Shalom ( John 14 v 27 )

                                               Shalom
                 When we think of peace we think of a cessation of war,
                 of conflict, of  peace of mind. In the Bible we have a word
                 for peace, which goes beyond our concept of  ,indeed has a
                fuller meaning. It  is a word called Shalom, and it covers,
                 physical, emotional , relational, and spiritual well being .
                 We have this coming across in  3 John v  2 .
                              Dear friend ,I pray that you may enjoy
                              good health, and that all will go well
                              with you, even as your soul is getting
                              along well.
                   That is Shalom, today in the name  of  Jesus, the Prince
                   of  peace ,I wish you Shalom.
                                       

Romance. ( Ephesians 5 v 2 )

                                            Romance
              Are you a romantic?, I am to some extent, I still send my wife
              a Valentine's card ,but I know that love is more than this. The
              wedding vow ,we make in church, declares for better or worse,
              in sickness or health . When we take those vows we are saying
              come what may ,we will love , and be faithful to the one we
              are married to. That's a tremendous challenge ,to present society,
              with its fickleness, but if we have stood before God , and made
              those vows, He expects us to keep them.

                                       William  Shakespeare.

                                         Love is not love
                     Which alters when it alteration finds,
                     Or bends with the  remover to remove.
                     O no, it  is an ever fixed mark,
                     That looks on tempests and is never shaken,
                     It is the star to every wand'ring bark.

Transformed ( 2 Corinthians 5 v 17 )

                         For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal
                         but mighty through God to the pulling down of
                         strong holds. Casting down imaginations, and
                         every  high thing that exalteth itself against the
                         knowledge of  God, and bringing into captivity
                         every thought to the obedience  of Christ.
                                      ( 2  Corinthians 10 v 4- 5)

                                                R.V.G.Tasker
                        
                         ''One of the most astonishing and undeniable 
                         arguments for the truth of the Christian
                         religion , and for the omnipotence of God, is
                         the fact that, when faced with the gospel, which
                         is a scandal  to the human intellect and folly to
                         to the proud, unregenerate men, some of the most
                         subtle of human intellects have been led to render
                         submission to the Saviour. Many of the wisest
                         have been content to become as fools for Christ
                         sake, and not a few of the 'freest' of thinkers have
                         surrendered their ' freedom' to become slaves of
                         Him who took upon Himself the form of a servant''
                       
                        



                          

Casting down ( 2 Corinthians 10 v 5 )

                                         Imagination.

                    David Atkinson writing on the importance of
                    imagination, states  , 'Imagination is not the same
                    as fantasy.......we need the sure word of the word
                    of  God, so that the sanctified imagination keeps in
                    harmony with the sanctified intellect'. It was John
                    Lennon who wrote  and sung a very popular song
                    'imagine'. Much of the words one cannot go  along
                    with. John's mind was not a sanctified mind ,so there
                    is much that is not in keeping with Gods word.
                    In 2 Cor 10 v5-6 we read ,'' For the weapons of our
                    warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to
                    the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down
                    imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth
                    itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into
                    captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.''
                   
                                    
                     

Why me? ( Ephesians 2 )

                               As I was out for my usual walk, the thought
                               came to me was,' why me ? '.Why am I a
                               Christian, my sins have been forgiven I
                               not going to Hell, and I am going to Heaven.
                               The salvation of a soul is a great mystery
                               and I suppose we never will fully understand.
                               Salvation is unmerited and undeserved ,it is a
                               free gift from a merciful ,gracious and loving
                               God. Even though this is true and we are saved
                               by a sovereign God,  we are all responsible to
                               to trust Jesus, Even though people do not
                               attend church, the message of Christmas still
                               comes to us all ,most people miss the main
                               message, and so miss out by eating and  drinking,
                               The deep meaning is not allowed to intrude ,
                               lest it spoils, their make believe ,world.

Why not me? ( Job 19 v 25 - 27 )

                                        Why not me ?

                         We  hear  people say ,why me, I don't deserve
                         this, it is as if thy feel they have  been signalled
                         out from others to suffer. The fact is ,suffering
                         goes with the territory, this is a fallen world, a
                         world were there are no earthly paradises. But
                         there is hope, there is a God who loves us, and
                         He has not forsaken this world, although to a
                         great extent the world has forsaken Him. The
                         prophet Jeremiah spoke the following at a time
                         of  great suffering.
                                                Lamentations 3 v 22-24.
                          Because of the Lord's great love  we are not
                          consumed, for His compassions never fail.
                          They are new every morning; great is Thy
                           faithfulness. I say to myself ,the Lord is my
                           portion; therefore I will wait for Him.

                       

Why ? ( Psalm 42 )

                                                 Why ?

                      Many ask the question why?, whatever the answer,
                      it will not necessary, satisfy. As a Christian I am
                      called to trust in God, in every situation,  like Job,
                      who lost all his children, all his wealth, and then
                      his health. His wife felt he would be better of dead,
                      but Job did not take that option, nor should we, life
                      is a very precious gift, no matter how difficult it may
                      be.

                                               Psalm 42 v11

                                   Why are you downcast , O my soul?
                                    Why so disturbed within me?
                                    Put your hope in God,
                                    For I will yet praise Him,
                                    my Saviour and my God.