The Way. ( John 14 v 6 )

Before the followers of Christ ,became known as Christians, they where known as followers of the way.( Acts 9 v 2 ) It inferred  that they where followers of Jesus,and that as Jim Wallis writes,''Their faith produced a discernible lifestyle , a way of life. Christian belief became identified with a certain kind of behaviour''.I attended a prayer meeting recently ,on of the leaders of that church, acted very ungraciously towards two young Christian ladies. Now he was not feeling well, and I am not judging  him,for it is easy to do what He did,but the question is this,will he apologise to those two girls, will he ask for their forgiveness?.As a follower of the way,he should, I hope he will,the fact is we will at times say or do something we shouldn't ,it is how we respond that is important, for after all we are followers of the way.                                                                                                                                                                                       Selwyn  Hughes                                                                                                            'The Way is the way unqualified.It is the way to do everything,                                                                to think, to feel,to act, to conduct oneself in every possible                                                                      circumstances. It is the way written into everything, the only                                                                 way that works. All alternatives to the way turn out to be ways                                                               to ruin. There are many wrong ways, but only one right way.                                                                   Life, to me, is one long corroboration of that fact.''

Cold logic ' ( Psalm 73 )

Job had three friends they are usually called Job's comforters,although they did not brign him much comfort.Writing on Eliphaz, David Atkinson comments how he infers Job's suffering was caused by his wrong doings,in other words,he is saying ,that Job was reaping what he sowed.Now of course that is true in many cases, but the fact is Job's suffering was not because of his sin. As DA comments'',Eliphaz is replacing theology with causal  logic. He is taking  a right theological principle and turning it on its head in a way which is both wrong and unfair'' He goes on to write,'' Eliphaz has left faith in the living God in favour of logic, he fails to distinguish between earthly and heavenly perspective.'' Many people are disciples of Eliphaz, they try to fit things like suffering into their mindset, instead of seeing that many things cannot  be explained by our logic.We are children of faith ,faith in a God and  a Saviour we cannot see,and whose ways are past finding out. Again DA comments on Eliphaz writes,'' The moral universe of  the gracious all- sovereign Creator God has been replaced by a smaller universe of natural causes,and material values.

W.E. Henley. ( Psalm 17 v 5 / 107 v 7 )

''My head is bloody, but unbowed.beyond this place of wrath and tears, looms, but the horror of the shade. And yet the menace of the years ,finds and shall find me unafraid,it matters not how strait the gate.How charged the punishment the scroll. I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.''  So reads words from one of the most famous poems ever written,it is called ,'Invictus,',this poem has touched the lives of many people,Nelson Mandela was one of them .One person said it was memorable evocation of Victorian Stoicism,the stiff upper lip.We can think of many people who faced trials, that would have crushed many, with a firmness that was truly remarkable.As a Christian I believe that we are not masters of our fate,we are not the captains of our souls, There is a higher power,a sovereign God who is over all and working all things according to His will,whither people acknowledge it or not. The Lord Jesus taught us to pray,''Your will be done,'' ,and as to facing trials and tribulations of life with a stiff upper lip, many of us have quivering lips.All the disciples fled and forsook Jesus , I am no different, you are no different ,so as to life, and all my goings and comings, I trust it to my God and Father,to lead ,guide and even prosper. And as for facing trials with a stiff upper lip, I will face them prayerfully,praying for the necessary grace to endure,and glorify my God and Saviour.                                                                                                                                                                                                            Lead me gently home. Father,                                                                                                                    Lead me gentle home,                                                                                                                                Mid life's darkest hours, Father,                                                                                                                When sad trials come.                                                                                                                                Keep my heart from, wandering,                                                                                                                Lest my feet should roam;                                                                                                                          Lest I fall upon the wayside,                                                                                                                      Lead me gently home.                                                                                                                                 ( Words....W.L. Thompson )

Amnesia ( John 1 )

It must be very frightening  to suffer from amnesia, when you cannot remember the past, who you are,or whatever ,there are different reasons  why ,one can suffer amnesia. Whatever the reason ,it is not nice, imagine not being able to recognise those you love. Amnesia cant be helped ,but  there is  a spiritual amnesia that can be helped, the ancient Israelites  where inclined to spiritual amnesia,here is what we read in Jeremiah 2 v 32 ,''My people have forgotten me, days without number'', in those times they would have been like Pharaoh who replied to Moses ,''who is the Lord. ''(Ex .5 v 2 ). Sin so distortes  mans  being, that spiritual amnesia settles in., so many are blinded by minds that  for a long time have forgotten that there is a God. They look up into the universe and all they see are stars, and planets ,and fail to remember, the one who created those heavenly bodies..The vast amount of people cannot remember there is a God,who exists, rules and reigns over the whole universe. The result is they live as if there is no God,whom they are accountable to.They look at life with a vacant forgetfulness, not knowing anything about their maker,even denying that they have a maker,choosing to hold unto,the god called evolution.Of course this god does not ask anything of them, neither are they accountable to it,oh no in their spiritual amnesia,they wander lonely as a cloud, not knowing where they came from,or where they are going.The so called smart Alec's of this world , send rockets into space to find out if there is anybody out there.?. Well let me answer that question, there is, and He not only made this world but He visited this world,His name is Jesus , who came to save the forgetful people.

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)