Victory in Jesus. ( Romans 8 v 37 )

In 2 Peter 1 v 3 we read that Gods divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.The Christian life is the most challenging life there is. It is a life that challenges us to be holy,in thought , word, and deed. We are told something very wonderful in this verse ,that when we come to Christ as our Saviour we can live the life that we are meant to. W. Barclay writes,''In Christ there is the divine power, which cannot  be ultimately defeated or frustrated. It is to be remembered always that the love of Christ is backed by the power of Christ, and is ,therefore a victorious love''                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    1 Corinthians 15 v 57 ..                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              '' But thanks be to God, He gives us the victory                                                                                           through our Lord Jesus Christ.''

Gods choice ( Matthew 13 v 55 )

I remember when my then first  wife who was attending Bible college told me how a lecturer told of an experience he had in Africa which he was ashamed of. He was in a certain home when a native person came to the front door,and person who owned the home told him to go round the back.The lecturer felt he should have said something but he didn't,he deeply regretted this.I went to a different Bible college, I had completed my 3 yrs training, but no doors had opened for me into ministry,so I went to that dear brother for advice,I introduced myself ,but his first words were to criticise the way I spoke, to me it was so out of place in its context,no help was offered or advice given.It appeared that that dear brother had failed to learn anything from his African experience.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         ''Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not                                                                  many of you were wise by human standards; not many were                                                                    influential; not many were of noble birth.But God chose the                                                                    foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the                                                                  weak things.....the lowly things...the despised things,......so that                                                               no one may boast before Him. (  1 Corinthians 1 v 26 - 29 )                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Amazing thing. ( Romans 5 v 6 )

As I look around I see the vast majority of people, living as if God does not matter,speaking of the wicked, in Psalm 9 v 17, we read of the nations that forgets God, and in Psalm 10 v 4,we read,''God is in none of their thoughts''and lastly in Psalm 36 v 1 we read, ''They have no fear of God at all''. These three statement sum up modern society attitude to God.  For most of western society God is forgotten, that does not mean to say they don't have gods ,of course they do,but the God of the Bible is forgotten.Next He is not in their thoughts,from the moment they get up in the morning, till they go to bed at night,they don't give Him a thought.Then last but not least,we are told that the fear of God is absent, the scripture tells us that there is no fear of God. So why do we ask the question why?,when we see evil being perpetrated, it is  no wonder that sin is abounding,when we live in a godless world. But here is the amazing thing, God loves , and loves,and loves, and to show that love, we just have to look, to that lone figure hanging on a cross.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Amazing grace.

Sinning against the Holy Spirit. ( Matthew 12 v 22 - 32 )

What do you think is the greatest sin? well it appears to be blaspheming against the Holy Spirit,which we read about in Matthew 12 v 31- 32. To appreciate why Jesus said this one must see it in its context,who it was said to,? the Pharisees,who had accused and attributed the miracles of Jesus as being performed to the demons. Consider these people who reverenced the  scripture,and believed in a Messiah,they should of all people have recognised and acknowledged who Jesus was.Yet no matter what the scripture said, no matter what Jesus did, no matter what He said,they would not for one minute,believe in him.Their hatred of Him grew and grew,that they blasphemed as regards the Holy Spirit.It was as Barnes puts it, ''A wanton and blasphemous attack on the divine power and nature of Christ''.Nothing was going to change their wicked and hardened hearts,nothing,in spite of  their privileged  position, they brazenly opposed Christ, which led them to not only reject Him, but to also crucify Him.

Greatest problem facing us all. ( Romans 3 v 9 v 23 )

I wonder have you ever asked the question, what is the greatest problem mankind has to face?, what would be top of your concerns?,Climate change?, pollution? the poor,?,disease?,crime ?,we could go on.So what do you think?.I want to tell you what the greatest problem humanity has to face is sin, yes sin, humanities sinful nature. Let us ask the question why these random shootings ?,they are totally wicked, why such violence?, it does not make any rational sense.Often reasons are given as being religious,people with a sense of grievance, political,and often it is a mystery,but it is no mystery,to me,it is mans sinful nature. One of the characteristic of our sinful nature is clearly spelt  out in Romans 3 v 15, ''Their feet are swift to shed blood''.The 20th century was a slaughter house, from the moment Cain murdered his brother Able,mankind has followed in his footsteps. This will never change, never,only Gods common grace is restraining the violence in this world at this time,if  He removes that restraining power,all hell would break loose.Only Christ can change us from being savages to saints, He and He alone is our only hope.

The normal Christian life. ( 1 Peter 5 v 8 - 11 )

Now we come to the last of the wilderness temptations by the devil,on Jesus, the motive behind this temptation,is a desire by the devil to be God,pride filled his being, and he was expelled from heaven. Alas from that time on he became an enemy of God,and humanity.and of course he is called a liar, indeed the father of lies, by Jesus ( John 8 v 44 ). He promised Jesus the kingdoms of the world and their splendor, if only He would bow down and worship him.It is interesting that Satan does not use scripture in relation to this temptation,for Jesus points out that which satan already knew,that we are to only worship the Lord, and only serve Him  ( Deuteronomy 6 v 13 ).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    A  prayer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Dear Lord,you who faced satan in all his deviousness,                                                                            help us to not be lured by his lies,in your name we ask                                                                            this.  Amen

The normal Christian life. ( Matthew 12 v 38 - 45 )

Lets continue with the temptations of  our Lord,from being tempted to turn stones into bread,to being tempted to throw Himself down from the highest point in the temple in Jerusalem.The tempter the devil challenged Him quoting scripture ,Psalm 91 v 11- 12. Which give the assurance that God would command His angles to keep Him from harm.Our Lord refuted what he said by also quoting scripture,Deuteronomy 6 v 16,which reads,''Do not put the Lord your God to the test''.Yes if Christ had done this what would it had accomplished ?,nothing of worth,also it was not in Gods will for Him to do this,that meant sticking close to why he had come,to save sinners.When Jesus did perform a miracle,He often played it down, CP Matthew 8 v 4,/ John 6 v 15. The people of Jesus day wanted signs, but the only sign He would give them was his death on a cross. W Barclay writes,''God expects us to take risks in order to be true to Him, but He does not expect us to take risks to enhance our own prestige''                                                                                                                                                                                                                  W Barclay                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         ''  A gospel founded on sensation-mongering is doomed                                                                                                        to failure''