas grace that taught my heart
                       to fear,
                       And grace my fears relieved;
                       How precious did that grace appear
                       The hour I first believed.

                       Through many dangers,toils,and snares
                       I have already come;
                       Tis grace has brought me safe thus far.
                       And grace will lead me home.

                       The Lord has promised good to me,
                       His word my hope secures;
                       He will my shield and Portion be,
                       As long as life endures.

                       Yes when this flesh and heart
                       shall fail,
                       And mortal life shall cease,
                       I shall possess within the veil
                       A life of joy and peace.

                      When we've been there a thousand
                      years,
                      Bright shining as the sun,
                      We've  no less days to sing God's praise
                      Than when we first begun.
                             

Omission in preaching. [ John 3 v36 ]

A man I know said a visiting speaker mentioned something in his sermon,
that  he had  not heard from his own minister ,the word Hell.The visiting speaker wondered why some modern preachers do not mention Hell in their preaching. I wonder also, there are reasons,they cannot come to terms with it, and cannot equate it to their concept of God. Surely a God of Love would not  send people to such a place,so they do not mention it. Surely they can see people  come to faith in Christ without mentioning such a doctrine, they appeal to people from the bases of their human reasoning.These preachers have problems with the accounts of the violence ,perpetrated by Israel
, as they conquered the promised land.Now we cannot cover all these things in full,but the fact is we have accounts of God judging people,right
throughout the Bible.Not only judgements relating to time, but a promise of Judgement in eternity [Hebrews 9 v27 ].Consider how the message , most of the prophets proclaimed, had a strong threat of judgement,and this carried through into the NT,the term wrath is used continually. yes even by Jesus.
[ Matthew 10 v 28].The man in the street or those within the cults may pick
and choose what they should believe in,but the preacher in the pulpit cannot
if he does,he will be held accountable. Consider, who would want that on their conscience?,I would not,so even though it is doctrine that is not in vogue, I can speak no other.
                                         A  prayer.
Dear God of truth help those who stand between their fellowmen and a holy God,not to neglect, to warn them of the fearful judgement awaiting all who die without Christ , Amen

William Cowper. [Romans 8 v28 ]

Another of my favourite hymns is,''God moves in a mysterious way'',it was written by William Cowper,who lived in the, 18th century.He was poet as well as a hymn writer,and a great poet of his day,he wrote a poem against slavery,called,''The Negro's complaint'',which Dr M.L.King,quoted from.He suffered from mental illness,on one occasion attempted suicide,and spent 2 years in a institution for the insane,he was a devout Christian.

                                   God moves in a mysterious way
                                   His wonders to perform;
                                   He plants His footsteps in the sea,
                                   And rides upon the storm.

                                   Deep in unfathomable mines
                                   Of never-failing skill,
                                   He treasures up His bright designs,
                                   And works His sovereign will.

                                   Ye fearful saints,fresh courage take,
                                   The clouds ye so much dread
                                   Are big with mercy ,and shall break
                                   in blessings on your head.

                                   Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
                                   But trust Him for His grace;
                                   Behind a frowning providence
                                   He hides a smiling face.

                                   His purposes will ripen fast,
                                   Unfolding every hour;
                                   The bud may have a bitter taste,
                                   But sweet will be the flower.

                                   Blind unbelief is sure to err,
                                   And scan His work in vain;
                                   God is His own interpreter
                                   And He will make it plain.

Be still my soul [ Psalm 46 v 10 ]

There are certain hymns that are dear to us all,hymns that touch our hearts, ,such as, 'Be still my soul,' it was Eric Liddells favourite hymn.He died in a Japanese internment camp,in China.Just before he went to heaven,he asked the Salvation band to play the hymn.With chapped,frozen fingers and cracked lips,the wind  blowing around them,the band fulfilled it.

                   Be still my soul,the Lord is on thy side;
                   Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
                   Leave to thy God to order and provide;
                   In every change He faithful will remain.
                   Be still, my soul,thy best,thy heavenly Friend
                   Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

                   Be still, my soul,thy God doth undertake
                   To guide the future as He has the past.
                   Thy hope, confidence, let nothing shake;
                   All now mysterious shall be bright at last,
                   Be still,my soul,the waves and winds still know
                   His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

                   Be still, my soul,the hour is hastening on
                   When we shall for ever with the Lord,
                   When disappointment grief and fear are gone,
                   Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
                   Be still my soul,when change and tears are past,
                   All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
                       [ Words.  K.A.D.Von Schlegel  ]