Are you ready? ( Hebrews 4 v 7 )

In the news paper I was reading I noticed in the death column of the paper I was reading a picture of a young girl aged 7,in her short life she had suffered from a rare childhood cancer,which she had treatment for,but alas to no account.Before she died she spoke with her family to the very end,cancer is very indiscriminate ,her last words were to her parents was that, 'that she had faith and that she was ready'.Very touching,and moving,consider the words of that child,''she had faith and was ready''. Let me ask you a simple question,are you ready?. ,Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be ready,

A Great God ( Hebrews 11 v 3 )

If we can see the stars ,many of us ,cannot see many because of light pollution ,but if we could  see them, sprinkled out over a vast universe,and realise that God made it all. Then if we consider our world and the wonders that are all around us, and again we declare ,God made it all.I must confess I get sick and tired of people speaking of evolution,that it all just happened.But then as one person wrote,'God is not to be known as other things are known, he is not part of the universe he made. He is to be known in other ways; by his own self revelation and by our personal encounter with him.It comes through faith in Jesus,as our saviour,when that happens, the eyes of our understanding is opened,to the great truth that God is the creator and Master of this universe

Consequence ( Romans 8 v 6 - 8 )

It is important to understand sin, and its consequences,and so I quote what Peter Lewis's in his  book ,'The Message of  the Living God'.The first and worse thing it does is to produce an antipathy to God in the sinner,an allergic reaction to His purity, an inability to tolerate His insistent demand  for righteousness , a hostility to His Lordship. We find His approach threatening.So, when Adam and Eve sinned they went into hiding in the trees,so it continues,mankind has been hiding ever since; behind the trees of false religions,false philosophies, self righteousness and worldly preoccupations . Even religion, even the true religion, can be used as a screen, a cover, a last ditch defence against the unbearable approach of the Holy God who exposes our nakedness and our need, our mixed motives and our moral failures.'

Enoch and walking. ( Psalm 56 v 13 )

In Genesis 5 we read of a man who never died, Enoch, he lived for 365 years,mind blowing,but it was not until till he was 65 yrs that his life was changed, dramatically , he started walking,nothing unusual about that, this walk would last for 300 yrs.The point about this walk ,he had a very wonderful companion  for all those years ,God. It was a walk of faith (Hebrews 11 v 5 ),like Enoch  if we are to walk with God , no matter how long it will be, it must be a walk of faith, and it must begin with faith in Jesus.How can one possibly  walk with such an awesome person as God, simple ,we need to walk in the light ,John the apostle wrote,''If we claim claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth'.In 2 Corinthians 6 v 14,the question is asked, 'what fellowship can light have with darkness?.' The answer is very simple, none,so was Enoch perfect ?,no,but I am sure when he sinned, he sought immediate forgiveness,he may have at times fallen into sin but he would not have walked in sin.So if we want that continual walk with God as Enoch had,seek to be holy,seek to be obedient.

Inventing ( Mark 5 v 1 - 15 )

We owe much to mankind's ability to invent,but consider the following words to be found in Romans 1 v  30,in the N I V, translation, 'They invent ways of doing evil'.Most societies see drug taking as evil,because of its  serious consequences.Having worked among the mentally ill, I have known people whose minds have been permanently damaged through taking drugs. Recently while driving I had to slow down for a man who was carelessly walking across the road,I noticed that he was holding up a balloon up to his nose. Let me explain why he was  doing this, in recent times I have noticed little silver containers on the ground,I wondered why.These little containers ,contains a gas called nitrous  oxide that is used in in baking. People have discovered that they can get a high from this gas,so they release it into a balloon,they then inhale it.Yes mankind is very inventive in discovering new ways of  doing evil. Addiction is not something that people can be reasoned out of, may you realise, if you are addictive to whatever ,that you need help,seek it while you can,and above all else call upon Jesus who can save to the uttermost.

There is hope. ( Revelation 22 v 20 )

More conflict has broken out between the Kurds and Turkey, it must be horrendous to live in these warring situations,there is so much conflict in this world.I have lived through the conflict in Ulster it was not nice to say the least,people being shot ,bombed intimidated, the pain many were going through,was awful. The conflict was between the Nationalist and Unionist,atrocities were committed on both sides,  one group was known as the Shankill butchers, because of their brutality. Our dear Saviour said there would be wars and rumours of wars,in Luke 21 v 9, He says ,''these things  must happen''. Yes there is an inevitability in the continual violence in the world,for mankind is at war with God and their fellow human beings,but one day all will change.When? when Jesus comes back,and He will bring in a new heaven and a new earth, just imagine, no more murders,no more violence, we will live in a non - violent society,the way it was meant be.Yes because of Christ there is hope for all who trust Him.

Only God. ( Genesis 1 v 11 )

Again let us consider ,that there are none so blind that do not see.It is the apostle Paul who writes about God revealing Himself in creation,he writes the following,''For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities  -his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, been understood from what has been made ,so that men are without excuse.'' Someone wrote ,'that God's fingerprints are on every  snowflake,and that His signature is in the stars for us to read and recognize'. In the words of the poem by Joyce Kilmer ,''Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a  tree''.