Not knowing. ( Isaiah 55 v 8 - 9 )

Raymond Brown writing on Moses said,''Nothing mattered more to him than knowing, obeying and pleasing God.Moses knew that the things we wish for ourselves are always best for us.There are  times when only God knows the difference between what we merely want and what we genuinely need.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      A prayer by Austin Farrier.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        O God, save me from myself, this self which throws the                                                                          thick shadow of its own purposes and desires in every                                                                            direction in which I try to look, so that I  cannot see what                                                                        it is that you, my Lord and God are showing to me. Teach                                                                      me to stand out of my own light, and let your daylight                                                                           shine.  Amen.

Wages . ( Romans 6 v 23 )

Yesterday we looked at what sin is,a failure, and a coming short, and that we all without exception sin,we are fond of saying no one is perfect.Never a truer word said, we are flawed human beings,this is not the way God made us,there was a time in which we had not sinned,but then in spite of being warned we did sin,and that brought awful,terrible,devastating, consequences upon all humanity.God cannot over look sin,it is not possible,but God put in temporary measures,to deal with it,sacrifice had to be made,animals had to be slain.the guilt of sin was laid upon those animals,and so forgiveness was granted.This as I said was never meant to be permanent,God had a greater plan that would be permanent,and that's were Jesus comes in. In Matthew 1 v 21 we read ''He will save His people from their sins''.Forget about Santa,presents,food ,etc,and focus for one moment on that little child's purpose in coming,when he grew up He would pay the price for sin ,on a cross,  dealing with  sin ,once and for all who would put their faith in Him,the result is there is hope for us failures.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       For God so loved the world that He                                                                                                           gave His only begotten son, that                                                                                                               whosoever believes in Him would not                                                                                                       perish but have everlasting life.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              (John 3 v 16 )                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

What is sin? ( Romans 3 v 20 - 23 )

It is W Barclay who points out  the meaning of the word sin,the first meaning is failure,the second is coming short. It may not be a nice thing to say, but in Gods eyes we are all failures,now what does that mean?,it simply means we have failed to keep Gods law,coming short is saying that we have no matter how much we have tried,we have come short of Gods perfect standard.In Romans 3 v 23 we read that  all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.The standard we are supposed to attain to, is to perfectly keep Gods law,not just outwardly but also inwardly, CP Matthew 5 v 21-22 / 27-28. The law of God is summed up in the following words,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Love the Lord your God with all your hearts                                                                                            and with all your soul and with all your mind.                                                                                         This is the first and greatest commandment.                                                                                             The second is like it,' Love your neighbour as                                                                                           yourself.                                                                                                                                                                      (  Matthew 22 v  37 - 39 )                                                                                                                                                                                 

Security ( Psalm 91 )

I was watching an old movie,the people were in danger, then it showed a woman reading to a child words from Psalm 91,so maybe you feel threatened ,maybe you are in danger,these are the words that were read.                                                                                                                                                                                              ''You will not fear the terror by night                                                                                                          nor the arrow that flies by day,                                                                                                                  nor the pestilence that stalks in the                                                                                                            darkness,nor the plague that destroys                     ,                                                                                   at midday                                                                                                                                                    A thousand may fall at your side ten                                                                                                        thousand at your right hand ,but it will                                                                                                      come near you.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ( v 5 - 7  )

God has a way ( Psalm 51 )

So often the people of Israel forsook God,in dramatic ways,taking up the religions of the nations that surrounded them., in spite of all He had done for them. The result God withdrew his presence from them,and let them suffer as a result of their backsliding.they sinned greatly, and so God punished them greatly .Raymond Brown points out that they exchanged, the devil's blessings, that are disguised curses.Consider what it means to forsake God ,read the history of Israel.see how they suffered.Foreign nations would invade them,slaughtering the young and elderly, showing very little if any mercy.Yet God loves His children ,in the worst of times He declared, ''I have loved thee with an everlasting love'' (Jeremiah 31 v 3 )God has a loving purpose  as RB writes ,''Despite their appalling loveless, disobedient, and senseless disloyalty,God has His own way,of bringing ,unfaithful children, to the place of  repentance,forgiveness and hope''.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 For a brief moment I abandoned you                                                                                                        but with deep compassion I will bring                                                                                                      you back.                                                                                                                                                    In a surge of anger I hid my face from                                                                                                      for a moment, but with everlasting                                                                                                            kindness, I will have compassion on                                                                                                          you, says the Lord your Redeemer.                                                                                                                      ( Isaiah 54 v 7 - 8 )

Saint Anthony. ( Hebrews 4 v 14 - 16 )

 Coming back to me finding the lost wallet,the lady said she had been praying to ST Anthony  as regards the lost wallet.So did Anthony answer her prayer?,well first of all as regards this so called saint,the Bible teaches that all Christians are saints,  as  Vine writes,'it is used of believers ,it designates all such and is not merely to persons of exceptional holiness'. The term saint means holy one,so it is in 2 Thessalonians 1 v 10 we read of His holy people,were it describes those who have believed.It is a term that is used throughout the whole of the Bible in relation to all Gods  children. As regards praying to so called saints, or to Mary,we have to take seriously what the word of God has to say. In John 14 v 6 we are told that the only way to God is Jesus,and in 1 Timothy 2 v 5 ,we read , that there is one God, there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus. Our Saviour is also our great high priest,( Hebrews 2 v 17 / 8 v 1.) there are many references in Hebrews as regards the priesthood of Jesus.One of the reasons the book of Hebrews was written was to make it clear that earthly priesthoods are finished, so we do not need them , be it Mary.saints ,priests when we pray, we only need Jesus.

Lost and found ( Luke 15 v 11 f f )

I was out doing my usual morning walk when I spied a wallet lying on the ground,I picked it up and looked inside,there was money , debit cards and a driving licence,with a name an address on it.So when I arrived  home I got into  my car,and went to the address ,a lady came to the door,and was ever so grateful.She said she was very religious and had been praying to Saint Anthony all night, and so I returned home. Two things in all this, the lost and found wallet reminds me of why Jesus came,it is seek and to save that which is lost ( Luke 19 v 10 ),not wallets but people,and not just certain people,all people.The word of God says ,'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved'. ( Romans 10 v 13 ) No one likes being lost,and it very serious, it means we are without God,without hope, for time and eternity.                                                                                                                                                                      I once was lost but now am found.