5 Sola's ( 2 Timothy 3 v 15 - 17 )

                       This year is the 500th year from when the reformation began,led by Martin Luther,
                       the monk who found Christ,through studying the word of God. Although I have
                       read Luther's  life,I do not remember Luthers '' five Sola's'' ,so here they are,.
                       Sola means alone..

                                                      ( 1 )  Sola scriptura   meaning  Scripture alone.
                                                      ( 2 )  Sola  Fide              :          Faith       alone
                                                      ( 3 )  Sola  Gratia           :          Grace      alone
                                                      ( 4 )  Sola  Christo         :          Christ      alone
                                                      ( 5 )  Sola  Gloria           :          The  Glory of
                                                                                                         God alone.
 
                       Luther used these five phrase's to emphasise  the differences  between the reformers
                       and the Roman Catholic Church..
                                                                                                 
     

Onward and upward. ( Luke 9 v 62 )

                 It was budget time ,when the chancellor of the exchequer  tells Parliament his
                 spending plans for the country.Summing up he said ,''we are looking forward, not
                 backward''. This reminds me of what the apostle Paul wrote ,' Forgetting what is
                 behind and straining toward  what is ahead'. ( Philippians 3 v 13 )Life  for the
                 Christian is about going forward, indeed life is about going forward.. I enjoy
                 watching football on the TV,and one thing no team can do is be satisfied with
                 yesterdays success. It is not that we do not take pleasure or totally forget our
                 yesterdays,no but we must not let the past imprison us. The challenge is forward
                 and upward ,pushing forward with all our might, towards  our heavenly goal.
                 past successes,failures,disappointments,hurts,sins, must not hold us back.
                 Our Saviour say to all of us today follow me, let nothing distract  us  from
                 doing just that.

                                                  Onward and upward
               

               
         

Our greatest need. (Luke 5 v 1 - 26 )

               As  a minister was boarding a plane, he noticed a lady  who appeared to have a
              problem with one of her legs,it was partially sticking out in isle.He thought
              should he pray for her, but he didn't. Yet  when the plane took off,he felt he
              would,so he went down the isle, and asked her could he pray for her.
              She agreed ,so he prayed,when he asked her if things where better,no she replied
              it still hurt.. So he prayed again, a bit louder ,but the lady said no change. So
              he prayed again much louder, people began to look down the isle,when he
              finished praying, still no change, her leg still hurt, so back to his seat he went
              feeling  embarrassed,  After the plane landed he went to collect his luggage
              and the lady was there smiling,she beckoned him to come over,oh he thought
              she was healed. But no it had not happened  instead she said '' I would love to
              have your faith,so he had joy of telling her about Jesus,and leading her to the
              Lord. Remember the man a paralytic , was lowered down through a hole in the
              roof,the first thing Jesus said to him was,''Friend ,your sins are forgiven''.That
              took priority over his sickness.,for our greatest need,let me repeat this ,our greatest,
              need, is  to have our sins forgiven,no matter what the sickness is.

                                                  Only Jesus can meet your
                                                  deepest need.
           

Boasting excluded . ( Romans 5 v 1 )

                   ''By the 1500s the gospel of salvation by faith alone apart from works  was buried
                   under the mountainous ,monolithic power of the Roman Catholic Church and its
                   man made traditions. Then came the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation was
                   all  about recovering the truth that salvation is by faith alone and not by faith plus
                   works, as the Catholic system continues to claim'' So writes John MacArthur.

                                                                 Ephesians 2 v 8 - 9.
                                                 
                                                For by grace you have been saved through
                                                faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the
                                                gift of God , not of works,lest anyone should
                                                boast.

A sure guide. ( Exodus 23 v 20 )

                    Now let us consider Proverbs 3 v 6,'' In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He
                     shall direct thy paths.'' Gods word tell us we know not what a day may bring forth''
                     (Proverbs 27 v 1 ),but God does. It is strange that people at funerals have the song
                     ,' My Way', played ,as if  is an achievement  to boast about,and if we think of the
                      eternal  consequences, if that person has never trusted Jesus as Saviour.Again
                      Gods tells us, 'There is a way that seems right unto a man ,but in the end it leads to
                      death.' ( Proverbs  16 v 25 ) Charles Bridges writes ''The end tests the safety of the
                      path''. Oh the transcendent[meaning going beyond ourselves to God) mercy of the
                      eyes opened to see the awful danger of our own way,and our ears opened to hear
                      the voice behind us saying ,this is the way ,walk ye in it'' (Isaiah 30 v 21 ).
                      Consider the open part of this verse ,'' In all thy ways acknowledge Him'', How
                      inclusive these words are, '' we need to bring God into all things,everyday, we are
                      are no longer doing things our way,the worlds way, but Gods way. Next consider
                        acknowledging God ,He will respond ,and He will direct our paths. Again
                      Charles Bridges writes, ''No step well prayed over will bring ultimate regret,He will
                      lead us forth in the right way, (  Psalm 107 v 7 )''

                                                           He led them on safely.
                                                                ( Psalm 78 v 53 )















































9

Leaning ( Proverbs 3 v 5 - 6 )

      Let consider further Proverbs 5 v 3  'Lean not  on your own understanding',  everyday we
      are bombarded with so many things, things that challenge  our faith,in relation to creation,
      moral values, the person of Christ,how can he God and man.?. The miracles recorded in the
      Bible,and when it comes to trials we are inclined, to stop thinking  Biblically  , we move from
      God and His word,  and make shipwreck of our faith.We need to educate our understanding
      so we can, stand and having done all to stand. There is no excuse for neglecting Gods word
      we need to understand what God has to say about trials of different sorts. When we do this
      then we can rest in the Lord,we realise that we are not unique ,many of Gods choosiest
      saints have suffered the severest of trials. yet they fixed their eyes on Jesus, who endured the
      cross ,scorning its shame, for the joy that was set before  Him. (Hebrews 12 v 2 ) The
      unbeliever  will not receive any help from that ,nothing can compensate him for the trials he
      suffered.We could put it this way we need to lean on Jesus and His word, more and more,
      instead of leaning on our own understanding.

                                                   What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
                                                    Leaning on the everlasting arms;
                                                    What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
                                                    Leaning on the everlasting arms.

                                                               ( Words  E.A. Hoffman )

TRUST ( Proverbs 3 v 5 )

                  Trust in the Lord ,so v 5 of Proverbs 3,many say they believe in Jesus who have never
                   trusted in Him as Saviour. When seeking to witness to people we discover that people
                   dislike the Saviour, they  may even hate him.People trust in many different things,the
                   rich trust in their riches, the strong man trust in his physical strength.But the Bible
                   exhorts us to trust in the Lord, why?, because we all need a Saviour and only the
                   Lord can save.There are to be no half measures when it comes to trusting the Lord,
                   with all our hearts, some would say that's a bit extreme,is He not worthy of our trust ?
                   of course He is.  Likewise when it comes to love there are again no half measures,
                   consider what Jesus said ,'' Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
                   your soul, and with all your mind''(Matthew 22 v 37. Total trust and total love ,to do
                  otherwise we will be heading for trouble ,whatever life brings at us.wherever He may
                  lead us.

                                                      God says simple , trust Me ,
                                                              will you?