Serving ( 1 Corinthians 13 )

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote wonderful books ,but he suffered from ill health,and he went to live in Samoa.He must have been a lovely person,he had a house built,the first night he went into his house   he felt exhausted .he wished he had the forethought to have asked his servant to bring him coffee and cigarettes. Just as he was thinking that, the door opened and the native boy came in with a tiny tray  carrying cigarettes and coffee. Robert said to him,in the native language, 'Great is your forethought'; the boy corrected him, and said, 'Great is the love'.Like that servant boy,may all our service to others be that of love.

Our times are in His hands. ( Hebrews 1 v 1 - 4 )

I meet up with friend every other week  ,he is a godly man, like myself he was a minister,on my last he shared with me the time he had an operation. Before the operation the  consultant wanted him to sign a consent form,before he did he spoke to him,that behind the surgeon  there was one who was in control guiding the surgeons hands.The surgeon asked who that was?,my friend answered ,Jesus, yes it is important to remind ourselves that Jesus is in control,of our lives. He is our sovereign Lord,whose got the whole world in his hand.So let us rest easy, and let us have faith ,in the one who has  got the whole world in His hand..

Enigmatic. ( Hebrews 1 v 1 - 4 )

What does the word enigmatic mean?,and who can we apply it to?, Jesus, for it means someone who is mysterious,and difficult to understand..In Luke 8 v 22 - 25,Jesus  was in a boat asleep and a severe  storm arose,the disciples became afraid for the boat was being swamped ,and they thought they were going to drown.So the woke Jesus up,with the words,''Master,Master,we'er going to drown''. Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters,and the storm subsided,and all was calm.Jesus challenged his disciples with the words,''where is your faith''.It was missing they only saw the storm,instead of total trust in the one who was in the boat Jesus.What Jesus had an affect on them, in fear and amazement they asked one another,''Who is this ?,He commands the winds and the water, and they obey Him.''Yes who is this mysterious person,this difficult person we find hard to understand, this Jesus,a person who could command nature ,who performed miracles,who raised the dead,who did what God  alone could do,forgive sins,yes who is He?.

It can be hard. ( Psalm 51 )

Saying sorrow can sometimes be very difficult,oh yes it is easy if it is a trivial thing,like walking in front of someone,or if you bump into someone,but there are times when it is not easy. Recently I got annoyed about something that someone was doing something that effected me, my wife challenged me said the way I spoke to the person was unkind. I sought to explain to her why I had said what I did,but she would have none of it,told me I needed to apologise.I  continued to dig my heels in,but eventually I did somewhat reluctantly go to the person and say  was sorry,I found it hard, but I did it. But of course it did not stop there,I had to ask God to forgive me ,many people apologise to other people and never give a thought for God.ultimately sin is an offence against a holy God, consider what David prayed when he confessed his sin to God,''Against you,you only ,have I sinned and done what was evil in your sight'' ( Psalm 51 v 4 ) By all means apologise to someone you have hurt tell them you are sorry, but seek God and ask His forgiveness.

It is serious ( John 3 v - 16 )

I mentioned recently some aspects of Christmas,some good some bad,but let us consider whats sad and even serious. It is sad that many only see the baby,ah he is lovely, most of us like babies,it is lovely when they give you a smile.Yes the baby in the manger was lovely,but what about the man He   became?what about that man hanging on a cross?.Very sad because the baby could not do anything for you,but He has done something for you, through His death on the cross we can be forgiven all our sins. For Jesus is a Saviour brought into this world  by God,to bring us to God. Yes it is sad ,but it is also serious,the consequences of rejecting Him,have eternal consequences,Hell beckons,it is not to late,stop  ignoring Him, turn to the man Christ Jesus to be truly blessed',

The scapegoat (Psalm 103 v 21 - 23 )

Now consider that other goat the one that would be known as the scapegoat ( Leviticus 16 v 10 ),Well this what would happen to it.The high priest would lay both his hands  on its head ,and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites - all their sins-and put them on the goats head. He then would send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man.The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man will release it into the desert' ( Leviticus 16 v 20 - 22 ) All this reminds us of that greater work of forgiveness,by Christ,we are told in 1 Peter 2 v 24, that Christ Himself bore our sins in his body on the tree ( Cross).Leon Morris write',He means that Jesus death endured the penalty for our sins the result being,because He suffered we do not suffer.Our sins are forgiven and not only are they forgiven they are removed by our scapegoat Jesus ,it is what Psalm 103 v  21 - 23  is about.'For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear him,as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.' Our sins are all forgiven and are gone'.

The blood. ( Hebrews 10 v 1 - 18 )

When the Jews occupied the promised land they continued to keep the Passover,and also there was a day of atonement once a year two animals were brought one was sacrificed  the other was known as the scapegoat .The one that was slain would be sacrificed as a sin offering ,the blood of the animal would be sprinkled within the sanctuary,in the book of Hebrews 9  v 22 we read,'without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.This was inactive every year ,an animal sacrifice was only a  type a shadow,it could not once and for deal with sin.This would only happen when Christ ,on the cross became the sacrifice that would effectively deal with the sin, of all those who put their faith in Him,the result was no more sacrifices are needed .Isaac Watts wrote,'Not all the blood of beasts,on Jewish altars slain,could give the guilty conscience peace,or wash away the stain. But Christ, the heavenly  Lamb,takes all our sins away, a sacrifice of nobler name,and richer blood than they'.