You must be born again. ( John 3 v 7 )

Take yourself back to the days of the early church, Jesus had left and gone back to heaven,but of course His presence was with them, in the person of the Holy Spirit. So it means for them and us  that not only is Jesus with us, He dwells within us, every true Christian has the Holy Spirit within them,this happens when a person is born again ,it is spiritual rebirth,it comes when we trust Jesus as our Saviour (John  1 v 10 - 13). This is does not come about by natural means,it is a work of God,the moment we accept Christ,confessing our sin,for He is a Saviour, sins need forgiven,we become  children of God. Money cannot buy this ,nor can religion  make us children of God ,it is a free gift ( Romans 6 v  23) Everyone is not automatically a child of God ,to those who have never received Jesus we are objects of wrath,Jesus told some very religious people they belonged to their father the devil  ( John 8 v 44 ).  Jesus says there will come a day in when all man will stand in the judgement, claiming to be His, and he will reply, depart from Me I never knew you.( Matthew 7 v 23 ).The serious thing about those words ,these people said they knew Jesus,they were living under a allusion , those who are truly His, are not workers of iniquity.The evidence that we are  Children of God,is manifest in a life that is holy,obedient,loving ,filled with good works.None of these things save us but without them we are showing no evidence that we are true children of God.

Go. ( Matthew 28 v 18 - 20 )

When I younger open  air meetings where still a common thing,now we never see one,but just  recently, I heard a young lady,proclaiming the Gospel,in the open air. While ,away for a few days I heard another person speaking in the open air,both of them where black people.Us white people don't   do open air meetings anymore I wonder why?,I read this recently by Michael Wilcock ,''That there is in truth no such thing as Harmonious co-existence between church and the world, for where there is no conflict it is because the world has taken over ''.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

The future. ( Proverbs 27 v 1 )

The word of God tells us ,that no one knows  what a day will bring forth,( Proverbs 27 v 1 ) many people are dying to know the future ,so they star gaze,people used to tell us ,they could get a message from tea leaves.The fact is not one of us knows about the next 5 seconds ahead of us,but this is what we do know.                                                                                                                                                                                                I do not know what lies ahead,                                                                                                                  the way I cannot see;                                                                                                                                 yet One stands by to be my guide,                                                                                                               He'll show the way to me.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              I do not know how many days                                                                                                                  of life are mine to spend;                                                                                                                            But one who knows and cares for me                                                                                                        will keep me to the end;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 I do not know the course ahead,                                                                                                                 what joys and griefs are there;                                                                                                                   but  One is near who fully knows,                                                                                                             I'll trust His loving care;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                I know who holds the future,                                                                                                                      and He'll guide me with his hand.                                                                                                              with God things don't just happen,                                                                                                            everything by Him is planned                                                                                                                    So as I face  tomorrow
                                                    with its problems ,large and small,                                                                                                            I'll trust the God of miracles,                                                                                                                      give to Him my all.                                                                                                                                   (Words..A.B. Smith)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Israel ( Ephesians 2 v 8 - 9 )

Lets continue looking at Israel at the time of the Judges ,Consider what Michael Wilcock writes,  ''There is one aspect of the gospel message as Judge conveys it, that Israel cannot save herself'',  No they could not save themselves ,God provided Judges to do it,and they always did. This is a vital point to all the people of the world,we cannot save ourselves, salvation in total is of the Lord CP Jonah 2 v 9 . It means what it says, we cannot save ourselves, no so called natural goodness , can save us,no  religion can save us, no good works can save us CP , Ephesians 2 v 8 - 9.No matter how well meaning you are, sincere you are, whatever,it will not change the truth ,God saves, and Him alone, what does that mean,well first of all we come empty handed to a holy God,with one cry on our lips, mercy,we must also recognise that mercy is received at the cross on which Jesus died.For Jesus work of salvation is the only work that can save us,nothing else .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             When I survey the wondrous Cross                                                                                                           On which the Prince of Glory died,                                                                                                            My richest gain I count but loss,                                                                                                                And pour contempt on all my pride.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Forbid it Lord that I should boast,                                                                                                              Save in the Cross of Christ my God;                                                                                                          All the vain things that charm me most,                                                                                                    I sacrifice them to His blood.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         See from His head, His hands, His feet,                                                                                                     Sorrow and love flow mingled down;                                                                                                        Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,                                                                                                          Or thorns compose so rich a crown?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Were the whole realm of nature mine,                                                                                                       That were an offering  far to small;                                                                                                           Love so amazing, so divine,                                                                                                                       Demands my soul, my life, my all.                                                                                                              ( Words ..... Isaac  Watts   )                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Learning from history. ( Psalm 139 v 23 - 24 )

