The long haul. ( John 6 v 66 )

In his book on Exodus Alec Motyer on writing as regards the Exodus ,he has one section,called, 'God's curious ways,' and underneath theses words he writes,' Walking with God is no primrose path'.Lets mention a few other things he writes, as I feel we can profit from what this godly man has written, on Israels Exodus, and journey to the promised land,''They may have set out 'marching boldly', but soon they complained that Moses had brought them to the desert to die''Our Saviour tells us about the reaction of those who make a decision to follow Him,in Matthew 13 v 3 - 9 . Many years ago I knew a Christian who was  very earnest,he witnessed faithfully,but he fell away, I remember speaking to him,and I started crying. He may have forgotten what I said but I hope he remembers my  tears.People when getting married  stand in church, take a vow before God,'till death do us part'.What they are saying is that they are in it for the long haul, w.hen you trust Christ it is meant to be for the long haul.
                                                  I have decided to follow Jesus
                                                  no turning back, no turning back.
                                                       

Holiness ( Isaiah 53 )

Alec Motyer writes the following about holiness,''it is the essential attribute of the God of the Bible. Indeed ,it is more than an attribute, it is the very thing that constitutes His essential deity. His 'otherness' is His total, perfect,absolute, changeless- and dangerous - moral purity''Tozer writes,''We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart,unique ,unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable.We have learned to live with unholiness, and have come to look upon it as natural and expected thing.'' The death of Christ tells us  how Gods holiness is offended by our unholiness, by our sin, unholiness must be punished, it offends Him, and shuts us out from knowing Him, God never has,nor will overlook sin, His eyes are too pure to look on evil,He cannot tolerate wrong, ( Habakkuk 1 v 13 ) . Pusey writing on this says,''All sin is hateful in God's sight,'' God because of His holiness must judge and punish it,we are told that the wrath of God abides upon us ( John 3 v 36 ). But the death of Christ tells us something else, that by His death we can be forgiven,accepted, by a holy God.Christ the righteous one bore the unrighteous ones sins.When we trust Jesus as our Saviour, we are free from all punishment, because Jesus took our punishment,so wrath is removed.
                                                  None of the ransomed ever knew,
                                                  How deep were the waters crossed;
                                                  Nor how dark was the night that
                                                  the Lord passed through,
                                                  Ere He found His sheep that was lost;
                                                       (Words  E.C. Clephane )

Feeling empty? ( Ephesians 5 v 18 )

My wife came in  with a bunch of roses,asked me to put them in a vase,which I did, and put water in the vase, as usual they looked lovely. But then I forgot to keep watering them, they exhausted the water I had put in,and where drooping badly,looking as if the best thing to do was to put them in the bin. But no, I put fresh water into the vase, and later when I looked at them they had recovered.I remember reading a book called Unbroken, and how the chief character who suffered so much as a prisoner of the Japanese. He somehow went to hear Billy Graham speaking,now it appears that dear Billy was exhausted, the good news is ,the man heard Billy preach,and trusted Jesus.Billy was exhausted,but he managed to preach.Yes even great men like Billy find things hard, there is a price in serving God,and living for God.George Whitfield said'' he did not tire of Gods work, but he did feel tired doing it,''.Often we are exhausted in our Christian life, like the roses we wilt,but it is then we need to look to God afresh, for a fresh anointing of Gods holy Spirit,
                                                 He gives strength to the weary
                                                 and increases the power of the
                                                 weak.Even youths grow tired
                                                 and weary,and young men
                                                 stumble and fall,but those who
                                                 hope in the Lord will renew
                                                 strength. They will soar on
                                                 eagles wings like eagles,they
                                                 will run and not grow weary
                                                 they will walk and not be faint.
                                                          ( Isaiah 40 v 29 - 31 )

Oh, not an other trial. ( Acts 27 )

Life is full of change, change which we do not have any control over, but that does not mean that things are out of control,no ,because as a child of God,we do not look at what is happening in our lives with our natural sight,no let faith take over. In  Acts 27 the apostle Paul was a prisoner being taken to Rome to be put on trial, that was a severe trial in itself,but  the little sailing ship, entered a very severe storm,it had lasted 14 days,and we read Luke who was writing this, he records ,''we finally gave up all hope of being saved''( v 20 ). It was then Paul stood up and told all on the ship,how an angel had appeared,with good news ,that everyone would be saved.Paul declares ,''So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God,that it will happen just as He told me.(  v 23 - 25 ).
                                                    Remember Gods is in control .
                                                    Have faith in God,hold unto
                                                     His word.

