Broad or narrow road? ( John 3 v 16 )

During the battle of El Alamein ,some of the Allied forces  were making their way along a narrow  pathway, the Germans had lade land mines on either side of it.Some soldiers did stray of the narrow path and where killed. It reminded me of what our Saviour taught in Matthew 7 v 13 - 14 ,about a broad road, and a narrow road. First the broad road it is easy to enter that road and many do , yes I look out on this world and the thing  that saddens me, the vast majority of people are on this broad road. Now this broad road is not a road to no where,no Jesus tells us ,that it leads to destruction.In other words it leads its travellers to utter ruin.I need to continually remind people that the bible teaches of an after life in either Hell or Heaven.The narrow road leads to life,not the place of the dead,but to the place of eternal joy,to all who have trusted Jesus as their Saviour (John 10 v 9 ) Jesus ends his teaching by saying only a few find that narrow road. Remember the majority are not always right , so many never give very serious thought to life's end. Everyone should be asking the question ,''Where am I going to spend eternity?'',will it be heaven or hell?'. As you read these words what is your reply?

Amazing Grace. ( Ephesians 2 v 10 )

A man was talking on the radio about the events in USA of  the protests during the civil rights movement. He spoke of how on one march they were attacked,it was very frightening,but the protesters were determined to not give up.So they marched the next evening, they were soon surrounded by a racist crowd ,many of them had table legs,in which to attack the protesters,the man telling the events of that evening,said he felt real fear.But just at that moment someone started singing , 'Amazing Grace', and as the protesters moved  forward , a pathway through  the racist mob opened up so letting them walk through.The racist were confused by the hymn being sung as it was one of the hymns they sung in their church . Amazing Grace, saved the day,Gods amazing Grace.That amazing  grace did not only save the day,it has saved multitudes ,it has sustained multitudes,it has strengthened multitudes.                                                                                                                                                                                      Amazing grace how sweet the sound                                                                                                        That saved a wretch like me,                                                                                                                       I once was lost, but now am 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.                                                                                                                             ( John Newton )                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Gods timetable. ( Habakkuk 2 v 3 )

I often reflect on Gods timing in my life,how things happened at just the right time.Even so I must remember that there is my timetable and Gods timetable. This is seen in the early church as regards the second coming of our Lord Jesus. They had hoped that He would come soon and when it did not happen, Peter had to remind them of mans timetable and Gods,'' But do not forget this one thing ,dear friends; With the Lord a day is like a thousand years ,and a thousand years are like a day''(2 Peter 3 v 8 ).There are people who say that Paul expected Christ to come, in his life time, I believe he hoped that would be ,every generation of Christians hope Christ will come, in their lifetime,that is why it is called the blessed hope. Many of the promises given to Old  Testament saints,did not get fulfilled in their lifetime,but they did get fulfilled at the time of Gods choosing.         Every promise is set to Gods timetable,some happen immediately, but the vital thing to remember is, it will happen,no power on earth can stop it from happening.If it is a promise concerning a need, a job, God will undertake, in His time,coinciding with the promise God desires that we believe, faith in Gods word,will be rewarded,and is pleasing to God ( Hebrews 11 v 6 )

A man possessed . ( John 8 v 34 )

I was speaking recently on Judas Iscariot,people speculate as to why he betrayed Jesus ,well we do not have to speculate. If we stick to what is revealed in Scripture, well the first thing we are told about him he was a thief John 12 v 6, this was said about him,when he he complained about the woman who poured expensive perfume over Jesus. The woman did this as a lovely act of  devotion to Jesus ,in relation to His death.The  next thing we see about Judas he did not care for the poor ( John 12 v 5 ), he would not have agreed that the poor where blessed (Luke 6 v 20 ).Unlike Jesus who was caring and loving he was uncaring ,he was given a position of trust,and he turned out untrustworthy ,for he was the in charge of the finances, but he cooked the books, helping himself,to what we wanted.When Jesus rebuked him for  his reproaching the woman who poured the perfume over Jesus  feet, he must have felt hard done by,for the money would have gone into the common purse,which he had control of. He immediately went to the chief priests,to betray Jesus for money.This was a man who was controlled by a lust for money,and did not care how he got it.And of course the devil took every advantage of  this man,as he will with any of us if we open ourselves to him. Our lusts can so easily control us,so much so we do not care as to others,not care as regards to the consequences. Like Judas the devil can then take advantage and use us for his own filthy ends and even for our destruction,for make no mistake about Judas,there was only one place Judas would end up,and it was not Heaven.