Someone has said,'' Those who will not learn from history ,are doomed to repeat it'',and no where is this seen than in the book of Judges. Here is the theme right through this book, by  M Wilcock.                                                                  Israel sins ( 3 v 7)                                                                                                                                      Israel angers the Lord   ( 3 v 8 a )                                                                                                              Israel is subjected to an oppressor  ( 3 v 9 b )                                                                                            Israel cries to the Lord     ( 3 v 9 a )                                                                                                          A deliverer is raised up    ( 3 v 9 b )                                                    M W points out that the title Judges refer to twelve successive characters in the book, some are not actually called Judges. As one reads this book, and the continual repetition  ,one is tempted to ask, why ?,yes why?,they did not get together and stop repeating the same mistakes ,at no time did they break free from this cycle of events,it did not have to be like this. But let us stop there and and ask the question are we as individuals any different from Israel?.  Most of us have failings, and we have besetting sins, and we keep repeating them causing us trouble, and yet we never learn from our history ,is it not time we stopped repeating those same sins,and stopped bringing havoc into our lives We look further at this tomorrow, here  is a prayer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Dear Lord help us to take a good look at ourselves,                                                                                 and stop  making excuses, or blaming others for                                                                                       the way we act, in Jesus name Amen                                                                                .                                                                                                                                                                   .                       

He will not change ( Hebrews 13 v 5 - 6 )

 A line from a well known song goes,''The times they are changing'', yes we appear to be world of change,as a man aged 74 ,I can testify to the changes I have witnessed in my short life,from the home I lived in as child to the home I live in now.From using a pen with a nib which one dipped in ink, to write with, trying not to cause the ink to blot as one wrote,to using a computer to write to people. There so many change have and are taking place,one could fill book with them. On the moral front there are changes , in the area of sex, divorce,and in so many other aspects of modern life. And yet we are told that there is nothing new under the sun,oh yes there are many new things ,but for  us all life is repetitive. Yes the times are changing ,but man is still a sinner, that never changes, and never will, and thankfully Gods love never changes, the gospel never changes,these will never change. His promises never change.Mankind can still be changed in a positive good way.and when we put our trust in Jesus,we discover one who will never change.Come what may in Jesus we will be safe and secure,we read that He is bringing many saints to glory,the question is will you be one of them?                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Jesus the same yesterday,  today,                                                                                                                 and forever. Hallelujah.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

In a corner ( James 1 v 5 )

I  heard someone say as to their Pastor how he boxed himself into a corner, by his attitude  and what he had said. Like that Pastor I have been there myself , and it is difficult to get out of it,Winston  Churchill's father Lord Randolph  was Chancellor of the Exchequer ,he was a very able politician,but he was opposed to certain things in the government,so he sent a letter a letter of resignation ,hoping it would force change,but his letter of resignation was accepted.and that was the end of his political career. Of course there are things we must take a stand on,truth,holiness, but there are things we must be careful with, and not assume that we can force our ideas on others. We would do well to heed the words of Solomon in Proverbs 15 v 22..''Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed''.Now of course we do not want as Charles Bridges says,to be carried away with every person's opinion,But there are mature godly men or women we could go to,and listen prayerfully to what they have to say.