Equality . ( Luke 7 v 36 - 50 )

We where watching a DVD on equality, afterwards our home group,discussed it, we touched on many things,going back to ancient Greece.As one considers the subject of equality we see how wide spread it was and sadly still is. I remember years ago sitting in barbers having ,my hair cut.Then I heard the barber speaking to a man with his children, he was one of the travelling people.The barber saw them as inferior and treated them as such, maybe I should have said something, but I didn't but let me say this I did not look at those people like the barber.The whole of history is full of inequality, and of course  it will always  be somewhere. It is an evil that lies buried in the heart of all mankind, it is borne out of pride, we feel that we are better than the other person. pride wherever it raises its head is always a sin.How are we to look at pride, a pride that causes us to think we are better than others,the fact is we are not, for the Christian  never forgets that they are sinners saved by grace. Just imagine you lived in Corinth, now Corinth was a very wicked place full, sexually immoral,idolaters,                 male prostitutes , homosexuals,thieves,drunkards,slanders.Consider that someone witnessed to you in the street and you became a Christian,and then you went to the local fellowship, and the place was full of  people listed,and they have trusted Christ and turned from their evil ways,and you are told  they are your brothers and sisters,  how would you feel?.                                         
                                             Naught have I gotten,but what I received,
                                             Grace hath bestowed it,since I believed,
                                             Boasting excluded, pride I abase,
                                             I'm only a sinner, saved by grace
                                                     ( Words Dr. James. Martin Gray

He is with us . ( Matthew 28 v 20 )

I was listening to a gospel song, the theme of it was,that God is a God of the mountains,and of the valley's ,of the good and the bad times,of the day and the night.When we are told by our Saviour that He is with us always (Matt 28 v 20 ) He really means that,no matter if our circumstances change, no matter where we are,when we fail,and when we succeed, when we laugh  and when we cry,in captivity,or free.Hear the word of the Lord to you today ,''I am with you always'', when we move home,to another job,or school,Jesus says I am with you.The life of Joseph is very instructive, one moment he is under the care of a father who loved him,the next he is in a pit ,then into slavery,then into prison .but the scripture record these word,''the Lord was with him''.Let us go forward into this day with these words  residing in our minds,''I am with you always.''

                                                        A prayer
                               Lord we thank you for the words ,that You
                               are with us always,come what may,there to
                               help ,sustain us,undertake for us,you are
                              with us,thank you Amen

There is an answer. ( Luke 7 v 48 - 50 )

The writer Thomas Binney asks the question
                                             O how shall I ,whose native sphere
                                              Is dark, whose mind is dim,
                                              Before the Ineffable appear,
                                              And on my naked spirit bear
                                              The uncreated beam?
In simple terms he is asking how can he a sinner, hope to stand before a holy God?,when he considers his sinful state. People do not take this into account,they do not realise that as sinners we will not be able to stand before Him. The fact is one cant,in our sinful state we will never be accepted by God, our sin offends God, He who is holy cannot have fellowship with that which is unholy.Sin separates us from a holy God ,( Isaiah 59 v 2 ).So that is the dilemma that we all without exception face,is there an answer , a solution that can help us?.The hymn writer goes unto tell us,
                                               There is a way for man to rise
                                                To that sublime abode.
                                                 An offering and a sacrifice,
                                                 A Holy Spirit's energies,
                                                 An Advocate with God.
The answer is Jesus ,through His death on Calvary our sins can be forgiven,the moment we trust Him as our Saviour the barrier is removed,because of  Him we can be fully accepted by a Holy God, let me stress we must ask him to be our Saviour.