We have a choice . ( 1 Samuel 15 v 22 )

I like us to consider for a few days, thoughts from the book of Lamentations,a book written by Jeremiah,after the fall and destruction of Jerusalem,by the Babylonian army.One can only imagine the awful suffering that the population  experienced, and it is important to understand why it happened ,the answer is the people for centuries turned from God. The severity of the judgement was in response to their awful  sinful state.the sad thing is this, it need not have happened.Two sad words sum it up, ''if only'', before they had entered the promised land they were told a vital truth, the importance of obedience,obedience would bring  blessing,disobedience would bring severe consequences. CP Deuteronomy 28.so often Israel choose to disobey.What applies to Israel applies to us, to obey is not only better than sacrifice, it is safer,and will bring a blessing and not a curse.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Are  we living in obedience or disobedience?

God weeps. ( 53 v 3 )

The Bible  teaches clearly that Christ was truly God and truly man,  John the beloved disciple sought to teach this in His gospel. ( 1 v 1 - 3/ v 14 ) ,likewise the epistles stress this, Philippians 2 v 5-11/ Colossians  1 v 16 - 19./ Hebrews 1 v 3 / v 8 - 9. These are just some of the scriptures that tell the truth that was God was manifest in the flesh ( 1 Timothy 3 v 16 ) The coming of Jesus was the fulfilling of  many OT scriptures ,(  Isaiah 9 v 6) so that babe in the manger was none other than God .In all He did and say ,we witness God in action, He forgive sins ,He raised the dead,He healed the sick.and many other wonderful things.In all those things God  showed compassion,patience,love,and we see something that is mentioned in the NT twice, that shows the heart of God in a most wonderful way,in Luke 19 v 41/ John 11 v 35. we read, 'Jesus wept.' The 20th century was a slaughter house, one of the most evil leaders was  J Stalin ,who said,'' A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic''. The King of Kings wept over a city,and wept over an individual and a city, people were never seen as a statistic,He was showing that God loved the whole world, and to prove that love,Jesus died on a cross that our sins would be forgiven.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     There's a wideness in God's mercy                                                                                                             Like the wideness  of the sea                                                                                                                     There's a kindness in His justice,                                                                                                               Which is more than liberty.                                                                                               

The only solution ( Titus 2 v 11 - 14 )

We have all heard how older people talked about when they were young, and how they lived in a society,in which they did not lock their doors. Now I am 74 and I do not remember a time like that,the question is this does apply now?is it looking back  through rose tinted spectacles , yet it  may  appear there are places in which people feel their society is a safe place,now of course it may be relatively safe. Go back to mans beginning a man called Adam, a lady called Eve,living in an earthly paradise. It was an earthly paradise until they disobeyed God,then everything changed,sin entered in,they lost paradise,their nature had changed ,a nature  that would be passed unto their children. One of their sons became a murderer,and from that time on  there would be no totally safe places.Consider the 20th century ,and we ask the question, why did so called civilised  countries act the way they did, committing  unspeakable evils?.The fact is they did, why?, and who knows what  may take place in this century,fuelled by religious fanaticism or whatever. The why can only  be found in the Bible,we without exception are sinners,and the only solution, is the one who died for sinners, Jesus.

Be saved. ( Philippians 2 v 5 - 11 )

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Isaiah 45 v 21...22                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            There is no God apart from Me  a righteous                                                                                              God and a Saviour. .... Turn to me and be                                                                                                  saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am                                                                                                   God,and there is no other.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Romans 10 v 9                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             That if you confess with your mouth, ''Jesus                                                                                             is Lord, ''and believe in your heart that God                                                                                             has raised Him from the dead, you will be                                                                                                 saved .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Acts 16 v 30 - 31.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ''Sir  , what must I do to be saved?''They replied,                                                                                       ''Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved''                                                                                                                                                                         

I want to be loved. ( Matthew 22 v 34 - 40 )

Ernest Hemingway's son Gregory speaking about his relationship with his father said,' I wanted him to love me', which implies that he failed in this.Most of us want to be loved,especially by those nearest and dearest to them,and it is sad when they don't.Wives may not love their husbands,and vice versa,children may not love their parents,and parents their children. Sin has effected so many people that they treat others in an unloving way.it can be very extreme,like the young girl,blinded by a hate filled religious belief,watched fourteen people being beheaded,and was not as she said fazed by it.Yet it is shown in many other ways,a coldness towards others, a treating a person just as a servant, or just as a worker . We may have had friends who just used us,unlove is shown in a multitude of ways,in actions,words,attitudes,some as we have mentioned extreme some less extreme,but it all comes down to the same thing,love is missing. Yes we want to be loved but are we loving?the challenge to me as a Christian is two fold, to love God,and to love others,you cannot have one without the other. People who say they love God and don't love others are deceived,and those who say they love others and don't love God are likewise deceived.

Stop throwing stones ( Matthew 7 v 1 - 6 )

There was a time not so long ago, when having a child out of wedlock was frowned on, I remember many years ago in a Salvation fellowship,a young couple were disciplined for have a child before they were married.Such a thing was considered a sin,and I  believe premarital sex is wrong,but humanity being what it is ,it happens,unfortunately it appears now to be normal.As a Christian we are called to be Holy,that means we are called to refrain from anything that is morally wrong as revealed in Gods word.The account in  Johns  Gospel chapter 8, of a woman caught in the act of adultery who was arrested and brought by the moral judges to Jesus.They told Him what had happened, and the penalty for such a sin,stoning to death.,but of course Jesus turned it on them,saying let him who is without sin cast the first stone,convicted, they all left, leaving only Jesus and the guilty woman.Now of course Jesus knew that this woman had sinned, He told her so,but He said, neither do I condemn you go and sin no more.So there are two important lessons in this story, we have to stop throwing stones,in moral judgement at others, moral failures. Next we must never forget that there are, moral values, and when we break them we sin,and that's very serious                                                                                                                    Words that challenged me,spoken by a father                                                                                            to his pregnant unwed daughter ,'' We don't                                                                                             judge one another,we love one another.''

Only two places. ( Luke 23 v 32 - 43 )

A rough Yorkshire miner became a minister of the Gospel,now Yorkshire people are straight  talking ,as they say were I come from, they call a spade a spade. Well the minister was asked to take the funeral of a notorious  bad person, and of course everyone knew it.Well I have taken a number funerals in my day,and you usually try to say something  nice about the deceased for the sake of the loved ones.Well not this Yorkshire man,as he passed the coffin, he thumped it,,and said to those present,we know where he is gone,and then he said to them ,where are you going?.Well shocking isn't it?,but let us call a spade a spade,where are you going when you die?,remember there  is only two destinations,Heaven or Hell.Again let me ask the question , where are you going?,is it Heaven or is it Hell?.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             'Believe in the Lord Jesus and                                                                                                                     you will be saved'                                                                                                                                            (Acts 16 v 31 ).