Gods strange...... ( 2 Corinthians 5 v 7 )

So many people ,yes even Christians,bring God down to their level,they judge God, even condemn Him,they point the finger and say that's not right,He should not act like that,why does He not do something ,why did He let that happen. You may be thinking like that ,even the prophet Habakkuk voiced a why?, then there where people who would doubt that the Lord was coming,because they where judging Him from a purely human level,limiting the eternal God to being a creature of time. It was the people at the at the time of Isaiah who could not grasp the God who is merciful,Islam cannot grasp this as many of their followers slaughter  dear people,they see God purely as a fearsome judge.The people of our Lords day thought like this , they could not understand,when he reached out to those they considered sinners,forgetting that  all our sinners.Gods strange ways,His strange love,His strange mercy,His strange forgiveness. Yes strange but its a beautiful strangeness,let us   stop judging God ,from our limited human, position ,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        For my thoughts are not your thoughts,                                                                                                    nor are your ways My ways,says the                                                                                                        Lord.''For as the heavens are higher than                                                                                                  the earth,so are my ways higher than your                                                                                                ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Oh, the depth of the riches both of the                                                                                                       wisdom and knowledge of God. How                                                                                                       unsearchable are His judgements and                                                                                                         and His ways past finding out.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       ( Isaiah 55 v 8 - 9 /  Romans 11 v 33)

Distinctness. ( Matthew 7 v 16 )

When I was a young Christian, Christians were distinct from non-Christian,in that we did not go to places of entertainment,we did not smoke ,or drink, gambling  was considered wrong. I remember playing darts with my workmates ,and a person who I considered a friend snubbed me. TV was considered by many out of bounds, and for a long time I did not have one, Women were frowned on if they  put on make up,or if they  wore trousers,,(slacks or jeans).  The term worldliness was often mentioned  and if you  went against the fore mentioned things ,you were considered worldly. .We were seeking to be separate from the world, I personally am glad that I gave up smoking, and drinking,and stopped gambling ,I do not think I was deprived of anything and am the better for it.. Alec Motyer writes,'' This sort of isolationist difference is not what  the Bible looks for. We are called,rather,  to ransack Scriptures to discover the distinctive features of a godly lifestyle and to follow through with a discipline of obedience to the word of God. ''                                                                                                         ''The Lord desires His people to be distinct,                                                                                               He wants us to live in the courts of earth                                                                                                   according to the rules of the courts of heaven''                                                                                                    (  A. Motyer  )

Fear (1 John 5 v 13 )

I am not sure what causes one to have a fear of heights, I confess I have, I often think about,it is not extreme,I have travelled on the London eye,and walked across a rope bridge in Ulster,and received a certificate for doing it. I have no fear of travelling by air,but I still have a fear of heights,it appears to me that it is more to do with looking up into the vast heavens. I cannot account for this fear,it is irrational ,but it is real as is a fear of spiders, and so many other fears. As a Christian should I not be ashamed of having such a fear?,no  , I am a Christian by Gods grace,fears and all,because it does not inhibit me to much I do not worry about it.it does not put in a place of condemnation,except by some very religious people, but not before God. But there are fears we should not live with,though many people do, I remember a lady kept phoning me,as regards her salvation,or should I say,that she wasn't saved, no matter how much I tried to assure her as regards her salvation, it was to no avail. If we trusted  Jesus as Saviour,then God has saved you, of course we must show the evidence of  salvation   good works,perseverance,love .They are evidence ,that we are saved,but they do not save us, it is Christ and His finished work on the cross that saves, nothing else.If we are trusting in Him ,He declares that we have eternal life. ( John 10 v 27 - 30 )                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Now have I found the ground wherein                                                                                                      My anchor,hope shall firm remain,                                                                                                            The wounds of Jesus,for my sin                                                                                                                Before the world's foundation slain;                                                                                                          Whose mercy shall unshaken stay,                                                                                                            When heaven and earth are fled away.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Jesus, I know, has died,has died for me;                                                                                                    Here is my hope,my joy,my rest;                                                                                                              Hither ,when Hell assails,I flee,                                                                                                                I look into my Saviour's breast,                                                                                                                  Away, sad doubt and anxious fear;                                                                                                            Mercy and love are written there.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Though  waves and storms go o'er my head,                                                                                            Though strength and health and friends be gone,                                                                                      Though joys be withered all and dead                                                                                                        And every comfort be withdrawn,                                                                                                            Steadfast on this my soul relies,                                                                                                                Redeeming love never dies.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Fixed on this ground I will remain                                                                                                            Though my heart fail and flesh decay;                                                                                                      This anchor shall my soul sustain,                                                                                                            When earth's foundations melt away ;                                                                                                      Mercy's full power I then shall prove,                                                                                                        Loved with an everlasting love.                                                                                                                   (  Words......J.A.Rothe  )