''Cutting off'' ( Romans 13 v 14 )

                              In  Matthew 18 v 1 - 9, Jesus speaks very sternly  to those who cause
                              others to sin ,we can think of many who do that,they come under great
                              condemnation,and will suffer severe judgement.Child abusers will suffer
                              those who trap people into prostitution,.Many dear people have been lured
                              into evil practise's,those who do will suffer, for God is just. .He goes unto
                              speak , to 'cutting  off' a member of the body, rather than giving into sin.
                              Origen  took these words literally, and was castrated.This is what John Stott
                              wrote.
                              ''The command to get rid of troublesome eyes,hands and feet is an example
                                of our Lord's use of dramatic figures of speech. What He was advocating
                               was not a literal self maiming, but  a ruthless moral self denial. Not
                               mutilation but mortification was the path to holiness He taught.  If  your eye
                               causes  you to sin because temptation comes  to you through  the eyes( objects
                               you see), then pluck out your eyes. That is, don' t look, Behave as though
                               you had actually plucked out your eyes and flung them away and were now
                               blind and could not see the objects which previously caused you to sin''

                                                        ''Let us stop pampering ourselves''
                     

Temptation. ( Hebrews 4 v 14 - 16 )

                     It  was H R. Palmer who wrote that old hymn ,' Yield not to temptation,
                     many years ago,we  seldom hear it song  these days ,and yet its message is
                     relevant to every generation. Every day  everyone one of us face temptation
                     it is told that this hymn stopped a riot in a women's prison,again many years
                     ago.Sing Sing, had a women's section. One Sunday the women were gathered
                     together,for a religious service, the prison officer in charge, gave which caused
                     an uproar .A women's riot was harder to deal with than a riot by men,the situation
                     was getting out of hand, when someone started to sing the following.,
                   
                                             Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin,
                                              Each victory will help you, some other to win.
                                              Fight manfully onward ,dark passions sudue
                                              Look ever to Jesus He will carry you through.
           
                      Very soon all the lady prisoners joined in and  then quietly went back to their cells.

Hell ( Luke 16 v 22 - 23 )

               I received a phone call from a friend ,he is the  brother of  Raymond who was my best
               friend up until I was 20,and then we went our separate ways. I had just come back  to
               Lord, he did not know the Lord, nor wanted to follow Him. It was years later that I
               found out that Raymond's brother had become a Christian, since then we have stayed in
               contact with each other. He is a fine Christian man ,he witnesses to many people ,I
               never thought he would become a Christian ,yet he did,for those who decry the preaching
               of Hell, it was that very thing that caused my friend to trust Jesus. He told me  that it as
               at the funeral of his father, the reality of Hell came upon him .Many ministers will not
                preach on Hell, they must have their reasons,but then we are not to lean upon our own
               understanding.Hell is not an outdated truth,  sadly to say ,untold millions will end up in
               Hell.
                                        On the golden streets of heaven
                                        All men hope to walk some day.
                                        Yet so many are not will to accept
                                        living way.

                                        Some will  tell that God's mercy
                                        is their only hope and plea.
                                        But I read that my dear Saviour
                                        Died for sinners just like me.
                                        Hallelujah, Hallelujah, I'm
                                        depending on the blood.
                                           ( Words by John Oatman.Jr.  )





             

Jabez ( 1 Chronicles 4 v 9 - 10 )

                      Whats in a name ?,well the seven dwarfs in the story of Snowhite,  reflected
                      their name,Snezzey,sneezed,Dopey was not to bright,Grumpy well he was crumby.
                      We call someone who is miserable all the time, misery guts,the children's writer
                       Roger Hargreaves was on a winner when he wrote the Mister Men books,Mister
                       Tickle,Mr Greedy, and many others.What's in a name? a lot or nothing,in Bible
                       times names meant something,Jacob means twister,in other words someone you
                       cannot trust.We read of a man in Chronicles called Jabez, which means pain.,
                       his mother experienced much pain in giving birth to him,so she called  him pain.
                       He desired to be free  from pain ,and God    granted his request.You may not be
                       Jabez but you have reputation that causes you pain. Could be ,you had a father who
                       was not up to much,you do not want to have a reputation like him, or even your
                       family.God heard the prayer of Jabez and granted his request. When we think of
                       Jabez we remember a man of prayer a man who was changed by the power of God.

                                     With Christ we are new creations,we need no longer live
                                      under fear and a dark cloud,

Do not forget your roots. ( 1 John 3 v 1 - 3 )

                 I am reading and studying  Chronicles,  at this time ,one of the things that would
                 put one of reading this book,is the first 9 chapters  are mainly names. One must
                study these two books,and begin to understand why these list of names are there.
                I am using a study guide from one the the Bible speaks today series and am finding
                it helpful.It was written to a people who had been taken into exile in Babylon.Now
                it was Jeremiah the prophet who wrote a letter to those in exile,( Jer 29 )he reminds
                them why they were in exile,also that it was not permeate ,in 70 years God would
                bring them back to their own land.In the mean while they were to settle down and
                lead a normal life, even pray for the  place they were in. The greater part of Israel
                had been taken captive into Assyria, years before.So they were as a people scattered.
                the writer of Chronicles was moved by God to remind them of who they are,a special
                people ,rooted in God,the first 9 chapters remind them of their roots. As with Israel
                of old so it is that many us who are the present Israel,made up of Jew and non- Jews,
                 need to be reminded of our roots, that in Christ we are children of God ,be we refugees
                exiles or whatever ,yes live a normal life pray for where you live, but let us be careful,
                to not forget our roots.
               
             

Changeless grace. ( 2 Corinthians 12 v 7 - 10 )

                    I read these words, ''Changeless grace in changing circumstances ''. What a
                    wonderful truth.A friend of mine and his wife who has been going through
                    a difficult time for a number of years, said how much God has upheld them.
                    I recently spoke at a church,a dear Christian brother came to me after I had
                    spoke. He said how the word preached help him.The previous week his wife
                    had died from cancer , he mentioned  how difficult he had found it, as
                    the pain killers had little effect. I can only imagine how difficult it must have
                    been.I read recently of a dear brother in China arrested ,was experiencing
                    being tortured.How can they cope with such things?,the answer is Gods
                    changeless grace in their changing circumstances.

                                                                God  said

                                                    My grace is sufficient for you.

                                                          ( 2 Corinthians 12 v 9 )
                                           



             

Free at last . ( John 8 v 34 - 36 )

                             Recently it was my wife's birthday, so we had a celebration for
                            her and so the family went out for a meal. There on the table
                            where balloons  filled with gas,  that float in the air.
                            they have ribbons attached to them , that is attached to a weight.
                            the question is ,what does one do with the balloons when the party
                            is over.? Well I took them and cut the ribbon attached to the weight,
                            all of a sudden they were free,to zoom up into the heavens ,and it
                            was if I could hear them say,' Free ,free at last'.

                                                     ''If the Son sets you free
                                                      you will be free indeed.
                                                          (John 8 v 36 )