Adultery ( Psalm 19 v 14 )

'Adultery' is OK,so read the words in a national news paper,the writer went on to write,' Yes ,you can indulge in extra marital relations.The writer went on to explain that she was writing of mental adultery,and went on to say it had a wonderful playful aspect to it.Our Saviour said far from being a  wonderful playful thing,it was a sinful thing,equal to actually doing it physically.He said,'that anyone who looks  at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart  ' ( Matthew 5 v 28)                                                                                                                                                                                                                         A  prayer                                                                                                                                 Dear lord you  say blessed are the  pure                                                                                                    in heart,Please forgive my sinful  thoughts,                                                                                               grant me a pure heart, in Jesus name .Amen.

No escape.. ( 1 Corinthians 4 v 5 )

A Christian brother I know served as an officer in local government, he told someone that he was the only one who didn't take bribes,sadly that included Christians.We hear of countries where taking bribes is common place,but after hearing this, one wonders how prevalent it is in our country. I remember when I  was about to retire and one of my clients give me an envelope with a sum of money in it, it was a gift from him in relation to my retirement. I thanked him very much,said I was so grateful,but I  was sorry that I could not accept it because we were not allowed to. I hope I did not hurt that dear mans feelings,but I know I couldn't accept it.  If I had my conscience would have troubled me,and who wants to live with a guilty conscience?,it appears to me that some Christians are,the word of  God tells,that our sins will find us out ( Numbers 32 v 23 ).People who have committed crimes years ago are now being found out,because of  DNA testing..Recently  a Nazi prison guard  from a murder camp was put on trial in Germany, for the crimes he committed, he is a very old man, I suppose he had hoped that he had escaped  punishment for his crimes. Now of course many people do appear to escape the punishment for their crimes,as to earthly judgement, but they will not escape Gods judgement.  We are told clearly in Hebrews  9 v 27, that it is appointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgement.

You are a somebody ( John 3 v 16 )

Raymond Brown writes,' Jesus taught that, in Gods sight,every single person is of infinite value'.In a world of vast numbers of people,it is vital to remember this,the individual is never lost to God,in Gods sight everyone is important,in Matthew 5 v 45, we read that God the Father, causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous.Yes everyone is important in His eyes,no one is just a number, a face in the crowd, a nameless nobody. When we read that God so so loved the world,( John 3 v 16 ),it means just that,whoever you are,He loves you. To all those gathered around the cross,those who hated Him,those who mocked Him,those who crucified Him,he loved,he died for the ungodly ( Romans 5 v 6 ) Jesus says to all of us,you are not a nobody, you are a somebody,and somebody I love.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ''The Son of God , who loved me                                                                                                                and gave Himself for me.                                                                                                                               ( Galatians 2 v 20 )

Like a novel. ( Philippians 1 v 27 - 28 )

I know a man who attends a certain church, where being saved ,and sin is never mentioned, by the minister. His reasoning being, people need to hear about the love of God,and yet the greatest and well known verse in the Bible is John 3 v 16 ,which reads for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not PERISH but have everlasting life.The question is why did God do such a wonderful thing?..The reason because of sin and its consequences,people will go to Hell,mankind needs to be saved,and without sin b dealt with ,we will go to hell.We are told in Matthew 1 v 21 That He ( Jesus )will save His people from  their sins. Raymond Brown, formerly Principal of Spurgeon's College wrote the following. ''Unhappily ,our generation is increasingly less sensitive to sin; 'guilt' belongs to a redundant vocabulary.One of Umberto Eco's fictional characters gives expression to contemporary scepticism; If belief is necessary, let it be in a religion that doesn't make you feel guilty... Like a novel, not like a theology;'

Do you really love Him? ( Matthew 22 v 37 - 38 )

Selwyn Hughes wrote,  ''We must never elevate anyone - husband, wife or child- to the position where they become 'God' to us......no one must take the place of God in our lives- no one''Families are important but they are not as important as God,we more than likely love those who are nearest and dearest to us,but we must love God more.We may love many things but we must love God more,because they can become gods, but if we love them first and foremost,then they become an idol,we become idolaters,we worship them.You may have thought idolatry involved bowing down to an idol of stone or worshipping and icon ,not so it covers anything that we consider first in our lives ,other than God. Consider that word anything,and then ask yourself the question,have I relegated God,to a lower division,oh yes we may sing lustily worship hymns, pray read the Bible and still love other things ,other people more than God.                                                                                                                                                 Is God playing second fiddle in                                                                                                                our lives?

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 )